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Shifter Vengeance #0
Never Before: A Shifter Vengeance Prequel
She’s no phoenix, but she’ll rise from the ashes nonetheless.
Growing up as an intuitive Were wasn’t simple, but Never always had her family to fall back on. When a decision she can’t take back shatters her world view, Never vows to become so tough she can’t be hurt again.
Her strategy works until she ends up trapped and isolated on the Isle, without her ability to shift. She’ll have no one to rely on but herself if she wants to escape and get revenge on the villain who torments her.
Every hero has to start somewhere, and in Never’s case rock bottom works just as well as anywhere else.
Never Before is the prequel novella to the fast-paced, Shifter Vengeance urban fantasy series.
Growing up as an intuitive Were wasn’t simple, but Never always had her family to fall back on. When a decision she can’t take back shatters her world view, Never vows to become so tough she can’t be hurt again.
Her strategy works until she ends up trapped and isolated on the Isle, without her ability to shift. She’ll have no one to rely on but herself if she wants to escape and get revenge on the villain who torments her.
Every hero has to start somewhere, and in Never’s case rock bottom works just as well as anywhere else.
Never Before is the prequel novella to the fast-paced, Shifter Vengeance urban fantasy series.
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First published April 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 20, 2024
Never Before- A Shifters Vengeance prequel by Silas Reames
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
At the beginning of the series, Never starts out as an enforcer for the Magakai but it isn’t something she wants to be doing. She has a found family of witches, shifters, and vampires that help her get justice for those that need her help. Throughout the series, we get little snippets of Never’s life but are left with questions about before she joined the Magakai . All of our questions are answered in this prequel. This novella gives us insight into the circumstances that shaped Never and what made her into the bad a$$ woman that we have come to love. I think the prequel is best read after book 4 because that way you have enough background on who Never is to enjoy the book without getting any spoilers of what is to come in the first few books.
I highly recommend reading this if you enjoyed the Never series and if you haven’t started the series yet, what are you waiting for?! It’s amazing!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
At the beginning of the series, Never starts out as an enforcer for the Magakai but it isn’t something she wants to be doing. She has a found family of witches, shifters, and vampires that help her get justice for those that need her help. Throughout the series, we get little snippets of Never’s life but are left with questions about before she joined the Magakai . All of our questions are answered in this prequel. This novella gives us insight into the circumstances that shaped Never and what made her into the bad a$$ woman that we have come to love. I think the prequel is best read after book 4 because that way you have enough background on who Never is to enjoy the book without getting any spoilers of what is to come in the first few books.
I highly recommend reading this if you enjoyed the Never series and if you haven’t started the series yet, what are you waiting for?! It’s amazing!!
February 5, 2026
A lengthy read that had me totally captivated. Never fascinated me in another book and this provided me with the full picture of her past, how she, a were princess, became Never after her family and village was slaughtered. The treacherous deceit of Damien and her subsequent capture and torturous years by Mizan of the Collectors. The escape had me reading frantically as well as the deal with Unkai of the Magikai as a Enforcer. This series is going to steal my heart and I'm very excited to read more books. Excellently written with plenty of details.
March 23, 2024
What a bonus! All the nitty gritty details of Never's past are brought to the page with this book. It's virtually a full length novel, no novella, that fills in everything from Never's real name, her early childhood to womanhood. Damien is in here too and all the details of the island. Plus, ultimately, how she met the bone reader.
You HAVE to read this. It's writing at its best and storytelling genius.
Perfect for current and future fans of Never's story.
You HAVE to read this. It's writing at its best and storytelling genius.
Perfect for current and future fans of Never's story.
September 15, 2024
Read this book first
I read this book after I started the series, but I recommended reading it first. It sets the backstory and helps you understand the dynamics of Never's relationship with the Bone Reader and her hatred of Damien. After reading this book, it filled in all the blanks and how this betrayal devastated Never, but she came out stronger in spite of all she went through.
I read this book after I started the series, but I recommended reading it first. It sets the backstory and helps you understand the dynamics of Never's relationship with the Bone Reader and her hatred of Damien. After reading this book, it filled in all the blanks and how this betrayal devastated Never, but she came out stronger in spite of all she went through.
July 9, 2024
This is a must read for fans of this series. It's technically a novella, but reads as a full-length story, giving the history that's alluded in the main series. It's arguably my favourite of them all! Can't recommend this series enough.
August 7, 2024
3.5 stars
August 3, 2025
Pulling start into the series.
July 11, 2025
Whoa! I could not put it down! Adrenaline central! Heart stopping! Emotional onslaught! Yep, ALL of this is brimming, spilling over in this novella, which incidentally is as long as a lot of "full" novels but I, for one, am sooo glad this talented author didn't try pack these gut wrenching words in anything less! It's so impactful! I absolutely love the writing style this author has, it's like I've discovered someone's journal, or I'm sitting around a log fire and someone, in this case Never, is recounting their life, or even as a child does listening to a fascinating story being read to them without blinking. I'm captivated, intrigued, completely riveted.
This is from her beginnings, the late 1600's, to the betrayal of a loved one, to her capture, to her tortured, to her eventual freedom and place within the Magikai. As the only daughter to the king and queen of the Weres, manifesting as an initiative when she was a child, these events that eventually lead to devastation, tragedy and incarceration of the vilest kind, and the first time Never lays the burden, the guilt of what the witches and humans did to her family, to her clan, firmly on her shoulders. She gets to fulfill her promise to herself, and by doing that, we get to understand the moment when and why she chose her name to be Never. And then she meets Damien...suave, rebellious, handsome, how can she resist? Especially after being alone for so long. Much like Never, I LIKED his bad boy attitude, I liked HIM! That's how good this author is with characterisations, she casts a mould that, although a bit flawed, is perfect in appearance, easy to overlook in the grand scheme of thing's. These flaws start to crack and crumble, just as the master potter intended, exposing a rotten interior. The flaw that is Damien made me want to retch and as Never's fate disolves into an unthinkable trauma, my stomach rebelled even more! My goodness gracious me!
Never is handed over to Mizor like a "thing" to do with what he pleases and what he pleases was seriously cringe worthy! So the torture begins for Never but her fighting spirit remains intact, her hatred rolls off her like a tsunami, for all the good it does. Shock after shock assaults Never, and I was as gobsmacked as she at Felix!!!! Ms Reames is totally in control of the narrative, she bends me one way, yanks me in another, I'm reeling under her expert storytelling. Astonished at how REAL it all felt. As much as this is a dark read, the author keeps a spark of hope alive, nurturing it lovingly, I swear MY heart did a bounce or two! Her characters show all sides of a coin, the greed, the self fulfillment, the thrill of having power over others, although the debauchery is reserved exclusively the despicable Mizor, that too is vivid and realistically portrayed. Countered with a beam of light in Never's resilience, her spark, her sass, and an unlikely friend in Irdoll. Unbelievable penmanship I couldn't tear my eyes away and THEN, OMG!!!! The piece de la resistance! Those last few chapters my heart was racing like a race horse, I was powered by pure adrenaline and no one could tear me away from the pages before me! My heavens, I have no words to describe the elation coursing through me! If I could have, I would have hugged Ms Reames for her shattering brilliance in bringing MY vengeance to such a brilliant fruition! We even get to see Never's first meeting with the Bone Reader! This series has set up residence in my heart and I'll carry Never around, forever!
This is from her beginnings, the late 1600's, to the betrayal of a loved one, to her capture, to her tortured, to her eventual freedom and place within the Magikai. As the only daughter to the king and queen of the Weres, manifesting as an initiative when she was a child, these events that eventually lead to devastation, tragedy and incarceration of the vilest kind, and the first time Never lays the burden, the guilt of what the witches and humans did to her family, to her clan, firmly on her shoulders. She gets to fulfill her promise to herself, and by doing that, we get to understand the moment when and why she chose her name to be Never. And then she meets Damien...suave, rebellious, handsome, how can she resist? Especially after being alone for so long. Much like Never, I LIKED his bad boy attitude, I liked HIM! That's how good this author is with characterisations, she casts a mould that, although a bit flawed, is perfect in appearance, easy to overlook in the grand scheme of thing's. These flaws start to crack and crumble, just as the master potter intended, exposing a rotten interior. The flaw that is Damien made me want to retch and as Never's fate disolves into an unthinkable trauma, my stomach rebelled even more! My goodness gracious me!
Never is handed over to Mizor like a "thing" to do with what he pleases and what he pleases was seriously cringe worthy! So the torture begins for Never but her fighting spirit remains intact, her hatred rolls off her like a tsunami, for all the good it does. Shock after shock assaults Never, and I was as gobsmacked as she at Felix!!!! Ms Reames is totally in control of the narrative, she bends me one way, yanks me in another, I'm reeling under her expert storytelling. Astonished at how REAL it all felt. As much as this is a dark read, the author keeps a spark of hope alive, nurturing it lovingly, I swear MY heart did a bounce or two! Her characters show all sides of a coin, the greed, the self fulfillment, the thrill of having power over others, although the debauchery is reserved exclusively the despicable Mizor, that too is vivid and realistically portrayed. Countered with a beam of light in Never's resilience, her spark, her sass, and an unlikely friend in Irdoll. Unbelievable penmanship I couldn't tear my eyes away and THEN, OMG!!!! The piece de la resistance! Those last few chapters my heart was racing like a race horse, I was powered by pure adrenaline and no one could tear me away from the pages before me! My heavens, I have no words to describe the elation coursing through me! If I could have, I would have hugged Ms Reames for her shattering brilliance in bringing MY vengeance to such a brilliant fruition! We even get to see Never's first meeting with the Bone Reader! This series has set up residence in my heart and I'll carry Never around, forever!
December 27, 2024
I have been reading the Shifter Vengeance series (beginning with Never) by Silas Reames and loving the story of a tough, loner Were (not a werewolf! Different type of shifter…much more primal and resilient)finding new purpose in life along with a new found family that will not give her up as much as she tries to push them away.
But Never’s story starts with her already established as a reluctant but kickass Enforcer for the organization that oversees paranormal beings in our world with a deep seated personal vendetta and a hard as nails exterior. And as the series progresses, we learn tidbits about Never’s origin (she’s way older than anyone might have guessed at first), the trials she’s faced, and the rigorous moral code she has developed. And yet, the author is SO good at dangling the knowledge to both Never’s found family and readers that we still don’t know half of what we should about her…. She has many, many facets.
And in Never Before she delivers!!! This not quite full length novel is a brilliant hop, skip and jump through Never’s past detailing the pivotal moments that shape her into the character we meet in the first official series novel. These are such important vignettes that finally give readers answers to so many of the teeny (or not so teeny) questions that come up in the main books. There are moments where we get hints of so many things we know come in the “future,” too.
As a girl who ALWAYS wants to know more, I devoured this and felt such satisfaction. It fleshed out so many details for me and felt almost like I’d had Never whispering those deep, dark secrets directly in my ear.
But Never’s story starts with her already established as a reluctant but kickass Enforcer for the organization that oversees paranormal beings in our world with a deep seated personal vendetta and a hard as nails exterior. And as the series progresses, we learn tidbits about Never’s origin (she’s way older than anyone might have guessed at first), the trials she’s faced, and the rigorous moral code she has developed. And yet, the author is SO good at dangling the knowledge to both Never’s found family and readers that we still don’t know half of what we should about her…. She has many, many facets.
And in Never Before she delivers!!! This not quite full length novel is a brilliant hop, skip and jump through Never’s past detailing the pivotal moments that shape her into the character we meet in the first official series novel. These are such important vignettes that finally give readers answers to so many of the teeny (or not so teeny) questions that come up in the main books. There are moments where we get hints of so many things we know come in the “future,” too.
As a girl who ALWAYS wants to know more, I devoured this and felt such satisfaction. It fleshed out so many details for me and felt almost like I’d had Never whispering those deep, dark secrets directly in my ear.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews