Characters have a lot more to their stories than we see in the novels we read. What's happened in their pasts built them into the characters we are introduced to. Then we are given hints about where they came from. Authors know these stories. These are the stories that drive the characters in the novels, but aren't part of the novel. This is acceptable because the backstory would be intrusive to the story we are enjoying at the time.Pack Dynamics: Phasesis two stories (each around 60 pages) covering the backstories of three characters in Julie Frost's Pack Dynamics Series about werewolves. She called Phases volume 1.5 when she gave it to me for review purposes at the Quill's Conference (link).
Story One: Piles of Cash and Killer Benefits
Alex Jarrett and Megan Graham have a work relationship. There are other interests between them, but Megan has kept those at a distance. It would be difficult to maintain any type of close relationship without disclosing she's a werewolf.
Piles of cash takes place between Pack Dynamics and Pack Dynamics: A Price to Pay (books 1 and two of her series). We find out how the relationship grew from a rich medical researcher and his personal assistant. Along with the relationship, we learn why Megan took the job in the first place and how she ended up disfigured when we meet her in book two.
Story Two: In the Multitude of Mercy
It is the Summer of Love. Noah Emerson is starting out on a new path for his life. Once a promising medical student, his life turned upside down after a bad decision. Now he is out of Folsom and wanting to regroup/change/improve his life.
Rocky, and his pack, know Noah is an ex-convict and think they can turn him by giving him what every criminal wants. That doesn't turn out the way the werewolves thought it should. Noah, working to come to grips with his new existence, makes his getaway to Los Angeles where he eventually ends up with a new pack.
Overall
Julie Frost presents two wonderfully written stories that fit comfortably into her werewolf world. Even if you haven't read the novels, these stories stand on their own merit with the common theme of lycanthropy.
The pacing of both stories had me turning pages until I reached the end.
It was fun to read two related stories that were gapped by so many years. For readers of her series, this provides a great insight to her werewolf aging process. Separately, each story is well based in the time it is set. Demonstrating the writing capabilities of the author to settle a reader into the story's where and when.
Along with building on the continuing Pack Dynamics series, there are enough hints in these stories that can bring a wider range of supporting stories and origin stories. It would be interesting to find out Megan's origin story or how the Rutgers fought in World War II.
I enjoyed Pack Dynamics: Phases and look forward to more installments of Julie Frost's werewolf stories.
I rate Pack Dynamics: Phases 5 out 5.
Here is a link to a review of Pack Dynamics: A Price to Pay (book 2 of the series) (link).
About the Author (from the book)
Julie Frost grew up an Army brat, traveling the globe. She thought she might settle down after she finished school, but then married a pilot and moved six times in seven years. She's finally put down roots in Utah with her family—a herd of guinea pigs, three humans, a tripod calico cat, and a "kitten" who thinks she's a warrior princess—and a collection of anteaters and Oaxacan carvings, some of which intersect. She enjoys birding and nature photography, which also intersect.
She utilizes her degree in biology to write werewolf fiction while completely ignoring the physics of a protagonist who triples in mass. She writes other types of fiction, too, on occasion, from hard science fiction to space opera to secondary-world fantasy to urban fantasy to horror. Sometimes she mixes them. Her short stories have appeared in too many venues to count, including Writers of the Future 32, Monster Hunter Files, Enter the Aftermath, Stupefying Stories, Planetary Anthologies, StoryHack, and Astounding Frontiers. Her Pack Dynamics Novels are published by WordFire Press.
She whines about writing, a lot, at: http://agilebrit.livejournal.com/, where you can also see a full bibliography of her published works.
You can visit her Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Frost/e/B00WAK2UQU/.
If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.
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