It’s not easy creating a world, it’s even harder populating it, and that’s why the first book of a series is usually the most important. The first book gives the initial building blocks introducing the mythology and characters which will serve as the brick and mortar. They have to be perfectly balanced and placed in the right order for a solid foundation. The action, dialogue and plot have to be creative and exciting in order for the world to have the energy it needs to come alive. So when you have shape shifting immortal Dire Wolves who are also motorcycle-riding-leather-clad-bad-boys out to save the world from being destroyed, well that’s a pretty explosive concept and a solid beginning for a new series.

Dire Needs by Stephanie Tyler is the first book in her new Eternal Wolf Clan series about six Dire Wolves cursed with immortality.  A cross between Greek mythology, American folklore and Norse legends this series has supernatural beings, life altering consequences, curses, spells, tragedy, comedy, action, and romance. The scope of the consequences is hugely important and Ms. Tyler has created a big world with lots of moving parts introducing us to a large cast of characters with critical roles to play.

After turning on their creator a large and powerful clan of Dire Wolves was driven to near extinction. Only six Dire Wolves survived. The six survivors were all alphas who gained psychic talents, were cursed with immortality and charged with protecting both humans and Weres. The stakes get even higher when they must face an enemy hell bent on destroying everything they are trying to protect.

Rifter is the reluctant king of the remaining Dire Wolves and he and his inner wolf are on the edge searching for something to fulfill the disquiet in their souls. When he meets Gwen at a dangerous biker bar he knows she doesn’t belong there, and he definitely knows he shouldn’t want her. She’s a human, and Dires and humans mixing is not the norm.  But there’s something about Gwen that calls to both his human side and his inner wolf and the attraction cannot be denied.

Gwen is dying. With only a short time to live she wants to experience passion and when she meets Rifter she knows she’s found the person she wants to experience it with.

Now all the elements are in play; a group of six alphas fighting to save the world, a reluctant king who has to lead the pack and a hero and heroine who must find a way to stay together. All six Dire Wolves are exciting characters. They have lived a long time and have a mixture of wisdom combined with contemporary bad boy/ wise ass / angst ridden souls. They’ve seen it all and that has shaped who they are and how they interact with each other. The villains are multi-dimensional and not all bad which is always a good thing. The heroine is smart and courageous which in my book is a necessity. The hero is willing to save the world and the heroine is willing to save him.

While Dire Needs (Eternal Wolf Clan Series #1) is a paranormal romance with Gwen and Rifter at the heart of it, this first book has many stories to tell. We are introduced to a host of characters that both reveal the back story as well as propel the action forward. It’s an interesting dynamic that keeps the reader guessing. It’s filled with action but more importantly with charismatic characters, characters that jump off the page and fuel the imagination. Stephanie Tyler has built a world with a strong foundation that has twist and turns, repercussions, and a tight knit core of heroes. It’s a world I want to visit again and I’m looking forward to reading the next book Dire Wants.

If you are a fan of Larissa Ione’s Demonica series, J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series or Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series, I think Stephanie Tyler’s new Eternal Wolf Clan series is right up your alley.