What do you think?
Rate this book
Assassin's Loyalty #1
Hid in the Shadows
From the Lost Shifter World comes an exciting new series, Assassin’s Loyalty. Raider, a Tiger shifter, was sold into captivity at birth. Raised to be a cold-hearted killer, he eventually guaranteed his freedom. Once, he was rid of his master, Raider, along with some of his Assassin friends started their own free-lance group that works out of Flint. That still doesn’t mean that Raider sees himself as anything more than a hardened murderer and he feels as if he is an emotionless shell. Koala shifter, Conner, just barely escaped when slavers attacked his family home. Betrayed by his brother and with his parents dead, he is on his own. That is until Raider finds him. Conner feels an instant attraction to the Assassin, but Raider keeps pulling away. Conner, also, has a secret. One that is so big, it will shake the entire shifter community. Can Raider overcome his reservations and give in to his feelings? Or will he and Conner have to pay the ultimate price? P.S. Yes, Shane is in this book.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2016
About the author
Stephani Hecht
250 books864 followersStephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Go Wings! You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book or gorging on caffeine at her favorite coffee shop.
When she’s not running around like crazy, trying to get her kids to their various activities, she’s currently working on numerous projects. In the coming months, she has several books coming out with eXtasy Books in both The Lost Shifter Series and Drone Vampire Chronicles, plus a few additional projects that are still in the development stages.
Visit Stephani on the web at:
Email her at:
archangelwriter@yahoo.com
When she’s not running around like crazy, trying to get her kids to their various activities, she’s currently working on numerous projects. In the coming months, she has several books coming out with eXtasy Books in both The Lost Shifter Series and Drone Vampire Chronicles, plus a few additional projects that are still in the development stages.
Visit Stephani on the web at:
Email her at:
archangelwriter@yahoo.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 5, 2022
Love having more in the Lost Shifters world, especially more assassins. Poor editing on this one. Several place word usage was WTF? and you have to infer the right word by context.
One major glaring error that I find almost unforgivable. Luckily its only a minor thing overall. One character is a KOALA shifter. At two different times in the book it is brought up that he is allergic to bamboo as if this is a big thing because of what he is. Sorry to tell you people(author, any editors, or beta readers), KOALA is NOT bamboo. That's for pandas. Koalas like eucalyptus.
Good story though. Can't wait to read about some of the other assassins getting their mates.
One major glaring error that I find almost unforgivable. Luckily its only a minor thing overall. One character is a KOALA shifter. At two different times in the book it is brought up that he is allergic to bamboo as if this is a big thing because of what he is. Sorry to tell you people(author, any editors, or beta readers), KOALA is NOT bamboo. That's for pandas. Koalas like eucalyptus.
Good story though. Can't wait to read about some of the other assassins getting their mates.
May 7, 2017
3.5 stars. The story set the stage and introduced characters for this spin off series. It was not a stand alone book and was dependent upon Lost Shifters and Wayne County Wolves. Assassin tiger Raider and koala bear Connor were a nice opposites-attract couple. Even though Connor was a cute bear shifter, he had a lot of internal strength. I enjoyed the story and the MCs were great but the book was too short! Snarky egotistical Shane was in the cast.
November 13, 2016
Having thoroughly enjoyed the 'Lost Shifters' series by this author I was excited to discover this spinoff. There were a handful of shifters that I completely fell for - Shane being at the top of the list - but I also really liked the author's world building. Basically what I'm fumbling to say here is that it was a no brainer for me to want to read 'Hid in the Shadows' and immerse myself in a world full of assassins. Plus the author guaranteed I'd see Shane. Win-win, peeps.
Raider is one of the original five shifters who started Assassin's Loyalty out of an old hotel in the seedier area of Flint. Each of the five had been slaves, trained to be assassins, and once they'd worked out their contracts they decided to start their own business. When Raider first meets Conner he's being held in a dog crate by a nasty weasel who runs human slaves. Conner is a koala (ohmigosh… squee) and he's had a rough go of it lately. Conner's parents disappeared two years ago after his older brother sold them and Conner out to slavers. Conner got away but his parents were skinned alive and his friend Calvin was taken. Now he just got caught taking photos of a slaver’s den which is how he ended up in the weasel's hands.
Conner is a photographer, kind of a no-no in the shifter world, but he believes it's his duty to show people the reality of the shifters who prey on their own kind. Being a koala (allergic to bamboo - adorable) means Conner isn't very big, so when Raider takes him back to assassin headquarters filled with nothing but predators, Conner is pretty sure he's going to get eaten. Instead, the other four leaders accept that he belongs to Raider and even offer to train him in self-defense. Huh. Who'd-a-thunk-it?
Oh Shane, it's been far too long since I've seen you! I have missed your bad attitude, dude. Shane comes to the assassin hotel at the request of Raider - although Max, another leopard and Shane have some strong feelings, i.e. hatred, toward one another - so Raider and his guys can find out what the gossip on the streets is about Conner. Conner tells them the story and it turns out he took some very incriminating photos of members of human government being involved in the shifter slave trade. His older brother seems to still be involved, too. Oh boy.
An awesome, exciting, sweet, and sexy beginning to a new series. I'm going to be keeping my eyes peeled for more of these as there are plenty of incredible Loyalty members and I think they all deserve mates. Don't mind me, Stephani, if I keep bugging you to write more. *grins*
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
Raider is one of the original five shifters who started Assassin's Loyalty out of an old hotel in the seedier area of Flint. Each of the five had been slaves, trained to be assassins, and once they'd worked out their contracts they decided to start their own business. When Raider first meets Conner he's being held in a dog crate by a nasty weasel who runs human slaves. Conner is a koala (ohmigosh… squee) and he's had a rough go of it lately. Conner's parents disappeared two years ago after his older brother sold them and Conner out to slavers. Conner got away but his parents were skinned alive and his friend Calvin was taken. Now he just got caught taking photos of a slaver’s den which is how he ended up in the weasel's hands.
Conner is a photographer, kind of a no-no in the shifter world, but he believes it's his duty to show people the reality of the shifters who prey on their own kind. Being a koala (allergic to bamboo - adorable) means Conner isn't very big, so when Raider takes him back to assassin headquarters filled with nothing but predators, Conner is pretty sure he's going to get eaten. Instead, the other four leaders accept that he belongs to Raider and even offer to train him in self-defense. Huh. Who'd-a-thunk-it?
Oh Shane, it's been far too long since I've seen you! I have missed your bad attitude, dude. Shane comes to the assassin hotel at the request of Raider - although Max, another leopard and Shane have some strong feelings, i.e. hatred, toward one another - so Raider and his guys can find out what the gossip on the streets is about Conner. Conner tells them the story and it turns out he took some very incriminating photos of members of human government being involved in the shifter slave trade. His older brother seems to still be involved, too. Oh boy.
An awesome, exciting, sweet, and sexy beginning to a new series. I'm going to be keeping my eyes peeled for more of these as there are plenty of incredible Loyalty members and I think they all deserve mates. Don't mind me, Stephani, if I keep bugging you to write more. *grins*
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
October 23, 2016
Back to Flint!
This book is set on the same world as both Wayne County Wolves and the Lost Shifters so there will be cross overs on characters as well as facts that are established for readers of the other series. The story opens with Raider, one of 5 assassin leaders that have formed a collective of assassins, to solve problems in the Shifter World. The book follows Raider until he encounters Conner. After Conner is introduced the book shifts between Conner and Raider's viewpoints for the remainder of the book. The story is fast paced and moves along at a good pace.
For the readers of the Lost Shifters. SHANE is BACK!
This book is set on the same world as both Wayne County Wolves and the Lost Shifters so there will be cross overs on characters as well as facts that are established for readers of the other series. The story opens with Raider, one of 5 assassin leaders that have formed a collective of assassins, to solve problems in the Shifter World. The book follows Raider until he encounters Conner. After Conner is introduced the book shifts between Conner and Raider's viewpoints for the remainder of the book. The story is fast paced and moves along at a good pace.
For the readers of the Lost Shifters. SHANE is BACK!
November 30, 2016
3.5
I like the idea of an Assassins series but this first book kind of spent more time setting everything up than on the couple. The conflict was also from an outside source not from within their relationship which is unfortunately not a favorite technique of mine.
overall ok .I'll read the others when they are released and hopefully we can focus on the mated pair more.
I like the idea of an Assassins series but this first book kind of spent more time setting everything up than on the couple. The conflict was also from an outside source not from within their relationship which is unfortunately not a favorite technique of mine.
overall ok .I'll read the others when they are released and hopefully we can focus on the mated pair more.
April 13, 2021
This review is for all of the Lost Shifters, Wayne County Wolves, and Assassin's Loyalty books since they are all interconnected and I read them back-to-back pretty much nonstop over a 10 day period. If I have anything to say about a particular book I'll add it under this bulk review. First, I'd like to mention these are more like novellas than books but they have the same underlying theme and pretty much continue where the last left off but with a different couple.
Everything starts out with the Lost Shifters. To summarize there was a war between the feline shifters and the raven shifters. 20 years or so before the first book there was an all out slaughter in which hundreds of feline homes were attacked and burned down all of the occupants believed to be killed. Turns out that the babies and toddlers that were assumed lost were not. They were hidden within the human foster care system for the most part. I won't say how because that'd be a big spoiler. In addition to foster care some kids were sold into slavery and that's where the whole assassin thing comes in. A couple of the main characters marry into the wolf pack so that's where those books come in as well.
Pros: Since the books are so short there are no long drawn out boring details or general angst. There's usually only one sex scene although it's normally long as hell. Which makes the fact some people shelved these as erotica confusing. I liked the world building and even though there were times I think a little more info might have been nice it never detracted from the story or left me confused. Most of the relationships were a sort of love at first sight thing. Or maybe lust or obsession? Despite this the shifters all seem adamant that's not a thing that happens. There wasn't one character I didn't like. My favorite character was Shane and he must have been the author's as well since he got a few extra books and a side series Shane's Chronicles. There's no big end battle or anything but the last book Baily's 9th Life does pretty much tie things up nicely. I think if I'd been reading the series when they were released I'd be a bit miffed because that book didn't come out until a few years later if you weren't reading the assassins books. Also, these books all have some really funny moments and/or dialog.
Cons: The last several books didn't appear to have been edited at all. If if wasn't for the fact that I was so invested in the overall story arc I would have quit reading them. Things like sent instead of scent and too instead of to they instead of them and random wrong words completely. There were also a couple of times that things were said/thought almost verbatim in different parts of a book as if the author forgot she'd already put that info in there already. At the start of the series, they state that all feline shifters are bisexual but at some point the author must have forgotten that detail because suddenly there are gay shifters and homophobia and all this hate. Which brings me to my next con, the themes of the different books started to repeat. Suddenly all these shifters had been thrown out of their previous pack or coalition or human home for being gay. And throughout this huge series of books there was only one straight couple. Like not even a straight friend or whatever. Even the females were all lesbians. It was just kinda unrealistic especially with the whole gay hate thing going on. Usually there's at least a few couples or friends or something on the periphery in gay romances especially in a world this huge. Which brings me to my final con, I had a hard time remembering who was who and what there story was after awhile especially if they weren't mentioned much in previous books. I wish there had been some sort of glossary to review.
Despite the cons, I would still recommend these books. All-in-all I really enjoyed them and was dreading the end although the editing in the last few books really had me also looking forward to the end if I'm being honest.
Everything starts out with the Lost Shifters. To summarize there was a war between the feline shifters and the raven shifters. 20 years or so before the first book there was an all out slaughter in which hundreds of feline homes were attacked and burned down all of the occupants believed to be killed. Turns out that the babies and toddlers that were assumed lost were not. They were hidden within the human foster care system for the most part. I won't say how because that'd be a big spoiler. In addition to foster care some kids were sold into slavery and that's where the whole assassin thing comes in. A couple of the main characters marry into the wolf pack so that's where those books come in as well.
Pros: Since the books are so short there are no long drawn out boring details or general angst. There's usually only one sex scene although it's normally long as hell. Which makes the fact some people shelved these as erotica confusing. I liked the world building and even though there were times I think a little more info might have been nice it never detracted from the story or left me confused. Most of the relationships were a sort of love at first sight thing. Or maybe lust or obsession? Despite this the shifters all seem adamant that's not a thing that happens. There wasn't one character I didn't like. My favorite character was Shane and he must have been the author's as well since he got a few extra books and a side series Shane's Chronicles. There's no big end battle or anything but the last book Baily's 9th Life does pretty much tie things up nicely. I think if I'd been reading the series when they were released I'd be a bit miffed because that book didn't come out until a few years later if you weren't reading the assassins books. Also, these books all have some really funny moments and/or dialog.
Cons: The last several books didn't appear to have been edited at all. If if wasn't for the fact that I was so invested in the overall story arc I would have quit reading them. Things like sent instead of scent and too instead of to they instead of them and random wrong words completely. There were also a couple of times that things were said/thought almost verbatim in different parts of a book as if the author forgot she'd already put that info in there already. At the start of the series, they state that all feline shifters are bisexual but at some point the author must have forgotten that detail because suddenly there are gay shifters and homophobia and all this hate. Which brings me to my next con, the themes of the different books started to repeat. Suddenly all these shifters had been thrown out of their previous pack or coalition or human home for being gay. And throughout this huge series of books there was only one straight couple. Like not even a straight friend or whatever. Even the females were all lesbians. It was just kinda unrealistic especially with the whole gay hate thing going on. Usually there's at least a few couples or friends or something on the periphery in gay romances especially in a world this huge. Which brings me to my final con, I had a hard time remembering who was who and what there story was after awhile especially if they weren't mentioned much in previous books. I wish there had been some sort of glossary to review.
Despite the cons, I would still recommend these books. All-in-all I really enjoyed them and was dreading the end although the editing in the last few books really had me also looking forward to the end if I'm being honest.
December 13, 2019
Well, no recuerdo porqué no actualicé mi lectura de este libro antes. Si bien no lo había terminado, hace rato ya lo había empezado.
Básicamente se trata de Connor, un shifter koala que no cambia porque no quiere, y Raider, líder de una banda de asesinos con moral.
Muy al final del libro nos volvemos a encontrar con la coalisión felina, entre otros sucesos.
La verdad, ni me va ni me viene.
Estuvo interesante: más o menos
Necesario para la trama: no sé si tanto.
Básicamente se trata de Connor, un shifter koala que no cambia porque no quiere, y Raider, líder de una banda de asesinos con moral.
Muy al final del libro nos volvemos a encontrar con la coalisión felina, entre otros sucesos.
La verdad, ni me va ni me viene.
Estuvo interesante: más o menos
Necesario para la trama: no sé si tanto.
November 1, 2017
This is not a stand alone book to have full understanding of the Lost Shifters . We meet the match for Assassin tiger shifter that falls his exact opposite. This was wonderful journey of Raider & Connor. Must read
October 7, 2018
I did not read the other series that this one spins off of, but I still enjoyed it. There were clearly stories/people I should know, but unlike in some other spin off series I’ve read, I felt like I got on in the story alright. I will be reading book 2 next.
September 14, 2017
An ok start on a new series.
I'll probably give the coming books a chance.
I'll probably give the coming books a chance.
November 3, 2017
Not that into it
January 27, 2019
Good start to this series.
March 5, 2017
If you enjoy this author then this book is a good read. Very typical writing of the the author's. I quite enjoyed this expansion to the "Lost Shifters" Series. The assassins are badass but have a sweet side.
January 13, 2024
1.5 stars
This was not up to Hecht’s normal meh standards. While not the greatest books ever, the plot usually has some tension. But here there was none. There was no sexual tension, either. There was like a sentence of angst about whether they deserved each other and then a little angst about the angst.
The writing wasn’t very good. (Neither is this review but I’m not asking anyone to pay me for it.) The book was very repetitious. In the first ten pages, we are told three times that one of the the main characters had once been a slave too. As is standard in the author’s books, there are grammar issues and malapropisms like “infliction” when meaning “affliction.”
There were also sentences that didn’t follow logical progressions. Like someone says something along the lines of “what are you doing here? Isn’t this above your [pay] grade?” not at all sarcastically and the response was basically, “yeah, I’m being punished.” Huh? Doesn’t she mean “below”?
Why would someone who has to be stealthy with lightning reactions wear a cloak? I’ve pointed this out in her previous novels. It’s so dumb. It would just get in the way and be something for the opponent to grab onto. I’d hoped it was only Shane but alas, no. I the prologue, Hecht says that of course Shane shows up in the book. Exactly. Of course he does. I’ve never met an author more in love with one of her characters in my life. I personally can’t stand him.
For once there’s a female who’s physically capable and is an assassin too. Although there are still just men in the top hierarchy. This was made really apparent when at one point it was said the group present was the leaders of the assassins, Connor and the woman. The glass ceiling is there even in allegedly egalitarian books.
The author’s blurb was funny, “Not only is now beginning to self publish.” No kidding. That’s verbatim. You can still have an editor when publishing your own work.
I have zero intention of reading the next one.
This was not up to Hecht’s normal meh standards. While not the greatest books ever, the plot usually has some tension. But here there was none. There was no sexual tension, either. There was like a sentence of angst about whether they deserved each other and then a little angst about the angst.
The writing wasn’t very good. (Neither is this review but I’m not asking anyone to pay me for it.) The book was very repetitious. In the first ten pages, we are told three times that one of the the main characters had once been a slave too. As is standard in the author’s books, there are grammar issues and malapropisms like “infliction” when meaning “affliction.”
There were also sentences that didn’t follow logical progressions. Like someone says something along the lines of “what are you doing here? Isn’t this above your [pay] grade?” not at all sarcastically and the response was basically, “yeah, I’m being punished.” Huh? Doesn’t she mean “below”?
Why would someone who has to be stealthy with lightning reactions wear a cloak? I’ve pointed this out in her previous novels. It’s so dumb. It would just get in the way and be something for the opponent to grab onto. I’d hoped it was only Shane but alas, no. I the prologue, Hecht says that of course Shane shows up in the book. Exactly. Of course he does. I’ve never met an author more in love with one of her characters in my life. I personally can’t stand him.
For once there’s a female who’s physically capable and is an assassin too. Although there are still just men in the top hierarchy. This was made really apparent when at one point it was said the group present was the leaders of the assassins, Connor and the woman. The glass ceiling is there even in allegedly egalitarian books.
The author’s blurb was funny, “Not only is now beginning to self publish.” No kidding. That’s verbatim. You can still have an editor when publishing your own work.
I have zero intention of reading the next one.
November 16, 2016
Welcome to the newest edition of the Lost Shifters Universe...
Strickly speaking, all assassins calling all assassins to get your mate, right here...
Ha I'm hilarious I know..On to business. I can't help but feel like these may be rinse repeat versions of Shane. Raider is of course NOT a leopard so not.. just not. Toby and Max can come closest. What struck me with Raider is that he really doesn't seem like an assassin. I mean, yeah he can kill and all that but mentally its like he comes across as not really liking what he does, making it feel like if he had another choice he'd do that instead.
Connor... not quite sure how to feel about him. Smart, cute, sweet(?).. lurking behind this facade is someone able to feel no guilt in ending his perpetrator in the form of family! That takes some guts!
Strickly speaking, all assassins calling all assassins to get your mate, right here...
Ha I'm hilarious I know..On to business. I can't help but feel like these may be rinse repeat versions of Shane. Raider is of course NOT a leopard so not.. just not. Toby and Max can come closest. What struck me with Raider is that he really doesn't seem like an assassin. I mean, yeah he can kill and all that but mentally its like he comes across as not really liking what he does, making it feel like if he had another choice he'd do that instead.
Connor... not quite sure how to feel about him. Smart, cute, sweet(?).. lurking behind this facade is someone able to feel no guilt in ending his perpetrator in the form of family! That takes some guts!
October 24, 2016
Good story lost in poor editing
I was excited to hear that a new shifter story was out. I enjoy Stephani Hecht's books, but lately they have suffered from a lack of editing and/or proofreading. Words are left out if completely wrong words are used, for example, infliction when she means affliction. The two are not interchangeable. If professional editing is too expensive, then a good team of beta readers would catch 90% of the errors.
I was excited to hear that a new shifter story was out. I enjoy Stephani Hecht's books, but lately they have suffered from a lack of editing and/or proofreading. Words are left out if completely wrong words are used, for example, infliction when she means affliction. The two are not interchangeable. If professional editing is too expensive, then a good team of beta readers would catch 90% of the errors.
Read
December 23, 2016DNF @ 15%
I just can't ... I could prob get over the whole Koalas being cute and cuddly because they are, even if I could forget about them being prey .... but google is a fucking wonderful thing, use it!!!!
May read it later, when book 2 comes out if I need to tho I'm not sure, I just can't seem to get passed Conner .....
I just can't ... I could prob get over the whole Koalas being cute and cuddly because they are, even if I could forget about them being prey .... but google is a fucking wonderful thing, use it!!!!
May read it later, when book 2 comes out if I need to tho I'm not sure, I just can't seem to get passed Conner .....
November 7, 2016
More shifters/assasins
Loved this new series! This is set in the same world as the Lost Shifters and we even see some of them in this book. Raider and Conner are perfect for each other and there is plenty of action.
Loved this new series! This is set in the same world as the Lost Shifters and we even see some of them in this book. Raider and Conner are perfect for each other and there is plenty of action.
November 15, 2016
Really great
I have enjoyed reading all her previous books and this one is no exception. I loved raider and his koala mate. There is humor, dramatic actions and a bunch of love in this story. You won't be disappointed.
I have enjoyed reading all her previous books and this one is no exception. I loved raider and his koala mate. There is humor, dramatic actions and a bunch of love in this story. You won't be disappointed.
December 2, 2016
I like Stephani Hechts books ... but I hate that all of them are novellas. there is so much more potential there.
this one is the same. it is placed in the Lost Shifter universe and has good character building. would have loved to see more of them
this one is the same. it is placed in the Lost Shifter universe and has good character building. would have loved to see more of them
January 20, 2017
Way too much telling how the characters thought and acted instead of showing.
November 7, 2016
1.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews