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Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock #1)

by Faith Hunter (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · rating details · 3,450 ratings · 327 reviews

First in a brand new series from the author of the rogue mage novels

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind-a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she's been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie's Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire ...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published July 7th 2009 by Roc (first published May 22nd 2009)

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Feb 01, 2012

Leyoh rated it

Just so you know, I hate myself when I do this but I just cannot read this book any longer. I feel as though I'm punishing myself for something I haven't even done yet and I'm certain what ever it is I am yet to do is not that bad!

The premise of a badass skin walking detective solving mysteries for vamps and other supernatural beings in the south of America was alluring but ultimately deceptive. The descriptive prose was tiresome, her progress on the mission dragged, there were constan...more

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Nov 28, 2010

Alisha rated it

Quick Take: I wasn't bowled over by this story, but overall it was enjoyable. The protagonist is unique and striking, despite nominal comparisons to other urban fantasy heroines.

Okay, so I told myself right at the beginning of this book not to compare this character to two other seemingly similar UF protagonists: Janet Begay of the Stormwalker books, or Mercy Thompson of the Mercedes Thompson books. For the most part this was easy to do, as Jane Yellowrock's similarities only go as f...moreQuick Take: I wasn't bowled over by this story, but overall it was enjoyable. The protagonist is unique and striking, despite nominal comparisons to other urban fantasy heroines.

Okay, so I told myself right at the beginning of this book not to compare this character to two other seemingly similar UF protagonists: Janet Begay of the Stormwalker books, or Mercy Thompson of the Mercedes Thompson books. For the most part this was easy to do, as Jane Yellowrock's similarities only go as far as the Native American heritage and general badassitude. And maybe the affinity for super-cool automobiles. ^_^

Jane's particular brand of "badazz" behavior is less of the fun/comedic sort, and more no-nonsense. She's perfectly capable of the occasional snarky remark, but she's aware that smart-alec comments--amongst so many ruthless characters--are the quickest way to get injured or dead. Janet's also quite mysterious, since she has almost no memories from her life before the age of 12. Why is this so? Well, it has a lot to with a soul that shares Janet's body…a second consciousness referred to as Beast.

Having this first-person co-protagonists-in-a-shared-body setup certainly was interesting…it's not a frequent occurrence, that's for sure. But the dynamic did take some getting used to. This is because the emergence of Beast brings along very basic, beast-like thought processes replete with telegraphic phrases and elementary representations of complex concepts. It felt very stark, almost overly so…it's sort of reminiscent of beat poetry. However, I slowly got used to it (and I think the author slightly softened the narrative device over time).

The book was was enjoyable overall, but I must admit that it was not the most memorable affair for me. I just didn't form an attachment to anything. Not the protagonist, not the potential love interests (but I thought they were cads, so maybe that's a contributing factor ^_^). And I wasn't really bowled over by the climax and resolution of the tale. But there were bits of plot that seemed promising, and some character dynamics that were interesting: Jane's relationship with best-friend Molly and Molly's daughter, for instance.

Having said everything above, I do in fact wish to read the next book in the series. There were many moments where I thought to myself, "ooh, this looks promising…" which is a promising occurrence in and of itself. ^_^ The setting (New Orleans) was warm and familiar yet fresh; the supernatural world seemed intriguingly complex; and there is still much to discover about Jane's character and background. I look forward to further exploration of all of those things.(less)

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Aug 29, 2011

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" rated it

Recommends it for: Female lead UF enthusiasts

Recommended to Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" by: Deva

Shelves: shapeshifter, urban-fantasy, kickbutt-heroine, vampire, set-in-new-orleans, set-in-louisiana, all-things-summer-challenge, heroine-i-loved, owned-copy, character-multi-ethnic-heritage, character-diversity, native-american, native-american-folklore, 2011-reading

Skinwalker was a good introduction to the world of Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker. She knew little about her past, only that she was part Cherokee, and that she could shift into the form of animals. And that she shared her consciousness with the soul of an animal, who she called Beast. Jane makes a living as rogue vampire hunter, and she's very good. Now she's in New Orleans, hired by a prominent vampire who happens to run a prostitution house. And this job is going to a very complicated one. ...moreSkinwalker was a good introduction to the world of Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker. She knew little about her past, only that she was part Cherokee, and that she could shift into the form of animals. And that she shared her consciousness with the soul of an animal, who she called Beast. Jane makes a living as rogue vampire hunter, and she's very good. Now she's in New Orleans, hired by a prominent vampire who happens to run a prostitution house. And this job is going to a very complicated one.

Jane is a very likable main character, which is a real must in urban fantasy. You want someone who you will want to come back to visit with in a series, who can kick some serious butt, but isn't annoying. That's Jane. She's tough and a smart aleck, but she's also soft in some ways. I liked how she felt so warm and fuzzy toward her friend's daughter, and how she cares about people. She has her strong opinions, but she is open-minded enough to think outside of her prejudices. I also liked that while she doesn't sleep around, she can appreciate a good looking man, and there are quite a few of them in this book. I have to say I am not enamored of Rick, who Beast seems to like just fine. I liked Bruiser (Jane's nickname for George), who is the blood servant for one of the most prominent male vamps (and he wasn't shabby either). Yeah, there was a lot of man candy in this book. (Reflects back on reading this book with a silly grin on her face) Where was I? Oh....

I am a bit bored with vampires, although I do and will read a good vampire story. I actually liked the vampire elements in this book. I do like the whole vampire society and politics aspect, and it was well-done here. I actually learned the difference between a blood servant and a blood slave, right along with Jane. I thought the vampire ritual that was enacted upon a gravely wounded vampire was very interesting. I liked that the vampires in this story respond to Christian holy symbols, such as the cross and holy water, along with silver.

Along with the vampire mythology, and more importantly, the shapeshifter aspects struck me as very interesting. Jane actually has to think about scientific concepts when she shifts. She has to account for her mass in comparison with the animal she is taking the shape of. She also has to eat a lot of food to fuel her shifts, even raw meat in animal form (yuck). As a scientist, I appreciated this. I thought Beast's viewpoint added an intriguing element to this story. At first, it was hard to read, since her thoughts are very simple sentences, conveying sensation mainly. After a while, I got the hang of things, and I really liked seeing the world through Beast's eyes. It's also interesting how she sometimes wrestles Jane for control of her body, and the reasons for that are complicated and add another layer to this story.

New Orleans as a setting never fails to enthrall me. It's such a fascinating, mysterious city, rich with history, and ripe with uncanny energies that make it a great place to set a supernatural novel of any type. It's clear that this Ms. Hunter loves this city, and she brings it life with a loving touch in this story, showing both the elegant beauty, the rich cultural aspects, and the seediness that lurks below the gaudy exterior. I can almost believe that New Orleans is run by ancient vampires, with their own intricate society, forming an intrinsic foundation for the infrastructure of this old, beautiful lady of a city.

By far, my favorite element of this story was Jane's Cherokee heritage. I found this very fascinating and I feel like Ms. Hunter did a good job bringing this to life. I liked that Jane is a heroine who is of color, of an ethnic heritage we don't often get to see in a main character. And it adds necessary depth and texture to this story, since that forms a very important part of the overall plot, part of Jane's journey, and a significant part of the mystery element in this novel.

I was very satisfied with Skinwalker. I will definitely be following this series (which is good since I have the next two books). I think Jane is a great main lead, and I like pretty much everything about this first book in the Jane Yellowrock series, the skinwalker elements, Beast's personality, Jane's Cherokee heritage, and the action and sometimes horrific urban fantasy elements. They all combined to make a very enjoyable read that distinguishes itself nicely from the other urban fantasy novel series. Recommended.(less)

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Aug 17, 2010

Barbara rated it

Shelves: paranormal-shifters, 2009, paranormal-vampires, setting-louisiana

I'd like to give this book a 3.5 but I can't so I upped it cause it's definitely better than a 3.

Jane Yellowrock, Cherokee skinwalker plus (even Jane doesn't know what), is a rather unlikable heroine. She's standoffish and really unfriendly except with the men. Those she likes plenty but more of a cock tease than anything else. I got vibes of an Anita Blake wannabe while reading this - the whole sexual thing (though Anita puts out while Jane doesn't).

I liked Rick even ...more

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Nov 28, 2011

Lady Jaye rated it

Shelves: f-urban-fantasy, pb-vampires, kindle, new-to-me-author, owned, part-of-a-series, really-liked-it, magic, read-in-2011, stars-4, pb-werewolves-or-shapeshifters

This one surprised me in a really good way.

For the first 30% or so, I was not impressed. At all. I didn't like Jane and her ways, I thought the characters were bland and uninteresting, I was irritated by the chapters featuring 'Beast,' I thought the plot was boring, and I couldn't read more than a few pages at a time.

Then one day, after weeks of not touching the book, I pick it up again, read on for a while, same-old, same-old, and then it happened like magic!

...more

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Jul 20, 2009

Anita rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy, kindle

This was my first Faith Hunter book and I was pleasantly surprised. I admit I was a bit turned off when I first saw the title, mainly because there are so many other novels out there with the same. Yes ... I admit, I am guilty of judging a book by it's cover. Well ... in this case the title because I read it on Kindle.

The story had a nice pace, some interesting twists and turns and it kept the gratuitous sex and romance to a minimum ... which means the author had to actually writ...more

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Apr 09, 2011

Donna rated it

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Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2011-read, favorite-series, kindle

Jane Yellowrock has become my newest book heroine, I rank her up there with Mercy Thompson and Kate Daniels. Jane Yellowrock character is vulnerable on the inside but hides behind bravado, a strong show of sarcasm and wit. She also calls them like she see them, and that including giving people she meets instant nicknames, which were good for a few laughs for example one character who looked like he belonged in the WWF so Jane called WWF instead of by his real name. The most appealing characteris...moreJane Yellowrock has become my newest book heroine, I rank her up there with Mercy Thompson and Kate Daniels. Jane Yellowrock character is vulnerable on the inside but hides behind bravado, a strong show of sarcasm and wit. She also calls them like she see them, and that including giving people she meets instant nicknames, which were good for a few laughs for example one character who looked like he belonged in the WWF so Jane called WWF instead of by his real name. The most appealing characteristic about Jane is that she is a strong woman whose compassionate with a free-spirit personality. She is someone you'd want to get to know.

As you can tell from my description of Jane, the main draw for me while reading Skinwalker was the main character but the other characters were just as interesting. Skinwalker was a character driven story whose characters are colorful, easily recognizable and associated with real people. A character driven novel will almost always grab my attention but with Skinwalker I got the added bonus of the dark, gritty (may be an overused word in urban fantasy but fits perfect here) and fascinating world building also. Faith Hunter was able to describe and give atmosphere the book’s setting in New Orleans, you could almost smell the food, hear the soulful Jazz on in the French Quarter and feel the wet heat that it's know for.

The mystery in Skinwalker was so tight and elusive, I was left guessing until the end as to who was the rogue. I was so immensely curious about Jane and finding out who was the rogue, that Skinwalker was constantly on my mind when I wasn’t reading it. And the rogue was one scary dude. And I do mean scary, he crosses all lines into being a terrifyingly evil villain.

There are hints at some possible future romances but nothing concrete with the story’s main focus on getting know Jane and her interesting past, learning with her as she deals with her love/hate relationship with her dual souls, a panther she calls the Beast, while tracking the rogue.

I'll have to admit that the beginning of this book, it took some getting use to the inner dialog between Jane and the Beast. Eventually I fell into the flow of it and was able to follow their dialogs, I ended up enjoying the flow of the writing style.

This is actually a post-review after reading the other books in the series. Skinwalker was such a terrific read that I immediately launched into reading the next two books out so far in this series. After reading those, I'm of the opinion that the Jane Yellowrock series is a must for readers of urban fantasy, an absolute must read.(less)

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Dec 25, 2011

Artem rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I generally enjoy kick ass heroines.I also enjoy kick ass heroines with weird/mysterious pasts. Jane Yellowrock fits both of these descriptions.

She is a bit too serious so she's no Kate Daniels or Mercy Thompson but her other consciousness is a bit fun. The only problem that I have with this book is too much man eye candy. And none of them actually pop or show any real potential. Having seen a recommendation from Kim Harrison on the cover I can only hope that this does not end up lik...more

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Dec 13, 2011

Jackie rated it

Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

I had not heard of Faith Hunter till I read in C E Murphy’s News Letter that she had written with Faith Hunter a novella combining her Joanne Walker, Shaman-from the Walker Papers Series, with Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker. They are both to work together on a ‘case’, in Slim Pickings. This incited me to have a peek at the books of Faith Hunter, as I am a huge fan of C E Murphy.

The first book in the Jane Yellowrock series, Skinwalker...moreSkinwalker by Faith Hunter

I had not heard of Faith Hunter till I read in C E Murphy’s News Letter that she had written with Faith Hunter a novella combining her Joanne Walker, Shaman-from the Walker Papers Series, with Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker. They are both to work together on a ‘case’, in Slim Pickings. This incited me to have a peek at the books of Faith Hunter, as I am a huge fan of C E Murphy.

The first book in the Jane Yellowrock series, Skinwalker was soon ordered and I have read it almost in one sitting, as I enjoyed it so much. It is so exciting to discover a new series (book 2 will be started today and book 3 is winging it’s way to me!)

Jane is a skinwalker, as far as she knows, as she was found wandering at around 12 years of age, with no speech or manners, nothing to indicate where she had come from or from whom. She can however change into any creature, and this gives her the extra edge needed in her job – vampire hunter. She has no memories of her early years, but when she is ‘the beast’ she sometimes feels she is on the edge of a memory, and she really wants to know what and who she is. It is very exciting when near the end of the book, she slowly begins to get more memories.

This novel concerns a job she has taken on in New Orleans for Katherine, one of the oldest vampires in the area and owner of a bordello. There is a rogue vampire on the loose and they want him caught and disposed of as he is bringing too much attention to the Vampires in the city. The time the novel is set in, vampires are in the open, as are witches (Jane’s best friend is an Earth Witch), but their place in society is still new and uncertain, so they really cannot have a rogue kill both vampires and humans.

We learn about the vampire society, and how it works, the different Houses in New Orleans. She befriends the usual gorgeous guy, but it is nice to have one around, however, Rick is a little more complex than she at first thinks. Jane also strikes up relationships with some of the human servants of the vampires as she begins to gather information to help her to hunt.

I found the characters in this book to be immediately interesting and I wanted to know more about them. I was enthralled when Jane ‘changed’ and the constant battle raged with her and ‘the beast’, and despite a few red herrings I did not guess the outcome.

I really enjoyed this novel, and I am going straight to book 2, and I shall certainly have a look at her other series. If you have read and loved the novels by C E Murphy, you will love this. If you like the supernatural, vampires, witches, shape shifters, you will love this.
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Nov 29, 2011

Quinky rated it

Skinwalker was recommended to me because I like Kate Daniels series. Overall it was a good read. Interesting setting, and easy to read writing style with the exception of when Jane turned into Beast (but you'll get used to it). I do have a few problems with Jane though. The clue is right there like a carrot on a stick but she just left it and went about other things. It's making me think she's not very smart, I would've followed the so called clue the next day straight away if I were her. When I...more

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Sep 16, 2011

Kiki rated it

Shelves: vampire, shapeshifter, fantasy, urban

Beast shares Jane's skin. She is a constant voice in the life of Jane and traditionally, takes the form of different sized cats. Whenever Jane shifts, Beast takes control. I love the constant voice of Beast in Jane's head and vice versa.

Jane is descended from a Cherokee tribe of skinwalkers and can turn into anything. But since Beast is feline, she usually changes into a cat, with Beast always hoping to be Big Cat. In her childhood something tragic either destroyed Jane's tribe or irr...more

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Sep 15, 2011

Mackenzie rated it

Shelves: vampire-paranormal

I was actually a little, okay, a lot annoyed at the beginning of this book. When I see BOOK 1, I think it's actually the BEGINNING of a series. It seems to me that the Jane Yellowrock series actually started in an anthology called Strange Brew where her best friend Molly and her go hunting vampires together. Skinwalker, from what I can tell, takes place after this short story and for the first third of the book, I really struggled with the details of Jane's character. Was she this way BEFORE...moreI was actually a little, okay, a lot annoyed at the beginning of this book. When I see BOOK 1, I think it's actually the BEGINNING of a series. It seems to me that the Jane Yellowrock series actually started in an anthology called Strange Brew where her best friend Molly and her go hunting vampires together. Skinwalker, from what I can tell, takes place after this short story and for the first third of the book, I really struggled with the details of Jane's character. Was she this way BEFORE the short story, or did the story change her just enough??? or???? Hating to not finish a book though, I pushed on and I admit, I am really glad I did.

The further you go into the book, the better it gets. I love the other characters that are in the book. I love the fact that vampires can be emotional and can slip out of control quickly. I enjoyed their edginess mixed with otherworldlyness . I enjoyed the New Orleans setting. I loved learning about the vampire - human servant relationship. Although Jane is cold to me, the author really figured out how to make it all work.

As a skinwalker, Jane has never met any other of her kind. I enjoyed the revelations of Jane and the animal spirit whom she calls as Beast inside her. I like the sharing that occurs, although when Beast first appears on the scene, it took me time to get used to Beast's point of view/voice. Beast is quite a character all on her own however and the relationship together which was revealed through the writing is what kept me turning the pages faster and faster. I also appreciate that Jane is an actual woman who likes a little girly-ness every once in a while, but can still kick ass when she needs to, who doesn't steal all the spotlight, and who *gasp* can actually make a mistake.

Jane's investigation into the rogue vampire felt genuine. It took TIME to having it all click into place and the details weren't handed out on a silver platter. I enjoyed the fact that Jane really had to work at finding out "who done it". Leo, Blood Master of the City, is a great character and I enjoyed his role. Very vampy, yet had that feel of realness to him as well.

Rick and "Bruiser" George seems to be the "love interests" currently in Jane's life and although she finds them attractive, she doesn't jump in bed with them upon first meeting. I appreciate her control of her emotions in this case and doesn't leap and then think later.

Although I often appreciate a good description of the setting, an item of interest, a certain situation, the details in this book when on and on and I found myself after awhile sort of skimming the descriptive paragraphs until we got back to the story once again.

All in all, after the story really got going, I found myself immersed and intrigued with Jane and her world and all who lived in it. By the time I ended book one, I was all ready to start book 2 and continue the adventure. (less)

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Sep 08, 2011

J9 rated it

In Faith Hunter's new series, Skinwalker she introduces the reader to the world of a skinwalker, an individual born with the ability to change into multiple animal forms.

Jane Yellowrock, vampire hunter, Cherokee, skinwalker and past unknown. She has been hired by the Vampire Council of New Orleans to find and kill and rouge Vampire. Jane knows that trouble is heading her way if the council is unable to take out this rouge, but Jane knows that she can handle herself even if the vampir...moreIn Faith Hunter's new series, Skinwalker she introduces the reader to the world of a skinwalker, an individual born with the ability to change into multiple animal forms.

Jane Yellowrock, vampire hunter, Cherokee, skinwalker and past unknown. She has been hired by the Vampire Council of New Orleans to find and kill and rouge Vampire. Jane knows that trouble is heading her way if the council is unable to take out this rouge, but Jane knows that she can handle herself even if the vampire can't place just what she is. This means that the council is trying to keep an extra eye on Jane, as she cannot be trusted and her ability to disappear while they are watching is very disconcerting to them. But Jane is not about to trust the Vampire in this town either or the man (the Joe) who seems to be following her around. Jane knows that the Vampire Council is not telling her everything, this rouge does not smell right and why are they so afraid of it. Jane may need to watch her back as it seems that no one in this town can be trusted and she may have bit off more than she can chew...

I enjoyed this book and it was able to keep me entertained. Not going to lie (and it may be counter to some recent reviews I have written0, I like Jane but part of the main reason is that she is a motorcycle riding and shot gun toting girl. I happen to love motorcycles, I think more books need motorcycles in them, lol, I guess that is just my thing. Jane is basically part of the typical Kickass vampire hunter female protagonist that is very common within the paranormal genre. However, there are different aspects with in this book, and personally my favorite part of the book was Hunters introduction to Beast.
Beast is it's own entity, with it's own thoughts feelings and has the ability to make decisions. The Beast is not hindered to one form, as long as Jane has a piece of an animal but Beast prefers a black panther. I believe that this is the best aspect within this book. The interaction between Jane and her Beast is what sets this book apart from others. The book has a pretty good storyline, but nothing too new within it, but it Hunter's imagination on this one aspect that was really able to really hold my attention. I enjoyed how in Human form Jane determined what was right and wrong, but when Beast was in charge it had control and often there was a battle between the two as to right and wrong (talk about multiple personalities). Hunter also did a good job in showing the difference between when Jane was in control and when Beast was in control. When Jane was in control it was a normal Human decision making process, but when Beast was in control it was more primal and animalistic thought process. As I said above it is this aspect that makes Skinwalker different from other novels, and gives it the reader something new to contemplate and discover about.

I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading paranormal books that are more about action and mystery than romance (as there is no romance in this book) and for someone who enjoys a kickass heroine but is looking for something with a different edge.

Enjoy!(less)

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Aug 18, 2011

Emma rated it

I really wanted to like this book, I had just finished the Mercy Thompson series and I think I had hopped this character would be similar. I just couldn't connect Jane. She is too aggressive, too weapon and motorbike obsessed and the inner beast struggles were a bit to jumpy for me. Also, who actually has THAT much problem with authority? Her main love interests also came across just as much as bogan meat heads as Jane did which didn't help it along all that much...

The writing style of...more

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Aug 14, 2011

Megan rated it

Shelves: 2011-read-and-re-read, ebook, uf-and-pnr, spec-fic-sf-fantasy-horror

Skinwalker is a great first book in a series that I'm definitely going to add to my "must read" list. Lots of action with a kick-ass heroine - and a tremendous amount of gore. But when you're tracking down organ-eating rogue vampires, it's hard not to spill a little (copious amounts actually) blood.

Yellowrock is an interesting twist on the UF heroine. She's a shapeshifter, but not a were, as well as sharing consciousness with Beast - the two are aware of each other, using...more

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Aug 01, 2011

Mlle. X rated it

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, heroine-can-kick-ass

I got a sample of this book, the first chapter or so, and after reading it I almost didn't continue. The heroine has to pass through an extensive security check, and after being divested of a collection of weapons that could keep an arms dealer in business for about a month she has an ace in the hole: a gun hidden in the coils of her very long hair. I just didn't buy that even a very small gun could be hidden in her hair. It was supposed to be a really powerful example of how clever our heroine ...moreI got a sample of this book, the first chapter or so, and after reading it I almost didn't continue. The heroine has to pass through an extensive security check, and after being divested of a collection of weapons that could keep an arms dealer in business for about a month she has an ace in the hole: a gun hidden in the coils of her very long hair. I just didn't buy that even a very small gun could be hidden in her hair. It was supposed to be a really powerful example of how clever our heroine is, but instead I concluded that the author didn't think things through very well. I kept picturing it in my head, and it didn't work. Plus, with the kind of extensive security set up at this place...why not buy a metal detector? Argh.

Anyway, moving on. I kept reading, and it turns out the first chapter was the worst in the book, for me at least. I still rolled my eyes a little at how over-the-top it all was; Jane Yellowrock is one of those people whose bark is worse than her bite. Not because she doesn't have a bite; she can be violent and ruthless. Just that her bark says, "I eat babies for breakfast, puppies for lunch, and YOU for dinner," while her bite says, "I get the job done and can take care of myself." A lot of other characters in the novel complain that Jane acts like a teenager - you know the type, rebellious and rude for the fun of it - and she really does have an attitude problem.

Jane was born a skinwalker, a human being capable of taking on the shape of any other animal. I really liked the rules and limitations surrounding her ability, as well; she needs bones from the animal she's shifting into in order to "find the snake inside" - its DNA - and make the shift. It's a slow and painful process, so she has to pick a form and stick with it - once she's gotten into a fight, it's too late. And while she can transform into a creature that's bigger or smaller than she is, she needs ready access to stone so that she can absorb or dump the difference in mass. In short, Jane has an amazing ability - and the checks and balances surrounding its use make her decisions about it really fascinating.

What really saved SKINWALKER for me was Beast, the animal soul who lives inside her. Beast is only really happy when Jane transforms into a mountain lion, at which point Jane's consciousness fades to the background and Beast's rises to the fore. They are not two aspects of one personality; they are two creatures sharing a body. When Beast is dominant, the book is narrated in her voice - choppy, animalistic, confident. All numbers higher than five appear in Beast's thoughts as..."more-than-five." It's both funny and engaging. Their uneasy partnership was what pulled me through the novel, kept me turning pages. It's what got me rooting for the book and for Jane.

One really satisfying thing about SKINWALKER as a novel is that a lot of books, especially if it's the first in a series, will dangle a mysterious origin story in front of the reader and hold off on any answers. In SKINWALKER, we get to find out what the deal is between Jane and Beast. I felt almost spoiled to get so many of the answers I craved.

I also really, really liked the way that Hunter described her vampires. They're not just predatory beasts; they're reasonable, often humane creatures. They form deep emotional bonds with their human servants, who keep the vampires sane through bonds of love and affection. On the other hand, they're nicely vampiric: they drink blood often, they'll use glamour to convince a delicious-looking human to offer up blood or sex, and they can be very casual about feudal behavior and violence. We find out a little about the vampire origin story, and it looks like there's an intriguing and solid explanation for the vampires' complex behavior.

Well, there's plenty of nitpicking to do, but the core of the novel is good. I even got to like Jane, bad attitude and all. I'd give this book 3.5 stars - it's perfectly poised between "it's ok," and "hey, I really like this." I'll probably pick up the next book to see how it goes, so on that count I'm rounding up.
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Feb 08, 2011

Kyami rated it

Shelves: favorites, strong-female-heroine, shapeshifter, urban-fantasy, vampire, jane-yellowrock-series

When I picked up the first of the series, Skinwalker, I thought, 'nice book'. But as I delved deeper, it reminded me more like a wine tasting, there was so much more in the glass. Nice wine, with subtle hints of oak, cherry, smoke. The series is a little different in that you need to read two shorts, one on her website called Kits, and one in the anthology Strangebrew to really get up to speed. Though not entirely necessary, it helps.

When I picked it up, I couldn't put it down until ...more

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Feb 06, 2011

Tracy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

~* 4.5 Stars *~
Wow! What a great kick off to a fresh new series!

Jane Yellowrock is a Skinwalker, a shamanistic, Native American shape-changer, and as far as she knows, the only one left of her kind. That she's also dual-souled, and shares a body with Beast, a mountain lion and a predator of the first order, makes Jane unique even among other Skinwalkers. She uses her skills to hunt rogue vampires, and while she's made a name for herself at her job, she's just taken a contract o...more

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Jan 15, 2011

Noémie rated it

Je tenais tout d'abord à remercier Olivier des editions Eclipse pour m'avoir fait découvrir ce roman.
Au premier abord, ce livre semble être dans la continuité de tout les romans que l'on voit fleurir actuellement dans le genre bit-lit. Cependant si la couverture et le résumé ne vous attire pas , ne vous fiez pas aux apparences.
J'ai entamé ma lecture sans préjugés, j'avais juste une petite appréhension, me disant "bon en espérant que se soit original car les vampires c'est bien g...more

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Jan 12, 2011

Ithlilian rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I have been waiting to read Skinwalker for some time. It comes very highly recommended. Unfortunately, it didn't blow me away. I feel like Jane is pretty normal for a heroine. She doesn't have much that sets her apart from any other urban fantasy female lead, and that earned Skinwalker some big negative points. The American Indian theme has been used before, and it is not any more interesting in this book than it has been in others. The shapeshifter character is also not unique. Just because a n...more

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Dec 30, 2010

Karissa Eckert rated it

This is the first book in the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. Currently Hunter has three books sold in this series. The second book "Blood Cross" is due out on Jan 5 of 2010. I really, really loved this book. It was fast-paced action with a great world, great characters, and an interesting mythos behind Jane's character.

Jane Yellowrock is a Skinwalker, at least she thinks she is. She doesn't remember anything before her twelfth birthday and was raised in an Orphanag...moreThis is the first book in the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. Currently Hunter has three books sold in this series. The second book "Blood Cross" is due out on Jan 5 of 2010. I really, really loved this book. It was fast-paced action with a great world, great characters, and an interesting mythos behind Jane's character.

Jane Yellowrock is a Skinwalker, at least she thinks she is. She doesn't remember anything before her twelfth birthday and was raised in an Orphanage from that point on. She carries the Beast inside her and they dwell in harmony in one body. Her specific talents have lead her to hunting rogue vampires as a way to make a living. Her current assignment leads her to New Orleans to hunt a rogue that is taking out both humans and vampries alike. This time though, she may be in over her head, this vampire rogue is more than it seems. During the chase things get strange as she begins to regain memories from her past.

This is one fast paced novel. Jane is always on the go and there is a ton of action. The action scenes are very well done and, paired with Jane's humourous and sarcastic tone of voice, this book is a very fun read. All of the characters are very well-developed. There is a hint of sexual tension between both Jane and Leo (head vampire) as well as between Jane and Rick (a bad-boy who wanted the job that Jane got). Jane's a good girl at heart though and never lets things get out of hand with the boys. Really the things that made this book shine were Jane's unflappable personality and the tightly written action scenes; then there were the guns, the bikes, the dancing...all of those things made the book a fun and exciting read.

The plot was very well executed and very gripping. Definitely a page turner. I like the world that Hunter has created and hope that it is clarified better in the next novel. The writing style itself is very dense. If you miss a word you could miss something important; despite this it was a very quick read and hard to put down. If I have any complaints with this book it is a small gripe; I didn't like the writing style that Hunter used for the parts where Jane is Beast. I understood that she was trying to give Beast a distinct voice, but well, Beast sounded a bit like a savage or Barbarian and the halting writing style was tough to read at first. By the end of the book I got used to it, so I can't complain too much.

Will I read the next book? You betcha' I will. I am eager to learn the mystery behind Jane's past and to watch her further interactions with the residents of New Orleans. I think if you liked the early Anita Blake books, Jaz Parks, or Kate Daniels series you will get into this series. It focuses on the action and the mystery, not the romance, and was my type of book!(less)

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Oct 05, 2009

Natasha rated it

Skinwalker is the first novel in a new urban fantasy series by established fantasy writer Faith Hunter, author of the Rogue Mage series. Unlike the Rogue Mage books Skinwalker is set in current day America and follows the adventures of Jane Yellowrock, a vampire slaying Skinwalker who wants to collect the bounty to destroy a powerful rogue vampire that is terrorizing and killing both humans and his own kind in New Orleans.
What makes things interesting is that she is hired by those she h...more

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Jul 08, 2009

Schnaucl rated it

Shelves: fiction, july, owned, read_2009, series, urban_fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought this book was okay but nothing special. There's very little of the world building that makes Hunter's Rouge Mage books so interesting. The setting is basically present day New Orleans except that there are a lot of vampires and the occasional mage.

Jane is a rare Cherokee Skinwalker, something most people don't know exists, and she'd like to keep it that way. Some supernatural beings, like vampires, have come out, mostly because given today's technology it was getting t...moreI thought this book was okay but nothing special. There's very little of the world building that makes Hunter's Rouge Mage books so interesting. The setting is basically present day New Orleans except that there are a lot of vampires and the occasional mage.

Jane is a rare Cherokee Skinwalker, something most people don't know exists, and she'd like to keep it that way. Some supernatural beings, like vampires, have come out, mostly because given today's technology it was getting too difficult to stay hidden. Still, they are newly out and humans are still uneasy. The government has been known to take powerful mages or others into custody, never to be heard from again.

Jane's power allows her to take the shape of any creature whose DNA she can access, usually via a bone or tooth of the animal. At some point she managed to accidentally steal the soul of a panther, so now the panther's consciousness shares her body. She controls the shifting but generally she's a person by day and a panther by night. They can communicate with each other in the shared body, though sometimes the panther uses images instead of words.

Hunter also addresses the issue of mass. When Jane shifts into something smaller or larger than herself, she has to either borrow mass from rocks, or leave some of herself there.

One of my problems is that the concept isn't different enough from werewolves to make it feel like she's adding something new to the genre. And maybe part of my problem is that I generally don't find werewolves all that interesting. Nor do I care very much about the past Jane can't remember.

I figured out who the rouge vampire was pretty early in the book, not through clues but because I've read enough other books and watched enough TV to guess how it would play out, even if I didn't get the other part of the twist. I'm not entirely sure the twist works though. In order to take the place of the vampire, the shifter would have to absorb more than the shape. He'd have to have access to personality and memories as well, and aside from the panther who shares Jane's body, I never got the impression she remembered anything from the dead creature's past or took on their personality except for a limited ability to remember things.

I'll probably try the next book, but only because I'm a fan of Faith Hunter.(less)

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Dec 24, 2011

Donya rated it

Well, I got to say, I was surprised.

I've had this for quite a time, but hadn't have the chance to read it, and oh-boy did I regret not reading it earlier. I've read so many lousy, boring UF books that I had stopped reading for a while. I was recommended of this series because of Kate Daniel's series. So I sent a little prayer and hoped I wasn't tricked into another boring world.

Gladly, I wasn't. *Grin*

I don't know about you guys, but the cover isn't entra...more

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Nov 08, 2011

Michele Fogal rated it

It's about...
Shape shifters and vampires in New Orleans, Urban Fantasy
Reminded me a lot of the Mercy Thompson series, about a female "walker", yup same type of Native shape shifter of legend.

What I loved...
What a refreshing female lead! Super butch! Love her! Watching her turn men on, toy with them and then leave them hanging was spicy and such a great change from the wilting flower heroines I've been reading lately who's thoughts consist of a lot of "Do...more

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Jun 21, 2011

Sandra Dögg rated it

At first I wasn't sure about this book. I didn't really get sucked into it until I had finished 1/3 of the story, but from then on I couldn't put the book down. Jane Yellowrock is different from the kick-ass fantasy heroin I'm seeing in so many series these days. First of all she doesn't hop into bed with the first guy/vampire she meets. Also she has a more practical sense about her, she's there to do a job and she's intent and focused on finishing it. There isn't too much romance and drama in t...moreAt first I wasn't sure about this book. I didn't really get sucked into it until I had finished 1/3 of the story, but from then on I couldn't put the book down. Jane Yellowrock is different from the kick-ass fantasy heroin I'm seeing in so many series these days. First of all she doesn't hop into bed with the first guy/vampire she meets. Also she has a more practical sense about her, she's there to do a job and she's intent and focused on finishing it. There isn't too much romance and drama in this book ether which is very refreshing.

At first Jane reminded me a bit of Anita Blake, she doesn't like or really understand vampires and she's more likely to attack at the first sight of danger than wait around and see what happens. But as I read on I'm beginning to like Jane much more. Sure she's a bit standoffish, bad tempered and not always the most likable person. But as I got deeper into the book I started to like and understand her more and more.

Jane is an Cherokee, vampire hunter, skinwalker. Which means she can turn herself into any animal she wants, though preferably an animal with the same body mass as her. But what is unique about her other than being a skinwalker is that she shares a body with a giant lion who calls herself the Beast. What I like about the Beast is that she doesn't always listen to Jane, she has a mind and soul of her own. The author portrays Beast quit well, making her think and act more as an animal than human. Beast often gives an interesting view of things that Jane would never consider without her help.Jane doesn't know anything about her past in the beginning of the story, and its very interesting to get to know more about her as she starts to recover, what she thought was, her long lost memory.

I liked the other characters as well, they where well developed and interesting, I hope we'll learn more about them in the books to come. Jane liked to give some of them interesting nick names like Troll and Bruiser which was kinda amusing. There where a few guys who seemed to have some interest in her, like Rick, Bruiser/or George and Leo. (view spoiler)

So in all I enjoyed this book a lot and can't wait to read the next one. I recommend this book to everyone who like a good kick-ass female vampire hunter series. The general plot is very good and keeps you interested and guessing and it has some great twists on the way. (less)

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Jan 17, 2010

Jess rated it

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy

I really enjoyed this book. It seemed to take a little while for the action to get started and the story to get moving but once it did I was sucked into the story.

The only thing that sort of broke up the story for me was when the POV of the story was told from the beast's perspective. Jane Yellowrock is a skinwalker, and when she changed into an animal form, the POV changed to that of the beast. It became a little monotonous after awhile. Other than that, I enjoyed the story, and the...more

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Mar 30, 2011

Carolii rated it

Joanna Archer e Kate Daniels são das minhas heroínas favoritas, Jane Yellowrock, vai para esta lista de heroínas, ela é simplesmente fantástica.
Jane é uma caçadora de vampiros e skinwalker.
Jane compartilha seu corpo com Beast,o leão da montanha.Como skinwalker ela pode assumir várias formas de animais, Jane tem um vínculo muito próximo com Beast. Ambos têm as suas próprias memórias, pensamentos e vontades - o que faz dela uma personagem muito interessante.

Jane é chama...more

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Oct 28, 2011

Amanda G rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 26, 2011

slayra rated it

Shelves: 2011-reads, in-english, urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. RATING: barely 2.5 stars.

After the disappointment that was Bloodring, I wasn't sure when I was going to pick up this book by Faith Hunter. Still, I was in the mood for urban fantasy and a book about a Skinwalker seemed good.

It was... such a frustrating read. Like Bloodring, Skinwalker also distinguishes itself by the relatively original concept but on the other hand the writing style, the overall focus of the narrative and the unlikable heroine ruined the book for me. I'm...moreRATING: barely 2.5 stars.

After the disappointment that was Bloodring, I wasn't sure when I was going to pick up this book by Faith Hunter. Still, I was in the mood for urban fantasy and a book about a Skinwalker seemed good.

It was... such a frustrating read. Like Bloodring, Skinwalker also distinguishes itself by the relatively original concept but on the other hand the writing style, the overall focus of the narrative and the unlikable heroine ruined the book for me. I'm not sure how to voice my opinions objectively so I guess I'll rant a bit about this book by listing the pros and cons. :P

Pros:
- The Concept: Bloodring had an amazing one and while Skinwalker's was a little more run-of-the-mill urban fantasy it had a nice twist when it came to Jane's origins. I loved the bit about the Skinwalkers and the mysteries behind Jane's past. I don't think I ever read much about Skinwalkers in UF books, except as villains, so I liked it. You can see that Hunter did some research on the mythology she uses (Indian legends and all that). Really good.

- Beast: sure, 'beast-speak' chapters were a little annoying after a while but Beast is a refreshing character. Especially since I didn't like Jane Yellowrock that much.

Cons:
- Writing Style: yep, writing style. Too much useless (and boring) description. I mean, I don't like books where the heroine skips steps and in one scene is doing one thing and in the next is doing something different, but this book exaggerates on the description. Some parts are so info-dumpey and boring I felt like throwing the book at the wall. I get the author had to research several things to write the book but the reader does not need to have it pasted onto the book. Descriptions of weapons (in painful detail) and its uses, descriptions of Jane's bike, descriptions of clothes and jewelry, descriptions of tea and ways to prepare tea. And not just once either. Every time guns appear they are described again and again; every time Jane drinks tea we are treated to a lengthy summary on how she brews it, what kettles she uses, etc, etc. All this seemed unnecessary and distracted me from the story, which felt cluttered with all the description. Gah.

- Plot focus: so, this book has a mildly interesting supernatural mystery going on but the protagonist does very little to solve it. She 'shifts' several times into her 'beast' form to track her quarry but mostly the book is about how Jane Yellowrock establishes relationships with some of the inhabitants of the place she is investigating (mainly she is contrary and rude). Interactions with vampires, their thugs (we are told they are all so full of muscles... and hot) and the rare human (since humans are 'sissies', 'weak' and 'prey') are what most of this book is about.

- Jane Yellowrock: ... reminded me a lot of Anita Blake. And not in a good way. She is contrary and rude to everyone, doesn't understand 'girly things' like eating salads, make-up and dresses. Of course she is of the opinion (just like most men, apparently) that all women are weak, feeble and whimsical. Oh and dumb as rocks. They can't fight, hold their own or handle guns. As such, Jane is not your typical female, no! She is tough, wears leather and of course 'fights like a man', is good at sports (we all know all women suck at sports) and can shoot guns. And likes steaks... because we all know women wouldn't dare to eat such a manly food as steaks (rare) or drink bear. Of course, in pursuit of being the perfect warrior (which can only be male... women are weaklings) she can't be sexy or beautiful or feminine.
So basically, the protagonist's attitude made me gag. I just hope she has a better side to her because well this behaviour is very outdated, I think. I'm not saying Jane had to like frilly pink dresses, but to erase all traces of female personality from the character? Maybe Hunter should write about John Yellowrock instead? O.o

Overall: this book had many of the same problems as Bloodring. The over-the-top description, the focus of the narrative and the heroine who lacks charisma (really I doubt male or female readers would identify with her). The concept is great, sure, but the execution is messy and leaves much to be desired. Still, I want to know more about Jane's world (yes, the concept and general world-building are that good) and that is why I gave it this rating (and not one star or close). A bit better than Bloodring, but still not enough to be truly enjoyable. (less)

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About Faith Hunter

Faith Hunter writes dark urban fantasy. Her Skinwalker series features Jane Yellowrock, a full blooded Cherokee and hunter of rogue-vampires in Skinwalker, Blood Cross, Mercy Blade and Raven Cursed. Jane Yellowrock is a shape changer, ( shapeshifter ) in a world with werewolves, werecats, witches, vampires.

Her Rogue Mage novels—Bloodring, Seraphs, and Host—feature Thorn St. Croix, a st...moreFaith Hunter writes dark urban fantasy. Her Skinwalker series features Jane Yellowrock, a full blooded Cherokee and hunter of rogue-vampires in Skinwalker, Blood Cross, Mercy Blade and Raven Cursed. Jane Yellowrock is a shape changer, ( shapeshifter ) in a world with werewolves, werecats, witches, vampires.

Her Rogue Mage novels—Bloodring, Seraphs, and Host—feature Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage in a post-apocalyptic alternate reality.

Faith writes full-time, works full-time in a hospital, tries to keep house, and is a workaholic. She gave up cooking for lent one year and the oven hasn’t been turned on since. Okay – that’s a joke. She does still make cold cereal and sandwiches. Occasionally, she remembers to sleep or use the vacuum cleaner!

Faith researches in great detail, and tries everything her characters do. Research led to her life’s passions – jewelry making, orchids, bones, travel, white-water kayaking, and writing.

Jewelry-making was the occupation of two of her characters: Thorn St. Croix, the Rogue Mage, and the main character of BloodStone, written by her pen name, Gwen Hunter, and fell in love with it! Faith makes, wears, and gives away her jewelry as promo items to fans who come to signings, as prizes in contests. See her FaceBook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/official.faith.h... for pics. She works with stones, pearls, crystal, and glass, wire wrapping her larger, undrilled, focal stones. Labradorite, Amazonite, apatite, aquamarine, and prehnite are her favorite stones. She spends too much money on supplies and needs larger storage for stones, beads, and gems.

Faith owns upwards of 20 orchids. Her favorite time of year is when several are blooming. Pictures can be seen at her FaceBook page. And yes, she collects bones and skulls. Many of her orchid pics are juxtaposed with bones and skulls —a fox, cat, dog, goat skull, (that is, unfortunately, falling apart) and the jawbone of an ass. She just received a cow skull, and would love to have skull of a lion (that died of old age in the savannahs of Africa!)

She and her husband love to RV, traveling with their rescued Pomeranians, Tommy and Tuffy, to whitewater rivers all over the Southeast. (The poms don’t whitewater. The pampered dogs stay in the RV in air-conditioned comfort!) Tommy and Tuffy love to travel in the RV, take long walks, and get groomed. Seriously. They love their groomer!

And that leads Faith to kayaking – her very favorite sport. Faith discovered whitewater paddling when she was researching her (Gwen Hunter) mystery book, Rapid Descent. She took a lesson and—after a bout of panic attacks from fear of drowning—discovered she loved the sport.

Faith is a weekly participant at MagicalWords, an online writing forum at geared to helping writers. And she is a voracious reader.

Under other pen names, notably, Gwen Hunter, she writes action adventure, mysteries, and thrillers. As Gwen, she is a winner of the WH Smith Literary Award for Fresh Talent in 1995 in the UK, and won a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award in 2008. As Faith, Mercy Blade debuted at 24 on the New York Times Bestseller list in Feb 2011. Under all her pen names, she has 22 books in print in 27 countries.

For more, including a list of her books, see www.faithhunter.net , www.gwenhunter.com, and www.magicalwords.net. To keep with her, join her fan pages at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/official.faith.h...(less)

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“I figured even the most jaded and cynical inhabitant might report a bloody girl in a party dress carrying a severed head by its hair.” — 21 people liked it

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Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock #1)

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