Starr once again makes werewolves
seem plausible. Hiding in plain sight, the werewolves of Starr's New York are
far from the blood thirsty hounds of
vampiric/lycan mash-ups of
other novels. Their craving and blood lust held in check by coping
mechanisms passed down by members of the pack to the newly converted. The
pack held strong by a unique bond that segregates them from the rest of the
world while also keeping them part of it.
While THE CRAVING conforms the to
hallmarks typically associated with the horror genre, this is mostly a birds eye
view of domestic life gone wrong - a failing relationship on the brink
with a joyful young son the collateral. For Simon, coming to terms with
his condition is the catalyst behind a noir-like relationship that leads to
unfaithful persons, private investigators, and murder.
Starr is a master of white-collar
noir and its easy to see elements of that bleed in THE CRAVING. As with THE
PACK, THE CRAVING is a multi dimensional tale encroaching
across multiple genres to deliver a very well written piece of inner city
fiction.
There are many jaw dropping moments
in THE CRAVING as cannibalism becomes a reality, humans a food source,
and heightened senses a weapon. The evolution of Simon and his
conflicting emotions towards pack leader Michael are a joy to read.
The camaraderie between the members of the pack is both heart warming and
at times scary, almost as unpredictable as the wild animals they share
DNA.
THE CRAVING is a decent follow-up to
THE PACK. It expands upon the lore and provides glimpses into the future. Starr
has established a solid foundation upon which to build his characters and their
related stories. I look forward to reading more. 4 stars.
Nice review, but I think I'm going to pass on this and The Pack. I used to read Starr religiously from his first book upto The Follower and including his collaborations with Ken Bruen. I think it was the last of these that put me off him/Bruen. They seemed to be trying a bit too hard to come across all cool and funny. Maybe I'm just getting old and miserable!
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