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| Cover Art by Betty Martinez on Reedsy |
Author: Adrian Lopez
Price: $9.99 Kindle, $17.99 paperback
Publication Date: October 31, 2023
Cayden is an accomplished defense attorney. Through focus, determination, and hard work, he's become an equity partner in a prestigious law firm. Despite his distinguished track record, his latest case seems destined to fail. A family was brutally murdered outside his client's apartment. Everyone holds his client responsible. Can Cayden change the jury's mind? Let's claw into Adrian Lopez's novel Lycaon Bloodlines and find out!
People have reported Mr. Ritchie running at night and howling like a wolf. Dubbed the Wolfman or the Manwolf, Mr. Ritchie has told people that he transformed and fed on runaway pets. The police have arrested him for biting people. Yet Cayden is persuasive. His final argument wins a Not Guilty verdict. His victory makes him chuckle and bark with delight. He is the alpha dog of the city!
Cayden's life changes when he learns of his uncle's death. He takes a Leave Of Absence from his firm and drives to the farming community where he grew up. As he drives, he realizes he hasn't talked with his uncle or visited Superior after being sent away. The lawyer explains that his uncle left him the farm. The farmers welcome Cayden back. Suddenly, his life in the city seems less important than running the farm and participating in the community. Yet he senses a strange disconnect between the farmers and the townspeople. And in the land of his youth, his body transforms in a way that repels and excites him.
Adrian Lopez uses description sparingly in Lycaon Bloodlines. He fleshes out crucial characters and focuses on Cayden's transformation. It's not just Cayden's body that changes. After chasing material success, he discovers how to better care for people and his place in the world. As he learns about his past, he unleashes the power locked inside him. Acts of aggression upset the balance of power and earn him enemies. As a werewolf, Cayden can kill and destroy or lead others toward a better future.
Like many self-published novels, Lycaon Bloodlines needs more copyediting. I also hungered for more detail regarding Superior, the neighboring town, and the city where Cayden defended his clients. Cayden's success and wealth make him less reliant on others and curtail interpersonal drama. Still, I enjoyed Lycaon Bloodlines from the first page to the last. I often felt as if Adrian Lopez must be reading my mind. For just as I would wonder about aspects of Cayden's past, his heritage, the werewolf community, and the spelling of the title, Adrian Lopez revealed those to me. Or rather, Cayden earned those insights through his actions.
While light on swearing and sex, Lycaon Bloodlines delivers a generous helping of violence, blood, guts, and gore. Lock and bar your doors on a moonlit night and limit your howling as you devour Adrian Lopez's fun and involving novel. My thanks to Adrian for providing a copy to review.
Find Lycaon Bloodlines at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles & wherever werewolf novels roam. Those hungering for more about Adrian Lopez will discover interviews, poetry, his other books, and links to his podcasts and Medium account at alstorytimellc.com
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