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The Were Chronicles #3
Shifter
My name is Saladin van Schalkwyk.
And yes, there is a story behind that name.
I was not an accident; I was a chimera, both in name and deep into my DNA.
I was created.
I did not know for what purpose, and the secrets that surrounded my past were too well guarded for me to break through.
So when my friend Mal offered to take the chance of becoming a Lycan in order to infiltrate their ranks and find out the truth for me, I agreed to help him in any way I could.
We both learned far more than we had bargained for. And one thing was clear.
Everything I thought I knew about myself was wrong.
And yes, there is a story behind that name.
I was not an accident; I was a chimera, both in name and deep into my DNA.
I was created.
I did not know for what purpose, and the secrets that surrounded my past were too well guarded for me to break through.
So when my friend Mal offered to take the chance of becoming a Lycan in order to infiltrate their ranks and find out the truth for me, I agreed to help him in any way I could.
We both learned far more than we had bargained for. And one thing was clear.
Everything I thought I knew about myself was wrong.
250 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2016
296 people want to read
About the author
Alma Alexander
73 books204 followersAlma Alexander is a scientist by education, duchess by historical accident, and an author who has written more than a score of novels, including 'The Secrets of Jin-shei', published in dozens of editions and languages around the world.
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
Known as the Duchess of Fantasy, she is also a blogger sharing writing tips, and glimpses of both the mundane and magic of a fantasy author's life.
Her latest novels include 'Val Hall', a series about a retirement home for Superheroes, Third Class; 'Embers of Heaven' a Jin-shei follow-up; 'Empress', a love story; and 'Midnight at Spanish Gardens'.
Coming in July is 'The Second Star', a novel about the big eternal questions – about who, or what, God is; about our own immortal souls and their salvation; what it really means to be human; and whether it is possible to go out to where the monsters dwell and expect to come home again unchanged. It is a story of how humans meet the stars, and find themselves there.
Her YA include the four-book Worldweavers series, and 'The Were Chronicles' trilogy.
Her work has been translated into 14 languages worldwide, including Hebrew,Turkish, and Catalan.
She is currently at work on a new series of alternate history novels with roots in Eastern Europe.
She lives in Bellingham, WA, with her husband, two cats, and assorted visiting wildlife.
Visit her website/blog at www.AlmaAlexander.org or AlmaAlexanderAuthor.com , like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alma-A...
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 20, 2016
This review contains spoilers for Random and Wolf, the first two books in the Were Chronicles.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
When I sat down to begin Shifter, the final novel in Alma Alexander’s Were Chronicles trilogy, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’d enjoyed Random and Wolf, the first two books, and expected I would like Shifter very much as well. I expected a funny, devil-may-care protagonist who would make me chuckle, wrap up the trilogy in a neat little bow, and leave me to put the book aside at the end and continue merrily on my way.
Here’s what I did NOT expect: to be presented with a bold, caring, noble protagonist who would win my heart, move me to tears, and leave me, more than a week after finishing Shifter, still reeling and struggling to regain my emotional equilibrium.
Shifter is by far the best novel in the Were Chronicles, though I’ll admit I didn't come to this conclusion right away. Each book in the trilogy is narrated by a different character and starts with an extensive recap of the events of the previous book(s) from the current narrator’s point of view. This can get repetitive, and even though Shifter is told from the perspective of Saladin “Chalky” van Schalkwyk, my favorite character in the series, I was initially frustrated that I seemed to be re-reading an old story rather than getting a new one. There are new details on Chalky’s childhood – what it was like growing up with his paranoid and mentally unfit mother, how he came to Turn for the first time, what his life was like as a young hacker – but the key points of the plot aren’t “new” until approximately 75% into the book.
Once Shifter catches up to where Wolf ended, though, things get good. Really good. There’s the re-emergence of the hateful Barbican Bain, with whom Chalky interacts personally. There’s a slip-up that has dire consequences for Were-kind in general and Chalky and the Marshes in particular. There’s escalated anti-Were violence and paranoia. And, as Chalky points out, “at the center of it all, there was that primal terror – not of what the Were-kind actually were, but of what they could be.”
Even if the action hadn’t picked up the way it did, Chalky as a narrator still would have been enough to make Shifter my favorite book in the Were Chronicles. I liked Chalky in Random and Wolf, finding his humor and craftiness appealing, but it wasn’t until Shifter that I had the opportunity to peer into his inner workings and realize that there's so much more to Chalky than simply being Mal’s clever techy friend. Beneath his jaunty demeanor is a profound loneliness and a desire to be part of a family. He’s one of a kind, for better or worse, always on the fringes of society:
Being the only one of his kind comes with a certain accountability. As the Spiderman movies proclaim, “With great power comes great responsibility,” and Chalky is the most powerful Were alive. He is pivotal to the events of all three books in the Were Chronicles, and though other characters play important roles in the adventure, the series couldn't possibly take place without Chalky’s skills as a hacker and his ability to shift into whatever form is needed. By virtue of his unique gifts, he becomes the guardian angel that watches over the Marsh family and everyone else who crosses his path, taking care of them because he’s the only one who can do so.
I was intellectually interested in the plights and philosophical questions in Random and Wolf, but it wasn’t until I viewed the story through Chalky’s lonely, yearning, white-knight lens that I was impacted on an emotional level. In the scene where Celia is reunited with her siblings after years of absence, for example, I actually got choked up. I’d read this scene once before in Wolf, and it hadn’t really affected me. When shown through Chalky’s eyes, though, it brought me to tears.
One thing I’ve always found captivating about the Were Chronicles is the way Alexander portrays the logistics and consequences of Turning. This is especially compelling in Shifter, as Chalky isn’t encumbered by the same “rules” as the rest of Were-kind. His abilities are above and beyond those of other Were, but so are the repercussions of using these abilities. Here are a couple of snippets:
And:
Much as I loved Shifter, there were some parts that didn't work for me. The ending is rushed, with several events not fleshed out to my satisfaction. Likewise, an important relationship is established without having sufficient time to develop; the reader is required to simply take the author’s word for it that said relationship makes sense. There's a lot of telling rather than showing in general, and you're asked to take it on faith that the friendship between Chalky and Mal is deeply rooted and that the two have had many meaningful bonding moments beyond what’s directly witnessed in the books.
None of these things matter, though, in light of how much of an emotional punch Shifter packs, especially in the last few chapters. Alexander’s writing is gorgeous and insightful, and she uses it to full advantage. I'm always sad when I finish a great story, but as I wrote to Alma Alexander in a Facebook message while in the throes of book withdrawal, “I just finished Shifter and now I have to cancel my plans for the day to eat chocolate and cry!” The best books leave a hole in you when they’re over, and Shifter certainly left a gaping void in me.
The experience is worth it, though. And look at it this way - once you're finished you can always go back and re-read the book's perfect last line over and over again to bring yourself comfort, as I've been doing. So what are you waiting for? Go get some chocolate and start reading this book!
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
When I sat down to begin Shifter, the final novel in Alma Alexander’s Were Chronicles trilogy, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I’d enjoyed Random and Wolf, the first two books, and expected I would like Shifter very much as well. I expected a funny, devil-may-care protagonist who would make me chuckle, wrap up the trilogy in a neat little bow, and leave me to put the book aside at the end and continue merrily on my way.
Here’s what I did NOT expect: to be presented with a bold, caring, noble protagonist who would win my heart, move me to tears, and leave me, more than a week after finishing Shifter, still reeling and struggling to regain my emotional equilibrium.
Shifter is by far the best novel in the Were Chronicles, though I’ll admit I didn't come to this conclusion right away. Each book in the trilogy is narrated by a different character and starts with an extensive recap of the events of the previous book(s) from the current narrator’s point of view. This can get repetitive, and even though Shifter is told from the perspective of Saladin “Chalky” van Schalkwyk, my favorite character in the series, I was initially frustrated that I seemed to be re-reading an old story rather than getting a new one. There are new details on Chalky’s childhood – what it was like growing up with his paranoid and mentally unfit mother, how he came to Turn for the first time, what his life was like as a young hacker – but the key points of the plot aren’t “new” until approximately 75% into the book.
Once Shifter catches up to where Wolf ended, though, things get good. Really good. There’s the re-emergence of the hateful Barbican Bain, with whom Chalky interacts personally. There’s a slip-up that has dire consequences for Were-kind in general and Chalky and the Marshes in particular. There’s escalated anti-Were violence and paranoia. And, as Chalky points out, “at the center of it all, there was that primal terror – not of what the Were-kind actually were, but of what they could be.”
Even if the action hadn’t picked up the way it did, Chalky as a narrator still would have been enough to make Shifter my favorite book in the Were Chronicles. I liked Chalky in Random and Wolf, finding his humor and craftiness appealing, but it wasn’t until Shifter that I had the opportunity to peer into his inner workings and realize that there's so much more to Chalky than simply being Mal’s clever techy friend. Beneath his jaunty demeanor is a profound loneliness and a desire to be part of a family. He’s one of a kind, for better or worse, always on the fringes of society:
“I did think for a moment that it might be better for everyone if I never Turned back into Saladin van Schalkwyk, the human misfit who was so very wary and lonely and alone in that life. Perhaps I could just stay as this bird, from now on, and I might never have to think about any of that other stuff again. Nobody would ever hit me, or look at me as though I was the cause of everything bad that had happened to them. They wouldn’t resent me or think of me as a burden or a nuisance, or even a reminder of things that might have been but never came to pass. I would be free.”
Being the only one of his kind comes with a certain accountability. As the Spiderman movies proclaim, “With great power comes great responsibility,” and Chalky is the most powerful Were alive. He is pivotal to the events of all three books in the Were Chronicles, and though other characters play important roles in the adventure, the series couldn't possibly take place without Chalky’s skills as a hacker and his ability to shift into whatever form is needed. By virtue of his unique gifts, he becomes the guardian angel that watches over the Marsh family and everyone else who crosses his path, taking care of them because he’s the only one who can do so.
I was intellectually interested in the plights and philosophical questions in Random and Wolf, but it wasn’t until I viewed the story through Chalky’s lonely, yearning, white-knight lens that I was impacted on an emotional level. In the scene where Celia is reunited with her siblings after years of absence, for example, I actually got choked up. I’d read this scene once before in Wolf, and it hadn’t really affected me. When shown through Chalky’s eyes, though, it brought me to tears.
One thing I’ve always found captivating about the Were Chronicles is the way Alexander portrays the logistics and consequences of Turning. This is especially compelling in Shifter, as Chalky isn’t encumbered by the same “rules” as the rest of Were-kind. His abilities are above and beyond those of other Were, but so are the repercussions of using these abilities. Here are a couple of snippets:
“My innards felt churned up, as though all my major organs were still deciding where they properly went after they’d been forced to play do-si-do in various body forms with such intensity over a shatteringly short period of time.”
And:
“There was a trade-off when it came to Were changes. Things had to be kept in balance … Much smaller creatures – like for instance a mouse, the shape I was in now – paid for the loss of mass by an increase in metabolism – we were hyper-charged mice, if you like. Our heart rates were much higher than an ordinary mouse. The wear and tear on our insides was enormous; we literally had to give up physical substance to drop into something that could weigh one hundredth or less of our human form, and that had to go somewhere. We paid for it with an acceleration of energy and metabolism. Our small forms lived faster. If we stayed in a small form for too long we could – probably literally – explode our hearts.”
Much as I loved Shifter, there were some parts that didn't work for me. The ending is rushed, with several events not fleshed out to my satisfaction. Likewise, an important relationship is established without having sufficient time to develop; the reader is required to simply take the author’s word for it that said relationship makes sense. There's a lot of telling rather than showing in general, and you're asked to take it on faith that the friendship between Chalky and Mal is deeply rooted and that the two have had many meaningful bonding moments beyond what’s directly witnessed in the books.
None of these things matter, though, in light of how much of an emotional punch Shifter packs, especially in the last few chapters. Alexander’s writing is gorgeous and insightful, and she uses it to full advantage. I'm always sad when I finish a great story, but as I wrote to Alma Alexander in a Facebook message while in the throes of book withdrawal, “I just finished Shifter and now I have to cancel my plans for the day to eat chocolate and cry!” The best books leave a hole in you when they’re over, and Shifter certainly left a gaping void in me.
The experience is worth it, though. And look at it this way - once you're finished you can always go back and re-read the book's perfect last line over and over again to bring yourself comfort, as I've been doing. So what are you waiting for? Go get some chocolate and start reading this book!
This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.
December 29, 2015
Being one of a kind is a difficult proposition at any point in one's life, but in this story, it is dangerous for him even to exist, and from his birth, people are looking for him.
In a world where Were and Not-Were live in a fragile balance, an abandoned were-child must make his way alone, risking his life to find friends and something of a family. The themes of brotherly love and loyalty make this compelling and exciting.
While this is book three of the series, the world is sufficiently developed for the book to stand alone. The first-person narrator learns about himself and his world, so the reader is taken along for the ride—and it is quite a ride.
I enjoyed the narration, the character's perceptions and understanding of how he came to be and why he is in the situation where he finds himself. There are several places where the story jumps over several years, summarized succinctly to get to the next place in the story, some of which I found a bit rushed and disconcerting. There are also sidebar chapters that explain some background as part of the information that the character has compiled in his research. While this was interesting, it also stopped the story, and I was tempted to skip over it.
Overall the story and the characters kept my interest. I wanted all the characters to succeed and to make their way into the kind of life that they wanted to have, despite all odds against them. There are more stories here to tell, but the ending of this was satisfying and well designed.
I received a galley proof of this book for an honest review.
In a world where Were and Not-Were live in a fragile balance, an abandoned were-child must make his way alone, risking his life to find friends and something of a family. The themes of brotherly love and loyalty make this compelling and exciting.
While this is book three of the series, the world is sufficiently developed for the book to stand alone. The first-person narrator learns about himself and his world, so the reader is taken along for the ride—and it is quite a ride.
I enjoyed the narration, the character's perceptions and understanding of how he came to be and why he is in the situation where he finds himself. There are several places where the story jumps over several years, summarized succinctly to get to the next place in the story, some of which I found a bit rushed and disconcerting. There are also sidebar chapters that explain some background as part of the information that the character has compiled in his research. While this was interesting, it also stopped the story, and I was tempted to skip over it.
Overall the story and the characters kept my interest. I wanted all the characters to succeed and to make their way into the kind of life that they wanted to have, despite all odds against them. There are more stories here to tell, but the ending of this was satisfying and well designed.
I received a galley proof of this book for an honest review.
July 22, 2016
I've struggled writing this review. Not because I didn't like the book, but because the truly magnificent aspects are spoilers. Normally I don't mind spoiling everyone and their brother, but it's worth it to go into this series with little to no expectations.
One thing I can say? Writing a trilogy is an art that many of those writing YA don't truly understand. Character motivation changes between one book and the next; angst is manufactured; Misunderstandings abound. Not here. Alexander has crafted a perfect trilogy.
One thing I can say? Writing a trilogy is an art that many of those writing YA don't truly understand. Character motivation changes between one book and the next; angst is manufactured; Misunderstandings abound. Not here. Alexander has crafted a perfect trilogy.
May 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this trilogy. I loved Alexanders's method of telling essentially one continuous story from 3 viewpoints. You see different aspects and get a fuller pictures.
The ending was rather sad, although she could not have ended it otherwise without it feeling like a cheat. It made me feel the same way I felt at the end of THE TIME-TRAVELER'S WIFE - bittersweet with a side of hope.
The ending was rather sad, although she could not have ended it otherwise without it feeling like a cheat. It made me feel the same way I felt at the end of THE TIME-TRAVELER'S WIFE - bittersweet with a side of hope.
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February 11, 2017I had high hopes for the third book in this series. After all, it was from the perspective of the mysterious and supremely gifted, Saladin van Schalkwyk.
I received a digital galley of this book in advance of publication from the author in return for this honest review.
The focus of this book wasn't on science like Wolf, the previous novel. Science was in the background rather than the foreground, but that was enough for me to consider it science fiction. We learn that some characters were genetically modified as part of a series of experiments. There was no indication of fantasy underpinnings for this series. When Saladin went looking for his origins, he didn't search for grimoires that might contain some magical spell that summoned him into existence. He searched for laboratory records that would confirm his theory about how he came to have such unique abilities.
The previous protagonists came from a family of Randoms who could change into any animal that they saw around the time of the full moon. Saladin goes beyond them. He doesn't have any of the limitations of Randoms. That's why I refer to him as Random 2.0 He's the next step in the evolution of shapechangers.
I was bothered by a structural problem in this book. I know I've said before that I don't like info dumps in novels. Perhaps Alma Alexander thought they would be consistent with Saladin's profession. He is a seeker of information therefore the reader should see search results. Yet an important purpose of fiction is storytelling. Info dumps disrupt the plot and destroy its pacing.
Another aspect of this book that I found tedious was the repetition of the entire plot of Wolf from Saladin's perspective. There was repetition of the events of Random from Mal's perspective in Wolf, but I didn't find that so problematic. I felt that Mal's experiences were sufficiently different from those of his sister that they made a real contribution to my understanding of those events. I gained insight into Mal's character. I didn't feel that way about Saladin's recounting of what happened in Wolf. Perhaps this was because I'd just read Wolf, and definitely didn't need a refresher course.
What I enjoyed most about Shifter was the opening dealing with Saladin's difficult childhood and the final section of Saladin's story. Between those dramatic high points, I didn't feel as invested in the book.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
I received a digital galley of this book in advance of publication from the author in return for this honest review.
The focus of this book wasn't on science like Wolf, the previous novel. Science was in the background rather than the foreground, but that was enough for me to consider it science fiction. We learn that some characters were genetically modified as part of a series of experiments. There was no indication of fantasy underpinnings for this series. When Saladin went looking for his origins, he didn't search for grimoires that might contain some magical spell that summoned him into existence. He searched for laboratory records that would confirm his theory about how he came to have such unique abilities.
The previous protagonists came from a family of Randoms who could change into any animal that they saw around the time of the full moon. Saladin goes beyond them. He doesn't have any of the limitations of Randoms. That's why I refer to him as Random 2.0 He's the next step in the evolution of shapechangers.
I was bothered by a structural problem in this book. I know I've said before that I don't like info dumps in novels. Perhaps Alma Alexander thought they would be consistent with Saladin's profession. He is a seeker of information therefore the reader should see search results. Yet an important purpose of fiction is storytelling. Info dumps disrupt the plot and destroy its pacing.
Another aspect of this book that I found tedious was the repetition of the entire plot of Wolf from Saladin's perspective. There was repetition of the events of Random from Mal's perspective in Wolf, but I didn't find that so problematic. I felt that Mal's experiences were sufficiently different from those of his sister that they made a real contribution to my understanding of those events. I gained insight into Mal's character. I didn't feel that way about Saladin's recounting of what happened in Wolf. Perhaps this was because I'd just read Wolf, and definitely didn't need a refresher course.
What I enjoyed most about Shifter was the opening dealing with Saladin's difficult childhood and the final section of Saladin's story. Between those dramatic high points, I didn't feel as invested in the book.
For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
December 5, 2016
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
Saladin, or Chalky as Mal March has always called him, may not be family by blood, but he is the closest thing to a brother Mal has, and he has always been there for him. It stands to reason that when things get difficult for Mal, Chalky is the one he calls. When it comes to book three in the Were Chronicles, it also stands to reason that it should be Saladin's story. Shifter picks up the story were Wolf ends and continues it from there, while at the same time giving us Chalky's own history and story. Author Alma Alexander has done it again with a third book in this series that is captivating, will have you reading to the end, while at the same time you will cheer and cry with the characters. Once you sit the book down, you will be thinking about all the events, the social injustices, the outrage and linking it to the current times.
Shifter is the third, and final, book in the Were Chronicles. You might be ok reading them alone, but the story is so much bigger and emcompasses so much more when you read all three together, in order. While it is fun and exciting to read about shape-shifters, there is a socially charged underlying story with the discrimination and forced labeling of their kind. Author Alma Alexander gives you what you want to read in a wonderfully written and page-turning book. Yet when you really think about what she is saying, you will find yourself thinking about the world around you and what occurs. It would make an excellent book club series, even moreso it would be a great series to read in school! I recommend it to all readers, of all ages, and I also recommend that you think and talk about it with others afterwards! This is the kind of book that while it was written for enjoyment, it has the power to change people and thinking.
Saladin, or Chalky as Mal March has always called him, may not be family by blood, but he is the closest thing to a brother Mal has, and he has always been there for him. It stands to reason that when things get difficult for Mal, Chalky is the one he calls. When it comes to book three in the Were Chronicles, it also stands to reason that it should be Saladin's story. Shifter picks up the story were Wolf ends and continues it from there, while at the same time giving us Chalky's own history and story. Author Alma Alexander has done it again with a third book in this series that is captivating, will have you reading to the end, while at the same time you will cheer and cry with the characters. Once you sit the book down, you will be thinking about all the events, the social injustices, the outrage and linking it to the current times.
Shifter is the third, and final, book in the Were Chronicles. You might be ok reading them alone, but the story is so much bigger and emcompasses so much more when you read all three together, in order. While it is fun and exciting to read about shape-shifters, there is a socially charged underlying story with the discrimination and forced labeling of their kind. Author Alma Alexander gives you what you want to read in a wonderfully written and page-turning book. Yet when you really think about what she is saying, you will find yourself thinking about the world around you and what occurs. It would make an excellent book club series, even moreso it would be a great series to read in school! I recommend it to all readers, of all ages, and I also recommend that you think and talk about it with others afterwards! This is the kind of book that while it was written for enjoyment, it has the power to change people and thinking.
January 20, 2021
I really enjoyed how Alexander told essentially the same story from three perspectives, adding details and time to each version. This novel is bittersweet, and I couldn't help comparing it to The Others series and the different balance of power in that universe.
September 4, 2018
This book was so wonderful in so many ways! It begins with the character's childhood and then afterward. It's hard to write about it without giving out spoilers! IMO, be sure to read Random and Wolf first! Well worth the time and they are also wonderful. These books show[ both positive and negatives of their culture. Beautifully!
I have to admit that I didn't just cry over some parts, but actually sobbed. I was heartbroken - I loved the character and it seemed so unfair! They did not deserve what happened to them!! (Awkward sentence, but I am trying to avoid spoilers.)
In any case, this trilogy is so good that it is on my list of favorite books! I read constantly, so there are thousands of books they are up against! Ms Alexander is one of my favorite authors and I try to read each of her books as soon as they are published.
I have to admit that I didn't just cry over some parts, but actually sobbed. I was heartbroken - I loved the character and it seemed so unfair! They did not deserve what happened to them!! (Awkward sentence, but I am trying to avoid spoilers.)
In any case, this trilogy is so good that it is on my list of favorite books! I read constantly, so there are thousands of books they are up against! Ms Alexander is one of my favorite authors and I try to read each of her books as soon as they are published.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews