Review: Marked by the Moon

Marked by the Moon
Lori Handeland
Paranormal Romance
Nightcreature Series/Book 9
St. Martin's/November 2, 2010

From Goodreads ~

Tough as nails Alexandra Trevalyn does what most people can’t: She kills werewolves. Once part of an elite group of hunters, she’s going rogue these days, though no less determined to rid the world of bloodthirsty beasts…once and for all. That’s why Alex had no choice but to kill Julian Barlow’s wife—and will have to pay the price. Julian’s brand of vengeance is downright devious, and now he’s turned Alex into a member of his pack. It’s only a matter of time before she falls under his spell. With the wild freedom of the wolf in her veins, Alex can’t deny that Julian wakes her most primal passions…and draws her that much closer to the moon’s call, where evil lies in wait.

There was a long wait of nearly three years between this book and the previous release in the series. After the wait, it took me a while to pick this one up. I had vague memories of what the previous books were about and didn't feel heavily invested in the series anymore. The good news is Marked by the Moon doesn't rely heavily on previous characters and the world building is well covered to allow this to be a stand-alone. The bad news, the pull of the moon was weak, leaving me less than satisfied.

Alex Trevalyn is a hunter and killer of werewolves - a Jäger-Sucher. For Alex, the only good werewolf is a dead werewolf. It's the only life she's know since she was a little girl and her mother was killed by a werewolf. Alex is a smart-ass, tough loner who doesn't play well with others. I didn't dislike her but never warmed up to her either.

Julian Barlow is a Viking and a werewolf who is out for revenge. He has a unique way of getting it but it doesn't turn out the way he planned. Julian hates Alex for killing his wife and at first we're given the impression that his wife was the love of his life but in fact, they had some major problems. He did love her but it wasn't perfect. The mega attraction Julian has for Alex really pisses him off! I found this amusing since he wanted so bad to hate her but couldn't stop wanting her. The guy has super powers beyond typical werewolf powers and yet he overpowered by a woman.

Julian and Alex are a very unlikely pair. She wants to kill him, he wants revenge. Where's the love? I had a hard time believing these two were falling in love. They didn't have much time together other than when they were arguing or having sex. The ending got all mushy and they both had much love for each other. I'm just not sure how they got there.

There is a murder mystery running through the story with locals being killed and one of Julian's pack the most likely suspect. I wouldn't say the killer was obvious but there were only a few characters to choose from. The reveal of the killer was anti-climatic since the main problem Julian and Alex faced, her having been a Jäger-Sucher, him wanting revenge had not been resolved. When the dust settled the positions Alex and Julian found themselves took an odd turn and I found it less than believable given how powerful Julian is.

I do have the next two books in the series on the TBR pile and I'll get to them someday but not anytime soon.

Rating: C

1. Blue Moon
2. Hunter's Moon
3. Dark Moon
4. Crescent Moon
5. Midnight Moon
6. Rising Moon
7. Hidden Moon
8. Thunder Moon
9. Marked By The Moon
10. Moon Cursed
11. Crave The Moon