WEREling by Steve Feasey - Review

So guess what I just realized? It's been several hours since I finished Wereling – and I just realized something – there was not ONE stitch of any kind of romance in this book. Now if you know anything about the books I usually choose to read, they ALL have at least a bit of romance in them, matter of fact I can't think of one, without some kind of a romance interwoven into the story. But you know something else? Wereling is NOT missing romance – it's just not...never once while reading it, did I say to myself – hmm where's the romance? Nope, not at all. It's got to much "other" stuff going on – you just don't miss it, or at least I did not! (Though secretly I do hope that there's at least a little romance as the series continues I can't help but like Trey and Alexa!)

Want to know something else? This series, apparently has been "out" in the UK for sometime, it's just NOW being published here in the good ole' US. This book in the UK is called Changling, and it's got brothers, that now, having read Wereling – I can't WAIT to read – so last night, I ordered the other 2 books that are already out in the series, via bookdepo.com. (I love that place!)

So now you maybe wondering, why did I got an order the other 2 books, what makes Wereling so special?

Well, it's because Wereling was so much more than what I thought, honestly the cover is not my "thing" but the synopsis is amazing:

Fourteen-year-old Trey Laporte is not a kid anymore. Not after the day he wakes up in agony—retina-splitting, vomit-inducing agony. His clothes are torn. His room is trashed.

Enter Lucien Charron, the mysterious, long-lost “uncle” with freakish fire-flecked eyes and skin that blisters in the sun. Suddenly, Trey finds himself living in a luxury penthouse at the heart of a strange and sinister empire built on the powers of the Netherworld—vampires, demons, sorcerers, and djinn.

And there is a girl—Alexa Charron—who is half vampire, half human, and insanely pretty, with powers all of her own. Trey is falling for her.

Trey is training night and day to control the newly discovered power lurking inside him. Now, demons are closing in on every side, and the most psychopathic bloodsucker to rock the Netherworld wants to destroy him. Above all, he must face one terrifying question: Is he a boy . . . or is he a beast?

Wereling is ALL action and Steve Feasey's writing style reminds me a lot of another author you might have heard of, Cassandra Claire. Cassandra's world and Steve's are so different, don't think I am comparing the story lines themselves, because I am not – but the writing style's are similar. With the detailed "world" coupled with captivating characters, Steve Feasey reached out to me, grabbed my attention and demanded I keep reading until I was finished this book! Much the same as Cassandra did with her Mortal Instruments Series!

Steve Feasey has created seemingly real world, where werewolf's, vampires, along with all kinds of other delicious creatures lurk. His ability to describe, in the smallest details, draw you into the story – allowing you to not only live within the books pages, but also giving you a window to see it as well!

The characters he created, are also amazing; Trey, a seemingly normal boy, whose world get ripped upside down when he finds out he's a werewolf – and the amazing thing about Trey is – HE FREAKS OUT! I have found in a lot of books, when someone finds out there not quite as human as they believed, they sorta just "accept it" and that's just that (not saying it's wrong, just is what it is).

But, for me, Trey was more honest to his new life, he freaked out – I mean hello, wouldn't you? Trey is a strong character, and though he's had a rough life he begins to trust, and even – dare I say it – love those around him! I wanted to wrap my arms around him.

Lucien is also a wonderful character, he reminds me of a certain, amazing wizard, Dumbledore. With his ever present charm, he's a tough teacher, as well as a valiant friend – he becomes the person that Trey can lean on, talk to and come to for advice (along with Tom). All in all, each character adds monumentally to the plot itself, no one is "extra" or filler, and though I did not get to know them each in intimate detail – I learned enough to make each of them special!

Bottom Line - In Wereling, I honestly found myself knee deep in a pot load of crap right along with the characters – only to have someone (usually Trey) bust in with a funny and I found myself sitting on the edge of the bed with white knuckles, scared to death, laughing my ass off at the same time! It's not easy to scare me, and to scare me and 2 sentences later have me laughing my butt off, yeah that's NEVER happened before, but it happened in Wereling!

Wereling is a unique and beautiful read, with strong characters, and a one of a kind story, it's a place full of disasters and scary things that go "bump" in the night, but Steve Feasey has taken great care to insure that we see the beauty that also lies with in it's pages. A 5 mushrooms book, Wereling is, and I can't WAIT till the next 2 books arrive!

WEREling
By: Steve Feasey
288 Pages
Published: April 27, 2010
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Stay tuned, Book Crazy will be having Steve here for a guest post soon!