Shifted

Siren Prophecy #1

by Tricia Barr, Jesse B. Booth, Joanna Reeder

Fans of Harry Potter and Twilight, get ready for a world unlike any other! Discover a secret school for shape shifters, a monarchy of vampires determined to exterminate them and take over the world, and a coalition of human hunters dedicated to protecting the world from both.

Rule #1: Never go out after dark.
Rule #2: Never go into large bodies of water.
Rule #3: Stay off of social media.

Myreen always knew her mom held some deep dark secret; the rules, the moving, the years of unanswered questions. But she didn’t think breaking one rule, just once, would lead to the death of her mother. And she never expected to find out that she was a mermaid shifter, or that her mother was killed by vampires.

Whisked away in the middle of the night for her own safety, Myreen finds herself in a secret school for shifters. But starting over in a new school in the middle of the year--even if it is for the millionth time--is never easy. With rumors swirling, mean girls circling, and two incredibly attractive guys tugging her in separate directions, Myreen just wants to get through the school year without having a meltdown in front of everyone.

She’s learning so much, but for every question answered, a new one bubbles up. Myreen will need to untangle the web of secrets surrounding her if she ever wants to find out why her mother was murdered. As she dives deeper into the mystery, she discovers a truth about herself that no one saw coming, and it will change the fate of the shifter world forever.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Vampires, Mermaids, Shapeshifters

566 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 8, 2019

About the author

By day, Tricia is a full time mom to two beautiful toddler girls and a wife/business partner to a handsome hard-working husband. By night--and nap times--she writes unique and thrilling young adult fantasies inspired by her vivid, somewhat creepy dreams and her own adventures around the world.

Sign up for her Email List and be automatically notified about new releases: http://www.tricia-barr.com/

List of Tricia's books:

THE BOUND ONES:
Ignite (Book 1)
Submerge (Book 2)
Unearth (Book 3)
Haunt (Standalone)

THE AMARANT:
The Vampire Secret (Book 1)
The Vampire Unleashed (Coming soon)

Steamy Adult Paranormal Romance Standalones:
Devilish

Reviews

[Angel Leya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly, I'm biased, but to be fair, I didn't write the whole thing. ;)

I'm so super excited for everyone to dive into this adventure! We've had so much fun creating this world, where different shifters (mermaids, dragons, and werebears, to name just a few) are pitted against vampires. And a secret society of human hunters are determined to eradicate both sides.

It's been so fun writing Kenzie, as well, and I'm super excited about continuing her story. And I'm super thrilled to be working with all the incredible writers committed to the Shifter Academy world.

The book is on preorder until January 8th, 2019, and we have all sorts of giveaways for those willing to buy before the release date. You can check everything out at http://theShifterAcademy.com.

And feel free to shoot me any questions you have about the series. I love talking about this stuff. :D

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's super weird that I just found a book that I read in July with an RTC right? Ugh, I don't even want to think about all the other unloved RTC's I've forgotten about. Well, here we go!

Shifted, from what I can remember, was a pretty interesting book. I think I listened to the audio.. but I honestly have no idea. In it, you will meet Myreen. Interesting name for a semi boring girl. She was living a normal life until the day she wasn't - which of course was after a rather sudden tragedy. After finding out that she is a shifter, she gets whisked off to a unique school.

This book delivered the drama that I didn't really need or want. Yeah, Myreen is having a difficult time adapting to this new life.. and yeah, vampires are still out to get her BUT I was just bored of the whole thing. Maybe it's because I've read or listened to so many books with this exact, or somewhat similar, storyline. This book probably would've been a lot better if I had actually liked the MC.. but I really didn't.

Overall, no idea if I will ever dive into the rest of this series. Definitely marked them for TBR.. but I don't know when that will actually happen.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/2/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
Rule #1: Never go out after dark.
Rule #2: Never go into large bodies of water.
Rule #3: Stay off of social media.

Myreen always knew her mom held some deep dark secret; the rules, the moving, the years of unanswered questions. But she didn’t think breaking one rule, just once, would lead to the death of her mother. And she never expected to find out that she was a mermaid shifter, or that her mother was killed by vampires.

Whisked away in the middle of the night for her own safety, Myreen finds herself in a secret school for shifters. But starting over in a new school in the middle of the year--even if it is for the millionth time--is never easy. With rumors swirling, mean girls circling, and two incredibly attractive guys tugging her in separate directions, Myreen just wants to get through the school year without having a meltdown in front of everyone.

She’s learning so much, but for every question answered, a new one bubbles up. Myreen will need to untangle the web of secrets surrounding her if she ever wants to find out why her mother was murdered. As she dives deeper into the mystery, she discovers a truth about herself that no one saw coming, and it will change the fate of the shifter world forever.

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shifted by Shifter's academy authors is a well written book that covers the paranormal in a unique way. I enjoyed how she brought the shifters together the way she did, with the vampires as their enemy, which yes is not 100% unique. However, she took it a step further, which I can't tell since that would be a serious spoiler and I don't like to ruin a book for my fellow lovers of the paranormal. So do yourself a favor and go read it. This book started of with a huge bang that draws you in from the very first page! This book was quite the page turner and I had a difficult time putting it down. It was narrated from the perspective of various characters which was kind of interesting. There are a lot of interesting characters, which brings me back to the uniqueness, the author has characters like the phoenix, gryphon or naga, some you really hardly ever read about, and I LOVE that they are in this book!

The plot is well developed and makes sense. It follows a great pace that never drags out nor does the author rush you through the story. There is always something happening, good or bad, which is the main reason why this book is difficult to put down. It's always like "just one more page to get through this" and next thing you know you are done, wishing you had the next book. And that gets me to my biggest complaint, I want the second book, yes I know that is very demanding, BUT the author did pretty much explode a bomb on the reader and I need to know what damage occurred!!!!

Myreen is a great character. You really can't help but like her. She struggles with what is thrown at her, but she somehow manages, mostly because of how she was raised and she stays true to who she is, and somehow manages to make a couple of friends. Kenzie, who sadly can't follow her to the school but who still helps, even though not as much as one would want. Juliet however, those two really help each other a lot and really feed of each other when things don't go as they should.

Kol, well he is interesting and I am curious to see how that one will work for more reasons than I can write here. I do really like him and I think he would fit well with Myreen but there is his family issue, or should I say issues I also like Nik a lot and there are a few others I am actually quite a fan of. This book actually has a lot of great characters which is rare I find. It is usually just a couple but this book has quite a few. It is also not lacking more than just one or two "bad" characters, meaning the "enemy".

This book is definitively worth the read and I will snatch up the next one as soon as it comes out to see what will happen to Myreen and her friends!

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars for me. I'm not sure where exactly to start on this book... This book has one of the oddest multiple POV switches that I've seen in a paranormal romance fantasy. I have only read POV's like this once before where each POV isn't necessarily a continuation of the story just in a different person's pov but like a "cut" from one scene to the next. Like a drama or a soap opera. Each persons POV was their own story, and could almost stand alone except that towards the end everything started to come together.. well almost everything. There are still a lot of unanswered questions here at the end. Really what we end up with is Multiple main characters both female and males. And that leads me to the problem I had with the series. All these MCs and in all honesty I wasn't a big fan of any of them.. Especially our prophesied "Siren" who for the entire story who seemed like one of the weakest FMC's ever. Like a real dud.. The romantic interests.. fell super flat only one of the couples even had chemistry and we barely got into their POVs really.

Plot wise this series has a decent plot.. I mean the story made sense for the most part. There is a huge lack of backstory and world building in general but there was enough explanations to allow us to picture the scenes. We have the wham, bam, thank you, ma'am introduction to the supernatural world, and then all the expectations of something spectacular and then the falling short... I think all in all the end of the book picked up alot plot wise and we got a mass of reveals all at once really setting up for book 2. For the most part though book 1 really drug when it comes to plot movement.

Honestly I just don't think this series is for me..

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Myreen has been living a sheltered life under strict rules laid out by her mother. When her mother is killed by vampires one night, Myreen learns that she is a shifter and is whisked off to a special school. While she tries to learn her place in this new shifter world and gain control of whatever powers she might have, she faces discrimination from the other students. Later it becomes clear that the vampires aren't done with her either.

Yeah, mixed thoughts about this one. I think it took too long to get to the meat of things in the plot. Nearly all the MCs know Myreen's importance to the story, except her, and it takes forever for the plot to move toward the reveal. Also, the multiple POVs threw me for a while, especially since a few of them didn't surface until the book was well underway. I did like it when their stories began to intersect in more interesting ways besides the teenage crush, and I think they gave hints as to what might happen in the future. As of now, I have a general interest in some of the supporting characters but Myreen doesn't interest me as much. I'm not sure if I will continue the series. I might give it one more book to hook me properly.

[Judy Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

GREAT BEGINNING TO A FABULOUS NEW SERIES!!!
Title: Shifted (Siren Prophecy Book 1)
Series: Shifter Academy
Author: Tricia Barr, Joanna Reeder, Angel Leya, Jesse Booth, Alessandra Jay
Designation: Book 1 of Series, Full-Length Novel, NOT A Standalone, Cliffhanger Ahead #urbanfantasy #paranormal #supernatural #mystery #suspense #action #sweetcomingofageromance #shifters #mermaids #teen #youngadult
My Rating: Four Captivating Stars****

I may be almost 70 years young, but I still occasionally enjoy reading young adult fantasy and always on the lookout for new, imaginative stories. I saw a promotion for this series in one of my newsletters and decided to check it out. The artwork for the cover was gorgeous and immediately caught my eye, but the real gotcha moment came when I read the blurb. I was immediately intrigued and decided to give it a whirl. I'll admit this was my first time reading the work of Tricia Barr or any of the authors listed as contributors for this book and had no idea what to expect - but best decision ever! There were so many things I adored about this book. The concept was intriguing, the world building was extraordinary, the storyline was creative, the characters were engaging, the writing was solid, the dialogue was well executed and flowed naturally, and the book, overall, was well crafted. I was impressed by the detailed world-building and vivid descriptions, which quickly immersed me in the story. The third person narrative was well written with multiple perspectives, and there were quite a few. It wasn't a traditional omniscient with an all-knowing, 'god-like' narrator who knows and narrates the thoughts of every character, but it still included the point of view for many of the primary characters, and all were clearly defined by chapter. This variation helps to avoid confusion for the reader and makes it so much easier to keep up with who is thinking what. There were a few minor typos and mistakes missed in the final edit/proofread but nothing major and certainly nothing that distracted me from the story. Although I loved Shifted, I was torn about the rating, thus the four stars rather than five. In my humble opinion, the book did have a few areas that needed work. I felt the pacing was off, what I call unbalanced, sluggish in some places and too fast in others, adversely affecting the overall flow of the story. The beginning and first few chapters were good, but soon after the plot progression slowed to a crawl. Admittedly, this is fairly common in the first book of a new series where an author is trying to set up the world, plot, conflict, characters and their dynamic within the story. And if not done skillfully, trying to absorb so many details and necessary information can feel tedious and sometimes boring for a reader. The story does have several adult characters but primarily features teenage heroes and heroines, so I feel safe in assuming it was written primarily for teenage/young adult audiences. But if an author isn't careful, they can quickly lose the attention of readers, especially adolescents with boundless energy accustomed to technology and instant gratification. Thankfully, the pace picked back up in the final 30% of the book but moved at lightspeed in the final 5%. There was a lot of information thrown at the reader in the last few chapters, which unfortunately made the ending feel rushed. I was also a little disappointed in the growth of several of the primary characters. I understand this is a teen/young adult book, but I still felt the characters were somewhat immature for their age. I constantly hear people say how kids are so much more mature now than they were years ago, but I disagree. In my grandmother's day, it was not unusual for a man and woman to be married with children by fifteen or sixteen, the same age as many of the characters in this story. Possibly a more accurate statement would be that kids now are more worldly, more educated, and certainly have access to more information, but that doesn't necessarily make them more mature. Nonetheless, I still felt that several of the primary teenage characters lacked depth and maturity for their age and needed more character development within the first book. Hopefully, we'll see more personal growth as the series continues. Most stories are either plot driven or character driven but surprisingly, Shifted appeared to be both with an extremely large, diverse cast of players and an extremely intricate and complex plot, and each element seemed integral to the progression of the story. It reminded me of a chess game with a board of constantly moving pieces, all trying to protect the queen, but one wrong move could result in the loss of everything. Some of the main characters may have been teenagers, but their age made little difference in this fight between good and evil. With the future of Shifter Academy at stake, as well as the fate of the entire world, both human and supernatural, a brave few must face their fears, accept their destinies, and if they want to survive, learn to work together to untangle a convoluted web of secrets and defeat true evil. In Shifted, there were three couples: 1)newly discovered teenage mermaid shifter Myreen Fairchild and handsome, young, dragon shifter royal Kol Dracul, 2) struggling new phoenix shifter Juliet Quinn and phoenix shifter Nik Candida, 3)spirited teenage selkie Kenzie MacLugh who has a mysterious connection with long-suffering, much older vampire Leif Villers. Sixteen-year-old Myreen Lee Fairchild appears to be the central character of Shifted and plays an important role in the Siren Prophecy. Myreen was sweet, sensitive, and somewhat naive. She had no idea she was a mermaid shifter until the night her mother was suddenly murdered by vampires and then rescued by Oberon Rex, gryphon shifter and Director of Shifter Academy or 'The Dome', a school and safe haven for shifter children. For the first sixteen years of her life, Myreen led an extremely sheltered existence with very strict rules. She had no idea who her father was and had no family, other than her now deceased mom. She and her mother were always moving from place to place, never putting down roots. Myreen was never allowed to date, have any access to social media, and never ever allowed to go swimming or out after sundown. Needless to say, the knowledge of magic, vampires, and shifters came as a total shock. She found herself suddenly plunged into a strange new world of mythical creatures, unknown foes and, even worse, mean girls who wished her ill will. But never fear, the lovely, sweet Myreen made several faithful friends, ones willing to risk everything, including their lives, on her dangerous journey of discovery. Her first friend at Shifter Academy was teenage, royal dragon shifter Malkolm Torq Dracul, Kol to his friends, who also turns out to be one of her love interests in the story. And yes, I said interests, as in more than one. It appears two young men have the hots for the lovely dark-haired, blue-eyed Myreen. Accomplished mermaid shifter and seer Kendall Green showed an immediate interest in Myreen upon her arrival at Shifter Academy, much to Kol's dismay. lol... Kol could be a real neanderthal and I didn't like him, at all, until the last few chapters of the book. Sure he was hot, all alpha, and drop-dead gorgeous, but he was also aloof, entitled, conceited, at times indifferent, and not very friendly. Most of the time, I wanted to box his ears. However, he did have a few redeeming qualities. But it was so much fun watching Myreen put him in his place! You better believe Myreen was no one's doormat! lol... Poor Kol! There were a few times I felt kinda sorry for him. He tried so hard to fight his attraction for Myreen and for good reason - which I won't disclose. You'll just have to read the book! But we all know the heart wants what the heart wants. And Kol's heart definitely wanted Myreen! Sigh... So sweet! No spoilers from me but I will say this... A beautiful teenage girl, reeling from a heartbreaking loss, plunged into a dangerous world of vampires, shifters, and magic, only to discover she is so much more than she ever dreamed-check! A handsome teenage dragon shifter torn between duty and the possibility of love-check! A large cast of fascinating characters-check! A mysterious prophecy-check! A clique of mean girls out for blood-check! Mystery, suspense, danger, malevolent machinations, and heinous enemies-check! Drama, teenage angst, and sweet blossoming romance-you bet! That and a whole lot more!

So, did I like this book? Yes, very much! Will I read this author/authors again? Absolutely! As a matter of fact, I raced back to purchase Scorched, the second book of the Siren Prophecy. Would I recommend it? You bet, and I am for readers 12 to 112. It contains no explicit sex but does feature a sweet, blossoming romance between teenagers. I think there was one mild curse word but no frequent profanity. It does contain several scenes of graphic violence but they have been diluted for a younger audience. If you're a Bella Forrest fan, you'll most likely enjoy this book. This is a full-length novel, coming in at approximately 450 pages, but is NOT a standalone read and does end with a cliffhanger. And finally, was I entertained? Completely! I definitely got my money's worth! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read! I can hardly wait for Book 2!

[Mica · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was incredibly disappointing. I was so excited for it based on the cover, the synopsis, and of course MERMAIDS. I tried so hard to like it but the slow progression of action if you can really call anything in this book action made any interest I had flicker out pretty quickly. Not to mention the repetition. If I had to hear about about how Myreen wasn't a "real mermaid" one more time I might lose it. There wasn't a single redeemable quality or character that could have made me like this book. I tried so hard to finish it because I hate not finishing books even if they're terrible but after what felt like the millionth time reading about Myreen crying over bs or being called " not a real mermaid" I was obviously done. I hate that I read 80% of the book because it was 80% a waste of my time.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I loved learning about the different types of shifters and their war with the vampires. I loved the characters, especially Myreen and Juliet. I didn't care much for Kendall and his actions toward Myreen just seemed off to me. Especially, since she looked so much like Alessandra. I liked Kol and his friends better but he really needs to make his mind up about what he wants. Overall, I loved the book and just can't wait to read more from this series.

[Barbara Marie Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shifted: Siren Prophecy 1 (Shifter Academy)

Shifted: Siren Prophecy 1 (Shifter Academy) Absolutely loved 🥰 this book cant wait to start book 2 out.  I love the story lines and cant wait to see what is next!!! This book was hard to out down with the mixture of innocent and evil hard to put it down.  It keeps you on your toes and guessing the whole time! Definitely recommend this book 📕 / series 📚..

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book took me forever to finish. It was hard to really connect with any characters because it switched POVs so quickly. The story was told by about 6 (yes six) POVs. That was really my only issue. Otherwise, it was an interesting and fun read.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Cow

The story has many points of view which all greatly tie together. At first I didn’t like it, but the more I read the more the stories entertwined. Must read!

[Bel Smit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the basis for the storyline was good. A little different from the average shifter story. I really can't stand female characters that are portrayed as being stupid though, and there seemed to be a lot stupidity from these girls. The world building was decent though and I could get a sense of where the characters were and how they interacted with their surroundings. So you get some points back for that. Well done.

[Jocelyn Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book but now reading the blurb for dark shifter academy (same author) it seems to be the same book but different names ? And that series has more books? I’m very confused.

[Melanie.Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gifted and advance copy from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst I did enjoy this book, there were a few things that let it down for me.
The story was well written, the story well paced with just enough intrigue to keep you turning the page and the characters appearances very descriptive.
Now for the things I didn't like so much: the lack of communication between Myreen's mother and the teen, by refusing to give any reasoning behind the strict rules she had in place, she was just begging her daughter to rebel (trust me, I have two teenagers myself). The majority of characters were unlikable with the adults being domineering and intractable,and the younger characters portrayed as self absorbed bullies and racists (speciesist?). The biggest failing though was the the female main character and the way Myreen's mother's death was dealt with. It was pretty much glossed over and only brought up when Myreen was feeling a bit sorry for herself. Where was the grief over losing her mum? Yes we deal with grief in different ways but really, you're more worried about which boy you like more just a day or two after finding your mother on the floor drained of blood?

Despite the negatives, I will be reading the next book to see how the story progresses.

[Chelsie Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

I love that this book is an Academy book. This book is a fast-paced book that get straight to the point. I especially love how we get to see the point of you of different characters. I feel that this gives us a better understanding of all of the protagonist. I would recommend this book to anyone who like Fantasy, romance, and adventure. This book is perfect for people 15 years and older.

[Chanel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread hoewel het boek veel soorten POV heeft was het verhaal wel goed te volgen. Ik vond hem nu wat minder dan de eerste keer maar dat kan ook door mood komen..

Normaal ben ik niet zo van de zeemermin boeken. Maar deze vond ik leuk! Ik denk dat het vooral komt omdat er allemaal soorten shifters in de boeken zaten. Er was niet een mega focus op de zeemerminnen. Ook leuk dat er wat minder bekende soorten in zaten!

Ben erg benieuwd naar deel 2!

[Jess N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually a lot harder to get through than I thought it would be with all the good reviews.
A lot happens and we get a lot of different points of view, but sometimes it was too much for me. I'm sure it will all come together and make sense...later in the series.

[Rika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Firstly, I love the plot more than the characters. The sequence of events are nicely done, building up to the imminent war between vampires and shifters. The inclusion of a lone vampire allied to the shifters and his participation to spy into the vampire group led by Draven, includes the vampire's backstory. Selkies or magic users, described as untrustworthy by the shifters, makes me wonder what had happened before. Not to be left out, the last gryphon Oberon as the school's director after the horrible murders by the vampires. Would he really be the last avian shifter of that species or will there be a hope of more?

Secondly, I do not like Myreen or the Mer population in the school. She stands out as an angst teenager, with Kenzie and Juliet both persisting that Myreen is tough. Her life with her mother, pre-shifter lacks a lot too, what does Myreen do with the 'never go out after dark' rule? She could still be involved in other activities that finish before nightfall. Or due to the constant moving out by her mother, Myreen chooses not to commit to any activity, depriving herself of possible skills? Throughout the story, there is no mention of Myreen being weak physically or incapable herself to learn to protect herself. It is more like Myreen lives as instructed by her mother til sixteen. The only rebel was coloring the blue streak in her hair.

Thirdly, the cold calculative Kol. How many times have I facepalmed myself at his cringe worthy personality. Okay maybe he is calculative due to his father's problem and the family's curse but it shows how indecisive he is. The saving character for him is Nik, thank God for Nik. Brett is just a typical guy who succumbs to peer pressure by being a bit dumb.

All in all, this Book 1 in the Shifter Academy seems to promise more to come. With Myreen discovering her abilities, Oberon founding out that she may be a successful hybrid shifter, Kenzie getting warmer with the lost Grimoire and Draven, closing in with Kendall's information (good boy Kendall turned to vampires, likely spooked out by his apocalypse visions, I cannot blame him for choosing his survival when all looks lost), yes, much more has yet to come.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Myreen’s mom has moved her around from one place to another all her life. All her life Myreen had rules that she had to follow yeah her mom is very strict about the rules. She is not allowed to go out after dark, she has never been swimming as she is not allowed to go in the water, she is not allowed to have a social media account. Myreen has questioned her mother on more than one occasion about the rules but her mother has never given her any answers.

Myreen gets fed up with all the rules and wants to go out with friends one night. Her mother refuses to let her go but Myreen doesn’t listen and goes anyway. Upon her return she finds her mother dead, killed by vampires. A whole new world is opened up to Myreen now as she never knew that vampires existed.

The night her mother dies Myreen is quickly swept away to a whole new world of an underground or secret school where all shifters attend. At this school Myreen finds out some of the secrets her mother was keeping from her. Myreen is kind of use to changing schools and having to make new friends with her mother moving them around so much but that doesn’t make it any easier.

I just love this magical world of shifters, selkies and vampires as I love all paranormal creatures. I also love stories where the characters attend an academy that teaches them about their abilities and how to use them. I love shifted so much because it has all kinds of shifters plus vampires.

Shifted gets the adrenaline going from the first page. I didn’t want to put it down it had me from the first word. It is filled with lots of magic, secrets, love, mystery and suspense that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. I loved all the characters even the bad ones. There were lots of twists and turns and some big turns that I never expected and it floored me. I was like whoa, no way that did not just happen.

I can’t wait for the next book to see how it all plays out. Shifter Academy is going to be one great series that I can’t get enough of. Shifted is like Vampire Academy meets House of Night.

I highly recommend Shifter to anyone who likes mermaids, vampires, and shifters all in one. Pick up your copy today!

[Mary Brannian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Myreen: a teenager not allowed to have any social media, who is forced to move every couple of months, who can’t be out after dark, and absolutely NO SWIMMING! Myreen is stunned when she is approached by a man named Oberon, who claims Myreen is a mermaid. A MERMAID?? And not JUST a mermaid, but the Prophesized one: the mermaid destined to destroy Draven, the mega maniac vampire that’s threatening to kill all the shifters and turn the world to blood and ash. When Myreen returns home to confront her mother, a grisly discovery occurs: her mother is dead; murdered by vampires!
Frantic, terrified of meeting the same fate as her mother, Myreen turns to her only friend, Kenzie. But Kenzie has secrets of her own that she’s hiding, as she isn’t what she seems to be….
When Myreen agrees to accompany Oberon to his secret “school”, Myreen’s world is turned inside out. Myreen quickly learns that there’s more on earth (and under the water) than she had ever imagined. But all is not sweetness and light in her new life; Myreen is shunned by the other mers, and the only friend she can make is an outcast phoenix shifter, Juliette, who has no control over her fire powers.
When Myreen reaches out to Kenzie, Kenzie is thrilled to meet with Myreen to discuss all the changes going on in her life. But when Myreen attempts to bring Kenzie into the school, Kenzie is met with disdain and disgust, and promptly ejected from the site. Kenzie is NOT welcome at the school, not now, not ever…… because of what she is…
Myreen finds herself attracted to Kol, a dragon shifter that’s treated as royalty. Kol doesn’t want to like the friendless, awkward mermaid, but despite himself, he is drawn to her. It doesn’t help that Kol’s father commands Kol to “befriend” the mermaid; to get close to her. But Kol is his own man, and chafes under his father’s domination….
Undercurrents of evil and malice abound, swirling around and around Myreen and her companions; never sure when danger will strike, or in what form. Ultimate betrayal reveals more than anyone imagines, and Myreen finds herself in the epicenter.

Oh my! Riveting from the first! Grabbed my attention and didn’t let go! Loved it!

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Myreen has moved around so much and lived her life by her mother's three rules. She's never fought them before until one day her friend encourages her to go to a party and "rebel a little like all other teenagers." Mother, of course, tells her no when she asks to go. But this time, Myreen decides that she's had enough and that since her mother won't tell her why she's going to rebel and do what she wants. The price she pays? The loss of her mother. Her life was about to change anyway, but now...she must move forward without her mother. Now? Welcome to Shifter Academy where there are other shifters and there are some..."ENTITLED" characters as well. Myreen has a ways to go with this!
Shifted: Siren Prophecy book one of the Shifter Academy series is a fascinating story. I love mermaids and to find a book about a mermaid prophecy is one that I was eager to dive into and read. Plus, add in the Harry Potter elements and I found this book hard to put down. The variety of characters keeps the story moving and engaging as the authors give the readers one character at a time to focus on. Myreen is an interesting character as she works to find her place in this new reality. I feel bad for her concerning dealing with her own kind...the mermaids. I found the dynamics between the different characters to be interesting. They each have their own hierarchy within the different types and I found Kol's dad to be one to avoid. For me, he's bent on being in control and he's power hungry.
There isn't much that I don't like about this book. I enjoy the various characters. I do find it disappointing how Myreen's friend fought so much with her family just to learn about magic. I was also honestly surprised by how shifters were seemingly prejudiced against those who use magic. I found it a bit odd but at the same time, I kinda get it when it comes to the selkie skin. Weird, but true. LOL!
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy paranormal novels full of a variety of shifters, magic, romance and more then this is the book to grab!

[Tiffany Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Myreen’s mother raised her with three rules: 1. Never go out after dark. 2. Never go into large bodies of water. and 3. Stay off social media. Between the rules, their frequent moves, and the years of unanswered questions, Myreen always knew her mother was hiding a deep, dark secret. But, she didn’t know that breaking just one rule would lead to he mother’s death. She certainly never expected to learn that she’s a mermaid shifter and that her mother had been killed by vampires. Whisked away to safety in the middle of the night, Myreen finds herself in a special school for shifters. But starting over in a new school, especially in the middle of the year, is never easy, even if you’ve done it many times before. Myreen finds herself the center of rumors spreading around the school and the target of a “mean girl” clique and the interest of two incredibly attractive, very different boys. She’s learning so much about who and what she is, but with every answered question, a new one pops up. All Myreen wants to do is untangle the web of secrets surrounding her and figure out why her mother was killed. Little does she know that the truth behind the secrets has the potential to affect the entire shifter world.

I absolutely loved every aspect of this book and the universe created within it. I enjoyed watching the characters learn and adapt. All of the characters were so well written and dynamic. I loved that there were multiple types of shivers, not just the expected werewolves. There were even creatures that you don’t often see utelized like gryphons and phoenixes. The storyline was just so well planned and laid out that it was easy to just lose yourself in the story. This is definitely a book worth reading and I honestly can’t wait for book 2!

I’m so thankful to Tricia Barr for providing me with an electronic copy of this book. I understand that receiving it in this manner does not obligate me to leave a positive review and every opinion expressed within this review are entirely my own.

[Christine Shrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rule #1: Never go out after dark.
Rule #2: Never go into large bodies of water.
Rule #3: Stay off of social media.

Myreen is a teenager who always followed her mom 3 rules but she finally had enough of the secrets her mom kept and decided to go to a party. When she gets back she finds her mom dead and a mystery man tells her she is invited to go to a special shifter school because she is actually a mermaid.

* There are different shifters in this book: Mermaids, Vampires, Gryphon, Werewolves, Dragons, Phoenix, etc.
* There are different points of view in this book:
- Myreen (Main Character & Mermaid)
- Kenzie (Myreen Friend & Magic User)
- Juliet (Dads a Teacher at Academy & She's a Phoenix)
- Kol (Dracul member & Dragon)
- Oberon (School Director, Teacher & Gryphon)
- Leif (Vampire)
* There is a prophecy among the Shifter Community: "A siren will emerge as a stray mermaid and bring destruction to Draven, leader of the vampires, summoning ultimate peace between shifters and vampires once and for all."

There is so much about this book that fascinated me especially about the shifters and their history. There is this war between shifters and vampires that was interesting plus how magic users fit into it. Something weird I Read in here was how Dracula wasn't a Vampire but actually a dragon... I found that weird but funny to Read about. Overall this was very fascinating but the pace of the book was a bit slow to me. It took me a while just to finish this book but it was still good and entertaining. The ending was intense!

My favorite character is Juliet. She is so badass and strong that I just loved reading the chapters on her.




(Read for Newts Magical Read A Thon.... Book over 500 pages Transfiguration Prompt)

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Kindle books is not my favorite thing to do, but I am so glad that I bought this one! Shifted is the first in a series about students at Shifter Academy who are training to live, survive, and thrive in a world where they are at war with the vampires and on the defense against human hunters. Almost every single one of the students have spent their whole lives knowing they were shifters and learning about the powers that came with their shifter heritage. Everyone, that is, except for the new girl.

Just after tragedy hit home, Myreen is whisked off to a new location and told she is a part of a mythical community she never thought could possibly be real. She is told that for her protection, she must stay at the school and learn how to use powers she never knew existed within her. As she is learning about her hidden gifts and figuring out how to navigate this new world, tensions are quickly rising between the shifters and the vampires that want to wipe them out. Could Myreen be an answer to the peace they've been looking for?

The beginning of the book hooked me and drew me in quick. It did feel cliched at times, but then again it is a YA fantasy series, so most of them tend to at some point in time. I was a little unsure of the various vignettes throughout, mainly because I wanted it to only be from the perspectives of Myreen and Kol. In the end, I appreciated and truly enjoyed the story through the eyes of everyone else because it gave a depth and personableness to the book that would have been impossible otherwise.

Recommend to older young adult readers and fantasy lovers.

[H.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deja vu

While reading this, I got a serious sense of deja vu. It felt like I had already read this story because the plot was nearly the exact same as a different book. I think it’s by Mackenzie Hunter... Anyway, the plots of these two books were extremely similar. Girl’s mom is killed by vampires, girl finds out she’s not human and is whisked away to a hidden school for supernaturals, she’s torn between two hot guys, she finds out she’s a special supernatural...I felt like I was going crazy trying to figure out if I had read it before. The lack of originality was a major issue for me while reading this book.

Another issue I had was the switching of character perspectives every chapter. The authors didn’t introduce the characters before the perspective switched, so I had a hard time following it.

Am I supposed to like the main character? Because I really don’t like her. She seems a little fake. I liked reading the perspectives of Leif and Kol though. I thought those characters were well done, with complex feelings and internal struggles that they have to work through and overcome. Although the obsession Leif has with bringing back his long dead love is a little weird.

The high school drama was grating and silly. Yes, I know it happens, but it seemed a little overdone.

I contemplated stopping at 13%, but thankfully the book got better. The ending made me curious about what happens next.

I’d say this book is a good book for teens.

[Christina Luberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, there is no words for how good this book is. I had a hard time putting the book down. When I get my own classroom again I will have to buy the paperback for my students. I know they will love it. We have Shifters, vampires and more in this book. Mystery, lies, hate, love, and so much of what kids go through to try to fit in.

We have Myreen who is a good girl and always follows her mothers 3 rules, until one day she decides she had enough and goes to a party with her best friend. When she gets home when her mother is dead and she is scooped away by Oberon and is believed to be the prophecy that the mermaids have predicted. She is having a hard time fitting in, but does find one friend who accepts her and does not fit in either. She had to leave her best friend behind, but can she get her into the school. What is this mystery behind her? What is everyone keeping from her? Why won't the other students accept her? Why can't she get her mermaid powers to work since she found out what she is or is she not a mermaid? Will the students ever accept her? What will happen to the few students that accept her? Can she learn why her mother died? Who is her father? Will she ever find out?

I received a free copy for my honest review.

[Nerdy Housewifey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs work

Stop using dead/murdered parents as a dumb plot device!!! I’m so sick of books wanting a character without parental oversight so they just kill off parents. Myreen had a super sheltered life and her mom was super strict but apparently they were best friends. So imagine my surprise that when her mom is killed in the first chapters how quickly Myreen seems to get over it.

Even in fantasy books if you’re going to put something like this in your book it’s your responsibility as an author to research and include real reactions to the situation. I lost my father very young, very suddenly so the complete lack of care given to the grieving process in this book made me sick.

Aside from the terrible way grief is completely not dealt with, the rest of the book was basically a cliched Mary Sue boarding school trope.

Again my PSA if you include a topic like death, rape, assault, anything that is traumatic or changes/scars and individual mentally, you have to include realistic responses to it. Or else you’re just being lazy. I think it’s especially important in YA books, in case your readers are going through similar things.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and exciting

This was a very enjoyable book and I love reading about all sorts of shifter species. It's different reading a book with so many different species like Phoenix, gryphon, kitsune, dragon, were, mermaids, sirens, selfies, vampires and more. I love how the story has been coming together with all the characters and everything.

It was a bit of a slow and different read at first but then it got more and more interesting and intense as it went and now I'm really intrigued to see what happens next. I can't wait for the next book. I'm also hoping to hear more about some of the other shifter species that weren't in this book as much like the Naga - that's one I'm more curious about because I don't usually read or hear much about Naga in stories as often.

If you haven't checked this one out, you should! It's also a clean read which is something I appreciate and look for with books I read as well.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great read at the beginning and end! Unfortunately, I got bored and had to push through the middle portion. It seemed as though I was reading a young adult high school romance. It was a bunch of drama up until almost the very end. I kept expecting something to happen with Myreen in regards to finding out she's a siren, or about her abilities, etc. However, the novel focused mainly on the character's relationships, which was hugely disappointing. Also, having the story told in 6 POVs just made the story seem even more off topic. I kept asking myself "When is it going to get to the point already?!".

Overall, this was a pretty disappointing read. I actually only skimmed some parts. I'll probably give the second book in the series a chance since it did seem like something was starting to happen, but I don't have high hopes. I wouldn't recommend this book and definitely will not re-read.