Had to reread this after reading Unbinding, and it was great to read it after having several Lupi novels under my belt. It almost makes me want to reread The Night Season too.
The first time I read this, it was part of a novella collection and the first Wilks I’d read. I liked it, but it was so much more enjoyable once I was familiar with the Lupi world. I love these characters, and I hope they’ll continue to show up in the Lupi novels. ( )

The world is an interesting twist on the unexplained magical burst changing the world trope. Magic and unexpected creatures running amok sound cool. It's just a pity that the characters aren't as vibrant. Kai is either fretting about hiding the truth about her abilities or mooning over Nathan. Nathan has an interesting plot reveal, but his personality irked me. That he is quickly willing to turn his back on everything that he's been building in recent years over a possibility that something bad could happen to Kai rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not saying that his final decision was wrong, but some contemplation about any potential fallout would have been nice.

I don't think I'll be looking into any of the books in this series. ( )

So glad I took the time to read this before jumping further into Night Seasons. I really enjoyed Kai and Nathan's story. I wasn't expecting Nathan to be what he turned out to be, but I thought it was a great twist. Kai is such an empathetic character and very likable. They're such a great couple. Dell is also a fascinating creature and I'm curious how the three of them will fit into the next book. Another great installment in an imaginative series. ( )

Kai believes she’s some type of weird telepath. She doesn’t actually get words from someone’s mind, but sees colors as thoughts and feelings. It’s scary and overwhelming and she has to be careful, especially during thunderstorms, to keep her own thoughts from intruding on others. She knows Nathan, her neighbor and friend who works as a county deputy isn’t human, but he denies being a lupi. Someone is killing the Gifted in and around Midland, TX and Nathan is on the hunt.

Originally published in the anthology, On The Prowl, the story takes place 5 weeks after the dragons arrived in the Earth Realm, and prior to the book, Night Season. The pair makes a couple of appearances after this prior to their own full length story in Unbinding.

You could call it a romance, but learning about these characters, a different angle on what the Gifted face during this time and finding the creature responsible for the killings is a larger focus for most of the story. And the reason for the story is to explain their role in the World of the Lupi series. But the romance will make you feel good.

Could you start the series with this book and understand what’s going on? Yeah, I think enough back story is provided and there is no mention of Lily and Rule, whom the majority of the series focuses on. Kai and Nathan haven’t met either character yet.

Can you read Unbinding without reading this first? Yes. Again enough information is provided so you wouldn’t be outright lost. But I think you’d appreciate their relationship and the decision Kai has to make if you do read this first. ( )

Bored ( )