Prey (Shifters, #3)

by Rachel Vincent

"Sometimes 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."--p. [4] of cover.

• ISBN10: 1426835272
• ISBN13: 9781426835278
• Publish Date: 1 July 2009 (first published 1 January 2009)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Mira Books
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Just about everything that can go wrong, does go wrong in Prey. Holy crap! Everything starts with Faythe, Ethan, and Vic escorting Manx to her long awaited trial when they're ambushed by a mob of stray toms. They manage to fight them off, with help, but it leaves the group shaken up. Since when do strays work together, and who were the intended targets? Not long after, Marc is taken, leaving behind a lot of blood and even more questions. Of course, Faythe will stop at nothing to find her lover, but while she's out looking for him, someone else is bringing a more personal fight to her home.

Prey is hard to review, because so much happens, and I don't want to spoil it! All of it is major! I think the author did a great job of continuing past plot threads, but also throwing in some new complications. I can't say that I saw any of it coming. Although I didn't find the missing Marc plot as intense and emotional as I thought I would. I honestly didn't believe the author would kill him off, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. Maybe I spent all of my emotional energy on Pride?

Let's just say that I really liked Prey. I was never sure how things were going to turn out with Marc or with the actions taken against Faythe's dad. Werecat politics take an even larger role than before, and it's not looking good (for either side, actually). Then things happen! Bad, bad, bad things! I couldn't believe two of them, and then that ending definitely left me with a feeling of "oh crap, what now?!"

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Linda]

OMG! NOOOOOOO! Ethan *sobs* Even though I knew that Ethan would die in this book, becaus I read Pride by accident before Prey, it is so hearbreaking! The way Faythe is feeling is true grief, and she is completely shaddered by it! How much can a girl take? Marc is missing, and she only went home to help Kaci, then Ethan gets killed defending Kaci - it's awful. I am so sad *tear*

That kiss was the only thing in my life that didn't hurt, at the moment... oh, how I can understand that - Faythe is never able to not feel anything - and being with Jace is probably what is keeping her sane at this precise moment. And even that completely breaks my heart!

And after the above moment, things actually got worse, if that's even possible. I cried so much, both during the times that followed Ethan's death, then Kaci's shift, finding Marc and the ensuing fight, and finally, during Ethan's funeral. This book was devastating - but beautifully written. The grief felt so real, and I can only say that Faythe is a lot stronger than I am.

[Jo]

I cannot even begin to explain to you just how amazing this book is! I love this series; as you read through the story arc, each book gets better than the last, but knowing that didn’t prepare me in any way for just how incredible Prey is!

In Prey, Faythe has to deal with heartbreak after heartbreak. How Faythe managed to deal with all the things that happened to her, I don’t know. I was in floods of tears at several points while reading this book. So unbearably sad, I can’t tell you.

We see Faythe at her strongest in Prey; her determination and unwavering resolve can only be admired when she does what she believes is right, even though the outlook is far worse than bad. But we also see Faythe being weak, in a way that’s going to change everything from this point onwards. But you can’t help but to agree with or understand her each and every action throughout Prey. She is most definitely a force to be reckoned with, just amazing.

All the characters we love are back, but things get a hell of a lot more serious for them all. There are a lot less laughs, and a lot more anger. Politically, things for the South Central Pride take a huge turn for the worse, and everyone is running on all cylinders to keep the ship sailing through the storm that is Calvin Malone. That nasty git really digs in his claws and refuses to let go. Oh, how I would love to belt him one!

The plot is just unbelievable; not only is Prey incredibly sad and tugs at the heartstrings, but it also has a storyline that is true to form for the Shifters series, full of action, danger, and adrenalin, and one that keeps you guessing right to the end. How Rachel is able to create such involved storylines, and make them so fast paced, exciting, and powerful is something to be in awe of. Rachel is one fantastic writer!

I could go on and on about how truly awesome this book is, and how awe-inspiring Rachel is for creating such a wonderful series, but so much goes on in this novel, I’m at risk of spoiling the book in a big way. If there’s just one series you have to read in your lifetime, Rachel Vincent’s Shifters series is it. I couldn’t recommend these books to you more if I tried. Make this your Shifters year. I can’t wait for when Shift is released on 1st March.