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A Shift Toward Prey
There’s a war brewing in the shadowed lands of the Fringe, a conflict that will match Shifter claws against Vampire fangs for the first time in two centuries. And it seems as if those with the power to stop it are only making things worse.
For too long, Chiari Jhahn has been forced to watch her elder sister’s savage regime destroy the very heart of the Shifter Realm. And now it seems as if her sister, Huntress Reyhani, is hell-bent on starting a war with their long-time enemies, the Vampires of the Everdark. After a disastrous confrontation leaves a prominent leader dead and the peace negotiations stalled, Chiari feels she has no choice but to start a revolution—it’s either that, or watch her people become nothing more than prey for a much stronger predator. Chiari must use every ounce of her intellect and cunning to build a rebellion that will topple her sister from power. But when her friends prove to be worse than her enemies, Chiari finds herself drawn into an intricate web of political intrigue and personal betrayal that could end up igniting the war she'd hoped to stop.
Meanwhile, Matthias Corvas, a human from the Shadow Lands, is hosting an important visitor: a prince of the Solandian Empire. Normally, diplomatic envoys represent the possibility of alliances and trade deals. But the prince of Solandia has a warning for Matthias—his emperor would rather conquer than talk of peace. Knowing his people have no chance against an army ten times the size of their whole population, Matthias must race to find allies in a world where none seem to exist. His only hope is to seek help from the fabled lands of the Fringe—after all, an alliance with blood-sucking predators is better than no alliance at all. But when his search for allies lands him smack in the middle of the Shifters' war with the Vampires, Matthias discovers that his peoples' troubles are just a small facet of the building firestorm that could tear the whole world asunder.
For Chiari and Matthias to succeed, they must uncover a conspiracy of continental proportions and root out the war-mongers who are threatening to destroy the fragile peace between the realms. But Vampires aren’t the only monsters in the dark---and they’re not the only predators out for blood. Their shared dream of peaceful coexistence may be nothing more than a naïve fantasy. When political ambition is matched against predatory instinct, the phrase “coming back to bite you” takes on a whole new meaning.
For too long, Chiari Jhahn has been forced to watch her elder sister’s savage regime destroy the very heart of the Shifter Realm. And now it seems as if her sister, Huntress Reyhani, is hell-bent on starting a war with their long-time enemies, the Vampires of the Everdark. After a disastrous confrontation leaves a prominent leader dead and the peace negotiations stalled, Chiari feels she has no choice but to start a revolution—it’s either that, or watch her people become nothing more than prey for a much stronger predator. Chiari must use every ounce of her intellect and cunning to build a rebellion that will topple her sister from power. But when her friends prove to be worse than her enemies, Chiari finds herself drawn into an intricate web of political intrigue and personal betrayal that could end up igniting the war she'd hoped to stop.
Meanwhile, Matthias Corvas, a human from the Shadow Lands, is hosting an important visitor: a prince of the Solandian Empire. Normally, diplomatic envoys represent the possibility of alliances and trade deals. But the prince of Solandia has a warning for Matthias—his emperor would rather conquer than talk of peace. Knowing his people have no chance against an army ten times the size of their whole population, Matthias must race to find allies in a world where none seem to exist. His only hope is to seek help from the fabled lands of the Fringe—after all, an alliance with blood-sucking predators is better than no alliance at all. But when his search for allies lands him smack in the middle of the Shifters' war with the Vampires, Matthias discovers that his peoples' troubles are just a small facet of the building firestorm that could tear the whole world asunder.
For Chiari and Matthias to succeed, they must uncover a conspiracy of continental proportions and root out the war-mongers who are threatening to destroy the fragile peace between the realms. But Vampires aren’t the only monsters in the dark---and they’re not the only predators out for blood. Their shared dream of peaceful coexistence may be nothing more than a naïve fantasy. When political ambition is matched against predatory instinct, the phrase “coming back to bite you” takes on a whole new meaning.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 15, 2017
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Allison
4 books7 followersNatalie Allison grew up in a house full of books. Her world—and her imagination—became infused with the wonder and mystery of places like Middle Earth, Narnia, Valdemar, and Pern. An early love of reading led to an early love of writing, and she wrote her very first novel at the tender age of eight. She's been building worlds with words ever since, and her stories have entertained readers from all over the globe. Now she lives with her adoring husband, a son who's a genius, and a dog who's determined to save the world from mushrooms, kittens, frogs, and other nefarious creatures.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 24, 2017
Every now and then I hear someone say that she is not a fan of “fantasy.” That always makes me chuckle, because I’m fairly certain that if asked, most of the people who say that would admit that the stories they most enjoyed (whether reading them or watching them in movie form) over the past years, will include a healthy number of stories with some element of fantasy/magic. (Examples include the Pirates of the Caribbean stories, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, and so on, and so on!) In truth, these are the stories that seem to capture the greatest audiences. So it is that A Shift Toward Prey should certainly find its place among readers. This Literary Classics award-winner, provides a new world, a cast of intriguing characters, some political nuances, a healthy dose of life lessons, and more!
Natalie Allison introduces readers to a world divided into two halves—one forever enjoying the light of the sun, inhabited (for the most part, anyway) by humans, and one never enjoying the sun’s light—inhabited by the Shifters—those who may change back and forth between their human and animal forms. With war about to erupt on both sides of the divide, the adventures begin. The human’s, looking for potential allies and acting on rumor, journey to the Everdark. Meanwhile, inhabitants of the Everdark prepare themselves for an invasion of a species that their legends warn may be incredibly dangerous. Caught up in the political machinations in the Everlight, is Matthias. His counterpart on the Everdark side, is Chiari. Each reaches for understanding of the world of the other, while being drawn into a series of dangerous and exhilarating adventures. Lovers of fantasy, take note. You’ll want to follow this series!
Natalie Allison introduces readers to a world divided into two halves—one forever enjoying the light of the sun, inhabited (for the most part, anyway) by humans, and one never enjoying the sun’s light—inhabited by the Shifters—those who may change back and forth between their human and animal forms. With war about to erupt on both sides of the divide, the adventures begin. The human’s, looking for potential allies and acting on rumor, journey to the Everdark. Meanwhile, inhabitants of the Everdark prepare themselves for an invasion of a species that their legends warn may be incredibly dangerous. Caught up in the political machinations in the Everlight, is Matthias. His counterpart on the Everdark side, is Chiari. Each reaches for understanding of the world of the other, while being drawn into a series of dangerous and exhilarating adventures. Lovers of fantasy, take note. You’ll want to follow this series!
June 26, 2017
A Shift Toward Prey, Chronicles of the Fringe, is an intense and highly charged story of two sis-ters who are shifters in the land of the Fringe. Chiari’s sister, Huntress Rehyani, is leader of the regime. She wields power with heavy-handed control to effectively force the other realms to do her bidding. But when Rehyani seems bent on ending a long-standing truce with the vampires of the Everdark, Chiari knows something must be done before her people are destroyed. Con-spiracy lurks within the depths of the driving forces behind the ensuing war and Chiari soon learns loyalty is a rare commodity. She will need to remain guarded to avoid betrayal. Nonethe-less she forces herself to take brave risks as she assembles a team of allies to lead a revolution and ultimately restore peace to her land.
Natalie Allison’s A Shift Toward Prey, is a dramatic work of fantasy fiction which captures read-ers from the very first highly-charged scene clear through to its resounding finish. With multi-faceted characters which nearly leap off the pages, and a protagonist who will have readers cheering for her success, this winning book is entirely enthralling and nearly impossible to put down. A Shift Toward Prey, is recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
Natalie Allison’s A Shift Toward Prey, is a dramatic work of fantasy fiction which captures read-ers from the very first highly-charged scene clear through to its resounding finish. With multi-faceted characters which nearly leap off the pages, and a protagonist who will have readers cheering for her success, this winning book is entirely enthralling and nearly impossible to put down. A Shift Toward Prey, is recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
January 14, 2018
Deep World, Complex Characters!
A Shift Toward Prey was an all-around great read with a captivating story, political intrigue and rebellion, and a good dose of sibling rivalry. My favorite parts were the complex and interesting characters, and the extensive worldbuilding. It's obvious that the author has put a lot of thought into the history of the Shifters, DosSangue and other races represented in this novel. The ending was very satisfying.
A Shift Toward Prey was an all-around great read with a captivating story, political intrigue and rebellion, and a good dose of sibling rivalry. My favorite parts were the complex and interesting characters, and the extensive worldbuilding. It's obvious that the author has put a lot of thought into the history of the Shifters, DosSangue and other races represented in this novel. The ending was very satisfying.
June 17, 2018
Great read!
This was a great (although long) story. I enjoyed the characters and the incredible plot twists along the way. Highly recommended
This was a great (although long) story. I enjoyed the characters and the incredible plot twists along the way. Highly recommended
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November 18, 2023DNF, just couldn't get into the story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews