Christer Lende

The Beast Hunters

I usually try not to take on too many ebooks for review as I have never been the most organized person. But I also find it hard to say no, so I usually never agree to attach a date to when I will read it by. Even with those excuses in place, I would still consider this late as hell, so I am truly sorry! With that being said, I have bought all the ebooks for the trilogy, and I also bought this one on audio when it came to my attention I still hadn’t gotten to it yet. I do try to make my small amends. The narration by Jonathan Johns was solid, I enjoyed the voices he did and his pronouncements of all the monsters. 

When a beast surprises Ara parents, they fall victim to the deadly attack. Ara is left with nothing and no one, and although her parents weren’t shining beacons of parenthood, that’s still a daunting reality to find yourself in for someone that’s not quite an adult yet. In enter the beast hunters to save the day. They were working another case, and therefore they were too late to save her parents. They take her under their wings, and while she’s traveling with them, they gain her trust and begin to teach her of the world and monsters around her. When they reach their destination of Cornstead, they are plunged into mystery, deception, and a bit of short-legged mayhem!

This read like a coming of age, young adult blend of The Witcher and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Like if Geralt was a little less gruff (a lot less) and the world wasn’t so dark. If Ciri wasn’t always gone and was instead more the focus. This world is described as being filled with dangerous monsters and beasts, many with cool and original names like Fantastic Beasts. However, with most of the story taking place within the walls of Cornstead, the reader doesn’t actually get to experience many. Instead, we receive an almost inspector’s apprentice mystery, where we learn only as clues trickle in. With that being said, it’s certainly in no way slow, it just took me by surprise. 

Though the ending was a little rushed for me, as I did not feel fully connected to the trio of characters yet, I really do enjoy them. I liked how the author weaved a story that started with abusive parents and then gave us the rest of the story with understanding and accepting male protectors. Ara has to battle within to trust them, to let them in, and that continues on to the very last page. The town’s guard is displayed to perfectly play off of them with male toxicity and anger. 

It fittingly felt almost like finishing The Sword of Destiny, where the Witcher shorts only leave you wanting more—as a book one, this is poised to do just that in the sequels. 

C. J. Daley 

I usually try not to take on too many ebooks for review as I have never been the most organized person. But I also find it hard to say no, so I usually never agree to attach a date to when I will read it by. Even with those excuses in place, I would still consider this late as hell, so I am truly sorry! With that being said, I have bought all the ebooks for the trilogy, and I also bought this one on audio when it came to my attention I still hadn’t gotten to it yet. I do try to make my small amends. The narration by Jonathan Johns was solid, I enjoyed the voices he did and his pronouncements of all the monsters. 

When a beast surprises Ara parents, they fall victim to the deadly attack. Ara is left with nothing and no one, and although her parents weren’t shining beacons of parenthood, that’s still a daunting reality to find yourself in for someone that’s not quite an adult yet. In enter the beast hunters to save the day. They were working another case, and therefore they were too late to save her parents. They take her under their wings, and while she’s traveling with them, they gain her trust and begin to teach her of the world and monsters around her. When they reach their destination of Cornstead, they are plunged into mystery, deception, and a bit of short-legged mayhem!

This read like a coming of age, young adult blend of The Witcher and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Like if Geralt was a little less gruff (a lot less) and the world wasn’t so dark. If Ciri wasn’t always gone and was instead more the focus. This world is described as being filled with dangerous monsters and beasts, many with cool and original names like Fantastic Beasts. However, with most of the story taking place within the walls of Cornstead, the reader doesn’t actually get to experience many. Instead, we receive an almost inspector’s apprentice mystery, where we learn only as clues trickle in. With that being said, it’s certainly in no way slow, it just took me by surprise. 

Though the ending was a little rushed for me, as I did not feel fully connected to the trio of characters yet, I really do enjoy them. I liked how the author weaved a story that started with abusive parents and then gave us the rest of the story with understanding and accepting male protectors. Ara has to battle within to trust them, to let them in, and that continues on to the very last page. The town’s guard is displayed to perfectly play off of them with male toxicity and anger. 

It fittingly felt almost like finishing The Sword of Destiny, where the Witcher shorts only leave you wanting more—as a book one, this is poised to do just that in the sequels. 

Ingrid 

TW: Physical and mental abuse, gore

Holy shit. This was amazing. If you like stories with fantastical beasts, mysteries and well developed characters. This one is for you!

This book follows Ara, a young woman who gets her whole life turned upside down and find herself on a journey with two beast hunters. She must learn, and do so quickly, in order to help solve a mystery. 

There's a lot I loved in this book, so let's start with the basics. The world was well built up, without getting overly detailed. We're introduced to the different beasts over a long period of time and in an organic way. It doesn't get overwhelming yet manages to keep adding layers to the world. The characters are well written, to the point where they seemed real. They all had depth, had distinct voices and stayed believable throughout the book. The pacing of the book was great. There's action from the very beginning, then keeps slowing up and down throughout the book. There was always that intrigue that makes you want to keep reading, pared with a good balance of action and slower scenes. 

The plot of the book was, in my opinion, just amazing. We get presented with a mystery and just enough information to make you try and solve it yourself, never making anything to easy. Just giving you that little something, to make you question things yourself, and having a hard time putting the book down, because you simply need to know. The beasts are original and diverse, with some unique takes on beasts you might have heard of before. 

One thing I'd like to mention is how the topic of abuse was handled. Everyone's experience is different and I can only speak from my own. I felt like it was handled in a very good way. Meaning it wasn't used simply as a plot devise or used as a trope. The abuser isn't made out to be some inhuman monster, but someone who could be a friend, relative or neighbor, like most abusers are. The victim is written with what I felt was genuine understanding of the world they live in. It includes the aftermath and how it changes their way of thinking. It's not magically fixed or gone. This is something I unfortunately see mishandled in a lot of books, and I wanted to include how I think it was handled in this one. 

Another thing I really loved was that even though this is book 1 in a trilogy, it gives you answers. There's still things I want to know, but I felt satisfied whit how it ended. Still very much need to continue this series as soon as possible!! 

All in all an amazing book I highly recommend. It's become an instant favorite of mine and I think it's gonna be one a lot of people love. Give it a try!

The Beast Hunters

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