Tsundoku reviewed First Came Trust by Jess Mahler (First, Next, Last, #1)
Trust Your Pack
5 stars
Content warning CW: Suicidal Ideation, Brutal Execution attempt,
I was given a free copy of this book with the request to write an honest review.
This is a paranormal sort-of romance with a Happily For Now Ending. It has what I assume are bondage / kink elements, but nothing explicit happens in this book.
Anyway, Lilah (Ey/em + He/Him) has been attacked and become a wereperson (I assume wolf, due to mentions of a snout and "pack" and "cub", but if the word "Wolf" was ever used, I missed it) and ey and eir family live in a country unkind to werepeoples. So when the guards of the country find out Lilah is a wereperson, they capture em and eir family and tie them up to die of exposure / the sun.
They are rescued in time, from nobility from a country much kinder to were people, and Lilah takes an oath to serve. And then the rest of the book is about building the bond of trust (Though ironically not with the siblings) and traveling to where they can be safe.
I left some stuff out, as I'd like y'all to read it.
I think I've said this before, but I really liked the worldbuilding. Basically, Pronouns are Elverson-variants of the Spivak Pronouns (so Ey/Em/Eir) unless you get to know someone. Then you can use their informal, gendered (?) pronoun. So "He" for Lilah, that sort of thing. It's a really cool setup.
I want to say despite the darker subject matter (like suicidal ideation, your very existence being considered at threat) the book gave me warm fuzzies.
I know there will be future books in this series, and I just wish I had ALL of it, Right this second.