The blog title is kind of a misnomer. I didn’t read the whole series. I am not sure I will. I guess that tells you already what I think about the books I have read.
Stray by Rachel Vincent (Shifters book #1) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/793399.Stray
Rogue by Rachel Vincent (Shifters book #2) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2314315.Rogue
Pride by Rachel Vincent (Shifters book #3) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4583888-pride
I bought these three Rachel Vincent books on Kindle recently. My BFF Bosco and his wife gifted me an Amazon GC and I decided to spend some of it on these ebooks.
Stray, Rogue, and Pride are part of the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent. In the beginning, Stray roped me in. I thought, “Hey werecats? I’m there.” Then I got to know Faythe, the protagonist and the first-person narrator. I felt she was pig-headed and immature and totally fit the grad school kid stereotype, aka. a Grade-A Butthead. Long story short, she left her Pride for 5 years while she went to college (alright) and now it was time for her to come back. She kicks, screams, scratches her way, trying to not be there. Then there’s the drama of what it’s like to be the only female (besides her mother) in a Pride of cats. Stray didn’t pick up until about 3/4 of the way. (Note: I felt that the other two books didn’t pick up until then either.)
With most UF novels, there’s got to be a love interest or two or three. My favorite is Jace in this series. He’s been vying for Faythe’s attention when really the story just wants Faythe and Marc to be together. Marc is ok. He’s the lead enforcer of this Pride and does all the dirty work (like killing), which kind of troubles me. Why do male characters (love interests) in UF novels always have to be killers, hitmen, assassins, etc.? But I digress. There are several male characters that the book introduces (most are a part of Faythe’s Pride), and they all seem to be fun characters. I’d love to be friends with them.
I think what the author would like us to like Faythe the Feminist. It’s just hard to side with her when a lot of what she does is complain, whine, have outbursts (when her life is in danger), and “do things her way.” That definition of feminism is counterproductive to what feminism is. At least to me. There are rules within the were community, in this community. I can’t believe I’m writing a defense for a fictional universe. Faythe’s one-track mind on her ‘freedom’ costs everyone else’s theirs. It takes a final crazy outburst near the end of book 3 (Pride) for her to realize it… and then she blows it off. So – what. the. fuck? Why WOULD I like Faythe? She’s a total dick.
I’m meshing all three books together now, and I apologize, reader, on the mixing of storylines. In Rogue, the antagonist is so predictable. I kept trudging through it because there were reviews on Goodreads that said that the third book kicked in and made series so much better. I disagree.
The third book Pride disappointed me. It felt slower than the last, which felt slow already. They all seemed too long. Teh whole Andrew storyline was so abrupt. The action didn’t really do anything. They were all still stuck in the area for those days. There was a lot of talking. Faythe just kept getting in trouble. At 23, I’m not as lenient as I would be if the character was 16.
I won’t be buying any more of these books. I wish the books had more punch. I’m just tired of Faythe and her antics.
Mini spoiler for the third book: WTF. Now there’s a “teenage” tabby in the mix. You know what that reminds me of? Cousin Oliver.
Here’s the other kicker. While reading reviews on the first book, folks felt this was basically a copycat of Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten (Elena and Clay). I say yes and no. There are a lot of similarities, and there is one distinct characteristic that is different. And that is Elena. She’s likable. She’s got issues, she’s working on them. Faythe? She’s just butthead who thinks about herself and how awesome she is.
Grade: B for Stray, C for Rogue and Pride
Buy or Borrow: Borrow.
