Title: ALPHA (Shifters Book 6)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release Date: October 1, 2010
Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Mira
Language: English
ISBN-10: 077832818X
ISBN-13: 978-0778328186
My Ratings
Plot: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 4/5
Cover Art: 5/5 (My favorite of this series)
Overall: 33/35 = 94%
First Line
“Are you sure about this?” Jace hesitated, one hand gripping the bare branch overhead, and the other poised over his zipper.
(Insert Jace fan girl squeal!!)
Synopsis
“YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE FAYTHE...
The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc, and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder, and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.
It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can--that will--change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for. But life never waits until you're ready.”
My Review
(Please be aware that this review contains spoilers from the previous books in the Shifter Series. I will try to keep the Alpha spoilers to a minimum.)
I’m pretty sure that I screamed, when I received the e-mail containing the link to the early release of this book on NetGalley. It was like Christmas for me. I want to thank people at Harlequin and NetGalley for giving me such an amazing opportunity to read and review this book early.
For the past three years, Rachel Vincent’s Shifter Series has been “The Series” for me. It’s the series in which I compare all other urban fantasy I read to. I’ve read each book multiple times. I’ve spent hours upon hours in Rachel’s discussion group talking with other fans about them, and driven all over the country to see Rachel at signings. I’ve laughed, loved, fought, and cried alongside Faythe and her pridemates. The end of Faythe’s story is a culmination of so many things for me.
This book left both my head and my heart spinning, I even have the empty box of tissues to prove it. Alpha broke my heart, and gave me faith in the world all at the same time. Faythe had to face so much adversity in this book. One road block after another fell in her way, but she didn’t let them stop her. She kept going, not only for herself, but for her Pride most of all. Words can’t explain how proud I am of what Faythe has accomplished in Alpha.
The Faythe/Jace/Marc Love Triangle: what is there to say? Basically not a whole lot, without giving away spoilers. I will say this- Faythe does choose one in the end. She isn’t forced toward one guy or the other by circumstance (example: one of them is killed in battle). She made the right choice for herself, although the ride along the way is pretty bumpy. Some readers will be happy, while others will be sad. I’m pretty sure Rachel couldn’t have made everyone happy, regardless of which way Faythe chose.
“Whoever said two is better then one was either stupid or crazy. Or heartless.” - Faythe
I absolutely loved getting to know Holly, Michael’s wife. She’s has always been this unknown entity. I was truly grateful for her presence, late in the book. She inadvertently lent much needed comic relief to a very dark part of this story.
“This place is like a scary, furry soap opera,” - Holly
While the ending did have it’s sad points, everything ended just the way it should have. Lives were lost, and choices were made. Many characters in Faythe’s world have messed up through out the series, but in the end some were able to redeem themselves when it really counted. I was also very happy to see who came back to help the South-central pride in the end.
My only complaint is that there wasn’t an epilogue. I wanted to know how things wrapped up after the final showdown. I just can’t believe that was it, it was all over. I felt that so many important questions (at least in my mind) were left unanswered. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Shifter’s short story to hopefully show up in the very near future. Until then, I guess I’ll have to make it up for myself.
Overall, I want to thank Rachel for writing such amazing characters and such a wonderful world for them to live in! Reading this series, has rejuvenated my love for reading.
Please come back on October 2, 2010 for my interview with Rachel Vincent and a Shifters giveaway!
Shifters Series
Other Books by This Author
Soul Screamers YA Series:
Anthologies
Websites
http://rachelvincent.com/
http://rachelvincent.proboards.com
4 comments:
I can't wait for this book to be released!!! I'm so excited to see how this series ends, and who Faythe picks.
Thanks for this as it helps those of us counting down to Alpha! And I agree wholeheartedly about this being THE series.
Wondering if you could clarify one thing. It sounds like Faythe makes her decision and THEN the big showdown happens and then that's all she wrote? No like 'the next day such & such happened', just 'the end'?
Boy do I need to prepare myself for those two words O.O
There's one chapter after the big showdown, but it's not a true epilogue. ;)
Thanks for the review, Heidi!
Hey cegluna:
I'm pretty happy Rachel covered that question for me. I wasn't really sure how much to tell you. That was the hardest part of writing this review. I didn't want to spoil anything for the readers, just wet their appetite for the final book. I hate spoilers!
"The End" is the hardest part of this book.
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