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Available
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Publication
MIRA (2009), Kindle Edition, 624 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Romance. HTML:I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds. Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked. I'd been warned about Strays�??werecats without a Pride�??constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared. This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back...for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever�??and whoever�??I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays�??'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid… (more)
Media reviews
3 out of 5 stars! Faythe is a great strong character: fierce, determined, a protector to those she loves, though a bitch at times, with a small sweet side that is sometimes hard to find around her loud mouth. Her relationship with Marc is on rocky ground but it's hard not to root for them. Even
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though she happens to get into a bit of a love triangle (or should I say a square) with a friend she never considered before, and with a human boyfriend back at college. It definitely make me curious as to what book 2, "Rogue", might hold. =0)
Review By: From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews
Check out my review and a teaser here: https://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-grade-shifters-series-book-1.html Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member maughta
I really don't like the heroine or the werecat society in which she lives (which is basically like one big frat with one "princess" in it). Ugh. Got vaguely promising toward the end, which made me actually read the second book. Bad mistake.
LibraryThing member Kilina
I enjoyed the writing for the most part. The plot line really kept this book going for me. There were a few times where the scenery was over described and one part in particular near the end where the conflict was halted for too much explanation of what was to come. Overall, the book has a nice
The big drawback of this book was that I enjoyed most of the characters, but the heroin. Faythe is beautiful, educated, and can even kick some butt with or without her werecat side. I hate to call her TSTL (too stupid to live) because I think for the most part she has the ability to keep herself alive. I will call her too stupid to like though. I was annoyed with her for most of the book. Since she is a rare girl in a world of men she was catered to and spoiled her whole life. She seemed totally ungrateful for everything that is provided for her. She fights so hard about being independent from her family and to show how well she can take care of herself. Yet, she lets her father pay for her education and everything else that she may need. She should have gotten a job and proved she really was self reliant.
The men around her indulge her ever whim and put up with whining and constant fighting from Faythe. The men who aren’t related to her all adore her but its never really explained why. She just seems like a user for the most part and without any real explanation, the attraction just seems to be from a lack of options more than anything else. She is always looking for an angle and a way that will benefit her. In this book she makes bets or its mentioned in her internal dialoged that she remembers the things that she can possibly use against others. Sounds like a user to me.
Faythe seems to be the type that can’t keep out of trouble. She is always trying to run away from the only people that can protect her. During one part of the book when bad things are starting to really happen all she can think about is getting away from her Pride when all they want to do is make sure she is safe. This is when she fights the hardest to leave. Seriously? She has no sense at all sometimes.
I liked that she has a big family. With a mom and dad around I hope she grows up and learns to appreciate them more. She has four older brothers and three of them I’d really like to be featured more in the future books.
For an Urban Fantasy Faythe was adequately kick ass which so far is her only redeeming quality. She has the strength and skill to keep up with the men in werecat form. In her fighting scenes, she is vicious and doesn’t hesitant to do what is necessary and I really enjoyed that.
Throughout the book she begins to acknowledge her place in the Pride. I hope this was the start of her maturing and being less self absorbed.
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flow and steady action to help move the story along.The big drawback of this book was that I enjoyed most of the characters, but the heroin. Faythe is beautiful, educated, and can even kick some butt with or without her werecat side. I hate to call her TSTL (too stupid to live) because I think for the most part she has the ability to keep herself alive. I will call her too stupid to like though. I was annoyed with her for most of the book. Since she is a rare girl in a world of men she was catered to and spoiled her whole life. She seemed totally ungrateful for everything that is provided for her. She fights so hard about being independent from her family and to show how well she can take care of herself. Yet, she lets her father pay for her education and everything else that she may need. She should have gotten a job and proved she really was self reliant.
The men around her indulge her ever whim and put up with whining and constant fighting from Faythe. The men who aren’t related to her all adore her but its never really explained why. She just seems like a user for the most part and without any real explanation, the attraction just seems to be from a lack of options more than anything else. She is always looking for an angle and a way that will benefit her. In this book she makes bets or its mentioned in her internal dialoged that she remembers the things that she can possibly use against others. Sounds like a user to me.
Faythe seems to be the type that can’t keep out of trouble. She is always trying to run away from the only people that can protect her. During one part of the book when bad things are starting to really happen all she can think about is getting away from her Pride when all they want to do is make sure she is safe. This is when she fights the hardest to leave. Seriously? She has no sense at all sometimes.
I liked that she has a big family. With a mom and dad around I hope she grows up and learns to appreciate them more. She has four older brothers and three of them I’d really like to be featured more in the future books.
For an Urban Fantasy Faythe was adequately kick ass which so far is her only redeeming quality. She has the strength and skill to keep up with the men in werecat form. In her fighting scenes, she is vicious and doesn’t hesitant to do what is necessary and I really enjoyed that.
Throughout the book she begins to acknowledge her place in the Pride. I hope this was the start of her maturing and being less self absorbed.
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LibraryThing member littleflwers
Faythe is a werecat trying to live independently at a college campus. Her Alpha father lets her "spread" her wings so to speak, but still sends spies to watch over her everyday. She is one of eight females who can breed. She is a rarity and therefore very valuable.
Females start missing and her
My opinion: Faythe is a spoiled, uncaring, defiant girl who thinks only of herself and really not a whole lot of others. I really didn't care for the character much myself, For example, all you read throughout the book is how she wants to be independent and how she is an adult and how she wants to be treated as such. VERY tiring. I kept wanting to yell and say ACT like an adult and not a spoiled brat and maybe you would get respect. I didn't care for Marc the guy who feels he is her mate but I did feel awful sorry for the poor werecat Jace. He seems to take the brunt of a lot of stuff. I would love to see a story based on Jace - he seemed to be the most interesting character in the book.
I was excited when I got this book, but quickly became disappointed about 1/4 of the way through. It could have been better and should have been better. The storyline was a good one. It just fell flat. Character building and likability is important and that wasn't present in this book. I was looking forward to the next in this series but think I will skip it.
Females start missing and her
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family literally kidnaps her and brings her back home. They want to keep her safe from whoever is kidnapping the females. The mystery of this whole story basically is who is kidnapping these young women and why. My opinion: Faythe is a spoiled, uncaring, defiant girl who thinks only of herself and really not a whole lot of others. I really didn't care for the character much myself, For example, all you read throughout the book is how she wants to be independent and how she is an adult and how she wants to be treated as such. VERY tiring. I kept wanting to yell and say ACT like an adult and not a spoiled brat and maybe you would get respect. I didn't care for Marc the guy who feels he is her mate but I did feel awful sorry for the poor werecat Jace. He seems to take the brunt of a lot of stuff. I would love to see a story based on Jace - he seemed to be the most interesting character in the book.
I was excited when I got this book, but quickly became disappointed about 1/4 of the way through. It could have been better and should have been better. The storyline was a good one. It just fell flat. Character building and likability is important and that wasn't present in this book. I was looking forward to the next in this series but think I will skip it.
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LibraryThing member JDpirate5
Let's play a game.
Here are some facts about a book:
-A young woman can Shift (change from human to animal--and it's not dependent on the moon)
-Women have a hard time Shifting. Thus:
-Women are RARE among her kind (and she's highly valued for breeding)
-She is trying to escape her group of
-She's hiding her true identity from the Human
-She has a former lover back amongst her peers
-Her former lover was not born a shifter; he was changed by one of her kind and eventually accepted in with her peers
-He's a super hot, super-manly (ha) hunk
-She's forced back into living with her peers
-...Where she and former flame rehash things...
-In one of her books, she gets abducted
-In another of her books, she must deal with others who can change into the same animal as her but are not part of her group; they're causing problems, killing people and such
-She's a stubborn, ass-kicker
What book do you think I'm talking about?
Yes, it sounds like Kelley Armstrong's Bitten, doesn't it?
But, no, my friends, it's:
Stray by Rachel Vincent
Now, I am not saying that it's a bad thing the two are so alike or that anyone copied anyone else, but I just couldn't believe the number of similarities between them!
The major difference, though?
Kelley Armstrong's gal, Elena, turns into a wolf, whereas Katherine Faythe Sanders turns into a cat (think giant black panther).
I read Bitten first and ADORED it, so upon stumbling across mention of Stray, I took one glance and knew there was pretty much no way I wouldn't enjoy it.
There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . .
And I'm one of them
I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.
I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.
This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .
Indeed, I loved it quite as much as I thought I would. It was a little bit longer than Bitten, which was good because I wanted to take my time enjoying it, but the section right before the middle dragged a bit. She gets pulled home, kicking and screaming...and...and...and...messes with someone's emotions (a number of 'someones', actually)...is a bit immature for someone in grad school...and...ok...FINALLY gets abducted!
No spoiler there; it was bound to happen.
Yes, I was a little perturbed with her immaturity and the way she leads on some of these guys, but I did understand it. It was annoying and yet interesting; I would never, ever be in her situation so reading about her life (fictional as it may be) is a fabulous, new experience.
Not to keep comparing the book to Bitten, but it was also different in that Faythe and her parents have to come to an understanding about her need for independence. Yes, Elena in Bitten has to deal with her pack as a whole, but Vincent put an interesting familial spin on things in her book.
Still, having it be so similar to Armstrong's book means another thing: I know whether or not I'll like the sequel. With Bitten, I thoroughly enjoyed some of the tension that made it, but that was resolved (of course) and the new conflict(s) in the sequel(s) was/were good, but not AS good. As Stray's sequel (which just came out, Rogue) doesn't have much choice but to take the same path as Stolen (Armstrong's number two), I feel that the same thing will happen--I'll like it, but won't love it like its predecessor. Will that stop me from reading Rogue, though? Of course not. It's just a matter of when a library around here orders the damn thing for me...
(Because we all know that if I borrowed the first, I HAVE to borrow the second. If I bought the first, however, I will dutifully buy its sequel. It's a terrible, obsessive-compulsive cycle)
Anywho, I avidly recommended Bitten, so it simply stands to reason that I urge everyone to pick up Stray--I really couldn't put it down :)
...And since I have to wait around a bit for Rogue, perhaps I'll go grab a copy of Bitten and do some re-reading...
This review is also a post on my blog.
Here are some facts about a book:
-A young woman can Shift (change from human to animal--and it's not dependent on the moon)
-Women have a hard time Shifting. Thus:
-Women are RARE among her kind (and she's highly valued for breeding)
-She is trying to escape her group of
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fellow-shifters and have a "normal" life by living away from them and dating a Human-She's hiding her true identity from the Human
-She has a former lover back amongst her peers
-Her former lover was not born a shifter; he was changed by one of her kind and eventually accepted in with her peers
-He's a super hot, super-manly (ha) hunk
-She's forced back into living with her peers
-...Where she and former flame rehash things...
-In one of her books, she gets abducted
-In another of her books, she must deal with others who can change into the same animal as her but are not part of her group; they're causing problems, killing people and such
-She's a stubborn, ass-kicker
What book do you think I'm talking about?
Yes, it sounds like Kelley Armstrong's Bitten, doesn't it?
But, no, my friends, it's:
Stray by Rachel Vincent
Now, I am not saying that it's a bad thing the two are so alike or that anyone copied anyone else, but I just couldn't believe the number of similarities between them!
The major difference, though?
Kelley Armstrong's gal, Elena, turns into a wolf, whereas Katherine Faythe Sanders turns into a cat (think giant black panther).
I read Bitten first and ADORED it, so upon stumbling across mention of Stray, I took one glance and knew there was pretty much no way I wouldn't enjoy it.
There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . .
And I'm one of them
I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.
I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.
This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .
Indeed, I loved it quite as much as I thought I would. It was a little bit longer than Bitten, which was good because I wanted to take my time enjoying it, but the section right before the middle dragged a bit. She gets pulled home, kicking and screaming...and...and...and...messes with someone's emotions (a number of 'someones', actually)...is a bit immature for someone in grad school...and...ok...FINALLY gets abducted!
No spoiler there; it was bound to happen.
Yes, I was a little perturbed with her immaturity and the way she leads on some of these guys, but I did understand it. It was annoying and yet interesting; I would never, ever be in her situation so reading about her life (fictional as it may be) is a fabulous, new experience.
Not to keep comparing the book to Bitten, but it was also different in that Faythe and her parents have to come to an understanding about her need for independence. Yes, Elena in Bitten has to deal with her pack as a whole, but Vincent put an interesting familial spin on things in her book.
Still, having it be so similar to Armstrong's book means another thing: I know whether or not I'll like the sequel. With Bitten, I thoroughly enjoyed some of the tension that made it, but that was resolved (of course) and the new conflict(s) in the sequel(s) was/were good, but not AS good. As Stray's sequel (which just came out, Rogue) doesn't have much choice but to take the same path as Stolen (Armstrong's number two), I feel that the same thing will happen--I'll like it, but won't love it like its predecessor. Will that stop me from reading Rogue, though? Of course not. It's just a matter of when a library around here orders the damn thing for me...
(Because we all know that if I borrowed the first, I HAVE to borrow the second. If I bought the first, however, I will dutifully buy its sequel. It's a terrible, obsessive-compulsive cycle)
Anywho, I avidly recommended Bitten, so it simply stands to reason that I urge everyone to pick up Stray--I really couldn't put it down :)
...And since I have to wait around a bit for Rogue, perhaps I'll go grab a copy of Bitten and do some re-reading...
This review is also a post on my blog.
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LibraryThing member MelindaLibrary
If you like a protagonist who is unreasonably stupid, unlikeable, and immature, then this overlong book is for you
LibraryThing member TheBooknerd
I seem to be in the minority of people who hated this book. I've heard and read so many raving reviews that I've questioned my initial reaction, since I found the whole thing uninteresting and unconvincing. But upon reflection, I've decided to stick to my rating -- this is a bad book. The
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character, Faythe, is unlikable. The plot is bland. The writing is nothing spectacular, which would have been the only possible saving grace once characters and plot are tossed out. So, nanny-nanny, pooh-pooh to that friend who thought I was crazy. This is not a good book. Go read something else. Show Less
LibraryThing member nilchance
Antipathy. I didn't see any character growth. I threw the book at the wall.
LibraryThing member amf0001
Great cover, book didn't quite live up to it. Started skimming about half way through. Fayth is a werecat who complains against the biology of her fate (women are scarce and while men can marry humans, they would never let a female shapeshifter do that) and then she becomes an enforcer (very male
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defined role) in quite an unrealistic way. She comes across more petulant than wronged, though the thought of being locked in a stinking basement cage by her father for 2 weeks for disobeying him would make me far angrier and more fearful, she just shrugs it off. Weird mix, start of a series, may get better, currently not a keeper. Show Less
LibraryThing member Pomsofa
Although I was intriqued by the werepanther aspect of this book, I felt the author didn't develope this side of her characters enough. It certainly wasn't interesting enough to outway the selfish and disagreeable heroine who continually made stupid decisions. The villain was supposedly very
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intelligent and wiley, but didn't display these traits in his decisions and I found it hard to believe that the other males in the book were either helpless wimps who were only out to save their own hides or overmuscled control freaks who were ruled by their temper. I will not be buying the sequal. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
Faythe is a college student and a werecat trying to break free from her pride and family. However, an attack by a stray shifter on her along with kidnappings involving the few other tabbies in the world totally ruin her bid for independence. Now she is back at home with her pride leader father, too
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The idea of a werecat community living along side of us is intriguing. Unfortunately, despite the interesting premise I found the world building and general pace to be really slow. However, the thing that bothered me the most was Faythe. It is not often that you see a protagonist so very stuck on themselves. Her attitude grated on me, she seemed to have little concern for her fellow tabbies despite comments on how close they were and mostly seemed to view their kidnappings and such to be nothing more than a personal affront to her attempts at "independence", which she would never have achieved anyway because she was pretty much just a spoiled brat IMHO. I'm not sure if that's the impression the author was going for, but that's what I came away with. The other characters were generally tolerable but I really felt bad for Jace who made no mistake other than liking the wrong woman.
I did read the story through to the end so it did interest me enough for that and I can't say that I hated it. It was okay but just was not a favorite.
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sweet mother and troublesome brothers along with her ex-fiancée, Marc. Desperate to break free Faythe is ready to do anything to secure her freedom and her family is ready to do anything to stop her.I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The idea of a werecat community living along side of us is intriguing. Unfortunately, despite the interesting premise I found the world building and general pace to be really slow. However, the thing that bothered me the most was Faythe. It is not often that you see a protagonist so very stuck on themselves. Her attitude grated on me, she seemed to have little concern for her fellow tabbies despite comments on how close they were and mostly seemed to view their kidnappings and such to be nothing more than a personal affront to her attempts at "independence", which she would never have achieved anyway because she was pretty much just a spoiled brat IMHO. I'm not sure if that's the impression the author was going for, but that's what I came away with. The other characters were generally tolerable but I really felt bad for Jace who made no mistake other than liking the wrong woman.
I did read the story through to the end so it did interest me enough for that and I can't say that I hated it. It was okay but just was not a favorite.
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LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
This is a bit of a cheat. I didn't finish the book, but it is NOT the book's fault. The writing was very good for this genre & the plot seemed quite serviceable. It's a neat new world. I should have loved this book, but I just didn't like the heroine. I wanted to throttle her.
I believe it's a
I believe it's a
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personal failing because I have kids her age & her attitude is one that has driven me absolutely wild with one of them. IOW, the characterization was done well enough that it rubbed me too raw. That's praise, if backhanded. I'm sure my daughter will love the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member TarotByArwen
This is one of the few books where I can say I bought it based on the cover. Had the cover not caught my eye, I would have never picked it up. I'm very glad that I did.
"Stray" is the first in Vincent's Pride world. Here we have a family (pride) of werecats. The males, toms, are plentiful while the
"Stray" is the story of the prodigal daughter's return but there are so many layers. Vincent deftly weaves in a threat from a South American tom who is stealing tabbies to sell to other South American toms. Faythe and two other tabbies are kidnapped and it is up to Faythe to free them.
Family intrigue abounds in this book that looks into what it means to truly be a member of a family. Vincent uses cat traits that make her werecats very believable.
"Stray" is the first in Vincent's Pride world. Here we have a family (pride) of werecats. The males, toms, are plentiful while the
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females (tabbies) are very very rare. Faythe, the daughter of the Pride Alpha, has rebelled by going to college and loving a human. When she is confronted by a stray (a werecat who does not belong to a Pride), her father reels her in where she has to deal with the man she jilted at the alter. "Stray" is the story of the prodigal daughter's return but there are so many layers. Vincent deftly weaves in a threat from a South American tom who is stealing tabbies to sell to other South American toms. Faythe and two other tabbies are kidnapped and it is up to Faythe to free them.
Family intrigue abounds in this book that looks into what it means to truly be a member of a family. Vincent uses cat traits that make her werecats very believable.
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LibraryThing member BlondeBibliophile
This was a good read. The main character (Faythe) is very complex, therefore very interesting. She is funny, strong, capable, and often....irritating, but not necessarily in a bad way.
LibraryThing member lewispike
I'm finding this tricky to review - I read Rogue before Stray, but Rogue pretty much carries on directly after Stray.
I felt that there were no surprises in this book, because Rogue has enough details flashing back to this book that I knew the story. It did, however, flesh out a few more details
Someone is stealing tabbies and looking to sell them off. This causes Faythe's father to call her back from university to her family for safety's sake, but family tensions lead to Faythe being kidnapped nevertheless. She manages to avoid being raped, beat up one of her kidnappers and kill the other, then move on and capture and then kill (with help) all but one of the others.
There is, again, lots of sniffing, but without the commentary about cats being visual hunters so much so that works more smoothly to my mind, even though at the back of my mind I was thinking "But cat are visual hunters."
The book has a surprising amount of setting up, the abduction comes over half way through, but I think that will pay off in later books.
I felt that there were no surprises in this book, because Rogue has enough details flashing back to this book that I knew the story. It did, however, flesh out a few more details
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about emotional exchanges and the like and the start of the growing up process so it was worth reading even though there was no tension in it for me.Someone is stealing tabbies and looking to sell them off. This causes Faythe's father to call her back from university to her family for safety's sake, but family tensions lead to Faythe being kidnapped nevertheless. She manages to avoid being raped, beat up one of her kidnappers and kill the other, then move on and capture and then kill (with help) all but one of the others.
There is, again, lots of sniffing, but without the commentary about cats being visual hunters so much so that works more smoothly to my mind, even though at the back of my mind I was thinking "But cat are visual hunters."
The book has a surprising amount of setting up, the abduction comes over half way through, but I think that will pay off in later books.
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LibraryThing member MisfitRhi
Stray is a tale of tabby-cats and toms, the world of werecats is finally getting a little recognition. Enter Faythe Sanders, a cheap clone of Kelley Armstrong's Elena Michaels with a twist of southwestern spice. All mocking aside, Faythe may not be an original character but her world is fresh.
This werecat coming of age styled story centers around Faythe's fellow tabbies being kidnapped and the lengths her Pride (and others) are going to in order to find them. The villains of this novel are "strays", the werecat version of lone wolves. Throw in a mix of men for Faythe to have troubles with from her brooding ex-boyfriend Marc to the flirtacious hottie next-door Jace and you'll be turning the pages to find out how she balances her beaus.
Oft times throughout the story we see Faythe's words telling us she doesn't want to piss off "Daddy" but then she turns around and does something that will. She is a contradiction from the first chapter. Told from her perspective she constantly repeats herself and the little details about being a werecat that we have already had ingrained into our minds.
Overall this book is pretty rough, constant repeated points and at times choppy dialog. But this is Vincent's debut novel and it's better than Armstrong's Bitten on many levels. Vincent has a nice writing style and I can see her growing as a writer as this becomes a series. I personally liked this book but I didn't love it. I reccomend this as a filler book when you've got nothing better in another series to chew on. If you love Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series this is right up your alley! I hope that the second book, Rogue, will tie up the loose ends left in Stray.
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Werecats have few females, the age-old idea for all weres, and Faythe is one of that handful. But like many modern girls the idea of being a brood mare for her Pride has never appealed to her. This werecat coming of age styled story centers around Faythe's fellow tabbies being kidnapped and the lengths her Pride (and others) are going to in order to find them. The villains of this novel are "strays", the werecat version of lone wolves. Throw in a mix of men for Faythe to have troubles with from her brooding ex-boyfriend Marc to the flirtacious hottie next-door Jace and you'll be turning the pages to find out how she balances her beaus.
Oft times throughout the story we see Faythe's words telling us she doesn't want to piss off "Daddy" but then she turns around and does something that will. She is a contradiction from the first chapter. Told from her perspective she constantly repeats herself and the little details about being a werecat that we have already had ingrained into our minds.
Overall this book is pretty rough, constant repeated points and at times choppy dialog. But this is Vincent's debut novel and it's better than Armstrong's Bitten on many levels. Vincent has a nice writing style and I can see her growing as a writer as this becomes a series. I personally liked this book but I didn't love it. I reccomend this as a filler book when you've got nothing better in another series to chew on. If you love Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series this is right up your alley! I hope that the second book, Rogue, will tie up the loose ends left in Stray.
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LibraryThing member BookWhisperer
Faythe is the daughter of the alpha. She has spent years trying to run from everything the distinguishes her as a member of the pride. She resents that her father and mother want her to be with Mark the pride enforcer. She hates that her mother's only pride is cooking, cleaning, and sewing. She can
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stand that her father does not approve of everything she does. Faythe is surprised with Mark shows up and drags her back home, due to the fact that tabbies are going missing. They have to find out who is kidnapping the tabbies, and protect their own from being next. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cherylk
Fathe Sanders is definitely not your typical college student. She is a werecat. Fathe has resisted joining her father, Greg’s pride in exchange for her independence. But not to worry as Fathe’s father would not leave his precious daughter unattended. One night Fathe gets attacked by a Stray.
Female tabbies have gone missing. A group of strays are taking the tabbies but for what purpose. It’s up to Fathe and the pride to locate the tabbies before something horrible happens to them. Now all Fathe needs to do is keep her head in the game but that will be hard when she has sexy, buff, enforcer Marc keeping her company.
If you think Fathe’s human side is bad, then you don’t even want to see her werecat side. It’s a killer. I really enjoyed Fathe’s kick-ass, take no prisoners attitude as well as her witty comments. You never knew what Fathe was going to do next. Which keep me on my toes. Stray is how all books should be like…pleasurable to read. Rachel Vincent is a new author to me but so glad I discovered her. After reading Stray I have already fallen in love with Ms. Vincent and her werecat series. I can’t get enough.
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Strays are rogue werecats that do not belong to any pride. After that its game on as Fathe is ready to fight and the claws are coming out. Greg wants Fathe to come home where he can protect her. Now Fathe is heading home in addition to saying goodbye to her boyfriend Andrew and college life.Female tabbies have gone missing. A group of strays are taking the tabbies but for what purpose. It’s up to Fathe and the pride to locate the tabbies before something horrible happens to them. Now all Fathe needs to do is keep her head in the game but that will be hard when she has sexy, buff, enforcer Marc keeping her company.
If you think Fathe’s human side is bad, then you don’t even want to see her werecat side. It’s a killer. I really enjoyed Fathe’s kick-ass, take no prisoners attitude as well as her witty comments. You never knew what Fathe was going to do next. Which keep me on my toes. Stray is how all books should be like…pleasurable to read. Rachel Vincent is a new author to me but so glad I discovered her. After reading Stray I have already fallen in love with Ms. Vincent and her werecat series. I can’t get enough.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
This is an interesting and intruiging addition to the fantasy genre. I quite like Rachel's heroine, Faythe, as, as well as being fearless, she also makes mistakes, some of which are quite serious. She's also self obssessed and petulant which adds dimension to her chararcter. This is an interesting
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first novel and I look forward to reading the others in the series, Show Less
LibraryThing member samantha.1020
I'm working hard on catching up on reviews and this was one of those books that started my review backup because I just couldn't put it down. Stray is the 1st in this series and introduces us to Faythe who is a werecat. Her father is the leader of the Pride, a large group of werecats, and has
This book captivated me from the beginning and I was turning the pages as fast as I could. The author gave the reader a fresh twist on the paranormal and I've gotta admit that this book blew me away. I just really enjoyed it can't say enough good things about this book. There were a few scenes that were hard to read but I don't want to share for fear of spoilers. Not enough to take away from the book at all. I'm impressed as I believe that this is the author's 1st book. I've already picked up the next book from the library and am anxious to start it. Great read!
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always kept a close eye on Faythe as she is one of the few female werecats. Trouble is brewing in the sense that two of the females are missing and there are no leads to who has taken them and why. Before Faythe knows it she is caught up in the middle and is trying to find the answers to who has taken her friends. Faythe is a feisty main character with a lot of spunk that had me rooting for her from the beginning. She is also dealing with being around her ex-boyriend who has obvious feelings for her and her overprotective father and brothers. Faythe had her flaws which in my opinion made her all the more likeable. This book captivated me from the beginning and I was turning the pages as fast as I could. The author gave the reader a fresh twist on the paranormal and I've gotta admit that this book blew me away. I just really enjoyed it can't say enough good things about this book. There were a few scenes that were hard to read but I don't want to share for fear of spoilers. Not enough to take away from the book at all. I'm impressed as I believe that this is the author's 1st book. I've already picked up the next book from the library and am anxious to start it. Great read!
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LibraryThing member trishalynn0708
I have found a new author that I love, Rachel Vincent's writing flows across the page and you can't put her books down. I had my face 2 inches from the book the whole time I was reading, I didn't want to miss one word.
Faythe is a kick-ass girl, or should I say shapeshifter, or werecat. I am happy
Faythe is a kick-ass girl, or should I say shapeshifter, or werecat. I am happy
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to get off the vampire scene for a bit. And if Marc were real he would totally be mine. :) Show Less
LibraryThing member sithereandread
STRAY, by Rachel Vincent, is the fantastic beginning to her Shifter's series. This adult series provides immense action, romance, and girl-power that will knock your socks off.
As a fan of Vincent's Soul Screamers series, I just had to read more of her work. This series started off on a very
The love triangle between Faythe, Jace, and Marc was wicked steamy. I had it figured from the beginning who she was going to end up with, but I patiently read through the hot (hot!) situations until Faythe realized it for herself.
I enjoyed getting to experience a different type of shifter. I have never read about Werecats before and I liked getting to read the creativity that Vincent put into her history and culture of these creatures.
The villians in this book were absolutely dispicable. Some villians are "bad" but Vincent truly created some nasty, sick men. The things that these guys did to women brought out strong emotions of hate and anger out of me, and I think that truly reflects the talent that Vincent possesses. The scenes between the villians and victims were very graphic and I felt strong pity for these girls, but they were very real and I appreciated that because it made the victories a cause for celebration.
I am excited to continue this series, and it is one that I do recommend!
As a fan of Vincent's Soul Screamers series, I just had to read more of her work. This series started off on a very
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positive note for me. I loved Faythe as an overall character. Although at times I could not sympathize with her wanting to be on her own (with all those men looking for attention, I would have stuck around! :) ), but she was very honest in her beliefs and fought tooth and nail for them. The love triangle between Faythe, Jace, and Marc was wicked steamy. I had it figured from the beginning who she was going to end up with, but I patiently read through the hot (hot!) situations until Faythe realized it for herself.
I enjoyed getting to experience a different type of shifter. I have never read about Werecats before and I liked getting to read the creativity that Vincent put into her history and culture of these creatures.
The villians in this book were absolutely dispicable. Some villians are "bad" but Vincent truly created some nasty, sick men. The things that these guys did to women brought out strong emotions of hate and anger out of me, and I think that truly reflects the talent that Vincent possesses. The scenes between the villians and victims were very graphic and I felt strong pity for these girls, but they were very real and I appreciated that because it made the victories a cause for celebration.
I am excited to continue this series, and it is one that I do recommend!
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Faythe looks like an undergrad. Well, that's cause she is, but her normal life is interrupted by a summons to return to her family home. She's a werecat and while there are a fair number of males there are very few females, without females they don't have a chance of reproduction. Several of these
When she returns to the pride she finds that her minder is her former fiance. There's still a frisson of interest between the two of them.
I did enjoy the read and look forward to more in this series.
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rare females are going missing and it looks like Faythe is next on the list.When she returns to the pride she finds that her minder is her former fiance. There's still a frisson of interest between the two of them.
I did enjoy the read and look forward to more in this series.
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LibraryThing member mmillet
There are so many urban fantasy series out there with a tough heroine more often than not trying to prove something to the world or herself. Faythe, the werecat turned student, actually has my attention in this believable action-packed story about a young werecat trying to make a place for herself
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in a predominantly male society.She is a graduate student who is basically going to school to avoid her family - who she hasn't seen in give or take five years. Except for those sent to keep an eye on her over the years that is. But she had good reasons for leaving - being the only daughter of one of the most protective Alpha werecat has left her feeling like she has few options other than 'obey.' Outside her normal, college student world, female werecats or tabbies as they are known are extremely rare (unlike their male counterparts) and as such are highly prized and, by consequence, highly guarded. Faythe is set never to return home when she meets a stray werecat and finds out that other tabbies have gone missing. Scared and more than a little ticked off to be forced home to face friends and family she thought she'd put behind her, Faythe discovers she isn't the only one who has changed in the last five years.Faythe is a believable heroine. Having grown up with four other brothers and an aggressive father, I could totally see her taking down some guy twice her size or at least giving him a piece of her mind. I also found supreme enjoyment in her inability to keep her mouth shut during an argument and the resulting consequences. Highly amusing. The action is set against some truly entertaining encounters with her overbearing brothers and dad, her ex boyfriend Marc, and the potential flame, Jace - these guys have personality to spare and really made every page come alive. I'll be sticking around for sure to see what comes next. Show Less
LibraryThing member mary1963
Two minute Review for Stray by Rachel Vincent
Faythe, despite the stupid spelling of her name, is an interesting character once you get past her mountain sized ego and emotional problems. The first few chapters were hard to get through, she starts off as a whining bitch in the beginning. She has
Faythe, despite the stupid spelling of her name, is an interesting character once you get past her mountain sized ego and emotional problems. The first few chapters were hard to get through, she starts off as a whining bitch in the beginning. She has
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the right to be, she is basically a slave to her species desire to reproduce. She has only the rights her father, the alpha werecat, gives her. Marc, her ex and not so ex, is a jealous, hot head with abandonment issues. But Faythe can kick ass in the end. The bad guys are really bad perverts you are happy to see die. The writing is good enough for me to over look her unattractive inner child. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tynga
Faythe left her pride 5 years ago to go to University, try have a normal life and avoid Pride responsibility such as getting married and have many babies. She left behind her boyfriend Marc after he proposed her. And guess who's picking her up when daddy calls Faythe back home? Marc!
Rebel in so
I have been attracted by that series for quite a while but after reading some bad reviews on amazon I held back. Discovering the wonderful world of blogs I noticed that many people truly loves the series so I gave it a try and Geez I wasn't disappointed! I completely LOVED the book.
Faythe is definitely my kind of girl, big mouth, big attitude and the strength to back up all of her crap. Marc is one awesome guy if you ignore the compulsive jealousy. All of Faythe's brothers and friends are one totally cool crew and I would hang out with them anytime.
Rachel's writing is plain awesome and I can't believe and held out so long for that series.
Rebel in so
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many ways, Faythe tries to fight her way out of the family farm to get back to her normal life and it promises to be no easy quest. She has to put her plans on hold to save her friends kidnapped by some crazy stray. Hands full with troubles, Faythe does her best to keep her head out of the water.I have been attracted by that series for quite a while but after reading some bad reviews on amazon I held back. Discovering the wonderful world of blogs I noticed that many people truly loves the series so I gave it a try and Geez I wasn't disappointed! I completely LOVED the book.
Faythe is definitely my kind of girl, big mouth, big attitude and the strength to back up all of her crap. Marc is one awesome guy if you ignore the compulsive jealousy. All of Faythe's brothers and friends are one totally cool crew and I would hang out with them anytime.
Rachel's writing is plain awesome and I can't believe and held out so long for that series.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2007-06-01
Local notes
The tale of an over protective Pride of werelions and the pride daughter, Faythe, who is desperately trying to assert her independence when a psycho 'tabby' kidnapper show up and forces Faythe back to her family home for another good ol' fashioned dose of being oppressed and held captive by her own family.
Extremely disappointing (Faythe behaved like an annoying whiny 14 yo but was apparently supposed to be 23. And her love interest Marc put up with her having sex with every boy in the vicinity as far as I could tell).
Extremely disappointing (Faythe behaved like an annoying whiny 14 yo but was apparently supposed to be 23. And her love interest Marc put up with her having sex with every boy in the vicinity as far as I could tell).