Rivals and Retribution is the fifth and final book in author Shannon Delany's 13 to Life debut series. I have to say that I absolutely love this series and characters and hate to see the word final! I can only hope that we'll get a glimpse of these characters again in a future series. With that said, Rivals and Retribution is a great adventure that starts with a bang, right were Destiny and Deception ends.

Marlaena and her werewolf pack have the full attention of the Rusakova family on them when Gabriel kidnaps Jessie as a way to get Marlaena to notice him. The kidnapping has Alexi rushing to find a permanent cure for lycanthropy as he sees it triggering Pietr's wolf. Pietr's wolf emerging also triggers an unexpected side effect that has both of the werewolf packs reeling.

Gabriel, unhappy with his position in the pack, decides that the only way he'll ever be where he wants to be - at Marlaena's side leading the pack - is to get rid of Pietr forever and makes plans to remove Pietr from their lives forever.

This story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with the action coming at a breakneck speed. The speed is so fast at times that I found myself re-reading parts and ended up re-reading the entire book after taking a couple of days to digest what I had just read.

Shannon Delany did a good job of tying up some of the loose ends, but I felt that there were some that were still left hanging. As this is the final book in the series, I'd recommend that readers start with the first book, 13 to Life, and read the series in order to get the most enjoyment. Fans of the series will not want to miss this tale and the many twists and turns it takes before coming to its conclusion.


Reviewed by: Tammy