Although the cover doesn't make it clear this is the third book in a series about shape shifters and as always with series it's probably better to start at the beginning. In this case however, I didn't. And the author provides sufficient recap at various points during the story to keep everything making sense.

Urban fantasy is an increasingly crowded market and it's not easy to carve out your own niche. In this case Sarah A. Hoyt expands well beyond the traditional werewolves and offers us panthers, lions, alligators and dragons. Which is certainly refreshing.

Unfortunately the plot (which seems interesting enough) of this novel takes a back seat to endless discussions of why things are happening and how it all works.

This is problematic, partly because it just slows things down, but also because it's actively drawing attention to all the improbabilities inherent in this set up. I really isn't credible that the number of shape changing creatures in this book could possibly have gone undetected for hundreds of years, so don't mention it and then fail to give a credible explanation.

Likewise it's really not a good idea to try and introduce science as an explanation for how shape changing works if you can't address it in a believable fashion. Which you can't because there's a basic problem of mass and energy.

And that leads into my biggest problem with the book. The writing is awkward and stilted at times. Sometimes the authors voice and opinions seem to show through (on political or social issues)and we get a couple of paragraphs of the "characters" opinion on them that just don't actually seem relevant to what's happening. At other times we just get odd statements like one character noting another's "voice made him a man."

Similarly while the core relationship between Tom and Kyrie seems pretty solid and credible the newer one between Rafiel and a new character just feels forced and happening far too fast. They don't show any real chemistry in their interactions.

So it's an entertaining enough plot that's in need of some heavy editing and probably one more draft. Not horrible but not really recommended either.