The second author I wanted to feature on my blog is one of my all time favourite authors. I’ve been reading Rachel Vincent’s books since I was in high school, and I’ve gone on to follow her work and read (almost) everything she has brought out. I just love her writing style as it’s so easy to read, and her female characters are so snarky and brilliant. The Shifters series had, admittedly, a few problematic themes and moments, but other than that I adore her books and you probably will too if you read them!
The Shifters series is the first of Vincent’s works that I read, way back when I was still in school in 2009. The series is based around a female werecat called Faythe, who is called back to her pride when a Stray attacks and she needs to return a) for her own protection, and b) to help find a missing werecat. It’s an action-packed series, and I read it while I was experiencing my shifter obsessed, which meant it was right up my street. I remember loving the character development that Faythe went through, although I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle or which couple was endgame. I was very unimpressed by that aspect! Nevertheless, Rachel Vincent has a captivating writing style and writes the best snarky characters, so after finishing this series I was ready for whatever she was going to throw at me next.
I found out about the Soul Screamers series a couple of months after I first started blogging, when it was first published here in the UK. I was thrilled because I had just started blogging about YA books, and one of my favourite authors was making a YA debut with a new series! The Soul Screamers books are about a girl called Kaylee who discovers that she is a bean sidhe (banshee), which comes with all sorts of powers. The series gets progressively more complex and expansive as it goes along, with all sorts of paranormal creatures coming out of the woodwork. There is a love triangle in this series too, but I wasn’t bothered by it because it progressed naturally, and I think this is how love triangles should be done. It also reminds me a little bit of the Finn x Clarke relationship from The 100, except in the end it was handled way, way better and the characters didn’t absolve the Finn guy from all his crimes.
TOD! ❤ – Crini @ All About Books
While still writing the Soul Screamers series, Rachel Vincent delved back into urban fantasy with a new trilogy. Seriously, this woman is a writing machine. Unbound is a trilogy set in a world where some people have certain powers, and each book focuses on a different couple while still continuing the overall story. The first book, Blood Bound, is about a bloodtracker called Liv, and the point of view switches between her and her ex, Cam. Shadow Bound is about Kori, who is a shadow-walker (someone who can enter a shadow in one place and then walk out of a shadow somewhere else) and a guy who can manipulate darkness. The final book, Oath Bound, focuses on Sera, who is introduced in a previous book. The books take place in a city that is ruled by rival syndicates and it’s freakin’ awesome.
This is a new series that Rachel Vincent is self-publishing. Awesome! It’s set in the same world as the Shifters series, and while every book in this series will focus on a new pairing, the first book is about Jace! In case you don’t understand why I’m using exclamation points, Jace is a character from the Shifters series and he’s someone that I really, really, really liked.
For her second Young Adult series, Rachel Vincent has written another paranormal novel about a girl called Nina whose town has been pretty much destroyed by demons. She’s in charge of looking after her sister, Mellie, and the two are trying to survive. There’s also something about a guy called Finn mentioned, but to be honest I’m more looking forward to the relationship between the sisters than the romance! The Stars Never Rise will be released in June.
And for her final trick (for now), Menagerie is about a woman called Delilah who is captured by a travelling carnival and forced to perform. This one sounds very dark and gritty, and I’m very much looking forward to it being released in September!
Carla says
YES TO ALL OF THIS, I LOVE LOVE LOVE HER SHIFTER SERIES!!! you know what’s weird? I just checked my goodreads account and I started reading the series in 2009 too….only difference is I’d left school 7 years before hahaha and I was totally completed obsessed with books about shifters too!! Let’s discuss the love triangle; I wasn’t keen on it either though I get why it was part of the storyline. AND LIKE YOU I WAS SUPER ANGRY RE ENDGAME SHIP BECAUSE IT WASN’T MY SHIP.
I read Lions Share a couple weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. Was so nice to be back in the werecat world…ngl Jace was always my favourite so I was like !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn’t get into her soul screamers books, totally not my thing.
ALSO!!! I STILL need to read the last book in the unbound series.
Amber says
CARRRRRLAAAAAA NO WONDER YOU HAVE SUCH GOOD TASTE. *high five*
So. The love triangle. I LOVED GUY #1 in the first book and then as the series went on he got progressively more obsessive and somewhat controlling and I was like, mate, don’t treat Faythe that way. I get that it’s a were thing and possessiveness is kind of a theme, but if my 16 year old self could notice these things then it must have been pretty bad. GUY #2 THOUGH <3 I LOVE HIM SO MUHUHUHUHUHUHUCH.
Must. Read. Lion's Share.
The Soul Screamers books were simply "pretty good" until the third and fourth books when shit hits the fan and then OHMYGOD BOOK FIVE ALWAYS AND FOREVER FHSKGHDKHGDK.
The Unbound series is EPIC I LOVE IT SO. I might do a complete reread because I can't remember much aside from the main bits of the first two. Hmmmm.
Alexa S. says
I haven’t yet read any of Rachel Vincent’s books! But you’re definitely making me want to give them a shot, as they sound really great. Enjoyed reading this post, Amber!
Amber says
DO ITTTT. I would probably recommend starting with the Unbound series because I think it’s her strongest yet. Soul Screamers takes a couple of books to get really epic, and like I said Shifters has some questionable themes. STILL. She’s awesome.
Bec @ Readers in Wonderland says
YES RACHEL VINCENT! I LOVE her Soul Screamers series. They got so awesome (I have friends who stopped readinf at the second or third book and I’m trying terribly hard to convince them to read on) I think that’s the only series by her I’ve read. I did get Stray out from the library years ago but I can’t remember reading it properly. Guess I’ll have to get it out again and marathon the series. What a shame.
I can’t wait to get her new books. Her writing style is great and I’m so excited for more of her characters. Menagerie sounds so dark I want to read it just for that. And I can’t say no to more books with sisters. Here’s hoping the romance doesn’t overshadow that relationship!
Samantha says
Rachel Vincent is amaaaaaaaaazing! So far I’ve only read her Soul Screamers series – which I completely adored and it made me sob – but your post has reminded me that I’ve got Stray sitting on my bookcase! You’ve made me really want to start the series now so I’ll be starting Stray tonight 🙂
The Unbound trilogy sounds really good too so I’ll have to get my hands on that, and I CAN’T WAIT for The Stars Never Rise!
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