Unleashed introduces a fascinating paranormal race of shapeshifters. The Amoveo are comprised of different animals clans, from bears, eagles, foxes, wolves and much more. Aside from shapeshifting, an Amoveo can communicate telepathically, has the power of visualization and can travel at the speed of thought. Every Amoveo has a mate that they connect with in the dream realm. When a couple mates, their individual powers are strengthened, but being mated does make them more vulnerable, because should one mate die, the other will as well. As extraordinary as they are, they simply want to live a normal life undetected among humans, but their enemies who have been hunting them for centuries are dead set against their existence.
When Samantha decides to return to her childhood home she discovers that she is an Amoveo, and her enigmatic neighbour, Malcolm is her mate. As much as she wants to deny her heritage, she can't. She has dreamt of Malcolm all her life, before she knew who he was. She communicates with Malcolm in her mind and most unsettling, her eyes have changed to wolf ones. It is Malcolm, an eagle Amoveo who mentors her through this, a gentle lover who guides and earns her trust. Their new-found connection is threatened by a Caedo, part of a group of humans determined to destroy the Amoveo race.
The Amoveo left quite an impression. They are a complex group that I really enjoyed learning about. Where there is a lack of world-building, there is a lot of social-building. Sam is a hybrid, rare and the offspring of a wolf father and human mother. Essentially, she is the best of both worlds and because of this is very relatable. Malcolm has a bit of alpha in him. He can be overbearing at times, is overprotective, but he balances these with a tender and understanding side. This is important because Sam's last relationship was with a controlling man and the last thing she needs is to be controlled. The interesting characterization does make up for a less interesting setting as the story mainly takes place in Sam's neighbourhood with the occasional outings to the town. There is also the introduction of other Amoveos, who play small but important roles in the story, which hints at future stories. One of which I am hoping for is Dante and Kerry's story. This is one group of shapeshifters that I am looking forward to reading more about.
Source: I was fortunate enough to win this ARC copy from the author.