"Bitten" by Jorden Stephanie Gray – A Dark Bite into a Glittering Court of Wolves
- Kim Bartosch
- Sep 30
- 5 min read
There’s something about a good werewolf fantasy that always pulls me in—and Bitten by Jorden Stephanie Gray definitely did just that. Marketed as Crescent City meets Fourth Wing, this debut plunges readers into a deadly supernatural court full of ruthless wolves, haunting secrets, and tangled alliances. It’s dark, dramatic, and dripping with atmosphere. But while there’s a lot I loved, I’ve also got some thoughts—especially when it comes to how this book is positioned within the young adult genre.
This one, I feel, is you love it or you'll hate it, no gray areas here. I gave the book a rating of three stars due to the spicy sex scenes; those aren't my thing, which is why I don't read romance. Overall, great fantasy story, just wished the author could have held back on the graphic sex scenes and sexual violence. Scroll down to read my full review and learn how to get the book below!
🐺 The Premise
The story kicks off in present-day America with Vanessa and Celeste—two teens just trying to enjoy a beach party and worry about boys. But things turn bloody fast. Werewolves crash the party, Celeste is killed, and Vanessa is bitten. That one moment rips her entire world apart.
Suddenly, she’s whisked into a supernatural world ruled by the Wolf Queen, where ancient traditions, rigid power structures, and deadly politics are the norm. Vanessa’s forced to either pledge herself to the court or die. Unsurprisingly, she chooses survival—but she never forgets what was stolen from her. Her new life at Castle Severi is full of enchantment and danger, especially when she starts untangling the truth about who bit her—and why.
🐾 My Take
The world-building was my favorite part of Bitten. I’m always on the hunt for a new spin on well-worn tropes, and Gray delivers. Yes, you’ll find classic werewolf dynamics like Alphas and betas, but the way she intertwines them with fae lore and court politics gives the universe a unique flavor. I especially appreciated that the fae exist here without completely stealing the show. It’s still a werewolf story at its core, and that balance worked really well for me.
That said, the characters didn’t leave quite as strong an impression. While I found Vanessa compelling—especially in her grief and determination—the emotional depth wasn’t always there. Some side characters blurred together, and I would’ve loved a bit more complexity from the romantic leads.
Where Bitten might spark some debate is in how it handles spice. This book is being marketed as young adult, but the romantic scenes felt more adult than I expected. I’m definitely in favor of sex-positive YA, but I think those moments needed to reflect more of the protagonist’s age and inexperience. Vanessa is seventeen, and though her prior experience is acknowledged, the scenes didn’t quite match that tone. For me, it pulled me out of the story a bit, mostly because it didn’t feel grounded in her perspective.
It raises the question: what is YA these days? Depending on whether you define it by the age of the protagonist or the reader, Bitten can feel like it straddles the line between upper YA and New Adult. Personally, I’m fine with that gray area (no pun intended), but I do think it’s worth flagging for readers—especially those on the younger side of the YA scale.
Still, despite those hiccups, Bitten worked for me. It’s not perfect, but it kept me hooked from the very first chapter, and I’m genuinely looking forward to where this series goes next.
🐺 Top 5 Reasons to Read Bitten
Unique Werewolf Lore – Gray puts a fresh spin on shapeshifter mythology, mixing in fae magic and regal court dynamics without losing that primal edge.
Fast-Paced Plot – From page one, the story moves quickly. If you love action, drama, and court intrigue, this book delivers in spades.
Atmospheric Setting – Castle Severi feels like a gothic fairy tale: magical vines, star-gifted artifacts, and deadly beauty around every corner.
Revenge & Secrets – Vanessa’s journey is driven by grief and vengeance, and the mystery around her transformation adds strong tension to the story.
Series Potential – This debut sets up a rich world and larger political conflicts that promise even more twists and turns in future books.
Final Thoughts
Bitten is a solid start to a new fantasy series that blends classic werewolf themes with courtly intrigue and magic. While it stumbles slightly in character depth and genre clarity, it’s got bite, beauty, and a fast-paced plot that kept me turning the pages.
This is definitely one of those “read and decide for yourself” books—especially if you’re picky about YA boundaries. But for me? I liked it quite a bit, and I’ll be first in line for book two.
About the book:
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publishing date: September 30, 2025
Synopsis:
Crescent City meets Fourth Wing in this fast-paced and romantic debut, in which a teenage girl must survive ruthless werewolves, a glittering court, and deadly politics to exact revenge on the monsters who destroyed her.
After a vicious werewolf attack on the night of her seventeenth birthday party, Vanessa Hart loses everything she loves in a split second. Her best friend, her father, and even her home.
Bitten and imprisoned without explanation, Vanessa endures an agonizing transformation into the very beast that maimed her, and her captors make it clear she cannot escape: she will either swear her life to the Wolf Queen’s Court, or she will die.
With no other choice, Vanessa joins their enchanted Castle Severi—where flowering vines grow through the walls, gifts are bestowed by the stars, and a claw can break through skin as easily as silk—but she hasn’t forgotten what they stole from her.
Vanessa still seeks vengeance, scheming in the shadows even as she finds herself mesmerized by the golden prince Sinclair Severi, who threatens to steal her heart though he is promised to her nemesis. And by his brooding, disgraced cousin, Calix, whose smoldering gaze hides even darker secrets. Immersed in the magic of their whimsical yet cruel society, Vanessa soon learns not all is as it seems.
The Court is at war, and she may simply be a pawn in its lethal game.
Content Warning: murder, explicit sexual content, blood, violence, death, gore, control, manipulation, classism, tyrannical rule, torture (including of a child), disfigurement, forced imprisonment, experimentation, and massacre.
About the author:
Jordan Stephanie Gray is the debut author of the young adult werewolf romantasy, Bitten, and the adult mermaid romantasy, The Wicked Sea.
When she isn’t dreaming up the fantastical and romantic, she is likely cuddling her two pugs and two chihuahuas in sunny Florida.
This sounds like an interesting read. Even so, I'd prefer the Amazon gift card.
It sounds like a great read.
I would love the Amazon Gift Card.
This sounds like an interesting genre! I like the cover!
The cover is so beautiful.