9 Quills for Jaguar Moon on Novelspot

Posted by Morgan Wyatt at Novelspot:

“A good man is hard to find” is a phrase often quoted by females on the prowl. A really good man is even harder to find when you’re not totally human. Perhaps when the moon is full and the breeze is right, you turn into an animal—not the party kind. The chances of picking up a shape-shifter at the local sports bar are remote. So how does a half jaguar, half-leopard, 100% female meet an appropriate mate? Author Teri Adkins answers that question in her new book, Jaguar Moon.

Miakoda appears to be a beautiful woman with her golden skin and ebony curls. Aware of her ability to shift shape into a leguar, she decides to devote herself to saving the vanishing jaguar in an animal preserve in Belize. As a trained, compassionate healer, she is making strides in rescuing the jaguar—though not as much as she would like. Living among the animals only seems to highlight her sense of aloneness. Everyone seems to have a mate, except her. Her loneliness makes her vulnerable to the appearance of a mysterious leguar in her preserve.

Devante, prince of the jaguars, watches his chosen queen approach the rogue leguar. Ethan, his friend and fellow shape shifter, brought him news of the exotic female shape shifter. It doesn’t take more than a second for Devante to realize he is looking at his mate, especially since he has already seen her in his mind. It is time for him to choose a mate, a queen, to help lead the jaguar people. Unfortunately, his chosen mate is circling an angry leguar intent on attack. Ethan and Devante watch the graceful battle, looking for an opening. When the rogue leguar strikes his queen, Devante’s only goal is to wipe out the creature that would dare attack Miakoda. His prey escapes when the rogue leguar turns into a bird and flies away. What type of creature could it be? All the shape shifters he is familiar with change into only one creature.

As soon as Miakoda is scented, all thoughts of the rogue leguar disappear. His new mission is to mate with Miakoda and make her his queen. It should be a simple thing since jaguars are known for their sensuality. A powerful jaguar in the leguar’s clinic is unusual, but when Devante reveals his muscular, sun-kissed blonde, nude form, Miakoda is surprised, and pleasantly so. Controlled by her human side, she doesn’t fall into the prince’s arms as he hopes. Devante’s life is suddenly complicated by a courting dance, a rogue shape shifter who may not be what he seems, and then there’s the council—who believes Miakoda is the traditional sacrifice to insure the continuation of the tribe.

The characters in Jaguar Moon are no cardboard cutouts. Being fully human and fully animal with a range of instincts and feelings for both sides—is much more than simply being well rounded. It is intriguing how Devante, Miakoda, and Ethan transition seamlessly from human to animal form. Devante combines the right amount of confidence and dominance as jaguar and prince. Miakoda is the quintessential strong, independent woman. Ethan is fully fleshed out as the loyal, intelligent friend. They are all very sympathetic characters.

Jaguar Moon is exactly what a book should be: a pleasure to read. It is not the same old boy meets girl story. Far from it. When you feel like taking a walk on the wild side, reach for Teri Adkins’ Jaguar Moon. You won’t be disappointed!

Reviewed by Morgan Wyatt© September 2006
Check out the review for Jaguar Moon here.

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Jaguar Moon - New Review from Romance Reviews Today

Devante is the prince of his people, the Jaguar, a race of shape shifters descended from ancient Mayans. The Jaguar king and queen are dead, and it’s time for him to take his throne. To do that, he needs to join his Jaguar Sun line with the line of the Jaguar Moon, the only problem is that Miakoda is the last woman remaining of that line and she’s a hybrid, a forbidden blend of Jaguar and Leopard. His father personally cast out Miakoda and her parents, and she’s highly unlikely to forgive the slur. Devante has been planning to give her time to settle into the Wildlife Sanctuary and then he will reveal himself to her and ask her to be his mate. But time has run out; his visions show Miakoda’s death, and Devante can no longer wait to claim his Queen.

Miakoda is lonely; since her parents' deaths there has been no one to talk to, no one whom she can share her true self with. Because she's a Leguar, none of the Nahual, the shape shifter races, are willing to associate with her. The king of the Jaguar made that quite clear; she can still remember her mother’s despair when the Nahual Council turned her family away. Convincing herself that she doesn’t yearn for their acceptance and company is, even now, difficult at times. After Devante saves her from a shifter attack, Miakoda is both grateful and annoyed. How dare he interfere in her life?

Devante reveals to Miakoda that her parents were not a love match. During the Great War between the shifters and the vampires, Sinock, a breeder, assured the Nahual council that hybrids would be stronger and better able to defeat the vampires. The council voted to allow the inter-breeding, and the results weren’t what Sinock promised. Many of the hybrids were deformed or became psychotic, the perils of mixing basic natures that don’t agree. For example, a lion who needs a pride, and a tiger who prefers to be solitary. Sinock was banned and took his revenge by kidnapping Miakoda’s parents, the heirs to their respective thrones, and forcing them to breed. They weren’t the love match Miakoda believed they were. Fast forward to today, hybrids are disappearing and going rogue at alarming rates. The council has made the decision to bring the hybrids back into the Nahual fold, and they need a representative; who better than a queen who is, herself, a hybrid?

In SCENT OF A MATE, we are introduced to the Nahual, a fascinating people: wolves and jaguar, bear and leopard, many races with differing perspectives on life. Devante understands his obligation; he must represent the Jaguar on the council, and if that means mating with a hybrid, so be it. Once he meets Miakoda, he realizes that it isn’t such a bad thing to mate with her. She’s brave and loyal, strong and sexy, a mate to be treasured, not tolerated. Miakoda can’t stand the thought that her parents were denied their rightful places in life because of her. Hearing about their history only makes her hate the council more than she already does, but she also feels the pull to help the hybrids. How can she resist the urge to help those who are like her? Being the queen of the Jaguar is not a position she yearns for, but if it will help her people, it must be done. Time spent with Devante reveals his noble and caring personality; perhaps being mated to the sexy Jaguar won’t be something she does just to help her fellow hybrids.

Secondary characters are many, and I look forward to reading more about them in future Jaguar Moon books. Ethan is Devante’s friend and fellow Jaguar. Manus, king of the Leopards and Mia’s uncle, makes it clear that Mia is under his protection. Biorn, Ulfric, and other members of the council offer their opinions even when they’re not requested. Many other members of the Jaguar clan, as well as several hybrids, add to this wonderful story.

SCENT OF A MATE has all the requisites of a truly superior book: danger and romance, a tightly written storyline, and characters who all are unique and interesting in their own right, as well as realistic dialogue and a setting that is both unusual and well described. Don’t miss the first in the Jaguar Moon series, a true keeper. SCENT OF A MATE deserves a place in your library.
Romance Reviews Today
Lori Ann