Need for Independence
As it is with any young adult, Faythe yearns to liberate herself from hovering parents and seek her autonomy in a world she creates. The Shifter series follows her journey as she pursues this independence even though she sometimes fails at it. In Stray, we are introduced to a young Faythe in college after leaving the Pride to seek a more human experience. There is danger looming for tabby cats such as Faythe since Strays are hunting female werecats therefore she has to be vigilant. She denies constant protection from the Enforcers and the safety within the Pride but rather goes into the world by herself. Even though her choices are occasionally immature and not thought-out she strives to protect herself. Her determination and haughtiness is an indication that she desires to be seen as independent and capable. Moreover, Faythe's quest for autonomy is not just that, it is also female liberation from the gender roles and expectations of society and her species. She becomes the only female werecat to be an Enforcer which breaks the norm of tabby cats’ dependency on male werecats for protection.
Family and Duty
In this world of shapeshifters, the werecats live in a Pride thus it comes with responsibilities. The packs are located all around the country but Faythe belongs to the South-Central Pride in Texas. Each werecat has their specific duties in the community and has to abide to ensure their wellbeing and safety. However, certain roles feel outmoded to the new generation particularly the gender roles for women. Since the tabby cats, female werecats, are endangered they are overprotected and the younger ones are expected to give birth and stay within the pack. She is a child of an Alpha, a position which possesses much more pressure to have a mate and breed children for the sake of the Pride. Faythe has to battle with the dilemma of fulfilling her familial duties while also seeking her independence. She is outspoken hence is always in an argument with her parents about whom she is supposed to be. As the story progresses Faythe defies the various expectations placed on her by her family to curve her own reality.
Survival of the Fittest
This universe is populated by various shapeshifters and creatures with different alliances and agendas. Some seek to eliminate the other due to hatred while others seek to ensure the survival of their kind over the other. The Pride werecats are the more noble cats but have to face adversaries such as strays, thunderbirds, jungle cats, and wildcats. Faythe as the heroine has to encounter challenges both physically and mentally in protecting herself and the Pride. She incurs a lot of injuries in her many vicious fights with the Strays and the other enemies in the land. Each with their own agenda but most significant in the book is the threat of Strays upon the female werecats. Since they are rare they are sorted after by the strays who hope to breed more of their own. Other conflicts involve the ferocious thunderbirds, which makes the fights far more deadly and vicious. Within the pride they are not spared the conflicts either as there is a power struggle happening in the background and becomes extreme as the story progresses.
