FAMILY PACK

In Metis’ paranormal fantasy sequel, a reluctant werewolf leader must navigate a centuries-old feud.

Having just survived a major battle to save humankind inCure(2022), Luna Auber,an inexperienced 20-something werewolf, is settling back into life at home in Camden, New Jersey. She spends her days working at Bizcocheria, a bakery she loves, spending her lunch hours with her newly lycanthropic boyfriend, Javier, and being mentored via Zoom by Birger, a librarian for The Lycanthrope Society (TLS), a group that “believes that humans and shapeshifters were meant to share the planet and allow one another to live in peace and harmony.” Weeks pass without incident until Luna wakes up one morning with torn clothing and no memory of the previous night. Fearful that her werewolf transformations are out of control, she heads to the TLS facilities inSweden to continue training with Birger in person; there, she’s shocked to discover that she has a power that sets her apart from the rest of lycanthropic society.Meanwhile, readers learn of a battle between TLS and an opposing lycanthrope sect, The Righteous Group, via historical accounts of European courts in the 8th century. TLS turns to Luna and her unique abilities in the hope that she’s a prophesized savior destined to unite the groups once again. Metis makes good use of multiple perspectives and timelines to reinvigorate well-known werewolf story traditions; specifically, she highlights her fictional universe’s deliciously bloody past involving power-hungry humans and nonhuman royals and their role in dividing the once-united lycanthropes. Whenever the novel jumps to present-day conflicts and Luna’s point of view, the story stalls a bit, due in part to unsatisfying characterization. The contrast between Luna’s scrappiness and Birger’s sage wisdom is humorous, and her relationship with her adoptive parents is sweet. However, Luna’s emotions feel oversimplified and somewhat disconnected from the plot, leading to a climax that’s somehow both perplexing and predictable.

An unevenly executed novel that’s enlivened by fresh lycanthrope lore and gratifying royal-court intrigue.