HOWLING MOON

REVIEW PAGE

For those who like the WHOLE story!  These are all of the reviews we've found for the book so far!

LYSA DEMOREST, Suite Magazine. C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp bring another story of their shape shifting Sazi to your fingertips. Previous Sazi stories brought you humor, romance, mystery, and bit of horror that any shape shifter brings with them to the party, and HOWLING MOON doesn't leave you disappointed. With an ever expanding, and wonderfully growing, series, C.T. and Cathy rank right up with Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Laurell K. Hamilton in paranormal romance must reads. When you pick up a Sazi, you won't be mad at yourself for doing so and you'll be looking around the corner to find your own purrable shifter.

HOWLING MOON brings you into the Sazi world, a society of various animal shifters and their human families that live just beneath the shadows of ours. They have business, go to school, live in the same town you do, they just have a little more of a dangerous game they play. Their lives mingle with normal humans on an everyday basis, and in this story you come face to face with one that's become a senator and a homicidal madman. (In which I restrain myself from referring to by the terms Eddie Izzard uses in his performances for people of the same nature.) Senator Jack Simpson has something on the entire Sazi community that lets him go off and murder when he feels like it, he can break their first law in keeping themselves hidden from the world. If he happens to die before old age gets him, then a file is sent out to the world on the Sazi, their magic, and could bring about another hunt to kill them all. Which has made more than a few Sazi mad.

Raphael, now Second Alpha to the Boulder , Colorado pack, used to be a Woven agent, the agency set up to be the police force within the Sazi community, knows Jack's insanity and blood thirst first hand and severely wishes he could do something about it. When Jack attacks the head Sazi's family though, leaving two dead and a woman more likely to die when the full moon comes, he doesn't know what he's gotten into. Catherine Turner, young, bright, and now a real cat you don't want to mess with, finds out about Jack's past, and the fact he can annoyingly pop into her head when he wants to, she's determined to take him out and has a plan for that nasty file of his. Plots twist and turn with every new bit of information brought in. Between political discontent in the pack, Raphael's and Cat's growing mating bond, and a madman on the loose, you'll admire the characters for being calm enough not to knock on Jack's door and strangle him.

But the romance between Raphael and Cat and the paranormal factors involved, there's a lot more to the story. Not only are characters learning how to trust each other in new situations, but also families are being brought closer together. From Cat who lost her parents, Raphael getting closer to his son, and a new relationship with Cat's Uncle Chuck (who is the Chief Justice Charles Wingate, the highest ranking Sazi and one you don't want to mess with,) HOWLING MOON will leave you smiling in the end at the warmth between the growing bonds of them all. When you pick up this book, you'll definitely feel like you're a part of the Sazi.

JILL SMITH, ROMANTIC TIMES BOOKReviews.  TOP PICK! HOT! After being a dangerous footnote in previous books, the true evil of Sazi serial killer Jack Simpson is finally revealed. Layer by layer Adams and Clamp build their compelling Sazi world with its strict laws that give this unique universe dramatic shape and form. Besides captivating plots, the rich dark characters make these books distinctive and mesmerizing. They are true genre luminaries!

SUMMARY: A family vacation turns into a nightmare when Catherine Turner's parents are slaughtered and she is mauled by a vicious jaguar. Even worse, that was no ordinary jaguar; it was Sazi serial killer Jack Simpson. Now, as the full moon approaches, Cat will be forced into her first transformation as a big cat.

Former Wolven agent Raphael Ramirez is contacted by the Chief Justice of the Sazi with a request that, provided she survives her initial transformation, Raphael step in and teach Cat. Normally wolves and big cats don't mix well, but Raphael is different, and he has a long, dark history with Jack. As Cat struggles to accept the new reality of her life, she is also tormented by the killer. Twisted and evil jack makes it quite clear that he is not done with either Cat or Raphael.

DIANA TIXIER HERALD, American Library Association BookList. Adams and Clamp reveal more of the laws and mores of the Sazi shape-shifters in their latest compelling romance. The leader of the Sazi shape-shifters, Chief Justice Charles Wingate, asks former Wolven agent Rafael Ramirez to take care of an extremely difficult situation. His goddaughter, Cat, has been bitten by psychopathic serial killer Jack Simpson, who also happens to be a U.S. senator. Sazi risk turning human if they are bitten, and that transformation is brutally painful. Cat, who watched helplessly as Simpson destroyed her parents, is tormented by his telepathic communications. But she survives the turning and become a jaguar shape-shifter, only to be rejected by the Boulder Sazi pack of wolf-shifters. Rafael, who is responsible for training her, reluctantly realizes she is his true mate. Then, after he becomes leader of the pack, he has to confront the wolf shape-shifters' prejudice against feline shape-shifters. When it comes to paranormal romance, nobody does it better than Adams and Clamp.

STACI KILPATRICK, Romance Junkies. 5 Blue Ribbons! Cat Turner’s life has turned upside down.  She has lost everything in a span of a few weeks and now she is going to be a cat in truth due to a sadistic serial killer.  When he cruelly killed her parents, Jack managed to get a swipe at her and now with the next full moon she is to be a jaguar.

Raphael is the acting Alpha of his pack and the Chief Justice, the head of all shape shifters and Cat’s godfather, is asking Raphael a favor.  He wants Raphael to watch over Cat and train her on her new life.  He is a strong man and even a stronger wolf.  To protect his family, his mate and their lives, Raphael has some tough decisions to make that may change his life forever.

Will he be able to accept his calling as Alpha for his pack or will his relationship with Cat suffer?  Will Jack be caught before his obsession with Cat leads to her demise?  Who will Jack attack next or will he be able to be brought down?

C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp have done it again!  This new tale of the Sazi is wonderful, full of suspense and with quite a few unforeseen twists in it.  HOWLING MOON is a romantic tale of love and acceptance that will not only touch your mind, but your heart as well.  I love each and every book these two women write.  To understand this book, you don’t have to read the rest in the series, but honestly why not read them all – they are so worth every second.

HARRIET KLAUSNER, Midwest Book Reviews, The Best Reviews.  Chief Justice and head of the Sazi community asks former shapeshifter secret police agent Raphael Ramirez to do him a favor; be there when his goddaughter Catherine Turner changes. Were-jaguar serial killer Jack Simpson murdered her parents; Catherine endured but she was mauled and will change at the full moon that is if she survives the transformation.

Raphael heads to Boulder where Catherine, suffering nightmares from the lethal massacre, is staying with her Aunt Violet Wildethorne. He knows that Charles asks a lot of him because his pack would want Catherine dead and Jack is probably hunting her down to complete his kill. When Raphael meets Cat, he is stunned as she is his soulmate, but he is wolf and she is jaguar.

The latest Sazi romantic suspense thriller is a terrific tale starring a dedicated hero who knows scandal first hand from the incident that cost him his police position, but also knows he will risk anything to keep his beloved safe from his pack and Jack. Readers also learn a lot more about killing Jack whose previous appearances were somewhat limited. The star-crossed romance combines delightfully with the woman in peril subplot as the world seems to be focusing on a traumatized Cat.

KELLEY HARTSELL, CK2S Kwips & Kritiques. In Howling Moon we are finally given the full story about Cat and Raphael. Their circumstances were alluded to in previous books Hunter’s Moon and Moon’s Web as having a strong impact on the Sazi world as a whole. Now we finally discover why…

Catherine “Cat” Turner’s world is turned upside down when she is brutally attacked by a serial killer and turned into a were-jaguar. Her previously uneventful life now takes a drastic turn as she has to come to terms with her new animalistic appetites and desires, as well as the lingering affects of the brutal murders of her family and her own violent attack.

Raphael is a retired agent of Wolven, the Sazi secret police, as a result of a huge scandal several years ago. When he is called in to protect and teach Catherine by her Godfather, who is none other than leader of all the Sazi, Charles Wingate, he knows life is about to get very complicated. Raphael is a wolf and Cat a jaguar, two species that are bitter enemies. Add in that her attacker, Jack, is at the heart of Raphael’s past scandal and circumstances are about to get very tense.

Amidst pack politics, societal threats by a madman, and ingrained prejudices between Sazi species Cat and Raphael form a bond that defies all expectations. As their love as mates grows they find their position in the pack even more precarious, until they are forced into a decision that will challenge the beliefs and minds of all Sazi.

In their most ambitious novel to date, C T Adams and Cathy Clamp give readers a chance to delve deeper into Sazi society with Howling Moon. The timeline is also longer than the usual novel in the series, as was necessary to really give Raphael and Cat’s story the attention it deserved and needed. We are also given a stronger lesson in the laws of a pack society through Cat’s lessons. As she discovers what her new life means, so do we the readers.

It is also fascinating to get in to the mind of a serial killer like readers will here. We see glimpses of Jack’s thought processes through his mental link to Cat, which pops up in all sorts of situations. This adds an additional element of surprise to the story as no one ever knows when he’ll put in an “appearance” and reveal more of himself to Cat. Through his mind link, Cat and Raphael find out more and more about Jack’s plans and grow ever more desperate to put an end to his reign of terror.

I personally think that the love between Cat and Raphael is better and more intense than any of the other couples we’ve met thus far in the Sazi society. Just knowing how they came together and all the adversity they had to face makes their bond that much more powerful. I cried many tears over the pack’s treatment of the couple. As times grow tenser and a decision is forced, my heart was so strongly bound up in the story I wanted to scream and shout and cheer Cat and Raphael on in their passionate relationship.

Now all that said, and as much as I loved this foray into Sazi life, there are a couple things that need mentioned. Due to the circumstances in Howling Moon, there is a ton of information about pack laws and hierarchy that must be relayed to Cat, and in turn, the readers. Though I completely understood the need for these details, they did cause some confusion, due to information overload more than anything. I found I had to go back to previous chapters several times to try to remember what I learned. Sometimes the action gets bogged down by the details. Also, having read Hunter’s Moon and Moon’s Web when they were first published, I sometimes had a hard time remembering the connections between the supporting players.

On the flip side, we get much of the back story of the Sazi in Howling Moon and it helped to explain more clearly events and relationships we were introduced in previous novels in the series. This is not a quick read as it takes time to process all the data, but that makes the novel no less compelling and action-packed. Howling Moon is definitely a character-driven story and is very heart-wrenching. You will laugh, cry, rage and scream along with Raphael and Cat, and their loved ones and enemies. Be prepared to run the full range of emotions when reading Howling Moon. You won’t be disappointed.

MARTINA BEXTE, BookLoons. The fine writing team of Adam and Clamp take readers back into their fascinating and richly realized SAZI society in their latest chapter Howling Moon. As the story opens, Catherine Turner and her parents are attacked by a vicious creature that leaves Catherine’s parents dead and the young woman brutally mauled. Cat survives her attack, but is grief stricken to learn that her parents did not. To make matters worse, she has not idea that her life, as she knows it, will forever change come the full moon.

When Charles Wingate, Chief Justice of the Sazi clans, summons Raphael Ramirez to call in a favor, the former agent of the secret police cannot say no. Wingate has close personal ties with the Turner family and knows that his god daughter, Cat, will need special counseling as well as expert one-on-one training to deal with her first transformation, not to mention fight the telepathic link that she will undoubtedly develop with her attacker, notorious and deadly Sazi serial killer, Jack Simpson. Wingate knows that Jack will come looking for Cat once she’s turned and that Raphael’s past history with the killer makes him the best candidate to protect her. However, Rafe isn’t so sure -- he knows that cats and wolves don’t mix -- but once he realizes that Cat is his true life mate his misgiving dissolve. Now he must not only protect her from the cunning and deadly Simpson, but also prejudices from within his own Wolven clan, whose members are loathe to admit a jaguar into their midst.

After a few books that hinted at Jack Simpson’s motivations, his true colours are finally revealed in Howling Moon, another exciting, imaginative and romantic tale. Adams and Clamp continue adding building blocks to their complicated SAZI mythology as well as introduce new and intriguing characters. Cat and Raphael are both believable leads, Cat especially as she’s forced to leave her human inclinations behind and not only learn and accept her new jaguar nature, but also fight to deny the mental thrall that the sinister Jack Simpson’s mauling has cast over her. The authors explain that the timeline of this story pre-dates the other books in the series, but regulars shouldn’t have much difficulty figuring out the sequence of events. It’s always a treat to read a new installment in this gritty and unique series and Howling Moon is no exception.

LETTITIA ELSASSER, Paranormal Romance Writers (a Romance Designs site). Overall: 8; Sensuality: 7; Realism: 8.

Reviewer Comments: He's a Wolf.... She's a Jaguar Confusing, right? How does that work, you ask...

When Catherine is attacked by a serial killer, her godfather, Charles Wingate- Chief Justice of the Sazi- enlists the aid of Raphael to help her through the “change”; a change that may or may not kill her. Orphaned when the same serial killer attacked and killed her parents, Catherine now resides with her aunt.

Raphael, formerly of the Wolven force but ousted due to a scandal, is asked to assist this woman who is, unknowingly, his destined mate. Amidst pack politics, stalking by a madman, and passion unlike he has ever known, Raphael will be forced to choose true love or his pack of shapeshifters.

A myriad cast of characters in an amazingly detailed (and sometimes very confusing) world mark HOWLING MOON as an engrossing read from beginning to end. Tatiana, Jack, and Jasmine are some of the truly villainous characters who make this such a riveting tale; with intense fight scenes and back-stabbing politics interspersed throughout. The steamy love scenes in the beginning are cut off abruptly later but the sexual chemistry between Raphael and Cat remains intensely felt. The reader must suspend reality to enjoy this tale of a were-jaguar and a were-wolf mating for life; I know I did.

With a cast of characters as large as this, the series should be read from the beginning, to avoid being “lost” among the crowd. C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp show what vivid imaginations they have in this unconventional and fresh look at the paranormal world of shapeshifters. Lovers of Laurell K. Hamilton will find another series that is sure to please the most jaded reader.

ROBYN ROBERTS, Once Upon a Romance Review.  Here is the book that starts the entire world of the Sazi. For new readers, this book sets up the entire Sazi world, which is a secret society of shape shifters. We would call them a pack of werewolves, but there are cat and bird and other shifters here as well. For readers returning to the Sazi series, the background information in this book is priceless. It really gives the why behind some of the events and rules that we learned of in other books.

When Catherine is attacked by a serial killer who is a shifter, she lives instead of dying as the attacker would have hoped. Her godfather, Uncle Chuck, calls on Raphael to help Catherine transition into her new life as a were-jaguar. Raphael is a werewolf and a former agent of the Sazi police. Catherine finds out that her Uncle Chuck is known as the Chief Justice of the Sazi world. Raphael is trying to help her adjust to the change while trying to keep her safe from Jack Simpson, the were-jaguar who attacked her. Jack is currently strolling in and out of her mind at will with his telepathy powers. He’s threatening to come back and finish the job.

Unfortunately, Raphael and Jack are sworn enemies. Raphael has been trying to take out Jack for years but has not been allowed to kill Jack. Jack has a file of evidence that would start a witch hunt for all shifters. His lawyers have been instructed to open and publish this secret file if he should die in any manner that would be at all unlikely or suspicious. Nobody knows where the original file is so Jack must stay alive to keep it from being published.

Raphael quickly realizes that Cat is his true mate. However, he must fight against the attraction with everything in him. If Jack would find out about their bond, he’d torture Cat before killing her just to make Raphael suffer even more.

Here’s a book that wraps the story around reality so you can’t tell where reality ends and fantasy begins. I was drawn to read it at all hours of the day and night. Cat and Raphael have such great personalities. Their humor and wit reminded me of Steven Wright and had me in stitches over and over. There’s also a sensuality that wraps the whole book up. The undercurrents are so sexy and sensual that it gives the story an extra boost.

Howling Moon will be enjoyed by paranormal buffs as well as people who don’t normally read paranormal romance. The way fact and fiction blend makes this a great introduction into the paranormal world.

*Note: This book is first in the timeline of events, but is published fourth.

KATHY SAMUELS, Romance Reviews Today. Boulder, Colorado - Present Day

When Raphael Ramirez is awakened from a deep sleep by a call from the Sazi Chief Justice, he knows it can't be good.  Charles asking him for a favor, one Raphael is supposed to keep a secret from the rest of his Pack, raises the danger quotient and inspires a major headache, something Sazi rarely get due to their quick-healing abilities. It seems Charles's goddaughter, Catherine Turner, and her parents were attacked by Jack Simpson, a psychopathic Sazi whose victims often turn feral if they live through the transition.  Cat's parents were killed, but Cat survived, and the full moon is coming.  The Pack would just kill Cat outright if they found out about her, but Charles is determined that his goddaughter will survive and wants Raphael to help her.  Talk about a rock and a hard place.

It has only been a few weeks since her devastating loss and, although still emotionally fragile, Cat's absolutely amazed at how quickly her physical injuries have healed.  Even her personality has changed for the better as Cat finds herself much more confident and focused.  Still, the strange voice that keeps speaking to her in her head is a little freaky.  Though not as scary as discovering her new jaguar nature when the moon rises.  The most horrifying bit you might wonder?  Beyond the desire for raw meat?  That voice in Cat's head turns out to be her attacker, who just happens to be telepathic.  Oh, and he's not done with her yet.

Dogs and cats are natural born enemies, and wolves and cats are no different.  Raphael is quite different from most of his Pack in that he's got a soft spot for felines, although 'soft' is not the word that comes to mind when he thinks of Cat.  About to become the Alpha of the Boulder Pack, will Raphael have to choose between his family and the woman he's almost certain is his mate?  Can the Sazi finally find a way to neutralize Jack's threat and stop the serial killer for good?

Obsession, vengeance, and racism (or would that be specism?) are at the heart of HOWLING MOON.  A Pack is only as strong as its Alphas and, unfortunately, the Boulder leaders have been quite lax of late.  As the Second, Raphael is the strongest in the Pack after the Alpha, Lucas Santiago, who has been away heading Wolven, the Sazi policing organization.  As the temporary leader, Raphael finds a mess of misinformation and mismanagement caused by malcontents in the Pack.  Ordered by the Chief Justice to train with Raphael and learn her new way of life, Cat is dropped into a powder keg of political tensions, and diplomacy is not her strong suit.

Raphael and Cat are two strong-willed and magically powerful characters whose attraction to each other is palpable.  Secondary characters consist of the Pack members, many of whom have their own agendas; Charles Wingate, Chief Justice (most senior leader of the Sazi Council) and a force to be reckoned with, whom I would love to learn more about; and Jack Simpson, one of the most powerful Sazis, not to mention mentally unstable and evil.  All together, this ensemble cast keeps the tension high in the fast-moving plot as readers quickly turn the pages to see what happens next.

Thoroughly entertaining with great drama, action, and passion, HOWLING MOON is a definite keeper.

CHERE GRUVE, ParaNormal Romance Reviews. "Authors C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp don't disappoint with their latest!"

In this Tale of the Sazi, we find ourselves back with a wolf pack, this one in Colorado. The alpha of the pack, Lucas, is busy with the Council, so as Lucas' second, Raphael is acting alpha. Raphael has worked hard to build a life since he's no longer a member of Wolven. After the scandal, Raphael moved to Colorado. His son is a now a member of Wolven, so Raphael still some has contacts within the organization. So when Charles, the head of the Council, calls him asking for a favor, Raphael is stunned to say the least. It turns out Raphael's old nemesis, Jack, is still playing his games and one of the latest victims of his attacks lived. Since she happens to be Charles' god- daughter, he wants Raphael to train her in the ways of the Sazi, if she survives her first full moon. Charles also wants Raphael to keep Catherine safe from Jack.

After her parents were murdered, Catherine moved in with her aunt to get herself back together. Since her parents were taking Catherine on a vacation after her fiancé broke off their engagement, Catherine's life is really a mess and she's glad of the time to sit back and figure out what to do next. Then again, Cat as she prefers to call herself, wasn't aware of the consequences of the attack. It seems Cat now has the ability to become a jaguar at will and some rather astonishing gifts as well. Naturally, she didn't find any of this out until after she changed for the first time when some strange people showed up at her aunt's house at the same time Jack did. The person training her in the ways of the Sazi just happens to be a handsome wolf she's attracted to, confirmed by Uncle Chuck, and this wolf just happens to have a history with Jack, adding up to quite an explosive combination. Add to that, wolves and cats are natural enemies and the pack is not quite ready for a cat among them, and Cat has her work cut out for her adjusting to her life.

When Lucas decides Raphael must take over the pack, Raphael has quite a problem. The pack members are not exactly welcoming Cat with open arms and he has the feeling she is his mate. And relationships just don't have the habit of turning out well for Raphael. And when Cat admits she has feeling for Raphael as well, things get pretty hairy.

Are Raphael and Cat true soul mates? Will they have a chance at a relationship? Will Raphael be able to keep Cat safe from Jack? Will they be able to stop Jack from murdering anyone else? Will the pack ever accept Cat?

Howling Moon is a fantastic story! Authors C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp just keep getting better and better with each new story they write. In this story, we get more of a look into the inner workings of a wolf pack. I love how we get a look into aspects of different species of Sazi with each new book in this series and how different animals deal with things. It's obvious these two authors know their stuff when it comes to the animals they write about. One thing I can't stand is when I read something I know to be false and having a wolfdog of my own, I am aware of pack discipline and these two authors have it down pat. The way C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp weave together danger and love, among other subplots, is a true masterpiece and a joy to read. If you enjoy shape shifters, if you enjoy paranormal romance—just pick up these stories. You won't be sorry you did!

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