Monday, January 10, 2011

ALPHA by Rachel Vincent

Shifters series #6
Publisher: Mira Books
Date published: October 2010
ISBN: 978-0778328186
Ebook
Urban Fantasy/Shapeshifter
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via: personal purchase


The final installment in Rachel Vincent’s highly popular Shifters series, ALPHA, was worth every penny and exceeded all expectations.

ALPHA starts off where Shift left off. Faythe and her pack are mourning her brother Ethan’s death and hot on the trail of her weak willed and incredibly disappointing brother Ryan. Faythe is still preparing to one day take over from her father as Alpha and is presently struggling with the decision of which of her two lovers, Marc and Jace, she will choose. And while all this is going on, a shifter war is looming just over the horizon as new Council Chair Calvin Malone has Faythe, Jace and Marc up on unjustified charges of treason.

Rachel Vincent has really outdone herself with the sixth and final book in her tumultuous Shifters urban fantasy saga, ALPHA. This book answers all those questions we have had throughout this volatile and exciting series. Readers are taken on an emotional roller coaster as Faythe faces making the impossible choice between her long-time love Marc who everyone in the pack assumes will one day run the pack with her and her dead brother’s best friend who she recently realized she also loves. And if that wasn’t emotion packed enough for you, Faythe suffers a loss even closer to home and is forced to take on responsibilities she isn’t sure she is ready to tackle just yet. But Faythe is one tough cookie and isn’t afraid to get down and dirty to do what has to be done. This book is the culmination of the war and it is bloody. But the underlying love triangle and the familial relationships within the pack bring balance to the story. ALPHA is the book where Faythe finally comes into her own as a leader and Council Chair Calvin Malone finally gets what is coming to him. This book is about strategy and difficult decisions. It is about roadblocks, rethinking, reorganizing and never ever giving up. And the ending was spectacular. Until you read this book for yourself, you will never guess how Ms. Vincent is going to manage a satisfying ending for just about everyone in this series. But she does and does it splendidly.

ALPHA truly could not have been more captivating. This reader really did not want to put it down and days later Faythe and her pack are still lingering in my mind. ALPHA and the entire Shifters series have earned a permanent place in this reader’s bookcase. ALPHA deserves every bit of its five stars. Kudos.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

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