Sucker for a Series – Shifters by Rachel Vincent

The Shifters series by Rachel Vincent is one of my all-time favorite series. The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll probably want to scream and throw the books across the room. The Shifters series follows the werecat shifter Faythe Saunders and her family through a tumultuous period. I think what initially attracted me to the series was the mafia-like pride structure of the werecats. The power struggles were both fascinating and frustrating for me. A word of warning – if you dislike love triangles (and possibly squares) – you will be annoyed.

Book 1 of the series is Stray. I’ll warn you now. A lot of people dislike the main character Faythe Saunders. Yes, she really is TSTL (too stupid to live) at times, but think about it – she’s only 22 years old and has led a coddled and sheltered life on her family ranch. Female tabbies are rare, tabbies of child bearing age, rarer still. Perhaps it is best to say that Faythe’s timing is a little off. You can’t really assert your independence when you and your family are under imminent threat.

My rating: 3/5 skulls

Book 2 Rogue finds Faythe rejoining her pride as an enforcer, an unlikely role for a tabby. She’s still annoying, impulsive, and speaks without thinking. Somehow I had to keep on reading. This book ends with a bang and you’ll need to have the next book ready.

My rating: 3.5/5 skulls

The third book Pride has all kinds of heartbreak. Faythe is on trial for creating a stray and the outcome does not look good. This book marks the introduction of one of my favorite characters in the series the Bruin Keller. It also introduces Kaci, a rare female tabby stray. Big props go to Faythe’s father for believing in her despite all the grief she causes his pride.

My rating: 4/5 skulls

The excitement and action builds for book 4 Prey. An important note: If you’ve made it this far, have the last 2 books ready to go because things really heat up. Oh how I felt so very horrible for Marc. This book affected me deeply. I cried. I was devastated. I wanted to grow some claws and rip that repulsive Cal Malone to shreds. For those keeping track – Faythe does grow and mature in this book, however her decision making skills could use some improvement.

My rating 4/5 skulls

Ratchet up the action and excitement even more for Shift, book 5. Add another shifter to the mix as well – The Thunderbirds. One of the best lines of the series came from this book:

“Because your people – your Pride,” again he said it like a dirty word. “Killed one of our most promising young cocks.”

My rating 4/5 skulls

What a conclusion with Alpha, the final book in the series. Fur and feathers fly and finally Faythe makes the right decision. Or does she? (See discussion questions below).

My rating: 5/5 skulls

Shifters is a completed series. Keep in mind that the series takes place over a very short window of time and that our heroine is young and inexperienced. While she can be very annoying, Faythe does grow and mature throughout the series. She makes mistakes and pays dearly for her errors.

Avoid all spoilers. You will not need to wait for the next book but I do recommend that you have the last three books ready to go. The last three books are an intense reading experience.

Series Reading Order:

1. Stray
2. Rogue
3. Pride
4. Prey
5. Shift
6. Alpha

Discussion Questions:

Have you read this series?

Which book is your favorite?

Do you have a favorite character?

Jace or Marc? Discuss

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