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Joyeaux Charmand is no ordinary teenager. Living in a dangerous world filled with magical predators, Joy is a Hunter. She uses magic, her magical ally hounds and her native wits, cunning and strength to protect the humans around her from being consumed by a host of supernatural nasties. But vampires and elven mages aren’t the only dangers in her world. Hunter Joy also has to shield the community she was raised and trained in from the powerful people of Apex City, who would strip her beloved Mountain of all its protectors. By joining the Hunters of Apex, Joy hopes to save her friends, but she finds that Apex is a much more dangerous place than she imagined.
When she arrives in the big city she is stunned to find that she, along with all the others Hunters, is a celebrity — expected to dress lavishly, attend parties and cater to fans. She even enjoys a budding romance with a handsome young serviceman. But Joy sees through the glitter and discovers that the boundaries that protect Apex from predator incursions seem to be weakening, allowing more attacks than ever before. There are hints that some mysterious mastermind is behind it all — and it seems that he/she/it is deliberately targeting Joy.
Though at first glance this book looks a lot like The Hunger Games, it has a different spin. I found that Hunter had more mystery and romance than Hunger Games and was a tad less politically charged. The writing was just as compelling, though, and I was disappointed when the book ended. None of the mysteries were solved and it looks like the book will have a sequel or two, which I look forward to reading.
Rated: Mild, for about 10 mild profanities and some violence. Two characters die and a host of magical monsters, but the accounts are rather more action-oriented than gore-filled. No sex within.
