Introduction
I know what you’re all thinking: “This can’t possibly be the first book review she’s doing!”
Shocker! It is.
I decided to begin with something lighthearted, chaotic, and fun. The Cruel Shifterverse is one of my favorite book series. There is just something about the way Jasmine Mas writes her female characters. They are nonchalant, unserious, and absolutely unhinged. Honestly, it’s relatable sometimes, you know?
Now, if you are not a fan of why-choose relationships, reverse-harem tropes, or MM relationships, I would suggest skipping this series. I also strongly recommend checking the content warnings before reading. This series may be hilarious, but it deals with plenty of dark and potentially upsetting themes.
This is not Shakespeare-worthy writing, and I don’t think it is trying to be. It feels like Jasmine Mas writes because she genuinely enjoys creating these characters and their chaotic worlds. Remember when I said I’m here for a good time, not a long time, and that I like what I like? If not, go read “What the Hell Is Spines & Stars?” at the home page.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m going to attempt to write this review with as few spoilers as possible. I make absolutely no promises, but I will try really hard.
Let’s Break Down the Shifter World
Before we get into the story, here’s a quick breakdown of the hierarchy:
- Null-shifters: Ordinary mortals with no powers and no ability to shift.
- Betas: Enhanced soldiers who are stronger and faster than null-shifters but cannot shift.
- Alphas: Immortal war generals who transform into powerful creatures.
- Omegas: Rare immortals who generally transform into small, harmless animals.
Now that we’ve completed Shifter Hierarchy 101, let’s talk about Sadie.
The Spoiler-Light Breakdown
The beginning of the book gives us a look into Sadie’s life, how she grew up, and the absolutely terrible position she currently finds herself in.
Sadie’s realm is fighting an ongoing war against a Fae Queen who keeps sending giant fucking bugs through portals to kill everyone. Why? Because the queen believes her daughter was kidnapped and brought into the shifter realm.
Sadie grows up believing she is a null-shifter, but she has some unusual characteristics. She has blood-red eyes, extremely pale blonde hair, and is unusually small for her age, thanks to Dick. Yes, that is his actual name, and yes, it fits him perfectly. Sadie also has a psychopath living inside her head who teaches her how to fight and kill. You know, normal girl stuff.
Shortly afterward, some shit goes down, and Sadie ends up at a military training facility for Betas and Alphas. There, she meets three extremely large, ridiculously handsome, and completely terrifying Alphas.
After some words are exchanged, they take her inside, give her a room, and inform her that she will be training at the facility because she is apparently part of their military now. I guess.
An incredibly important and relatable detail about Sadie is that she hates running.
Amen, sister.
Sadie is consistently bullied by the three intimidating Alphas: Jax, Cobra, and Ascher. Eventually, something happens that results in Sadie being forced to become their roommate. Just to be clear, becoming roommates does not stop the bullying.
Thankfully, Sadie becomes best friends with a Beta named Aran. She also adopts a kitten and becomes extremely attached to it, probably because the cat offers more emotional support than her three asshole roommates combined.
As Sadie continues training and begins unlocking some of her own abilities, a huge military ball approaches. This is a pretty big deal because the military, and Alphas in particular, are basically worshipped in this realm.
Sadie gets dressed up and looks absolutely beautiful for the evening. Some things happen at the ball.
Wink, wink. Dirty wink.
Then the book ends with a huge plot twist that will leave you yelling, “WHAT THE FUCK, ASSHOLE?”
At that point, reading the second book, Psycho Fae, stops feeling like a decision and starts feeling like a requirement.
My Overall Thoughts
I thought this book was extremely entertaining. It’s definitely something to read when you aren’t looking for a particularly serious or emotionally sophisticated literary experience.
It made me laugh multiple times, and yes, it is intentionally ridiculous. I genuinely struggled to put it down. In fact, I am slightly ashamed to admit that I read the entire series in one week.
The writing is decent, the plot is chaotic, and the entire experience is just a really good time.
Sadie: The Chaotic Queen of My Heart
Sadie’s humor is unmatched, and her inner monologue is completely unhinged.
The way she copes with trauma will probably feel familiar to a lot of people. Her response is a complicated mixture of shame, embarrassment, emotional avoidance, and enough dark humor to keep herself functioning.
Sadie has experienced an unbelievable amount of trauma, but the book doesn’t make that her entire personality. She can be traumatized, hilarious, vulnerable, violent, and ridiculous at the same time. That complexity is one of the biggest reasons I love her.
The Three Alpha Assholes
In Book One, your favorite Alpha will most likely be Jax because he is the least asshole-ish of the three. Please understand that this is an incredibly low bar.
Jax is the massive armored-bear Alpha and the closest thing the group has to a calm leader. Cobra is beautiful, volatile, and surrounded by terrifying shadow snakes. Ascher is a tattooed devil-ram with horns and a serious attitude problem.
They are all powerful, attractive, and absolutely terrible to Sadie for a significant portion of the book.
Naturally, we keep reading.
Romance and Spice Check
Is this series a slow burn? There is definitely some immediate physical attraction, but actual romance is still developing throughout the first book.
For Book One, I would rate the romance approximately 1.5 out of 5.
For the spice level, I would give it approximately 2.5 out of 5. There is sexual content, but the first book spends considerably more time establishing the characters, the military conflict, and the relationships among the group.
Audiobook Recommendation
If you enjoy audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to this series. The narration helps the sarcasm, ridiculousness, and unhinged humor come through even more clearly.
Sometimes a narrator simply understands the assignment, and this is one of those times.
Who Should Read This?
You will probably enjoy Psycho Shifters if you like:
- Dark shifter romance
- Why-choose relationships
- MM relationship dynamics
- Morally questionable love interests
- Traumatized but hilarious heroines
- Chaotic plots
- Unhinged internal monologues
- Cliffhangers that personally victimize you
However, check the content warnings before reading because the story includes abuse, bullying, violence, sexual violence, trauma, and several other dark themes.
Final Verdict
Is Psycho Shifters a literary masterpiece? No.
Did I have an absolutely unhinged amount of fun reading it? Yes.
Sadie carried this book on her traumatized little back, and the cliffhanger made starting Psycho Fae feel less like a choice and more like a threat.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Spice level: 2.5 out of 5
Romance level: 1.5 out of 5