In the Shifter Plains there are magical beings that are so
in tune with animals that they can shift into various
animals. The Shifterai have the ability to harness the pure
animal form of several animals. It is a sign of power and
hierarchy within their clans to be able to shift into many
forms. Kenyen Sin Siin has eight pure forms which may not
be as much as some of his brethren but it is beyond the
common ability. Kenyen is asked by the Queen to join a
hunting party to search for possible offspring of the
banished Family Mongrel. The rumor is that the ex-Shifterai
are disgracing their pure animal forms by replicating
humans.
Solyn Ys Rei has just become engaged to her best friend
Traver Ys Ten. Solyn and Traver have no romantic feelings
for each other but they must appear in love if their plan
is to work. They don't know who they can trust since they
began to suspect something was trading places with members
of the community. It started off with one person acting
strange and now numerous townsfolk are not themselves.
Solyn gives Traver a ring that she instructs him to keep
hidden. Solyn confides in Traver that as long as he has the
ring with him she will be able to tell he is the real
Traver and not a replacement. Solyn proposes that Traver go
find some help when he makes his next trip trading tea.
As Kenyen's hunt continues he arrives at an impasse and he
must choose between turning back or becoming like his enemy
in order to catch his prey. I personally appreciated the
scene where Kenyen struggles with discarding all he holds
sacred in order to uncover the evil at the heart of the ex-
Shifterai.
Jean Johnson's THE SHIFTER is a breath of fresh
air. The world Johnson has created is unique from the
numerous paranormal or fantasy romance novels on the
market. THE SHIFTER is a spin-off of Johnson's much beloved
Sons of Destiny series. Although Johnson has reported her
Sons of Destiny series is completed her fans will be happy
to hear that she is planning on many more books like THE
SHIFTER beginning with Shifter Plains debuting October 2,
2012.
Before the Sons of Destiny came to be, shapechangers ruled the heart of a shattered empire and navigated the uncertain shifts of fate… Years have passed since there was any sighting of Family Mongrel on the Shifting Plains. Yet traces remain, and they lead south into the Correda Mountains. As a favor to his brother and sister-in-law, Kenyen Sin Siin has taken it upon himself to track down these hints from the past and make sure the curs have not survived. The trail grows colder, more tangled, until he’s trapped in a valley where not everyone is as they seem. He will either adapt and survive or be uncovered and perish before his mission is complete. Wary of strangers and distrustful of the unfamiliar, Solyn Ys Rei and her best friend have formed a secret resistance. One of a rare few with the ability to stand up to and evade enemies, she must still tread with great caution, particularly when even her best friend starts acting oddly. Allies could be enemies lurking in disguise, and a stranger’s face could hide a new foe as easily as a new friend.