The Unleashing (Call of Crows, #1)

by Shelly Laurenston

Winging It

Kera Watson never expected to face death behind a Los Angeles coffee shop. Not after surviving two tours lugging an M16 around the Middle East. If it wasn't for her hot Viking customer showing up too late to help, nobody would even see her die.

In uncountable years of service to the Allfather Odin, Ludvig "Vig" Rundstrom has never seen anyone kick ass with quite as much style as Kera. He knows one way to save her life--but she might not like it. Signing up with the Crows will get Kera a new set of battle buddies: cackling, gossiping, squabbling, party-hearty women. With wings. So not the Marines.

But Vig can't give up on someone as special as Kera. With a storm of oh-crap magic speeding straight for L.A., survival will depend on combining their strengths: Kera's discipline, Vig's loyalty... and the Crows' sheer love of battle. Boy, are they in trouble.

Praise for Shelly Laurenston's novels

"Wild, crazy, humorous, and snarky." --Heroes and Heartbreakers

"Fast-paced action and smoking hot love scenes." --RT Book Reviews TOP PICK on Wolf with Benefits

• ISBN10: 1617735078
• ISBN13: 9781617735073
• Publish Date: 23 February 2016 (first published 1 January 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Kensington Publishing
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 416
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9781617735073

Reviews

[Romance Schmomance]

★★★½

I truly wanted to love this book, but it took me some time to get past the confusion of all the characters mentioned in the beginning. And the multiple POVs didn't help at times.

Overall, it was an enjoyable one. It's pretty low on the romance and I was constantly craving the moments between Vig and Kera. I loved the both of them so darn much.

Once you get past the half way mark, you're acquainted with everyone and you're easily invested in everyone. I found myself chuckling quite a bit with the Crows and the Ravens, their banter was pretty comical.

I'm planning on continuing the rest of the series because I am just absolutely intrigued but all of them!

[llamareads]

Definite "first-book-in-a-series" syndrome. Very info dumpy, and the fact that I have zero experience with Norse mythology made it much more confusing. I kinda hated all the characters in the beginning, but most of them had grown on me by the end of the book, which felt startlingly abrupt.

[a:Shelly Laurenston|65137|Shelly Laurenston|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] writes great stories. Like every story I've read, I have yet to rate anything of hers beneath 4 stars and most of them are sorted straight into my favourites shelf. There's always a kickass heroine, snarky humour and interesting action filled plots with a decently written romance. The Unleashing is no different. Kera is wickedly awesome. Vig was adorable. And the world building is incredible. It's so utterly different from the usual run of the mill shapeshifter, paranormal type plots. It could be because this is one of the first lot of Norse inspired novels I've read - it's still utterly new and fascinating to me. I guess when you've read so many of the same plot, it takes a lot to stand out and I guess all readers have varying opinions depending on where in their reading history the book stands. I enjoy the fact there is more to her books than just the romance aspect - there's an actual story with a mystery and intrigue and action - and it's good.

[littleread1]

I really liked this. fun and different.

[nitzan_schwarz]

I think this is Laurenston using all she learned from the Pride series and perfecting it. This was SUCH a wonderful and surprising read!

It was wonderful because, while it kept Laurenston's trademark crazy antics and dysfunctional dynamics, it also made sure to emphasize how much these Clans care for each other. They might mess with each other for fun, but they'll have your back.

It was wonderful because the romance took time to develop, and was absurdly cute. There wasn't any drama or an agonizing journey of will-they-won't-they, but instead a slow but steady growth between two people who like each other. Which I, naturally, adored.

It was wonderful because it had an adorable male main character who's viking... but not a cave man. There is no manhandling (unless his lady asks for it, of course) and crazy fits of possessiveness for this Viking. He might look fierce, he might be fierce in battle, but in his love life he is nothing but caring, nurturing, and blessedly honest. Also, a little awkward, which is also a good add to the mix.

Also, did I mention this has Nordic mythology as it's background? True, it's not really the main point of the story, but the gods and Valhalla do make appearances and it's wicked fun!

The only thing I wasn't the biggest fan of was the gore. There are a lot of bloodied scenes, but because everyone are so blase about it, I was able to kind of ignore what I was reading and skip imagining it in my head because that would've really cramped my style... Gah...

I absolutely adored this, and I'm SO glad I decided to give this a shot!

[inlibrisveritas]

The Unleashing is the first in the paranormal romance series, Call of Crows. It centers on a group of women that have undertaken the job as deadly assassins for the Norse god Skuld, and with it’s delightful mix of humor and action The Unleashing turned out to be a pretty fun escape.

I love when books pull in mythology especially those that rarely seemed to be used like the Norse, so without really even hesitating I purchased this and immediately dug in. The story and world building is quite interesting, and has a sort of Percy Jackson-like feel to the way the gods operate. We have different groups of humans who serve under different gods, and though we only see the Norse in this one it’s eluded that the other theologies have their own groups as well. The Crows are basically the ultimate hunters of the Norse groups, they take care of the messes most don’t want to touch and they do it quickly, efficiently, and with little mercy. I liked the way the story progressed, but there were times when it felt odd or rushed a bit..and I would have liked to see more about the upcoming danger before the last 20% of the book. While it is suggested that this can serve as a standalone I don’t know many people who would be satisfied enough with the conclusion that they wouldn’t want to read the next one in the series.

We focus mostly on Kera, a former Marine who finds herself with the Crows after a near fatal incident. I mostly liked Kera. She’s a well organized mind placed into a house full of women who thrive on chaos, and I liked that despite her combat experience she still had to adapt to both the chaotic women and the new found life within the Crows. I think my favorite character is Erin. She’s…a bit off. Before being a Crow she was a medically diagnosed sociopath, and emotions were not something she was accustomed to living with. So every now and then she’ll do something and just not understand why everyone is so horrified with her, but I like her style because even though she has a bit of an issue ‘getting’ the normal way to do things she puts her fellow Crows first.

I did have some issues with this one though. The conversations had a tendency to dissolve into screaming matches…a lot. When I saw these women fight through most of the book I really mean it, they are either fighting other people or freaking out on each other and after a while it started feeling juvenile. The humor is there, but some of it was definitely hit or miss and I got tired of the ill fitting quips that seemed to pop up in every situations, good or bad. And there was a lot of plot stalling towards the middle.

While the Call of the Crows probably won’t be on my to-buy list in the future I did enjoy the break in seriousness that The Unleashing provided.

[Berls]

This review appeared first at Fantasy is More Fun.

*This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.*

The Unleashing was so much fun! I forget where I saw it reviewed, but the mention of the dog companion playing a big part put the book straight on my TBR. Thankfully I mentioned to one of my book club administrators and she decided we should read it for July - because who knows when I would have gotten around to it. And that would have been a total loss. Any book that begins (within the first chapter or so) with the main character refusing to save her own life if she can't have her dog is a book with a main character I'm going to love. And yeah, I so loved Kera.

Kera is an ex-Marine - or as she would say former Marine because you never stop being a Marine. Yep, she's intense about her Marine background. But she owned it and it felt right - it was very believable (especially if you've ever known a former Marine). What I really loved is that it established her having some basic combat skills, but at the same time, Shelly Laurenston didn't act like being a Marine would have made Kera prepared for all combat situations or invincible. And most importantly, Kera has a huge heart. Her love of animals was probably the number one reason I loved her. From her dog Brody (a PitBull with a large role in The Unleashing, though I don't want to say more and spoil some of the... surprises!) to pretty much every animal she encounters, Kera is full of love for them. The number two reason - she's an organizational, control freak. So basically, she's me - though way more bad ass. LOL! I totally understood her desire to organize when confronted with an incomprehensible situation. I also really appreciated that Shelly Laurenston took this character's background and used it as an opportunity to mildly intertwine commentary on PTSD and treatment of veterans in the US. It was well done, made a postivie message, but didn't weigh down the book.

One of the challenges in writing this review was also a challenge in listening to The Unleashing. There are SO MANY characters and lots of points of view. For the first few chapters I was constantly trying to keep straight who the characters were. I'm very thankful I was listening because Johanna Parker did a fantastic job with the narration and her voices were one of the first ways I started keeping the characters straight. The other was Shelly Laurenston's really great way of somehow having a ton of characters and still giving them unique personalities. One that has to be mentioned, though, is Ludvig “Vig” Rundstrom. He's the love interest - a bit reclusive and intimidating. He's a Raven - Kera is a Crow - and an expert weapon maker for the different clans. The way he says things - kind of blunt and often wrong - was hilarious and made him very lovable. Things got hot and heavy here - so if you like a bit of sexy with your kick butt and laughs, The Unleashing delivers.

BTW - that's another fun element to this book, the inventive take on Norse Mythology. I don't know it well enough to know how much twisting and reinventing Shelly Laurenston did, but I know that I enjoyed it and I especialy enjoyed that it didn't really matter that I don't know it well. It didn't weigh the story down, just gave it structure.

I laughed a lot reading The Unleashing - quite a few bits are quite ridiculous. But in an "OMG that's so ridiculous but so plausible" kind of way, not a "my eyes are rolling out of my head" kind of way. Beyond the confusion of keeping all the characters straight up front, the ridiculousness (which is rarely a 5 star read for me - funny just doesn't blow me away like rip my heart out and stomp on it does) - the other reason this is 4 stars for me is the ending. Not that it's bad. It's so not. But it just ended. Things are SO NOT resolved. It was one of those times that the book ends and you turn the page (or in my case, check to make sure you downloaded all the audio files) because you just can't believe that's it. But on the plus side, it's not a real cliff. I'm not tortured waiting to see what will happen. I will most definitely be picking up book 2 though.

[EBookObsessed]

I am giving this story 3 stars with a caveat. This was a hard book to get through since author Shelley Laurenston is using a lesser known Pantheon, Norse Mythology, as the basis for her story. There was too much set up and yet not enough, and not enough focus on the two main characters. Lot of interesting characters were introduced but it feels like it will take several books to really get into this series.

Unless you have a degree in Norse Mythology, there will definitely be a learning curve to this series. In setting up the rules for this new world, Shelly Laurenston needed to spend a good deal of time explaining the basics of Norse gods while still introducing our main characters. It is a little hard to explain why I believe she gave us too much and yet not enough set up, but I will try.

We get a basic overview of a few of the Gods who created the various Clans and some clans are only introduced as a name, but we do not yet know anything about them, such as “Holde’s Maids.” They are mentioned but we don’t know who they are, which God created them, or what their purpose is. The groups that were introduced, we did meet several members of each. A good deal of the story was dedicated to giving an overview of the mythology being introduced and attempting to drag you into this world. Laurenston uses the premise of the new girl to introduce everyone to what is going on. While we were overwhelmed with a basic foundation and lots of names to learn, there was no in depth discussions on the dynamics between Clans and gods, except to state the nobody trusts or likes the Crows.

Unlike the other Clans who trace their lineage back through to their Viking ancestors, Crows are created by the Goddess Freyja who collects her warriors among the dead souls of strong women and offers them a second chance at life, as long as they fight for her when called upon.

We were introduced to a lot of the base characters who will be starting us off in the series and I felt like I should have been taking notes to remember them all. It was a lot of information but I still left feeling like I wasn’t up to speed.

So far all the various missions they were sent on revolve around the gods losing enchanted jewelry which keeps falling into the wrong hands and which someone is trying to drag a banned god into this dimension. If Skuld and Freyja would just get themselves a secure jewelry box, there would be no plot at all.

Obviously, the main focus of story will be the Crows and their “brother” Clan, The Ravens. It would be the equivalent of a college Greek House and their sorority sisters. The Crows do act like a sorority house since the house is in L.A. and the only ones we really meet are the Crows who are more fluff than warrior. These are the actresses and models hanging around the house waiting for callbacks. The Crows with more serious jobs are working and not hanging around the house. Same goes with the Ravens, except that Vig is a craftsman who makes all the weapons for the Clans and even sells some online. He is more the gruff, quiet loner who Kera originally mistakes for a wounded vet with PTSD.

As far as the romance, Kera and Vig knew each other from before her transformation and once she understands that his is not a traumatized, homeless vet, she notices how attractive he is, etc., etc. He also fills in the blanks and introduces her to her new existence since the Crows don’t want to bother. They are good together, but don’t get much spotlight in their own story.

The most questionable plot point is the fact that these warriors are not immortal. Not only will they grow old, but they can be wounded in battle and die. They have faster healing abilities, but this should lead to a huge turn around of new warriors since they battle each other quite often with knives and swords and Thor’s group uses hammers and will smash your head in.

What is noticeably missing is Shelly Laurenston’s standard humor. There just wasn’t enough time to set up the world, introduce us to everything via “the new girl”, give us a romance between Vig and Kera and still figure out the subtle jokes from each different character.

I believe that this series will eventually be just as enjoyable as her others, but it will take time to lay out all of the foundations of these various clans and learn all the characters and dynamics between the groups. Where in a vampire/shifter series we understand the basic premise and all we need to know if your vampires go out in the sun or do your shifters need a full moon to shift, here she is giving her own spin to a little known mythology and we will all be taking the quiz at the end.

If you think you can hang on for the next few books, I am certain this will become just as popular as her other series and eventually her writing style will be able to shine through.

Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

The Unleashing is a the first book in a brand new series by Shelly Laurenston. I’ve been listening and reading Shelly Laurenston shifter books for a while now. I’ve always found her work very funny. This series is based loosely on Norse mythology.

Our heroine, Kera, is a former marine who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is stabbed while trying to protect an innocent person. One of her customers from the coffee shop she works at finds her. He calls on Skuld, one of the Norns, to save her. Skuld has the ability to give her a second life as a Crow. Kera refuses the second life if she can’t bring her dog, a battered pit bull stray named Brody Hawaii. Kera has a tough time with her second life.

Our hero in this story, Vig, is a Raven. He was born a Raven and his sister is a Valkyrie. He is a bit of a recluse and also makes weapons for the different clans. He really takes Kera under his wing (no pun intended) to help her through her new life. Crows are a sink or swim group, they aren’t great at helping ease people into their new lives, even though they all went through the same thing. Kera has a hard time with her transition and Vig makes it his mission to make it easier for her.

The story was fun and full of chaos. The crows are hilarious. I love the dog, Brody. If you want a story that falls in line with true mythology, I don’t know that this is the story for you. I’m not real familiar with the mythologies of the Norse, but I know enough to know that liberties are taken with the story. That didn’t make the story any less entertaining. I just took it all with a grain of salt and enjoyed the story that was being told. I’m excited to see who will be the next story told in this series.

There is a serious part to this story. It talks about war veterans and their struggle with PTSD. I love how this story brings this to life without making these former soldiers looks like broken individuals. Kera finds that she needs a new job to go with her new life and finds it in starting a charity that brings homeless dogs with veterans who need a companion. There are several of these charities around the states now. I’ve been supporting one in Florida for a few years.

I love that you are saving two lives in the dog and the soldier.

Narration
Johanna Parker has quickly become one of my favorite narrators, especially for stories with a lot of humor. She has to do a ton of different accents in this book. Some of the crows are pretty ditsy sounding in the fact that they play dumber than they actually are. The Ravens have some pretty strong accents too. For me, she adds a lot to the story. I’m always excited to see her listed as a narrator, especially for a series that is high in humor.

I like to thank Tantor Media for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.