Rating: 3.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
When McKenna Fuller is banished from his isolated Appalachian wolf pack, it’s expected he will die. After all, everyone knows that omegas are weak and can’t survive on their own. But Mac defies all the odds and not only survives, but thrives. For more than a decade, he lives among humans and acquires the wealth and respect so long denied him by his pack. When Mac decides to return home, he’s once again relegated to the status of a lowly omega. But now an Alpha has taken notice.
Blue Standish knew Mac Fuller was banished because of a lie. But he was too young and foolish to stand up and protect the omega like he should have. Now Mac is back home and is making plenty of waves. Blue is determined things will be different this time. He knows things in the pack are wrong and that omegas are being abused due to twisted traditions and poor leadership. Mac can change all that and, as an alpha, Blue decides to stand by Mac’s side. It means challenging decades of outdated traditions, but together Mac and Blue might be able to save the pack from themselves.
Heart of Silver is one of those books that sort of splits itself down the middle in terms of the good and the bad. There’s quite a lot to enjoy, but there are several issues that tripped up the story more than once.
Blue and Mac are the book’s strong points. They’re fairly well developed and work well as a couple. Their relationship is based more on physical attraction than anything else, but it reads as believable as they move forward. Mac is the stronger of the two characters in terms of definition, but I never felt Blue was lacking. Theirs is somewhat of a role reversal when it comes to alpha/omega pairings and, while it’s occasionally uneven, the overall romance was enjoyable.
The one thing the book never explained really well was why Mac came back to the pack. In his other life, he has plenty of money, a decent job, and everything he lacked in his youth. In theory, he comes back to show off, but that doesn’t explain why he stays. It’s an action that never feels in line with what we know about his character and the plot struggles as a result, because so much hinges on this particular decision.
The antagonists are pretty weak in Heart of Silver. They read as cartoonish and never offer much of a believable threat. Given this, and Mac’s odd decision to return to the pack, the overall story in Heart of Silver doesn’t always work. It isn’t without some foundation, but it never reads as realistic as it could have. It’s clear that other packs aren’t run the same way and yet this tiny community is completely under the thumb of a series of increasingly weak leaders. It doesn’t make much sense and Mac’s decision to challenge the status quo actually feels belated. The book is still enjoyable, but it lacked the real gravity and measured attention that might have elevated it above the ordinary.
Heart of Silver offers up an interesting alpha/omega couple that flip traditional roles as they try to save a small, failing pack. The plot isn’t always as thorough or supportive as it needs to be, but Blue and Mac are strong characters and they make the journey an overall enjoyable one. If you like alpha/omega romances, you’ll probably enjoy Heart of Silver.
