There are a good many reasons why this book was lucky to get 4 stars from me, but also equally as many reasons why it could have possibly got more. I'll start at the beginning by explaining the general plot. So... Faythe Sanders is a werecat in a world where female werecats are rarities and also highly protected by the males in an often teeth-grindingly annoying fashion (but more of that in a bit); after 5 years at college, she is summoned back home in a bid to keep her safe from a wild, tabby-killing stray and his gang of murderous followers.Well, for a start, this Were book was a million and one times better than Moon Called, Faythe was far easier to relate to than Mercy (a college girl battling for independence rather than a mechanic) and definitely likeable. Unlike Mercy, I actually gave a damn what happened to her. But I spent half of this book wanting to sing it's praises and half of it seriously contemplating throwing it at the wall. The misogyny of the werecat society was painful, if I'd have been Faythe I would have locked myself in a room and screamed. For a start, the possibility of leaving the Pride is a luxury only open to the males; the women, on the other hand, have no say in the matter of where they wish to live. It's so bad that Faythe's father even threatens to lock her in a cage for a year if she tries to run away. I think the author took some steps towards redeeming both her mother and father as the book progressed but it never really worked for me. They'd already become one of the enemies in my mind when they tried to bully Faythe into marrying Marc, and her father enjoyed asserting his authority over her and proving that he would always 'win'.
I've come to accept that a lot of Were novels play on the idea that women are seen as weak and inferior within a Pack or Pride (whether true or not), but I repeatedly wanted to tear my hair out in frustration when Faythe's wishes were laughed at because she is female. There is one part of the novel where her father orders her to 'sit', she refuses and so then her brother forcibly knocks her to the floor and throws her onto the couch. Eek. In my opinion, her family and Marc are misogynistic to the point of being abusive. And that's another thing...
Marc. Marc is the big strong hero to her quirky, strong-willed heroine. He's good-looking, intelligent, strong, brave, good in bed... and a complete dick. I didn't like him. At all. So yeah, he got a bit better as the novel went on but he was all about expressing his dominance over others, including Faythe. I can't see them in a proper relationship, or at least not one that I personally would put value on (i.e. equal), but Rachel Vincent left the book in a way that would suggest that there is to be a future for their relationship. But there are quite a few books in the series so I'm hoping Faythe comes to her senses and gets together with the one guy who is sexy, funny and considered her wishes and opinions from day one...
Jace. Now, there's a good hero for you. For me, there's absolutely no contest between him and Marc. He's not even the 'good guy', he's the sexy, dirty talk kinda guy... and yet, he treats Faythe better than her father, her brothers and Marc combined. As it stands at the moment, I really want her to be with him. Or maybe she'll finally find a way to break free from the constraints of the Pride and discover that she needs no one: man, woman or cat.
The story was good too, not the most original one I've ever read but I was kept interested throughout, which isn't that easily done when a book is 600+ pages. What I really can't understand is why so many people shelved this book as 'young adult'. It isn't, to put it plainly. It has graphic sex, graphic violence and some seriously awful rape/attempted rape scenes. This is not in any way a young adult novel. Even though Faythe is a college student, the majority of the main characters are upwards of twenty-five so I don't really see how it could be mistaken for one.
Even with the frustrating men in the book, I loved Faythe and I really enjoyed Vincent's writing. I definitely intend to read Rogue, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for Jace.
