Werecats Emergent by Mark J. Engels is the first in the Forest Exiles Saga. It shares the story of a line of humans’ afflict with a werecat mutation that causes rage if not controlled and ultimately death. We follow a family as teenage twins mutate and their mother and uncle deteriorate. Suspense, action and family make this an intriguing start to the trilogy.
by Mark J. Engels
Series: Forest Exiles Saga #1
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Author
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Afflicted, exploited, and deadly…
Teenaged Pawly discovers her secret werecat heritage after unexpectedly morphing one Halloween night. Desperate to find an outlet for her and her twin brother's growing bloodlust before they go feral, Pawly's blended human-werecat family begs a Chicago-area drug cartel for help. Her uncle Ritzi, meanwhile, scrambles to develop an alternate way the twins might satisfy their lethal urges. Resuming his deported father's scientific research, Ritzi draws notice from an elder werecat representing a rogue state keen on the twins' potential. When a cartel enforcer is found savagely mauled following the twins' first job, Ritzi insists Pawly and her brother enlist in the rogue state's service to ensure their safety. But their father, a Navy sailor critically wounded in recent combat, would rather die than risk being separated from his children again—which Pawly soon realizes is no idle threat.
Werecats Emergent starts off with an intense scene. Teenage hockey player Pawly discovers she is a werecat when her brother is attacked. Alex, Pawly’s mom, is married to a human named Barr. Both Alex and her brother, Uncle Ritzi, believed the twins would not be affected with the mutation and never told them about werecats to protect them. Now they must scramble to keep the teens safe as both a rogue group and a cartel show interest in using the teens as weapons.
The tale that unfolds traverses three continents as we learn about this family, a remnant of an ancient clan of werecats that were driven almost to extinction by militaries and those who seek to exploit their talents.
Pawly and her twin, Tommy, are training with their mother and other members of the werecat community. Their father vows to protect them, and their uncle searches for not only a cure for his sister. He is also seeking a way to control the twins’ rage and keep them safe.
The author unpacks a lot as he introduced us to characters and provides a history of the werecats and the current issues at hand. Unlike other shifter stories, this line of werecats’ has their body breaking down with each morph. I found the story intriguing as we trotted around the world, faced danger and got to know the family and key characters. We see character growth in the teens as they evolve. They went from training to engaging the enemy, and we witnessed it. Both have a strong desire to be playing a part in their own destinies.
For fans who love a solid urban fantasy, you’ll find shifters, family and some science fiction in this action-packed tale. While the pacing could be slow, the author did an excellent job of developing the world and characters. I am curious to see what develops next in Werecats Convergent. For those who love to binge, the completed Forest Exiles Saga Trilogy is available and in KindleUnlimited.
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About Mark J. Engels
Boyhood interests in trains and electronics fostered Mark's career as an electrical engineer, designing and commissioning signal and communications systems for railroads and rail transit agencies across the United States. Along the way Mark indulged his writing desire by authoring articles for rail and transit industry trade magazines. Coupled with Mark's long-time membership in anime, manga and anthropomorphic fandoms, he took up writing genre fiction. Growing up in Michigan, never far from his beloved Great Lakes, Mark and his wife today make their home in Wisconsin with their son and a dog who naps beside him as he writes. Mark is a member of Allied Authors of Wisconsin, one of the state's oldest writing collectives. He also belongs to the Furry Writer’s Guild, dedicated to supporting, informing, elevating, and promoting quality anthropomorphic fiction and its creators.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lux
I don’t think I’ve read a werecat lore. This is actually intriguing. The world-building sounds well done, and the fact that it spans multiple continents adds to the appeal. Sounds like something I’d like to see on the screen too.