Blog Tour Review: Claws and Effect – Amanda Arista

Claws and Effect by Amanda Arista
Series:  Diaries of an Urban Panther #2
Release Date:  December 27, 2011
Publisher:   Avon Impulse
Page Count:  
Source:  Goddess Fish Promotions
Buy the book at: Amazon 

Violet Jordan Rule #2 of being a superhero: Find reliable sidekicks
Dear Diary,
Once I took down Haverty, the Primo of the city, I thought life was going to get better. After four assassination attempts, I’m thinking not so much. Haverty’s pack needs a new leader and I’ve just about run out of reasons why I’m not right for the job. Besides, having loyal followers would definitely help me fight off whoever’s out for my blood. Especially since my boyfriend is always busy playing White Hat to every wanderer except me. It’s nice that he thinks I’m tough enough to handle my own business, but a little extra back up would be nice.
So now I just need to figure out how to mentor new shifters, run a pack, keep my “real” job, and have some sort of personal life. I guess it’s all in a day’s work for this horror movie writer-turned-shapeshifting panther.

Dear reviewer,
Please be sure to read book 1 in the series before delving into book 2.

This was a very entertaining, fast paced read that, once I got passed the fact that I was missing certain pieces of the story from not reading the first book, had me flipping pages furiously to see what happened next.

Violet Jordan finds herself having to outwit would be assassins around every corner, train a “new” panther on what to expect from the next couple of months, figure out what to do with the pack of dogs that are turning to her for help, get her movie script edits turned in on time and find some time with her knight in shining armor, Chaz when he’s not out saving everyone else.  Needless to say, a lot happens in this story and to dear Violet.  But Violet is make of some pretty strong stuff and no matter what is thrown at her, she seems to be able to handle it like it’s nobody’s business.

What was most intriguing to me was Violet’s interaction with the dogs:  Tucker, Tyler, Nash and Shadow.  Not knowing completely what happened in the first story, I’ve figured out they were not the nicest bunch of men/dogs and Violet had every right to hate them.  But instead, she saw how lost these men were without their pack leader and put her personally feelings aside to help them.  What she did gave the men confidence and pride and all of them (including Violet) a sense of family that was missing with them before.

The ending to the story kind of threw me, because I was expecting some kind of resolution to the Causes attempt to manipulate Violet into doing what they wanted.  Instead, it seems we need to wait for Book 3 to see what the outcome of Violet’s interaction with the Cause.  I almost feel that the sub-plot involving Spencer in the Veil will play into whatever is going on with the Cause, but that is something we’ll have to wait to see what happens.

If you enjoy your shifter storylines with intrigue and some levity, this one is definitely a book you should grab.