Natural Evil by Thea Harrison
Book 4.5 in Elder Races series
Book purchased from Samhain Publishing
Too injured to shape shift, Luis Alvaraz is reluctant to tell Claudia what he knows about his attack, afraid it will only make her a target. But the sheriff is corrupt, and his attackers know Luis is alive and vulnerable. To make matters worse, a sandstorm is sweeping into town, and if they’re going to survive the night, Luis will have to place all his trust in Claudia.
Warning: Take a gorgeous man temporarily stuck in the dog house, add a strong, take-no-prisoners woman, mix in encroaching enemies and a raging sandstorm and stir to combine. Enjoy with a freshly opened can of whoop-ass.
AH’s Review 3.5 Stars – B
We get yet another peek into Thea Harrison’s Elder Races world in Natural Evil. Natural Evil is a short novella, about 80 pages long. This novella focuses on Claudia Hunter and a very large dog named Precious…
Claudia is a difficult heroine to relate to. Ex-military, she is rather understated and seems to be aloof. Claudia does like animals and when she spots a large dog on an abandoned stretch of highway in Nevada, she stops and picks him up and heads for the nearest vet. The dog is heavy, much too large for a woman her size to carry, but Claudia manages with her telekinetic skill.
Claudia and her dog are escorted by the local police to the tiny town of Nirvana, Nevada. Isn’t that a great name for a town? The dog is treated by the local vet and Claudia stays in the trailer behind the vet’s office. Both Claudia and the vet suspect that the dog is a wyr. The wyr is able to communicate with Claudia telepathically and she finds out that he is Luis Alvarez.
Nirvana is not what it seems. Something fishy is going on in this town and it is centered on the Bradshaw family’s Nirvana Silver mine. Luis was investigating some strange goings on in the mine when he was beaten and left for dead at the side of the road.
I’m not sure how I felt about this couple. Claudia and Luis were not your typical love struck pairing. Claudia was older, more jaded, and more independent than your usual female lead. I found her cool and detached at times but she did have a wry sense of humor. Claudia had difficulty with the idea that Luis was a younger man.
Luis was everything you’d expect an alpha male wyr to be. Tall, dark, handsome, muscled, and protective. Luis was smart too, and that attracted Claudia.
I know, this is a novella, but I found the ending a little rushed and unsatisfying. I wanted more and I would have loved to have seen this story extended just a few more pages. Perhaps it’s because I just can’t get enough of Thea Harrison’s Elder Races characters.
Oh, this novel sets up Devil’s Gate rather nicely. A teenage Goth medusa character – now I’m intrigued.
Rating: (3.5)
Series Reading Order:
- Dragon Bound
- Storm’s Heart
- Serpent’s Kiss
- Oracle’s Moon
- Natural Evil (4.5)
- Devil’s Gate (4.6) (Published June 2012)
- Lord’s Fall (November 6, 2012)
© 2012, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site
Share and Enjoy
AH
Hi all! Bonjour! I’m AH and I am obsessed with reading. I read all kinds of books, but my favorites are paranormal romance and urban fantasy. What is it about those vampires and shape-shifters? Lately, I seem to be reading a lot of dystopian books as well. Are zombies the new vampire? I hope not. I have 3 boys – all reluctant readers so I tend to read a lot of young adult books aimed at boys. I want them to catch the reading bug too! I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts about books with you. Hope we can discover some great reads together.