Derik's Bane by MaryJanice Davidson

Derik's Bane is by MaryJanice Davidson, whom you might remember from the Dead and Unwed and Dead and Unemployed books. Those books where really, really funny. Derik's Bane is funny as well but not everything I wanted it to be.

Derik is a member of the Wyndham werewolf pack and just recently turned alpha. In this reality, packs can only have one alpha at a time. Sometimes, a wolf will turn alpha for no apparent reason. This will lead to either the wolf leaving the pack or a fight to the death for dominance. Michael, the current alpha, is Derik's oldest friend and understandably Derik doesn't want to kill him. In comes the pack's seer. She gets a vision that the world is going to end in a week if Derik doesn't get out there and do something about it. He has to go to California to meet up with Dr. Sara Gunn (PhD in Nursing) because she is the reincarnation of sorceress Morgan Le Fay and the reason behind the earth's destruction. They meet up and go on a road trip to save humanity. Not surprisingly, love is found on the way.

I had some problems with the book. The chapters were too bloody short. A book that is only 298 pages shouldn't be broken up into over 30 chapters. You know, you can combine parts, especially if all the author is doing is jumping to another character's point of view of the same scene. A good way to do this is just leave a couple of blank lines and then have at it. I find it a little jarring always starting a new chapter, especially a book I finished in one night.

Another problem is that all the characters are bloody beautiful and of course, they don't know it. You know, this really gives the beautiful people a bad reputation for being dumb. At least write characters with some self-awareness. Otherwise, it starts to reek of a Danielle Steele heroine.

One last problem and I promise this is the last one I will bitch about tonight. I found that it was all surface and no depth. But then, I'm not sure if that is really a problem of the book or not. Part of the problem is that after reading the last HP novel, which has 6 books worth of depth, it is hard for any other book to compete. The deal is, MaryJanice has created a really cool werewolf world but we don't get to experience. I want to really get into it and feel like I'm a fly on the wall, experiencing their customs, getting to know what it is that makes this pack tick. We don't really get to see as much as I wanted and that left me feeling a little frustrated (and not in a good way ...)

MaryJanice writes great dialogue but it could have used little more angst. It is a good summer read, light, fluffy, sexy, funny, etc. Just don't go into it thinking you will get any more than that.