Feral Pride by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Series: Feral (bk. 3) Spin-Off to Tantalize series

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Semi-Dystopian

Subjects: shape-shifters, demons, supernatural

Setting: Texas, near and in Austin

POV/Tense: 1st person POV present tense. Rotating between Aimee, Clyde, Kayla and Yoshi.

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 285 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Summary/ product description: “The explosive finale to the Feral series by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith.

Anti-shifter sentiment is at an all-time high when Kayla’s transformation to werecat is captured on video and uploaded for the world to see. Suddenly she becomes a symbol of the werebeast threat and—along with fellow cat Yoshi, lion-possum Clyde, and human Aimee—a hunted fugitive. Meanwhile, a self-proclaimed weresnake has kidnapped the governor of Texas and hit the airwaves with a message of war. In retaliation, werepeople are targeted by law enforcement, threatened with a shift-suppressing vaccine, terrorized by corporate conspiracy, and enslaved by a top-secret, intelligent Cryptid species. Can Clyde rally his inner lion king to lead his friends—new and old—into battle against ruthless, media-savvy foes? A rousing blend of suspense, paranormal romance, humor, and high action.”

My Review:  As the final book of the Feral series, Feral Pride brings the series to an epic conclusion. The book switched between four character’s perspectives this time: Clyde, Aimee, Yoshi and Kayla. It picks up from right after the events of Feral Curse. As a fan of the Tantalize series, I loved that the author wrote a three-book spin-off series based around other characters.

I also loved that there books focus on the shifter and the social prejudices on whether they are considered human since they can become animals. The main characters (except Aimee, whose and normal human) are all some type a were-cat. Clyde is actually were-lion and were-possum and Aimee calls him a Lossum. So many books are about werewolves and vampires, that’s it’s cool to see different types of creatures or beings. There’s also were-deer, foxes, vultures, otters, dolphins, orcas, rabbits, tigers, bears, and so many more.

The book starts out with all four of the main characters, plus Kayla’s friend Jess are driving in Jess’s father police cruiser, trying to get to Oklahoma, but the never get out the state. The governor of Texas has been taken hostage by a supposed snake-shifter named Seth. Reptile shifters don’t exist, according to what they’ve heard from Kieran (Quince’s boyfriend and werewolf). They go back to Austin and are being pursued by agents of the FHPU. The snow people/yetis from the previous book are likely behind what’s going on and Clyde and friends have to find a way to stop them.

We get to meet Clyde’s biological dad. Noelle returns and she even dressed up as an X-men character. Aimee’s father is also in the book, and possibly (unknowingly) working for the yetis. So much happens in this 285 page book. It’s so full of excitement and I hate that it’s over. I think that this series together could make one amazing TV show. There’s something very episodic and the world building is detailed. I love how it’s like an alternate universe in which shifter have been know to exist since the mid-1800s.

I really hope that Cynthia can write another amazing paranormal or maybe sci-fi series because her books are humorous. I love how she creates banter between the characters. The friendship are so well written that the character feel like my friends. I recommend this series if you enjoyed Tantalize, Eternal, Blesses and Diabolical. Also if you like the Curse Workers series by Holly Black. Or the Other series, Night World series, and anything with werewolves, shape-shifters and other paranormal beings.

Cover Art Review: Is that the Austin skyline? Probably. There’s a lion, which Clyde is able to turn into.

Empire of Shadows by Miriam Foster

Series: Bhinian Empire (bk. 2) Prequel to City of a Thousand Dolls

Genera(s): High Fantasy

Subjects: Asian mythology, shape-shifters, supernatural, body guards

Setting: The Bhinian Empire, which is under a dome that cuts it off from the rest of the world.

POV/Tense: 3^rd person POV, past tense rotating between Mara and Emil

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 489 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: HarperTeen

Summary/ product description: “Cast out of her family three years ago, Mara turned to the only place that would take her—a school where students train to protect others. But Mara is stunned when guarding a noble girl in the Empire’s capital turns out to be more dangerous than she could’ve imagined. More shocking still, she finds the boy she thought she had lost forever outside the gates of her new home.

Mara knew her life in the dizzying Imperial city would hold dangers. How could she have known that her heart, as well as her life, would be at stake?

Empire of Shadows will take readers on a spellbinding journey into the world Miriam Forster first introduced in City of a Thousand Dolls—a world with a divided society, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and deeply laid conspiracies.”

My Review:  Empire of Shadows is the prequel to City of a Thousand Dolls. It takes place years before the events in that book occur. I was hoping for a sequel that would involve the dome around the empire coming down and everyone discovering that the world outside was different, but this is not the case. That was the only this that disappointed me about this book. That, and it was almost 500 pages long. It was not quite as good as City of a Thousand Dolls was, but still pretty awesome, and I gave it four stars.

Mara is a tiger sune, but she has stayed in human form for years because she’s afraid of loosing control again. She trained with the Order of Khatar to become a bodyguard and regain her honor. She sets to find the one she will pledge to. The other main character, Emil, is part of the Kildi, a wind caste band of travelers descended from the old empire. They sell only what the make. They’re kind of like a gypsy bandwagon, but they trade rather than con. Emil has a fraternal twin brother named Stefan, and their father is the leader of their group. His father holds him up to high standard and his brother is always frowned upon for immaturity.

This is an amazing fantasy series. It’s completely different from the generic high fantasy books that are based off of medieval England and Europe, and other western cultures. The mythology and culture is Asian, non-western, mainly India with some Japanese and Chinese elements mixed in. The Sune, which are animal-spirit shape-shifters, come from Shintoism, a Japanese religion. The story is tale of culture, friendship, romance, adventure and discovery. Mara is trying to redeem herself, and Stefan is going after his brother. They both are searching for something and learning. There was fight and action with claws and weapon, humor and witty conversation, amazing world building. It’s a well-rounded, unique fantasy that also has paranormal and dystopian elements.

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed fantasy books such as: Soulbound by Heather Brewer, Shadows and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, and Prophecy by Ellen Oh. Those who enjoyed paranormal books such as Vampire Acamdemy by Richelle Mead. Also those who enjoyed dystopian books such as Divergent by Veronica Roth (the castes are like factions, kind of), The Selection by Kiera Cass, The Jewel by Amy Ewing, and any dystopian book that takes place in a cut off society or under a dome.  

Cover Art Review: I love the colors and the text. The symbols still confuse me. I don’t know what caste they each represent. Colin Anderson is the cover designer and he did the Burning Sky covers too.

Promises to Keep by Amelia Atwaters-Rhodes

Series: The Den of Shadows (bk. 9)

Genera(s): Paranormal/Fantasy

Subjects: witches, shape-shifters, vampire, magic, supernatural, empathy, psychic ability

Setting: A secret vampire run place called Midnight, and modern day Massachusetts

POV/Tense: 3^rd person POV, past tense: Jay Marinitch

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 236 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $16.99

Publisher: Random House: Delacorte Press

Summary/ product description: “The compendium of creations (SingleEarth, the Bruja guilds, the Midnight empire) intertwine in an exciting, unsettling plot featuring happenings both accidental and deliberate that will forever change the alternate landscape inhabited by vampires, Tristes, shapeshifters et al. It all begins with a wrong turn and a crashed party, and from there it's an epic clash of elements and the promise of more chaos still to come. At the center of the storm is Jay, a young vampire hunter that no one would ever have predicted might be earth's best bet to thwart the rise of a vampire-controlled slave empire called Midnight. Teens will find themselves drawn to Jay, who struggles to prove his worth even while he has his own fears that those who have written him off may be right to do so.”

My Review:  Promises to keep is the ninth book in the Den of Shadows, and is connected to the prequels, the Kiesha’ra series. There are vampires and witches that were in the Den of Shadows series. Lady Brina and Jeshickah and Jaguar were all first introduced in Midnight Predator. There are also some shape shifters. Lynx the cat is back, and the main character is a young male witch with empathy name Jay. I had a hard time remembering where other characters came from, so I was mostly confused reading this book.

Jay goes to Lady Kendra’s Heathen Holiday, the Yule Party and meets a guy named Xeke, and Lady Brina there. He appreciates art and tries to dance with people. Something happens to Lady Brina’s Pet, who’s a shape shifter. Jay leaves the party and comes back and some other crazy stuff happens. Brina become human. In this book, the character I enjoyed the most was Lady Brina. She’s an artist and vampire. I did not care for Jay at all.

I did like the fantasy elements from all of the authors other books. I learned that Bloodwitch, a book by her that came out recently, is actually a prequel set in the early 1800s in the old city of Midnight. I like the magic stuff and shape-shifter mythology. Amelia’s world building is awesome, but not all her characters are well flushed out.  I prefer when she writes in 1^st person because it gives the characters a lot more depth. 3^rd person has a lot less emotion. The book was pretty short and not much really happened in it. There wasn’t really room for character development, I guess. There was some adventure, but only towards the end of the book.

If you never read anything by Amelia, then give it a try. Her series is similar to Cynthia Leith Smith’s Tantalize and Eternal, or Feral Nights, or L.J. Smith’s Night World series. There are a lot of reoccurring characters and the books usually read as stand-alones or companion novels.

Cover Art Review: The cover is kind of creepy and like the other book covers in the series. Not the greatest cover though.