Tag Archives: Shifters Series

Audio Book Review: Alpha by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Alpha by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published October 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.|Length: 12 hours, 37 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #6

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we’ve been busy. But now it’s time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother’s death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

It’s not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I’m heading for a final showdown that can, that will change everything forever. A showdown I’m not sure I’m ready for.

But life never waits until you’re ready.

I really liked this one!  I’m sad to see this series end, but I’m also glad that I got to see how everything ended.

Faith has been through a lot in this series!  She’s lost some people, and unfortunately, this book had a loss I wasn’t expecting or was remotely prepared for.

She had a lot to deal with after everything that happened with her dad, and she really had to fight for her pride.  She did it, of course, though there were a lot of obstacles along the way.  I wasn’t surprised, and I hope things get at least a little better for her.  She needs things to go her way, in addition to having support from her friends and family.  She needs things to be normal.  Well, as normal as they’re going to get, which isn’t very normal, considering we’re talking about Faith.  But it seems like things will (hopefully) settle down enough for her.

The war wasn’t what I thought it would be.  There was action, of course, and I’m not completely sure what I was expecting, but I think it was something different than what we got.  At least things with certain council members got taken care of, and I think things are headed in a good direction.  A lot of changes are in store, but I think it’ll be good changes.  At least, I hope they’re good.  Things can’t keep going the way they are.

We finally got the Mark-Jace-Faith love triangle resolved, and I wasn’t surprised by who she ended up with.  I’m not enthused with it, though I’m not sure who I’d want for Faith.  It took her a while to figure out what she wanted, and it wasn’t an easy decision to make.  That, with everything else…I don’t know how she managed to take care of everything but she did.

Honestly, I would have been disappointed if the love triangle hadn’t been resolved.  Even though I didn’t love Faith and Mark, or Faith and Jace, I’m still glad we know where that stands.  Honestly, they both deserve better, but it’s not like we’re going to get a third, random choice thrown in.  It was always going to be one of them.

I’ve really liked Jennifer Van Dyck’s narration.  She did a great job giving Faith a voice, and she was a really good choice for this series.  I’m really glad I went with the audio, and it’s because of her!

4 stars.  This was a pretty good end to the series, and it was a great book (and series) to listen to!

Audio Book Review: Shift by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Shift by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published March 2010 by Harlequin Books|Run Time: 11 hours, 3 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #5

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother’s death and my father’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option…

It’s about time I continued this series!  I really enjoyed Shift, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

I was surprised by how easy it was for me to slip back in Faythe’s world.  It’s been a while since I’ve read the books before this one, so I was a little worried I’d have a hard time getting back into this series.  And that I wouldn’t remember much of anything from the events of the previous books.  But that wasn’t a problem at all!  We got the basics throughout the book, as it came up, and I was glad to see what was going on with Faythe.

There’s a new threat, in the form of thunderbirds, and I was glad to learn more about other shifters in her world.  I mean, there was no way that only werecats existed, and I knew there had to be other shapeshifters out there.  The series isn’t really about that, of course, though I’m glad we were introduced new enemies.  There’s always something that’s gone wrong in Faythe’s world, and they never seem to get a break or time to breathe.  It’s been one crisis after another, and there’s more to come.

It looks like they’re headed for all-out war, and it’s not going to be pretty.  I really hope we don’t lose anyone else, but I feel like that’s a strong possibility.  There’s no way they make it out unscathed in that.

But back to this book.  The thunderbirds are an interesting group, and while it’s not surprising they like wide, open spaces, I was still slightly surprised that they don’t like the woods, even in human form.  Staying out of the forest is generally a good idea, because there’s a lot of really terrible stuff that can happen there.  But it makes sense that werecats and thunderbirds don’t really cross paths.

I’m glad Faythe was able to get the evidence she needed to make sure her pride stayed safe from the thunderbirds.  Their punishment was a little scary, but to each their own.  I wouldn’t want to cross them or get on their bad side, that’s for sure.

Though she’s no longer fighting the thunderbirds, she has some things she needs to deal with in her personal life.  Mainly, things got really weird with Jace and Mark, and even though I know things will work out, it’s not going to be easy.  It complicates things, not just for them, but for the pride as well, and there’s no way that Jace and Mark can work together as long as Faythe is around.  Honestly, I’m not sure they could work together even if she weren’t around, but it made things a lot more complicated, that’s for sure.

As usual, Jennifer Van Dyck did a great job at narrating, and I particularly liked how she gave voice to the thunderbirds.  They had a completely different voice than Faythe and the other characters, and it was super easy to tell the difference between the thunderbirds and everyone else.  Honestly, their voice really fit them, and there is something birdlike about their voice.

4 stars.  I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Faythe and her family.  I really hope they get the happy ending they deserve.

Audio Book Review: Prey by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Prey by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published July 2009 by Harlequin S.A.|Length: 12 hours, 33 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audiobook

Series: Shifters #4

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Sometimes playing cat and mouse is no game…Play? “Right.” My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father’s authority is in question and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven’t laid eyes on Marc’s gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother “and” an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don’t exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.

Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.

I really liked this one!  I’ve really enjoyed this series, and this book is no exception.

In Prey, we see Faythe dealing with Marc in exile…and Marc goes missing, of course, so Faythe has to deal with that as well.  She’s not willing to give up on finding him, even though there are so many other things that are going on.  She has a lot of heartbreak in the novel, and I was really sad about it.  Faythe and her family has a lot to deal with and they didn’t need that at all.  It made me really sad for her.

Faythe is Faythe, though, and while it hurts now, she will be okay, even if it takes time.  She’s pretty tough, but we do see her as a slightly more vulnerable person in this book.

There are some mysteries in this one, like everything we see with the strays.  I’m curious to see how that works out in the next couple of books, because I feel like that story is far from over.  Also, I really hope Mark is able to leave exile and come back home, but who knows when or how that will happen, if it does?

Honestly, I’ve been feeling pretty frazzled, so I’m surprised I can remember this much about the book!  Granted, when I take a while to review a book, there are times where I don’t always remember a lot, but with school, my brain is somewhat fried.  At any rate, this was an interesting listen, and I really felt for Faythe.  She does find herself in the weird situations, and trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes.

As an audio book, I really liked it!  Jennifer Van Dyck continues to narrate the series, and she does a great job.  Once I finish this series, I want to check out some of the other audio books she narrated.  Honestly, that’s how much I like her!

4 stars.  I really enjoyed Prey, and there’s both mystery and heartbreak for Faythe and her family.  I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Audio Book Review: Pride By Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Pride by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published February 2009 by Harlequin Books S.A.|Length: 13 hours, 18 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #3

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

The werecat council has three cardinal laws; and headstrong Faythe stands accused of breaking two of them: infecting a human with her supernatural skills and killing him to cover her tracks. With the death penalty hanging over her head, Faythe has no escape route left. That is, until a shapeshifter informs the pride of a rash of rogue strays terrorising his land. Yet this threat is nothing like any they’ve seen before. Only Faythe has the knowledge to save the pride, but can she prove her worth? Or will the council’s verdict condemn them all…?

I liked Pride!  We’ll see how much I actually talk about this book, considering it’s been a few weeks between me finishing the book and me writing this review.

In this book, we see Faythe on trial for everything that happened with Andrew.  There are some interesting developments on the Mark front, and I do want to see how that works out.

I was angry at the panel deciding Faythe’s fate.  Mostly because her fate largely rested on her desire to get married and have kids.  It seems like female shifters are pretty rare, and to execute her because she’s not sure about marriage and having kids?  It made me so angry, and angry for Faythe that more importance was placed on her child-bearing abilities and desires.

And because we’re talking about Faythe, she gets wrapped up in some weird things going on.  Most of which revolve around a girl who ended up in Faythe’s care because she wouldn’t let anyone else near her.  And of course, Faythe realizes that with a new (young) shifter, the council really has no reason to keep her around.  Plus, a younger female would be more likely to listen to them, as opposed to Faythe, who is really headstrong and independent.  Still, Faythe makes it through everything.  I knew she would, but it was quite the journey.  And I’m definitely planning on listening to the next book to see what happens next.  Whatever it is will be sure to get Faythe into some sort of trouble.

Jennifer Van Dyck continues to do a great job at narrating!  She is great to listen to and she really has a way of making me feel like she is Faythe.  She’s a great choice for this series.

4 stars.  I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Audio Book Review: Rogue by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

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Book: Rogue by Rachel Vincent, Narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck

Published April 2008 by Harlequin Books S.A.|Run Time: 11 hours, 30 minutes

Where I Got It: I own the audio book

Series: Shifters #2

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Rebellious werecat Faythe is shocked when the bodies of murdered men begin turning up in her Pride’s territory, especially as the killings can be traced back to her former life as an ordinary college student. But could a message from an old friend provide a chilling clue?

Faythe knows that a past indiscretion may have led to these men’s deaths. She also risks exposing her family’s supernatural secret. Faced with a terrifying choice, Faythe must decide: pray the tribal council grant her mercy – or risk everything to pursue her own brand of justice.

I really liked Rogue!  I’m glad I picked this one up because I really wanted to see what happened to Faythe.

So, after reading Stray, I was wondering what happened to Andrew.  I felt like he was mentioned and we never heard about him again.  We actually find out what happened to him in this book.  That surprised me, but I was glad we found out.  I wasn’t expecting it to happen but it was an interesting storyline.  Everything is connected, and it kept my interest.  I really needed to keep reading so I would know what happened next.

Faythe does seem more human than the rest of her pride.  She makes a lot of mistakes, and rushes into things.  It is a little annoying at times, but maybe that’s what makes her seem more human.

I don’t know that I like her with Mark.  They seem to have pretty terrible communication, but I’m not really surprised because that would make things too easy.  He just seems to want her to be someone different, and even though he’s known Faythe for a long time, it also feels like he doesn’t completely accept her for who she is.  I am curious to see if he changes, or if she will have to in order to make him happy.

I know Faythe lives in a male-dominated world, and I get that females tend to get a pass in her world, especially those who can have kids.  But it seems like no matter what they do, they get a pass, which is kind of unfair, because the guys don’t.  Something does happen where Faythe will eventually have to go before the council, and while I admire that she’s brutally honest and wants to do the right thing, I also feel like she has a death wish.

I liked that her father gave her an opportunity to change her story.  Of course, she didn’t, because we’re talking about Faythe, but I liked that he wanted to protect her, and keep her from going in front of the council.  I’m sure we’ll see that at some point, and even though I know she’ll be okay, I’m still curious to see the journey.

I did like how everything connected.  We get some more information (and resolution) of some of the things that happened in the first book.  I doubt it’s the last we’ve seen or heard of women going missing, and I feel like it’s the larger mystery of this series.  I really liked seeing how everything came together.

This is random, but we also see a little more of Faythe’s mom!  I don’t really have much to say about her, but I really hope we see more of her.  We see a lot more of Faythe’s dad, and it would be nice to get to know her mom a little better.

Jennifer Van Dyck is back as the narrator, and she continues to do a great job.  I really do like her narration, and she does a great job with making me feel like I’m going on this crazy adventure with Faythe.

4 stars.  I really liked Rogue and I can’t wait to read the next book!