Who's Your Author? discussion

This thread is for a discussion of Stray by Rachel Vincent. This is the first book of the werecats series. Discussion should begin in September.

Spoilers welcome!

I was a little skeptical when I began reading Stray, but I ended up really enjoying it. The beginning was a little slow for me, but the rest made up for it!
The brutality of the beatings, the rape and murders seemed to make this book seem a little darker than some other books I've been reading, but it just made me like Faythe even more because she never gives up.

Yeah thats exactly how I feel about Faythe too Kristin. She is definitely a tough girl who can handle herself. I had no idea this book was going to be so graphic and at parts really sad but I think it makes you feel closer to the characters cause you know what they have been through.

As much as I liked this book, I can't help but draw comparisons to Kelley Armstrong's Bitten . The parallels between Faythe and Marc in Stray and Elena and Clay in Bitten are very strong. Faythe's kidnapping is also similar to a major plotline of Stolen . Anyone else feel the same way?

I loved this book. It did start out a little slow, but it picked up. I really liked Faythe b/c she fought for what she wants and doesn't give up, she's not weak, but yet she can still be girlie. I loved the ending.

I re-read the book and I liked it as much today as the first time I read it. I liked the dynamics between Marc and Faythe, even if I did find Faythe to be a tad annoying and selfish. I also forgot that Jace was adorable :)

Amanda wrote: "As much as I liked this book, I can't help but draw comparisons to Kelley Armstrong's Bitten. The parallels between Faythe and Marc in Stray and Elena and Clay in Bitten are very strong. Faythe's kidnapping is also similar to a major plotline of Stolen. Anyone else feel the same way?"

The similarities between Kelley Armstrong's books and Rachel Vincent's are most evident in this first book. Rachel Vincent's books go in a whole other direction after Stray. Compared to Elena and Clay, Faythe and Marc have a very tough time.

I ended up staying up all night reading this, because once it picked up in action I wanted to know how things would pan out.

I liked Jace better than Marc :P

As a big fan of this series, I second Amy's comment that the similarities between this series and Kelley Armstrong's Clay and Elena really end with Stray. Vincent gains her own voice with the next books and Faythe and Marc really become their own characters.

FlibBityFLooB wrote: "I ended up staying up all night reading this, because once it picked up in action I wanted to know how things would pan out.

I liked Jace better than Marc :P"

Mark was a bit over the top in this one, but you really come to love him as the series progresses. Don't get me wrong, I love Jace as well, I just have a soft spot for the stray.

I read this a couple of weeks ago and was enthralled with it. At first though I wasn't sure about Faythe's character. She seemed a bit whiney for her age and all but once she got home and things started rolling- well I just couldn't put the book down. I can see the similarities that everyone keeps mentioning but I also felt the book handled things just different enough that I didn't mind it.
It's a toss up to me between Marc and Jace. I think Jace is like the dangling carrot in front of the donkey- Faythe just wants to want him but Marc is the force that balances out Faythe. I just love the friction between the three. It gives it the sizzle it needs.

The similarities never really bugged me, but maybe that's because I love Bitten too! Plus, like everyone's said, the rest of the series goes in a very different direction. I really like Faythe. Yes, she can be a bit whinny and everything, but I still love how when push comes to shove she steps up and kicks ass!

As for the love triangle between Marc and Jace, after the first book I felt like Jace was just a nice little side character. I didn't really take him seriously. I wont say what my current opinion is of him since we are going to continue reading the series!

Question, did it bother people that there was a darker side to this series? Also, would you consider this book to be PNR or UF? I think UF, but I'd like to hear if others have different opinions.

I think UF too. It isn't all about the romance, pride politics play a big part which affects the romance but it isn't everything. I don't want to say too much but there are times when the romance element feels almost non-existant, sitting on the back-burner while you worry over who will live and who will die. I like the darker edge to the series it keeps it fresh and interesting.

So do I! The darker side is something that I really enjoy once in a while. If all of the books that I read were just the happy go lucky romances, I'd go crazy!

I think it's UF not PNR.. I also like the darker edge to the books.. but the later books in the series have me frustrated.

Jess, what has you frustrated? The romantic triangle? The politics? The injustice? There's plenty of fodder for frustration.

Well the triangle is definitely annoying me.. and I just don't like that each book ends with nothing resolved. I like to read a book that has an ending. I don't want to be "Tricked" into reading another book because I want to know what FINALLY happens. It's just annoying!!!

Hey it's not as bad as the House of Night series by P.C.Cast and Kristin Cast - now that is definitely stringing you along. I just finished the fourth book and hardly anything happens and just as you think everything will explode into action (which I have been hoping for since book 2), the main characters retreat and you're left wanting to know what happens next. I think the four books I've read (which are quite short) could have been amalgamated into two, I think I would have been happier with them then.

At least the Shifters books have a proper storyline that ties into the council situation and romantic drama and there is some sort of conclusion. In each book SOMETHING is resolved as for resolving the bigger issues I would say that we are along for the journey seeing the tension build to breaking point and understanding all of the complications that are involved.

Kelley Anne wrote: "As for the love triangle between Marc and Jace, after the first book I felt like Jace was just a nice little side character. I didn't really take him seriously. I wont say what my current opinion is of him since we are going to continue reading the series!"

Oooh! Are we going to read the next one in the series? I want to read it, but I will save it for next month if we're going to read it next month in the group :)

Yeah, the vote came through to keep reading this series as one of our mini-reads! So, we'll start reading Rogue next month!

Amy - as for the House of Night series, I finally ended up giving up on that one! I had a real love/hate relationship with it anyways. For the most part some of the characters and things that happened drove me out of my mind, but I felt like I had to know what was going to happen next. But I never have gotten around to reading #5 and I think that I'll just keep it that way! The series drives me too crazy!

LOL you are totally right Amy. House of Night annoys me as well. But it wasn't as bad for me because I literally read them all back to back. I came into the series late, so I only have to wait for the sixth book. I've been reading the Shifters series since it has come out. And having to wait book to book makes it hard!!