ALPHA MALE

In Allen’s novel, the second in a series, a werewolf reluctantly takes on a leadership role and faces resistance from an especially malicious rival.

Caleb Jacobsen loves teaching history at a community college in Washington state. He also just happens to be a 184-year-old werewolf who lives peacefully among the humans. In fact, the only reason he killed a fellow lycanthrope a few years ago was to help them, including his fiancée, Marla Moreno. But that was the Global Alpha, and now a small group of werewolves insist that Caleb claim the throne, as the Global Pack is in disarray. He does so, quickly implementing new rules and canceling his predecessor’s plans for world domination (“I will not tolerate the indiscriminate slaughtering of billions of humans who have caused us no harm”). An infuriated German werewolf named Logan Olivier believes he should be Global Alpha. Logan and his minion, Jacques LaFleur, consider tarnishing Caleb’s name among packs around the world—but simply killing Caleb, or possibly someone he loves, may be an even easier route to securing Logan that throne. Allen’s tautly written follow-up to Blood Red Moon (2021) satisfyingly continues the series while aptly catering to new readers as well. This book has a story all its own, even as it stems from Caleb’s (succinctly recapped) previous ordeals. The primary cast is refreshingly multilayered. Logan and Jacques are indisputably villains—they hunt humans for sport—but some readers may find it hard to outright denounce Jacques for his WWII-era Nazi-killing spree, which doesn’t differ much from recurring hero Caleb killing a human for being a bully and a thief. Despite the prominence of the vicious baddies, the book has relatively few werewolf clashes, and Caleb, as the Global Alpha, doesn’t encounter many challenges to overcome. Still, violence permeates this tale, with spurting blood and bodies left in pieces. This installment culminates in an ending that’s both a solid wrap-up and a subtle tease for a third series entry.

A brisk, enthralling story of power struggles, loyalty, and oodles of werewolves.