Hunter by Mercedes Lackey - ESSENTIAL

Lackey, Mercedes, Hunter. Pgs. 374. Disney Hyperion, 2015. $17.99. 

Language: G, Mature Content: PG-13, Violence: PG-13

Since the Diseray occurred, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld have come down. Terrifying creatures right out of nightmares have crossed over.  It is the job of a group of elite people known as Hunters to stop these creatures down without the Cits (normal people) from noticing. After her parents’ deaths, Joy Creatures has lived in a monastery where they train people to fight them. One day, her 7 hounds appear, which marks her a Hunter. When her uncle finds out, he sends for her to join the others in Apex City. Homesick, Joy has a hard time adjusting to the extravagant, video-taped, wasteful lifestyles of the Cits. As she trains, however, she begins to realize that the government has been hiding a lot more about the Otherworlders than she could have ever imagined. With the Otherworlders getting more dangerous and clever by the day, can she and the other Hunters stop them before too many get hurt?

Mercedes Lackey masterfully brings this book to life with her fast-paced action and intriguing well-developed, complex mystery/adventure plot. The character’s well-developed, unique personalities easily draw the reader into Joy’s world. The author easily mixes action, mystery, and dialogue without losing the reader. With an ending that will make readers wish the next book was available in the series, science fiction and fantasy fans will have a hard time putting this one down. Recommended for any library collection.

MS, HS. ESSENTIAL.

Reviewer; Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.