Taken by Fate (The Alpha Territories Book 1)

Shannon always writes a strong female character and plot that grabs ahold of you and leaves you wanting more. She didn't disappoint with this newest series.I slowly fell in love with all the characters in this world and all the side characters round the storyline out and bring this world to life.As the story slowly unfolds, you find yourself turning the pages faster and faster. Needing to know what will be revealed and happens next.The attraction of our two main characters slowly build and its 🔥I never reveal spoilers and only give my honest thoughts and opinions. I believe this is the beginning of an AMAZING new series by Shannon Mayer and I can NOT wait until I can get my eyes on the next one lol.Vampires, werewolves and Fae......yes pleaseI highly recommend Taken by Fate

A wild ride. At first I was skeptical... I am not a vampire fan...(thanks twilight for ruining that) but Shannon brought back my faith in dark and mysterious. The story line flows and caught me in the beginning. The MC has plan but unfortunately the plan backfires and things go sideways for a bit. There are characters you will love and some you just might wanna throat punch with a wooden stake, no judgement if you. Its a page turner with plots and twists. Some things don't quite make since at the beginning but start to really unravel toward the end. I feel that this book ends with quite the hook. I wouldn't say cliffhanger as I feel like you know enough to anticipate what comes next in book 2. But as always in shannon fashion... The next step is never what I anticipate. 😆

I'm grateful the next book comes.out soon because I need to know how this is going to play out!Shannon gives us another strong heroine to cheer. Witty dialogue and clever characters throughout. Proper villains to hate abound.Modern day setting with a medieval feel is a nice quirky experience. I smiled reading Fox and the Hound movie reference when my mind had been firmly in court intrigue and dazzling costumes moments before.Sexual themes much more pronounced in this story then others she has penned. Only 3 and over a bit too quickly for the characters involved but easy to het through or past if you're uncomfortable. Definitely rated R

I'm just.....I do NOT leave reviews but here we are as I sit dumbfounded by how this good this book is. 5/5 stars.Where do I start?The fact the world building is just enough to make you want more?How I'm invested in the side characters as much as the main characters?I feel this book is seriously underrated and deserves to BLOW up social media. The plot is thickening and I am INVESTED. The romance is just SUPREME.No pressure Shannon, but I have high hopes for this series, don't let us down!Read on KU and just purchased the hardback for my collection.Obsessed, that's all I have for you guys. If you love Fantasy Romance, enemies to lovers (ish) and good thick plot lines. This book is for you.

Mayer never disappoints with kick butt female leads. She also has a knack for writing these plot driven stories that suck you into different worlds. This book is no different; Sienna is fierce and determined. Our side characters have some depth and we begin to see the world that we are living in since the downfall of the veil.Now one issue I had was the timeline. We are 15 years out from the veil falling which if you have read Mayer’s other novels then you know who broke the veil and why. However, in one scene a vampire named Gregory is regaling tales of meeting Fitzgerald and going to Paris. But he was stuck in the veil then so a little confusing. There are also a lot of references to pre fall of the veil culture. Sienna’s age isn’t clear but she seems to be old enough to remember pre fall of the veil but after 15 years it’s seems like some of those cultural punches wouldn’t be as prominent.Another thing that drives me crazy with Mayer’s writing are her slow burn love stories that never come to fruition. She will give us like one smut scene in 6 books then find a way to keep the lovers apart in the long run and it tears my heart apart and makes me love/hate her stories. It seems like we are being set up for the same thing here. Two people who seem fated but as soon as we are ready for some spice they are kept apart. Ugh I’m over it! Give me the good stuff Mayer!Other than that I’m ready for this story to continue. Great writing, great characters, great story let’s go.

This book suffered from sharp swingers in mood and tone. It started off extremely dark, human trafficking to the supernaturals which included girls loosing control of their bladders and bowels from terror, people being rounded up for rape and/ or dismemberment, those being used for “ chum” and a suicide. That was the first few chapters and I almost stopped reading because I’m not into such depressing situations. Then it suddenly swings to bachelor type “ games” with frivolous, trite activities and girls who were just peeing themselves the day before now doing their hair and learning table etiquette while competing for the prize of....getting repeatedly raped and most likely drained dry. Sounds like a grand prize. Most losers become maids which based on the regency style setting these games take place in, it seems like a dream deal compared to winning. Why would anyone want to win? We went from a GoT style setting to a twisted Bridgerton. Some of the plot just doesn’t make sense like... wouldn’t the vamps want the best of the humans for their games and not those they stole of the streets and put in crap filled pens? They do “sweeps” to capture humans but these supernaturals have all the power since the veil fell, they could just demand models or virgins or whoever would be prime “ meat” for them.Then the steep cliffhanger at the end, I mean they’re riding off to hunt some of the characters and it just stops, a screeching dead stop. If you want to continue the series the next one is out in February but it looks like it’s a three book series so the next one will likely be filler. On the positive side, grammar is fine, characters okay.

Wow is the first word I want to put here first!!This book is completely different to Shannon's usual books and it's like a breath of fresh air. It's fast paced and keeps you enthralled until you've read and listened to it!!I'll admit that I had already listened to the audio, prior to the release of the book and I was hooked!!I had never come across the two narrators used for this audio and they too were like a breath of fresh air!!Summer Roberts and Tyler Donne kept me listening from start to end with barely a break from the off!! They brought out the personalities of the characters and had you almost holding your breath in places!!So of course when the book came out, I just had to listen again as I read the book and, if I thought it was good just listening to the audio, it was mind blowing to the highly unsatisfying end!!Now why did I say unsatisfying??Because I just didn't want it to end!!I was depressed when the audio has finished the first time. In fact I may have pouted and trust me when I say, a woman at my age should NEVER be seen, or known, pouting. I'm far too old for such things lol. But pout i did.But, then the horrid thing was, I felt even more upset at the end of the book when it came, when reading and listening to it!! I stamped a metaphorical foot!!What a terrible way to finish and we've now got until February to find out what happens next!! How am I supposed to wait for what's to come next!!So if you want to listen and read a different and brilliant book by Shannon, this is definitely the one to get!! In fact if you just want a really good audio and book, get this one regardless, you certainly won't regret it.It has everything you need. A spunky, sassy heroine, trying to find her way to the werewolf territories to find her friend and hopefully rescue him. She refuses to accept the status quo and gives her poor maid such a bad headache, that she's either going to end up with a few ulcers at best or an aneurysm at worst.A dominant male, fighting the attraction and urges he's feeling toward a woman. But not just any woman, no this one is a lowly human whom he bought. Some one not worthy of such a well known and respected General of the Vampires, who's also the bastard son of the King of the vampires!!How can such a well renowned vampire, allow some human woman bring him such urges. Urges he tries so hard to ignore and not just because of the aforementioned reasons, but also as an honourable General, he must.....no he will not give into them, into Her!!Yet while all this is going on, she is part of the Harvest Games, with other human women bought for these games!! But while all the other women are working hard to attract the attention of the noble, (both high and low born) vampire men, Sienna is working hard at finding a way to escape and get across the eastern border, in her search of Jordan!!IOf course will it all work out??Will the General win his fight against the pull of Sienna, who incidentally finds she too has this pull toward the General.Can Sienna find a way to escape the vampires and make it to the werewolf territories, without being caught and killed??All while the King is dying and the Crown Prince is plotting the murder of his younger brother!!The only way to find out all the answers is to buy both audio and book and thoroughly immerse yourself in the new world order, brought to you by the extremely talented Shannon Mayer!!LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!

What I expected was a medieval feel reality show, what I got was a complex, riveting, funny, sexy and dangerous story of hunger games meets The Dating Game.The General - a feared vampire 'ba**tard' son of the king and second to Prince Edmund is to all of the vampire kingdom, a cold hearted warrior who slakes his thirst for women but doesn't take their blood.He is brutal and unpredictable.However, when a new batch of human slaves hit the market, he's obsessed by the woman with curves, honey eyes and Auburn hair.This is Sienna and she was not captured by accident. Her best friend Jordan was bought by the werewolves and her plan to be bought by them too goes wrong when the general bids on her in a bet against another Lord.This is part Bridgerton, part Henry 8th style and Shakespearean skullduggery in a modern world that follows archaic rules and fashion.Edmund the prince is a monster and Will, the second prince is a sweet, funny and honourable man.The vampires are not what Sienna expects and when she gets to know the matriarch the Duchess it changes everything.It ends on a mid level hook/cliffhanger but you do get a complete story.Pardon the pun, but I was hooked and Sienna, Bee and the Duchess are the heroines we need.Fantastic stuff

Loved this. Really looking forward to reading Hunted By Fate and Claimed By Fate.Shannon has created a rich world and I hope after Sienna's story is finished we'll be able to explore other aspects of this world.Sienna is human and has allowed herself to be captured. Her plan was to be sold to the werewolves and try to find her friend Jordan who was captured and sold to the werewolves last month and escape together. Only the bidders aren't who she was expecting.If you like spicy paranormal romance set in a well developed world with rich, complex characters this is the book for you.

Took a little while to get going (which I didn’t mind as I like to get to know the characters and see the connections and relationships form) but when it did it galloped away like Havoc being released from the stables! 🏇 Great first book in the series, so many things still to be revealed *rubs hands together gleefully* and I’m very much looking forward to where book 2 takes us, esp after the ending of this one 😁 Ahh, now I have another Shannon Mayer series I’m hooked on! 🤷🏼‍♀️😆

No spoilers: If you're on the hunt for UF/paranormal fast paced, strong female lead then this is for you. Be prepared to finish this in one sitting.Sienna is a human, fiery and determined to survive being captured by slavers. The only way to survive the vampire court is to compete in a series of trials whilst engaging in witty and sarcastic conversations with the grumpy alpha male type anti hero, who naturally I love called Dominic. Looking forward to the next book!