The main thing I enjoyed about “Breeds” is Keith Blackmore’s muscular writing style. He gets you up close and personal to the action. You feel fully present even when things get bloody, which they often do. Yet there’s nothing gratuitous or exploitative here. There’s just a situation that has consequences and things that have to get done.

The situation is set up to be tense and tightly focused. An old, disillusioned werewolf, living on a remote Newfoundland island, goes rogue and starts to draw attention to himself. He knows this will bring the wrath of the werewolf Wardens on him and prepares a surprise for them that threatens everyone on the island.

The story is told from multiple points of view: the rogue werewolf, one of the wardens sent to put him down, an islander caught up in the action and even the unwilling participants in the rogue’s surprise. The story takes place mostly within a single day and night in the midst of fierce snowstorm.

Blackmore summons up the sense of isolation and vulnerability of the inhabitants of the Newfoundland island and uses it to raise tension without making the islanders seem weak or stupid.

Although there is action on almost every page and a blockbuster/video game scale body-count, Blackmore manages to generate some empathy for everybody involved from rogue, through warden and predators to prey.

I found myself being swept along by the powerful narrative thrust of the tale and enjoying myself much more than I thought I would.

This is great entertainment for blowing cobwebs away. I’ve already ordered the next book in the series, even though it’s called “Breeds 2” – I wonder how long it took to arrive at that title? ( )

Breeds by Keith C. Blackboard and narrated by Sean Runnette is a real werewolf book! There is no fluffy romance but true gritty horror of gore, action, and savagery! This is not a real unique twist to the were genre that I found appealing too. A very fresh look at an old subject! Loved how the author developed the world and characters, even the animals.
The narration was perfect for this story! ( )

My original Breeds audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

If you love werewolf books, this is one you cannot pass up! Set in a small, isolated town of Amherst Cove in Newfoundland the Warden, Borland is meddling dangerously with mother nature – he is creating a unique werewolf breed that will destroy everyone and everything. Disillusioned with the hierarchy and rules of the werewolf world, Borland begins breeding a stronger, more deadly werewolf out of revenge.

Werewolves and Wardens, Kirk and Ross must enter Amherst and destroy Borland, a warden who doesn’t follow the rules. Little did they know what Borland had done – with the help of a human, Ross and Kirk move to destroy Borland’s breeding successes and hide everything from the outside world.

What happens next is horrifying and goes against nature. How many will survive the night? And if Ross and Kirk manage to save the small cove, what happens next? If they survive will they be able to retire with their scars and wounds or will they face the same type of fate as Borland? Borland warned them - and now they are wondering what if!?!

Action packed and riveting, Keith Blackmore weaves a story that takes the listener deeper into the werewolf world than any other author. Masterfully weaving horror, he is reminiscent of other horror writers who have captivated readers with everyday occurrences and objects. Blackmore, however, is much more intense, his monsters are more deadly and provides a unique take on the werewolf tale. Blackmore has strong writing skills, moving the story at a steady pace building his characters thoroughly and providing twists that will leave the listener shaking their head in shock.

Sean Runnette does an excellent reading of Blackmore’s Breeds, Book 1. His ability to step into the book and inject the emotion, danger and fear is amazing. His pitch is perfect and he has a skill that projects the right amount of cynical and sarcastic tones. Runnette’s voice is sure, confident and calming. I could listen to him for hours.

This is truly an excellent book if you enjoy werewolves, horror and action. It is truly unique!

There were no issues with production, everything was clear and concise. No background issues.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR. ( )

Absolutely amazing!!! The most original werewolf book I have ever read. Full review to follow.

Updated Review:
BREEDS is a really tough book to write about with no spoilers! This was also one of those books: at times I found myself unable to put it down. At several points I was sobbing. I have been hesitant to start reading another book because thoughts about this one keep popping into my head. In short, this book was pretty amazing.

When you open the book, the first thing you see is a warning from the author that if you are a dog lover, do not read the book. I am an animal lover, but I decided to ignore the warning. And actually, I was glad that I did because what I expected to happen when I saw that warning was not what the book was about at all. I really would have hated to have missed this story because of what might have been.

I love stories that surprise me, and this one did! This is not your typical werewolf story that starts off with the protagonist camping out in the woods, gets bitten by a wolf and things get crazy from there. This is one of the most original werewolf stories I have ever read, totally unique. I would rate this one right up there with Stephen King’s Silver Bullet and Whitney Strieber’s The Wolven.

Inherent in the werewolf genre is the exploration of man’s animal nature and the conflict between the higher and lower selves. Keith Blackmore’s approach to this is both unique and multi-faceted. It is not as simple as just tossing around some anthropomorphic themes. This book forces us to look at questions of identity and community, and challenges assumptions about fitting in. It makes us ask which part of ourselves is the animal and which part the human…. and I am still not sure how I feel about the answer.

And, just for the record, I really would like to see a sequel to this. There is a some great back story here that would lend itself to more exploration. I’d love to hear more from and about some of the characters in this book. And filmmakers, if you are listening, this would make a GREAT movie!

Disclosure: A copy of this book was given to me by the author with no expectation of a review. ( )

Absolutely amazing!!! The most original werewolf book I have ever read. Full review to follow.

Updated Review:
BREEDS is a really tough book to write about with no spoilers! This was also one of those books: at times I found myself unable to put it down. At several points I was sobbing. I have been hesitant to start reading another book because thoughts about this one keep popping into my head. In short, this book was pretty amazing.

When you open the book, the first thing you see is a warning from the author that if you are a dog lover, do not read the book. I am an animal lover, but I decided to ignore the warning. And actually, I was glad that I did because what I expected to happen when I saw that warning was not what the book was about at all. I really would have hated to have missed this story because of what might have been.

I love stories that surprise me, and this one did! This is not your typical werewolf story that starts off with the protagonist camping out in the woods, gets bitten by a wolf and things get crazy from there. This is one of the most original werewolf stories I have ever read, totally unique. I would rate this one right up there with Stephen King’s Silver Bullet and Whitney Strieber’s The Wolven.

Inherent in the werewolf genre is the exploration of man’s animal nature and the conflict between the higher and lower selves. Keith Blackmore’s approach to this is both unique and multi-faceted. It is not as simple as just tossing around some anthropomorphic themes. This book forces us to look at questions of identity and community, and challenges assumptions about fitting in. It makes us ask which part of ourselves is the animal and which part the human…. and I am still not sure how I feel about the answer.

And, just for the record, I really would like to see a sequel to this. There is a some great back story here that would lend itself to more exploration. I’d love to hear more from and about some of the characters in this book. And filmmakers, if you are listening, this would make a GREAT movie!

Disclosure: A copy of this book was given to me by the author with no expectation of a review. ( )