Only read Ilona Andrews' Alphas.Hmm. I'm torn. The first half of the story gets a tepid 3 from me, while the second half gets a solid 4. This short story had the potential of being an awesome full-length novel, so I'm kinda sad that the premise was "wasted".The world the Andrews' created is cool and had there been more time to see it develop, rather than have major info-dumps to explain its complexity, this could easily have been the first book of a series/trilogy. Too bad, so sad, cuz I would have signed up for that asap. The characters were interesting, but again, being that it's a short story, there wasn't time to explore them in-depth and really bring them to life. Where the authors never disappoint, is in writing likable MC's. Never a dull or weak heroine in sight when reading anything from the Andrews'. All the characters had interesting facets and/or abilities. I was fascinated by the possibilities and simultaneously disappointed that I wouldn't get to read more. Why you no make this a novel, Ilona?The first half was a little tough, because I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story where many interesting things had happened and I was required to quickly catch up so I could understand all the interesting things that were now happening. Many of these things made me think, "That's really interesting and unique, but why?" Everything felt rushed and fell short and that's a shame. The second half was easier, because the action picked up and because I had more info to go on. Despite its shortcomings, this short still managed to entertain, but after thinking it through, I'm not torn on how to rate it. It was chock-full of thwarted potential. Though I wish the authors would expand on it, I'm inclined to think that it's not gonna happen, because this short had so much in it that it'd be a spoiler for any follow-up - but then again, what do I know? I do feel slightly robbed. Had I gotten more, this could have been a new favorite of mine. Worthwhile read despite my gripes, because the Andrews' are just that good and because my biggest gripe is that I wanted more.
