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Darkest Fear

(Birthright #1)

Cate Tiernan

3.86 · Rating details · 1,034 ratings · 182 reviews

Vivi’s animal instincts are her legacy—and maybe her downfall—in this start to a romantic fantasy series that will appeal to fans of The Nine Lives of Chloe King.

Vivi has known the truth about her family—and herself—since she was thirteen. But that doesn’t mean she’s accepted it. Being Haguari isn’t something she feels she’ll ever accept. How can she feel like anything but ...more

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Hardcover, 359 pages

Published January 7th 2014 by Simon Pulse

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3.86 ·

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· 1,034 ratings · 182 reviews

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Sep 23, 2013 Giselle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebook

From lack of excitement to a protagonist I despised to a very bizarre romantic arc, I was happy to be done with this one. To paint a quick picture: the only interesting part of this book is in the blurb.

Darkest Fear starts with an intriguing Jaguar Shape-shifting lore that, for the most part, is well crafted. The narrative when in Jaguar form is particularly clever. I was certain it was the promising start of an impressive series, especially when only a few chapters in, something monumental happ From lack of excitement to a protagonist I despised to a very bizarre romantic arc, I was happy to be done with this one. To paint a quick picture: the only interesting part of this book is in the blurb.

Darkest Fear starts with an intriguing Jaguar Shape-shifting lore that, for the most part, is well crafted. The narrative when in Jaguar form is particularly clever. I was certain it was the promising start of an impressive series, especially when only a few chapters in, something monumental happens. Something ominous that proposes an epic mystery to come. However, once this scene passes we get a whole lot of mundane happenings, from Vivi finding a job, to her day to day life, to detailed scenes of her baking various things. How positively dull! Perhaps its purpose was to make us bond with the characters. Unfortunately none of them were made to be compelling.

For one, with such a large secondary cast, these characters needed more personality and distinctive voices to avoid blending together. For another, Vivi herself is not very likeable. She's always hated the Jaguar part of herself; never learning about or accepting her world, basically hoping that by ignoring it it would go away. While this is understandable - I would be freaked out too if I learned I could grow fur - as the story progresses, her constant rejection, even disgust, of it all became too much. For instance, she would get into a dire situation due to her shifting ineptitude, this would push her to decide it was time to learn and finally accept that side of her, only to chicken out and be back at step one. It was very frustrating. There are also other quirks like how she repeatedly commented on her boss's hotness (and I mean, punch-book-in-its-book-mouth excessive), or how she would often say "gosh" - urgh! Obviously I never connected with her in any way.

As for the romance. I don't even understand the point of it being in the book for how bizarre and short of a spotlight it got. In a few words, she got a couple of offers for sex and that was that. No passion, no chemistry, no nothing. It felt incredibly random. The only responses it got from me were cocked eyebrows and flared nostrils. It was very attractive-making.

Now, I have a big pet peeve when it comes to shape shifters and realistic clothing... repercussions. This book did well with shredded clothes and nakedness, except for that one time. One out of the 5+ times she shifted, when it was, of course, hugely inconvenient for her to appear naked, her clothes were magically waiting for her in the bushes unscathed. I read this twice to make sure I didn't miss her removing her clothes beforehand, but the shift was unexpected and unplanned. I'm honestly hoping this is just an editing slip-up that will be fixed in the final copy because it deserves a removal of a star for that alone.

I'm always looking for the next epic paranormal series, and I really had hoped this one would fit the bill so it's unfortunate that it failed to impress me to such degree. In the end, I was just very, very fed up. Also, we get no answers on anything! None! Here's to hoping you have better luck with it!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

OMG THIS BOOK WAS FREAKING AMAZING!! I LOVE SHAPE SHIFTERS!!

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Dec 04, 2013 Ornella (Nyx) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, abandoned-series

1.5 Stars

How do I even begin this review...It's going to be more of a rant because put simply this book was a mess. I think the only thing going for it was the writing style which made it incredibly easy to actually keep reading because I honestly don't know how I even finished.

The characters ... most of the secondary characters were actually pretty great and about half of them were LGBT couples which was both nice, but at the same time it felt like too much, as if she were compensating for the 1.5 Stars

How do I even begin this review...It's going to be more of a rant because put simply this book was a mess. I think the only thing going for it was the writing style which made it incredibly easy to actually keep reading because I honestly don't know how I even finished.

The characters ... most of the secondary characters were actually pretty great and about half of them were LGBT couples which was both nice, but at the same time it felt like too much, as if she were compensating for the lack of LGBT characters in every other book. It just felt like she was trying too hard in that aspect. As for the main character Vivi, she can be described in one word: pathetic.

Look I understand she was there when he parents were murdered, but for her to go into hysterics like she did and then crying at the drop of a button every 5 mins for the next few months seemed a bit excessive? Maybe I'm being a cold hearted bitch? I don't know, but I just didn't like her. She was also TSTL. Her parents get murdered and she doesn't start even to think about the implications 'till a month after someone tried to breakin...I mean seriously? Her dad gets his heart ripped out and she doesn' question any of this till a whole month later. I just don't get it.

Then there is her overall attitude. She gets told she is a jaguar shapeshifter at 13 and instead of thinking it's awesome, she freaks out. Fine, whatever, I can maybe see that happening. Her parents didn't really come across as pushing it in your face types, they would occasionally try to get her to at least get interested in her heritage, which I think is perfectly normal. So what does she do? The exact opposite of whatever they say, and I mean that about everything. They want her to attend college somewhere close? She wants Seattle (They live in South Florida). Her mom wants her to dress nicely. She turns into a slob. So on and so forth. You would also think that someone who is so opposed to being a shapeshifter will at least want to know enough to you know, not change right? Wrong! This girl is a Coward with a capital C. Oh, and everyone tells her she is hot, but she doesn't believe it even though she knows she looks exactly like her mom and she thought her mom was a hottie ...
TL;DR - I didn't like Vivi.

Let's talk about the plot, or lack thereof. First, 5% her parents die. 50% They find out other shapeshifters have died with a missing heart. Last 5% 2 of their friends go missing and while they go on a rescue mission another 2 get captured, Vivi somehow rescues them and the perpetrators might have died in a car chase. End of book. That was it. There was not even the slightlest mention as to why someone might want live hearts, some kind of ritual maybe, for what purpose is anyone's guess. It was ridiculous.

Oh and the romance? Stupid. It's obvious the guy is a shapeshifter as well, but does she at least try having some kind of conversation where she drops hints to get a confirmation that he is a shapeshifter? No. Instead, she bitches and whines that they keep having these steamy makeout sessions, but he won't/can't date her.

This was a train wreck of a book, but I somehow managed to finish it, so it has that going for it at least and that's pretty much it. ...more

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Oct 08, 2013 Katie Walton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, thanks-edelweiss, shape-shifters

A few minutes ago I finished reading The Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan and after desperately trying to make more pages appear by flicking my thumb across my iPhone I sat back and had two intense thoughts that I wish to share with the world right now:
1. That was an awesome book; I need more.
2. I need more; how can it possibly have ended so soon.

Basically... and I can't iterate this point strongly enough... I need more. Do you understand me??? More!

There are aspects of this book that bridge the ga ...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Haley marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I don't know what this is but of she writes it I will read it!

11/14/13

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Jun 21, 2013 Sarah Abigail rated it it was amazing

Cheers cate, fucking cheers!! Once again..an awesome read!
Ive missed cate's writing style so much.
It felt so good and familiar.

Im excited for these series, and I cant wait to see what vivi has in store for us! ;)

And by the way, I want to be a haguara too u know.
like holy shit how freeking mental! Its way to awesome..

I LOVE U CATE TIERNAN!!!!!♥♥♥

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Oct 31, 2012 Heather *Awkward Queen and Unicorn Twin* rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: werewolves-etc, dumb, sick-of-trilogies, popsugar-challenge, word-vomit, series, no, donate-trade, 2015

This book had tons of problems. The writing was crap, there were too many characters, and the story seemed all over the place. I get that books end on cliffhangers sometimes (well, a lot), but this book wasn't even a complete story. And the cliffhanger was dumb. Oh, and Vivi's thoughts while she was a jaguar? I couldn't even read those. Those passages were SO AWFUL—uninteresting and poorly written.

I've enjoyed Tiernan's other work, but I definitely won't continue with this series.

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Apr 01, 2014 Stuti (Turmeric isn't your friend. It will fly your ship rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-pr-everything-untoward

3.5

Overall, the book is quite good, almost contemporary NA-and yes, this is exactly what I thought NA should be like-the MC faces the same struggles a new adult would, getting out of school, facing the world, fitting in, finding her place, being overwhelmed, mending her childish ways, old friends growing apart, except, to some ahem... extraordinary capacities. So yeah, there are jaguars and family history and murders to be dealt with, but for the most part, her fears and insecurities are endemic ...more

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Oct 07, 2013 Luke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this book. Like I loved all other books by Cate Tiernan.
I Have to say it is more undefined than Cate's previous novels; the direction in which the story is going is unclear. This makes the storyline unfold a bit harphazardly and sometimes it seems like the pieces aren't comming together very well. On the other hand, it does make the story more interesting and held my attention.
Other than this, I loved Cate's writing-style. This particulary makes me love all her books so much, regardless ...more

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Jul 31, 2013 Emily rated it liked it · review of another edition

Not sure how to rate this one. Is it really supposed to end that way? That was the most abrupt ending ever.

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Aug 03, 2013 Lauren rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

2.5 stars

Set-up
Vivi's parents told her the big family secret when she turned thirteen: she's descended from a long line of shape shifters called Haguari and can turn into a Jaguar. Instead of being thrilled about this news, Vivi was horrified, and has rejected everything about that nature since the day she found out about it. Why can't she just be normal? But when a tragedy strikes her family, Vivi is forced to confront who she is and reexamine everything she's denied about herself.

Thoughts
I be ...more

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Jan 10, 2014 Paige (Illegal in 3 Countries) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, fuck-yeah-diversity, series-unfinished

See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an eARC I received from the publisher via Edelweiss.

The sole reason I wanted Darkest Fear can be summed up in one word: jaguars. I'm a huuuuge fan of the admittedly sucktacular American football team the Jacksonville Jaguars, so once I heard about this novel and the jaguar people in it, I knew I needed it. This is poor methodology for picking out books and I don't recommend it, but you know what? It worked this time. Darkest Fear is a great st See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an eARC I received from the publisher via Edelweiss.

The sole reason I wanted Darkest Fear can be summed up in one word: jaguars. I'm a huuuuge fan of the admittedly sucktacular American football team the Jacksonville Jaguars, so once I heard about this novel and the jaguar people in it, I knew I needed it. This is poor methodology for picking out books and I don't recommend it, but you know what? It worked this time. Darkest Fear is a great start to a new series and something YA readers--maybe even NA readers--will find refreshing.

Honestly, Darkest Fear is less YA, more NA, but not because of anything steamy. The romantic elements are actually very low-key, limited to two guys who would like to get in bed with Vivi and one of those guys getting a swoony kissing scene or two with her. It's NA as it should be: the story of someone figuring out their life when high school ended so recently. Vivi's parents are murdered on her eighteenth birthday and she moves from Florida to New Orleans so she can find some long-lost family, figure stuff out, and blaze her own trail. It just so happens that the whole she's-a-jaguar-person thing is among the stuff she has to figure out.

Readers get to know Vivi and her newfound family very well over the course of the book, but it can get a little boring at times. The cast gets a little too large to keep track of outside the main characters and there's less jaguaring, more job-searching, working, and everyday stuff at times. The slow pacing is usually forgivable since Vivi's resistance to her own nature is why there's not much jaguaring on her end. If I wanted to complain about that, I'd be saying I want Vivi to not be who she is and that's nothing close to what I want. Vivi as she is in this novel is a great main character and she's only going to get better!

So for the most part, Vivi's living her life as she comes to accept her heritage among one a cast with diverse sexual orientations and racial/ethnic identities will satisfy. Darkest Fear's only major issue is how it's too much set-up and feels incomplete. So many conflicts are introduced and other than Vivi's resistance to her nature, not a single one is resolved. This sounds like a strange complaint for the first book in a series, but when you turn the last page in a book and feel like there are at least three chapters missing to help resolve, there's something wrong.

The second book is definitely close to the top of my 2015 TBR now. The wait will be long, but I can finally give Tiernan's highly-praised Immortal Beloved books in the meantime! I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who would like a YA novel where the paranormal element isn't overpowering or an NA novel that isn't a contemporary romance with questionable love interests--or someone who wants something that borders on both. Darkest Fear is just that much of an enjoyable, versatile read. ...more

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Jan 09, 2014 Jenny rated it liked it · review of another edition

Darkest Fear is a tale that begs lovers of paranormal stories to pick it up, promising a closer look at a lesser-known shifter than the werewolves who are so prevalent in supernatural fiction, and while the jaguar-shifter element holds us fascinated throughout, this first installment feels more like a novel-length prequel rather than the opening book in the series. We’re introduced to a variety of different plot threads–not so many as to be frustrating luckily, just enough to give the story a we ...more

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Jul 17, 2013 Emily Anne added it · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, dnf

I tried... however Darkest Fear just wasn't what I had hoped :(

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Feb 26, 2013 Renee B. is currently reading it · review of another edition

Shelves: cant-wait-any-longer-2014

I think we've established that I will read anything she writes, provided I can get my hands on them. Lol

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Jan 24, 2014 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversity-yay

For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Though I ended up really enjoying the one other Cate Tiernan novel I’ve read after a rocky beginning, I wasn’t sure what to make of Darkest Fear and I wasn’t really in a hurry to read it. Still, when it came up as an option on YABC, I thought I’d give it a chance, especially since it had a couple of decent reviews from friends. My hesitance was that paranormal novels are very hit or miss for me, and For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Though I ended up really enjoying the one other Cate Tiernan novel I’ve read after a rocky beginning, I wasn’t sure what to make of Darkest Fear and I wasn’t really in a hurry to read it. Still, when it came up as an option on YABC, I thought I’d give it a chance, especially since it had a couple of decent reviews from friends. My hesitance was that paranormal novels are very hit or miss for me, and mostly miss. While occasionally venturing into some YA tropes, I loved Darkest Fear for its diversity and awesome jaguar shape shifting.

The heroine Vivi is a haguari, which means that she, like her parents can shapeshift into a jaguar. Unlike them, though, she sees this as a curse. All she wants is a normal life. This is trope number one, but I did really like the way Tiernan handled this. Rather than feeling like the stereotypical girl who resents being all powerful and gorgeous, her reasons are explained. During Vivi’s journey, she realizes that her resentment of her heritage is likely driven by not knowing there were people outside of her family with these powers. Basically, she’s lonely and has to be keep this secret from her best friend. Also, her parents shifting in front of her on her thirteenth birthday terrified her.

In the first chapter, her parents are brutally murdered on Vivi’s birthday (this girl must hate her birthday), their hearts cut out. This leaves Vivi even more alone surrounded by mysteries, like the apparent existence of another aunt her mother never mentioned. Curious and wanting to escape her hometown, with its memories of her parents’ deaths and an attempted break-in Vivi sets out on a road trip to New Orleans to find her Aunt Donella. She arrives to find that her Aunt is dead, but that her cousin Mateo and his girlfriend Aly live in her awesome old house with a bunch of friends who are also haguari.

This cast of characters is really well-drawn, and I found myself really liking the whole bunch, even the ones I wasn’t sold on at first. They’re diverse of race and of sexuality. Vivi herself is Brazilian, while her cousin is half-Brazilian/half-Irish. The entire cast has various backgrounds and I love love love how much more this reflects the world I grew up in than the average YA book. On top of that, among her friends in New Orleans there’s a gay couple and a lesbian couple. Her best friend Jennifer is gay as well. The best thing about all the diversity is that no one is token or stereotypical; they’re just themselves. For all that, I did make a face at the book when Vivi described herself as foreign and exotic-looking, but otherwise I thought the treatment of diversity was wonderful.

My favorite aspects of the story are those of her coming to terms with herself and making friends. Vivi’s taken a gap year, though she was planning to head across the country to college before her parents died. She moves to New Orleans spontaneously, with no desire to return to her hometown. She gets her first job. This is a new adult experience, though with paranormal trappings added on. She’s trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do.

The paranormal plot line is fun, but a bit less fulfilling. There’s not as much resolution to Darkest Fear as I expect from the first installment of a series. I’m a big proponent of there being a completed plot arc to each book within the series and a larger arc running through the whole thing. Darkest Fear raises a number of different considerations: the murders, Vivi’s boss, the family book, Jennifer’s issues at college. None of these are resolved and the ending just kind of feels like jerking to a stop. I did really like, however, the way Tiernan handled the narration of Vivi as a jaguar.

So far as the romance goes, I’m torn. There are two options on the table right now, both absurdly handsome. Her boss, Rafael, who’s got the typical paranormal love interest brooding thing going as well as the “I’m drawn to you but we can’t be together” thing. Then there’s Aly’s brother, Alex, who’s a playboy. I could potentially be okay with either one, but there’s not been enough development on either front for me to commit to a ship at this juncture. There is, however, one really steamy scene. Tiernan is excellent at those.

Darkest Fear ranks pretty highly against the other paranormal novels I’ve read, and I really wish I had the sequel right now, because, as I said, there’s a lot left open and I must know what happens next. ...more

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Sep 18, 2013 Shelley rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss-arc, 2014-release, paranormal-romance

*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 2.5

*First Thoughts*

As a fan of The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Cate Tiernan's Darkest Fear is yet another book that has let me down. This is my first experiment with one of Tiernan's books, and I am sad to say that I will most likely not continue further into this series.

I am absolutely disappointed in the writing and direction that this story took. I am frustrated that such a weakly written lead character didn't do anything special to keep me excited about readi *Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 2.5

*First Thoughts*

As a fan of The Nine Lives of Chloe King, Cate Tiernan's Darkest Fear is yet another book that has let me down. This is my first experiment with one of Tiernan's books, and I am sad to say that I will most likely not continue further into this series.

I am absolutely disappointed in the writing and direction that this story took. I am frustrated that such a weakly written lead character didn't do anything special to keep me excited about reading more of her exploits. The ending leaves readers with PLENTY of questions, no answers, and such an abrupt ending that it gave me whiplash. The secondary characters like Mateo, Alyna, Jennifer, Coco, and Tink were more entertaining.

The highlights of the book for me was when Viviana's parents are killed on her EIGHTEENTH Birthday, Tink and Vivi being attacked by an unknown jaguar in New Orleans, and the ending in which Vivi, her cousin Mateo and his mate Alyna are involved in a car chase while fleeing from the villains.

In between, Darkest Fear is just another New Adult Contemporary novel with a supernatural twist to it and extreme angst that could have been done away with had Vivi just accepted who and what she was and what she had to do in order to find her parents killers.

Vivi, the lead protagonist, hates who she is, and does everything in her powers to avoid her other half at the point of becoming a bit tiresome with her attitude towards her heritage and her family. She does almost nothing to find those responsible for killing her parents. She loses track of the fact that she was supposed to get the family book on her birthday which would have probably helped her out a whole lot. She's comparably innocent when it comes to relationships, but ends up falling for someone who is as mysterious and frustrating as he is appealing.

Darkest Fear was a very frustrating book to read and to finish. The pacing literally forced me to put it aside so many times that I honestly thought this would be my first DNF novel in over 3 years. While the concept of the Haguari was what caught my attention, and drove me to request this title in the first place, the unlikable Viviana Neves just couldn't hold it for long. I would love to know what happens next, but there are so many new books, and series that I follow that 2015 is a very long ways away to make any commitment to the sequel.

I try very hard NOT to write angry or negative reviews because it really is what the reader makes out of the story. In my experience, when you attack or make negative comments about what you just read, the trolls come out of the wood work and start calling you every nasty name that has been written, and some that are made up. In hopes that the trolls WILL STAY AWAY, I shall say this; opinions are mine, and mine alone. If you so choose to highly praise this story and recommend it to others, that is YOUR choice and nobody should tell you otherwise.

Recvd via Edelweiss 10/07/2013 - Expected publication: January 7th 2014 by Simon Pulse ...more

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Jan 15, 2017 The Introventurer rated it liked it · review of another edition

Cards on the table here, folks: I have been reading Cate Tiernan’s books since I was twelve years old. Twelve. That’s fourteen-going-on-fifteen years, and more than twenty books. I’m a fan, to say the least, and unfortunately I picked up this book with the mindset of “well it’s Cate, so I’m going to like it no matter what.”

Bad! Bad E! Smack on the nose! Being blindly loyal to an author is all well-and-good, but if you’re going to operate a book review blog, you have to be objective – you have to ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 Kristen Jett rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, give-me-the-sequel-already, urban-fantasy, paranormal

You know those books that you fly through, find addictive, but once you sit down to think about it, you're left with a little confusion? This totally gave me reader whiplash.

Vivi is a shifter. She's known since her 13th birthday - and she wants to be anything but. The story starts with a flash as her parents are suddenly murdered, shredding all the plans for the future she had, and leaving her...empty. In her search to find answers about her family, she finds more questions, sending her on a roa You know those books that you fly through, find addictive, but once you sit down to think about it, you're left with a little confusion? This totally gave me reader whiplash.

Vivi is a shifter. She's known since her 13th birthday - and she wants to be anything but. The story starts with a flash as her parents are suddenly murdered, shredding all the plans for the future she had, and leaving her...empty. In her search to find answers about her family, she finds more questions, sending her on a road trip.

Vivi keeps coming up against questions after question - and not all of them are answered in this book. I'm assuming they will be touched on the sequel. She's learning who she is truly as a person - and shifter - but there's still so many unanswered questions (including some that seem to be forgotten by Vivi). To me, Vivi seems a little immature for her age, but perhaps it's just simply because she's under experienced. The death of her parents' is ultimately a catalyst for growth, but she still falls back into her old frame of mind at times.

The romance is light. I have my suspicions about the main contender, but that may be too obvious. Shrug.

The ending is where the majority of the excitement happens. This is where you're on the edge of your seat. This is the sweet spot. Cue action movie music, because you're going to need it. And buckle in your seatbelt, because the brakes get slammed on so fast that you're going to ask, "Wait, that was the end?"

I had mixed feelings about the narrative from the jaguar form. It was easy to know which form she was from the type of speech, but I tend to gloss over broken speech/sentences, so I couldn't enjoy it as much as some readers might. It did provide some great insight.

Admittedly, I don't like shapeshifter books. At all. For whatever reason, I decided to give this one a try. I'm not disappointed, and I'm sure when the sequel comes out, I'll bite as this book is kinda like a bag of chips. Maybe you shouldn't have more than one handful, but you know you're going to anyway. ...more

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Oct 11, 2013 Adriana C rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arc

Darkest Fear is a book I was eager to read and that caught my attention because the main character is transformed into a jaguar, and I really like books about shifters and was intrigued to see how they handled the origins of these Haguaris. But the truth is that I struggle a lot with this book, I was about to drop it because I felt that nothing was happening when in fact they were a lot of things happening because Vivi and her parents are attacked by a jaguar and from the attack only Vivi surviv ...more

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May 12, 2014 Alice Liu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Vivi, a reluctant jaguar shape shifter (haguara), is just like any other girl in that she just wants to be normal and fit in. She wants this so much, that she has completely shut out her jaguar culture, so that when her parents are murdered, she is completely unprepared to take care of herself. This is partly because she has been a sheltered teen, but also because her dual nature has to surface. In her search for answers, she ends up with her cousin in New Orleans and finds that shape shifters r ...more

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Jan 27, 2014 Taylor Knight rated it liked it · review of another edition

I was really hesitant to read Darkest Fear for the sole reason the blurb says fans of The Nine Lives of Chloe King will like this book. I read all three books in the Chloe King series and I really disliked each and every one of them.
But Darkest Fear was able to pull though (kinda).

I first want to call out who ever created the cover. They are stupid and don't know how to do their job. With the huge, bold print, you'd think this book was called Birthright. That's what I thought. But no. The seri ...more

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May 25, 2014 Hannah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I didn't exactly have any intention of reading this book but I saw it in the library yesterday and thought it looked cool. We all say don't judge a book by its cover and we shouldn't. But I judged this book by its cover and I have to say, it was judging well done. I didn't quite understand what it was about when I read the blurb but I picked it up anyone. But what can I say about this book? Oh. My. Gods. This book was amazing. As soon as I realized this not your usual paranormal book I did a lit ...more

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Sep 11, 2014 Shannon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another fantastic book by Cate Tiernan. She is one of my favorite authors and I absolutely loved the book. Tiernan is a wonderful storyteller who creates really interesting, and well developed characters. Darkest Fear tells the story of an 18 year old girl who has to come to turns with being a haguara, a person who can turn into a jaguar, after the death of her parents. In coping with her parents death, Vivi finds out that she has an estranged aunt living in New Orleans. When Vivi goes to find h ...more

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Aug 08, 2013 Steph rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: year-read-2014, series-ongoing, age-group-ya-na, author-웃, series-book1

(2.5-3 stars) This was nothing like I'd expected from the author who penned one of my favorite YA trilogies, Immortal Beloved. Add to that the fact that her new series features feline shifters -- Love! The shifter mythology is intriguing; the characters, for the most part, are likable; and the MC's loss and struggle to find/accept herself was touching. Yet, sadly, there was something off. I read the book in one sitting and, by the end, which was a whiplash jarring sudden stop, I was left wonderi ...more

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Jan 16, 2017 ☆☆Hannah☆☆ rated it liked it

This wasn't as bad of a book as I thought it might be. It's another example why you shouldn't take reviews too seriously. My only complaint is that this should have had more action in it. Nothing exciting really happens until the very end. I might continue on with series. I'll just wait and see how I feel.

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May 28, 2015 Emy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-surrey-county-libraries, 2015

The story was good, but I utterly loathe books which end without the conclusion of at least the basic book-story. I enjoy overarching story arcs which covers many physical books, but I like individual volumes to be complete in themselves. If feels more like cynical marketing when a single book is split into a series.

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Aug 23, 2013 Booknut rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-love-dearly, can-t-get-enough-of, heartbreak-and-loss, shifters, romance, can-t-wait-to-read, mystery-and-sherlocking, gorgeous-guys, mythology

Another amazing read by Cate Tiernan! Full review to come :)

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Oct 13, 2015 here for the ride rated it liked it · review of another edition

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

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Jul 15, 2018 Caitlin (mondaysshelf) rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I hadn't read a Cate Tiernan book since the Sweep books and I was in high school so coming back to her writing did feel very familiar for me.

Overall I think this book was solid but with a few problems. Unlike others I did actually like that she showed the mundane world of being a new adult. I'm only a few years older than Vivi so I related to her questions about the future. Plus let's remember that she just lost her parents and not only that but witnessed the deaths. I think grief was overall we I hadn't read a Cate Tiernan book since the Sweep books and I was in high school so coming back to her writing did feel very familiar for me.

Overall I think this book was solid but with a few problems. Unlike others I did actually like that she showed the mundane world of being a new adult. I'm only a few years older than Vivi so I related to her questions about the future. Plus let's remember that she just lost her parents and not only that but witnessed the deaths. I think grief was overall well written in this book.

I loved meeting Mateo and Ally. I think they were actually my favorite characters in this whole book. Mateo and his whole crew are very unapologetic about what they are and I found that powerful. I liked the contrast between his and Vivi's characters.

However, Vivi has such a strong rejection of her culture. Honestly though if I found out I could change into a jaguar and then witnessed my parents dying by likely the hands of another jaguar I'd reject it too. But she just never comes around.

I thought once she was fully immersed with Mateo and Ally and the whole group that she would come around. There are points where she feels drawn to learn how to change back and forth but right after her lessons she puts it aside and doesn't want to learn anymore. She dug her heels in and it was a bit too much. Really for me it's the obvious disgust that she has towards the haguari that turned me off. I feel it's one thing to reject it because you're angry that you couldn't tell anyone and you felt different than your best friend but this disgust she has honestly disgusted me. Even when others are changing she'll mention that she thinks it's revolting when they change but she still loves their friendship. I just don't think that was okay.

The last piece of this for me is the cast of characters aside from Mateo, Ally and Vivi fell flat for me. Her best friend Jennifer, I didn't understand and she didn't seem like a great friend but only because we never got many moments of them before Vivi moved to New Orleans. We get them in flashbacks but it wasn't enough for me. I didn't care that Suzanne and James went missing. I did a bit but I was more gut punched when Mateo and Ally got captured. Which it was never fully explained as to how these two jaguars got so easily captured. Also the romance in this book was just so-so to me. We don't get any answers toward Rafeal which I get is setting up for the next book but Vivi and him had such brief moments together that aside from him being attractive I didn't understand why Vivi liked him. Vivi also says she doesn't understand, which leads us to believe that they are possibly some unknown connections between them. I just wanted more.

I will be reading the second book because I would like to see these characters develop. I have faith that Tiernan can do it. ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA? girl who's a shapeshifter, parents killed, moves away. [s]	4	24	Feb 19, 2018 10:01AM
Crazy for Young A...: Pair #5: Hannah and Bookbuyer (January Besties)	19	21	Jan 17, 2017 01:07PM
Bargain Basement: Giveaway for Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan	1	5	Jan 17, 2014 10:43AM

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About Cate Tiernan

Cate Tiernan

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"was born in New Orleans, LA, in 1961. New Orleans is one of the most interesting American cities, and it has an incredibly rich and exotic culture that had a profound influence on me. Kids in other cities have lemonade stands; we sold voodoo gris-gris and made wax dolls in the likenesses of our enemies. It's a very beautiful city, and the constant heat and humidity make gardens grow out of contro "was born in New Orleans, LA, in 1961. New Orleans is one of the most interesting American cities, and it has an incredibly rich and exotic culture that had a profound influence on me. Kids in other cities have lemonade stands; we sold voodoo gris-gris and made wax dolls in the likenesses of our enemies. It's a very beautiful city, and the constant heat and humidity make gardens grow out of control. There's an air of lassitude there, a general acceptance of eccentic or flamboyant behavior--the heat simply makes people do crazy things.

I went to school in New York, and after school went back to New Orleans. Then I went back to New York (Manhattan) and got a job in publishing and started writing. My first book, a young, middle-grade chapter book, was published in 1990.

Living in Manhattan was incredible, even though I didn't have a lot of money. There was so much to do and see, and so many interesting people to watch. There was a lot of frenetic energy there, and sometimes that felt very wearing and hard to live with. After eight years I was ready for a change, and my husband and I moved back to New Orleans. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)

(While I was in NY, I helped edit "The Secret Circle" by L.J. Smith. I thought it was great.)

We stayed in New Orleans five years. By the time we had two small children we knew we had to find someplace safer to live. I was glad my children were born in New Orleans--I had been born there, and my father had, and his father had, and his father had and so on. There was something about the connection of generations of blood coming from one place that I found very primal and important.

Now I live in a cohousing community in Durham, NC. This is the most suburban place I've ever lived, and it's very different from living right in the middle of a city. For one thing, there aren't enough coffee shops. However, it's incredibly safe, and the community is very important to me. There are a lot of strong women here, and I find them inspiring.

Am I a witch? Well, no. Even Wicca is too organized a religion for me. I'm much more idiosyncratic and just need to do my own thing, which is kind of new-agey and pantheistic. It's not that I don't work or play well with others, but I need to decide for myself when I do a certain thing, and how I do it. However, I can really relate to Wicca, and I so appreciate its woman-centeredness and its essentially female identity. I love those aspects, among others.

I have several favorite writers. Barbara Hambly has been the biggest influence on how I describe magic. She's an incredibly imaginative and empathetic writer with a gift for creating a rich, sensual world. I love Barbara Pym, an English writer whose books came out mostly in the fifties. She was a master at describing the thousand tiny moments that make up a woman's day; how the seemingly small and inconsequential thing can suddenly take on a huge emotional importance. I greatly admire P.D. James. She's one of the very few writers who makes me actually look up words in the dictionary. She has a beautiful, precise, educated command of the language that leaves me in awe. I love Philip Larkin's poetry. I read a lot of nonfiction and also have some favorite romance writers. Before anyone groans, let me say that these women write really well about women trying to achieve emotional fulfillment, and that's kind of what we're all doing, right? I also just like reading about sex. Anyway, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and early Linda Howard are my faves.

And then of course there's my dark side, but more on that later.

" -Source

Cate Tiernan is a pseudonym for Gabrielle Charbonnet ...more