Review: Prides of the Moon Series

Author: Ann Mayburn 

Publisher: Decadent

Prides of the Moon Series, Books 1-3

Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
GLBT Romance

Format(s): e-books

Book Source: Publisher

Prides of the Moon #1

Release Date: July, 2011

Prides of the Moon #2

Release Date: August, 2011

Prides of the Moon #3

Release Date: September, 2011

     I was given the chance to read the first three stories in the Prides of the Moon Series, and although the stories could be read independently, it’s well worth it to read them all in order and enjoy the entire progression of the series.

     Throughout the series, which is part of the much larger 1 Night Stand series, Mayburn’s “shifters” defy stereotypical archetypes. They are all of varying temperaments, body types, sexual inclinations, etc., one of the only similarities between all three being the importance placed on the bond and the resulting dynamic between the Alphas and their Betas. All the characters are seeking the impossible, except that nothing seems impossible under the direction of the mysterious Madame Evangeline and her 1 Night Stand dating service. The final link between the three is werepuma Ben Harkil, whom I believe is the most well written character of the bunch.

     Amber Moon is a M/F/F story about a pair of mated Alphas, one male and one female, and their search for the final addition to their soul-bonding. Sabrina is a Beta whose cat not only needs the dominance of another couple to feel complete, she needs them to both be Alphas, an elusive combination. Madeline Turea needs the softness of another female to join with she and her mate, Nick, but after her last relationship, Nick is more than a little skeptical.

     Once Madeline disproves Sabrina’s preconceived notions about what an Alpha should look like, they engage in the test of wills and strengths that all Mayburn’s Alphas and Betas must endure. This ultimately enables them to join their spirits together far more meaningfully than sex alone could ever do.

     Sex between the two females is HOT and intense, but very sweet as well. Another convenient characteristic of these shifters is that mates can physically experience everything that is done to their partners sexually as if it was being done to them as well. Once Nick gets his turn to prove himself as Alpha with his new Beta, a very happy time is had by all.

     I have mixed feelings about the ending of Amber Moon, though. It’s the reader’s introduction to Ben, another Beta of the Amber Moon Pride, but the reappearance of someone Madeline and Nick thought long gone felt a little awkward.

     Emerald Moon, on the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. This is a M/M story about loss and second chances made possible by another 1 Night Stand. Jude and Ben are former lovers, and there’s an enjoyable simplicity to their rediscovery of one another.

     In the fifteen years they’ve been apart, Jude has become a full-grown Alpha, and his “mating dance” (my phrase, not the author’s) with Ben is just lovely. Their familiarity with one another’s sexual needs adds a great deal to their tale, and there’s a playfulness and believable rightness to their union that’s not quite as developed in either of the other two stories.

     I enjoyed the resolution of Emerald Moon more, as well. While a conflict from the past is certainly an issue, it’s an internal one, and both Jude and Ben put it firmly behind them. Their proving ground lies entirely in their future, not a past that’s come back to test their bond to one another.

     In the last of the series, Turquoise Moon, Kara Vinsenz is a tough, female Alpha werepuma who’s been promised to a vicious and psychotic member of her pack. Unable to make her father, or anyone else, believe her regarding her unwelcome fiancee’s horrible nature, Kara conspires with her twin sister and runs away in search of two male werepumas to mate with who’ll believe her and protect her pride.

     One of the highlights for me was more time with Jude and Ben. Here, they continue their search for the perfect female to complete their union. Mayburn explains that many shifters have multiple mates, but the desire to procreate usually leads males to search for and bond with a female. It just has to be the perfect female.

     Kara is also in heat throughout Turquoise Moon, and her sexual need is a huge part of the story. Her reactions as an Alpha are often at odds with her hunger for the males, but they all find their respective places as the narrative progresses.

     The dynamic between the shifters in this story is very interesting. Kara is an Alpha, but Ben is Jude’s Beta, and he must protect Jude from any threat she may present until she’s proven she’s the right one for them both. By turns, she must prove she’s Alpha enough to earn Ben’s submission before being considered a possible mate by Jude. It isn’t confusing at all within the story, and that part works out extremely well.

      As in Amber Moon, the new trio’s relationship is immediately put to the test by someone from Kara’s past. To be fair, a big difference is that Kara’s nemesis will continue to be a threat unless he’s properly dealt with, so his arrival is fitting. A simultaneously gruesome, yet tidy ending promises a hopeful future for the three lovers, however, and the story ended on a note of teasing optimism.

     All three stories in the Prides of the Moon series I had the pleasure of reading were quick reads and full of good, sexy fun. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but all were clear and welcoming representations of the author’s imagination. Mayburn does very well with her shifters, and I fully intend to find out if the fourth is just as much fun as soon as possible.