The Shapeshifter is a children's book series by Ali Sparks following the adventures of Dax Jones, a boy who can shapeshift into a fox and fellow C.O.L.A's (Children of limitless ability) as they discover their supernatural powers.
There are five books in the series which are (in order)
- Finding the Fox
- Running the Risk
- Going to Ground
- Dowsing the Dead
- Stirring the Storm
Warning: Spoilers ahead
This book series provides examples of:
- All Aliens Have Superpowers: all of the COLA's mothers races
- Badass Normal: Owen Hind, even managed to sneak up on Dax in fox form.
- Bad Powers, Bad People: Used and Averted, Catherine is a parasite and a psychopath, but Mia the good natured vegetarian can set people on fire
- Disappeared Dad:Dax's father, an oil rig worker.
- Disney Death: Owen, who appears to fall to his death, but is later revealed to be alive.
- Empathic Healer: Mia, but over time she become able to do this without hurting herself.
- Enfant Terrible: Catherine Reader, parasite.
- Family-Unfriendly Death: Catherine's. Oh so much.
- Wicked Stepmother:
- Explosive Leash: Used rather disturbingly in the last book on the COLA's also acts as a Power Nullifier in the form of chip implanted in the back of their skulls
- Good Powers, Bad People: One character royally abuses his 'charm' power.
- Glamour: Two characters not being vulnerable to this is important to the story.
- I See Dead People: One character is a medium, and she's not happy about it.
- Half-Human Hybrid: The C.O.L.A's are half alien.
- Healing Hands:Mia
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: Dax Jones, although less over time.
- Master of Illusion: What Spook Williams likes to think he is.
- Mysterious Animal Senses: A by-product of Dax's shapeshifting
- Psychic Powers: Loads of them
- Sadistic Choice: Catherine forces Dax to chose between saving his father, or saving Owen, whilst both are hanging on a oil rig.
- Shapeshifter Baggage: used and lampshaded
- Twin Telepathy
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Dax Jones, any chance he gets.Can take fox, falcon and otter forms