Review: Shift (#2 The Protector Series) by M.R Merrick

I was completely blown away by Shift, book two in M.R Merrick's The Protector Series. The action and pace was superbly established and maintained and the characters that we had grown to love from book one, Exiled, were pushed and developed even further than I imagined possible.

Chase's life in Shift doesn't seem to get any easier. He constantly finds himself in the middle of the battles and struggles of those around him. Merrick manages to successfully reestablish Chase's character and allows the reader to fully understand his thoughts and feelings by the first person narrative. This enables us to relate to this fascinating character so that we are actively cheering his successes and mourning his losses along side him.

I am in awe at Merrick's ability to produce such a believable, yet complex character to life in the world of make believe that he creates. The strength of Merrick's writing, alongside the ease of the read, is impressive. And whilst this series targets the young adult reader, it offers enough challenge for the most seasoned reader.

Likewise, we are privileged with the insight into several more of Merrick's characters. We follow Rayna's amazing journey and self-discovery, in addition to discovering more about the highly likeable yet mysterious Marcus. By the end of Shift, I was left feeling satisfied, especially with the promise of reading book three Release very soon. A phenomenal 5 fairies!

Goodreads Synopsis
Devastated by a terrible loss, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else—a monster threatening to tear her apart.

As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

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Be sure to check out the giveaway to win an ecopy of Shift as part of the Exiled & Shift Book Tour - here on Bex 'n' Books on the 23rd November.