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sam_alamander's review against another edition
I met the authors in person and they're super nice, so I felt bad putting this book down. It's just- the sudden character change wasn't bad, but then it felt like it character hopped midway through chapter one, plus I feel like it jumped to far ahead into the new character (Yvonne) in chapter one for us to really care about the guy as much as Alix, who was the pov of the prologue. I don't know, that's just me.
crtsjffrsn's review against another edition
4.0
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are hunters. Yes, hunters--of the demon hunter variety. They track down and rid the world of those forces that don't belong here, those sinister forces that threaten all of us. But for Alix, the motivation to be a hunter is quite personal. And when a captured demon tells him of a being that might be able to give him exactly what he wants and undo all of his pain, that motivation becomes a singular focus. But Alix and Fagan are called on to help a friend--Fagan's former hunting partner--and quickly find out there might be more to demons (and the world they come from) than either of them ever could have imagined.
This was a definite page-turner for me--well, in so far as my Kindle has pages. It's a great little urban fantasy story that does a great job of presenting two worlds--both our world and the world of the demons. The characters are dynamic, including--and sometimes especially--the secondary characters, who really add quite a bit to the story. There's a hint of realism (because, let's face it, there is a part of fantasy and science fiction that still needs to seem authentic), and a great balance between the fantastical and the mundane. The story isn't overly complicated, and that's a good thing with the number of characters and entities that come popping in and out between the pages.
Definitely worth a read for those interested in fantasy, paranormal stories, and especially urban fantasy.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.]
This was a definite page-turner for me--well, in so far as my Kindle has pages. It's a great little urban fantasy story that does a great job of presenting two worlds--both our world and the world of the demons. The characters are dynamic, including--and sometimes especially--the secondary characters, who really add quite a bit to the story. There's a hint of realism (because, let's face it, there is a part of fantasy and science fiction that still needs to seem authentic), and a great balance between the fantastical and the mundane. The story isn't overly complicated, and that's a good thing with the number of characters and entities that come popping in and out between the pages.
Definitely worth a read for those interested in fantasy, paranormal stories, and especially urban fantasy.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.]
ravencrantz's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/3
(Rounding up because I do like to support new authors)
HEADS UP SPOILERS AHEAD
So much potential. Such a great premise. Lacking in execution. My main issue was the plot. I still don't know what, exactly, this was about. It's called "Seeking the Storyteller", so I suppose the storyteller is the main plot, but what about finding Xaver's killer? Or fighting this war? Or dealing with all these demons they main group is suddenly housing? And let's not forget learning about Alix's tragic past. Of, and Cyn's, too! The plot was everywhere, and at times hard to follow. It didn't really all come together in the end, either. At least not well.
Then there was all the information thrown at us. It was a lot of telling and not showing. Telling me someone had a scowl on their face and was therefore angry or upset. I don't need that. I know they are angry or upset because they are scowling. I can tell when Alix is angry because he is yelling, I don't need the narrator to tell me. And with Mira, you have a great chance to use her ears to express her emotions, and for the most part it's used that way, but again, it's elaborated to telling us what her ears plastered against her head means. There was a lot of that throughout the book, and it was very hard for me to get through because of that.
On the subject of Mira, how old is she? She is described as a "young woman", yet her mannerisms and way of speaking suggest she is merely a child. I wouldn't mind so much, except she keeps flirting with other characters and is looked at in romantic ways and since I visualized her around eight years old, this was very creepy and confusing.
I also feel as if the authors kind of took everything people on tumblr say they want in a book (someone who isn't heterosexual, but isn't bound by that fact, a genderqueer character, demons, magic, other worlds, war, cat girls, you name it, really) and just shoved it into one story. It made for a mess of characters with clunky and just downright boring dialogue. Okay, Alix is really Alixandre who lost her fiancee and unborn child and is now hunting demons because of that, but masquerades as a man, Alix, just because people take him more seriously that way. Fine, I'm cool with that. Sure, Katalynn flirts with Fagan all day long, but what she really wants is to go out with that hot bartender she saw the other night. That's cool, too. Oh and Cyn is a goth because she couldn't stand her father experimenting on her. And Mira is part fox, with Zach hitting on her because she's a cute cat-girl. Okay...? It just didn't work together.
I love the idea, though. Trying to find the writer of your life, your "story", to change something you didn't like. It's a wonderful idea, I just think with the addition of war, demons, and whatever was going on in this book made it a big mess. Really, it has great potential, but needs a lot of work.
(Rounding up because I do like to support new authors)
HEADS UP SPOILERS AHEAD
So much potential. Such a great premise. Lacking in execution. My main issue was the plot. I still don't know what, exactly, this was about. It's called "Seeking the Storyteller", so I suppose the storyteller is the main plot, but what about finding Xaver's killer? Or fighting this war? Or dealing with all these demons they main group is suddenly housing? And let's not forget learning about Alix's tragic past. Of, and Cyn's, too! The plot was everywhere, and at times hard to follow. It didn't really all come together in the end, either. At least not well.
Then there was all the information thrown at us. It was a lot of telling and not showing. Telling me someone had a scowl on their face and was therefore angry or upset. I don't need that. I know they are angry or upset because they are scowling. I can tell when Alix is angry because he is yelling, I don't need the narrator to tell me. And with Mira, you have a great chance to use her ears to express her emotions, and for the most part it's used that way, but again, it's elaborated to telling us what her ears plastered against her head means. There was a lot of that throughout the book, and it was very hard for me to get through because of that.
On the subject of Mira, how old is she? She is described as a "young woman", yet her mannerisms and way of speaking suggest she is merely a child. I wouldn't mind so much, except she keeps flirting with other characters and is looked at in romantic ways and since I visualized her around eight years old, this was very creepy and confusing.
I also feel as if the authors kind of took everything people on tumblr say they want in a book (someone who isn't heterosexual, but isn't bound by that fact, a genderqueer character, demons, magic, other worlds, war, cat girls, you name it, really) and just shoved it into one story. It made for a mess of characters with clunky and just downright boring dialogue. Okay, Alix is really Alixandre who lost her fiancee and unborn child and is now hunting demons because of that, but masquerades as a man, Alix, just because people take him more seriously that way. Fine, I'm cool with that. Sure, Katalynn flirts with Fagan all day long, but what she really wants is to go out with that hot bartender she saw the other night. That's cool, too. Oh and Cyn is a goth because she couldn't stand her father experimenting on her. And Mira is part fox, with Zach hitting on her because she's a cute cat-girl. Okay...? It just didn't work together.
I love the idea, though. Trying to find the writer of your life, your "story", to change something you didn't like. It's a wonderful idea, I just think with the addition of war, demons, and whatever was going on in this book made it a big mess. Really, it has great potential, but needs a lot of work.
metalmakubex's review against another edition
adventurous
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
skjam's review
3.0
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, tracking down and killing monsters called “demons” that harm humans. They’re experienced and work well together, and the Twin Cities are surprisingly monster-infested so they’re doing quite well for themselves, with a warehouse headquarters and full-time administrative assistant.
But not all “demons” are equally evil or destructive. Some are pretty benign. So when a shadowy creature named Dox reveals that he knows the whereabouts of the Storyteller, a demon with the power to (among other things) alter the past, Alix is listening. At least enough not to kill Dox, because there’s a part of Alix’s past that really needs changing.
Meanwhile, in the alternate world the monsters come from, a Scough (fox-person) girl named Mira realizes that her father is acting out of character in a way that seems sinister. Her magic book suggests seeking help, but that would require going to the most dangerous place of all–Earth.
This urban fantasy novel is by a pair of local writers, and is self-published. While most of the protagonists are adults, this book really has more of a “young adult” feel to it.
Randall and Alix are called to the aid of an older Hunter named Xaver, who was a mentor to both of them. They arrive too late, and then first battle and then inherit Xaver’s latest ward, a boy named Haven who’s bonded to an Ice Dragon. At this point, they also meet Dox’s friend Cyn, a former rich girl who was forcibly bonded with a plant-type monster.
The investigation of Xaver’s death is derailed by the arrival of Mira, who dragoons them all into helping her with her father’s plight, moving the cast to her world! This does, however tie into several characters’ own arcs so it’s not a waste of time.
This story feels very much like a novelization of a television series, with both good and bad aspects of that. The characters were easy to visualize, and I could see how their powers would work on screen. Their voices were distinct. The cast is reasonably diverse and LGBTQ+ characters included, some without that being their main character point.
On the other hand, I found the characterization shallow, and the investigation of Xaver’s murder too easily shoved aside without consideration of the possible risk to other Hunters. A couple of the subplots were blatant plothooks for the sequel Beneath the Chapter, which is already out if you like this book.
Content issues: child abuse, attempted rape, miscarriage, misgendering (one character’s situation is complicated–possibly over-complicated.) There’s some ethnic prejudice against the French in a running gag that again feels like it was made for television.
Overall, I think this book is best suited to fans of urban fantasy television shows looking for something similar. If the books sell well, I would not be surprised if an adaptation appeared on Netflix or Hulu in a few years.
But not all “demons” are equally evil or destructive. Some are pretty benign. So when a shadowy creature named Dox reveals that he knows the whereabouts of the Storyteller, a demon with the power to (among other things) alter the past, Alix is listening. At least enough not to kill Dox, because there’s a part of Alix’s past that really needs changing.
Meanwhile, in the alternate world the monsters come from, a Scough (fox-person) girl named Mira realizes that her father is acting out of character in a way that seems sinister. Her magic book suggests seeking help, but that would require going to the most dangerous place of all–Earth.
This urban fantasy novel is by a pair of local writers, and is self-published. While most of the protagonists are adults, this book really has more of a “young adult” feel to it.
Randall and Alix are called to the aid of an older Hunter named Xaver, who was a mentor to both of them. They arrive too late, and then first battle and then inherit Xaver’s latest ward, a boy named Haven who’s bonded to an Ice Dragon. At this point, they also meet Dox’s friend Cyn, a former rich girl who was forcibly bonded with a plant-type monster.
The investigation of Xaver’s death is derailed by the arrival of Mira, who dragoons them all into helping her with her father’s plight, moving the cast to her world! This does, however tie into several characters’ own arcs so it’s not a waste of time.
This story feels very much like a novelization of a television series, with both good and bad aspects of that. The characters were easy to visualize, and I could see how their powers would work on screen. Their voices were distinct. The cast is reasonably diverse and LGBTQ+ characters included, some without that being their main character point.
On the other hand, I found the characterization shallow, and the investigation of Xaver’s murder too easily shoved aside without consideration of the possible risk to other Hunters. A couple of the subplots were blatant plothooks for the sequel Beneath the Chapter, which is already out if you like this book.
Content issues: child abuse, attempted rape, miscarriage, misgendering (one character’s situation is complicated–possibly over-complicated.) There’s some ethnic prejudice against the French in a running gag that again feels like it was made for television.
Overall, I think this book is best suited to fans of urban fantasy television shows looking for something similar. If the books sell well, I would not be surprised if an adaptation appeared on Netflix or Hulu in a few years.
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