I recieved an audio book copy from the author in exchange for a honest review. What we have here is a grim adventure story long time fans of The Witcher will love. Each chapter seemed to end right on the spot where you wanted to know just a little more before drifting off to sleep. A true page turner in the best way possible and I hope you are all ready for a adventure sure to steal your heart.
Ara is a simple girl living in the country side with her parents. After witnessing the death of her mom and dad at the hands of a giant beast, Ara is rescued by two beast hunters Khendric and Topper. The two hunters realize the pain Ara is going through and decide to invite her on their journey to become a beast hunter herself. On the trip to Cornstead, Ara will learn all about the beasts of the wild, potions to help the crew, and unravel the mysteries around why the beasts are plaguing Cornstead. Dark magic is about to be unleased and Ara will be the one caught in the middle of it all. This will be a novel you will not want to miss.
Although Ara is the main character and a good view point for this debut novel, I was by far more invested in the two male beast hunters Khendric and Topper. Khendric is the older and wiser of the two and knows his way around the wilds, while the younger hunter Topper tries interesting and funny ways to be clever and try new things. Each one holds a mystery or two of their own and will be revealed to the readers at just the right time. Although The Beast Hunters will be enjoyed by a YA audience there is so much grit and pain in this novel that any fantasy reader will breath it in like a cold chill watching the morning sunrise. The writing style is very fast paced and I am in awe at just how much world building the author was able to pack into a novel just over two hundred pages. Shocking twists are also the name of the game with this debut and many of them I was not able to guess at all.
With the trilogy now being completed, The Beast Hunters of Asnbourn will absolutley be a series I intend to finish this year. If you are like me and find yourself in a bit of a reading slump, then this is the novel to snap you about of it. I sure hope the sequels are just as good as this debut because I am coming in hot!
Cheers!
Under The Radar SFF Books 