Get Bent!

The Hybrid of High Moon Series, Book 1

By: Rick Gualtieri

Narrated by: Rachel Dulude

Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

My name is Tamara Bentley, "Bent" to my friends, and I'm not supposed to exist. I was born of the forbidden union between a witch and a werewolf, and they've been trying their damnedest to hide my existence ever since. 

But now my secret is out, and my uncle, the leader of the wolf pack, is pissed beyond belief. In his eyes, I'm something that should've never been born. He wants me dead and doesn't care who he has to sacrifice to get the job done. 

I'm far from helpless, though. Not only am I a champion athlete, but I'm strong enough to punch out a bus. Good thing, too, because a rare lunar event is about to increase my uncle's already terrifying power. I'll have to call on every last ounce of strength I have if I want to survive the night and save the lives of everyone counting on me.

©2018 Rick Gualtieri (P)2018 Tantor

Gualtieri Strikes Again!

First off, I have to confess that I love urban fantasy novels that feature kick-ass female leads.

So, when I discovered that Gualtieri had a new novel out, I knew I would be getting it. Since I had some credits on my Audible account, I chose to purchase the audio book version. It was a choice I do not regret in the least.

The story:
Having already been a fan of Gualtieri’s Tome of Bill series, I already knew what to expect when it came to writing style. There would be plenty of action, more than a bit of snark, and several moments that would make me honestly laugh aloud. All of which came to pass.

As a character, Tamara Bentley, Bent to her friends, is both familiar and unique. Familiar, because she’s written like a normal American college girl home for summer vacation. Unique, in the fact that she’s not only a female who participates in the male-dominated sport of wrestling, but she’s also a hybrid born of two warring supernatural species.

Without risking spoilers, let’s just say that Bent’s existence isn’t something the two sides of her heritage are willing to tolerate.

The premise is a slightly different take on the theme, but Gualtieri handles it perfectly. The buildup to the revelation is paced properly and when things start to go sideways (as they usually do in these tales), the narrative keeps up with the flow.

The characters:

Bent is an interesting character. She could have been a cookie-cutter heroine, but she’s presented like an average person suddenly thrust into a non-average situation. Her parents, despite being denizens of the supernatural, behave like you would expect adult to. Reeva, Bent’s best friend and confidante, had some of the best lines in the book. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her in future installments.

Some of the minor characters did seem a little stocky. However, if Gualtieri had spent time to turn everyone who made an appearance into a complete person, with motivations and backgrounds, the audio book would have been a hundred hours long. Spear-carriers are there for a reason and in Get Bent, they are as fleshed out as they needed to be to tell the tale.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. As with the Tome of Bill, I’ve instantly found a new series to keep me entertained and make me frustrated as I devour the latest and have to wait on the next installment. If you’re a fan of humor-filled, action-packed urban fantasy, you really should give this series a try.

looking forward to the next book

Not Bill, But a great story with wonderful characters. Thank you Richard and Rachel who did a great job bringing the Characters to life.

Get Bent!

4.5 stars
I won a book by this author and I truly didn’t have any idea what I was going to pick, then I saw werewolf and thought ok I might like that. NO way I LOVED IT.

There isn’t a romance which is my thing but this book didn’t need it. I loved how Bent learns about herself and her family it was funny and witty.

The world building was straight and to the point it was perfect to suck you in. I want to know what’s going to happen! So I will be jumping on book 2 asap.

The narration is fantastic for this story and for Bent she is so entertaining.

Get Bent! is fantastic! Another series I’ll have to devour as each volume comes available.

I wasn’t sure how I’d like the author of Bill the Vampire writing about a teenage female, but he developed the characters and the world brilliantly.

I really enjoyed the snarky dialogue, the dichotomy of the different paranormal groups, and the relatable character interactions. This was fun. It was not predictable. There were difficult decisions, perilous situations, and witty banter.

I’m ready for book two!

Great new series to jump into!

Get Bent is a strong new thread in the Urban Fantasy tapestry. This new series stands on firm footing with Werewolves and Witches in a classic UF fashion, with all the sarcastic wit we enjoyed from the author's Tome of Bill series. Characters are strong and fun and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

You'll like this book if you're a big UF fan and are eager for a fun new take on werewolves and witches AND/OR you can appreciate occasionally grumpy humor in front of an action-packed backdrop. If you enjoyed Tome of Bill, you'll enjoy this just as much.

I can't wait for the next book!!!!

I have been impatiently waiting for this book to be available on audio and it didn't disappoint. I was hooked from the very beginning and it was such a fun story to listen to that it will definitely be on my list of books I relisten to when I am out of credits. I thought the narrator was the perfect voice for Bent and did a great job.

Enjoyable

I really enjoyed listening to this story. I could have done with less swearing, but otherwise it was very entertaining. It made the 1000 mile drive go by quickly.

Not a YA story

When I first read the synopsis, I thought it was a YA book. But it's not really. The heroine is college aged but she has to deal with plenty of adult problems like saving her town from her before unknown werewolf side of her family.

recommended

loved it from start to end. Author Monkey did a great job. It was a great twist between shifters and witches.

I felt as if I was one of the garden gnomes

I did yell at the main character several times while listening. I'm looking forward to seeing her grow into an adult and her power in the next book.