Hunter

Lackey, Mercedes. Hunter. Disney-Hyperion, 2015.

A fantasy read-alike for fans of Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior, who enjoy epic world-building sequences like those in Tolkien's work.

This book involves two things I dislike in stories: massive quantities of info-dumping / world-building and angsty teens who think they are special snowflakes. There is definitely a time and place for giving the reader the backstory for a large fantasy series, but it can be done in a way that doesn't seem tedious. In Hunter, unfortunately, the details bog down the bigger story and only the most dedicated readers will be able to see their way out. Lackey is also unfortunate in that she chose now to publish a book about a teen girl who is the only one who can save her world, a story line which has been repeated so many times recently that it's almost a joke.

This is a good fantasy story for strong readers who love fantasy and enjoy the journey of world-building, but the average reader will drown in the details and without the special snowflake to rescue them, they may never recover.

Recommended for: teens, fans of fantasy

Red Flags: fantasy violence

Overall Rating: 2/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.