I picked up Skinwalker by Faith Hunter because I heard that the Jane Yellowrock series could be compared to the Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. I love the Mercedes Thompson series so much that out of all of the book I have read they are on the very top of my favorites list. I wish I knew now where I saw that comparison because I would make sure to never listen to anything that person said again.
Skinwalker was an OK read. Jane Yellowrocck is a skinwalker. She shares her body with an entity called Beast. With Beast she can change into different animals. Jane gets a job with the vampires to hunt down a rogue that has been killing some of the head honcho vamps and bringing unwanted attention to their kind. Jane and Beast start their adventure of hunting this rogue vamp and along the way Jane learns about her lineage and meets a sexy tattooed man that ignites her and Beast's blood. Jane is a likable character and I found myself smiling at some of her thoughts about vamps and the ladies of the night. Her friendship with Molly seemed very real to me and it really showed a softer side of Jane that she didn't show very often.
I think the thing that turned me off about the book was the dynamic with Jane and Beast. I did not like how Beast's point of view was written and I think that Ms. Hunter used the choppy fragments of sentences to portray that Beast is an animal and doesn't think in the same linear way that humans do, but I feel like I lost some of the connection to Jane that way. I did however like that we got to hear Jane's thoughts while Beast was in control and Beast peeked out every now and again when Jane was in control. Since this was such a strong element to the book, I really struggled getting into it and diving in to the plot.
I don't think I am ready to pick up the next one in the series, but may see what else I can find by this author that does not involve shifters. I really liked the plot of the story and the character development. In my opinion, this book in NO way is similar to Mercy Thompson. Yes, they are both considered "walkers". Yes, they are both native Americans. But, two similarities does not compare between the two. Pick up this book if you want a new style of UF. Give it a try and see how you like it. But, I suggest not starting this book if you think it will be anything like the Mercedes Thompson series.
