Scan barcode
A review by paperbackd
Zdobycz by Andrew Fukuda
5.0
Fukuda's The Hunt was one of the best surprises of 2012 - a deliciously creepy, brilliantly-written debut which brought vampires back from sexy to scary and introduced a completely original zombiefied take on vampire lore. Fukuda managed to surpass my expectations with The Prey, delivering a story which was just as creepy, fast-paced and mind-reeling, while also neatly justifying a few of the gaping plot holes which let the first book down.
Warning: Spoilers for book one from here onwards!
The Prey picks up the story just a few hours after the shocking conclusion of The Hunt; Gene, our narrator, has made his escape with the rest of the Hepers and is struggling to come to terms with the revelation that his father may still be alive. As much as I loved Fukuda's decision to tell the story from the perspective of an unlikable protagonist in The Hunt, I also really enjoyed Gene's character development in this sequel. As their journey continues, Gene bonds with Sissy, Epap and the other boys, becoming remarkably sympathetic and human in their company.
Much of their journey involves Gene and Sissy learning the truth about the world beyond the Dome while searching for a mysterious object called 'the Origin' which is rumoured to be their salvation. The Hepers find themselves in a strange village run by humans who claim to be the final "outpost" of humanity. It's impossible to say much more without revealing some major plot twists, but I will say that Fuduka proves himself once again to be a master of horror, suspense and action. The scenes in the village are slower and less suspenseful than the first book, but the action of the last third of the book more than makes up for the slower sections. There's another big revelation at the end of The Prey and it's even more shocking than the ending of the first book.
Definitely a must-read for fans of The Hunt! This series is no longer just "The Hunger Games with vampires" - it deserves to be placed in a category of its own. Fukuda is a new favourite author; I can't wait for the conclusion of this series and I'm looking forward to reading whatever he writes next.
Triggering content includes implied sexual assault, rape, emotional abuse and physical abuse.
Rating: 5 stars
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd
Warning: Spoilers for book one from here onwards!
The Prey picks up the story just a few hours after the shocking conclusion of The Hunt; Gene, our narrator, has made his escape with the rest of the Hepers and is struggling to come to terms with the revelation that his father may still be alive. As much as I loved Fukuda's decision to tell the story from the perspective of an unlikable protagonist in The Hunt, I also really enjoyed Gene's character development in this sequel. As their journey continues, Gene bonds with Sissy, Epap and the other boys, becoming remarkably sympathetic and human in their company.
Much of their journey involves Gene and Sissy learning the truth about the world beyond the Dome while searching for a mysterious object called 'the Origin' which is rumoured to be their salvation. The Hepers find themselves in a strange village run by humans who claim to be the final "outpost" of humanity. It's impossible to say much more without revealing some major plot twists, but I will say that Fuduka proves himself once again to be a master of horror, suspense and action. The scenes in the village are slower and less suspenseful than the first book, but the action of the last third of the book more than makes up for the slower sections. There's another big revelation at the end of The Prey and it's even more shocking than the ending of the first book.
Definitely a must-read for fans of The Hunt! This series is no longer just "The Hunger Games with vampires" - it deserves to be placed in a category of its own. Fukuda is a new favourite author; I can't wait for the conclusion of this series and I'm looking forward to reading whatever he writes next.
Triggering content includes implied sexual assault, rape, emotional abuse and physical abuse.
Rating: 5 stars
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd