Dog Days

By: TA Moore

Narrated by: Derrick McClain

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

The world ends not with a bang, but with a downpour. Tornadoes spin through the heart of London, New York cooks in a heat wave that melts tarmac, and Russia freezes under an ever-thickening layer of permafrost. People rally at first - organizing aid drops and evacuating populations - but the weather is only getting worse.

In Durham, mild-mannered academic Danny Fennick has battened down to sit out the storm. He grew up in the Scottish Highlands, so he’s seen harsh winters before. Besides, he has an advantage. He’s a werewolf. Or, to be precise, a were-dog. Less impressive, but still useful.

Except the other werewolves don’t believe this is any ordinary winter, and they’re coming down over the Wall to mark their new territory. Including Danny’s ex, Jack - the Crown Prince Pup of the Numitor’s pack - and the prince's brother, who wants to kill him.

A wolf winter isn’t white. It’s red as blood.

©2016 TA Moore (P)2018 Dreamspinner Press

This is a gem!

First off, let me just say there is a mild cliff hanger ending. And I hate cliff hangers. But this one didn’t leave me feeling angry.
I loved Danny, and though I had some reservations about Jack, I feel I will like him better as the series goes on. As for their relationship, there’s a happy for now, but I didn’t feel it was all settled by any means. I didn’t see much written by TA Moore so I have no idea what the plans are for this as a series. It does have some differences from other shifter books that make it interesting. I’d like to also get to know the characters more in-depth. I’ll be watching for the next one. This better not be all!
I’ve loved Derrick McClain’s narration for quite awhile, but this is something different than what I’m used to. I think this is the first time I’ve heard him do anything other than American accents and he did a great job. Even in the background dialogue, he kept the Scottish accent going. It was very easy to distinguish all the different voices and you could hear the emotions being expressed. Personally, I’d probably listen to Derrick reading an encyclopedia and still be enthralled.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Eh ..... couldn’t get into the story

I’m really not sure why I don’t like this book. The story sounded good but it never caught my attention. It was slow and meandering and I honestly lost all interest. I finally had to call it quits and gave up with almost 5 hours left

Alpha Jerk love interest

I thought Jack the love interest of the hero was a brute, who just threw his weight around, and treated his boyfriend Danny like he was a commodity there to please him. Although I found the world building interesting, I couldn't overcome the fact that I grew to detest Jack and his thuggish family. I couldn't finish this one.

Great start to a new series

I really enjoyed the book & liked both Danny & Jack. I couldn't stand Jenny & thought she had way too much page time. Obviously something is happening in the world but most people don't seem to notice or really care. With the way the weather patterns are, you would think there would have been more a "its the end of the world" mentality. But it's more, oh yea it's snowing in September. The story did end on a cliffhanger & I have to run off to read the next book as I need to know what happens.

Interesting

Well, this was a very easy read. The narration was wonderful. You don’t find out much about the MCs past but definitely a nice listen.

Derrick McClain's narration is freaking awesome!!!

I received a free copy of this audiobook to listen to and review for Wicked Reads.

Dog Days is a fascinating story, but I believe I would have been better served to have read it or at least read along with it. I say that because I think this is an audiobook that I’ll need to listen to several times before I hear everything I’m supposed to (I’m at two listens now). Fortunately for me, Derrick McClain does a superb job in narrating the book – love the Scottish accents – and I’m looking forward to listening to it again… and again… and again. Truth be told, I got three chapters in and had to go back to the beginning to make sure I knew how the main players fit together. This is not on the author, nor the narrator, this is all on me. Despite my love of m/m audiobooks, I’m a visual learner at heart and there were just a few too many moving pieces in the beginning for me to grasp them all on the first listen. But that’s what the restart command is for – Alexa, restart my book. Did I already mention how much I enjoyed listening to McClain’s narration? Moving on…

One of the things I enjoy about male/male shifter romances is that you never know how a pack is going to react to a m/m pairing until you actually read or listen to the book. The genre provides a range of completely accepting packs to those that will kill or exile the “abomination.” In Moore’s Dog Days, it’s not quite so clear cut because Jack’s exile isn’t strictly because he prefers men, but more because he’s exclusive to men, refusing to procreate with a female AND because he has a twin brother, Gregor, who is willing to mate to produce an heir. In fact, I got the feeling (and this is where I think I would have benefited from reading the book) that the twins’ father had to name an heir and then exile the other son, and Jack’s not-quite-so-fluid sexuality made him the obvious choice for exile. Perhaps making Jack’s male-only preference worse is that his attention – at least for a while – belonged to a dog shifter rather than a full-blooded wolf shifter.

While the opening chapter seems to focus on Jack, Dog Days is actually Danny’s story. Unlike most wolf and dog shifters, Danny doesn’t want to be part of pack, preferring to live among humans, attending school and working as a human. But Mother Nature has turned everyone’s world upside down – both the humans and shifters – and Danny finds himself pulled back into a pack when Jack shows up to warn him of the Wolf Winter and the Numitor’s plans. To make matters worse, victims of fatal animal attacks begin to show up within days of Jack’s arrival… and so does Gregor. When Danny and Jack discover that Gregor isn’t the one framing Jack, things go from bad to worse to deadly as they must fight an unknown enemy who seems to be as determined to kill them as Mother Nature does.

Although I referred to shifter romances earlier, Dog Days is more focused on the conflict and action than it is on the romance. It’s actually a bit on the grittier side as Danny gets caught in the middle of Jack’s fight with his brother, as well as another entity who seeks to rule over the shifters, all while trying to survive apocalyptic weather conditions. I can’t say there weren’t feelings between Danny and Jack in the beginning of the book – after all, you generally have to have some degree of love for a person for them to be able to exasperate you much as they did one another – but I’d be hard pressed to say that they were in love. And while there was some definite relationship development over the course of the book, the most obvious being towards the end, I’m still not sure that they were in love by the end of the book – at least not in the traditional romance novel manner. To me, it felt more like a relationship that forms when a mating bond occurs between two close friends (with benefits). There’s a definite shared history there and strong feelings for one another; and while there may be love between them, they’re not to the point of being in love with each other – if that makes sense. I actually found Jack and Danny’s relationship to be refreshing and felt it went well with the overall feel of the book. While I loved how the author left the ending open in such a way that a sequel could be written but isn’t necessarily required, I WANT A SEQUEL!!! I want more of Jack and Danny and yes, even Gregor… especially if Derrick McClain is narrating.

I just couldn't get in to this book

Nothing was wrong but not sure if it was the story or narrator but I couldn't not connect with the story.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Interesting

Dog Days is a different kind of shifter story. It is creative but not exactly what you might expect.
There is very little romance or love in it and the characters are not endearing to the reader. Nevertheless, it is a story that holds the reader’s attention as all kinds of weather phenomenon pass through the plot. Centered on old tales and ancient history, it is quite properly read in the audiobook version by a narrator who has a Scottish accent. Sometimes his accent is so think it can be a little bit hard to understand, so I was glad I had both the pdf and the audio versions to follow along with at the same time.
There is a difference between werewolves and weredogs, as is brought up in the story. I really didn’t understand if there was or was not an attraction between Jack and Danny, but it didn’t seem to matter much. Also the weather didn’t really make a large difference to the story. The plot is a little bit slow and the ending was unexpected and not particularly satisfying. The book is well written and well researched, though. I recommend it for those who love historical fiction.

A beautifully narrated werewolf shifter novel with grit.

Dog Days by T A Moore is an apocalyptic, wolf shifter, thriller/romance. It is a stand-alone, but the ending gives a clear indication that this will be the beginning of a series. There is much to be resolved at the conclusion of this story, but it finishes on an open-ended positive note for the MC’s.

Danny Fennick is living the quiet life of an academic in Durham, North-East England. It is a world away from the Scottish highlands were he grew up in the territory controlled by the Numitor Pack of werewolves. Having been born a weredog, Danny was at the bottom of the pecking order and leaving to live in the human world was an easy decision to make. In Durham he has a respectable job and a more normal, if somewhat lonely, life. His heart belongs to Jack, one of the Crown Prince Pups of the pack, and, given his stature, that relationship is highly unlikely to proceed. Or so he thinks. When an ancient werewolf prophesy seems to be coming true, Jack’s father, the leader of the Numitors, must chose his successor. Jack and his twin brother Gideon vie for their fathers favour, and succession. In the aftermath Jack moves down to Durham and reconnects with Danny.

The world building in this novel is highly original and beautifully described. The werewolf society is much more animalistic and gritty than most shifter books I’ve read. These werewolves are not people in wolves clothing, they are animals who follow their more baser needs with only a passing thought for humanity. The Numitor leader gleefully awaits the prophesy of a deadly winter that will see werewolves take control of the world once again.

I found Danny to be a highly likeable, empathetic character. He is not nearly as devoid of humanity as the werewolves he left behind. When he meets up with Jack, he, and I as a listener, have a difficult time connecting with Jack and his detachment from humanity. There is darkness in the city that goes far beyond the deadly winter, however, and these two old pack mates will need to find a way to come together to protect the community, and the people that Danny has come to love. As they come together for a common purpose, both men will face unimaginable trials and Danny, as well as the listener, will come to see a somewhat more compassionate man beneath the werewolf. Make no mistake though, Jack remains an animal at heart and there’ll be no sudden burst of kindness and compassion from this werewolf.

I found a few moments in the story where I felt the author could have proceeded more quickly. It could have been more riveting with some careful editing and less descriptive prose. This may be a personal issue however, and other listeners may not feel the same way. When Danny and Jack, and those fighting alongside them, face the hidden evil in Durham things certainly heat up. T A Moore does not hold back in her action scenes! Readers looking for romance as a major theme may be disappointed however. This is first and foremost an action thriller and the romance is limited in comparison. There is much scope for the romance to further develop, however, if this novel does become a series. I would definitely look forward to learning more about these characters, and their journey, and will be no doubt be purchasing more from this author.

Derrick McClain’s narration is nothing short of superb. This accents and characterisations are spot on to my ear. Whilst listening I got lost in the story, as each character, male and female, came alive with his masterful performance. This is not the first time I’ve listened to an audiobook from Derrick and he never disappoints. I’ll certainly be looking for more by him to add to my collection.

Not a book about a natrual a disaster

What would have made Dog Days better?

The book actually being about a were-dog surviving a natural disaster and pack politics.

Any additional comments?

This book is about relationship drama and graphic sex with a natural disaster as a backdrop. I liked the narrator.

3 of 6 people found this review helpful