Publishers Weekly
The Fennrys Wolf (last seen in Livingston’s Tempestuous) is bigger and badder than Red Riding Hood ever imagined, and he’s just landed in Manhattan—tumbling naked through a stained-glass skylight, sword in hand. Few recognize him as the harbinger of Ragnarok, the end of the world, but many of those in the know are connected with Gosforth Academy, where the privileged, beautiful scions of the super-rich are expensively educated. Fennrys saves the fencing team from an inhuman onslaught with the timely assistance of Mason Starling, the team’s Olympic hopeful. Each goes away from the encounter feeling a strange connection with the other, but Fennrys doesn’t know who or what he is, and Mason discovers that she doesn’t know herself much better. Livingston chooses action over introspection in this series launch, and lays out the plot in short scenes from various points of view that are kaleidoscopic without drawing readers too far into any one character. Like a stylish TV pilot, there are special effects and eye candy galore, making for a quick, pulse-pounding read. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jessica Regal, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. (Sept.)
Claudia Gray
"I’d recommend anything by Lesley Livingston."
Julie Kagawa
"Thrilling and intense; pulls you along like the inevitable rush toward Ragnarok."
ALA Booklist
Praise for Tempestuous:“Livingston’s artistry at creating imaginary worlds that exist side by side with contemporary New York remains strong...fans of the first two entries will gulp this one down with gusto.
Kirkus Reviews
A less-than-impressive addition to the plethora of mythology-based YA romances. On a dark and stormy night, Mason Starling and her posh, Gosforth Academy fencing mates are saved from an attack of malicious mythological creatures by a handsome, disoriented stranger who only remembers his name: the Fennrys Wolf. Predictably, Fenn and Mason's instant chemistry leads to a romance, which is lackluster at best. Their travels around New York City are recorded in meticulous detail that makes the novel feel more like a map than a story, as they attempt to solve the mystery behind the attack and unravel Fenn's past. Meanwhile, Mason's father and brothers are dedicated to the service of the Norse gods and hellbent on bringing about Ragnarok (the Norse destruction and rebirth of the world), and they plot to place Mason in harm's way in hopes of goading Fenn into fulfilling a prophecy. Though Mason, unlike many of her counterparts, does get to fight, she is, disappointingly, still very much a damsel in distress. And while Livingston's melding of mythologies and the faerie world with ours is interesting, characters with little dimensionality and questionable motives, along with a frustratingly choppy pace and dull romance, leave much to be desired. The cliffhanger ending may convince insatiable paranormal-romance readers to give the next book in this series a try. (Paranormal romance. 13 & up)
