Alex Locke is a reformed ex-con forced into London’s criminal underworld for one more job. He agrees to steal a priceless artefact – a human heart carved from the blackest obsidian – but when the burglary goes horribly wrong, Alex is plunged into the nightmarish world of the Wolves of London, unearthly assassins who will stop at nothing to reclaim the heart. As he races to unlock the secrets of the mysterious object, Alex must learn to wield its dark power – or be destroyed by it.
The Wolves of London is the first book in a thriller fantasy series called the Obsidian Heart series, and after reading this book I will definitely be carrying on with the series. I found The Wolves of London to be exciting, different and a whole lot of fun to read.
The story follows Alex Locke and I really connected with him as I read the book and I think he is a brilliant protagonist to have in this series. Alex is a loving and dedicated father, his relationship with his daughter is written really well in the book and you can see that he cares for all his family. Throughout the book Alex developed as a character, you are able to see that the troubles and challenges he has been through has changed him as a character.
I think that by making this series a fantasy as well as a thriller was definitely a good move. It made reading the book more refreshing and unique because you couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. It was nice to read about the real world of London with a dark fantasy edge to it. I think that even though London has been used before for the settings of other books, Mark Morris has managed to reinvigorate it and give it his own spin.
I really liked Mark Morris’s writing in the book, it was something different from what I normally read. There are some dark and twisted scenes in the book that will make you wince and squirm, and show the real dark parts of London. But the scenes are all needed, they are not just added for effect or to shock the reader. Throughout the book there are twists and turns to keep the reader on its toes. The writing is descriptive and engaging and you can easily visualise the world and its characters.
The only downside for me was that it took a while for me to get into the story. I think it took a couple of days for me to read the first 100 pages because I just wasn’t gripped by it. But after them first 100 pages then I was hooked. I am really glad I stayed with it and continued with the story, but I can see some people being put off my the first part of the book. All I can say is work through it and you wont be disappointed by the end.
I would highly recommend The Wolves of London to all readers who want something different from their usual thriller reads. This book is also perfect for readers of horror and fantasy. I’m excited to see what is next in store for this series because if the next book is anything like this one, then it will be a fantastic read.
I rate this book 4/5 stars
***I was sent a copy of this book by the Publisher to review. Everything in this review is my own honest opinions.***
Mike Reads 