Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Once Bitten-Kalayna Price

Once Bitten
Kalayna Price
Bell Bridge Books, Jan 2009, $14.95
ISBN: 9780980245394

Kita Nekai is the Dyre (heir) to become the Torin (ruler) of the Nekai clan in Firth; located in another dimension. Every full moon the gates open up and the shifters can travel to earth. Kita has just done that breaking her shifter’s world greatest taboo: no female shifters are supposed to be on the earth. For five years she has been on the run from Hunters who want to bring her back to face the Elders and whatever punishment they mete out.

After being drugged at a rave, she is attacked by a stray shifter and is near death. Nathanial the vampire turns her without the Council’s Permission. She must go before them to obtain feeding rights, but prior to her meeting The Judge, a mage, gives Kita a death sentence. He believes she turned a human into a rogue shifter and is ultimately responsible for his insane killing rampage. Shifter friend Bobby and Nathaniel plea for her life; the judge gives her forty-eight hours to bring the rogue to him or her and her friends forfeit their lives.

Urban fantasy readers who enjoy the works of Kelly Armstrong and V.K. Forrest will have a great time reading this exhilarating story. Kita is a fascinating lead character as she believes she cannot lead her clan because she shifts into a kitten and loathes the politics that go with being the Torin. Thus she remains in exile staying in kitten form so humans can adopt her until she feels she must move on to her next household. This is one fantasist who is worth the price of admission.

Harriet Klausner

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