| Title | : | Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0451462807 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780451462800 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 |
| Publication | : | First published July 7, 2009 |
Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind—a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she’s been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.
Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own...
Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock, #1) Reviews
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3/25/18 - ON SALE for $1.99:
https://amzn.to/2um9TAy
3/11/17 - rerereread b/c Steven is PERSISTENT. Minus 0.5 stars from original rating, b/c I bloody hate Rick, the slime.
Reviewed by:
Rabid Reads
4.5 stars
Urban Fantasy is a pretty diverse genre. There are all kinds of twists on various folklores and mythologies, as well as multitudes of different takes on a myriad of supernatural creatures. We all have our favorites (and not-so-favorites).
For me, if it has something to do with the Fae or Native American folklore, I’m probably going to love it. Ghosts, zombies, and other dead things in general (excepting vampires) . . . not so much.
There are of course exceptions, but generally speaking, if I see words like necromancy, ghosts, or zombies, I’ll go to great pains to avoid it, while when I see words like sidhe, tuatha de danann, coyote, or skinwalker, I squeal and make grabby hands.
Which is exactly what happened when I came across Skinwalker by Faith Hunter.
When I first started reading Skinwalker, I thought that maybe I had gotten confused, and it wasn’t the first book in the series. Jane had just arrived in New Orleans to start a new job after healing from her previous job.
Previous job?
Yeah, the one where she and her friend Molly took out an entire family of rogue vampires, and she almost got her throat ripped out.
What?!
But it really was the first book, and the references to that first job were meant to entice you into reading the prequel story released in an anthology the same day that Skinwalker was released. It totally worked (on me), but it’s not necessary that you read Signatures of the Dead in order to understand the rest of the series. It’s very good, but it just fills out the bare-bones of the story that you learn about in Skinwalker.
FYI (just so you don’t scratch your head, wondering what’s going on like I did).
So. Jane in New Orleans for a new job. Right.
She motors up (on her badass, one-of-a-kind motorcycle) to Katie’s Ladies (a house of ill-repute) to finalize her contract with Katie of Katie’s Ladies, who is on the New Orleans Vampire Council, and who is hiring Jane to find and kill a rogue vampire who has been terrorizing the city, killing both vamps and humans.
And Jane is very good at her job.
There are so many things I love about this book that I think I’m going to have to make a list.
Why Jane Yellowrock Rocks My Socks Off:
1. She’s my favorite type of MC: tough on the outside, soft on the inside, both sympathetic and seriously kick-ass, not to mention hilariously full of snark.
2. BEAST: I’ve heard all kinds of complaints about Beast. Some as simple as, “I don’t like her, she’s distracting, annoying, etc.”
Well, that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it. I, however, LOVE Beast. She makes Jane a much more complex character, and her insights as a hunter and predator while Jane is on a job only add depth to the story.
3. Angelina. I’m a sucker for cute kids as secondary characters. When Julie showed up in book 2 of Kate Daniels, I was a goner. Angie-baby’s even more potent, b/c she’s what? Four-years-old? Adorable.
4. Firm rules in reference to supes. I absolutely HATE it when authors try to polish and sparkle the existence of all things supernatural.
You know what I’m talking about: vampires that don’t struggle with bloodlust, shifts from human to animal and back that happen in the blink of an eye and are painless, necromancers who only need to close their eyes and concentrate for a second or two to call up a specific spirit.
No. Just, no.
It takes time for Jane to change forms, and when she does, she’s starving b/c of the enormous amount of energy the change required. If she wants to be bigger or smaller than she is in real life, she has to either get the mass from somewhere, or store it somewhere.
And Hunter’s vampires are vampires, predatory instincts and obvious lack of humanity included. I appreciate that.
5. The MEN. Rick, Leo, Bruiser, take your pick, they are all . . . SERIOUSLY hotcha hotcha. The twins aren’t bad either.
Yes, TWINS.
And that’s where I’m going to end this expression of fangirlishness (but only out of self-respect, not necessity).
Skinwalker by Faith Hunter is the brilliant beginning of the Jane Yellowrock series. It takes you on a wild ride through the eyes of a puma concolor, on the roof of moving vehicles, all to catch a killer whose identity will surprise even veteran mystery readers. So if you’re looking for a tough-as-nails heroine who redefines what it means to be a vampire hunter, Jane Yellowrock just might be your girl. And Beast is pretty darn cool, too.
My other reviews for this series:
Blood Cross (Jane Yellowrock #2)
Black Water (Jane Yellowrock #6.3, 6.4, 6.5)
Broken Soul (Jane Yellowrock #8) -
Let me get one thing straight: I don't read romance novels. If romance is included within the scope of main character experience, I'll still read it. But if the main story is magickal, wonderful, soulmate kind of l-o-v-e and there is pining, angst, and ridiculous pretend fights when really they l-o-v-e each other but can't admit it, that's a big fat "pass" for me. "Skinwalker" won't appeal to those who like a little romance with their paranormal. Move along now.
Jane is an interesting, unusual entry into the UF field, featuring an part-Cherokee woman with a one-of-a-kind ability to shapechange. Jane rides into town on her motorcycle Bitsa ("bits of this, bits of that"), interviewing for a job with the New Orleans vampire clan, hunting a rogue vampire that is tarnishing their reputation and hurting their position with the police. After meeting Katie, one of the vampire council representatives and madam of a house of ill repute, Jane gets the job. Efforts to discover the rogue are hampered as Jane is shadowed by a couple of men that might be working with a different agenda.
Lead supporting role in this book goes to Beast, a mountain lion who shares Jane's body. Unfortunately, Jane's memory gaps leave her without explanation for her and Beast's relationship, but that will change after she meets a Cherokee shaman and requires vamp healing during her search for the rogue.
Set in New Orleans, the city proves to be a lush background. Hunter gives a good feel for the details, from cobblestone streets to decorative balconies, to the overbearing heat and humidity. In the UF field, there are many different degrees in an author's ability to use language, and Hunter does well with few missteps. While Jane herself is a very direct person, she does describe things in enough detail to keep the story interesting and unique, from teapots to the smell of a motorcycle. For a first novel, it does a decent job of avoiding the dreaded info-dump, and feeds bits and pieces to the reader in large enough chunks to give context but not bog down the story. It also allows some of Jane's internal humor to show through when she is being professional enough to not say her remarks out loud.
We did get one girly scene of her shopping and then dancing, which makes me wonder a little if Hunter is trying to be all things to all readers. You know--Jane rides a bike, carries a bad-ass gun--but can wear frothy little skirts and dance! Her long hair bothered me as well, especially given Jane as a no-nonsense fighter. I think it makes sense in context of Native heritage, but that's not given as a reason.
Had I been Hunter's editor, I would have asked that they stressed that this is the first time Jane interacts with "normal" vamps. I think she took some uncharacteristic and stupid actions (according to what she says to the reader in the narrative) when she first meets Leo, the head of the council, but that could probably be explained by the newness of the experience. There are a few things along these lines that trouble me about Jane's decision-making. I'm not sure it's internally consistent.
Still, it's a decent book. The mystery of the "rogue vamp" that doesn't act like a vamp moves along nicely. While sexual tension plays a role in many of her interactions, both male and female, it doesn't overtake the story or focus on the mystery. A supporting character of Jane's close friend Molly and her godchildren Angie and Evan help humanize Jane's rough edges and show her caring side. While it doesn't avoid all of the UF tropes, Hunter does a nice job of making a strong, distinct female character. Her unusual ethnicity and mystical connections make a nice touch in the UF world of vampires, fae and weres.
Overall, it's probably a 3.5 read on my personal scale, but I'm rounding up because it's one of the standouts in the field.
Cross posted at
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2012/1... -
3.5 stars
I wasn't sure what to expect from Skinwalker when I picked it up, but I knew Jane had a pretty big following among my friends and I was hoping that this might become my new go-to urban fantasy series.
And I'm thinking it might!
Alright. The gist is that Jane is a skinwalker. Which...yeah, you probably already managed to get that from the title.
Anyway. She can shift into basically anything, but her favorite form is a mountain lion.
Why?
Well, due to some spoilery reasons, she shares her body and soul with a mountain lion she refers to as Beast.
Now, part of the spoilery stuff she's dealing with is amnesia about the first 12 or so years of her life. Turns out, there's quite a bit of history she's forgotten...
Fast forward to the present, and she's (basically) a bounty hunter who goes after rogue vampires. And this is how the story opens, with Jane arriving in New Orleans to hunt down a strange rogue that's killing humans and vampires alike.
Honestly, I thought this was pretty good for the first book in a series! Jane has an interesting power set and origin story, and there's a good action-y style to the writing to keep people who bore easily (like myself) flipping the pages.
My only complaint (and I realize that it's early on in the story so things may change) is Beast's voice sort of annoyed me.
Sorry!
It wasn't defined enough for me if that makes sense? Like, sometimes Beast was all Me like to eat yappy dog! and sometimes she had a bit more of a humanish voice - even without Jane sounding off in the background.
Overall, though? Awesome story.
Looking forward to seeing how the next book goes! -
I took a break from my American Ninja Warrior training to read Faith Hunter’s 2009 novel Skinwalker – and glad I did. Cause it’s better than a bag of Lays potato chips.
First of all Hunter serves up a family sized helping of HAVEATYOU!! in the form of a leather wearing, shotgun toting and motorcycle riding Cherokee Skinwalker name of Jane Yellowrock. Jane is a tall drink of water whose special Urban Fantasy mojo is being a skinwalker, a kind of Native American were-person, especially in regard to her ability to “shift” into a cougar (no pun intended) – a mountain lion, puma, panther – you get the drift. Urban Fantasy fans have seen skin walkers (though with different magic rules attached) in Kevin Hearne’s 2012 Iron Druid novel
Tricked, as well as Bill Schweigart’s 2015 novel
The Beast of Barcroft.
What makes Faith Hunter’s protagonist stand out, first of all, is that this is told from the perspective of the skinwalker (as empathetic protagonist and not unsympathetic antagonist) but most noteworthy that Jane kind of shares the body with the Beast. In very original, and compelling, UF fashion, Hunter has the narrative perspective “shift” (like what I did there?) between Jane and Beast. The Beast narrative sections are really very interesting as Hunter describes Beast’s perceptions in terms that a predator with a keen sense of smell would make.
Jane has ridden her put together Bitsa motorcycle (bits of this and that) to New Orleans to get a job with a vampire madam to eliminate a rogue vampire. The setting is an alternate reality where vampires and witches (and elves and werewolves Oh My!) have come out of the closet and are living amongst us and lobbying for civil rights. Jane is a web site optimizing vampire hunter with her skinwalker abilities thinly veiled.
Like Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid series, part of the charisma of Hunter’s creation is the history she weaves in to the story. Though Yellowrock’s origins are clouded, there are hints that she is ancient, or at least tied to old legends. The Cherokee heritage and connections, like Hearne’s use of the Celtic past, adds depth and value to the narrative.
While tooling around in The Big Easy Jane meets a fun populace of UF players that author Hunter has put together and who makes good use of the construct. Hunter is skilled and this is a well crafted, well written action adventure that also has personality and is fun to read. Hunter’s characterizations are almost all good (a couple of painful straw-men and some made for TV dialogue notwithstanding) and her world building is every bit as good as Jim Butcher or Hearne’s.
This is one of the best urban fantasy series I've come across.
In leather wearing, shotgun toting and motorcycle riding Arnold sincerity – “I’ll be back.”
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Actual rating: 2.5 stars. Because I'm in a good mood today.
Disclaimer: I read this book only 10 days ago and can hardly remember the story. This should be a fascinating review. Then again, I was recently told my reviews were offensive, so all is not lost. You might get bored but at least there's a good chance you'll feel outraged about all this. Muahahahaha.
►► Presenting... Adventures in Lowered Ratings, courtesy ofFaith Huntermy failing memory!
① 1 to 50% = OMG I can't put this down, this is 4-star material!
✔ You create an awesome, badass chick of a lead. YES!
✔ You decide she's Cherokee. YES!
✔ You make her a skinwalker, meaning she can take the form of any creature she wants. YES!
✔ You make her live with an inner Beast who tends to have a life of its own. YES!
✔ You give her a super cool bike called Bitsa (bits of this, bits of that). YES!
✔ You turn her into a total tea snob. YES!
✔ You give her the annoying habit of nicknaming everyone. YES!
✔ You set the whole thing in New Orleans. YES!
☢ Uh-Oh material:
✘ You use short-sentence structure. Which makes this poor little reader's head hurt really, really bad.
✘ One of your very manly characters is named LaFleur, aka "the flower" in French. Yes, this literally radiates masculinity.
② 50 to 70% = Houston, we have a problem, I think I'm downgrading this to 3 stars.
✘ Your awesome, badass chick of a lead is a walking contradiction. She is supposed to be this super tough heroine but she starts acting like a bloody teenager and blushes furiously every five minutes. Sense this not makes. I get it not.
✘ The members of your Testosterone Bunch all seem to have escaped from a PNR Novel. They're all HOT. They're all SEXY. They all EXUDE manliness. They all OOZE sensuality. Please kill me somebody.
✘ Your plot is getting thinner and more boring by the minute. What started out as wow-this-is-freaking-exciting is slowly but surely becoming what-the-freaking-meh-is-this.
✘ Short-sentence structure: choppity chop, choppity chop, the headache is turning into a migraine.
③ 70% to 100% = WTH happened I am now considering giving this a 2.5 rating?!
✘ It's official, your exciting, original plot is actually nothing more than a standard, average UF story.
✘ You're full of blah-blah-blah and boring-boring-boring.
✘ You're full of lame sexual tension but desperately lack actual sex.
✘ Click-click-click, tap-tap-tap, watch me turn the pages of my Kindle at record speed.
Tada! THE END!
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*** 4.25 ***
A buddy read with the Wednesday UF group @ BB&B!
This was cool! I know, it sounds silly and Minimalistic, but I had fun reading it! It is not a secret that I am a fan of all things Fantasy, but I do have a soft spot for "Golden Age Urban Fantasy", mostly written between 1995 - 2005. This one falls in this category and I was not disappointed. It had everything a UF should have with its own unique flavor.
Jane is a Skinwalker, a native American Cherokee heritage, who at one point in her life had discovered that she can take the shape of other creatures, and somehow, after a specific incident, has bonded with a mountain lion's soul and the two of them coexist in the same body. Fascinating!!! The dynamics of this relationship is so interesting and the battle for dominance so unconventional, that just for that the book should be guaranteed a 3 star rating. Add to it the world building, the search to find, engage and eliminate a rogue Vampire who is eating people and other vampires and smells really funky while doing it, and the setting of New Orleans and a cool background story, and we get to solid 4 stars at least:-) Now, there was some plot meandering, but it was usually brought back under control pretty fast, so I say, the book is a winner!
The story was suspenseful, interesting, and ended up with a bang!!! I would recommend it to all who love the genre or are looking for something to entertain them for a while:-)
I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!!! -
3 stars for this urban fantasy, an alternative version of our world with a Cherokee shapeshifter heroine, and vampires who are out to the public (New Orleans, the setting of this novel, is a tourist attraction largely because of all of the vampires there, who own much of the city). This 2009 novel owes quite a bit (a bit too much for my money) to
Moon Called, which was published three years earlier, and the Mercy Thompson series, which also has a Native American shapeshifter heroine who's pretty much the last of her kind, mixing with other supernatural beings (more werewolves in that case; mostly vampires here), but if you like that type of urban fantasy you'll probably enjoy Skinwalker.
Jane Yellowrock, our main character, can shapeshift into various types of animals; there's actually some interesting scientific discussion about how the shapeshifting process involves DNA and sometimes adding and subtracting mass using nearby rocks and boulders. Primarily, though, she shifts into a mountain lion shape, the Beast who shares her body but has a separate mind and soul.
Jane has built up a reputation as a vampire hunter, killing vamps who are out of control (as opposed to the "sane" vamps who obey certain rules and are more or less accepted in society). Jane has come to New Orleans to hunt down an unknown rogue vampire, a serial killer of both vamps and humans. The job turns out to be a lot more difficult than either she or her employers, the vampire council, expected.
A reasonably good urban fantasy. I'd recommend it mostly to fans of that genre. -
Reread and still love!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 -
I had so many problems with this novel that once I start, I'll probably go on for a while.
So instead, let's start with a positive note: Hunter's take on supes. Her always-on-edge vamps, witches and the skinwalker myth were well-done; all of them are pretty balanced power-wise and a good addition to UF lit.
Then there were some other good things, too. Her version of New Orleans and the Cherokee culture for example.
But there were two huge issues that kind of ruined the experience for me: the writing style and the characters.
Hunter is overly descriptive with everything. She feels the need to explain in excruciating detail even the most mundane procedure, object or setting. It's patronizing and disrupts the flow of actions in scenes that otherwise would be pretty good.
Let me give a random example. Jane, the MC, is having a very interesting conversation with a guy nicknamed Bruiser. Just before they sat down she started the water to make some tea. Some chapters earlier we had already been treated to several paragraphs regarding the proper preparation of it, which varieties Jane prefers, their prices, countries of origin, availability, et cetera. (no, I'm not joking!) Now, as the tension is ratcheting up, Hunter interrupts their chat so Jane can prepare the tea. Usually, I'd find this realistic and even enjoy it since I don't like errors in continuity; if you started to prepare tea, it's only logical that after a few minutes it's ready. But take a look at the way in which she does it. Jane doesn't just "prepare the tea and pour a couple of cups" before the conversation continues. Instead:
The whistle started low and rose in volume. While I thought, I stood and lifted the kettle off the flame, splashed boiling water over the teapot and into the strainer in its top, equalizing the temperature inside and out before filling the pot. I set it on the table, wrapping it in a tea cozy to keep it warm while it steeped. Bruiser’s eyebrows went up at the domestic motions. “Do you cook too?” he asked, the tone teasing. “ ’Cause any woman who does a weapon striptease, handles a Benelli like she knows how to use it, and can cook, pushes all my buttons.”
“I don’t cook,” I said, smiling when Beast showed me a stack of raw steaks. Bruiser smiled back, thinking I was flirting.
Only then the original conversation continues; the tension was long gone. If this happens once or twice, I can easily overlook it, but it's like that every single time. If I ever care about my tea enough to be interested in how to prepare it properly,shoot me!I'll wikipedia it. That's not the reason I'm reading this book and equalizing the temperature yada yada has no relevance whatsoever to the scene, so skip it. Jane never just "puts some clothes on" or "takes them off" either, she will give you the exact sequence in which she does it, down to which sock she puts on first.
Then there are the rarer stuff—things that you know she had to research. I repeat, realism is OK, more than OK even. But give us a filtered version of what you found. I'm not interested in reading a weapon's manual of specifications. Use that information to make your scenes realistic—no one wants to read an old western with revolvers that shoot infinite bullets and can pierce the heart of a man standing a mile away—but I don't need to know this, either:
I carried the Benelli M4 Super 90 shotgun to the bed and checked it for tampering. This model M4 had been designated by the military as a Joint Service Combat Shotgun. Its steel components had a matte black, phosphated, corrosion-resistant finish; the aluminum parts were matte and hard anodized; the finish reduced the weapon’s visibility during night operations. The shotgun is considered by many experts to be nearly idiotproof. It requires little or no maintenance, operates in all climates and weather conditions, can be dumped in a lake or pond and left there for a long time and not corrode. It can fire twenty-five thousand rounds of standard ammunition without needing to have any major parts replaced. I had studied long and hard before investing in the weapon.
The Benelli, a smoothbore, magazine-fed, semiauto shotgun, is designed around the autoregulating gas-operated—ARGO—firing system, with dual gas cylinders, gas pistons, and action rods for increased reliability. Locking the barrel is achieved by a rotating bolt with two lugs. It can fire 2.75- and 3-inch shells of differing power levels without any operator adjustments and in any combination, and can be adjusted or fieldstripped without tools. It’s perfect for close-in fighting in low-light operations. It’s a totally cool weapon. Mostly, though, I just liked the fact that it was idiotproof.
After reading all this, I still pictured it as a regular shotgun, so what's the point?
I could go on and on with this, but I'm already making her mistake. Overkill.
Moving on to the characters. I. Didn't. Like. Any. Of. Them. That's right, not a single one. I'm blaming this mostly on their introductions. First impressions do count and Hunter has a way of making sure that everyone is introduced under the worst possible light. They're either lying or attacking good people or just acting plain crazy for no other reason than that they can. Then, half a novel later, there's some flimsy explanation—in some cases, anyway—about that character's actions and how they weren't all that bad and what? Are we supposed to like them all of a sudden? Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Once you made a character unlikable, you can't just flip a switch and say "ta daaa! It wasn't that bad. See? He's a good guy." Nope. You have to work harder than that.
The worst character of the bunch, though, is Jane herself. I like kickass heroines, but I prefer actions to words. Jane brags a lot, describes her weapons, her fighting techniques, her special leather clothes, her speed, her smarts, etc. to no end… *yawns* Then, when it really matters, she's always without them—with the exception of the big fight at the end of the novel where she's fully garbed. She's always talking about how badass she is, but then, whenever there's a fight all she can do is say "shit, shit, shit!" and be rescued by someone else or just dumb luck—while dressed in a skirt and dancing shoes.
She's supposed to be a smartmouth, but to me, she just came across as plain rude. For example, she's exiting some place and someone approaches her with a very short, relevant, yes or no question. She doesn't stop, doesn't answer. She keeps going leaving the person staring after her, starts the bike and leaves thinking "I don't have time for chatting, a plan is forming in my mind." I would be OK with that, except that the very next paragraph starts with "I parked the bike and went inside the house, I had no idea what to do next and I was tired. I started the water for the tea and went to take a long shower. After I was clean and had enjoyed a cup, I dropped into bed and slept." That kind of thing makes no sense. What reason is there to be rude only to go home and sleep? What is this plan she mentions when afterwards she says she has no idea what to do next? This kind of thing happens too often to ignore.
Her P.I. work deserves a paragraph all of its own. I'll give her this: she's a good tracker, maybe even better than a police dog. If you ever misplace something, she's the girl you want to call. All the benefits of a dog coupled with speech. Let's be honest, who wouldn't want a talking dog? But that's all she is. Her IQ is on par with Forrest Gump's. No matter how many clues you give her, she'll never put two and two together. In this novel she literally stumbles upon the bad guy near the end after being pointed in the right direction for the nth time. I had trouble understanding her logic—refer to the previous paragraph for another example—or her difficulty to absorb basic information. If someone approached her and said *nudge, nudge, wink, wink* "you'll find the one you're looking for if you go north" she would go all "wow, I'm getting dizzy with all the complexities of vamp politics. Why can't they be more straightforward and say it like it is?" Then, she would start the bike and turn west saying "I need to find more information about this." There was a lot of head-scratching during this novel.
Beast's voice was sort of interesting for like… three paragraphs, then it became tiresome. "Jump to top of fence. Dropped from fence. Smelled the air. Many smells. Some good smells: dog, cat, chicken, bird. Some bad, human smells: oil, exhaust, asphalt. Yada yada." Imagine reading a whole scene like that. Now a whole chapter. Yeah, I'm getting tired just thinking about it.
So, all in all, this series just wasn't for me. It's easier for me to overlook mistakes or inconsistencies in the world than the characters. When I get their background information, I expect them to back it up with actions. If you're supposed to be a smart P.I. with ample knowledge on security, then you can't solve a case by process of elimination like "hey, let's knock on every door. The bad guy is bound to be behind one!"
[image error] -
Just so you know, I hate myself when I do this but I just cannot read this book any longer. I feel as though I'm punishing myself for something I haven't even done yet and I'm certain what ever it is I am yet to do is not that bad!
The premise of a badass skin walking detective solving mysteries for vamps and other supernatural beings in the south of America was alluring but ultimately deceptive. The descriptive prose was tiresome, her progress on the mission dragged, there were constant interruptions for food and shopping - obviously both very important but not the biggest priority when there is a crazy liver eater on the loose. I also found the fact she had done a class in every cool (salsa dancing) and mission critical thing (emergency surgery) you could imagine a poor explanation for her extra useful skills. The one thing I am keen to know more on is the recipe for Anton's beer baked Cajun crayfish. Any ideas, let me know.
If there was an inkling Jane would get with the "Bruiser" any time this century then I'd hang around but as my will power for this story and subsequent sequels has been totally eroded.
I can't slate this book because it's not bad as such but it is bland.
I'm sorry author and GR friends I can promise you I tried but after I caught myself daydreaming about how long my Costco supersize roll of bin liners would last me I thought it best to call it a day.
BTW - my best guess is 5 months. Amazing!
Updated January 24th 2013. I have just used the last bag. A much better investment than the book. -
Skinwalker by Faith Hunter
Published 2009, Roc
Stars: ★★★★★
Review also posted at:
Slapdash & Sundry
This book was HELL YES I LOVED IT good. Interesting premise? Check. Badass main character? Double check, actually. Twisted plot? Check. Unique take on vampires? Good enough for me, check. Really cool superpowers? Check. Female MC not afraid of sexuality but not obsessed with it either? Check.
Jane is a BAMF. TOTAL BAMF. Throw Beast into the mix, and you've got "one" awesome main character.
I can't wait to get my grabby hands on book two! -
3.5 Stars
Time for a new UF series buddy read with....
Jane Yellowrock is an interesting heroine to base a series around. She wasn’t exactly what I was expecting because she is a shapeshifter. Not a were, that is different she actually can take the form of almost anything given the correct genetic material. But she also shares one body with something she calls beast and I liked the way that this is explored in this book. When she is in Beast’s form those are the thoughts that are in the forefront and so we see the world very differently as an animal would and it is a cool way to spend some of the story. Plus it has this added benefit since the story is all from Jane’s PoV of giving her someone to talk to inside her head instead of only having an internal monologue.
Overall this is a good beginning to a series. We get a pretty good glimpse of the world with some hints to the strange backstory that will accompany the vampires. There are also hints that perhaps later in the series we will see some were-somethings and Fae. I liked Jane’s witch BFF and the cutest little girl, I really want some extra time with them in future installments.
I don’t know a lot about Native American culture so that was a good addition to Jane’s overall character depth and matched up with her skinwalker nature as well. She seems like she is a pretty badass chick most of the time.
The only thing that I’m not in love with was that for a while in the middle it turned more PNR than UF where everyone wants to sleep with Jane. I mean I get it she is new and interesting but still it was like she was the last woman on a dessert Island with a team of football players. Even the other women in the story mad passes at her. I also was not a fan of any of the potential love interests for various reasons. I know this is a character introduction but our serious choices in this book seemed to be power-hungry vampire sociopath, lead henchman to the power-hungry vampire sociopath and extreme douchebag A. I really didn’t like any of them and the thought of her hooking up any of the dudes from that selection is just EWE gross.
Still the story was action packed and gave me just enough to want to know more about Jane and her journey. I don’t think you’ll guess who the bad guy is since there weren’t a lot of clues to that but still the story is interesting and tense at times. I do hope we get some better love interest material as the series continues though since that area is in a sad state for me at least. -
Jane Yellowrock, a shape-shifting bounty hunter, is hired to hunt down a rogue vampire in New Orleans. I have no idea how successful she is in the end, or who the vamp is, because 161 pages in (more than halfway into the book!) basically nothing plot related has happened. Jane describes her outfits. Jane describes her beeeeeautiful flowing hair. Jane bemoans how much she has to eat all the time because shape-shifting takes mad calories, and makes fun of women who eat salad. Jane just puts on a little lipstick and she's the prettiest lady in the room and everyone checks Jane out and all the other ladies are jealous. Jane beats up her bosses' various bodyguards, I guess so the audience knows how tough she is. (Although maybe not beating up your fellow employees is a good idea? Maybe? Given that the worse anyone does is check out her irresistably hot legs?) Jane goes to an authentic New Orleans cafe and is more mystical than the Magical Negro behind the counter. Jane is a better tracker than any tracker and a better fighter than any cop/soldier/mercenary and blah blah blah.
Jane is apparently so splendiferous that it takes 161 pages just to describe two-and-a-half days of her splendiferous life. She ignores numerous really obvious clues and several really obvious leads, and instead focuses her time on dressing up for vampire parties, shopping, and going on dates. I wish I were exagerating!
Jane Yellowrock is the most annoying try-hard version of Anita Blake I have ever read. In fact, even Anita Blake is not as annoying as Jane. Even Anita Blake's lack-of-plot books have more plot than this book did. And even Laurell K Hamilton can describe mystical crap in a less annoying way than Jane's "Beast" pov, which is as cheesy as it is unbelievable.
Thankfully, this book is so blandly mediocre that within a week I'll have forgotten it and every way in which it annoyed me. -
I’m not sure why I took so long to start this long and recommended series, but when I was gifted the first e-book by a Goodreads member who surprised me with the sweet gesture (thank you Layla!), I read and became majorly hooked. Majorly – which is perfect for a series junkie like me. It meant weeks of binge reading a series with over ten books published in it. Not much that I enjoy more in my reading life.
Jane is an unusual specimen – she’s a shapeshifter but not a were, someone hired to help vampires in New Orleans when she usually kills them instead. Her business card and website humorously read “Have Stake, Will Travel.” While investigating the rogue and solving that particular mystery, she’s meeting the fascinating characters – supernatural and non – that make up the cultural town. In between this she finds out hidden mysteries about herself, especially long-hidden mysteries that revealed she once did a twisted version of dark magic.
Jane is humorous – she’s tough, she’s different, she’s special, and no one knows what she is – I love when the Main Characters have secrets that everyone wants to know, and when they are pursued by complex and powerful characters who she’s shying away from. A classic game of cat and mouse hunt. Between the local police department, Rick on the bike, Leo as the Master of the City and his determined bodyguard, Katie with her twisted family, and meeting a few other people thrown in – there are plenty of intrigued AND intriguing people popping up all over the place. Between exploring the town in lion form, exploring the streets in human form, spying on secret rituals by other paranormal races and awkward but enlightening vamp soirees, the book takes one addictive turn after another.
Jane is downright intriguing after all, although I prefer the books later when she’s more at peace with Beast and knows more. The Native American Folklore history and meeting Aggie with the ritual was interesting enough, although it didn’t grab me as much as the modern-day happenings did. She’s a funny main character, she’s tough and has secrets, she’s compassionate and driven and protective. Can’t complain.
Leo is yummy and fascinating, but there is a tragic turning point at the end of the book that ties into the heart of the mystery. Watching their back and forth argumentive banter is fun stuff. “Bruisier” – AKA George �� doesn’t have quite a huge presence yet but he’s a well-done supporting character. Ah, those dance scenes!
Rick never made an impression on me much but he still holds some promise in the first story sometimes, even though it’s clearly he’s not fully trustworthy. Having the main character having to interact with others who are so different from her – from Katie’s ladies to the unusual and formal vamp world – makes the book even better. And of course Beast is fascinating, being in her head over Janes or seeing them debate stuff.
Mystery wise its rich enough to earn it’s high start rating too. There are plenty of twists and turns and misleading leads, a shocking culprit, several battles, and large fight at the end that is a series changer.
Since I’ve read the rest of the series in a row before writing this review, I will point out the series improves much and keeps getting better. I enjoyed this first book quite a bit, but if there were a few things that bugged you about it, most of the things improve. In this first book the shifting seems a bit too hard on her, and I don't like so many dependent crutches being needed, but this becomes a non-issue later.
Jane’s bond with Beast grows more secure, the personalities of both emerge fully, more layers pop up on all the characters you meet in the first book that may seem slightly one-dimensional right now, and the politics and twist-turns get even more focused and twisted as the stories go on. -
4.5 stars.
You know how sometimes you see a book or series popping up on your GR feed and you're just not sure if it's for you? You add it to your tbr list- you take it off again- you hmm and ha..it becomes annoying because you know now you will have to read it just to see.. normally when I am undecided in this way, when I eventually cave in and read the book, my worst fears are realised and then I can say to myself 'see? I knew there was a reason I was unsure...well that's taught me?!' No?! Well maybe it's just me then!
Well this book has surprised and entertained me. It was very good, much in line with either Kate Daniels or Mercy Thompson I would say. I really enjoyed Jane and Beast and a load of vampire clans, their blood subjects and a whole supporting cast of people and supernaturals. I loved learning about the vampire hierarchy and community and I loved the bayou setting. It was funny and assured. Really looking forward to the rest of the series.
Niggles would involve the number of very handsome men and the amount of time Jane spends discussing food and tea!
Recommended. -
I can’t believe I haven’t read this series before now! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Really neat urban fantasy with a female skinwalker MC. Similar feel to Mercy Thompson and Kate Daniels, but more vampire-based rather than werewolf, but definitely the same vibe, which is awesome. Jane is a cougar-shifter, and is hired to find an evil vampire killing people in New Orleans.
The author did a great job with the setting and the feel of the city and climate. Loved the characterizations, especially of Jane and her “beast.” The secondary characters were great here, too. I am so hoping the vampire dude she got to may be a future love interest. Hot stuff! Will definitely continue on in this series!
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. -
Skinwalker was a good introduction to the world of Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker. She knew little about her past, only that she was part Cherokee, and that she could shift into the form of animals. And that she shared her consciousness with the soul of an animal, who she called Beast. Jane makes a living as rogue vampire hunter, and she's very good. Now she's in New Orleans, hired by a prominent vampire who happens to run a prostitution house. And this job is going to a very complicated one.
Jane is a very likable main character, which is a real must in urban fantasy. You want someone who you will want to come back to visit with in a series, who can kick some serious butt, but isn't annoying. That's Jane. She's tough and a smart aleck, but she's also soft in some ways. I liked how she felt so warm and fuzzy toward her friend's daughter, and how she cares about people. She has her strong opinions, but she is open-minded enough to think outside of her prejudices. I also liked that while she doesn't sleep around, she can appreciate a good looking man, and there are quite a few of them in this book. I have to say I am not enamored of Rick, who Beast seems to like just fine. I liked Bruiser (Jane's nickname for George), who is the blood servant for one of the most prominent male vamps (and he wasn't shabby either). Yeah, there was a lot of man candy in this book. (Reflects back on reading this book with a silly grin on her face) Where was I? Oh....
I am a bit bored with vampires, although I do and will read a good vampire story. I actually liked the vampire elements in this book. I do like the whole vampire society and politics aspect, and it was well-done here. I actually learned the difference between a blood servant and a blood slave, right along with Jane. I thought the vampire ritual that was enacted upon a gravely wounded vampire was very interesting. I liked that the vampires in this story respond to Christian holy symbols, such as the cross and holy water, along with silver.
Along with the vampire mythology, and more importantly, the shapeshifter aspects struck me as very interesting. Jane actually has to think about scientific concepts when she shifts. She has to account for her mass in comparison with the animal she is taking the shape of. She also has to eat a lot of food to fuel her shifts, even raw meat in animal form (yuck). As a scientist, I appreciated this. I thought Beast's viewpoint added an intriguing element to this story. At first, it was hard to read, since her thoughts are very simple sentences, conveying sensation mainly. After a while, I got the hang of things, and I really liked seeing the world through Beast's eyes. It's also interesting how she sometimes wrestles Jane for control of her body, and the reasons for that are complicated and add another layer to this story.
New Orleans as a setting never fails to enthrall me. It's such a fascinating, mysterious city, rich with history, and ripe with uncanny energies that make it a great place to set a supernatural novel of any type. It's clear that this Ms. Hunter loves this city, and she brings it life with a loving touch in this story, showing both the elegant beauty, the rich cultural aspects, and the seediness that lurks below the gaudy exterior. I can almost believe that New Orleans is run by ancient vampires, with their own intricate society, forming an intrinsic foundation for the infrastructure of this old, beautiful lady of a city.
By far, my favorite element of this story was Jane's Cherokee heritage. I found this very fascinating and I feel like Ms. Hunter did a good job bringing this to life. I liked that Jane is a heroine who is of color, of an ethnic heritage we don't often get to see in a main character. And it adds necessary depth and texture to this story, since that forms a very important part of the overall plot, part of Jane's journey, and a significant part of the mystery element in this novel.
I was very satisfied with Skinwalker. I will definitely be following this series (which is good since I have the next two books). I think Jane is a great main lead, and I like pretty much everything about this first book in the Jane Yellowrock series, the skinwalker elements, Beast's personality, Jane's Cherokee heritage, and the action and sometimes horrific urban fantasy elements. They all combined to make a very enjoyable read that distinguishes itself nicely from the other urban fantasy novel series. Recommended. -
This is more of a 3.5 star book.
Jane Yellowrock is one bad ass main character. She rides Bitsa (bits of this-bits of that motorcycle), carries a big gun, lots of weapons and oh yeah she can change into animals. Mainly a mountain lion named Beast.
I loved the setting in this book. New Orleans with lots a vamp action. There isn't any sex in the book but sexual attractions that Jane has with some of the characters.
Well and me developing a girl crush and wanting to hump her leg.
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Wednesday UF buddy read with my friends over at BB&B
Jane Yellowrock is a skinwalker, a human who can change shape into any animal. But unlike other skinwalkers, she shares her body with Beast, who is the soul of a mountain lion. Jane is an excellent vampire hunter, and the successful completion of her last case has given her an excellent reputation, which is why she’s been hired to hunt a rogue vampire who is killing in New Orleans.
There she not only learns more about the inner-workings of their supposedly sane vampire culture, but also more about her mysterious past and her Cherokee heritage.
Jane is an excellent heroine. She’s tough, snarky, rude and loves her custom bike and her weapons. I just love heroines who know how to kick ass ;-D And then there’s Beast, the mountain lion she shares a body with. I loved Beast and her violent and simple way of thinking and doing things. I love shifter books, and I particularly liked how Jane and Beast are two individual beings, who try to live in harmony in Jane’s body. And it was wonderful that we got POVs from both of them. I also loved the mystery about Jane, and how there were parts of her past that she couldn’t remember, she couldn’t even remember how Beast became a part of her. As the story progressed, Jane did find out some missing pieces, especially about Beast and I hope we learn more as the series continues.
The plot was very captivating with all the different vampires and witches. I liked the fact that Jane seems to be the last of the skinwalkers, and hopefully we will find out more about her and about others. I really liked the Native folklore in this book, it was very interesting.
There were quite a few interesting secondary characters, like Jane’s best friend, Molly, who is a witch. I loved the interactions between them, and Molly’s daughter, Angie, is adorable. Then there is Leo Pellisier, the Blood Master of New Orleans, and a very interesting character. If it wasn’t for his dark right of kings belief with Katie’s girls, I would have loved him, and hoped for a romance between him and Jane. Then there is Bruiser aka George Dumas who is Leo’s right-hand man and blood-servant. I loved him.
Skinwalker was a solid and great first instalment to a Urban Fantasy series that I have high hopes for. I can’t wait to learn more about Jane, Beast and this world. Highly recommended to UF fans.
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Quick Take: I wasn't bowled over by this story, but overall it was enjoyable. The protagonist is unique and striking, despite nominal comparisons to other urban fantasy heroines.
Okay, so I told myself right at the beginning of this book not to compare this character to two other seemingly similar UF protagonists: Janet Begay of the
Stormwalker books, or Mercy Thompson of the
Mercedes Thompson books. For the most part this was easy to do, as Jane Yellowrock's similarities only go as far as the Native American heritage and general badassitude. And maybe the affinity for super-cool automobiles. ^_^
Jane's particular brand of "badazz" behavior is less of the fun/comedic sort, and more no-nonsense. She's perfectly capable of the occasional snarky remark, but she's aware that smart-alec comments--amongst so many ruthless characters--are the quickest way to get injured or dead. Janet's also quite mysterious, since she has almost no memories from her life before the age of 12. Why is this so? Well, it has a lot to with a soul that shares Janet's body…a second consciousness referred to as Beast.
Having this first-person co-protagonists-in-a-shared-body setup certainly was interesting…it's not a frequent occurrence, that's for sure. But the dynamic did take some getting used to. This is because the emergence of Beast brings along very basic, beast-like thought processes replete with telegraphic phrases and elementary representations of complex concepts. It felt very stark, almost overly so…it's sort of reminiscent of beat poetry. However, I slowly got used to it (and I think the author slightly softened the narrative device over time).
The book was was enjoyable overall, but I must admit that it was not the most memorable affair for me. I just didn't form an attachment to anything. Not the protagonist, not the potential love interests (but I thought they were cads, so maybe that's a contributing factor ^_^). And I wasn't really bowled over by the climax and resolution of the tale. But there were bits of plot that seemed promising, and some character dynamics that were interesting: Jane's relationship with best-friend Molly and Molly's daughter, for instance.
Having said everything above, I do in fact wish to read the next book in the series. There were many moments where I thought to myself, "ooh, this looks promising…" which is a promising occurrence in and of itself. ^_^ The setting (New Orleans) was warm and familiar yet fresh; the supernatural world seemed intriguingly complex; and there is still much to discover about Jane's character and background. I look forward to further exploration of all of those things. -
This book for me?
Wow!!! It was such an unexpected read! I mean, yeah, I expected it to be a good one, maybe even a really good one, but not this good!
What I loved the most is the fact that you get the animal's (Beast's) POV. It's the first book where I've seen this and I absolutely loved it!
I felt like reading Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury, where you see the story from the "crazy" person's POV. And I really really enjoy the change!
Plus, the whole plot was something new, a That's a first for me, and I loved it!
And it was fast-paced (what I love from a PND/UF), a great, kickass female character and an interesting, possible, future romance.
It made me damn curious, it was hard to put the book down, and I can't wait to get to the next book in the series. Plus, it's been a while (a long while!) since I last read a book that actually managed to surprise me and well, what can I say, I'm a sucker for the unexpected!
Really worth giving it a try, if you want a change of pace and, especially, a chance to get inside an animal's head and see a story form a different POV.
Faith Hunter, cheers!
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Supernatural fiction is a favorite genre of mine, and I have a soft spot for strong heroines who can kick some butt when necessary; so naturally, I thought a book that appealed to both interests might be rewarding. But that didn't begin to prepare me for how much I liked this one! In this series-opener, Faith Hunter has created one of the most original and vividly-realized fictional protagonists to come down the pike in a long time, and established herself in my eyes as one of the genre's most outstanding contemporary voices.
The book trade classifies this as "urban fantasy" (a terminology I'm not crazy about, but which is ingrained in the argot by now). Our setting is New Orleans (which is certainly "urban" enough!), brought to life masterfully by Louisiana native Hunter, in one of the best evocations of place I've come across in fiction; but this isn't quite the New Orleans we know. Here we're in an alternate world similar to our own in most ways --but one in which the world has been aware of the existence of vampires (and witches --Hunter's take on these is interesting) since 1962. "Civilized" (non-predatory) vampire clans, often with considerable wealth built up over the centuries, and their voluntary blood-servants and blood-slaves are a part of the urban ethnic mix. But shapeshifters aren't generally known to exist, and that aspect of Jane's life is one she keeps carefully under wraps.
Jane's a supremely well-drawn, round character, with a personality and interior life that's believable (and that's some achievement, when you consider some of her characteristics!). She can shift into the form of any animal for which she has DNA handy, usually in the form of teeth or bones, etc. (Hunter handles the problem of differences in body mass in a really creative way!) Usually, though, she takes the form of the panther who's bonded with her in an unusual way, even for shapeshifters, and which she doesn't fully understand. There's a lot about herself she doesn't know (though some of those mysteries will be revealed in the course of this book); she remembers nothing before she stumbled out of the Appalachian wilderness some 18 years ago, at an age the authorities guessed to be about twelve, an apparently feral child. For the next six years, she was raised in a Christian orphanage, which brings us to a distinctive feature of the book: while she's no plaster saint, she's a professing and practicing Christian. Her Christianity is of a low-key, not judging nor preachy sort, though (and not inconsistent with an openness to Cherokee spirituality), and doesn't come with the view held by some believers that women should be inherently pacifistic doormats. :-) This woman's trained in martial arts, knowledgeable about guns, packs a Benelli shotgun (as well as assorted stakes and knives) that sprays silver shot, rides a Harley, and doesn't take garbage from anybody, human or vampire. She's also a caring person with a tender heart, whom I'd be proud to have for a friend (and she's the kind of friend who comes through when the chips are down).
Jane isn't the only round, lifelike character here; those qualities apply to the whole supporting cast (two-legged and four-legged; Beast is a masterpiece!). The plot is perfectly paced and constructed, IMO, with plenty of mystery to keep you guessing, not just the central mystery --who (and maybe what) is the rogue?-- but the enigma of Jane's buried memories, and the increasingly intriguing secrets of the vampires. Hunter's treatment of the Undead is pretty traditional in most respects, and unlike many modern authors of vampire fiction, she doesn't ignore or reject the idea that vampires fear Christian symbols (indeed, they're burned by the touch of the cross), but not those of other faiths --why, Jane wants to know? The author makes low-key, but explicit use of Christian content in one or two places, in a way that's natural to the story and not off-putting to open-minded secular readers. (Whether or not Hunter herself is a Christian at present, I don't know; but she was raised as one, and mentions in an online interview that as a child she was bullied at school because of her faith.) She's a wonderfully descriptive prose stylist, one of the few writers (the late Ray Bradbury was another) who enables you to fully experience her world with all your senses: not just sight and hearing, but smell, taste and tactile sensations as well. And she does human interactions (I'm using "human" broadly! :-) ) wonderfully well, with insight, sympathy, and often real emotional power. To my pleasant surprise, there's no sex, explicit or implied, here (okay, some of the minor characters are prostitutes, etc. --but no sex in the main storyline!), and a relatively sparing use of bad language. (That doesn't mean there's none of the latter, but Hunter doesn't assault us with it.) Of course, since this is action-oriented fiction, you can expect some violence, and some of it's gory; what the rogue does to victims isn't pretty. Elementary school kids aren't the intended audience for the book; but it won't bother most tough-minded adults.
This is one series that I'm going to be following, and hoping to read in its entirety. Laura, thanks a bunch for putting it on my radar! -
Look a lot of people like this book. I bought it because 2 of my friends liked it (one recommended it). I don't want to tick off my friends. The one who recommended it knows that I really don't care for predominately "romance" reads...and the other doesn't like romances either. The one who recommended it knows I really don't care for...friendly, kind, romantic (or sparkly) vampires.
So please friends forgive me...we all have different tastes and no matter that I really wanted to I just couldn't like this.
And I really did want to. Of late I've hit a stretch of books that I couldn't rate higher than 3 stars. I read an entry into a series I really like and that book turned out to be the weakest entry to said series yet...I had very high hopes for this one. And as it opened I liked it. I like the way Jane was written, I liked the idea of the character and that she was a vamp hunter. She was a hunter for hire but still a vamp hunter. The only thing I went into the book wary of was that...she'd been hired by the Vamp council to hunt a "rogue vampire" (in my mind there's no other kind...I hate rewrites of vamps to make them positive).
The book opens in a promising way...I repeat, I liked it. The first false note was the reader, but not too bad. She just had a "gift" for mispronouncing words (demur pronounced "de-more" for example...shudder). Not good but I could live with it. Then we met Beast. Beast is a big cat who lives in Jane's body and head with her...she's a Skinwalker and can change shape. Mostly she changes into Beast (there's more to it than that but anymore would constitute a spoiler). When Jane becomes Beast the book is written in fragmented sentences...disjointed phrases and single words. Koontz did this sort of thing with a dog once. Koontz did it well. Here it drove me completely up the walls.
Then we got the pièce de résistance. While this book isn't a PNR (paranormal romance) and we are spared all the sparring and angsty nonsense between two characters who dance around some idiotic almost relationship or relationship. What we DO get is Jane panting and going on and on about hot vamps and how long it's been since...and of course Beast wanting her to get "laid" by a vamp, a bad boy or pretty much anyone or anything in pants.
I just got sick of it all.
I went from like, to annoyance, to dislike, to anger and finally didn't even read the final chapters. I didn't care about the rogue or who was doing the killing or who was getting killed. I even returned the book to Audible.
So, I am sorry to be so negative. I was going to stay with a two but when it was just too much. I can't give a book I just didn't care enough to finish more than a 1 star rating. For you who enjoy this series...cool, enjoy. I really am happy for you. For me it's hours I'll never get back...at least I got my Audible credit back though.
Can't recommend it. -
I'm on a UF kick again. I'm trying out a bunch of titles to see what grabs me. Or hunts me. Or toys with me, or makes me play buddy-buddy with the cops, vamps, and trolls.
One could say that most of these UFs are somewhat formulaic. And it's true. But it's also equally true for the entire genre of mystery which this so closely resembles. AND THAT'S OKAY. What matters is that we have fun.
And I definitely had fun. More fun than I've had in quite some time.
I've had a so-so relationship with werewolves in UF. I tolerate them or hope they just... go away... in a gore-strewn mess.
Happily, the Skinwalker in this one isn't really a were! She's a Shapechanger! Wooo! And I was very pleased with how she was handled. All the page-time devoted to smells?
Delightful.
And as for the rest of the mystery, vamp, and snark elements? They're all familiar, fun, and several of these elements definitely KICK ASS.
Let's not forget the most important element: it must flow. It has to have spirit and spunk and it should never get boring. Ever.
I think it's safe to say this succeeds very, very nicely. :) -
Got a bit bored here and there but overall enjoyed it. I couldn't connect completely with the main character, Jane, but I did like her. I didn't much care for Beast, I mostly skipped her parts, the writing from her POV was too confusing for me. I'd have also liked a bit more romance, there was pretty much nothing except for the flirting. As for the love-interests, none of those guys really excited me, so a bit of a disappointment as well. I found some stuff lacking but I think I'll still give the second book a try. :)
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Yep, loved it just as much the second time around.
Buddy read with my UF Wednesday pals over at Buddies Books and Baubles. :) -
Just finished Faith Hunter's first book in the Jane Yellowrock series - Skinwalker. This is what I thought of it:
The author's fluid writing and character construction are close to flawless. Jane's other half (I'm not talking about a guy) is this that has fun teasing her in all the wrong situations and I found their distinct voices extremely well interwoven. Jane's habit of giving nicknames is hilarious: Troll for Tom, Bruiser for George, the Joe for Rick.
So this bike-riding hard-ass chick is hired by the Vampire Council to hunt down a rogue who is killing and eating people. I loved the fact that Jane has not one, not two, but three (five, if you count *grin*) leading men (I'm a sucker for love triangles or squares in this case): . But I just hate the first guy, I wished he'd died when he came face to face with the rogue. However, I really want to know what's the deal with his tattoos. I'm going to start the second book right away, just can't wait anymore, especially because I want to see what her punishment will be for . Here are some funny quotes that make Jane a memorable, witty and funny character:
Have a seat or take a hike.
Big whup.
You look like death warmed over.
Yuckers.
This is the best piece of meat I ever put in my mouth.
If you love the first nine or ten books of Anita Blake and vampires or shifters in general, this book is for you! -
27 January 2016:
$1.99 on Kindle
21 August 2014: $1.99 on Kindle - I've been meaning to give this series another shot. I think my previous thoughts might have been mostly timing.
I can see the potential but there's not enough here, in either character or plot, to keep me wanting to read more. Stopped at 37% -
Review Coming Soon 📚📚📚📚📗📙📘📓📒📕📔📗📘📚📙📓
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Getting to know Jane was half the fun of the book, she is different, smart and has a believable personality. A Cherokee descendant that has received a rare paranormal gift that she does not have much background or knowledge of. We find out and learn about her as she does. The story had just the right amount of characters and paranormals to make it exciting but not over the top. New Orleans was a great backdrop for a rouge vampire hunt.
The choppiness of the verbiage while she is in her skinwalker state is a little off putting but did not upset the canter of the story. I think this hit on all four cylinders and I was happy to find this new author.
