Native Shifter

by Cindy Borgne

In the 1770's, Leotie waits for the day that Keme will ask her to be his life-bond. If only he didn't believe he's a coward. His father wants him to be a warrior, but he hates it. So what if he secretly trains to be a healer? He's so much more interesting than the other young men.

Then one day, outlanders come and give her people an ultimatum - to leave their home or die. Soon her tribe is going to war with an unpredictable enemy. Leotie wasn't born to stay home and string beads. She's a hunter and a warrior who gets a chance to defend her people. She goes out into the battle, but doesn't make it back. At least, not as a human. Leotie comes back to life as something quite different. Her tribe calls them skin walkers. The outlanders call them werewolves. She fears what Keme will think of her now. Someone did this to her, but who?

Native Shifter will take you into the past for a fast-paced romantic escape.

Genres: Historical Fiction

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2016

About the author

I tend to have an overactive imagination and the only way to unload is to start writing. My dreams are very vivid and I remember many of them. I love to keep learning and enjoy research, history and science. When it comes to reading, I’m always looking for a unique premise and I strive for the same thing in my books. Currently, my focus is paranormal fiction set in the past involving strong women characters, adventure and romance.

https://cybookz.blogspot.com/

Reviews

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across Cindy Borgne, the author of Native Shifter, requesting reviews on Goodreads. I rarely review paranormal romances. Yet authors that are new to me who are doing unusual twists on a familiar theme can attract my interest. I received a digital ARC from the author in return for this review.

I appreciate that Borgne invented a Native American people called the Mahasi who are enemies of the neighboring Iroquois. This implies that they are a Northeast Woodland people. My favorite fantasy author Charles De Lint has also created a fictional Native people in order to avoid writing inauthentically about a particular real Native American culture.

I feel that this book is potentially alternate history because if you project the impact of the spread of Native shifters, this factor alone could have radically changed North American history.

For my complete review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...

[Timothy Skilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting read from an author that is new to me. I liked it a lot, even though there were a few editing errors of the kind that I hate, the kind that jump out and slap you in the face. These are too obvious and shouldn't have been missed, and they always take me out of the story. The good news is that there were only a few of them, so it was bearable and I got right back into the tale. Now to the parts I liked. This story was different than most of what I read, even though the shifters are rather classic in abilities. The storyline kept me guessing and engaged, the characters were very relatable and the setting was terrific. I liked the style too; it felt almost as if it was a historic legend being related as a part of an oral history. I could picture the narrator surrounded by a rapt audience hanging on his or her every word. I'll certainly be looking at the sequels with great interest if they are as good as this one.

[Terry L Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure at first, but very quickly I came to enjoy and then love this book. The author treats Native Americans very well and with a good understanding of native life in the 1770's. She also brings to life the complete loyalty that mate-couples work for, a lifetime commitment. I would recommend "Native Shifter" to anyone who is interested in historical fiction and romance.

[Jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Written well. I liked the storyline and the characters were believable. I recommend this for YA to Adult. It is historically correct but not so graphic in the details given of the violence.

[kattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Native Shifter

I loved story story, I recommend everyone to read this book. I look forward to reading more of her books Kattie.

[Barb VanderWel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded Native Shifter, book 1 of the Freedom Shifters series, as a free ebook from Amazon. An interesting story with some imaginative tweaks on the usual shifter tropes.

[Dorothea L Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Native Shifter

This is a book about native American Shifters / skin walkers ,if you have heard of them, or believe in them, this is a good book to read.

[Maryann Schuhlein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Free Life to Live.

Tasting freedom and loosing it leaves a yearning in your heart. Learning to adapt to a new freedom takes commitment and courage.

[Jaime Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF'd early on. couldn't get into it at all. maybe just nt in the mood for historical fiction, I don't know.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book. The story will draw you in and you won't be able to put down the book. I recommend reading the prequel first and then the books in order. The author, Cindy Borgne, did an excellent job on this series.

[Wendy O'connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Native Shifter is Cindy Borgne’s best novel. I enjoyed her Vallar series, and her shorter novelette TransShifter, but Native Shifter brought it all together for me. Not only does Native Shifter have a great protagonist with complete three-dimensional characterization worth rooting for; it has a concise plot structure building to a climatic ending with small fiery details in-between.

The protagonist in the story, Leotie is a warrior at heart, who wants to do anything but string beads for her tribe. She is in love with a boy named Keme, her life-bond and someone who understands her dilemma, because he wants to be anything but what life has offered him. He wants to be a healer not a warrior.

Together they are perfectly matched; however, due to an increased war between the Natives and the white man they are pulled apart, and their dreams are seemingly shattered. As the plot progresses, and Borgne throws us obstacle after obstacle, death being the largest one; it seems these two are not going to be together.

Packed with interesting alternatives that lead to a twisted ending for them both, this story will keep you guessing right up until the last page. Despite continuous spell-binding plot, the pacing of this book moved like a roller coaster of small hills and a big climatic mountain at the end. The pacing would slow in the places it needed, allowing the reader to absorb the disappointments in the same way Leotie would respond to them.

You felt her sadness in a grand way and you experienced her strength with the difficult choices she had to make. She ended up being a warrior, not just because she could fight the battles outside of herself, but because she could also fight the ones inside of herself. Her inner conflicts and wins over them made her a stronger person in the end. I read Native Shifter in four days, and cannot wait to read the next book to see where Leotie’s journey will take her. Cindy Borgne’s book Native Shifter is a must read for those of us who like great characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing.

[Cherylanne Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite stories are those that reinvent the familiar! Without a doubt, Cindy Borgne does that with her werewolves in this story. Native Shifter was the perfect read to reintroduce me to paranormal romance. This is definitely one to try if you’ve been on a PNR hiatus.

Rich worldbuilding and a complex cast of characters grabbed my attention right from the start, and kept me captivated throughout the entire journey. The fast-paced plot is full of twists that kept me guessing page after page. This is ‘one of those books’ you can’t put down until you know what happens next, and next, and next, and the story stays with you long after “The End” – another hallmark of my most favorite reads.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

White settlers try to wipe out a tribe of Native Americans around the time of the American Revolution, but a select few who are killed are turned into "shifters" or shapeshifters who start out as wolves and then werewolves before discovering they can turn to other forms--even human. But mastering their abilities is difficult and even that might not be enough to save their tribe.

An exciting, well-written paranormal story that turns the traditional werewolf narrative on its head.