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The Hunted
The Phelidae – a half-human, half-cat hybrid cosmically entrusted with covertly protecting human life – has been forever hunted by the Pallas, a ritualistic order of poachers lead by icy-veined opportunist Hiram Pallas and his unrelenting, attention-starved son, Deacon.
During their tribe’s ancient endowment ceremony in the hallowed land of Valla, it is revealed that Thia and her brothers Dae and Shai harness twice the powers expected, and one only believed to be myth. Overcome by jealousy, a petulant member betrays the sacred tribe to its primordial foe, condemning them to exile, slavery, and slaughter at the hand of the Pallas. Their lives shattered and futures shrouded in doubt and darkness, the three siblings flee into the unknown world with only the instinct to survive.
But adaptation into a world both biologically and socially alien proves difficult for the refugees, and they must constantly uproot and move on each time their would-be assassins discover them. They will find no home, and no peace, until their desperate wandering leads them to the remote, tranquil backwater of Lionesta. Here, finally, they are embraced and sheltered by an isolated and close-knit, but strangely welcoming, community.
But the people of Lionesta hold secrets of their own, and it is not long before Thia, Dae, and Shai are entangled in a conflict between their mysterious hosts and their unnatural predators. Through bonds forged in battle and blood, the three Phelidae nomads are able to salvage a long lost hope that they’d found home and the means to finally confront their huntsman, never to run again.
During their tribe’s ancient endowment ceremony in the hallowed land of Valla, it is revealed that Thia and her brothers Dae and Shai harness twice the powers expected, and one only believed to be myth. Overcome by jealousy, a petulant member betrays the sacred tribe to its primordial foe, condemning them to exile, slavery, and slaughter at the hand of the Pallas. Their lives shattered and futures shrouded in doubt and darkness, the three siblings flee into the unknown world with only the instinct to survive.
But adaptation into a world both biologically and socially alien proves difficult for the refugees, and they must constantly uproot and move on each time their would-be assassins discover them. They will find no home, and no peace, until their desperate wandering leads them to the remote, tranquil backwater of Lionesta. Here, finally, they are embraced and sheltered by an isolated and close-knit, but strangely welcoming, community.
But the people of Lionesta hold secrets of their own, and it is not long before Thia, Dae, and Shai are entangled in a conflict between their mysterious hosts and their unnatural predators. Through bonds forged in battle and blood, the three Phelidae nomads are able to salvage a long lost hope that they’d found home and the means to finally confront their huntsman, never to run again.
394 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2011
1 person is currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Shelia Weiss
21 books4 followersLosing both parents during the young adult stage of life, with only her little sister remaining, she chose a safe and stable means of work. However, as time went on it was evident this left her with an old soul but a young heart. Unsettled deep down, slowly discovering and becoming consumed by a growing and unsatisfied passion for the arts, she attempted her hand in various fields of interest, desperately seeking her true purpose. Realizing she'd been drawn by the entertainment world since she could remember, she's since been a professional Belly Dancer, Model, Actor and now finally Author.
Ironically not known to pick up a book often, "that is until I found Harry Potter, Twilight and the most recently scheduled to devour, Song of Ice and Fire, due to Game of Thrones...thank you very much as if I needed a new addiction", she was quite surprised when the writing bug sunk in its sharp and unrelenting teeth.
"I regret none of it nor find any of it a waste of time. Every experience in my life has contributed to this book."
She currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her family.
Ironically not known to pick up a book often, "that is until I found Harry Potter, Twilight and the most recently scheduled to devour, Song of Ice and Fire, due to Game of Thrones...thank you very much as if I needed a new addiction", she was quite surprised when the writing bug sunk in its sharp and unrelenting teeth.
"I regret none of it nor find any of it a waste of time. Every experience in my life has contributed to this book."
She currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 2, 2012
I am not a professional reviewer just to let you know, I'm more of a professional romance book reader who loves happy endings. I won this book in the First Reads contest/giveaways.
The reason I wanted to read this story was the premise of a society that was just different enough to fit in our world but not be part of it and I also had not read a lot of books with cat shifters. This book is about the trials of Thia,Dae and Shai who are just coming into their own powers and how they find their place in the world once it is turned upside down.
I did enjoy the book but did some problems with the story first, the voice of the book. I was not sure if the the author could not decide if it was first, second or third person so it made for a confusing read until I figured out/ got used to it. That was the the biggest problem of the book for me. I also wished that the main characters would have used their gifts more and not held back but of course that would have left them with out any enemies.
The world building was good and the premise of the story excellent. If you like fantasy adventure then this is the book for you.
The reason I wanted to read this story was the premise of a society that was just different enough to fit in our world but not be part of it and I also had not read a lot of books with cat shifters. This book is about the trials of Thia,Dae and Shai who are just coming into their own powers and how they find their place in the world once it is turned upside down.
I did enjoy the book but did some problems with the story first, the voice of the book. I was not sure if the the author could not decide if it was first, second or third person so it made for a confusing read until I figured out/ got used to it. That was the the biggest problem of the book for me. I also wished that the main characters would have used their gifts more and not held back but of course that would have left them with out any enemies.
The world building was good and the premise of the story excellent. If you like fantasy adventure then this is the book for you.
January 10, 2012
First, I would like to thank Shelia Weiss for sending me this book. I received it through Goodreads First Reads. I would give it a 3.5.
I found the writing style more difficult to read compared with what I have read before. I was looking forward to reading it as the adventurous-fantasy vibe it gave off seemed attractive especially coupled with the fact I hadn't read many stories about cats. It was different from some of the books I am used to and I enjoyed how it held up to my expectations in concept and plot early on and well into the middle of the book. There were a few confusing changes in who the narrator was, distracting me from getting completely immersed in the story. At a few points, the characters were talking and then the thoughts of the characters were in present tense. This was different from what I was used to as I thought it might be a different narrator unrelated to the story describing the thoughts in third person. This wasn't an effective technique to get me to believe the characters were actually thinking this. My confusion clouded the intended effect.
SPOILERS!
The main reason I gave it a 3.5 was not because of the confusion but the second half of the book. The first half had an exciting tale and I felt more entranced by things happening in the book; however, I did not appreciate the way the story line seemed to move. I almost gave up on the book when I found out the main character, Thia, had a vampire love interest and a werewolf love interest. I was dismayed at the character choice hoping for a more interesting and unique character as the Phelidae were. This may be because I don't like romance or that I have bought into harsh critiques about books such as Twilight but I had to almost force myself to keep reading at that point. I was surprised though, that the romance section was small enough to not effect my interest in the growth of the sibling's powers and a closer look into their lives.
Overall, the Pallas (the evil human army) served as a good but slightly weak enemy. The three protagonists never seemed to be actually challenged by the Pallas... The main enemy was the Pallas and though they were smart I expected more focus on the troubles the three siblings might face with them. The fact that the only reason the Pallas survived was because the three Phelidae were restricting themselves from attacking with full force diminished the seriousness of the situation. The vampires weren't at all like twilight and did actually reflect the dangerous and sickly side I have come to expect; however, I would have preferred a little more ingenuity substituting the vampires especially since one was used in the romance part. The transitions between scenes could be improved as well as some sticky/unseemly phrases. The plot was a good one, the fights riveting and all in all, I hope to read the next in the series soon (hopefully without the romance).
I found the writing style more difficult to read compared with what I have read before. I was looking forward to reading it as the adventurous-fantasy vibe it gave off seemed attractive especially coupled with the fact I hadn't read many stories about cats. It was different from some of the books I am used to and I enjoyed how it held up to my expectations in concept and plot early on and well into the middle of the book. There were a few confusing changes in who the narrator was, distracting me from getting completely immersed in the story. At a few points, the characters were talking and then the thoughts of the characters were in present tense. This was different from what I was used to as I thought it might be a different narrator unrelated to the story describing the thoughts in third person. This wasn't an effective technique to get me to believe the characters were actually thinking this. My confusion clouded the intended effect.
SPOILERS!
The main reason I gave it a 3.5 was not because of the confusion but the second half of the book. The first half had an exciting tale and I felt more entranced by things happening in the book; however, I did not appreciate the way the story line seemed to move. I almost gave up on the book when I found out the main character, Thia, had a vampire love interest and a werewolf love interest. I was dismayed at the character choice hoping for a more interesting and unique character as the Phelidae were. This may be because I don't like romance or that I have bought into harsh critiques about books such as Twilight but I had to almost force myself to keep reading at that point. I was surprised though, that the romance section was small enough to not effect my interest in the growth of the sibling's powers and a closer look into their lives.
Overall, the Pallas (the evil human army) served as a good but slightly weak enemy. The three protagonists never seemed to be actually challenged by the Pallas... The main enemy was the Pallas and though they were smart I expected more focus on the troubles the three siblings might face with them. The fact that the only reason the Pallas survived was because the three Phelidae were restricting themselves from attacking with full force diminished the seriousness of the situation. The vampires weren't at all like twilight and did actually reflect the dangerous and sickly side I have come to expect; however, I would have preferred a little more ingenuity substituting the vampires especially since one was used in the romance part. The transitions between scenes could be improved as well as some sticky/unseemly phrases. The plot was a good one, the fights riveting and all in all, I hope to read the next in the series soon (hopefully without the romance).
January 19, 2012
really interesting hard to put down.the story is about the phelidae who are hunted by the pallas. the tribe is betrayed by one of its own and some or killed on the run or put into slavery.They are always alert for the pallas and constantly have to move from place to place.T hey meet people who are likewise and have enemies of there own and join forces .Well worth a read
December 26, 2012
First of all, I won this book from the Goodreads Firstreads program. Thanks so much to Goodreads, the publisher, and Shelia Weiss!! In addition, thank you for the wrist band that came with the book, and for autographing it :)
Three stars might seem like a low rating, but according to Goodreads, 3 stars means 'I liked the book,' which I did!!
The Hunted is very unique. We've all read hordes of vampire, zombie, and wizard-based books over the past decade or so, and, while some of them are very good, it's about time for a change. The Hunted is exactly that--while there are vampires and werewolves towards the end of the book, the majority of it is centered around a new, unique species of supernatural beings called Phelidae who are part cat, part human. As far as I know, this is the first book centered around cat-people, and I think this alone makes it a worthwhile read if, like me, you're starting to become bored with the fantasy genre because of its repetitiveness.
Really, my only problem with the book was the numerous typos. If it had not been for the technical mistakes, I might have given this book 4 stars. It seemed like pretty much every page of my edition had a spelling mistake, a major grammatical error, or the like. It made it difficult to read sometimes because I ended up having to read sentences 2-3 times. This problem can easily be fixed with the help of a good editor, and, like I said, once edited, I'd probably give this book 4 stars.
The book had just the right amount of action to keep the story moving at a nice pace. It wasn't entirely action-based, so there was plenty of character development, but it was not 'slow' by any means.
Parts of it were fairly predictable (*SPOILER ALERT* especially the part with Matteus turning out to be a vampire *SPOILER ALERT*), but this wasn't a bad thing. It actually helped with getting around the typos. There were other parts that were surprising, so it wasn't like the whole book was predictable.
I enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to a sequel!! I'd recommend it for teens and adults who are looking for an interesting change on the classic fantasy story.
Thanks again for the free copy!!
PS-I love the book's tiger-print cover!! :)
Three stars might seem like a low rating, but according to Goodreads, 3 stars means 'I liked the book,' which I did!!
The Hunted is very unique. We've all read hordes of vampire, zombie, and wizard-based books over the past decade or so, and, while some of them are very good, it's about time for a change. The Hunted is exactly that--while there are vampires and werewolves towards the end of the book, the majority of it is centered around a new, unique species of supernatural beings called Phelidae who are part cat, part human. As far as I know, this is the first book centered around cat-people, and I think this alone makes it a worthwhile read if, like me, you're starting to become bored with the fantasy genre because of its repetitiveness.
Really, my only problem with the book was the numerous typos. If it had not been for the technical mistakes, I might have given this book 4 stars. It seemed like pretty much every page of my edition had a spelling mistake, a major grammatical error, or the like. It made it difficult to read sometimes because I ended up having to read sentences 2-3 times. This problem can easily be fixed with the help of a good editor, and, like I said, once edited, I'd probably give this book 4 stars.
The book had just the right amount of action to keep the story moving at a nice pace. It wasn't entirely action-based, so there was plenty of character development, but it was not 'slow' by any means.
Parts of it were fairly predictable (*SPOILER ALERT* especially the part with Matteus turning out to be a vampire *SPOILER ALERT*), but this wasn't a bad thing. It actually helped with getting around the typos. There were other parts that were surprising, so it wasn't like the whole book was predictable.
I enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to a sequel!! I'd recommend it for teens and adults who are looking for an interesting change on the classic fantasy story.
Thanks again for the free copy!!
PS-I love the book's tiger-print cover!! :)
January 1, 2012
Review from lgrifflg on Amazon.com
If you love the adventure of the chase - this is a must read!!!!!!, December 3, 2011
"Have you ever felt like you haven't belonged? Have you ever wished there was some place that you could call home? How about being somewhere you can be happy and never to worry again? What would it be like to never watch over your shoulder again? Wondering and wishing to know who you are and what you can are truly capable of...............
Your not the only one! If you want to know what it's like to discover yourself, then The Hunted is the book for you.
Discover adventure, compassion, heartache, betrayal, and a longing to be free. This is a book that once you start reading, you will find it difficult to put down. You will continue turning page after page on the ride of a lifetime. Through struggle and pain find the simple things that keep one happy. Find the story of what it's like to reveal your soul to those you truly care about and respect you. Learn what it's like to have a family of friends who see you for who you really are.
Discover what it's like to be HUNTED!"
If you love the adventure of the chase - this is a must read!!!!!!, December 3, 2011
"Have you ever felt like you haven't belonged? Have you ever wished there was some place that you could call home? How about being somewhere you can be happy and never to worry again? What would it be like to never watch over your shoulder again? Wondering and wishing to know who you are and what you can are truly capable of...............
Your not the only one! If you want to know what it's like to discover yourself, then The Hunted is the book for you.
Discover adventure, compassion, heartache, betrayal, and a longing to be free. This is a book that once you start reading, you will find it difficult to put down. You will continue turning page after page on the ride of a lifetime. Through struggle and pain find the simple things that keep one happy. Find the story of what it's like to reveal your soul to those you truly care about and respect you. Learn what it's like to have a family of friends who see you for who you really are.
Discover what it's like to be HUNTED!"
November 16, 2013
I loved it! It has a great plot with a few twists especially near the end, it took a while to get into it as the first quarter of the book is just the back story and I feel as though it would have been spread out more through out the book though I understand that the author wanted us as readers to know what had already happened. I can't wait for the next one as I want to know more of this stories world and more on who will win the main characters heart.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews