Welcome to a new week and a new featured story. Today we're looking at the 4th book in JohnAR's MetaWolf series, MetaBattles.

Reviewer: Defiance19
Status: Complete
Word Count: 102,788

MetaBattles, the fourth book in the MetaWolf series by JohnAR, picks up right where Book three, MetaShadowlands left off.

If you are unfamiliar with the series, Books 1-3 will catch you up with an insecure Meta, Colt, who is bossy, nerdy, quick-witted, and brilliant. He counsels (and more) his pack of eight gay, very sexy, very hunky Inner Circle wolves led by a seemingly submissive Alpha. The Inner Circle wolves each have a scent that is recognizable to Colt, (their scents play a vital part to the storyline). They live with the constant threat of devious vampires who want their Meta dead or captured. There is a bounty on Colt, so for good measure throw in Fate, who is a person or persons manipulating events and people so that a prophecy could be fulfilled or fail to come to pass. Can you already tell this is not your normal wolf/vampire story?

I was more than anxious to begin MetaBattles which as the name suggests, meant there was a war coming. Book 4 opens with our Meta in handcuffs, and not in a good way because someone has yet again betrayed the pack. The tension builds immediately, but it is not so easy to keep a Meta down and in the process of his liberation we meet Warren, the 8th Inner Circle wolf. I have a particular fondness for Warren but not to worry, you will discover your favorite too.

The burning question at the end of Book 3, ‘what happened to the Alpha?’ is finally answered. JAR came close to being tarred and feathered, but I will say it was worth the wait when it all came to light. You will find that there are answers to some open ended questions, but these only lead to more questions. I caution you here, that in the Metaverse, nothing is as it seems. Those never ending questions drove the plot to some of the most twisty, mind numbing scenarios and cliffhangers, always leaving me wanting more, but having to wait impatiently for the next posting.

Let's not forget, there is a battle brewing. The Inner Circle wolves were growing, getting bigger, faster and stronger with the very unique help of their Meta.(The realisation of what it could be is very intriguing) The wolves are planning strategically, arming themselves with knowledge of their enemies, seeking out alliances in other packs. The Meta is cunningly amassing finances, and fight training with military precision is in full force Colt included. The politics and brokerage between the packs’ Alphas added to the realism and showcased the play for allegiance and power. No one could really be trusted. Not wolves or humans, who managed somehow to be on the take for vampires. They proved to be relentless in the pursuit of the pack and Colt. Some of those scenes were written particularly well, evoking images and emotions as if I were actually there.

The vampires weren't sitting idly by either. They assembled from across the globe; nine Vampire Queens for their own decisive planning. There was also the matter of Colt. Some of the Queens had an agenda in that regard and there is some manipulation within the group. It promised to be a bloody, ruthless battle. The closer we got to the battle, the more alarming the vampire agenda became. Would the wolves be ready? Did they have enough fighters? Who would win in a war between Wolves and Vampires? What would happen to the Meta? Would the vampires succeed in their plans for him? Who would survive? Would I? Because surely at this point losing wolves I had come to care for, was a startling fact.

In the midst of this turmoil, JAR skillfully transitions and brings us back from the edge and we see the very human side to the wolves and the effect the looming war is having on them. A conflicted Colt continues to struggle with the love vs. scent attraction which has plagued him. He questions his worth and usefulness to the pack, even as he worried about the real possibility of losing any of his wolves to war. It leads to very introspective discussions with the wolves, and even more passionate debates on the Meta forum. As I learnt more about the origin of Colt’s insecurities, I found myself sympathizing more which was a departure from wanting to strangle him in previous books. There was also a deeper connection to the characters. They could almost be people we know, which made them relatable and I believed the characters as people. This is another reason I couldn't turn away from MetaBattles. Instances like this made me forget that this was actually fiction.

Tender is not a word I would use to describe wolves. Yet, there are times when JAR gives us just that. I dare you not to cry when the wolves celebrate Christmas or when they gather the night before battle, or when they bring Colt back from near death after another attempt on his life. That scene provided a fascinating visual of a werewolf shift in midair that is forever imprinted in my memory. Other scenes, like the wolves and Colt walking into a barn to mingle with the rest of the outer circle pack, and the speeches to the battle ready wolves, were also very impactful. Honestly, there's more but I can't give it all away!

There are so many reasons why MetaBattles is a must read. JAR challenges the reader. You will laugh, you will cry, you will rage, you might want to hunt down the author, but you will want to keep going. There is the supernatural, what with the shamans, owl tokens and wolf shifters, and the vampires. There are kernels of mythology, undercurrents of psychological tenets and maybe, no, definitely romance. There is sex, and the sex is explosive and primal. The story encompasses all of this, and makes no excuses for politically incorrect stances, all of which makes it a very engrossing read. Each chapter is structured to build upon the next moving forward measuredly, and tie into the MetaPrompts, which gives us even more obscure hints and clues into the past and future of Colt, the wolves and the vampires.

MetaBattles and the MetaWolf series are not for the faint of heart. Thrilling, as it is complex it defies the norm, it will provoke you. There is inevitable tragedy in MetaBattles and it is a maddening hunt for clues, none of which seem to point you in the right direction. But, it consistently leaves you thinking and feeling long after the chapter is done. If you want a satisfying and engaging story look no further, go on and give it a try. Continue the journey with MetaBattles or start from the beginning with Meta. Then join us in the forum to rant and speculate. You won't regret it.