In the Shifter Plains there are magical beings that are so in tune with animals that they can shift into various animals. The Shifterai have the ability to harness the pure animal form of several animals. It is a sign of power and hierarchy within their clans to be able to shift into many forms. Kenyen Sin Siin has eight pure forms which may not be as much as some of his brethren but it is beyond the common ability. Kenyen is asked by the Queen to join a hunting party to search for possible offspring of the banished Family Mongrel. The rumor is that the ex-Shifterai are disgracing their pure animal forms by replicating humans.

Solyn Ys Rei has just become engaged to her best friend Traver Ys Ten. Solyn and Traver have no romantic feelings for each other but they must appear in love if their plan is to work. They don't know who they can trust since they began to suspect something was trading places with members of the community. It started off with one person acting strange and now numerous townsfolk are not themselves. Solyn gives Traver a ring that she instructs him to keep hidden. Solyn confides in Traver that as long as he has the ring with him she will be able to tell he is the real Traver and not a replacement. Solyn proposes that Traver go find some help when he makes his next trip trading tea.

As Kenyen's hunt continues he arrives at an impasse and he must choose between turning back or becoming like his enemy in order to catch his prey. I personally appreciated the scene where Kenyen struggles with discarding all he holds sacred in order to uncover the evil at the heart of the ex- Shifterai.

Jean Johnson's THE SHIFTER is a breath of fresh air. The world Johnson has created is unique from the numerous paranormal or fantasy romance novels on the market. THE SHIFTER is a spin-off of Johnson's much beloved Sons of Destiny series. Although Johnson has reported her Sons of Destiny series is completed her fans will be happy to hear that she is planning on many more books like THE SHIFTER beginning with Shifter Plains debuting October 2, 2012.

Book Summary

Before the Sons of Destiny came to be, shapechangers ruled the heart of a shattered empire and navigated the uncertain shifts of fate…

Years have passed since there was any sighting of Family Mongrel on the Shifting Plains. Yet traces remain, and they lead south into the Correda Mountains. As a favor to his brother and sister-in-law, Kenyen Sin Siin has taken it upon himself to track down these hints from the past and make sure the curs have not survived. The trail grows colder, more tangled, until he’s trapped in a valley where not everyone is as they seem. He will either adapt and survive or be uncovered and perish before his mission is complete.

Wary of strangers and distrustful of the unfamiliar, Solyn Ys Rei and her best friend have formed a secret resistance. One of a rare few with the ability to stand up to and evade enemies, she must still tread with great caution, particularly when even her best friend starts acting oddly. Allies could be enemies lurking in disguise, and a stranger’s face could hide a new foe as easily as a new friend.