Tag Archives: Shapeshifters

Shifter by Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for shifter angela knight book cover

Title: Shifter
Author: Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra
In: Shifter (Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Short story collections
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: She brushed back the dark bangs that grew over her forehead and tried to restrain the nervous jitter playing patty-cake in her stomach.

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Synopsis

In this seductive anthology, four masters of paranormal romance explore the boundaries of erotic shape-shfiting fantasy – and shatter them.

Something happens when the beast within is teased and tempted. Something dangerous. Something inescapable. Somethin so irresistible no woman would want to run from it.

Whether transforming beneath a cool blue moon, prowling the night streets with feline grace and bloodred talons, or panting with pleasure, the shifters come alive to fulfill your wildest fantasies…

Thoughts

I didn’t really realise how much I’m obsessed with paranormal romance and shapeshifters… until I read this collection. And loved every single story, and now have a one-track obsession with each of the three series and four authors. Which is a monetary issues, because I don’t really want to be buying all of these series… and new authors… but I kind of have…

I love that the paranormal romance stories throughout this anthology run the gamut of sexual intensity. From sweet and gentle courtship to rough and tumble lust, these four stories highlight romance and passion in a way that made me miss my other half (he was away while I was reading most of this).

Although the majority of these tales featured a feline shapeshifter (I don’t know why, but these are so incredibly enthralling), there were others throughout. The different forms, moods and temperaments of a similar theme worked well against the often lustful romance, and now I have to be patient in waiting for the next book sin all of these series to arrive on my doorstep…

 <- Sea Crossing ReviewMad Dog Love Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Harvest by Vicki Pettersson

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Holidays Are Hell

Title: The Harvest
Author: Vicki Pettersson
Series: Signs of the Zodiac #1.5
In: Holidays Are Hell (Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie M. Liu & Vicki Pettersson)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Dark fantasy, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Fiction
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: At the Tulpa’s nod, Zoe tried for a lighter tone.

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Synopsis

Zoe’s granddaughter has been stolen by agents of the dark, and she’ll do anything to rescue her. Including teaming up with the team that she abandoned, and the only man she’s ever truly loved…

Thoughts

I’m not American. I have never been to, understood or had anything to do with Thanksgiving. My closest relationship to this holiday is what I see on movies, and the comments I see across social media. Having said all of that, this is certainly my first ever Thanksgiving-themed story. And it was incredibly enjoyable… I think I’m beginning to understand a bit of the American feelings towards this holiday… maybe… I’m still not even 100% sure what it’s about.

I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t have a chance to read The Scent of Shadows before The Harvest. Although this was an amazing novella in and of on itself, there were hints and ideas of the storyline from the first novel scattered throughout. Especially the trauma of Jo and Zoe’s role in her life. Yet, there is such a hint of an amazing untold story that I am fighting the urge to rip the first novel off my shelf and just devour it… first I need to finish some of the other books I have on my shelf… time for a little self-control and discipline…

 <- Six ReviewHolidays are Hell Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

The Skrying Glass by Penelope Neri

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Irish RomanceTitle: The Skrying Glass

Author: Penelope Neri

In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)

Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)

My Bookshelves: Celtic, Fae, Romance, Shapeshifters

Pace: Medium

Format: Short story

Publisher: Running Press

Year: 2010

5th sentence, 74th page: Dagger in hand, he strode across the clearing.

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Synopsis

Siobhan saw something in the skrying mirror when she was twelve that made her want to never get married. Now that she’s eighteen, she might have met the man of her dreams. But does falling in love with him mean that he is about to die?

Thoughts

I loved this story. It mixes fate in with all of the romantic entanglements and scenery that I am used to from this collection. Siobhan and Colm have the whole love at first sight, push and shove kind of romance that’s fun to read about in a short story. But, because of what Siobhan sees in her own skrying mirror, she is terrified of losing him and finds it hard to make her commitment.

I love that, in a way, the prediction seen when Siobhan was twelve comes true. But, as always, romance finds it way in the end, and Siobhan and Colm are able to run off into the sunset together. It’s simple, it’s sweet and it has a woman with an attitude problem in the lead. Everything that you could want in a nice, short and sweet tale of Irish romance.

 <- Tara’s Find Review The Houndmaster Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Burning Wild by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Burning Wild

Title: Burning Wild
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: The Leopard People #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Candles.

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Synopsis

Bred by capricious parents for his innate leopard-shifitng abilities, billionaire Jack Bannaconni has spent his life in an emotional vacuum – especially after a tragic twist of fate left him to raise his infant son alone. But when his path crosses that of an enigmatic young woman, Jake’s life takes a detour he never fathomed.

There is something irresistible about Emma Reynolds – something Jake can’t live without. Hiring her as his son’s nanny will keep her close. And warm. And under watch. She’s the first human to stir something in Jake, something he’s never felt before. But Emma may not be at all what she seems. And what’s raging between them is pure animal instinct – out of control, burning wild and as hot as the lick of a flame.

Thoughts

Jake is kind of an idiot. And an ass. And it took me longer to read this novel than any of the other Feehan stories so far because he was kind of painful. But I absolutely adored and loved Emma. She was sweet and caring. Soft and nurturing. Yet she didn’t let Jake push her around and found her own ways to work with his little peeves.

I enjoy the paranormal romance genre, although sometimes it does hit my feminist bone. And this one certainly set it off. Which probably has a lot to do with the fact that Jake was a possessive, obsessive douche. At the end of the story, I certainly softened to him. And at the beginning I felt sorry for him. But during the middle? It was hard to like him. It felt a little too overbearing, and I know that if I was placed in a position with such a man, I wouldn’t be okay with it. But, as always, Feehan was able to write in such a way that I became engaged in and enthralled with the relationship anyway.

This is the first of all the stories that incorporates motherhood and children into the tale. And it made a much softer counterpoint to Jake’s tale and childhood. The two children and Emma are so incredibly beautiful. And reading about their lives together and the joys of day to day living is just… nice. It makes all the darkness that this story carries somehow less. And in doing so, let me completely sink into the storyline and be swept away by the passion and love that drives the tale.

 <- Wild Rain ReviewWild Fire Review ->
Image source: Christine Feehan

Wild Rain by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Wild RainTitle: Wild Rain
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: The Leopard People #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: Why would someone be so intent on killing you?

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Synopsis

What has she done? With a new identity, a staged death, and a chance to flee the treachery that stalks her, Rachael has escaped from a faceless assassin. Now, thousands of miles from home, under the lush canopy of the rain forest, she’s found sanctuary.

Where can she hide? In this world teeming with unusual creatures walks the most exotic of them all. His name is Rio. A native of the forest imbued with a fierce prowess, he is something to be desired. Possessed of secrets of his own, he is something to be feared.

Whom can she trust? But as Rachael’s past looms as oppressively as the heat of the forest, and as Rio unleashes the secret animal instincts that course through his blood, Rachael fears that her isolated haven has become an inescapable hell…

Thoughts

I guessed that Rachael was somehow involved in gangs or something illegal through her family from the very first chapter. But that didn’t take away from the fact that her fleeing for her life was incredibly intense and even a little scary. I was even completely drawn in, wondering how badly her enemies wanted her. There were moments that I wondered if it was all in her head, and others where I was a little convinced that the assassins would win. So I loved this extra stakes that Rachael’s storyline added to Wild Rain.

I read Christine Feehan for a bit of a romance / a lot of a lust kick. The addition of the paranormal aspects and her amazing talent just help to make these stories impossible to put down. And I honestly found it a little more difficult to get into The Awakening, even though I liked the general premise of the storyline. So I was really hoping that the relationship in this one would be a little more two-sided, both characters would have a little more give and take than Maggie and Brandt. And it provided!

Rio is an incredibly masculine character – but I like how gentle he is with Rachael and the love that shines through their actions. I also love the fact that she is able to stand up to him and throw him off balance. It was this dynamic of constantly making each other a little ill at ease that really made me fall in love with this story. The idea of everything taking place in a rainforest and with leopard shapeshifters just made everything all the more engaging and interesting.

 <- The Awakening Review Burning Wild Review ->
Image source: Kobo

The Awakening by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The AwakeningTitle: The Awakening
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: The Leopard People #1
In: Fantasy (Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly & Elda Minger)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Animagus, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: And he wanted.

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Synopsis

Under the blazing heat of the Borneo sun, a beautiful naturalist’s dream comes true–to live among the feral jungle creatures. But an untamed, irresistible beast of another sort forces her to explore her own wild side.

Thoughts

This is the beginning of my second Christine Feehan series. And I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I loved that this was a lot edgier and a little harsher than the Drake Sisters series. And the people in this are a lot more isolated. But it was a great introduction to a whole new world and set of characters. I loved the setting amongst the Borneo rainforest and the sense of eerie mystery that surrounded Maggie and Brandt’s courtship.

Although I liked this story, I really didn’t love it. Brandt was incredibly possessive and a little creepy from the get go. And although Maggie continuously felt prepared to rile against him, she didn’t quite make it. She always succumbed to him at the last moment and let him get away with his high-handedness. In the end, it worked out to be quite a sweet tale, but that was only because they found their equilibrium. The end was great, but the middle made me want to smack him for being a possessive a-hole.

I love the idea of leopard shapeshifters and can’t wait to see how these people all manage to find their mates. Plus, the setting is the most fun and engaging one I’ve read in a long time.

 <- Leopard’s Run Review Wild Rain Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Ocean Light by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Ocean Light

Title: Ocean Light
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity #2, Psy-Changeling #17
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: They are the enemy of peace, of unity, or Trinity.

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR NALINI SINGH DIVES BENEATH THE SURFACE OF HER PSY-CHANGELING WORLD INTO A STORY OF PASSIONATE DEVOTION AND SELFLESS LOVE…

Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there’s a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment – taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he’s at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling…

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won’t hide the facts of Bo’s condition from him or herself. She’s suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret that Bo could never imagine…

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back – even if it means striking a devil’s bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy.

Thoughts

I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for this to come out…. And once it finally arrived, well, I read it in less than 24 hours. It was just like every other book in this series, amazing, sweet and impossible to put down.

Kaia is so damaged, and yet caring and tender. I love that as her past unfolds, you can understand why she’s quite standoffish. But it’s her ability to care and love that truly shines through. There’s a reason why whenever things are going to hell in a handbasket in my own life, I pursue stories such as this – with Singh’s Psy-Changeling world there is always a happy ending. And a character like Kaia who is able to overcome everything in her past and be purely good. The fact that she is a dominant maternal, unlike any of the other changelings in the entire series just made the cockles of my heart warm all the more.

Silver Silence ended with Bo being shot. And although he’s had some kind of shady moments throughout the series, I was completely taken away and a little horrified. He’s an incredibly key character to the large overarching tale that ties all of the many Psy-Changeling stories together and I just couldn’t imagine how the trinity would work without him. Luckily, Singh obviously created him to be like this, because he didn’t die, he was just put into a top secret medical facility. Although in past books Bo has just been an amazing ally (and in some cases potential enemy), he didn’t seem like much more to me before Ocean Light. Then I fell just as madly in love with him as every other character that has had their tale told.

Other than the amazing love story and tale of conspiracy created by the resistance to the Trinity, Ocean Light also introduces the world of BlackSea. An underwater realm full of swimming changelings and mystery. Now I want another tale of the changelings of BlackSea to come out… it looks like I’ll just have to wait a little while until it does.

 <- Silver SilenceWolf Rain ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Shifting Star by Vicki Pettersson

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Dark and Stormy KnightsTitle: Shifting Star
Author: Vicki Pettersson
Series: Signs of the Zodiac #4.6
In: Dark and Stormy Knights (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: She didn’t know if it was the small white lie or her tears dropping to his face that did the trick, but his eyes fluttered open long enough to reveal recognition touching his gaze.

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Synopsis

Star is newly human, but it takes her awhile to figure out what this entails – both the hope, the loss and the joy of being alive crash together as she races to save some young girls.

Thoughts

There is always a problem with reading short story collections, and that is finding a series that you really want to buy. This was one such series, and a series that some of the books don’t seem so easy to get my hands on. The fact that this is a bit darker than the other stories in Dark and Stormy Knights and I really loved the change in pace and genre.

Star is newly human (or physical, I’m still kind of fuzzy on the details of this) and there’s a great flirtation within the first few moments. Yet, I love how she is still so completely obviously closed off from the world around her. The potential doesn’t unfold until much later in the story, and as Star’s relationship blooms, the stakes become higher and higher.

I didn’t love the ending to this. Until I got the message in it. And now I kind of can’t stop thinking about what it was saying – that whole idea of living life to the full and what not worked brilliantly well. And now I can’t wait for the novels to arrive at my door…

 <- Beknighted Review Rookwood and Mrs. King Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Silver Silence by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Silver Silence

Title: Silver Silence
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #16, Psy-Changeling Trinity #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: At least I don’t lose to ten-year-old ponies from Tajikistan.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her extraordinary Psy-Changeling world with a story of wild passion and darkest betrayal…

Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence – her mind clear of all emotion – Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That’s what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious… and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.

Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed…

Thoughts

The conclusion of the first season of the Psy-Changeling series was brilliant. It tied of arcs, but also helped to introduce new characters and changeling packs. The idea of changeling bears especially appealed to me, and Silver Silence finally introduces one of these stubborn creatures was thoroughly enjoyable. The fact that he is partnered with button down and deadly Silver Mercant from Kaleb’s domain just makes it all the better.

I love the stubbornness and overbearing (haha, get it?) attitudes of the bears are exactly what I imagine a large and unconventional family would feel like. I love the emphasis which Singh places on the importance of family throughout the entire series. The way that this weirdly echoes in Silver’s family is kind of fun. Although there is the idea that there is a complete lack of similarities between the two, there are so many fun similarities. They highlight the importance of loyalty and love in family. And the fact that no matter what, you don’t turn your back on those that love you. Ultimately, this is put to the test in Valentin and Silver’s relationship. And, even though I expect the couples’ happily ever after in Singh’s books, I actually doubted it for a little while. And that new twist was a refreshing change.

I’ve heard many theories about how the powerful encourage war and mayhem – it makes more money. This new Psy-Changeling tale brings this idea into the light and I can’t wait to see how this idea progresses. Silver and Valentin might be on the road to finding their place in the world, but what about the rest of the characters? What about the rest of the Psy-Changeling world and the future of their children? It’s going to be such an amazing journey!

<- Allegiance of HonourOcean Light ->

Image source: Goodreads

Allegiance of Honour by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Allegiance of Honour

Title: Allegiance of Honour
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #15, Psy-Changeling Season One #15
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: However, not only were her skills as a cook dismal, she had nothing on how sexy Lucas looked while cooking.

Synopsis

The ‘unparalleled romantic adventure’ of Nalini Singh’s New York Times bestselling series continues as a new dawn begins for the Psy-Changeling world…

The Psy-Changeling world has undergone a staggering transformation and now stands at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: old enemies. New allies. Wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten and threatens to shatter Trinity from wihtin at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: a child who is both Psy… and changeling.

To find the lost, protect the vulnerable and save Trinity no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honour even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

Thoughts

The Psy-Changeling series is one of my favourites because although you are constantly revisiting the characters that you love, each book is about a new couple. It is a new love story and each time my heart threatens to burst with the hope and joy of love. It’s also a little frustrating at times, because there are certain characters that you fall in love with, and then only get fleeting glimpses of them throughout the rest of the series. Allegiance of Honour kind of helps with this. Although the main arc of the “first season” finishes with Shards of Hope, Allegiance of Honour revisits every single couple from the series. Including those who are only in short stories and novellas.

Not only is revisiting all of my favourite characters thoroughly enjoyable, but it ties in the complex web that you catch glimpses of throughout the rest of the series. Every character has had a happily ever after, in a way. But, there are still battles to be fought (and run). It creates such a multi-dimensional, and thoroughly enjoyable world. If this was the end of a series, I’d be happy. It revisits much loved storylines, shows how far all of the characters have come and lets them float off into the sunset. The fact that it’s not, it’s just the end of this chapter of the story just makes me immensely and insanely happy. And excited for the storylines to come…

<- Shards of HopeSilver Silence ->

Image source: Hachette Australia