BITTEN

Debut werenovel about cultural lycanthropy.

In Toronto, Elena Michaels, the only living female werewolf, tells us that about 35 of her kind live on this planet, nearly all born as werewolves. Those who become werewolves by being bitten almost always die of physical and mental stress brought on by the Change, and the werewolf gene is passed only through males. Elena was 19 when she was purposely bitten by psychopathic Clayton, later her sometime lover. A year ago, against all werewolf instincts, she choose to leave the Pack and live with humans. Boyfriend Philip has no idea that the reason Elena often goes out late at night is that she feels the Change coming over her. Pack alpha leader Jeremy calls her back to his estate outside Syracuse to hunt down a rogue werewolf. She and Clayton kill the recently bitten adolescent rogue, but three more are hanging about, one of them a serial killer, and they have killed one of the Pack. In one memorable moment during the rogue hunt, Elena and Clayton cavort and race about after sex. A rival pack kidnaps Clayton, overcoming him with a hypodermic needle. This pack wants Elena to help breed the pure werewolves (as opposed to half-wolf, half-human) that only a female werewolf can produce. They hope to trade Clayton to Jeremy for Elena. But now they have really raised Elena’s ire. . . .

Armstrong’s lycanthropology, though vivid, lacks the depth of Whitley Streiber’s epic The Last Vampire, but it’s as smooth as cream all the way, sure to gain fans.