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likita3an's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kayteebee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
amiascah's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was such a good book, and a refreshing concept. I loved the magical system of healing, I found the beginning I had trouble following and understanding exactly how it all worked, especially with Tali and the 'school' she's at. There seemed to be a bounce between 'Healer' and 'Taker' and im still not completely sure if there are completely interchangeable or if they have slightly different meaning, not sure how they could differ though as everyone that heals essentially takes. These minor little things didn't distract me enough to stop me from enjoying the tale, the pages just flew by and I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
thelibraryofklee's review against another edition
4.0
This teen read is action packed - something I appreciate to a certain extent as I get really frustrated when things drawl on for to long. On the flipside I almost felt this there was too much going on and wished I had a little more backstory.
I do like Nya, the main character, and found her genuinely believable. I also liked the choices theme going. And, the book has some cool extras at the end!
I do like Nya, the main character, and found her genuinely believable. I also liked the choices theme going. And, the book has some cool extras at the end!
maevehelena's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
3.0
Nya, an orphan who is struggling to survive, is an unusual taker, unlike most takers, including her sister Tali, she cannot push the pain she heals from someone into pynvium but into another person. With another war on the horizon she is desperate for work and food but doesn’t want to be used as a weapon. When Nya’s sister disappears along with other league healers, Nya has to make a difficult choices and bargains, but are they worth the cost?
The Shifter is an enjoyable YA fantasy book and while it is a fun read it does have some dark themes to it. It has a hint of romance and interesting magic but it did struggled to keep my interest. I felt like there should be a prequel novella which looks at the war, as it is a big influence in this book.
Nya is tough and wary of people, but those she knows she is very loyal to, she also has to make choices that she shouldn’t have to make, especially at her age. There are some enjoyable secondary characters in this book, such as Danello, Tali and Aylin, but I they are a bit forgettable.
The Shifter is a likable book and I would recommend to fans of YA fantasy books.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
The Shifter is an enjoyable YA fantasy book and while it is a fun read it does have some dark themes to it. It has a hint of romance and interesting magic but it did struggled to keep my interest. I felt like there should be a prequel novella which looks at the war, as it is a big influence in this book.
Nya is tough and wary of people, but those she knows she is very loyal to, she also has to make choices that she shouldn’t have to make, especially at her age. There are some enjoyable secondary characters in this book, such as Danello, Tali and Aylin, but I they are a bit forgettable.
The Shifter is a likable book and I would recommend to fans of YA fantasy books.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
atinydisaster's review against another edition
3.0
Gotta say this right off the bat as I actually took the time to jot this down, by page two of this book I was already impressed with a couple different witty lines. Great start! I loved the concept of The Shifter, as I'm always pretty impressed when someone manages to come up with a different spin on a magic system for the world they've created. The world Nya lives in has a healers guild filled with people who have the power to heal others, take their pain and put it into metal... on it's own, that's pretty cool. Nya can't quite manage that much, she's different. She can heal others and take their pain, no problem... but instead of putting it into any kind of outlet, her only choice is to put it into other people. Now there is a concept with potential.
The most surprising thing about this book is actually what Nya does with her unusual powers. Not all of the choices she makes are 100%, morally correct. Nya does what she has to in order to protect the people she cares about and that made this really interesting. There were even some choices she made that I'm not sure I could have done. Even better... there were genuine consequences for all of her actions. No question, this book was extremely well thought out. Hurrah!
Review posted at www.books.4ish.net
All that being said, I only rated this book a three (it would probably be more like a 3.5) which means I definitely enjoyed it but couldn't always manage to lose myself in the story. I found a lot of the names hard to pronounce or hard to take seriously which threw me every now and again. I also never really got to feel like I knew who Nya was as a character. She was hard to relate to and never seemed to show any complex reactions to the situations she was put in.
Great world building and complicated moral decisions will absolutely have me picking up the next book in this series, and sometime soon. It's always great when you find a series you enjoy that hasn't just come out, meaning you don't have to wait at least a year to find out what happens next. If you're looking for an unusual fantasy tale (with more than a hint of dystopia) then you need to pick up The Shifter.
The most surprising thing about this book is actually what Nya does with her unusual powers. Not all of the choices she makes are 100%, morally correct. Nya does what she has to in order to protect the people she cares about and that made this really interesting. There were even some choices she made that I'm not sure I could have done. Even better... there were genuine consequences for all of her actions. No question, this book was extremely well thought out. Hurrah!
Review posted at www.books.4ish.net
All that being said, I only rated this book a three (it would probably be more like a 3.5) which means I definitely enjoyed it but couldn't always manage to lose myself in the story. I found a lot of the names hard to pronounce or hard to take seriously which threw me every now and again. I also never really got to feel like I knew who Nya was as a character. She was hard to relate to and never seemed to show any complex reactions to the situations she was put in.
Great world building and complicated moral decisions will absolutely have me picking up the next book in this series, and sometime soon. It's always great when you find a series you enjoy that hasn't just come out, meaning you don't have to wait at least a year to find out what happens next. If you're looking for an unusual fantasy tale (with more than a hint of dystopia) then you need to pick up The Shifter.
zellm's review against another edition
4.0
For a middle grade/young teen novel, this was really solid. I would have loved more character development but the plot was fantastic and the world was really interesting.
jameyanne's review against another edition
5.0
There is nothing about this book that I didn't absolutely love. The idea that healing has darker consequences is great. All the terrible choices Nya has to make to survive and save her sister are so realistic given the world and I'm with her all the way. I just love Nya's voice. This is a reread for me, but it's nice to find this book just as gripping a second time around. Can't wait to relive the rest of the series.
bungleboo's review against another edition
3.0
I love the idea of this book and enjoyed the story. I like the ideas of healers and takers and I really warmed to Nya. But there was just something stopping me getting lost in Nya's world! There was enough going on to keep me reading but I was to aware of my own surroundings. I like to get lost in a book and be dragged into that world, but I just wasn't with this one. Still worth a read though!