Caged Wolf: Alternate Cover (Darkmore Penitentiary) Paperback – April 30, 2023

I read Ruthless Boys and alll the Zodiac Acedemy and let me say the Twisted Sisters didn’t disappoint. Great to meet up with characters from the previous books and read their story. This book has it all. A must read. On to book 2. Oh did I mention the spice… hot

*Really, I'd put this at 4.5 stars*The reason for the half star off is that I felt like I might be a bit confused in the beginning if I hadn't read at least one of the authors' other series related this world and style of classifying supernaturals- Order/Element and the connection to the zodiac signs. Now, that doesn't mean that the authors don't try to recap/educate readers who may be new to their books, but I think some of that went by a little fast or happened in the rapid-fire of scenes that were moving so tasty and action-packed that it might not have gotten the depth/focus that those points deserved. Now, aside from that, I loved the book, so let's talk about that instead.Darkmore has so many of the things that I want in my RH books:-a STRONG FMC who can't just play or keep up with the boys but actually OUTplay and OUTwit them-men whose voices are varied and stand on their own; there's no danger of getting confused as whose eyes you're looking through no matter how many times the perspective changes-a plot that keeps moving with no spots where I lagged or was tempted to skip-creative twists on the super and worldRosalie is a female alpha with no apologetic instinct. She's undeniably and unregrettably herself which I always find refreshing in the sea of RH books where the leading lady is a damsel. Now, I don't want that to mean that she's coming off as a b***h. We see her getting vulnerable in Darkmore, we see her devotion for her family and the feelings that she hides from her pack, and we see genuine kindnesses and desires that the rest of us have- to be loved, for someone to be proud of us, to succeed, to survive. That, to me, is really important because it's showing that Rosalie isn't just one trope, one facet. So, much applause here, ladies and gentlemen.The men are all alphas- so, alpha-hole lovers, you are in for the very definition of Why Choose. Rosalie is only interested when faced with an alpha who can match her own strength, so there's no danger of her bringing a beta into her harem.That being said, there's also this delicious will they/won't they aspect to Rosalie's harem. Each of the men comes with some complications whether from the outside world or of their own making, so we definitely don't have fully concrete, settled relationships in book one. On the bright side, these men are NOT boring, and there's still some steam (because we know that's what the thirsty girls want to know).We have Roary, Cain (Mason), Sin, and Ethan. Now, out of the three, Roary is definitely the most dependable but also the most infuriating. He's easy to like, but he's also the one creating his own distance from Rosalie, so there are times you'll want to just tug his lion mane and make him see some common sense. But he's also delightfully fun, and he brings out a different side of her because he and Rosalie have a history that she doesn't have with the others. Cain, I think, is one that readers will love to hate though there are some little peeks beneath the surface that I think will win readers over. He's one of the guards, real hardcore, and he's a vamp who loves the hunt. So there's this antagonism between him and Rosalie where sometimes it becomes hard to see what they may really feel about each other in the moment, but really, from the moment Rosalie decided she needed him, Cain was a goner.Sin and Ethan are two other prisoners, and they're an interesting mix. Ethan is also a pretty stable guy, but there's a starcrossed lovers element (with a lot more blood and anger) because he and Rosalie come from different gangs. So, despite the bond that he feels with Rosalie, there are some bumps from the outside world that leak into their relationship in prison. Finally, Sin: the whole reason that she's at Darkmore. Sin is delicious- I mean, he's an incubus, so that's an inherent need. He's also on the questionable line between sane and a bit crazy, which I'm okay with. It adds a little more...fun to this dark place.Final thoughts:Overall, I really loved Darkmore. I love the way that Peckham & Valenti bring different layers into their supes with taking "creatures" and adding the aspect of one or two powers and bringing in the influence of zodiac/horoscope/fate. They've created something special with this, and I love diving back into that world.If you've read the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series, you'll also be taunted and teased because we hear about some of those characters (two of our narrators are related to two of them), but Peckham & Valenti are very good (or very mean) at giving tiny tastes that we need to not downplay or ignore Rosalie and Roary's connections to the Ruthless Boys without giving away real spoilers for the other series.Also, it does NOT read like what many of you would consider YA. There is steam, there is blood, and there is a fair amount of daredevil crazy, so don't let that category fool you into clicking away from Darkmore.

Absolutely fantastic.I listened on audio book.I love all the throw-backs to 'Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac' and 'Zodiac Academy' *kicking my feet!*Rosalie is so amazing. All the characters are unique, and have great back stories.

5⭐️ 4🌶️An enjoyable first book in the Darkmore Penitentiary series set in Solaria (The same world as Zodiac Academy). Rosalie was an character that was already well developed in the Zodiac Academy series, and the Twisted Sisters did a awesome job at developing her character further as she moved from being the child/ teenager she was in ZA to the young women she is in DP. The four MMC are unique and have their own traits that work well together and add a layer of complexity to the story. I especially enjoyed learning more about Roary and Ethan and seeing how both of them have developed since the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series which both were supporting characters in. Sin add a layer of craziness, while Cain rounds out the group with his grumpy sunshine and battle between his feelings for Rosalie and his commitment to his job as a guard.I also found it interesting to learn more about Darkmore Penitentiary which I first started to learn about in ZA due to Orion’s incarceration. ZA helped to set up the structure life within Darkmore but this book really brought the place to life.I also listened to the audiobook as well as reading along on my kindle and I highly recommend the audiobook version. The narrators are extremely talented and really brought the characters to life.

If you’ve read Zodiac Academy or Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, you may already know my main babe Rosalie. She’s all grown up and just as fierce and sassy as you remember, maybe even more so. Her bravery and cockiness know no bounds as she comes up with a scheme to get herself purposely taken to Darkmore Penitentiary in order to break out certain inmates.Ethan, Roary, Sin and Cain are just delicious. Props to Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti for creating four very different men, all of them with depth and character growth. These aren’t dudes who just immediately fall in love with the main female character like you see in so many other books. They have backstories and motives, different enough personalities and voices so that you never forget which one is which. All of them drool worthy alpha males. They’ve got their hands full with Rosalie, who is 100% alpha herself.Not into prison settings? I was hesitant at first too but hear me out on it for a moment. Even in a prison setting the authors do a fantastic job of world building. It is clear a lot of thought went into the prison set up and how magic and shape shifting Fae are kept in line. Plus there’s a whole mystery of what goes on in the psych ward that inmates aren’t privy to, and scary creatures that roam the prison at night.This is a fantastic read and I can’t wait to see where the story takes us. Will Rosalie be the first ever to break out of the high security prison, all the while falling in love and solving the mystery of what goes on in the psych ward? It’s not gonna be easy, but Rosalie believes in herself and I believe in her too.Hind note: you do NOT need to have read ZA or RB before reading this series. No spoilers anywhere to be found in these pages!