Rating: 4.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Tobias Rogan won his challenge for the role of Anax, leader of all werewolves in the United States, just two weeks ago. But that has been plenty of time for him to realize two things. One: there are many wolves under his rule that would like nothing more than to see him removed from power; and two: the responsibilities of being Anax are taking a significant toll on his relationship with his mate and lover, Kyle Slidell. Now Tobias is getting death threats and it just further convinces him that the only way to have peace and to reconnect with Kyle is to address his predecessor’s warmongering behavior.
The chance to do that comes far sooner than Tobias ever imagined when he gets a surprise call from a wolf named Quinn. Quinn was recently turned and is the newest member of the Prairie pack, though he gets rejected for a variety of reasons. No sooner does Tobias begin to investigate what happened to Quinn than he uncovers a deeper plot that seems designed to embroil several U.S. packs against several Canadian packs–all likely orchestrated by Tobais’ predecessor. Tobias may never learn what the previous Anax was angling for–control of two countries’ wolves or something more sinister–but he is willing to work with Silas Craighton, the Canadian Anax, to set things to rights.
At Silas’ invitation, Tobias plans to meet with the Canadian Anax after visiting a few packs along the way, including his old pack in Boston. The reunions are bittersweet. For Tobais, they represent the only time in his life he can recall ever feeling truly safe, if not unanimously loved by the generally homophobic werewolf culture. Being back in Boston also reveals some growing pains in Tobias and Kyle’s relationship. Yet being on familiar ground allows the two a greatly needed reprieve. They begin to reconnect and plan for a future they can both live with. The humble contentment is short lived, however. Soon after Tobias, Kyle, and Quinn cross the Canadian border, it becomes all too clear that whatever machinations the previous U.S. Anax put into motion will not be ending any time soon.
Take Some Tahini is the sixth book in Karenna Colcroft’s Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat series. The action picks up about two weeks after Tobias challenged and won the role of Anax, the wolf who is the leader of all werewolves within the United States. The homophobia in the world of werewolves is front and center, rearing its ugly head in major and minor ways. One way this zings across the page is reflected in how Kyle choses to cope with the blatant homophobia and the toll his need to protect himself from it takes on his relationship with Tobias. Kyle knows Tobias is the best choice for Anax, though. He wants his lover to serve the werewolf community, if only because Tobias is–as is increasingly apparent–one of the few wolves willing to stand up for what’s right for all wolves, regardless of gender or sexuality or anything else. Yet Kyle struggles to know how to be a mate to someone whose time is constantly in demand, a mate who may hold Kyle as more important than his role as Anax, but who is forced to act for the good of the pack lest others suffer as Kyle and Tobias have. Needless to say, this leads our main couple to some hard truths. But Tobias and Kyle never give up on each other and, despite the harrowing events that unfold in the story, they are able to establish a sense of equilibrium with their bond.
Quinn is a delightful new character. I was half wary of him and the puppy-love kind of attachment he almost immediately feels towards Tobias. Rather than turning into a trope where Quinn secretly plots to steal Tobias away or deepens the rift between Tobias and Kyle, he is a net positive for the dynamic duo. Tobias is instrumental in getting Quinn to begin processing the trauma around being sexually assaulted and importantly serves as a wolf who actually actively likes Kyle. Still, it doesn’t take long for Quinn to get stars in his eyes for Tobias as soon as it’s clear that Tobias means to hold the werewolves responsible for Quinn’s assault accountable. As far as story development goes, I loved how Quinn is the fulcrum between the U.S. and Canadian packs. This gives a clear idea of where future stories could go. At the same time, Quinn helps build on the personal relationships in the book, even if he starts off by muddying the waters a little bit.
Even as things heat up for the international werewolf world, the story has a strong sense of coming full circle. So far, Tobias has been advancing through the werewolf ranks, first as a pack Alpha, then as a regional Arkhon, now as the national Anax. But instead of pushing through, Tobias and Kyle’s relationship drives them to evaluate their position in life. The trip back to Boston is comforting to the couple and finally offers them a way forward without Tobias or Kyle feeling like they’re being alienated or alienating the other. Going to Canada, despite the two close calls Tobias encounters, gives him and Kyle a chance to really reconnect physically and emotionally, to finally talk to each other about their wants and needs. It’s not all roses and rainbows, but they seem to finally get on the same page about their feelings. (Note: they’ve long been candid about being each other’s mate, loving one another, and being in it for the long haul…but now they finally seem to agree on how to make that happen without inadvertently hurting each other).
Take Some Tahini is an excellent addition to the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat series. I love how the world continues to expand, how Tobias and Kyle continue to love each other despite the odds, and how this specific book offers glimmers of hope for their future… all while setting the stage for much bigger battles. I am chuffed to bits knowing that there will be at least one more book in this series, but in the interim, I could not have hoped for a better happy-for-now ending for this couple.
