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Louisiana Shifters #1
Shifter In Ascent
This book has since been updated, edited, and reformatted. It is now available as Shifter's Ascent (http://www.viviankwood.com/books/#/sh...). If you previously purchased a copy of this book and would like the updated title, contact Vivian Wood's team at info@viviankwood.com for more information.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2012
23 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Wood
157 books2,810 followersVivian likes to write about troubled, deeply flawed alpha males and the fiery, kick-ass women who bring them to their knees.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 27, 2013
4.5star & digital copy actually
I was presented with a free copy of this trilogy in exchange for posting honest reviews for each.
The diabolical Legion has perfected their strategy to trap and obliterate all magical beings. Trickery, kidnapping, beating, blackmail, brainwashing, drugs and electro-shock in any and all possible combinations are used against potential half-magical beings and the killing of all those that cannot be controlled. Believing great strides can be gained by loosing ascending Shifter Tessa Anderson and pointing her toward rival alpha shifters, the Legion holds Tessa's sister hostage and plans their ambitious attack on the packs. As planned, Tessa does catch the eye(s) of the rivals and goes about the task of gathering information for the Legion (to free her sister) as well as learning things about herself. Among those things learned is that she has fallen hopelessly in lusty love with Jace Copeland, security chief for the Louisiana Shifters and cannot betray him. Nor can she betray her newfound sense of family, friends, home and belonging..
Jace and Tessa had a great dance to romance and with both parties being reluctant partners their strengths were shown in the best light. Warrior in training Tessa was a very strong female lead and displayed few (if any) TSTL moments and more laid back - but quite fierce Jace got to exercise his protective alpha male muscles a bit without letting his inner caveman out made them both quite likable as individuals and as well as part of a couple. I really liked this fairly unique premise presented as a fun, fast paced read which clearly presents a good vs. evil; bigotry vs. intolerance paradigm. The interesting cast of characters, both lead and secondary were multi-dimensional with clear voices and there was easy interaction among the equally solid secondary and lead characters building a firm foundation for what could potentially be a long-running series. There was quite a bit appreciate here including, the tense moments delivering great payoffs; the sufficiently steamy intimate scenes and the climactic battle among them. Another highpoint was the villainous and shadowy Legion. Having a council in charge of the Legion lays out many possibilities, personalities, faces and motives can be brought into play for future releases. Being frienemies with the rival pack also presents much potential for future installments.
The writing style was engaging as were the plotting, pacing and apparent overall arc, but I have to give higher marks for the character development and world building because they were excellent and I'd definitely read more from this new author and will look for other releases. Overall, I'm anxious to visit this world again and find out more about those shifters.
On the downside there were typos (i.e. than instead of that, etc); repetition (i.e: I've been here 3weeks/ I can't have been here 3weeks/it's been 3weeks since I got her) and; logic/continuity errors (i.e. one character was specifically named as being out of the battle but was there to take certain actions). Plus bits of background information seemed to be given important at the time but as nothing was made of them in hindsight they seem like random thoughts. They weren't on every page but enough to be mentioned. Those things tended to distract and take me out of the story, dampen my enthusiasm and ultimately lowered the rating a bit.
The positive aspects of this reading far outweighed the not so great and should not deter anyone from taking an opportunity to read this especially if new shifter worlds excite you.
I was presented with a free copy of this trilogy in exchange for posting honest reviews for each.
The diabolical Legion has perfected their strategy to trap and obliterate all magical beings. Trickery, kidnapping, beating, blackmail, brainwashing, drugs and electro-shock in any and all possible combinations are used against potential half-magical beings and the killing of all those that cannot be controlled. Believing great strides can be gained by loosing ascending Shifter Tessa Anderson and pointing her toward rival alpha shifters, the Legion holds Tessa's sister hostage and plans their ambitious attack on the packs. As planned, Tessa does catch the eye(s) of the rivals and goes about the task of gathering information for the Legion (to free her sister) as well as learning things about herself. Among those things learned is that she has fallen hopelessly in lusty love with Jace Copeland, security chief for the Louisiana Shifters and cannot betray him. Nor can she betray her newfound sense of family, friends, home and belonging..
Jace and Tessa had a great dance to romance and with both parties being reluctant partners their strengths were shown in the best light. Warrior in training Tessa was a very strong female lead and displayed few (if any) TSTL moments and more laid back - but quite fierce Jace got to exercise his protective alpha male muscles a bit without letting his inner caveman out made them both quite likable as individuals and as well as part of a couple. I really liked this fairly unique premise presented as a fun, fast paced read which clearly presents a good vs. evil; bigotry vs. intolerance paradigm. The interesting cast of characters, both lead and secondary were multi-dimensional with clear voices and there was easy interaction among the equally solid secondary and lead characters building a firm foundation for what could potentially be a long-running series. There was quite a bit appreciate here including, the tense moments delivering great payoffs; the sufficiently steamy intimate scenes and the climactic battle among them. Another highpoint was the villainous and shadowy Legion. Having a council in charge of the Legion lays out many possibilities, personalities, faces and motives can be brought into play for future releases. Being frienemies with the rival pack also presents much potential for future installments.
The writing style was engaging as were the plotting, pacing and apparent overall arc, but I have to give higher marks for the character development and world building because they were excellent and I'd definitely read more from this new author and will look for other releases. Overall, I'm anxious to visit this world again and find out more about those shifters.
On the downside there were typos (i.e. than instead of that, etc); repetition (i.e: I've been here 3weeks/ I can't have been here 3weeks/it's been 3weeks since I got her) and; logic/continuity errors (i.e. one character was specifically named as being out of the battle but was there to take certain actions). Plus bits of background information seemed to be given important at the time but as nothing was made of them in hindsight they seem like random thoughts. They weren't on every page but enough to be mentioned. Those things tended to distract and take me out of the story, dampen my enthusiasm and ultimately lowered the rating a bit.
The positive aspects of this reading far outweighed the not so great and should not deter anyone from taking an opportunity to read this especially if new shifter worlds excite you.
July 3, 2012
I got this book for free from Amazon, and I can tell you the story was great...I loved it!!!
I gave the book a 4 star because the only thing i didn't like about it would be through out the book sometimes it would repeat the sentences...such "she looked and him and thought that her heart dropped out of her stomach. she looked at him and though..." You get the point it was quite annoying and at first I just thought it was a typo but it didn't happen just once...
I gave the book a 4 star because the only thing i didn't like about it would be through out the book sometimes it would repeat the sentences...such "she looked and him and thought that her heart dropped out of her stomach. she looked at him and though..." You get the point it was quite annoying and at first I just thought it was a typo but it didn't happen just once...
July 3, 2012
I really enjoyed this book.. It just has alot of errors but its worth the read!
August 27, 2012
TLDR Recap:
When Tessa Anderson is kidnapped by a group of people who call themselves the Legion, she has no clue she’s about to be thrust into the world of Shifters. The Legion insists that werewolves exist, and they want Tessa to spy on a local pack for them. They’re willing to do anything, even threaten the people Tessa cares about, to ensure her cooperation. However, Tessa never expected the passion she finds with Shifter Jace Copeland, and as she spends more time with him, she’s left feeling torn over the decision she must make. How can she betray the man who’s come to mean so much to her?
Thoughts:
For the past three weeks, Tessa Anderson has been held captive by a mysterious group of people. She has no idea who they are; all she knows is that they want something from her. After weeks of torture, it is revealed that the people holding her hostage are the Legion, an organization dedicated to the survival of human kind. They explain to Tessa that they want her to infiltrate a local pack of Shifters, so that she can help the Legion eradicate them. Tessa’s convinced the people holding her are crazy- she knows werewolves don’t actually exist- but if she wants to save herself and her sister, she’ll have to do as the Legion asks and convince the pack to accept her into their ranks.
When she’s faced with proof that Shifters really do exist, Tessa is forced to find sanctuary with Jace Copeland, a Shifter who belongs to the pack Tessa is supposed to infiltrate. This new world that Tessa is now a part of is dangerous and unfamiliar, but Jace is determined to guide and protect her. Even though Jace doesn’t let people get close to him, he finds himself drawn to Tessa, and neither of them can deny they have a connection between them. As Tessa and Jace grow closer, Tessa is conflicted over her orders to betray him and his pack. A choice must be made, but if Tessa chooses wrong, she could very well lose everyone she cares about.
Shifter in Ascent was a hot and romantic book. From the first page, I was drawn into the story and didn’t want to stop reading to get back to real life. I wanted to find out what would happen with Tessa and Jace and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would turn out at the end.
The chemistry between Tessa and Jace was awesome, and the sexual tension was obvious. I think they made a great couple, and it was sweet getting to see Jace open up to someone for the first time in a long time. And speaking of Jace, have I mentioned how sexy he is? Because he really is. He’s protective, possessive, and a total alpha male (in other words, my kind of guy.) He acted like an ass sometimes, but I still love him. Tessa was the perfect match for him; she’s strong, independent, and compassionate. She was held captive and tortured, yet she didn’t let that experience make her bitter or cruel, and I liked that about her.
The rest of the characters were all pretty interesting, too. The other pack members were fun to read about, and I especially liked Kat, who I hope gets her own story someday. I really look forward to reading more about Maddie and Jasper, as well.
Memorable Quotes:
“If Camilla wants him to, he’ll switch sides for her. She does that sexy, innocent thing that drives men wild,” Tessa said, rolling her eyes.
“I think I know where she learned that,” Jace said.
“Oh come on. I’m the older sister, after all. I’ve seen some things and been some places.”
“I bet you anything that I can show you some things you haven’t tried before,” Jace teased, picking up her hand and kissing her fingertips.
“And if I’m not impressed, I get anything I want?” Tessa asked coyly. Jace let out a soft growl and rolled over to cover her body.
“You’d better not have seen any of the things I’m planning to do to you right now,” he threatened.
Shifter in Ascent was an enjoyable read. There were some seriously steamy scenes, but also plenty of action scenes, too. The Louisiana Shifters series has a lot of potential, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.
Rating: 4 stars
Original review written for and posted on GraveTells here: http://goo.gl/dEKYE
When Tessa Anderson is kidnapped by a group of people who call themselves the Legion, she has no clue she’s about to be thrust into the world of Shifters. The Legion insists that werewolves exist, and they want Tessa to spy on a local pack for them. They’re willing to do anything, even threaten the people Tessa cares about, to ensure her cooperation. However, Tessa never expected the passion she finds with Shifter Jace Copeland, and as she spends more time with him, she’s left feeling torn over the decision she must make. How can she betray the man who’s come to mean so much to her?
Thoughts:
For the past three weeks, Tessa Anderson has been held captive by a mysterious group of people. She has no idea who they are; all she knows is that they want something from her. After weeks of torture, it is revealed that the people holding her hostage are the Legion, an organization dedicated to the survival of human kind. They explain to Tessa that they want her to infiltrate a local pack of Shifters, so that she can help the Legion eradicate them. Tessa’s convinced the people holding her are crazy- she knows werewolves don’t actually exist- but if she wants to save herself and her sister, she’ll have to do as the Legion asks and convince the pack to accept her into their ranks.
When she’s faced with proof that Shifters really do exist, Tessa is forced to find sanctuary with Jace Copeland, a Shifter who belongs to the pack Tessa is supposed to infiltrate. This new world that Tessa is now a part of is dangerous and unfamiliar, but Jace is determined to guide and protect her. Even though Jace doesn’t let people get close to him, he finds himself drawn to Tessa, and neither of them can deny they have a connection between them. As Tessa and Jace grow closer, Tessa is conflicted over her orders to betray him and his pack. A choice must be made, but if Tessa chooses wrong, she could very well lose everyone she cares about.
Shifter in Ascent was a hot and romantic book. From the first page, I was drawn into the story and didn’t want to stop reading to get back to real life. I wanted to find out what would happen with Tessa and Jace and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would turn out at the end.
The chemistry between Tessa and Jace was awesome, and the sexual tension was obvious. I think they made a great couple, and it was sweet getting to see Jace open up to someone for the first time in a long time. And speaking of Jace, have I mentioned how sexy he is? Because he really is. He’s protective, possessive, and a total alpha male (in other words, my kind of guy.) He acted like an ass sometimes, but I still love him. Tessa was the perfect match for him; she’s strong, independent, and compassionate. She was held captive and tortured, yet she didn’t let that experience make her bitter or cruel, and I liked that about her.
The rest of the characters were all pretty interesting, too. The other pack members were fun to read about, and I especially liked Kat, who I hope gets her own story someday. I really look forward to reading more about Maddie and Jasper, as well.
Memorable Quotes:
“If Camilla wants him to, he’ll switch sides for her. She does that sexy, innocent thing that drives men wild,” Tessa said, rolling her eyes.
“I think I know where she learned that,” Jace said.
“Oh come on. I’m the older sister, after all. I’ve seen some things and been some places.”
“I bet you anything that I can show you some things you haven’t tried before,” Jace teased, picking up her hand and kissing her fingertips.
“And if I’m not impressed, I get anything I want?” Tessa asked coyly. Jace let out a soft growl and rolled over to cover her body.
“You’d better not have seen any of the things I’m planning to do to you right now,” he threatened.
Shifter in Ascent was an enjoyable read. There were some seriously steamy scenes, but also plenty of action scenes, too. The Louisiana Shifters series has a lot of potential, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.
Rating: 4 stars
Original review written for and posted on GraveTells here: http://goo.gl/dEKYE
July 16, 2012
Shifter In Ascent began face-paced and jumped right into the new reality of Tessa Anderson. Tessa is forced to be a spy for an enemy of all supernaturals. Jumping into this new reality with her you couldn't wait to turn the page to see what she was going to learn next. Was she going to betray them all or find away around it? The chemistry between her and Jace seemed natural and I loved her relationships will other pack members. She fits in for the first time in her life - she feels like she belongs. I think many readers can empathize with feelings of not fitting in and just being different. I know I can. However, Shifter In Ascent did have a few flaws. I think Jace walked a fine line between alpha and just being a total and all consuming jerk. However, I feel in the end he did redeem himself which tipped the scale off of total jerkdome. The world building wasn't perfect, but for the first book in the series I felt I understood the reality Jace and Tessa were in clearly. I did feel the sexy scenes were extremely well executed and felt very natural in the story. I wanted to give a little example of this:
"That's how he knew he wasn't dreaming anymore. His mind would never invent a breathless little whisper like that. It was much too innocent for Jace's lusty imagination. Jace froze, and the girl released another breathy sound that made him painfully hard. Gods, this female was a seductress even in her sleep. This, Jace reminded himself, is why females were the enemy of the bachelor. "
Taking all of the above into consideration I feel it deserves a 4. It takes a special story to pull me in and not let me go and this fact tips the scales!
(This review is originality posted as a guest review for Bitten By Paranormal Romance)
"That's how he knew he wasn't dreaming anymore. His mind would never invent a breathless little whisper like that. It was much too innocent for Jace's lusty imagination. Jace froze, and the girl released another breathy sound that made him painfully hard. Gods, this female was a seductress even in her sleep. This, Jace reminded himself, is why females were the enemy of the bachelor. "
Taking all of the above into consideration I feel it deserves a 4. It takes a special story to pull me in and not let me go and this fact tips the scales!
(This review is originality posted as a guest review for Bitten By Paranormal Romance)
August 2, 2012
Would like to give this a 3.5 star rating... Received this book free from Amazon... enjoyed the beginning as it was a change from other paranormal shifter stories I had read... Lots of typos in the Kindle version. But an overall enjoyable read...
February 5, 2015
A lot of inconsistencies--
- world building
- descriptions
- illogical decisions by H/h
The hero was not appealing (in character).
It was a struggle to finish, and I am not continuing with the series.
- world building
- descriptions
- illogical decisions by H/h
The hero was not appealing (in character).
It was a struggle to finish, and I am not continuing with the series.
July 5, 2012
I would have loved to give this book a five star rating overall but I just could not get past the fact that there is a lot of repeated sentences. so I will give it a 3.5
July 30, 2012
Good read, but typical boy meets girl, boy and girl hate each other, start to find each other, then the misunderstanding phase, then true bliss. Only difference was the werewolf scenario.
July 27, 2012
I enjoyed this book. I want to read the rest of the series.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews