Eighteen-year-old Raven Thatcher is a coyote shapeshifter and newly promoted pack warrior. On the eve of her first duty assignment, Raven is attacked by her boyfriend Jonathan, who has turned feral. Rescued by a beautiful stranger in the forest, Raven immediately becomes infatuated with the man in tribal art, the one who watches her in the shadows.
When tragedy strikes the pack, Raven hunts for justice, forging her own path between duty and desire, honor and love. Based on the centuries-old Navajo legend of Ma'ii, Coyote spins a web of suspense, mystery, and seduction that will keep readers guessing until the last paragraph.
Ashley Brandt grew up in sunny Southern California but now calls North Texas home, where she lives with her husband and their two children. A storyteller at heart, Ashley has been writing since childhood and recently took the leap to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an author. She loves crafting mysteries that keep readers on the edge of their seats and enjoys reading everything from romance to suspense and beyond. When she’s not writing, Ashley can often be found with her two cats, who proudly serve as her unofficial (and occasionally demanding) writing partners.
Inspired by Native American stories about the trickster shape-shifting god Coyote, Ashley Brandt creates something modern while paying homage to tradition.
Raven Thatcher has grown up in a secret community in the Maine woods. She is a shapeshifter, able to turn from human to coyote and back again. When humans discovered that shapeshifters were in their midst, they began a war against them. Many were slaughtered. Others were captured for experimentation. Survivors fled to small enclaves far from civilization and lived their lives off the grid.
Raven has trained as a warrior, and upon turning 18 is ready to accept her first posting. However, in the span of a few hours, everything in her world changes. Her boyfriend, Jonathan, has returned from his first posting as a “feral,” no longer able to control his emotions and lusts. He has also been unfaithful to Raven. Then, her father is brutally murdered in his cabin. A member of the community’s leadership, Ramon, tells Raven that he wants to take her as his mate. And Raven is drawn to a dark stranger who saves her.
Clearly Raven has a lot to deal with, and her judgment and decisions become erratic. She is drawn to Ramon. She is drawn to the stranger who fills her thoughts. She is mourning her father. And when two of the community members go missing, she feels it is her duty to find them.
Ashley Brandt has woven a fantasy together with mythology and a bit of science fiction thrown in. Looking at it through my eyes as a father and grandfather, Raven is manipulated and deceived by many people. She is more vulnerable than she realizes and she is less independent than she should be. But good stories often rely upon bad decisions made by their characters.
It’s fun to put yourself into the story and wonder what you would have done in those circumstances, even when the fantastical circumstances could never be duplicated. Would I have been willing to deceive and manipulate someone the way men in Raven’s life did? Would I have had the boldness to go after my missing friends despite the dangers involved? Would I have been one of the sympathetic humans who supported the shifters or would I have been driven to hatred by my fear of the unknown? I know what I would like my answers to be. Good stories let us mentally practice for the unknown and the unknowable. Hopefully they also let us learn so that our choices are better than those in the story.
While this story is set in Maine in the year 2000, we're told it's loosely based on the Navajo stories of someone named Ma'ii, to whom we're introduced straightaway in the prologue. I'm not often fond of prologues, but this one fulfills a necessary function to match the epilogue, which in turn answers certain questions that would otherwise go unanswered in a story told from the point of view of the protagonist, Raven Thatcher, the only female graduate of the current year's batch of beta pack shapeshifting Coyote warriors.
Upon graduating, Raven must make a decision as to whether she'll take a warrior's assignment or immediately forsake all her warrior training to become a wife and mother. The men of her village strongly want her to consider the latter, but she's not so keen on the idea. Then a murder of someone close to her turns her world on its head, and her priority becomes solving the murder. But the men of the village don't let her forget she has a decision to make, and they don't make the decision easy for her. As mysterious events continue to occur, Raven's future becomes more and more difficult to navigate.
Early in the story, there's a scene in which sex without consent seems destined to happen. It didn't quite go there, but it was unsettling, and might be triggering for some readers. There are a few other sexual scenes in the book, some bordering on the non-consensual. Each stops short of being overly explicit in the description of the sex act.
I found the story to be well-written and masterfully plotted. A few typos got past the editor, but none so egregious as to detract from the story. One big question remained unanswered to my satisfaction at the end. It was left to me to choose my own answer, and I found each choice a bit disturbing, even more so the answer that seemed most likely. I guessed correctly about some of the questions that were definitively answered by the author, but I was never quite sure about them until the right answers were revealed at the very end.
Overall, I loved reading this tale, and while its target audience might be Young Adult, I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good dark fantasy shapeshifter story with elements of intrigue, mystery, and romance. The five star rating I'm giving it is well-deserved, and I'll readily give other stories by this author a chance.
Eighteen year old coyote-shifter Raven was just promoted to pack warrior and is about to receive her first task. However, her long-time boyfriend just returned from his last task different only to be saved by a mysterious stranger. Deciding to end things with him she heads home, intent on talking to her dad before getting her orders. The next morning she finds her father dead and smells her ex, Johnathan. The task-master gives her an offer. She can take the task and go to the human shifter testing facility or she can become his mate and carry on the family line. Faced with impossible choices and death of her loved ones at every turn Raven's choices seem to be made for her.
I received a physical copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This book is full of twists and turns with just enough left up to the reader's imagination as to who was truly behind the deaths. While who she ended with was expected throughout the book, on my part, I would have liked more clarification that he wasn't the one responsible.
I haven't read a lot of coyote shifter books and even less that are set after regular humans have become aware of shifters. Unfortunately this book shows the negative possibility of war and shifter testing. While that would definitely be one possibility I like to think that if there are shifters (which we've received nothing stating it's not possible) that they would be mostly accepted by people.
Each of the love interests in this book had something to offer in both the romance aspect and to the cringe effect. All in all this book was hard to put down and I did really enjoy it. There is plenty of action within this story, and I don't just mean smut. I loved what happened with the children, for instance. They didn't deserve everything they went through.
Coyote by Ashley Brandt explores the centuries-old Navajo legend of Ma'ii. Raven Thatcher is an 18-year-old shapeshifter coyote in Maine who assumes a new position as the pack's warrior. During her first night of duty, she is attacked by her feral boyfriend, Jonathan, and unexpectedly reduced by a stranger, with whom she immediately becomes infatuated.
Raven finds herself faced with the choice of either becoming the pack's warrior or living as a passive housewife. She must make difficult choices, which leads to leading her pack toward justice while becoming entangled in a web of murder, intrigue, revenge, and deception. The author does an exceptional job of weaving suspense and mystery into a story that centers around elements of the Ma'ii and the power of perseverance. Raven becomes the only female graduate of the beta pack while learning to embrace a new phase of life.
I found the story riveting, including Raven's journey and personal development. The book is a definite page-turner and captures the reader's attention with vivid description and character development. Brandt expertly brings subtle elements of eroticism and fantasy fiction that are ideal for fans of adult fiction and fantasy themes. The story is set in the 2000s in Maine, with solid visual descriptions of villagers and communities. Raven must challenge her potential as a typical housewife and embrace a liberating path in leadership.
Coyote by Ashley Brandt is a fantastic story about a strong-willed woman and a fierce warrior. It's a fast-paced, light read that's perfect for anyone who enjoys a thrilling dark fantasy novel with a strong female protagonist.
Coyote by Ashley Brandt is an atmospheric fantasy story packed with action and romance. Whilst the entire book was enjoyable, I really got into the book about sixty pages in. After that, I felt fully immersed into the story and it was incredible. It was very dark and intriguing and mysterious, and I really loved the setting. I was so invested in the characters and the romance in this world was really interesting and well thought out.
It did take a while to get into it, but once I did, I fell in love with the story and the intriguing world. At first, I thought Raven’s relationship with Ramon was sweet yet complicated which I really like, but I thought it also felt a little unnatural and wasn’t believable at some points in the story. Keep on reading on about it though, it’s definitely worth it! More will be uncovered.
It was slightly confusing because some of the chapters had dates and places as subtitles and others didn’t. I think it would’ve been better if it was either done consistently or just not at all because I didn’t feel it added to the story too much.
The ending was inconclusive. I get that it may have been to create suspense or to build up more intrigue, but it didn’t really work for me. The epilogue gave me more questions than it answered which I didn’t feel was the best way to end the book unfortunately, considering how brilliant the rest of the book was.
The thing I really loved about this book was the world we were introduced to. It was so well fleshed out and surprisingly easy to visualize and believe. Overall, I adored this book!
Coyote tells the tale of Raven, a shape-shifting member of a group of human coyotes. These tribes live much as wild canines do, operating by scent, recognizing their own, and reside in small compounds along the outskirts of human cities. Raven's boyfriend, Jonathan, returns to her after some time away, and she discovers that something is not quite right with him, extending beyond the animalistic urges that permeate within all of them due to their co-existing animal selves. His unhinged behavior eventually culminates into violence, and she finds herself isolated, unsure of whom to trust, whether human or coyote.
Laced with subtle eroticism, Coyote is a fun novel that follows Raven's observations and experiences as she tries to navigate both her pack and her own emotions relating to them. It is a light read that keeps us engaged through small, campy subplots, and the different men that Raven encounters satisfy different aspects of both her and the reader's exploration of her sexual desires. Noticeably well done is the clear separation between characters, with Raven, and the different men she encounters, being distinctly different, not just in what they say or do, but the energy they exude.
Overall, a great, easy read for anyone looking for a small adventure riddled with a natural sensuality.
I love the whole basis of this story, the blend of shapeshifter and pack leader with the strength and tradition of Navajo lore. It really gives you a beautiful web of detail, surprises and lovely depiction of a wonderful read. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of detail in this book. The author really put in a lot of work to bring this story to life. I found this to be a truly wonderful part of the read and it made me very attached to the story, from start to finish. I definitely think the author honoured the Navajo tradition, by telling a story that came to life and could be passed down through many tellings by the moonlight. I liked the characters and the strength of our main character. She was given a tricky path to forge and did so very well, giving us a brilliant and unexpected story to follow. I like the pace and the twists the author threw at us, keeping us guessing and the read very exciting. Overall a great read and definitely worth the four stars I’d give it!
Since growing up when the Twlight films/books were all the rage, I enjoyed the fantasy role of a shapeshifter. This book contains a great story, full of suspense, mystery and loyalty. It gave me Twilight vibes as the shapeshifters shared their lives between being their human and animal selves.
I loved the characters in this book! Loved Raven's personality and her relationships between herself and her pack. The mystery deepens when some of the pack go missing. Kidnappings and fights occur and the tension is apparent. I had a lot of emotions reading this book, following along with Raven, Ramon, Ma'ii, Jonathan and Arbuckle. This book was an enjoyable read and one I would recommend!
The beginning was a little wobbly and confusing but after a few chapters the story really started to come alive. You could really start to feel the tension in a few parts, even had me unable to put the book down. The words just sung with elegance and kept my heart racing to know what would come of Raven.
The shortness of the book made for a pleasant weekend read and the Native American culture of shape shifters really played well in the setting and story.
Some typos had me scratching my head since they fit in the sentence but did not fit in the story, however I still enjoyed the read.
It took me a few chapters to fully get into the story, but I'm glad I gave it a chance because once the action got started, I didn't want to put it down.
Coyotes were new to me for shifters, but the romance has a solid amount of mate-attraction with political and social pulls to keep it very interesting. The author was great about dropping hints and keeping suspense building. I suspected the ending but even then, I wanted more. Leaving on a semi cliffhanger that was still a nice HEA made me want to slow clap the author. ;)
I really enjoyed this book. It's quite a quick read, but still manages to pack in alot of action, mystery, danger and creativity in the world building and plot. I'd say this is a YA / NA fantasy with a dystopian aspect. Though the story is loosely based on the Navajo legend of Ma'ii.
Brief synopsis - Raven is a coyote shape shifter living with her pack. Having turned 18, and graduated as a warrior, she is now assigned her first mission.
However when she is attacked by her boyfriend and saved by a mystery tattooed stranger things take on a mysterious turn and plans change.
My thoughts - I found the way the author wove legend, a shifter community and an alternate modern day world together intriguing.
There was plenty of mystery and suspense in this book and the story was fast paced. Raven is a great FMC and I loved her determination and strength.
The ending leaves aspects open to individual reading interpretations I feel which I really liked.
Coyote by Ashley Brandt. Beware the man of many faces… Eighteen-year-old Raven Thatcher is a coyote shapeshifter and newly promoted pack warrior. On the eve of her first duty assignment, Raven is attacked by her boyfriend Jonathan, who has turned feral. Rescued by a beautiful stranger in the forest, Raven immediately becomes infatuated with the man in tribal art, the one who watches her in the shadows. I really enjoyed this book. I did like Raven. I liked the cover too. 5*.
The Navajo stories about Ma'ii. Raven has to make a choice between being a warrior or becoming a wife. What will she do when a murder happens? Follow her as she tries to decide and solve a murder at the same time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
coyote is a story about shapeshifters and follows raven’s pov. on the day of being assigned as a pack warrior raven’s boyfriend attacks her. and she is saved by a man with tattoos. the story is all about loss, self discovery, pain and thinking about oneself. this book is a short read and that’s what made it the best. the story is of right length. if it was longer than this then it would have been boring (maybe?). overall i liked the book and would love to read it again.
Wow! A great story full of shape shifters and thrills by the minute. I picked up on the foreshadowing but was still a little surprised at the end result. Great fantasy!
This is a quick read with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Based on a Navajo legend , the story has an air of mystery. The characters are well constructed and I followed Ravens development with interest. The ending leaves room for the readers own interpretation.
An enjoyable read overall.
Thank you to @zooloosbooktours and the author for my e-copy of this book. Given in exchange for a fair and unbiased review