THE WOLF'S CRY - Tour and Review

Thanks for stopping by my tour stop for The Wolf's Cry by Natalie Crown. This is a YA Fantasy book that released in January 2014. This is the first book in the The Semei Trilogy.  This tour will run March 10th-21st and consist of reviews, author interviews, guest posts, top tens and a giveaway.  Stop by the tour page for the full list of tour stops.

Book Title: The Wolf's Cry (Book One in the Semei Trilogy)
Author: Natalie Crown
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: YA
Length: PDF is 199 pages


She is his weakness.
And she will ruin everything.
Kammy Helseth's idea of adventure never amounted to more than getting a boat across to the mainland and finally escaping to London. That was until she stumbled through the mouth of the forest into a world beneath our own, the world of the Semei.

Her only wish is to find her way home but when Jamie, her best friend, is taken into this new world of shapeshifters and Crystals she has no choice but to stand up to her fear and to remain beneath the surface. Hunted by Bagor, King of Alashdial, and those that are loyal to him, Kammy finds herself in the company of a group of outlaws led by Jad, a Prince with a bitter past and a similarly bitter demeanour.

They overcome age-old prejudice to find a way to work together. But Bagor knows a secret about the Crystals that threatens to change everything. Kammy and Jad must find a way to thwart the king and to save Jamie, but that is just the beginning. For Kammy is in possession of a Key and the fate of countless lives, both human and Semei, may rest in her hands.

Book Links:  

Goodreads | Amazon 

My Review / Thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It turned out to be something different than what I expected.  I was pleasantly surprised!  When I saw the book come up for review, I jumped at it.  To tell you the truth I didn't even read the description until after I got the book.  The cover is what grabbed me.  I know that probably sounds silly, but it was so beautiful, and I thought it would be about wolves.  Well, lets just say it was kind of about wolves, but not like I expected.  It was so much more.

I love the idea that it is about shape shifters, and not ware wolves, and vampires.  I love ware wolves and vampires, but this was something new and so fun.  

When Kammy goes for a run to "clear" her head she finds herself at a place her mother use to take her.  It was their special place.  While sitting on the log she realizes there is a tunnel behind her so she enters, and what she finds is a whole "new" world, that doesn't seem to take to well to humans.  She ends up being put in prison and when the walls begin to move, and she sees dirt coming out of one of the bricks, she is surprised to find a mouse burrowing through the dirt.  When it enters Kammy's cell it turns into a man.  Eric enters Kammy's cell and Kammy's life will never bee the same after that.  Eric helps Kammy escape while also freeing his friend Jad from the same prison.  Eric and his friends help Kammy return home.  Then Kammy's best friend Jamie is kidnapped and the only way to help him is to return to the world between the earth, and return to Eric, and his outlaw friends.  Kammy knows that the feud between her friend Jad, and Bagor, the leader of  Alashdial is important to her new friends, but rescuing Jamie is more important to her.  On the journey to find Jamie, Kammy finds out she is actually one of them.  She is a Semei.   She finds out that Jad and Bagor are family.  She finds out that Tayah and the woman from the woods are sisters, and then Kammy finds out she is also part of this world.

When family relationships are uncovered it was so interesting.  I didn't expect some of the things that happened, yet wasn't surprised with some of them either.  I love that Kammy is so passionate about her friend, and is willing to do anything she can to get him back.  Even in a world she knows nothing about.  She is willing to risk her life to get Jamie back.  

When Kammy is captured again by Bagor, he tells her a different story about how the feud between Jad and he began.  I am still wondering who to believe.  I cannot wait for the rest of this series to see who ends up being the "real" bad guy.  I was drawn in by Bagor's story of the events, but cannot tell if it is real or not. That to me, makes it a good story.  I still cannot figure out if I am going to like Bagor or not.  To me right now it seems as though there may have been a huge misunderstanding, but who knows.  There are so many unanswered questions, which I guess is what the author is going for, so as to draw us into the rest of the series.  Well, lets just say, it worked on me!  

I am hoping to learn more about how the feud began.  Where Kammy fits into the ending :), like will she embrace her new life, or will she cling to the life she has always known?  There is one character in the book by the name of Welm, and I hope that he has a bigger role in the next book.  I have a feeling there is way more to him than meets the eye.  

I love the adventure in this book.  I love the idea of shape shifting.  I love that it seems to be in a world that is so close to ours.  This books was exciting, interesting, and kept me on the "edge" of the page!  I am anxiously looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.  

Source:  I was given this book as part of a tour.  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

My Rating:

About the Author:  Natalie Crown
I grew up in a village called Swilland, in the countryside of Suffolk, England. There wasn't much around, other than farms and fields, but for the most part I loved it, and I still do. I’m a passionate person by nature. I don’t just LIKE things, I LOVE things. Whether it’s a book, a film, or a sports team. Once I decide to enjoy something, I enjoy it to the MAX.

I’m a terrible cook. I prioritise essential social media work over keeping my flat tidy, because I know best. I

Onto my love of reading and, consequently, writing - it was my dad that played a big role in encouraging me to read. He didn't push me towards books necessarily; he simply read a lot himself. Then I would pick up his books and read them after him. I was reading high and epic fantasy from a very young age. I guess that might explain why I have always loved adventure stories with magic and intrigue and princes and princesses in.

I was aware that I wanted to ‘be a writer’ from a very young age. I was convinced I would be the first best seller that hadn't reached double figures in age yet! I wrote about the Danshees, furry creatures that lived through a mirror. I wrote about a Sand Bottle that transported a boy into a world of magic. I wrote about a sick girl finding a music boy that healed her, but transported her back in time. (Wow, I always have loved alternate universes…)

When I was eight I wrote my first novel called The Land of No Return. Despite the title, I am determined to return to it one day. I feel like I owe it to my past self. So, as you can see, I have always been writing. There have been times when I have gone weeks without scratching down a word. Then there are days where I churn out multiple chapters and only my body’s silly desire for sleep and/or food can stop me.

I write because I enjoy it. I write fantasy because I enjoy it. I try my hardest to put something of myself into my writing. I like to think my characters have depth, I like to think that my fantasy worlds reflect upon the real world in some way. You guys will be the judge of that but even if you don't agree I know that I at least try and I can do no more than that.

These days I live in North London and I love it. I work full time and London is a hectic city. Juggling work, writing and a social life is tough but nobody is forcing me to do it so I can't complain. The dream is that writing will be my career one day but it doesn't matter if I never quite make it. I love writing too much to ever pack it in.

I am desperate to get a dog. My mum suspects I miss my cats at home more than I miss her. I am a devout Arsenal/Ferrari/Rafael Nadal fan. I get all mad when confronted with a case of social injustice and then I get all mad when people take the fight for social justice too far. I mostly keep those thoughts to myself and simmer with rage. I watch good TV and bad TV, because I can. What I can’t do is enjoy bad books (subjective opinion of course). I just can’t.

Find the author:

Website/Blog |  Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


Giveaway:

2 $50 Amazon Gift Cards (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This tour was organized by CBB Book Promotions