Wolves vs. Hearts

4.5

I'm tired. Drained. Emotionally sucker-punched. I feel good about it and I'll be going back for thirds.

There are a slew of reviews that have already said everything there is to say about this series and this particular chapter of it and done it very well so I'll just jot down some thoughts for myself.

Like the previous installment this volume is loooong so buckle up. I imagine part of the reason is that the story was/is originally on AO3 and meant to be read as weekly(?) installments. On the upside regardless of the the publication schedule there is very little to no recapping of what came before for the benefit of the reader who might've just been dropping in. Brava Anna!

Though the length can be daunting for those who don't crave Big Books (not me) the cumulative time spent in Ryan's head (the story is narrated from his POV), privy to his thoughts about ... everything, his evolving love for Brendon, his coming to terms with himself as a bisexual man is quite an experience. We the readers are meant to identify or at least empathize with a guy who embodies most of the stereotypical cliches of rock stars - screwed up childhood, talent, egotism, drug use etc. -and this one, Ryan Ross, is also the snake in the garden luring his former lover with promises and scorching sex. He succeeds to a point and the author succeeded with me swaying my allegiance to Ryan. The other man.

I'll be going on to volume 3 hoping that the author delivers on promise brilliantly laid out in the first two parts of this story. It feels epic.

After all my praise and clear admiration for this series you might wonder why not 5 stars? Because I'm perplexed as to why all of the characters are named after members of Panic! at the Disco and others of their milieu including the main MC. It brings nothing to the story which is set in the 1970's and is best informed by the mores and historical detail of that era. Creditably so. Keeping the names keeps the story in the realm of fan fiction which is off putting to many, particularly when real (live) people, addressed by their real names & lore surrounding them is used for fiction. That's regrettable. The writing and story deserve better.