Rogue by Rachel Vincent

Faythe Sanders is again back with her family. Reluctantly, of course. She's agreed to set aside her college degree in order to help her father, the local Alpha of a pack of werecats, as an enforcer. Even though Faythe's dad runs a tight ship it's not all bad - she gets to spend a large amount of her time honing her fighting skills (aka kicking her brother's trash) and hanging out with her boyfriend Marc. However, time spent on her father's ranch is never quiet and after a string of tomcats turn up dead and human women go missing, Faythe and the crew must try to put the pieces together before the rogue cat can strike again. But Faythe's choices have a way of coming back to bite her in the butt (sometimes literally) and this time the consequences may even effect her place within the Pride.

Faythe caught my eye in the previous werecat novel Stray with her fierce determination to become something other than a simple brood mare for the Pride. She's tough and impulsive and frankly still has a bit of growing up to do as far as relationships go, though to some extent I think she realizes it. Marc sure does. I will admit that watching their relationship develop in Rogue could often be described as a lesson in patience, but it was also obvious just how much they truly care about each other. To my way of looking at things, that's the very first step Faythe has to take in the growing up department and she does a decent job of taking it head-on. As a rare female in a large group of males, I can understand her desire to stretch the bands of convention - and for often butting heads with the macho males shes is constantly surrounded by. What makes me laugh more than anything however is Faythe's ability to attract trouble and cause disturbances wherever she goes. Seriously, the girl is a walking time bomb and I'm happy to simply follow along and watch the sparks fly.

What has to be the best part about returning to Rachel Vincent's world of werecat shifters is getting another up-close look at Faythe's relationship with her loud-mouth brothers and, most notably, her stead-fast parents. I was glad to see Faythe begin to bond with her '50s minded mom - who in my opinion holds much more power than Faythe ever gives her credit for. It never fails to make me smile when I see The Sanders as one big, scruffy family who can't help but snapping to attention every time their dad goes into Alpha mode. Heck, I probably would to. And that's not even mentioning the ridiculously soft spot I hold for Jace (can't you just see my goofy grin?).

series reading order:
~ Stray - my review
~ Rogue
~ Pride
~ Prey
~ Shift (March 2010)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Angieville review
Darque review
Dear Author review
Ink and Paper review
Urban Fantasy Land review

book source: my local library

Stray by Rachel Vincent

There are so many urban fantasy series out there with a tough heroine more often than not trying to prove something to the world or herself. Faythe, the werecat turned student, actually has my attention in this believable action-packed story about a young werecat trying to make a place for herself in a predominantly male society.

She is a graduate student who is basically going to school to avoid her family - who she hasn't seen in give or take five years. Except for those sent to keep an eye on her over the years that is. But she had good reasons for leaving - being the only daughter of one of the most protective Alpha werecat has left her feeling like she has few options other than 'obey.' Outside her normal, college student world, female werecats or tabbies as they are known are extremely rare (unlike their male counterparts) and as such are highly prized and, by consequence, highly guarded. Faythe is set never to return home when she meets a stray werecat and finds out that other tabbies have gone missing. Scared and more than a little ticked off to be forced home to face friends and family she thought she'd put behind her, Faythe discovers she isn't the only one who has changed in the last five years.

Faythe is a believable heroine. Having grown up with four other brothers and an aggressive father, I could totally see her taking down some guy twice her size or at least giving him a piece of her mind. I also found supreme enjoyment in her inability to keep her mouth shut during an argument and the resulting consequences. Highly amusing. The action is set against some truly entertaining encounters with her overbearing brothers and dad, her ex boyfriend Marc, and the potential flame, Jace - these guys have personality to spare and really made every page come alive. I'll be sticking around for sure to see what comes next.

reading order:
~ Stray
~ Rogue
~ Pride
~ Prey

Summer Reading Blitz update: 10/30