Hunter

This is the first in a series of epic fantasy novellas and while I don't normally enjoy shorter stories...I really enjoyed this! I am beginning to see why book episodes are becoming popular. Its like a TV show for books.

In this first episode, we are given a taste of the overall picture. The lands are overrun with monsters and hunters, like Eric and Alice, are doing what they can to minimize their existence.

This was done well, IMO, as you are drawn into the story and then BAM, it's done and you're left wanting more. I am excited for these as its my first episode driven series and I love the content and characters already.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This one comes out October 22!

25% in and I can't stand this.
Joyeaux Charmand is the main character and even her name sounds like the author is desperately trying to convince you she is cool and you will love her. I didn't. Basically she is some sort of a warrior type, raised on a mountain (or Mountain, as they call it, wow) in some monastery. In this place everyone is welcome, except Christians, because religious differences that are part of history and even today are nothing, just Everyone Good VS Christians Bad. The creativity! The originality! The daring! I'm not even religious at all, but even to me this was laughable.
So at Monastery Diverse they are raising people to hunt scary scary magical creatures who started showing up because of some magical catastrophe, I think very creatively caused by Christians.
But now Joy needs to go to the capitol, which is very Hunger Games, because her influential uncle called her there. Apparently hunters are celebrities there? Dunno.

This book is very teenage girl in the worst sense of it. It's immature and lacks a feeling of depth, like nothing going on is serving a real purpose in a plausible society. Of course teenage characters are super mega competent and trusted with things. Like who the fuck would assign a teen bodyguard to do something important? Would you trust a kid with your life like that?
Joy's personality makes just as little sense. She constantly has to narrate her own feelings, saying how a real hunter should be. She is ... I will be real, she is a whiny child. Why is she simultaneously presented as this hyper competent hero and also completely useless and annoying? Even her inner monologue made me cringe. She called two characters she just met “yummy strangers”. Now some of you will probably say hey, she is just layered. But no, her personality is not built up, it's just cliche and lame, whining and being a baby, but I am told she is very badass. I have Throne of Glass flashbacks.

Mercedes Lackey's books are always about the most super special person among special people. Joyeaux is certainly no exception. She's also a bit bland. She's your average highly trained fighter with little interest in fashion and empathy for the common man. She says “Wait what?” a lot because I guess that's how teenagers talk now.

The other thing Mercedes Lackey is big on is world building and Hunter has that in spades. The first 15-20% of the book is especially dense with annoying details. It gets a lot better after that but you may want to skim or even skip ahead. The only thing of import that happens during that section will be referred back to enough that you're not really missing out.

The hunters fight mythological monsters for the protection and entertainment of civilians. You've got that Hunger Games PR idea but Joy is able to watch the coverage and respond as needed. If you're into mythology, it's fun to identify what they're hunting, sometimes before the hunters do. But Joy having to describe some to the seasoned hunters (because she's so special) gets really old.

I hated the love interest. But at least there's no love triangle. The best friends are okay. The rival is cookie cutter. Nobody else gets much development.

Warning: Modern religions are mentioned and Christianity does not fare well in this dystopia.