Hope everyone had a great weekend and a big thank you to both Cia and Wildone for taking on the blog while I dealt with some health issues. Now it's a new week and it's time to take a look at one of the many stories that are posted for your enjoyment on Gay Authors. Today, Puppilull has provided us with a review of MetaOrigins. Enjoy.

MetaOrigins is the second book in the MetaWolf series which revolves around Colt Parker and the wolves in his pack. Book 1, Meta, set the scene for the series explaining how Colt, the lonely nerd with an attitude, met the first three wolves in the pack and also started to realize that his life had changed forever. His dreams of having hunky men in his life was suddenly fulfilled, as he becomes the Meta of the pack, meaning he is the brains at the top of the pack overruling even the sometimes "act first -think later" Alpha. It also became more and more apparent that he himself was important. For what and to whom was and is still unclear. There is a price on his head and many (vampires, wolves and humans in different constellations) conspire together or separately to bring him down and collect the reward.

This second book leads us on quite a journey. Not only to further discover what Fate has in store for our pack and their Meta, but also for Colt and the wolves themselves. As indicated in the title, they all have to learn about their past in order to understand how this has shaped and prepared them for the present and the future. This journey of self-discovery is sometimes difficult and painful to read. They are all outcasts and unwanted, which is a terrible fate for a human but almost unbearable for a wolf. They may have been thrown together by unknown forces and are led by instincts and scent, but as I see it they also come together due to their past experiences. Now they find they have a place where they belong.

During book 2 the pack adds another wolf, Isaac. Him meeting the pack gives us readers an opportunity to see just how far Colt has come and how he’s grown into his role as Meta. He now feels much more comfortable and secure in dealing with wolves as wolves and not humans. The pack finding their roles means they can all focus on their respective tasks within the pack, creating a well-functioning, if small, pack. This focus is much needed for them to be able to face their enemies.

Having settled somewhat from their drifting existence in book 1, Colt and the wolves in this book go from being guarded and very driven by instinct to actually getting to know each other. They start to reveal who they really are, as the trust builds between them. The nature of the wolves’ interaction with Colt is often very sexual, but underlining this strong attraction is a deeper sense of belonging together. Colt, being used to ensconce himself behind a shield of arrogance and aloofness, is step by step coaxed from his self-imposed isolation by the affection the wolves show him. He slowly starts to believe that maybe he doesn’t have to be alone to protect himself from hurt. Maybe he too is worthy of love. This deep need for being accepted, being loved is to me one of the main themes of MetaOrigins. A place in a pack (be it wolf or human) is something we all want and need.

The need they have for each other is written in a way that makes it almost tangible and in spite of them facing a lot of danger, they find time to express their deep connection in different, often naughty ways. The tactile need in the wolves is captured beautifully in the story without being expressed overtly. It’s just there, woven into the interactions of the characters. In addition to touch, scent also plays an integral part of their relationship, which is not so surprising since the story is about wolves, who naturally have very sensitive noses. The descriptions of the scents in the book and how they affect the pack also enhances the feeling of the wolves truly being wolves.

So these acquaintances… Are they nice? Well, no. Not all the time. Just like people in general, Colt and his wolves are shaped by their previous experiences, meaning they make the wrong choices at times (thus infuriating the reader). They are also flawed like the rest of us, having ideas and convictions that aren’t to everyone’s liking. There are… let’s say interesting views on women, gay men, weaker men, the concept of normal… As much as I wanted to be there in the story with them to argue their points, I also felt this added to the story and made the characters more believable. These protagonists are imperfect like the rest of us, something that makes them human (or wolf shifter, as the case may be).

Sometimes, the book and the series feel like one giant puzzle or mystery to be solved. At times it’s almost as if you are participating in a slightly twisted treasure hunt when you read it. Throughout the books, the author leaves us readers hints and clues. For anyone wanting to keep track of all these little clues, I would highly suggest an excel sheet or an enormous white board. The satisfaction when you figure something out is almost ecstatic. Of course, usually you are misled by the somewhat devious author, who has a knack for misdirection and disinformation. But that’s OK, because what fun would it be if you could figure out where we will end up already from the start?

Now you’ve read book 1 and 2 and you’re maybe feeling a bit lost, suffering from withdrawal. Don’t despair! When you reach the end of book 2, you can easily satisfy your need for intrigue and love by continuing on the next book. Book 3, MetaShadowLands is already published and complete and book 4, MetaBattles, is more than halfway published. After that four more books will follow…