Madison’s Song

This contemporary urban fantasy by Amsden (the Cassie Scot series) is held back by its well-worn plot and cardboard characters. Madison is an elementary school music teacher in Eagle Rock, Colo. Her magical singing can influence other people’s minds, and she’s had a few terrifying run-ins with magic that have left her scared and scarred. One of those occurrences involved Scott, the alpha werewolf of the local pack. Madison finds Scott alluring, but her first experience of him as a werewolf went poorly. Two years after that discomfiting encounter, Madison asks Scott to use his special alpha abilities to help her half-brother, Clinton, who has been bitten in a freak incident and needs help transitioning from man to wolf. Complicating matters, a dangerous group is studying paranormal entities and clearly has devious plans in mind. Readers may lose patience with self-centered, self-pitying Madison as she struggles to learn how to stand up for herself and use her magical abilities to help others. (Oct.)