Rogue

Faythe, Marc and the whole rest of the pride are back in Rogue. This time the stakes are even higher. Faythe has become the first female enforcer in addition to running her own team. Recently there has been a wake of dead tom bodies showing all over the place. As if tracking down a killer didn't keep Faythe busy enough. A blast from Faythe's past has reappeared in her life and it isn't no happy reunion. What happens next will leave you in shock. Rogue is the second book in Rachel Vincent's werecat series. Just like the first book, Rogue has all the same great things you loved about Stray except for twice as good. Faythe is my favorite werecat. We were first introduced to Faythe and her tough as nails attitude in Stray. Now in Rogue, Faythe is back and better then ever. This series just keeps getting better and better as it goes. The twist that Ms. Vincent threw in this book was fantastic. I did not expect this curve-ball. Rachel Vincent is a refreshing new voice in the paranormal genre. I anxiously await Pride the next book in this series.

I bought this book based on my enjoyment of "Strays". This is the second in Vincent's Pride series. Unlike so many other second books, this is a strong sequel that doesn't feel like the author is just rushing to get you to the next book. The werecat world of Faythe seems good. She's got a boyfriend. She's working for her father. She is fitting into the Pride easily until the first body. Someone is killing strays and it is not Faythe and the other Pride enforcers. When dead human strippers are added to the puzzle, Faythe quickly puts together the answer. And she doesn't like it. The answer threatens Faythe in so many ways. Her relationship with her lover, her father and her Pride could be shattered. She could even lose her life if the Pride council gets wind of this. The father-daughter struggle that was healing is blown apart again and Faythe has to come to some very hard decisions. This book made me lose sleep. I could not put it down.

Rachel Vincent continues to delve deeper into Faythe's character and develop it. None of the characters in her book are finished growing and developing. That will annoy some people while it intrigues others. It is a matter of taste. Personally, I don't care for supposedly perfect people in real life or my fiction because either kind is usually boring and about a centimeter deep emotionally. The only serious misstep in the book comes at a point where the council makes a decision completely contrary to how I believe a society where tabbies were valuable and outsiders not would behave. Whatever rules a subculture has exist to protect the subculture from the primary (in this case human) culture and ensure its longevity. Of course, that is only my personal opinion. I look forward to how Vincent explains this in her next book.

Their pride (actually her father the alpha) has teamed up lover-werecats Faythe Sanders and Marc Ramos as territorial enforcers. Their prime job is capturing strays who the pride does not like wandering around because that usually means trouble. However, sometimes they investigate the deaths of werecats. They are currently working two homicide cases. First they are searching for a serial killing rogue werecat who murders tomcats as if he or she is a predatory king of the jungle; second the duo also seeks another serial killer preying on human female strippers who bear an uncanny likeness to Faythe. As the two enforcers work the Arkansas-Mississippi line and rolling on the gravel, they wonder if the two investigations have a link. As with STRAY, Faythe remains a chip off the alpha block of her father and the sassy block of her mother as she fights strays and other rogues, but this time embraces her love for Marc. Her escapades and asides will turn readers into believers of the Vincent mythos. Fans of werewolf sagas will enjoy this entertaining paranormal investigative thriller with a chick lit bite as the Enforcers search for a serial killer jungle were and someone else with Faythe being the link. Harriet Klausner

Faythe Sanders is back at home with the rest of the Pride after the tumultuous events chronicled in the first book, STRAY. Her father, the Alpha, is determined to test her at every turn as he wants to ensure she has the skills she will need in the future. But trouble follows Faythe around and now toms are being murdered on their territory. Who is behind these deaths and what do they want? And what will happen between Faythe and her lover, Marc? ROGUE picks up right where STRAY left off and this ride is just as wild! Rachel Vincent takes readers into the heart of her werecat world, showing the ties that bind the Pride. The hierarchy of the various Prides is gradually being unveiled and it will certainly be interesting to see where the third book takes us! ROGUE doesn't necessarily have any huge surprises as I actually anticipated the direction Rachel Vincent was headed with the series after finishing STRAY. However, this series has all the elements of a fanatastic series- great characters, excellent storylines, adequate suspense, and true emotional heart. It's hard not to be drawn immediately into this world and be thoroughly captivated by each and every aspect. Faythe is beginning to mature and she is trying hard to do the right things. It is not always easy to be honest and Faythe is learning the hard way that her behaviors have consequences. It's hard not to admire Faythe's independent spirit, though! ROGUE only increases my admiration for the writing skills of Rachel Vincent. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this book; it is one of those books you have to set everything aside just so you can sit and read. ROGUE is highly recommended! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES