My Warrior (Bewitched And Bewildered Book 12)
When their city unexpectedly faces tragedy after tragedy, and a vote of No Confidence is brought before the queen on how these things are being handled, and Ari finds himself facing his greatest fear, failure.
Brie Wilson has been a Deputy Sheriff in Monroe for years. She loves the small town of her birth and the laid back atmosphere that makes it a wonderful and safe place to live. But even small towns have their own quirks and problems. Outside a few exceptions at the station, she pushes daily for her efforts to be recognized by the men on the force. Still smarting over her last break up where her ex likened her to a man, she decides the safest route is to stick to herself and never get her heart broken again.
When these two selfless warriors find one another can they learn to lean on one another before the body count escalates? What does it say about them when it’s easier to face murder than the deepening feelings growing between them?
Reviews (188)
Mixed feelings
I truly like the series but I was disappointed in this one - especially after waiting a year for it to come out. Character development just wasn't as extensive as previous books. The premonition Ari had about his mate never came up after the prologue. A few of the main characters had minor mentions and no development ... or, as in the case of Ryuu, became part of the background ... there was really only one mention of Pierce who was introduced in the last book. While it's understandable that there were a lot of new characters introduced, it seemed disjointed that existing characters faded out even though they were present in Eire Danu. I think it would have been much better to have continued developing those characters (Pierce and Izzy etc) and make the book longer than cut them out. And finally, like most of the series, there's too much material devoted to bedroom antics. I don't believe most of us read this series for the graphic interactions ... and if you do, maybe you should consider getting some counseling ... we read it because we like the story line, characters and Alanea's writing style. The sheer volume devoted to such things takes away from plot and character development - the lack of which was glaringly apparent. Hopefully the next novel will be of a higher standard ... and won't take another year to be released.
Disappointed and Disgusted with Spoilers
I normally love these books, as Menace is one of my favorite literary characters. However, this book felt rushed and under-developed, as it the author was facing an insurmountable deadline. Then, there is the completely culturally tone deaf passage where a pivotal moment shared between the two main characters requires him to whip her, in doggie position, across her buttocks and genitalia. Because she 'needed' it. Worse, so far as I recall, she's the first African-American female protagonist in the series, and you are going to to have her needing a white man to whip her for her to feel appreciated? WTF?!?!? That really pissed me off, and I am so white I glow in the dark. Take the time you need to research, write, and edit the next book in the series. Please. I don't think I can stomach another farce like this. Honestly, it read as if a lazy and depraved ghost writer was given the author's outline and told to go to town. For future
It was ok....
I want to start off by saying that I LOVE this series. All of the other books have been fantastic and I waited with bated breath for this one to come out. However for some reason this book just really confused me. Because it has been so long since I read the last book I forgot a LOT of the characters - and let me tell you they were thrown at you left and right. At one point, they were just names on paper. I kept trying to remember who everyone was by re-reading the synopsis for the other books and even went to the author's site to see if I could find character list. Nothing! They slowly started coming back to me, but by that time I was halfway through the book. Some I'm still clueless about. As for the story. I LOVED how strong Brie was but it seemed like her ability to accept Ari and the life in like 20 seconds flat was a little too fast - too easy. I wanted her to question things, to explore, to have backstory but outside of Ari, being called a "deputy" and her dad - she has no life? No friends? There was so much cutesy lovey dovie stuff going on between the two MC that the story really seemed to take the backseat and I didn't really feel like Brie really did any work on the case even though she was in charge. Now, that being said - I will read the next one because I love these stories. However, I will plan on re-reading the other books again just so I don't feel clueless.
Just not the best book
First I feel I must say I am a huge fan of this series and read them all on a semi annual basis. I was so excited for this book and i will still greatly look forward to the next one. This one just did not read the same. The story line was great and I loved the strong women Brie is. It is great to see a female be on the front lines with the boys. My problem is that I did not feel like this book held the depth that other books held and that the characters were not as well used. One of my favorite parts about this book is that the mates are always all up in what is going down and really we only say Meryn in this book. Izzy was not even referenced to until 40% of the way into the book. Yes, there are a few dinner conversations but is the just not the same. I really hope that changes in the next book. I did not feel that the premonition from the beginning was ever really explained. Ari was afraid of her living for his own good but that was never brought up again bc she never really struggled with becoming part of their world after the first 20 seconds of meeting Ari. Over all I just don't feel this book was as much a part of the series as a bridge to get to the next book. I am still looking forward to the next one and of course I will read this one again as I do my rereads.
It is a go-to must-read for me.
I've been dying to read this book and I'm so glad that it is finally out. But now I need to know what happens next. LOL Ari Lionheart is the youngest brother in the Lionheart clan of Declan and Rex. That doesn't mean he isn't a capable warrior. Far from it. While his unit may be one of the youngest in the paranormal society, they prove themselves capable when chaos is unleashed within Eire Danu. Ari especially after he shifts into third form and is represented as Belladonna by Meryn and given the codename Nightshade. Things start to fall into place about his character. We get to meet Ari's mate in this book, obviously. Her name is Brie Wilson and she is just as great as all the other female mates we've been meeting in the past books. She is strong, independent, and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Looking up to Meryn is just an extra bonus, and speaks of her own character. LOL Being a deputy sheriff, she fits in with the unit warriors and loves that her mate wasn't looking for a docile female to play betty homemaker. So much happens in this book. My Solace left off with Meryn, Oran, Darian, and the others trying to convince the Queen of the Fae that ferals had somehow made their way into Eire Danu. This is where My Warrior picks up. They are trying to get her to understand the severity of the situation and take control instead of burying her head in the sand and denying the facts. Once things start to unravel, more and more is revealed about the ferals and fae living outside of the parallel world. Tragedy strikes as it seems to always be doing, but things take a turn for the better, only for it to end once more in chaos. My Warrior seems to end on more of a cliffy than the other books have in the past. We didn't just get to hear about one of the warriors dreaming of his mate. He's running and thinking of how this reminds him of a certain dream. This story is told mostly from Ari and Brie's points of view. However, we do get one (chapter eighteen) from Meryn's point of view that enlightens us on a few things. And of course, the epilogue is from the next warrior to find his mate, Gage. I can't wait to see what Alanea has in store for us in the next book. You get the sense that things are finally starting to unravel and the big secret, why all this is happening, will finally be discovered. Though I know we still have a bit of a way to go. I'm super excited (and hope book 13 is in the near future) to see who Gage will be mated to and what she will bring to the party. This is a series that I highly recommend. It is a go-to must-read for me. Whenever I'm in a slump, it's what I reach out for. You can never go wrong with it. It has happiness, sadness, drama, anger, and mystery all within these pages. If you haven't picked them up yet, do it now. You won't regret it.
Love this series but this wasn't the same level as previous books
I want to start by saying I ADORE this author and love this series. love love love. I sing it's praises and have forced my husband to read them so he can talk to me about the characters. That's how much I love it BUT this book had a major cliffhanger that made no sense. In previous books, there was always some sort of resolution around the mate of that specific character and since the author went to the trouble of showing us the premonition of Brie/Ari situation in the beginning, we should have that the very minimum got the pay off of finding out what happens with that and seeing if she lives or dies to get through it. The test of love is on thing that's consistent in every book of this series. The overall plot of the ferals, fate, etc hangs in the balance and we're using to getting a new nugget or 2 in each book and that not completely being resolved but the specific warrior mate arc, typically gets resolved and that didnt happen in this book. SO I want her to go back to the drawing board, give us the rest of this and take her time. Maybe the pressure of waiting fans got to her? I believe in you Alanea! I know you'll get it right next time.
All hail the Menace ❤😉
I will never EVER tire of this series! Be warned: if you've not read any of the previous books in this series before, do not pass go. Immediately go and start from the beginning or be utterly lost at the character relationships, plot points, and many other subtleties. Its well worth it, and will have you cheering, laughing and desperate to read each consecutive book. At the center of this glorious series is Meryn,; A pint sized genius of maniacal proportions that bring about equal parts joy, mayhem and hilarity. Blessed with the ability to see what others do not, cut through the BS, and bring together people from all walks of life. Thrust into a world of the supernatural with unerring ease, she sees injustices and helps right them. She also helps to stop evil the on the rise. Get to meet the motley crew she counts as family, and see what new dangers lurk ahead. They'd be smart to worry, for this pintsized wunderkind will end anything that hurts those she loves. Get ready for lots of laughs, Doctor Who references, and all around bada$$ery.
Outstanding!
I'm having a really hard time trying to think of the words to describe how much I love love love this series and this book! I have reread this series a few dozen times and will continue to reread it every few months, probably until the day I die. She did not disappoint with this book, if anything, she surpassed my expectations which are way high when it comes to this series in the first place. I loved this new fmc. She's a total badass and fits Ari perfectly and vise versa. I love how excepting he is of her in all her strengths and as a warrior! This book is the best one yet, though I'll probably say that for the next in the series. They only get better with every new one she shares with us. Thank you so much Ms. Alder for creating this world that is so incredible and interesting with the best characters that I've found very very few books to compare much less meet it's equal! I'm gonna be very VERY impatiently waiting for your next masterpiece.
Not the best
I have never given this series a bad review but this time I can’t bite. The story is disjointed and very confusing. I’ve read it five times and each time I enjoy it less and less. Most of the books in this series snap into place with the others but not this one. The character development was bad. Bad. The storyline was worse. It felt like a book that forgot the paranormal aspect although, most characters are paranormal and just became a cop book that didn’t fit with the rest of the series. While I enjoyed previous characters showing up in the book the new characters felt like strangers that I never got to know. The prologue wasn’t explained and the epilogue was vague. I like Brie and Ari but their relationship development was shoddy. If this were the first book I had read I wouldn’t read another. After a year wait my expectations for a fabulous book were dashed.
A darker turn for Eire Danu
I’m really loving how this series is coming along, and honestly I am really impressed that the series is keeping my interest this many books in, the underlying plot really makes all the difference. I like being in Eire Danu as well, it’s a new setting, and has a totally different dynamic than the other cities and the politics are so much different as well. I really loved Brie, she really is a kick butt warrior woman. That’s not to say that the other women in the series haven’t been seriously awesome, and Eva is beyond capable of taking care of herself, but Brie is a true law enforcement professional, so when she comes into the fold you get to see a woman in a warrior role which is not something we have seen until now. And we also get to see what that means in terms of how the men in the units will treat her along with that. I also love that she had background knowledge of Meryn and they kind of were able to operate well with each other because they both knew each others strengths. As for Ari, another Lionhart, what is not to love. He’s very adorable, and I really liked some of the scenes with him and Brie, there is definitely some lightheartedness in this book that is direly needed because of the kind of person Ari is. This book was heavier and darker than in the other books. In the previous books you have a lot of danger but you have the ability to really fight back. In this book there is a lot of heartache and coming in after the fact which brings along its own set of challenges. More and more is being unravelled about what is really going on, leaving more questions than true answers, and I am honestly really excited to see where we go from here.
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