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Shifters series

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Stray (Shifters -1) by Rachel Vincent

Stray (Shifters #1) by Rachel Vincent

Shifters series, also called Werecats series by Rachel Vincent , author of the Unbound series and Soul Screamers series. 


Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy / Western Fantasy

Series Description or Overview[]

Faythe is a werecat (like a housecat, only much larger). She is the only daughter of the alpha of the South-central Pride, which is located in Texas, so this series is really more WF (western fantasy) than UF. ~ Fang-tastic Fiction

Lead's Species[]

  • Werecat

Primary Supe[]

  • Shifters

What Sets it Apart[]

  • Werecats instead of werewolves. 

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

  • Told in first person from Faythe’s perspective.

Books in Series[]

Shifters series:

  1. Stray (2007) 
  2. Rogue (2008) 
  3. Pride (2009) 
  4. Prey (2009) 
  5. Shift (2010) 
  6. Alpha (2010) ~ Final

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

Other Series by Author onsite[]

World Building[]

Setting[]

Texas; Western US

South-Central territory: South of the Missouri River and east of the Rockies, running all the way to the Mississippi. Faythe and her Pride's territory.

Other Places: Southern United States, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Montana

Supernatural Elements[]

  • Shifters/werecats,
  • thunderbirds,
  • mystics,
  • Bruins/werebear

Villians:

  • rogue strays,
  • jungle cats,
  • sociopathic werecats, 
  • power-hungry Pride leader

Glossary:[]

  • Werecat: shifters that look like black panthers with the eyes of domestic cats; there are werecats who belong to a Pride, meaning they were born like that. On average, for every five male werecats born, there is only one female.
  • Strays: werecats that were not born werecats but were rather bitten.
  • Enforcer: werecats authorised to hunt Strays
  • Pride: group of werecats ruled by Alphas (similar to werewolf packs)
  • Alpha: werecat in charge of a Pride, known to convine with other Alphas at Council meetings
  • Toms: male werecats (physically stronger than females and on average outnumber them 5 to 1) 
  • Scratch-fever: The 'stage' at person goes into after being infected by a werecat, slang term for calling someone 'infected'
  • Bruin: werebear, powerful shapeshifters respected by werecats
  • Thunderbirds: American Indian legendary supernatural bird of power and strength—beating of its enormous wings causes thunder and stirs the wind
  • Tabbycat: female werecats (physically weaker and rarer than males)
  • Jungle Cats: werecats born in the South American wilderness, hated by Pride Cats.
  • Wildcats: werecats who leave Prides and live in the Free Zones
  • Free Zones: areas of North America not occupied by Prides, frequented by Wildcats and Jungle Cats

Groups & Organizations:[]

  • Alpha: name those that lead their Pride.
  • South-Central pride: Faythe's pride
  • Territorial Council: council of werecats; The Territorial Council consists of the Alphas of the nine werecat territories.

World[]

In the werecat world, females are valued highly because of their reproductive abilities. All females are expected to mate and produce children as soon as possible, and the selection of mates is often made for political reasons rather than for love. Needless to say, Faythe doesn't accept this traditional female role. ~ Fang-tastic

There are only eight breeding female werecats left—Faythe is one of them. Booking in Heels

Protagonist[]

✥ Faythe is a werecat (like a housecat, only much larger). She is the only daughter of the alpha of the South-central Pride, which is located in Texas. Faythe has had a happy childhood with strongly supportive parents, but she has as much angst and insecurity as most other UF heroines. Faythe begins the series as a college student with a human boyfriend (Andrew) and a werecat ex-lover (Marc), whom she deserted at the altar five years earlier because she believes that he values the Pride more than he loves her. The series follows Faythe’s adventures as her need for independence and her inability to control her big mouth lead her into deeper and deeper troubles, both inside and outside the Pride. ~ Fang-tastic

✥ Faythe comes from an old family of werecats and her father is the big Alpha of their pride. But Faythe always wanted to get away and started college against her parents wish. Faythe is an incredible complex person and I loved that. Truly not without flaws she’s sometimes stupid and stuck between being a teen and acting mature. But, she knows that and tried to act more and more like an adult and take responsibilities for her own actions. ~ Bewitched Bookworms

✥ Described as being very beautiful, Faythe is fiesty and 'one of the boys'. She values her personal space and doesn't want to shoulder responsibility of her pride, this she often fights about with her father. 23 years old. ~ Shelfari

Sidekick[]

Name: — What: — Sidekick-to: — About: — Book First Seen In:

Characters Chart[]

More characters info to help fill out found here: Shifters Series ~ Shelfari (click each book fo rlist)

Characters What About
Katherine 'Faythe' Sanders Werecat; to live a "normal" life away from the family Pride; she left home at age 18 to attend college. A university of Texas grad student. 23 years old; “the world’s only female werecat enforcer,”  
Andrew human Faythe's college boyfriend;
Marc Ramos werecat, enforcer. ex-lover Second in command; 29 years old; Faythe's ex-boyfriend, still very much in love with her; she deserted at the altar five years earlier; made werecat, 'infected' at the age of 14; Age 29; second in command to Greg Sanders, her father;
Kaci Dillon young tabby tabby found wandering in the woods; Faythe/South Central Pride's ward. First tabby born/found with non-were parents; Young "kitten" of the Pride; AKA Karli (in the human world); teenaged tabby cat; had two human parents: due to both her parents carrying the recessive shifter gene, she became one;
Jace Hammond Enforcer Ethan's best friend; Likes Faythe; 25 years old; step-father: Calvin Malone; fell in love with Faythe;
Manx, aka Mercedes South American tabby Was kidnapped from her home a long time ago, raped by Miguel and Luiz and became pregnant. She survived that and is now living with Faythe's family; baby: Des; Likes Owen; originally from South America;
Des, aka Desiderio baby werecat Manx's (Mercedes) baby; friend of the Sanders family. His father is Luiz
Luiz jungle cat South American; tried to capture tabbies to breed in South America; raped Manx with Miguel; fathered Des by raping Manx;
Greg Sanders Werecat; Alpha of the Pride Faythe's father; the territorial leader, head of the whole council.
Ethan Sanders Werecat; Faythe's second-oldest brother best friend of Jace; Friendly and easy-going but diligent, Faythe states that its nearly impossible to hold a grudge against him. 25 years old; Loyal to his pride; supportive and understanding to Faythe
Owen Sanders Werecat; Faythe's middle brother; wanna-be cowboy; loves animals though, because of being a werecat, can't be near them; Very down to earth, kind, gentle. Likes Manx.
Ryan Sanders Werecat; Faythe's brother Left home at aged 18 and hasn't been back since. Recently got himself in some trouble; Outcast brother
Abby Wade tabby Faythe's cousin and Luc's sister; 17 year old; was kidnapped
Lucas Wade Enforcer Enforcer for his father, Rick Wade's, Pride. He is Abby's older brother, and Faythe's cousin.
Sara DiCarlo Werecat; Sister of Vic; fiancée of Kyle; kidnapped;
Michael Sanders: Werecat; Lawyer Faythe's oldest brother; though he used to be an enforcer. Married to model Holly, a human, who he must keep his secret from;
Jace Hammond Sworn enforcer Ethan's best friend; crush on Faythe; flirts with her, much to the dismay of Marc;
Sean Sara's former boyfriend loves her and will do anything to get her back.
Vic, Victor Di Carlo Enforcer Sara's brother; Marc's best friend; Enforcer for the South Central Pride
Calvin Malone Pride leader power-hungry; doesn't like Faythe at all; very bad man; Jace's step-father
Mrs. Sanders Council Faythe's mother
Calvin Malone Alpha; one of the members of the council residing over Faythe's trial; a bad man; Jace's step-father
Elias Keller: bruin (werebear) werecats befriend in the woods; lives in Montana, in the middle of the werecats free territory.
Holly Sanders super model, human Michael's wife; must keep his secret from her; travels frequently;
Colin Dean Canadian enforcer Faythe's sworn enemy since she outed him as a coward and made him lose his job as Paul Blackwell's enforcer; new enforcer for Calvin Malone;
Abby werecat Faythe's cousin; 17 years old; a tabby who Faythe rescued after she'd been kidnapped with the intent to condemn her to life as a werecat broodmare; father: Rick Wade;
Kevin Mitchell werecat? Son of Milo Mitchell. Lives in the free zone between the Northwestern & Midwestern Prides.
Parker Pierce enforcer from Faythe's Pride; bros: Holden & Lance Pierce; father: Jerald Pierce
Lance Pierce Enforcer for Calvin Malone; bros: Parker & Holden Pierce; younger brother; father: Jerald Pierce
Holden Pierce werecat bros: Parker & Lance Pierce; father: Jerald Pierce
Jerald Pierce Alpha; father to Parker, Holden & Lance Pierce; sits on Territorial Council
Dr. Carver werecat doctor.
Paul Blackwell Alpha A very old man. Alpha of his Pride; looking forward to retirement; siding with Calvin Malone.
Angela human Ethan's human girlfriend
Rick Wade Alpha of his Pride Abby's father. Faythe's uncle (her mother's brother).
Milo Mitchell Alpha Kevin's father; Territorial Council; Father of Kevin; sides with Calvin Malone;
Brett Malone Calvin Malone's eldest son Doesn't completely side with his father
Alex Malone Malone's son Calvin Malone's second-eldest son
Patricia "Patti" Malone werecat; Jace's mother; Widow after Jace's father (Jason) died; Re-married to Calvin Malone and mother of his sons and one daughter;
Mateo werecat Faythe's cousin. Abby's brother
Angela Raymond human dating Ethan;
Aaron Taylor Alpha member of the Territorial Council. He is the father of Carissa;
Wes Gardner Alpha member of the Territorial Council. Sides with Calvin Malone during this battle.
Nick Davidson Alpha Territorial Council
Cade Thunderbird vicious half-human, half-bird creature.
Miguel Stray werecat jungle cat
Brynn thunderbird
Dan Painter: Stray
Parker Werecat
Ben Feldman
Adam Eckard
Jack
Brian
Desiderio
Gary
Henderson

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table or Column (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.

Rachel Vincent

Rachel Vincent

Author[]

Rachel Vincent

Bio: 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 with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her #1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan. ~ Goodreads | Rachel Vincent

Contributors[]

Cover Artists[]

  • Artist: ~ Source: not listed

Other Contributors[]

  • Audio Book Narrator: — Source:
  • Editor: — Source:

Publishing Information[]

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE—Stray (2007): There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . . And I'm one of them. I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds. Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked. I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared. This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back... for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them. ~ Stray (Werecats, book 1) FF

✤ BOOK TWO—Rogue (2008): Okay, so cats don't always land on their feet. I know that better than most. Since rejoining the Pride, I've made big decisions and even bigger mistakes: the kind paid for with innocent lives. As the first and only female enforcer, I have plenty to prove to my father, the Pride, and myself. And with murdered toms turning up in our territory, I'm working harder than ever, though I always find the energy for a little after-hours recreation with Marc, my partner both on- and off-duty. But not all of my mistakes are behind me. We're beginning to suspect that the dead are connected to a rash of missing human women and that they can all be laid at my feet--two or four, take your pick. And one horrible indiscretion may yet cost me more than I can bear. ~ Goodreads | Rogue (Shifters, #2) by Rachel Vincent

✤ BOOK THREE—Pride (2009): I'm on trial for my life. Falsely accused of infecting my human ex-boyfriend--and killing him to cover up the crime. Infecting a human is one of three capital offenses recognized by the Pride—along with murder and disclosure of our existence to a human. I'm two for three. A goner. Now we've discovered a rogue stray terrorizing the mountainside, hunting a wild teenage tabbycat. It's up to us to find and stop him before a human discovers us. With my lover Marc's help, I "think" I can protect the vulnerable girl from both the ambitious rogue and the scheming of the territorial council. "If" I survive my own trial. ~ Goodreads | Pride (Shifters, #3) by Rachel Vincent

✤ BOOK FOUR—Prey (2009): ometimes playing cat and mouse is no game...Play? "Right." My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father's authority is in question and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven't laid eyes on Marc's gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother "and" an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don't exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.

Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever. ~ Goodreads | Prey (Shifters, #4) by Rachel Vincent

✤ BOOK FIVE—Shift (2010): 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 peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe. With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option. ~ Goodreads | Shift (Shifters, #5) by Rachel Vincent

✤ BOOK SIX—Alpha (2010): The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can--that will--change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for.But life never waits until you're ready. ~ Goodreads | Alpha (Shifters, #6) by Rachel Vincent

First Sentences[]

  1. Stray (2007) — The moment the door opened I knew an ass-kicking was inevitable.
  2. Rogue (2008) — "Catch and release, my ass!" Grunting, I shoved the stray facedown over the trunk of Marc's car, snatching back my free hand just in time to avoid his teeth as they snapped together.
  3. Pride (2009) — Miss Sanders, tell us why you killed your boyfriend.
  4. Prey (2009) — You planning to get there sometime this century, Vic?
  5. Shift (2010) — "You should leave. Now."
  6. Alpha (2010) — “Are you sure about this?” Jace hesitated, one hand gripping a bare branch overhead, the other poised over his zipper.

Quotes[]

Trivia[]

Awards[]

Read Alikes (suggestions)[]

Notes[]

Also see Rachel's Wildcats series which is set in the shifters world (after the first 6 books) and will continue the stories of characters we have already met. ~ Shifters - Goodreads

See Also[]

Category links at bottom of page

External References[]

Books:

Summaries:

Read Online:

World, Characters, etc:

Content References: 

Reviews:

1- Stray (2007) 

2- Rogue (2008) 

3- Pride (2009) 

4- Prey (2009) 

5- Shift (2010)

6- Alpha (2010)

6.5. "Hunt"

Author:

Community, Fan Sites:

Gallery of Book Covers[]


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