This Bad Wolf Is Very, Very Good

Jill Pantozzi | August 30th, 2016

[Editor’s Note: I met Maria Lewis earlier this year when we were both guests at Contact2016 in Australia and we became fast friends. She gave me a inscribed copy of her new book Who’s Afraid? at the time but I didn’t get around to reading it until just now. It was only while looking up some info on her for this post that I realized I wrote about her in relation to the George Miller Justice League: Mortal documentary last year! What a small world we live in.]

If you know me, you know I’m a dedicated vampire lover. So I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy Maria Lewis’ Who’s Afraid? because, well, it’s about werewolves.

The book is the first of five in an urban fantasy series and if I’m being honest, I was super nervous when I started reading it because what if I didn’t like it? What would I tell my friend?? Luckily I worried for no reason. I was sucked into the story immediately and absolutely loved i t! Here’s a summary:

Meet Tommi Grayson: she’s all bark …and all bite ‘It was like my wolf had been there all along, waiting for me to tap its hand and step into the ring …’ Tommi Grayson’s never exactly been a normal girl. Bright blue hair, a mysterious past and barely controlled rage issues have a way of making a woman stand out. Yet she’s never come close to guessing who she really is …When her mother dies, a shattered Tommi decides to track down her estranged father. Leaving Scotland for a remote corner of New Zealand, she discovers the truth of her heritage – and it’s a whole lot more than merely human. Barely escaping with her life, now Tommi must return to her her friends, pretending everything is normal, while all too aware of the dangers lurking outside – and within. Worse still, something has followed her home …With the clock ticking, can Tommi learn to control her new powers in time to save the ones she loves? Mixing elements of fantasy, mystery and romance, Who’s Afraid? is a must-read tale about one woman who takes on the world, one bite at a time ‘Gripping, fast-paced, and completely unexpected, Who’s Afraid has more twists than a tornado. I loved this story!’ Darynda Jones, New York Times bestselling author of the Charley Davidson series

While she does have “super” powers, Tommi’s not perfect by a long shot and I appreciated that. I got a lot of Buffy Summers vibes off her and the book as a whole (there’s even a character named Joss). There was humor and tons of pop culture references which made me feel right at home but Who’s Afraid? also tackles some pretty heavy issues as well. Also, I had the luck of having visited New Zealand recently and learning about the Māori culture, both of which play a part in the book.

ANYWAY, this isn’t a review, this is just a let-you-know-how-awesome-this-book-is post. I highly recommend picking it up and bonus, Lewis has said the sequel book is set to be released on January 17, 2017 so there’s not too long a wait if you love it and want more immediately like I did.

[Editor’s Note: affiliate link] You can purchase Who’s Afraid? right now on Amazon.