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Shift (Shifters #5)

by Rachel Vincent (Goodreads Author)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 8,903 ratings · 412 reviews

Being the first female werecat enforcer isn't easy. Scars accumulate, but I'm stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It's complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother's death and my father's impeachment, it's all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peac...more

Mass Market Paperback, 441 pages

Published February 17th 2010

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Oct 10, 2010 FlibBityFLooB rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, loved-the-audiobook-narration, love-triangle, witty-i-am-not, read-more-than-once, shifters, urban-fantasy-or-paranormal

re-read Oct 2010: I am really glad I took the time to re-read this before starting Alpha. It was good to revisit all the characters and where the book left off. Still a 5 star book to me :)

-----Original Review

*running around in a panic* Arrrrghhhh! I shouldn't have read this so soon. I thought it would take me several days to finish, but I burned through 300 pages this evening because I couldn't put the book down. Now I have to wait until Alpha comes out later this year.

As always, this book is f...more

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Feb 17, 2010 Tiffany Danner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, 2010-reads

I was going to try to write this review without spoilers from the previous books in this series, but I honestly don’t know how to do it. Too much has happened that built up to this book to leave them out. I will avoid spoilers about the plot content of Shift and tread cautiously with previous books, avoiding spoilers about the main mystery/suspense plot of each book. Several people have asked if they can read this book without reading the previous books…. my answer is yes, you could if you reall...more I was going to try to write this review without spoilers from the previous books in this series, but I honestly don’t know how to do it. Too much has happened that built up to this book to leave them out. I will avoid spoilers about the plot content of Shift and tread cautiously with previous books, avoiding spoilers about the main mystery/suspense plot of each book. Several people have asked if they can read this book without reading the previous books…. my answer is yes, you could if you really wanted to. But I agree with Patti over at Book Addict that if you do you are missing the full impact of the story. The buildup and history of these characters add so much I would avoid it if you can! You won’t be sorry.

Fans of this series know what a hugely important and controversial book Prey, book 4, was. Besides the devastating death of a well loved character, there was shocking (and totally hot!) smexing between Jace and Faythe. Fans have high expectations of Shift and it delivers on every one of them.

Simply put, Faythe Sanders is not the same girl she used to be. Book 1, Stray, introduces her as a mouthy, defiant, and somewhat whiney college student. Her father is Alpha of South Central pride of werecats, and tabbies (female werecats) are rare. So incredibly rare that they are prized and used as pawns in greedy attempts at controlling all the werecat prides. Initially, Faythe wants none of this system and insists she can have a life of her own outside of the pride, away from her family. This series is very much about the growth of Faythe and her finding her own path within the system her natural werecat instincts are longing for.

By the time we get to Shift Faythe is a strong, determined, intelligent, and forward thinking tabby. She no longer denies who she is or what her status means, but instead works to redefine it and make it her own. She is done shying away from the tough choices. She is the first female enforcer for a pride and thrives on the decisions that will lead her to become the first female Alpha. Yet, she is still flawed, she still makes mistakes. Faythe has to face the consequences of one of those mistakes in Shift.

The tension between Marc, Faythe, and Jace in this book is overwhelming. For most of this series there has been tension between Marc and Faythe, could she ever just let go and be with him? I was rooting for him, he was strong and dependable and would let Faythe lead in her own way. He surprises me in Shift and it only adds to my admiration of his character arc.

Jace was always the fun, but flirty guy who made the readers laugh. I never expected him to grow so much over such a short period of time. The events in Prey, changed him drastically. He is no longer willing to be the fun flirty guy who’s intentions aren’t taken seriously. He is making a serious attempt to win Faythe’s heart in Shift and I find myself swooning over his new found Alpha-ness. Faith is going to have to choose and if being with both of them isn’t an option, I don’t know what I want for her!

With so much of this book riding on the relationship between Jace and Marc and Faythe I was worried the overall plot of the werecat pride conflicts would be lost. I should have known better. Rachel Vincent has written a dynamic, fast paced, action driven story that had me hanging on every word. The South Central pride faces new dangers from both a flight of Thunderbird shifters and Carl Malone’s Pride, intent on gaining control of the pride council. Once again Faythe and her enforcers are fighting for their lives and tough decisions have to be made.

This is probably one of the longest reviews I have written and the sad thing is that I could keep on writing! I finished the book this morning and have been unable to think of anything but it all day long. My heart is torn, my nerves are shot, and my emotions are a mess in that way that you can only get from being invested in a great book. Where do they go from here? With only one book in the series left, Alpha can’t come soon enough. Rachel Vincent’s Shifter series is a roller-coaster ride of suspense and emotion that I don’t want to get off.(less)

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Feb 19, 2010 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, 2013, audio-book, shifters, uf, listened-to-at-work

This was a great one to read as there was a lot of action going on and you are introduced to a new breed of shifter, the Thunderbirds, and finally Faythe has grown up enough to accept that if she is to be the Alpha she needs to make the hard decisions and live with the choices she has made.

This book is hard to review with out spoiling the storyline, but here are some random thoughts.

I have never been a fan of Faythe's mother, but in the first part of this book she finally steps up and becomes t...more

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Feb 27, 2010 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: species-weres-and-shifters, genre-pnr-uf, 2010-read-in, zz-reviewed, i-love-this-old, a-series

Faythe ROCKS!!! I just don't know how I am going to be able to wait for the next book, Alpha--It sounds like it is the final book in this series--anyone know?

When I first started reading about the Thunderbirds, I was kinda like--uh-oh, where is she taking this one? What was I thinking? Of-course it was awesome! It looks like the Thunderbirds will prove to be a handy-dandy little ally for the Sanders Pride--thank goodness, because they need some powerful ammo on their side. Oh, and I am so glad t...more

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Mar 18, 2010 Mandi Schreiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by Amanda

I've never read anything by Rachel Vincent before but I have heard great things about her writing and her Faythe Saunders series. Its a series I've always wanted to pick up but with the ever growing TBR pile that I have it's another series that I have yet to get to.

It might seem odd then to start the series at book 5, but the books can be read as a stand alones so you don't need to have read anything in the series before this book.

You are dropped straight into the story. Fay

...more Reviewed by Amanda

It might seem odd then to start the series at book 5, but the books can be read as a stand alones so you don't need to have read anything in the series before this book.

You are dropped straight into the story. Faythes brother has been killed and this story picks up a week after his death, which incidentally is a week after the last book 'Prey' finished. Personally I love when an author does this, it lets you feel engaged with the story development and the characters development, it allows you to feel like you're sitting down with an old friend. In my case series that do this leave me highly anticipating the next in the series whether or not it ends on a cliff hanger or not, and I would imagine this is definitely the case with fans of Rachel Vincent’s work and series.

But I digress, onto the story in hand. This review might be a little short as I don't want to give too much away in the form of spoilers for the book. I apologise in advance if I inadvertently reveal any spoiler material!

Shift begins with Faythe's Pride plotting revenge on the person responsible for her brothers death. But as with most good plots, a curve ball is thrown in and the story takes a twist.

The pride are attacked for reasons unknown and completely unexpected by the Thunderbirds. Faythe vows to discover the reason behind the attacks as the Thunderbirds advantage of being able to fly means that her Pride are at a distinct disadvantage and the attacks are very dangerous.

Combine all of this with Faythe trying to look out for Kaci a teenage Tabi and you have one heck of a story.

I loved Faythe's character. Everything she goes through, the decisions she has to make to keep those she cares for and loves safe coupled with the decisions she has to make professionally really made me care for her and it mattered to me when things went right/wrong.

Reading this book has left me wanting to read this series from the start and watch Faythe grow into the character she's become in Shift. And of course learning more about the world that Rachel Vincent has created.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone although you don't need to have read the rest in the series to thoroughly enjoy Shift, I do think it would make for a richer experience to read the others in the series first. That being said I couldn't put the book down and if you have read the others in the series and haven't read this..... What are you waiting for?

The next installment of this series Alpha out later this year on October 1st, this sadly will be the last in the series but it is one I will be highly anticipating. Plus the cover is totally HOT!!

Rating 4.5/5

(less)

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Mar 11, 2010 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I laughed, I cried and ultimately came away with a deep sense of admiration for Rachel Vincent's characterization of Jace, Marc, and Faythe in this installment of the story. Everyone has grown and now on to the end in Alpha where all the conflicts, issues and the future of the Were-Cats gets resolved. I like all the other series fans am going to be sad to see the last book but at the same time want to see what happens to all these characters that we have grown as attached to as if they were fami...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Patti Loves FAB Romance rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, shapeshifters

You know how sometimes you wait for something you really want and when you finally get it you've built it up so much you're disappointed? Well, that did NOT happen here. I'd previously read the first four books in this series and LOVED them (my review here) and Shift did not disappoint either.

Shift takes up immediately where Pride ended: The South Central werecat pack is divided and a battle is coming. There's also retribution to be made for a death, and although she's trying to put it off, Fayt...more You know how sometimes you wait for something you really want and when you finally get it you've built it up so much you're disappointed? Well, that did NOT happen here. I'd previously read the first four books in this series and LOVED them (my review here) and Shift did not disappoint either.

Shift takes up immediately where Pride ended: The South Central werecat pack is divided and a battle is coming. There's also retribution to be made for a death, and although she's trying to put it off, Faythe is going to have to come clean about some of her actions in book 4.

The action in this book starts right at the beginning; in the first chapter, as the pack is discussing plans for battle, Faythe takes Kaci out for a walk and in moments Kaci is snatched up by a huge bird - a Thunderbird. They soon realize their pack is under attack by the Thunderbirds in response to the death of one of their flock members. Faythe and her father know they've been framed but don't have any proof; the Thunderbirds are not giving up and two more werecats are dead. Faythe ends up in the Thunderbird's aviary and must find a way to prove who the real killer is or Kaci will die and the rest of the pack will be killed by the Thunderbirds.

I could not put this book down. At every turn I wondered what would happen next. The timeline for this book was only a few days, but so much happened - I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. The book doesn't leave you with a cliffhanger, but there are a lot of unresolved issues still dancing around the werecat world - plenty of stuff to resolve in Book 5, Alpha, which comes out in October 2010. As I understand it, Alpha is the last book in this series.

I will say this - although this could be read as a stand-alone, you really won't get the full impact of everything that goes on without reading the whole series. Trust me, this won't be a hardship - this is one of my favorite series out there right now and IMO doesn't get the props it deserves.

I give Shift 5 out of 5 stars.
(less)

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Feb 14, 2010 Sophia (FV) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shift is the 5th book in Rachel Vincent’s Shifter series. This is actually the first book in the series I’ve read but I had no trouble at all picking up the story and keeping up. However, after speaking with friends who have read the entire series, I’m told that the impact of the story would have been much greater had I read the first four books first. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say to that since I was completely blown away reading Shift.

Werecat Prides are taking sides and making allian...more Shift is the 5th book in Rachel Vincent’s Shifter series. This is actually the first book in the series I’ve read but I had no trouble at all picking up the story and keeping up. However, after speaking with friends who have read the entire series, I’m told that the impact of the story would have been much greater had I read the first four books first. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say to that since I was completely blown away reading Shift.

Werecat Prides are taking sides and making alliances on the brink of civil war. While lives have been lost, and families are grieving over losses, political infighting and tension is thick. Faythe, the daughter of the South Central Pride leader and the only female enforcer is inline as her prides next alpha. As her family seeks to avenge the unjustified death of her brother, a new enemy emerges and threatens the Prides very existence. Faythe must face this dangerous enemy to find a way to save the life of a young Pride tabby, as well as her entire pride. The emergence of this new foe could significantly affect the outcome of the impending civil war by drastically weakening the South Central Pride.

As if she doesn’t have enough to worry about, Faythe’s personal life is a mess. In a moment of weakness after her brother’s death, she sought comfort in the arms of an old friend. The problem is, she has a longtime boyfriend that she loves. Her betrayal could not only emotionally destroy those directly involved—herself included—but because of her position in the pride, it could become a political mess as well. She will at some point be forced to face up to her infidelity and make difficult choices that could affect her entire Pride and the men that love her.

While I’m not always a fan of love triangles I will say that the romantic tension created between Jace, Faythe and Marc left me with a lump in my throat. Rachel Vincent has created such a balanced triangle with characters that tore at my heart. I was left completely undecided on my feelings in their relationship. Having become emotionally invested in all three characters I can’t stand the thought of any of them being ruined by the inevitable outcome of this entanglement, whatever it might be.

This book was was filled with suspense and emotional drama that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was riveted watching this young woman with the weight of her world on her shoulders forced to make difficult decisions that could either save or end lives, possibly change the face of the political foundation of the werecats, as well as decide the the future of the two men she loves.

The moment I began to read Shift, I was was completely immersed in Rachel Vincent’s world of werecats. I felt highly connected to the characters throughout and had a difficult time putting the book down for breaks. I will most definitely go back and read the series from the beginning before Alpha, the 6th and final book in the series comes out. (less)

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Feb 21, 2010 Aimee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, own-it, absolute-faves, addictive-like-literary-heroine, holy-hotness-hall-of-fame-hero, made-me-laugh-out-loud, not-for-the-squeamish, violence-is-golden

Faythe Sanders is a werecat "Tabbie", who is known to find or attract more trouble than she should be able to handle. But with the help of her loved ones, she manages to dig herself out every time. Or, for the most part. This tradition continues in the 5th installment of the Shifters series. First, I would recommend that this series be read in order, from the beginning. It helps you attain the full effect of the tension built up thoughout the series.

WARNING: There may be spoilers about the previ...more Faythe Sanders is a werecat "Tabbie", who is known to find or attract more trouble than she should be able to handle. But with the help of her loved ones, she manages to dig herself out every time. Or, for the most part. This tradition continues in the 5th installment of the Shifters series. First, I would recommend that this series be read in order, from the beginning. It helps you attain the full effect of the tension built up thoughout the series.

WARNING: There may be spoilers about the previous books. If you haven't yet read them, I would stop here.

This book picks up about a week after Prey leaves off. And the tension carries over. The Pride is preparing for war while recovering from the tragic events of the last book. Faythe has a lot on her plate. She has to have a serious conversation with Marc about Jace. She's trying to guide Kaci through her transition into "shifter-dom". She's dealing with her grief over the loss of her brother. And now a new threat to the pride comes from left field.

As usual with this series, there is plenty of action. There is also plenty of tension Mainly between Faythe, Marc, and Jace.) Faythe has to find a way to tell Marc about what happened with Jace. But how can she do that when she's not even sure how she feels about him? Between trying to help her Father find ways to protect the Pride, fielding Jace's advances, and diverting Marc's attention from the changes in Jace's behavior toward her, Faythe still manages to kick some major boot-ay. Oh, and let's not forget how she likes to get herself beat up too! But all that doesn't stop her from diving in head first and taking the responsibilty to try and fix things.

I love this series. Faythe has grown up so much over the course of these 5 books. And I've thoroughly enjoyed following her on that journey. I'm attatched to quite a few of the characters in her story, as well. I adore most of the enforcers, Owen, Vic, Parker, Marc, Jace, and even Lucas (of whom we see precious little). Faythe's parents, have earned my respect as well. And I very much despise Cal Malone, as intended.

Marc and Jace.....hmmm. I'm torn and don't envy Faythe's position. I love Marc and his loyalty. He loves Faythe so much and always has her back no matter where they are in their relationship. But he tends to be very broody. Jace, on the other hand, knows how to lighten things up when the situation calls for it. And since Ethan's death, he's really started to grow into his potential. He's stronger for it and I think he makes a great match for Faythe. But, I could go on forever about these two.

I'll cut the incoherent babble and end here. I'm looking forward to reading Alpha in October. I excited about where Faythe's story will go. (less)

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Apr 29, 2010 Lady Valee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, favorites

OMGOMGOMG!
I can't believe I finally got to read this book. It took me forever to read it, I know, but I finally did.

And just loved it!!!

The plot of this series is simply outstanding. If you like UF you will just adore this series. And what I like the most about it is that with every book it gets better and better. As most of my goodread friends have already read it I won't loose time writing a review saying things you have already read hundreds of times.

Just wanted to say that it was totally wor...more

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Mar 14, 2010 Meredith Barrons rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book. I can't see how there is only going to be one more book in the series. I feel like there are too many loose ends to tie up. It was good to see Faith taking charge it this book and getting ready to become Alpha. Emotionally this book was a rollercoster.... the whole love triangle between Faith, Marc and Jace is almost too much to take! I love them both and I will be disappointed no matter who she chooses because I love them both!

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Mar 31, 2011 Jessica `~Blahyze~` rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, rachel-vincent, shifters-series, books-i-own

I can't believe the next book will be the last, I am going to miss this series so much, this series is impossible to put down, saying up till 2 in the morning was not what I planned to do, but I just couldn't stop reading.

Faythe is still stuck deciding between Marc and Jace, which is going to be one tough decision, I cannot wait to see how it all turns out in Alpha. Faythe is a strong, determined chartacter who isn't afraid of a little dirty work, I really enjoyed this book, cannot wait for the...more

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Jun 01, 2013 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this fifth installment, the pack, still grieving from the loss of one of their own in book four, is ready to go to war. Faythe's father, the Alpha, is still looking for backing to tie up the council vote for the Alpha to lead the territory. Right now, most are siding with Calvin Malone, the reason Faythe's brother is dead.

Calvin wants the tabbies, Faythe and young Kaci, badly, as anyone in possession of the tabbies has the most power. He'll stop at nothing to achieve his goal, even conniving...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Booknut rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shifters, romantic-book-challenge, strong-heroine, mystery-and-sherlocking, heartbreak-and-loss, heartbreaking-betrayal, fangirling-in-progress, can-t-get-enough-of, books-i-love-dearly

Dear female protagonists of the fictional world:

Please refrain from keeping relationship-threatening secrets to yourself. Please. Because we all know that at some point tensions are going to boil-over and shit will hit the fan.

Use that brain - the one you have somewhere deep within the recesses of your head, past the cobwebs and posters of shirtless guys. Use it and you will find life is so much easier!! Yes! Using your brain means that 95% of the time you will not end up in situations (e.g. bra...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Kat Johnson rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Nobody

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ** spoiler alert ** *****SPOILER ALERT*****

Okay, I’ve got to say it. I am losing all respect for this series. There I said it, so sue me. As one of the few Tabbies (female were-cats) in existence Faythe Sanders has gone through a lot to get to where she is today. She has had to grow up and make some hard choices in the previous four books of this series and had appeared like she was developing into a strong forward thinking woman/tabby that is being groomed to lead her pride as the first female...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Tara Day rated it 4 of 5 stars

Vicious thunderbirds, new scars, and Faythe on tequila. Good book right from the start. Vincent introduces us to a fourth species of Shifters, Thunderbirds, and makes excellent and vivid descriptions to bring them to life in the minds of her readers. The difference in the acceleration of the Thunderbirds' shifts compared to Faythe and the rest of her werecat clan was an interesting addition to the plotline. It definitely helped in times when characters were flown against their will or plummeting...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Blake16 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. CINQUE STELLE 1/2 SISISISISISI

Se qualcuno vuole ricredersi su questa serie… se qualcuno l’ha scartata a priori o l’ha abbandonata solo al primo libro, io mi sento di dirvi, sotto la mia responsabilità, di dargli un’altra o una “nuova” possibilità.
Signori, quanto adoro questa serie!!!
È pazzesca… ha di tutto, dall’azione, al romance… ed è un Urban Fantasy originalissimo…

I guai per Faythe Sanders non sono finiti!!!
Mentre la guerra tra i clan è imminente, lei deve fare i conti con il suo crescente s...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, audiobook, audible-purchase-2009-to-2011

Read for Fun!
BBA Group Series Read (November 2011)

Audiobook Rating 4.50
Overall Rating 4.25
Story Rating 4.50
Character Rating 4.00

NOTE: This review will contain spoilers if you haven't read up to book 4 in the series. Also Shift for me (and Alpha to) can be broken down into what I Loved and what I Didn't Like---there really was no in-between for me.

What I Loved: Things are getting hot in here! Seriously the action, pacing, and kick *ssness have been turned up a notch. We have spent the last 4 book...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. this book was only marginally better than the last. it took the whole book for her to tell marc about her and jace. and she didn't even tell him, alex malone had guessed at it and laughed in marc's face about it. it was awful. i really dislike faythe, alot. if she cheated on her boyfriend, she should've had the guts to tell him immediately...and face the consequences. also i don't see how she didn't realize how awful she effed up. one of them jace or marc will have to kill the other if they are...more

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Jul 27, 2011 WynterAngel Zsun rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book feel short of the last book. It seemed we started this love hate relationship. I would like 1 book and then find myself horrifically bored with the next.

She would drone on about some weird love she suddenly felt for Jace although never once actually telling him that or ever once exploring it. She would beat me over the head with talk about some hidden feelings from their 1 time together which left me screaming for her to get over it. It wasn't like earth shattering or anything and it...more This book feel short of the last book. It seemed we started this love hate relationship. I would like 1 book and then find myself horrifically bored with the next.

She would drone on about some weird love she suddenly felt for Jace although never once actually telling him that or ever once exploring it. She would beat me over the head with talk about some hidden feelings from their 1 time together which left me screaming for her to get over it. It wasn't like earth shattering or anything and it did more damage than not. But I grew wildly infatuated with Jace myself during the last book and it didn't end with this book.

Vincent made the male characters in her book wildly 3 dimensional. And accomplished a bonding between reader and character that is admirable. But with her female character she makes them all oddly headstrong with no real difference between them or anyway to back up their inner strength. She seemed to mostly get herself and her other female characters into a bunch of trouble and sat back waiting for the men to come save her without really saying it. Just weird.

I started to noticed that all the lovescenes between Faythe and Marc were all the same almost as if she copied and pasted them from book to book.

She does capture the desolation, desperation and the isolation that comes along with what she did with Jace. She breaks your heart with her mistakes, but not to the point of redemption. It seemed as if she was comfortable or even happy sitting in her mess hoping that ignoring it enough would make it go away.

I also believe that Vincent the writer believes that if she gives you a bunch of colorful language and a dead character that you will forget about all the things she's been promising throughout this entire series.

The Thunderbirds were sorta boring as well. She gave us really nothing of them other than an impossible situation that coiled around itself until I was almost in a coma. While in the Flight's home she continued to coddle Kaci, who by then I was hoping would meet some sort of interesting end, because the weight of the oh so tragic kid gloves was sorta starting to get on my nerves. I started to envision right some brand of fan fiction where Kaci gets dropped out of the nest or whatever "accidentally" of course. Or like while getting involved in 1 of the grown up fights she would get slashed until she met her true death. But like a good reader I soldiered on. I could almost hear Nancy Kerrigan's why why why playing in my head in a loop!

The most interesting part of this book was when she Alpha'd up and ordered a kill.

The Marc Jace triangle for Faythe's heart was promised to me like forever ago and I got like middle school argument or whatever.

The addition of the now dead Ethan's baby mama or whatever was the least interesting or needed thing in this series of books.

The badass was left out of this book!(less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11th-grade-advisory

Shift
Rachel Vincent
441 Pages

In the 5th installment of Shifters, Faythe, the protagonist is at it again. Just when you thought there couldn't be anything worst then what has already happened, new plans are set in motion. Suffering the death of one of her brothers, Faythe vows that she would take full guard over the young girl that her brother died over to protect. So when thunderbirds, huge supernatural birds, try to kidnap the young girl and herself, she is struck with confusion. Who and what d

...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had originally started to read Shift before Prey as the later wasn't available at the bookstore. I quickly found myself lost and put the book aside until I was able to acquire the 4th novel. The story picks-up right where it left off from the last book. Only a few days have elapsed. I would recommend starting at the beginning of this series and working your way through. There's so much going on in each book that by skipping one you'll miss key parts of the story. Also, Vincent does her best to...more I had originally started to read Shift before Prey as the later wasn't available at the bookstore. I quickly found myself lost and put the book aside until I was able to acquire the 4th novel. The story picks-up right where it left off from the last book. Only a few days have elapsed. I would recommend starting at the beginning of this series and working your way through. There's so much going on in each book that by skipping one you'll miss key parts of the story. Also, Vincent does her best to bring you up to speed but her books are lacking in that regard. They're definitely meant to be read in chronological order.

Shift is as action packed as its predecessor with one main difference: the characters are dealing with one major problem as opposed to many. This makes the plot a little easier to follow as it's not jumping back and forth but it's not as enthralling of a read. Overall, I enjoyed this book but I did not think that it was the best of the Shifters series so far. I don't think Rachel is capable of writing a dull werecats novel; at least not with Faythe as the main character. The combination of the heroine's stubbornness and of how she just seems to attract trouble like a magnet keep the storyline from ever getting dull.

This story begins with a gathering of all of the alphas and their enforcers who have chosen to align with the South-Central pride. They are plotting their approach in the upcoming war against their rival prides scheduled to commence in two days time. An attempt is made to snatch Kaci (one of their precious tabbies) from their land. However, the attackers came from above which left everyone shocked and completely unprepared. Afterwards, the alphas identify the kidnappers: Thunderbirds, a species of bird shifters that haven't been seen in over a quarter of a century. Things escalate from here; an enforcer dies while several others are injured. Marc, Jace and Faythe end up in a race against time fighting to save themselves and the fate of their pride.

Faythe appears to have grown up a lot in this book. She thinks before she acts and is slowly becoming alpha material but isn't quite there yet. This book had minimal sexual content compared to the other novels of this series which I found to be a little disappointing. It's not the reason why I've made it this far in the series but is definitely an added bonus and something that I look forward to! Shift was a good book and a necessary addition in the storyline before the series' conclusion in the one remaining book but it could have been so much more.(less)

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Jul 21, 2010 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shifters, series, paranormal, love-triangle, urban-fantasy

OH, the hurt. THE PAIN. The I-don't-know-who-to-love deliciousness of a bonafide love triangle. This is the one where it all finally comes to a head after four books of set up. Four books of fighting and sexing Marc, flirting with Jace, and then losing Marc and the Tequila Incident have led us to this place: Where Marc is back and Jace ain't playing second fiddle anymore. The tension is exquisite, and for me, I like Faythe's honesty about the whole thing. She loves Marc. But she realizes that sh...more

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May 14, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, books-i-own-print, favorites

This is the 5th book in the Shifters series so it is very difficult to review without giving spoilers for previous books. If you're new to the series I strongly recommend you don't read this review as this series really should be read in order - why not check out the reviews for Stray instead. This is my favorite Urban Fantasy series though so I'd definitely recommend you check it out!

This book continues the story just a couple of weeks after the ending of Prey - Faythe and the rest of her Prid...more This is the 5th book in the Shifters series so it is very difficult to review without giving spoilers for previous books. If you're new to the series I strongly recommend you don't read this review as this series really should be read in order - why not check out the reviews for Stray instead. This is my favorite Urban Fantasy series though so I'd definitely recommend you check it out!

This book continues the story just a couple of weeks after the ending of Prey - Faythe and the rest of her Pride are still devestated by the loss of an important Pride member and are preparing to go to war to get their revenge and stop Calvin Malone's attempt to take over the Pride Council. But attack comes in an unexpected form when they are set upon by the Thunderbirds - a Flight of bird shifters who are determined to destroy the Pride. The Pride have no idea why they are under attack and they are at a major disadvantage when their enemy can fly - they can't afford to lose more members if they are going to have a chance in the upcoming war. When the Thunderbirds manage to kidnap Kaci it falls to Faythe to discover what they want and to figure out a way to rescue her.

I have been a massive fan of the Shifters series ever since I read Stray but with each book I've been amazed that it has managed to be better than the last. Shift didn't disappoint and I was drawn into Faythe's world from the very first page. I love the way Faythe's character has grown throughout the series - she still has flaws and makes mistakes but she is truely starting to show her full potential.

Shift is action packed from the word go and kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. I really didn't know how the book was going to end and there were some great twists that I wasn't expecting. I have no idea how the relationship issues between Faythe, Marc & Jace will be resolved after the events of the last book. I feel for each of the characters and just can't see a way to give all three of them a happy ending.

The style of Rachel Vincent's writing has created an absorbing world that hooks you from the moment you pick up the book. I don't think I've ever felt so emotionally invested in the outcome of a series before and for that reason I am both longing for and dreading the final book Alpha. I'm sure Rachel will manage to surpass my expectations but I really don't want my journey with Faythe, Marc & the Pride to come to an end. If you haven't tried this series yet then I really recommend you go out and get a copy of Stray today - I'm sure you'll be as hooked as I am.(less)

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May 09, 2010 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Faythe, Marc and the rest of the pack are still at war with Calvin Malone and his pack of cats. Though, they will have to band together as they have a new adversary that is more dangerous. They are shifters but of a different kind. They are known as Thunderbirds. They can fly and have very sharp talons.

One of their own has been killed by a werecat. The thunderbirds are out for blood and they don’t care whose it is as long as they get justice. The thunderbirds are taking out the werecats one by...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Tynga rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

** this review contains spoilers from the previous books, but not from Shift **

Shift is the fifth installment in the Shifters series. I had high expectations for this book, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed! Rachel wrote an amazing book once more and got me hooked from the first page!

Prey was a really hard book, with the disappearance of Marc, and the epic battle to get him back, the death of my lovely Ethan and some X-rated action with Jace, the table was set for a tide of emotions in...more ** this review contains spoilers from the previous books, but not from Shift **

Shift is the fifth installment in the Shifters series. I had high expectations for this book, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed! Rachel wrote an amazing book once more and got me hooked from the first page!

Prey was a really hard book, with the disappearance of Marc, and the epic battle to get him back, the death of my lovely Ethan and some X-rated action with Jace, the table was set for a tide of emotions in Shift.

Faythe’s Pride is trying to deal with the aftermath of Ethan’s death and the upcoming war. Several Alpha’s are united but no one saw the next boulder crashing on them: Thunderbirds. They attempt kidnapping on Kacy and kill two enforcers. Outnumbered and defenseless against an attack from the sky, the Pride is facing something they never felt before: Vulnerability. But they are not ready to give up. In a desperate tentative to protect ladies and kids, Faythe and Kacy will end up at the mercy of a Flight of fifty or so full grown thunderbirds, and the future of the south-central Pride and weight on their shoulders.

I am completely nuts of this series and Shift was no exception to my excitement. Vincent stepped-up the game once more when she introduced a completely foreign specie in the series with blazing success. You will get to find out the consequences of Ethan’s death, Jace and Faythe’s little adventure, you will find how low Malone and his crew can hit and how mentally strong Faythe is.

The characters weren’t spared in this book, at page 120 or so there was already two dead Toms and an injured one, at some point I was wondering if there would be any characters left alive for Rachel to write Alpha.

Faythe is between a rock and a hard place in this book, both physically and emotionally. She is dealing with a broken arm from the final battle in Prey and will indeed suffer some more along the way, but she is not ready to give up. She is ready for all the pain in the world to save her family and I respect her for that. The psychological aspect is much harder, she is filled with guilt toward both Marc and Jace and even though she wants to confess to Marc, war and impending doom isn’t really a good time. She keeps thinking she isn’t good enough for M&J, not good enough to protect Kacy and that her Pride deserves better, but she will keep her head high and keep fighting. Her growth is incredible since Stray and she will have to take some life changing decisions in this round.

Poor Marc is completely oblivious to Faythe’s cheating and loves her unconditionally. He is aware Jace is acting weird but he thinks it’s because of his regretted best friend. Jace on the other hand is more determinate than ever to win over Faythe’s heart and is pushing her to confess to Marc, he is also constantly pushing Marc’s limits and it might not end up well.

I LOVE every aspects of this book, the characters, the fantastic story, the rollercoaster of emotions you feel while reading this book. It’s all awesome. I truly don’t know how I’m gonna wait until October to read Alpha, and I don’t want it to end.

Shift is fabulous, surprising, action-packed and just BEYOND! If you haven’t started this series yet, please run to the closest bookstore and buy Stray the first book in the series. You will love it and you will crave for more!

(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Rana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I should probably stop reading these considering my finals are coming up and I SHOULD be studying...but I can't seem to help myself.
This book, well, at first I thought it was like a filler book, it was to set the background for the final battle between Malone and Faythe and her family, but then something new developed. *SPOILER ALERT* I really would have preferred her to stick with Marc. I get that Jace is cool and all, but I can't relate as to how on earth is this going to be good for any one...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Buqet rated it 5 of 5 stars

'' Kendimi Looney Tunes karakterleri gibi hissediyorum. Yalnız bu bölümde Tweety , Tom'u yiyiyor.''

Tam bu seri daha iyi olamazdı derken yine Rachel beni şaşırttı. Bu kitap diğer bütün kitaplardan farklıydı. Bu sefer ;kedicikler vs. gökkuşlar .

Kısaca kitabın konusu şöyle ; Faythe'in Gururu savaşa hazırlanıyordur. Üç gün içinde Malorn'un Gururuna saldıracaklardır ve ortalık kan gölüne dönecektir. Ethan yoktur ve herkes onu çok özlüyordur. Manx ve diğer tabby'ler korunmak amaçlı saklanacaklardır a...more

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May 09, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, pn-shapeshifters, annoying-main-characters, heroines-wimpy, pnr-urban-fantasy, read-2011, inexplicably-violent

Overall, I liked this book better than any of the others so far. The action was more exciting and I liked that it took place outside of the Sanders home. I think part of the reason I didn't enjoy the first few books as much (part of the reason, because there were a lot of problems with them) was because they were so limited in focus and nearly all the secondary males blended together. By moving the story out of that zone, it also freed up more time to focus on the primary characters. The show-do...more Overall, I liked this book better than any of the others so far. The action was more exciting and I liked that it took place outside of the Sanders home. I think part of the reason I didn't enjoy the first few books as much (part of the reason, because there were a lot of problems with them) was because they were so limited in focus and nearly all the secondary males blended together. By moving the story out of that zone, it also freed up more time to focus on the primary characters. The show-downs were good and I liked the justice that was meted out by various different people...and since I'm a fan of Jace's, I'm glad to see he got more character development and ink.

I do think it's kind of cheating to introduce a new species into the fifth book of a series, however, when there's been no interaction (and only a couple of brief speculative mentions, if I recall correctly) with other paranormal ones. I was okay with the thunderbirds (what a weird animal to pick!), although I did giggle a couple of times at unintentionally funny moments, especially when they were flying away with Faythe. I couldn't help it.

Every time I think I'm starting to like Faythe a little better, however, she does more stupid and hurtful things. She's a little less loud-mouthed and rash than she was in the first 3 books, and I understand what happened in the last one, but...honestly. This situation between her and Marc and Jace is so ridiculous and drawn out. She keeps protesting it's not a good time to tell Marc about what happened while he was kidnapped, but then (view spoiler) Jeez! You can't fault someone for not being sure of her feelings, but you can expect that they'll try and respect the other parties as much as possible. Which she didn't.

A lot of people get pissed off by love triangles, but I don't really mind them because I sort of expect that a. the authors want to create romantic conflict and b. it often represents a choice the heroine is making in life as well. So while I get annoyed if the situation drags on interminably or when one option is clearly better than another, I don't get all huffy if I see them in books. But I don't have any respect for woman who doesn't have the guts to make a decision or to mitigate the damage and hurt she knows it will cause.

I'm obviously going to read the last book since I've made it this far, but I'm still really surprised by how much better the author's YA series is. And it's funny how much more mature and rational Kaylee is overall, even though she's so much younger--and a lot less experienced--than Faythe is.(less)

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Feb 28, 2011 Carina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, all-time-fav-books, hell-to-the-yeah

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

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About Rachel Vincent

[Note: Though Rachel's blog entries are cross posted here, she does not frequent Goodreads. The best ways to contact her are FB, Twitter, or her Wordpress blog. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HER MESSAGES HERE. SHE DOES NOT CHECK THEM.]

A resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace wi...more

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Quotes from Shift

“If I love you more than you love me, I’m as good as dead. Yet I can’t make myself take it back. I can’t just walk away from you, because every time you pass by me without smiling, without touching my hand, or at least making eye contact, it feels like I’m dying inside.” — 293 people liked it

“Justice is for the victim.” Kick. “Vengeance is for the survivor.” — 113 people liked it

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Shift (Shifters #5)

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