Forget everything you know about werewolves because Rachel Hawthorne portrays them so much better than Hollywood. In Moonlight, the debut novel in the Dark Guardians series, werewolves are certainly not the out of control, hairy monsters of movies and stories past. In fact, the term werewolf has a negative connotation pointed out in Moonlight, and werewolves are actually characterized as shape shifters sworn to protect their land and their families, or packs. Not to mention the beauty and gracefulness of their movements and nobility of their characters. Hawthorne, who portrays shape shifters similarly to Stephenie Meyer’s beloved Jacob Black, has certainly made me a fan of these brave and heroic protectors.
Moonlight is the story of Kayla, a seventeen-year-old teen who becomes a wilderness guide to face her fear of the forest, where her parents were killed years before. She, along with her sherpa friends, is responsible for leading a scientific study group (that is studying werewolf legends) into the wilderness. While isolated in the wilderness for an entire summer, Kayla finds herself hopelessly and helplessly attracted to the mysterious and quiet Lucas, a fellow sherpa and wilderness expert. At the same time, however, Kayla is also drawn to the less complicated Mason, who is guaranteed not to break her heart. In Kayla’s world, to love is to lose, so her feelings for Lucas pose an eminent threat.
However, as the secrets of the group unfolds, Kayla finds herself in a compromising situation that leads her straight into the arms of the shape-shifting Lucas. But what Kayla discovers about herself is far more earth-shattering than discovering that werewolves exist.
I highly recommend Moonlight to readers of all ages. Kayla and Lucas–along with fellow sherpas Connor, Lyndsey, Brittany, and Rafe–are all courageous, strong, loyal, and most of all, human. Moreover, the tension between Lucas and Kayla left my heart racing in several places, leaving me with no doubt they truly belong together. Two more books in this series are due to debut in the next few months: Full Moon on June 30 and Dark of the Moon on August 25. I am excited to continue reading this new series and cannot wait for the release of the next two books.
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