Tarnished

In this insubstantial follow-up to 2012’s Silver, werewolves Andrew Dare and Silver have found temporary refuge with the Seattle pack. They await the annual Convocation of alphas, where Dare can challenge his old boss Rory for leadership of Roanoke, the pack encompassing the eastern half of the continent. Before that, he must deal with the Sacramento alpha, who seeks revenge for his son’s death. The Convocation itself brings a complex layer of politics and old grudges into play, forcing Dare and Silver to use every resource at hand (or paw). Held’s take on werewolves is fairly standard, with a few twists relating to religion and metaphysics, and the story is primarily driven by character and emotional depth. However, werewolf society seems to exist with almost no relation to the human world, depriving it of grounding and contrast. Agent: Cameron McClure, Donald Maass Literary Agency. (May)