Thrown to the Wolves - The Legend of Hannah & Eli

Shapes of Autumn #0.5

by Veronica Blade

Thrown to the Wolves: The Legend of Hannah & Eli (Shapes of Autumn, prequel)

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: As with any Veronica Blade book, this is a ROMANCE NOVEL, meaning it's romance FIRST and everything else is secondary.

A young werewolf must fight for her life to gain freedom, but her triumph could mean losing her only chance at happiness.

Hannah, a seventeen-year-old werewolf, would rather be a peasant and free than dripping in jewels and wife to the tyrant werewolf king. Running from him will get her hunted, and most likely killed, yet she formulates a plan.

Sneaking around the castle, she encounters Eli, a handsome blond shape-shifter and slave to the king. Drawn to Eli as a fellow captive, she admires his courage and honor — qualities rarely seen amongst her own kind. With him, Hannah finds rare moments of joy in the place she's desperate to escape. Though she dreams of being with Eli forever, she knows he will never abandon his sister, another prisoner of the evil king.

Meeting in secret, Eli and Hannah's bond deepens as he trains her to protect herself. When she discovers the king’s scheme to murder her after their wedding, Hannah must choose between a short life and brief happiness with Eli or freedom and a future without him.

Genres: Paranormal, Werewolves, Romance, Young Adult

165 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2014

About the author

Brain candy. Cleansing your reading palate one book at a time.

Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and children. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.

Reviews

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Thrown To The Wolves!

Thrown to the Wolves is a historical romance about Hannah and Eli's story, who you learn about in Shapes of Autumn books 1 and 2.

I've never read a historical romance before so I didn't know what to expect but the book turned out to be amazing and better than I expected. When you read books 1 and 2 there are questions you want answered about stuff and things you are already assuming that you want confirmed, this books is the one that will give you your answers and background story you've been dying to know.

I love everything about this series. I can't wait for what's next in the Shapes of Autumn books! I want to read more!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED Hannah and Eli's story! It
fell together so perfectly. Even more excitingly, a lot of my suspicions were confirmed! Go me! :D

Even for the era it was set in, it still felt the same as the rest of the books in this series. Wasn't hard to follow and the dialogue was easy to understand :)

I can't wait to read more in this series. I want to know what happened to certain characters. Maybe we'll see some of them later? I can only hope!

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received this book through First Reads.*
When I found out how short this book was, I was like oh no. I don’t like short stories because well, they’re lacking a story.
Also these two don’t represent the characters at all. That girl does not have alabaster skin. And he doesn’t have blond hair. Also they both look modern, especially the girl. That is complete modern makeup. &it throws the whole book off.
Not to mention the title is misleading, along with a picture of two wolves. It makes it seem like Eli is a wolf. Who is the second wolf on the cover?
I instantly didn’t connect with her being a werewolf and needing to go outside and run. I’m not sure if it’s because this is a historical book, and I’ve never read about a werewolf set in those times. Or if its because I feel that the werewolf storyline doesn’t go along with her being betrothed to a king.
It starts out with her at dinner with her betrothed, and there’s literally no conversation. How is he? Is he nice, mean, cruel? Well we didn’t find out. Who in the world would skip over that? Then she goes on a random, quick run as a wolf. It was like BAM! The werewolf part just isn’t fitting here. Betrothal dinner. Run outside &turn into a wolf.
Then there’s a comment about this blond guy, and im like ooh, what was the first meeting like? It must have been something good if she’s thinking about him knowing she won’t be at the castle for long. But no, no. she just saw him. From a distance. For a few seconds. &he really stood out in your mind enough that you actually have to force yourself to stop thinking of him? Yeah, he’s handsome. Yeah, that’s bound to stand out in your mind. But it’s just trying to force a connection too soon. If you want a connection, actually build one. Don’t have a meeting of eyes across an extended space like it’s this big thing.
And another thing I didn’t get was how she sensed he wasn’t a werewolf, but that he wasn’t human. And then he’s a shapeshifter. Which implies he’s a wolf. Otherwise, what’s he turning into? How could you not explain that?!
I couldn’t believe when she talked telepathically with Eli. How can two different breeds do that?! I find it convenient that the King and Edward were ‘far enough away’ from them that they couldn’t sense them talking with their minds. They could have only been 10 feet away. I also find it highly convenient that they can’t sense each other through stone or wood.
I really don’t like reading a book where everyone can sense when you’re talking telepathically to someone, not to mention can sense you nearby and smell you!
I don’t like a character that’s slow on the uptake. I knew immediately that the rat in the cage was his sister, thanks to the back of the book telling us his sister was captive. But I definitely would have clued in while talking to Eli, but she doesn’t guess it until later.
There are some errors in here, words left out.
‘I had zero interest’ is incredibly modern.
If werewolves can’t reproduce, then how are their werewolves that aren’t turned? She grew up as a werewolf, and wasn’t turned into one.
the 'connection' they had and the talk of love so soon is something I just don't like and can't get into. I want authors to build a real connection before love is thrown out and all this deep, sappy declarations are made. they don't even know each other and yet are talking of forever and being together and not wanting to be apart. ugh.
it really surprised me, how someone whos never been in a battle, who only practiced a few nights with a sword would be so comfortable lobbing people's heads off. it was like whoa, where did that come from? that didn't fit in either!
also I don't like when books get repetitive and are anticlimactic. you knew she was going to see eli every.stinking.night and they would always break off after a short while, with nothing really happening. this book just leaves you wanting. you're not satisfied by anything. the characters, the plot, anything.
The book ended and I still didn’t know what the king looked like, what she looked like besides alabaster skin&dark hair, what his sister looked like. I don’t even remember her hair or eye color. She didn’t describe what anyone looked like. The guards. Mrs. Benton. I couldn’t get a clear picture of the scenes in the book either. The tunnel opening up to some sort of window…somewhere…what did the window look like? What did the area she jumped out at look like? This book wasn’t descriptive at all.
it's hard to really judge this because it was so short. the description had good elements: about to marry someone who's cruel, meet a handsome slave, he trains you, you escape. but the execution failed. there was no excitement, no depth. I found myself incredibly exhausted at the overdone and worn out storyline of her parents trading her to a cruel king for money, and he wanted her because she's pretty. and she wishes she looked plain. oh, poor you.
I just wish this had lived up to my expectations and had been everything I wanted it to be. there's nothing worse than a book having an interesting story line and it turns out to fall flat. I don't think any books besides a children's book should be this short.
also this book didn't say the time period, so I thought it was a modern book &was very surprised when it was in historical times. I've been wanting to read a paranormal historical romance novel for years, and I haven't seen it done but maybe a few times. &this wasn't one of those times. it didn't work out at all.
it also makes me want to check the number of pages in a book before I read one!
-this is one of those books, even after getting done with it, you're still thinking of something that didn't add up. like the king's mistress. whoever she was. she who will not be named, or given a face. we literally have no idea who she is. why couldn't he just marry her outright? why go through all the trouble of finding a bride, when hes ruled for centuries? why now? there are other ways to start wars with shapeshifters than to take a bride, kill her, then pin it on Eli. &what didn't add up was werewolves &shapeshifters living in the regular world with humans. do the humans have no idea? has anyone ever been discovered? seems to me that somewhere throughout time a human would find them out. but no. 'ol unsuspecting prince Edward just likes to drop in on them. how is it that the werewolf king has ruled for centuries? do the humans not notice this dude hasn't aged? does he change his name? has he ruled under the same name?
also it's very kind of 3rd rate evil character to have his beard define him as gross. oh, he's so evil, with that dirty beard! like really, that's all you could come up with to show he's repulsive. then he actually seems generally nice in the beginning, opening his bedroom door with a smile. and all of a sudden he turns into a lecher. wanting to sleep with her. if he was so attracted to her years before, then he would be trying that sooner. it literally came out of nowhere.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gave no indication that it took place in the 1300s. I thought it was a modern-day story, certainly not historical, especially in the Middle Ages. It implied that they were both werewolves but Eli is really a shape-shifter and just because they’re weaker than werewolves they’re treated badly… It was a weak threat. The evil king with a smelly beard who kept a mistress and wanted Hannah just so he could kill her and then blame it on Eli to start a war between werewolves and shape-shifters.
Hannah is somewhat of a strong heroine in the sense that she’s escaping and risking death rather than accept her fate. But a lot of the time it was waiting to do something. Her teacher told her she had to wait a couple weeks to learn the surroundings, then she’s waiting to practice and train with Eli, then she’s waiting for the king to leave, then she’s waiting for him to get farther away. She finally gets his sister out of the cage in the king’s room, after just putting it off and not thinking about it. I HATE the device author’s use in place of a plot, the waiting game. Just drag something out and then pass time until it comes to happen, instead of having a plot just put it off.

So then we’re forced to read Hannah playing cards with her teacher, dining with the king and training every night with Eli, a brief encounter that ends with one of them saying they have to go. It was very monotonous and it got old. I wished for something different to happen. Their relationship jumpstarted and suddenly she’s saying things like she couldn’t love anyone else now that she’d met him, and then up and says she loves him. Another bad device, bringing in love way too prematurely when the characters don’t even know each other. Rushed love is never the answer, it’s always unrealistic and annoying and makes you despise the character and their feelings that came out of nowhere. It really got dramatic too, them saying they’d risk a shorter life to be with each other. It was really laying it on thick and it’s cringe-worthy reading these heavy lines come from these two that are almost strangers.

The king comes back suddenly and unlocks her bedroom door, making advances, and so she stabs him and attempts to jump out the window but he catches her ankles. Suffice it to say the action scenes left a lot to be desired as well. She telepathically speaks to Eli from her bedroom, and I was surprised because I didn’t know you could talk to someone from that distance, but there were no rules so I didn’t have anything to go on. You can always tell when authors are just making it up as they along and sticking with whatever’s convenient to the story. When it could be sensed by the king and the prince in the smithy, she couldn’t speak telepathically. When she needed help she could speak to Eli from a great distance with the king right in the room with her. Okayy. Also, her clothes stayed with her when she shifted, and even the knife she had in her bodice. Cuz that makes sense. How on earth would a knife still be attached when you shifted to form a wolf, that couldn’t hold a knife anywhere?
Then werewolves just keep popping up and there’s swinging swords in an arc, and heads being lopped off. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, every attempt at an action scene that I have ever read leaves much to be desired. I’ve never seen a woman actually write out a swordfight or what have you in a good way. At a hotel where they’re resting, she wakes Eli and his sister up because there’s someone there, and they’re attacked. She notes that one werewolf is incapacitated but not dead. She goes to check Eli’s wounds, they pack up, and the werewolf stirs. Then she takes his head off. Okay. She already knew he wasn’t dead, already knew he was alive, so she takes a break and then only finishes him off when she sees him move. Why didn’t she just do that in the beginning? It’s things like this that made absolutely no sense at all.

Hannah quickly morphed into a feelings overload, where she’d let her little angsty feelings get in the way. She was cold to Eli in preparation of leaving him, so he gets mad it’s just all so very annoying. She’s so depressed at the thought of leaving him that she can’t speak. Pour on the drama. Girl can’t answer questions or speak, his sister actually cares for her, gives her food and water because she thinks she needs to heal, when quite to the contrary it’s not physical, just emotional. So Hannah came off really weak and helpless, what with asking them to take her to Moscow. Do something yourself. Just go off and leave then, to make the sacrifice and keep them safe. Then Eli just comes to the realization that she did it because she was afraid, not that she didn’t love him. So all is well.

The romance, such as it was, it definitely geared towards very young teenagers. There were a few mild touches and a kiss that had minimal description. It was more feelings than anything, so there’s not a whole lot of romance besides the great love that wouldn’t be denied despite 3 lives on the line because of it. Short novels just aren’t good, they’re over before they’ve started. You don’t have enough time to get to know the characters or their stories, because there is no character development or story to be had.

I read this book in less than 3 hours. I was lucky enough to win it in the Goodreads First Reads giveaway, and I’m glad that I entered. I don’t regret reading it and the author signed it which was really nice of her. I just wish it was more of a novel instead of a short story with very minimal plot, so I’m glad this book was free and I didn’t spend any money on it because it wouldn’t have been worth it.
The story was really underdeveloped. Throw in a beautiful girl that knows she’s beautiful and wishes to be plain like other girls so she won’t be forced to marry the king, and you’ve lost my sympathy. She keeps stating over and over that she won’t marry because she doesn’t love him, and maybe I was just sick and tired of that overdone storyline anyway, because I kind of felt like she was beating a dead horse. We get it, no one’s blaming you, just stop talking and actually do something.
There were so many questions and flags raised, but only a few answers that didn’t fully explain anything. I didn’t like how it suddenly cut off with no warning or resolution. We just knew they were going to Moscow and they’d be hunted, which sucked as a future.

It was very confusing figuring this series out because all of the covers look the same and I naturally figured their story would be continued in other novels, but upon further inspection I see this is how their story ended and it leaves much to be desired. On all the books it says the author puts romance first and everything else is second, like it's a good thing. I guess it's a warning now that I've read this. When you put romance first and everything else second you end up with a book with no plot, depth, substance, believability, or reality, which doesn't offer readers anything.

[Joseph Sciuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Blade's writing style is clear, lucid and crisp. If I did not know better, I would think she went to the school of Nancy Drew where I would recommend all aspiring readers and writers begin. The author immediately introduces us to all the main characters who are richly flushed out. The plot is easy to follow and quite captivating and interesting. There are werewolves and shape-shifters who naturally take human form and most of the action takes place in a palace. One could not help but think that the author is making a general statement about class distinctions and discrimination in the world of today. I originally got the book as a free download, but I liked it so much that I bought a paperback copy from Amazon. Very nicely done, Ms. Blade.

[Brei-ayn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read. Loved Thrown to the wolves. If you like historical/romances. you will love this book. Hannah is to marry the werewolf king but she is not happy nor wants to marry him. She meets a shape-shifter named Eli. With all the odds will they be able to escape and be free? you will have to read to find all that out. I can not wait for the next shapes of autumn book. Veronica Blade is an amazing talented author.

[Brie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads Contest.

I enjoyed the book but I had that feeling I always get when reading a short novella. I wanted more story! It was well paced and the characters were interesting but the short format made it seem a bit rushed. It was well done for a novella and the perfect quick read for traveling with a book at hand. It made me curious about the series this was the prequel to.

A solid 3 1/2 stars in my mind and I wish there had been more to the story.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sold off to the King, Hannah is determined to escape before the dreaded marriage. And I don't blame her one bit. I could picture the crusty, rotting food trapped in the Kings beard. Yuk.

Planning her escape Hannah is ever vigilant unable to trust anyone until she meets Eli, the Kings slave. Could he, would he help her?

I'm not particularly into werewolves but I liked it.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

17-year-old Hannah has been sold to the Werewolf King as his bride and her parents are reaping the bennies with no thought for their daughter. But she does not want to marry the ruthless, evil and stinky bastard, so she plans to run away before the month is up and she must marry him. Running away brings a sentence of death though. With some inside help she makes plans, but will she be able to get away from the closely guarded castle and stay alive?

This is an interesting paranormal historical romance. Hannah is a werewolf. She meets a slave, Eli, at the castle and he is a shapeshifter. In this story there appears to be humans, werewolves and shapeshifters who can shift into any animal, but are weaker physically and they smell different. Eli is stuck at the castle because the King is holding his sister as a hostage. She’s been trapped in a cage and Eli won’t take off without her. The King prizes Eli’s blacksmithing abilities and knows he has Eli right where he wants him as long as Isabella is alive.

Hannah wants to get the heck outta Dodge, but she needs a plan, food, weapons and a way out. Luckily, she gets a little help, but in the meantime she falls in love with Eli. Uh, oh. Can she just take off and leave him and his sister behind? What? I’m not telling what happens. It’s exciting though. :D

I must mention the formatting for my copy was a little eccentric. There was a tendency to leave out the letter ‘L’ in many words. Why pick on the poor ‘L’, I have no idea, but once I got used to it I didn’t have a problem letting my mind fill it in where it was missing. I’m unsure if this issue is in other copies, but I thought it was worth a mention. I actually didn’t take off any ‘points’ for it.

[iamjenai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah, a werewolf, had been sold by her father to the king so he can be elevated from being a pack leader to Baron. She knew her life would end in the castle once she became the king's wife. Few days before the wedding, he heard the king mention his plans to someone - to murder her right after the first night following their wedding. So she formulates an escape plan. . . and while doing castle tours, she met a very handsome shifter - Eli.

Eli is a shifter, a slave to the king. Although he knows his way around and outside the castle, he can't leave. . . not without his sister. . .

Wohoo! I soooo love this series! Thrown to the Wolves got new characters and settings, this is a well written prequel to the Autumn series. I usually don't like prequels, some I read in the past don't really add something important or of great significance to the story but this one is sooo gooood! Hannah & Eli's story happened in 1358, England. Yup - historical setting there, so excited to read this, love the distinct social and cultural setting, like this is another book series.

As for my theories from the first two books, some I believe were answered but it's funny because I got some more from this story LOL. Btw, I was the first blogger to have this book but I didn't want to post my review as I felt there is a need to read the first two books again. I'm officially addicted to this series!

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little romance novella about a reluctant werewolf bride, and the blond shapeshifter she falls for.

I loved Hannah's feistiness, and the author's world-setting - England in the vaguely Middle Ages, but with a secret world of werewolves and shapeshifters hiding in plain sight within it. I got a little irritated at the repetition of the "blond shapeshifter" phrase in the first couple of chapters, but shortly I was drawn into the story and his name (Eli) was revealed. Loved the spunk of Eli's sister, and I was on edge for the whole last half of the story, hoping Hannah would find a way to escape, but not sure how she would manage it. Fun and exciting read.

[Gabby-Lily Raines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read of Veronica Blade's works and I liked it. I liked the characters, the "obstacles", the budding (albeit forbidden) relationship between Hannah and Eli, and the beginning of the main series.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick paranormal read. I enjoyed it.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great prequel, definitely interested in reading the series now.

Well written, great story and awesome characters. This is a winner.

[Jdm74aol.com]

Really good

I was thrilled to read their story. I'm not sure I understand why epilogue was not included. It set things up, but would've liked more.