Review: “Wolf Pact” Brings New Life to Werewolf Myth

Cynthia Ayala ’17 / Emertianment Monthly Staff Writer

Bliss Llewellyn has come far, finally escaping the clutches of her father, Lucifer himself; but her task to help the Blue Bloods is far from over. She may not be a Vampire anymore, but those gifts haven’t left her, and her mother, the fallen angel Gabrielle, has given her a task: finds the werewolves, find the hounds that once guarded time and bring them to the fight against Lucifer and his silver bloods. It’s a task easier said than done.

Melissa de la Cruz has brought in a new chapter in her New York Times bestselling Blue Bloods series, one that follows Bliss Llewellyn as she makes her journey in search of the Hellhounds. Published on January 15, 2013 by Disney Hyperion, the novel takes one of the more underrated characters within the Blue Bloods series, and finally gives her life…or at least tries to.

Bliss’s past more than her characterization are what made her a very interesting character, and it’s a pity to throw her into another story where she comes off as yet another minimal character with a small part to play in the grand scheme. This is a character who was once possessed by her own father, the Devil himself, and even with the center of the story being that she needs to bring the Hellhounds into the fold and help the Blue Bloods, the good Vampires, she doesn’t seem to do a lot.

Instead, the story is more about the werewolves; in one book, Cruz recreated the mythology behind the werewolves much like she did with the vampire history. And she does that splendidly. The narratives, the summation that follows the story alongside the characterization bleed the history of the werewolves. Every words choice is meticulously chosen and, as a whole, the story is incredibly cohesive. The imagery and flashbacks themselves work so well together in building the story, in building the history and that is no easy feat to do. Especially when one considers that this novel was originally written and published as four separate parts of only 100 to 120 pages long. That is incredibly short, especially where e-books are considered, which is how the book(s) was originally published. Yet Cruz is able to tap into the characters, she is able to figure out who is who and create the persona behind them, making the reader feel for the characters. However, nothing comes off as forced. While Bliss seems like a minor character, it is understandable why Cruz would push her to the side: she needed to latch these characters to the reader, and she had to do it quick. There is no playing around here and that is evident through the writing. Each part of the book starts with the past, beginning by following Lawson through his memories of being a slave for Lucifer. Within five pages the reader knows who this person is and understands just who they are as well.

While some of the flashbacks come off as haphazard, rushed, and even a little jarring, the reader can still follow the story and can still understand just who these characters are. The imagery and narrative are what keep the story whole and cohesive even when more events occur to propel the story forward.

At the end of the day Wolf Pact is an incredibly imaginative journey through time that recreates the mythology behind the werewolf, breathing in new and creative life.