FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on covers or links here may result in monetary compensation.
I loved Rachel Vincent's Shifters series, and I had to pick up the first of her new adult urban fantasy series (especially since it was on sale)...
Title: Blood Bound (Unbound #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778312550
eBook: 326 pages
Publisher: Mira, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased
drey's thoughts:
Once upon a time, four friends made a promise to each other to always help one another when asked. And they bound that promise with blood, not knowing that blood oaths have ramifications that will follow you for the rest of your lives. Or kill you.
Fast forward to the present day. The four are friends no longer, having lived with the consequences of the blood oath. And the oath has been "neutralized" by a second one. Or so they think.
Liv Warren is a Tracker, a sort of bloodhound-slash-bounty-hunter. She can track anyone by using their blood, and freelances to whomever can pay the bills. When Annika shows up and asks Liv to find her husband's killer, Liv realizes that their second oath has been destroyed. Now Liv has to juggle conflicting loyalties along with an ex-boyfriend she can't seem to shake. Will she survive Annika's request? Better yet, will he?
Part paranormal-romance, part suspenseful mystery, Blood Bound explores the ramifications when loyalty and free will collide, especially when working under the power of multiple oaths. The plot twists and turns, letting you know there's way more going on than you expected. All of which combine into a recipe for a must-read from Rachel Vincent.
Title: Alpha (Shifters #6)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778328186 (paperback copy)
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Alpha sat on my nook for all of an hour before I had to pick it up... I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts: Alpha is the final installment in Rachel Vincent's fabulous Shifters series, and I am sad to see it end. After all that Faythe has been through, I'm amazed that she can still come up kicking and screaming. Or trying to kick and scream, anyway. As much as you can while you're grieving the loss of your brother, still recovering from the latest round of let's-beat-Faythe-to-a-pulp, and having an impossible time trying to decide which of the two men you love will get his heart broken to bits. *sigh*
As much as I love Faythe, though, she's definitely not perfect. In fact, that not-perfect is why they're in this mess. Then again, it's not like she has much choice in the matter. Unless she just gives up and lets Calvin Malone start his dictatorship right then and there. But my girl Faythe, she's not one to give up, not when there are others counting on her. Not when so many lives could be destroyed by one insane megalomaniac.
Alpha is a rough, hard, ride to the finish line, complete with heartbreak and loss. And as hard as some of the losses are, it is absolutely worth the journey, to see the Faythe that ends the series.
Can y'all w00t with me? *grin* Today, I'm totally freaking lucky to have a visitor... Rachel Vincent stops by to answer some questions, and share a teaser! Come see what she has to say.
drey: Hello, Rachel. Welcome to drey’s library! I’m so excited to have you visit, and am impatiently waiting for Alpha! Readers, Rachel is the author of the Shifters and the Soul Screamers series. And I promised to keep this one short, even though I have so many questions!! So let's get started...
Rachel, tell us about yourself in 10 sentences or less.
Rachel: I am a writer and a resident of San Antonio. I can’t cook, but I love to bake. I don’t carry a purse.
drey: I used to be able to not carry purses. Somehow that changed...
Did you always want to be an author?
Rachel: Yes, even before I knew that was a valid career choice.
drey: Can you share your first sale with us?
Rachel: Stray was my first sale. My agent, Miriam Kriss, sold it in a four-publisher auction in January, 2006, after eleven days on the market, as the first in a 3-book contract.
drey: Wow, she's some agent! Then again, the books are awesome! *grin*
For those who haven’t read your books, can you tell us a little about Faythe and her world? Kaylee and bean sidhes?
Rachel: Faythe is a female werecat struggling to make a place for herself in a strictly patriarchal society which values her womb above everything else she has to offer. She starts off stubborn and spoiled, refusing to fall into line (not that I can blame her) and gradually begins to take responsibility for more than herself and to demand revolution.
Kaylee is a sixteen year old bean sidhe—-banshee, to the uninformed—-who doesn’t figure out what she is and what she can do until the middle of the first book in the Soul Screamers series. But along with the discovery of her species comes knowledge of the Netherworld, a hellish alternate dimension that seems determined to keep pulling her in.
drey: Where do you get your inspiration?
Rachel: I don’t know. Random things lead to “what if” moments, which eventually gang up on me to form the skeleton of a story. But the details are where all the real work comes in.
drey: How hard was it to wrap up Faythe’s story? Who are you going to miss the most? Is there a possibility you’ll revisit Faythe’s world in the future?
Rachel: It was very hard. It feels like saying goodbye, and that’s just never happy. I’m going to miss Faythe the most, because I spent years in her head. But after Alpha, there’s still “Hunt,” the Abby story coming up in an anthology from Tor next year.
drey: Ooooh. More! Yay!
If one of your series were transferred to the screen, which one would it be, and who would be in it?
Rachel: I can picture either of them on the screen. But I’d love to have brilliant unknown actors.
drey: What are you looking forward to next?
Rachel: After I finish IF I DIE (the 5th Soul Screamers book), I’ll be writing the first in my new adult series, scheduled to debut next year.
drey: What can we look forward to next?
Rachel: Up after Alpha is “Reaper,” an online Soul Screamers novella from Tod’s POV, which will be free for at least a little while. It’s currently scheduled for about a month before the Jan 1 US release of My Soul To Steal!
"You should calm down," Dean warned, his breath brushing my ear. "You're getting your lovers all riled up, and that just can't end well." From pg. 122 of Alpha
I so cannot wait to find out what happens!! Aargh!!!
FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
Been meaning to post this for a few days now, just haven't gotten around to it. For fans of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series, here's a trailer for Alpha, coming Sept. 28!
Title: Shift (Shifters #5)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778327608
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Shift was purchased. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Well, after reading Prey and being impressed, I had high hopes for Shift. It met my expectations for a good follow-up to the overall storyline, introduced more drama as well as character growth, and definitely tugged on the heartstrings--especially as Faythe's pride deals with the aftermath of Ethan's death.
Apparently taking over as council chairman isn't enough for Malone, as he seems to want to take out Faythe's pride too--except (maybe) for the tabbies, because he's got a plan for the tabbies... I so do not like Malone. He makes my want to bare my teeth and growl, grr! When the sudden appearance of thunderbirds--not seen in twenty-five years--on Faythe's pride's land involves an attack, they're correct in assuming something fishy is going on. Finding out what is dangerous work, but Faythe manages to accomplish it in the end, getting banged up (again, of course) in the process.
The thunderbirds were a cool addition to the storyline, but I wasn't sure how I felt about them. After all, we've only been dealing with cats up to this point. I was happy with Faythe's growth though. She's stepping up, making the hard decisions, and relying on instinct and observation instead of just reacting. I cannot wait for Alpha.
Title: Prey (Shifters #4)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778329138
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Prey is bought and paid for. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Well. Book #4 in Rachel Vincent's Shifters series sure amps things up a couple notches. Maybe a bit more than a couple notches... Anyway. Now the power grabbing is out in the open, and the factions are building forces. Strays are banding together to attack Prides. Marc disappears. What the heck is going on??
Prey is an attention-grabber, and kudos to Ms. Vincent for keeping everything moving so that you never lose interest. Parts of it are emotionally draining, so have a box by you if you're prone to getting teary-eyed. The best part of Prey? Faythe does a lot of growing up. And y'all know how I am about immature heroines, right? Well, Faythe made me proud with how she handled things, and herself. This installment is the best so far, and I can only hope that Shift and Alpha (coming in October) keep the bar up high. Grab this (start with #1) if you're a fan of urban fantasy. I don't think you'll regret it.
Title: Pride (Shifters #3)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778326496
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: I own my Epub version of Pride. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Well. If you know me at all, you'll know that when I find a series that I really like, I tend to go through the books as fast as I can find 'em and read 'em! And I am really liking Rachel Vincent's Shifters series...
In Pride, Faythe is now on trial. After the fiasco of having her ex-human, ex-boyfriend Andrew killing girls who looked like her, she now finds herself on trial for killing him, even though it was self-defense. Too bad for her the tribunal doesn't care what her explanations are...
Luckily (hah!) for Faythe, the tribunal soon finds something else to distract them from their discussions on whether she lives or dies. There's a pack of strays hanging around, and when the Pride investigates, they do not like what they find. Faythe takes a chance to prove her worth to the Pride. Is she successful? Will she save her own life? And if so, at what cost? The thumb-wringing continues...
Title: Rogue (Shifters #2)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778325550
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Rogue was purchased for my nook after I finished Stray and liked it. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
So Faythe survived Stray and came out alive, if not exactly smelling like roses... Now she's got problems... Someone is killing toms. And Andrew starts leaving cryptic messages for Faythe. What's going on?
Apparently Faythe's last ex-boyfriend is intent on finding her. And teaching her some lessons. Is he suicidal for heading to Pride lands? Only time (& Rogue) will tell.
I am really enjoying Faythe's story. And while she's still all claws and hiss (heh), she's starting to use her noggin too. Love the sarcasm and humor in the dialogue. Now I'm off to read Pride.
Title: Stray (Shifters #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778324218
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2007
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Straywas purchased for my nook on my latest trip. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
I've been following Rachel Vincent's blog pretty much since I started blogging, but have only just now picked up her Shifters series. And I have to say, I shouldn't have waited so long--Stray was quite an enjoyable read, some of the hard scenes notwithstanding.
Faythe just can't catch a break. Even when she's gotten some freedom from the Pride, there's someone watching over her. And then she's summoned home. Which she responds to with a whole lot of attitude, attitude that she feels they deserve, until she finds out why she's been summoned home. Apparently someone has been kidnapping female werecats.
Here is where I expected Faythe to step up and help out. Which she does, but with attitude intact, which I didn't quite get. And the whole Marc-Jace-Faythe thing didn't quite ring true for me. Marc and Faythe, yes. Jace? Hmm... And while we're on the subject of love interests, whatever on earth happened to Andrew?
Anyway, Faythe gets herself well and truly tangled up in the whole kidnapping plot, and somehow manages to come out alive (which isn't really a spoiler, since this is a #1 book and that implies more Faythe, right?).
Stray is an entertaining read for those who live urban fantasy & shifters, but wanted something other than those of the canine variety. How much different are cats from dogs? Well, you'll just have to pick this up and find out.
She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.
Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…
drey's thoughts: I've been hanging around Rachel Vincent's blog for a while now, and was really excited to read her books. I was (very) unsuccessful in trying to win copies of her Shifters series, and my library doesn't carry them. (boo hiss) Anyway, I was excited to see this offered, so I signed up lickety split to put a hold on it.
I wasn't disappointed. Rachel draws a world inhabited by bean sidhe who sing for the newly-departed souls, and reapers, who come and "collect" them... Can you imagine--a world of reapers, whose only job is to collect souls and usher them on? Like, whoa.
Paranormal inhabitants aside, we go along for the ride as Kaylee and Nash try to figure out why teenagers are dropping like flies. And find that even the most well-oiled system has its rogues.
I will definitely keep trying to get a hold of Rachel's other books. I think I'll enjoy them as much as I did this one.
Title: My Soul to Take Author: Rachel Vincent ISBN-10: 0373210035 ISBN-13: 9780373210039 Paperback: 279 pages Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2009
Challenges: 100+, 1st in Series, Pub, Support Your Local Library
Disclosure: My copy of My Soul to Take came from my public library, and went back safely after this review was written.
