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shapeshifters

Review: Otherkin by Nina Berry

July 31, 2012 by Sana

Title: Otherkin (Otherkin, #1)

Author: Nina Berry
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Shapeshifters
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Release Date: 31 July 2012
Pages: 320 (eARC)

Synopsis

I thought I knew myself. Then I met Caleb.
Dez is a good girl who does as she’s told and tries not to be noticed.
Then she rescues a boy from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself.
Now inside her burns a darkness that will transform her.
Everything is about to change — and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them are prepared for what Dez will unleash.

My Rating
* * * *
The Review
When secrets lie just beyond a veil of shadow magic and shifters exist alongside the callers of shadows, it is guaranteed that I will be hooked. And I was. There is never a dull moment in this fascinatingly fresh and a whirlwind of a book called Otherkin.

Dez’s life is defined by her back brace so she adjusts to it despite the frustration it brings. But it’s been two years and Dez is bound to snap and boy, snap she did! Before Dez knew what was happening, she was looking at a tiger in her bedroom mirror who winced when she did. It unfortunately gave a green signal for her to get drugged, shot and then caged.

There she meets Caleb in the neighbouring cage and they both end up escaping the wrath of the Tribunal. But it’s really just the beginning because the Tribunal’s sole purpose is to eliminate the remaining otherkin: bears, cats, birds of prey, rats and wolves. Hell be damned if these five shifters tribes ever unite to fight the Tribunal!

But Dez knows that the life as she has known is over when the Tribunal attacks again. Her last option is to go to a shifter school in a secret location with Caleb. With a family on the run, Dez has no choice but to at least learn how to shift into her animal form and back at will.

Through it all, Dez remains a strong and independent character who seems to be always battling with her body; first with the back brace then as a shifter. It really emphasizes her human and the animal form and gives her the courage she needs. I admire her will. Caleb is a pretty mysterious character but he is also charming and have the etiquettes of a gentleman. Their chemistry is hot!

The secondary characters from Ximon, the Tribunal head to Morfael, the mysterious teacher to the other shifters: November, London, Arnaldo, and Siku blends well in the world of shifters. The shifter school turns out to be an adventure for Dez and with Caleb becoming distant, Dez really has no way to gain confidence than to embrace what she is. What is Caleb hiding and why is Morfael becoming more secretive every day?

The concept of otherkin is so thrilling, it’s like a whole new world. Just like the tagline says, “On the edge of our world lies the shadow of another…” Some of the description in the book took me by surprise with such vivid detail especially that of Morfael’s cabin that I was awestruck. Nina Berry has written a fantastic debut that I ended up wanting more; it’s that good!

Best Quote:
“I tiptoed to the edge, looking down into the yawning void. For the first time, I felt no dread. That mysterious place, that maelstrom that drew forth the tiger, that was me. I’d been so afraid that I’d cut myself from . . . myself. I’d had no idea what would happen if that girl was ever unleashed.

But now I knew.”

Thanks to Kensington Teen and NetGalley for providing me Otherkin for review.

Review: The Shapeshifter’s Secret by Heather Ostler Blog Tour

May 1, 2012 by Sana

Click the banner for the tour schedule.

Title: The Shapeshifter’s Secret

Author: Heather Ostler
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Shapeshifters
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Release Date: 12 June 2012
Pages: 328 (eARC)

ABOUT THE BOOK
In Julia’s life, timing is everything. Like the time her paranoid father put bars on her window so she wouldn’t sneak out at night—even though she’s never given him a reason not to trust her. Or the time this weird new kid showed up at her school and pretty much every girl in sight instantly and inexplicably fell in love with him. What was up with that?
But as time moves on, things in Julia’s life go from strange to seriously impossible. Now it’s all she can do to keep herself and the life she’s always known from falling apart.
This fast-paced action-adventure story is packed with humor, romance, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very last page. Get lost in a world of hidden royalty, shifting alliances, and dangerous vendettas, but don’t ever forget: nothing is what it seems.
THE RATING

THE REVIEW
The Shapeshifter’s Secret promised me a world unlike anything I have ever read about and it delivered. The concept is very original and the story has a way of sucking you into it. I manage to finish it in a single sitting! Julia is a very likable character, her overprotective father and his rules have limited Julia from involving herself in normal teenage activities. 
The book begins with Julia thinking about the complex personality of Caleb, the new student. But her anger issues are more disturbing for her. Julia seems to be losing her temper whenever she isn’t satisfied with the answers she wants. She almost feels herself turning into an unknown creature when her father, Lancer, refuses to tell her much about her mother.
Then Sierra has been acting strange lately and her father decided to put bars on her windows. Seriously? The only good thing about her life seems to be the arrival of Liam, her uncle. But then she overhears a strange conversation between her father and Lance. 
Things start to get more strange for Julia when she loses her temper in class and almost attacks a student. She even shapeshifts once but Caleb saves her from trouble. Her father then finally decides to reveal what Julia really is and her lineage. 
Fast-forward into Ossai which is really Julia’s home and the subsequent enrollment in Lockham. Julia is also disappointed in Caleb but finds a love interest in Terence, one of the captains of the Soldier Union. There Julia also discovers the truth about her mother and the people who depend on her to make things right in Ossai. Is Julia ready to tackle with their sworn enemy, the Guild?
The Shapeshifter’s Secret is a fast-paced and action-packed book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a spectacular new series from Heather Ostler. One I am sure the readers of paranormal genre wouldn’t want to miss out on. A debut author to look out for!
THE QUOTES:

‘Soon her hands began shaking harder than ever before. Her breathing seized her, and she felt her lungs might explode before she had enough air. She shook her head as her vision was obscured, and suddenly she was no longer Julia.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Ostler grew up near the mountains with a rambunctiously entertaining family. She majored in English at Utah Valley University, and soon began composing stories about masquerades, water nymphs, and shapeshifters. She and her husband, Kellen, reside in Highland, Utah with two remarkably pleasant pugs.


Heather Ostler can be found at 
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Publisher
Buy The Shapeshifter’s Secret
Amazon | Amazon (Kindle) | B&N

Thanks to Cedar Fort Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy of The Shapeshifter’s Secret for review.

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