Alpha by S.M. Reine [Review]

Alpha (War of the Alphas #3) by S.M. Reine
Format: ebook
Source: provided for review
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: August 18, 2015

War of the Alphas
1. Omega
2. Beta
3. Alpha - Kindle
4. Pas

S.M. Reine
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

No longer an Omega, Deirdre Tombs has found her animal. She only had to die and rise from her own ashes to discover it.

And she’s returned with a purpose.

For the first time in history, the role of Alpha is up for election. If Everton Stark takes charge, he could disband the ruthless government organization that has made life miserable for shifters like Deirdre.

One problem: Stark doesn’t want to run. He only wants vengeance against his wife, Rhiannon, who killed many of his followers and stole the Ethereal Blade.

While Stark is focused on revenge, Rhiannon is focused on winning the election for Alpha. Victory means tearing the Winter Court apart with civil war. It means riots. It means unleashing a deadly unseelie assassin that devours souls. Anything to get her dragon shifter mate in power…with Rhiannon at his side.

Thoughts on Alpha: I have said this before and I'll likely say it again: S.M. Reine's books kill me. Her characters do things (THINGS) and I honestly can't figure out how they're going to come back from them. Then the pieces fall into place and a bad situation turns worse (because these are some awesomely gritty books) before they get better and BOOM everything is rosier. Or sometimes more effed up. I end up confused and heartbroken and I LOVE IT.

Take the Deirdre/Stark dynamic, for example. I don't even want to marginally like the guy and I REALLY don't want him to end up with Deirdre because their whole relationship is a textbook example of domestic abuse. BUT... I get where he's coming from and I do get why Deirdre is drawn to him.

I still don't like him, though.

(And I'm holding out hope that something said in the first book will have GOOD repercussions for Deirdre once all's been said and done. Of course, there's always the chance I read it wrong and that thing isn't going to happen and I'll have to cry myself to sleep on my pillow once I finish the final book. WE'LL SEE!)

Things aren't looking good for Deirdre and her crew, but there are hints that there might be another path she can take. And I'm ready for it. I'm ready for whatever the next book throws at me.

Maybe.