Hunter by Mercedes Lackey [ARC REVIEW]

TITLE: Hunter (Hunter #1)
AUTHOR: Mercedes Lackey
PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
PUB DATE: Sep 1 2015

They came after the Diseray. Some were terrors ripped from our collective imaginations, remnants of every mythology across the world. And some were like nothing anyone had ever dreamed up, even in their worst nightmares.

Monsters.

Long ago, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were ripped open, and it’s taken centuries to bring back civilization in the wake of the catastrophe. Now, the luckiest Cits live in enclosed communities, behind walls that keep them safe from the hideous creatures fighting to break through. Others are not so lucky.

To Joyeaux Charmand, who has been a Hunter in her tight-knit mountain community since she was a child, every Cit without magic deserves her protection from dangerous Othersiders. Then she is called to Apex City, where the best Hunters are kept to protect the most important people.

Joy soon realizes that the city’s powerful leaders care more about luring Cits into a false sense of security than protecting them. More and more monsters are getting through the barriers, and the close calls are becoming too frequent to ignore. Yet the Cits have no sense of how much danger they’re in—to them, Joy and her corps of fellow Hunters are just action stars they watch on TV.

When an act of sabotage against Joy takes an unbearable toll, she uncovers a terrifying conspiracy in the city. There is something much worse than the usual monsters infiltrating Apex. And it may be too late to stop them…

- Source: Goodreads

Rating:

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“If you don’t look after your fellow man, if you think that what you want is always more important than what anyone else wants or needs, you’re not human, and that’s that. There is no virtue in selfishness, not one bit.”

Magic, monsters, dystopia, action, and mystery; plus a little frill, romance and TV entertainment added in. That sums up what Hunter by Mercedes Lackey is about.

I requested a copy of this book from NetGalley when I saw that Mercedes Lackey wrote it. While I am well aware of the style of writing she has for Adult Fantasy stories, finding out that she ventured to the Young Adult bracket was something I couldn’t stop myself from nosing into.

Like most of the books I’ve read from her, Mercedes Lackey opened Hunter with a very strong introduction. No doubt that she can definitely tell a story. Although I may have been used to her writing style from her previous books, I have to admit that this took longer than expected to rave on the eventful side of things.

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey [REVIEW]

TITLE: Beauty and the Werewolf

             (Five Hundred Kingdoms #6)

AUTHOR: Mercedes Lackey

PUBLISHER: Luna

PUB DATE: Oct 18 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

"The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella—Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant—vows to escape the usual pitfalls.

Anxious to avoid the traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman. But on the way home she's attacked by a wolf—who turns out to be a cursed nobleman. Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh—when he isn't howling at the moon.

Bella knows all too well that breaking spells is never easy. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he's only an occasional werewolf) and a little Godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending..."

Rating:

I usually start my review with giving a rundown of the book in question but right now I am not in the mood to do just that for Beauty and the Werewolf.

*Sigh* I don’t know why I bothered continuing on reading from this series, even though I know that the last few books from Mercedes Lackey’s Five Hundred Kingdoms haven’t left me satisfied at all. I guess the promise of a fairy tale retelling and mash ups made me drawn to it. Those are after all, my weaknesses.

Beauty and the Werewolf is a retelling story of “Red Riding Hood” and “Beauty and the Beast” combined, in its own way I guess. The protagonist’s name is Bella, who claims to be the clever girl, whose age is beyond marriage years (since this took place in the medieval times, people married young, being twenty and up considers a woman a spinster), and wants nothing more than withstand the fate The Tradition, an unconscious powerful force that entail kingdoms to have fairy tale undertakings, wishes to push on her.

Book Haul [17]

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My "Weekly Book Haul" is pretty much just like In My Mailbox by the Story Siren, This Week In Books by Pop Culture Junkie, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews and all the other titles with the similar concept here and there. This is a weekly post showcasing the books you received for the given week, either bought online or from a physical bookstore, borrowed from the library or from a friend, received for review or won from a giveaway, etc.

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Hello everyone! How was your week? I hope you had a good one.

I am so eager to show you what I got this week. I'm so giddy about them, I had to stop myself from forming the idea of posting my haul at the middle of the week. If I did, then I'd have nothing to post for today. Yeah, over-excited, much?

So here are the books that I got this week:

These are the ones that came in the mail from the Book Depository. Most of them are books I've already read via Net Galley, blog book tours, and/or review requests but I didn't have printed copies yet.

One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey

        

One Good Knight
(Five Hundred Kingdoms #2)
by Mercedes Lackey

Summary from Goodreads:

"When a dragon storms the castle, what should a (virgin) princess do?

Why, turn to her studies, of course! But nothing practical-minded Princess Andromeda of Acadia finds gives a definitive solution. The only Traditional answer, though, is soothing the marauding dragon by a virgin sacrifice. Things are going fairly smoothly with the lottery -- except for the women chosen, of course -- until Princess Andromeda herself is picked!

But facing down the dragon doesn't go quite as planned, and now, with the help of her Champion, Sir George, Andromeda searches for the dragon's lair. But even -- especially -- in the Five Hundred Kingdoms, bucking Tradition isn't easy. It takes the strongest of wills, knowledge, quick wits and a refusal to give up, no matter what happens along the way . . ."

Rating:

I've seen a number of reviewers not pleased with One Good Knight. When I read it myself, I had mixed feelings about it. My mind has been switching from liking to not then liking it again, and then not...again. By the ending I was really confused.

I enjoyed reading the book, don't get me wrong. I was really pleased to see this take lesser pages than Lackey's other books that tended to be so descriptive. I also found the characters very likeable and the twist with regards to the champion was really sneaky! And I absolutely did not expect it.

What bothered me was that I didn't get to know the villains that much. There was a constant mystery about their agenda with each scene that they appear at but there wasn't much of a revelation in the end.

Also, as much as I liked the "happily ever after" thing with Lackey's stories. I think this was a bit too much of a cliche. I get that this is a fairy tale after all and I'm happy for the characters but there wasn't much to it to commend about.

Overall I think it was okay, plus points on being more fast paced than the other books... and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

In My Mailbox [17]

In My Mailbox [17]

hosted by The Story Siren

Another week of bliss!

My mom and I are busy going from one shopping mall to the other, looking for potential Christmas presents we could give out...and a few pieces of clothes for us too. Of course, a mall trip is not complete without dropping by a bookstore! LOL.

Anyway, here's what I got:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Haven't read Clockwork Angel but I'm hoping to do so soon, what's the harm in getting the next, right? And sorry about the picture's quality, I felt lazy to get my digicam out from... wherever it is kept, and just used my phone to take a shot of this book. 

Also got this in the mail this week from the Book Depository:

One Good Knight by Mercedes Lackey

(Currently Reading)

Oh, and yeah like I said a while ago, I do have a few non-book splurges:

Shorts from Rough Rider Jeans

Black Long-sleeved top from GAP

Green and Purple tops from No Boundaries

Black Crackled and Matte Blue Polish from Miss Quinn 

So what did you guys get this week?

The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey

        

The Snow Queen
(Five Hundred Kingdoms #4)
by Mercedes Lackey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Aleksia, Queen of the Northern Lights, is mysterious, beautiful and widely known to have a heart of ice. But when she's falsely accused of unleashing evil on nearby villages, she realizes there's an impostor out there far more heartless than she could ever be.

And when a young warrior disappears, Aleksia's powers are needed as never before.

Now, on a journey through a realm of perpetual winter, it will take all her skills, a mother's faith and a little magic to face down an enemy more formidable than any she has ever known…."

Rating:

Ever since I read the Fairy Godmother, the first book of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, it became my goal to read all of these books. As of today, the only books I haven’t read are One Good Knight, Harvest Moon which is a novella and the upcoming 6^th book, Beauty and the Werewolf.

So with that in mind, I feel like this series is a little inconsistent. I enjoyed reading The Fairy Godmother, Fortune’s Fool was even better but Sleeping Beauty wasn’t much of a standout. And I’ve read reviews that One Good Knight was not so appealing, which I hope isn’t true. And now for The Snow Queen, I’m really sad to say that I did not enjoy.

I really like the way Mercedes Lackey created her stories from the well-known fairytales we’ve loved when we were kids. In fact, The Snow Queen was the first of the series that I wanted to read. I think it was a good thing that I came upon a copy of the Fairy Godmother first before this book; else I wouldn’t have such a strong urge to read the rest.

I think the characters and the setting were excessively narrated. Too much information really isn’t so good. I was already happy with what I know of the Ice Fairy and the other protagonists but was it really necessary to go over so much detail that really didn’t give much help on what they needed to accomplish?

You know the one thing that really bothered me? This isn’t very much a spoiler, I promise. There’s this part that described a character performed shape shifting. Now I’m all good with the idea but I really don’t think the hunting for prey and feeding off of them needed to be described occupying almost half of a chapter… twice!

Okay, yes, with Lackey’s style of writing, I should’ve expected long narratives but this was just a little too much. Adding that there was not even any romance going on. Sure they have love interests but no sweet scenes or whatever. It was more on the planning and journey side that wasn’t as eventful as I expected.

I don’t question the author’s creativity, and I know she’s an amazing fantasy writer but I guess this book just wasn’t one that I’m in favor of. 

In My Mailbox [16]

In My Mailbox [16]

hosted by The Story Siren

I can't quite pick out whether this week was a good one or a bad one... I think it's a good one because I've got amazing books this week and I'm so happy about that.. but on the other hand, I broke my 3 sole rules about my book-splurging:

1. I will only buy one book each week. - I bought two (2)

2. I will only buy paperback books. - both are hardcovers

3. I will not spend more than Php500.00 on a book - I went over budget with each

Ugh! I hate my rules! 

Okay, I'm babbling so yeah, IMM time:

First day of the week: So I got Forgotten by Cat Patrick at a nearby bookstore. I already have the ebook but I'm more of the "real deal" kind of reader so I just had to have this.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
(Already Read and Reviewed)

Then came wednesday: I was all happy with one book [and with the fact that I was over my budget by Php200.00] on my book splurge but then, this came in the mail; which I ordered from the Book Depository. Yay!

The Snow Queen by Merecedes Lackey
(Already Read)

Oh! but Saturday's here and there's a SALE: I just couldn't resist! Must buy a book! And I found this amazingly sitting all by its lonesome self that I just grabbed it before anyone else did. Mine! [Again over budget by Php100.00]

Legend by Marie Lu
(Currently Reading)

*Sigh* I am such a weakling... 
So what did you guys get this week?

The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey

        

The Sleeping Beauty
(Five Hundred Kingdoms #5)
by Mercedes Lackey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Like any other princess, Rosamund just wants to believe in fairytales. Unfortunately, those velvety dreams dissolve in smoke when poor Rosa is chased by savage hunters and then unceremoniously held by some very impolite dwarves. At this point, our frantic princess takes an extreme measure: She agrees to submit to an incantation from, you guessed it, her stepmother, which brings her, first, sleep, and then a very touchy-feely stranger. What is a young girl to do?"

Rating:

A Sleeping Beauty tale with not much sleeping in it!

Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this book.

For those who vaguely know about the Five Hundred Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey, most of the time the characters from each book try their best to outsmart The Tradition, a very powerful but unconscious force that entails kingdoms to have fairy tale happenings.

Lackey’s books tend to be very descriptive and state the “this and that” of some events, which can be annoying sometimes, but I find it bearable this time. It’s not very eventful at first but the progress of the book had a very nice flow to it. I also like how witty this book turned out to be. It wasn’t outright laugh-your-head-off, but definitely entertaining. I love that it had a nip of action in it too.

Although I do find that the love interest between Siegfried and Rosa kind of obvious and Leopold being in the picture wasn’t much of a rival of sort.

I’m sorry for being too ambiguous over the details but if I start going over what I’m talking about specifically then I’ll just be spoiling the whole story, because despite the 400 pages of the book, it’s actually a quick story. It’s an easy book to read and a good break from all the dark tales I’ve been reading and I appreciate the happily ever after feel and ending of Sleeping Beauty.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book. 

In My Mailbox [7]

In My Mailbox [7]

hosted by The Story Siren

Oooh! I just love a great sale day! 

Here's what I got this week:

The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

I also got a few ebooks (epub format):

Girl In The Arena by Lise Haines

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Also another ebook (pdf format):

Shadow Days (A Nightshade Novella) by Andrea Cremer

So what did you guys get?

Fortune's Fool by Mercedes Lackey

        

Fortune's Fool
(Five Hundred Kingdoms #3)
by Mercedes Lackey

Summary from Goodreads:

"The Barnes & Noble Review

New York Times–bestselling author Mercedes Lackey spins a variety of fairy tales -- think The Little Mermaid and old Russian folktales -- into a satisfying romantic fantasy in this third installment in her Five Hundred Kingdoms series. 

Katya, the youngest daughter of the Sea King, is sent by her father on a spying expedition. It's a perfect assignment for one with the unique ability to transverse both land and water. Once on land, Katya encounters a spectacular battle between two mages, then meets Sasha. He is also of royal birth -- the seventh son -- destined to play the part of the Wise or Fortunate Fool and Songweaver. Their instant affinity and blooming romance is interrupted when Katya's father calls her back on business: Two magical maidens have gone missing from an island. Katya disguises herself and gets kidnapped by the Jinn who is keeping the others prisoner, but it will take all her cleverness and powers, as well as Sasha's magic, to get them out alive. Readers will admire Katya's spirit, and fans of the previous two books -- The Fairy Godmother and One Good Knight -- will welcome the return of the Little Humpback Horse. Ginger Curwen"

Rating:

I relished reading this book. It has a nice fantasy/fairytale plot that’s involves outwitting “The Tradition”. I enjoyed voyaging through different myths, legends and fairy tales created from Japan, Russia and the Middle Eastern Regions.

The characters were created with the right hint of courage, uniqueness, magic and most of all the power of being clever. Lackey presented the readers with characters that you would truly learn to love. Katya and Sasha are both clever and funny; and every other character created for this tale is definitely noteworthy.

While Lackey seemed to be very descriptive in a lot of aspects, the story was good, and it opened a new way of re-telling folk stories. It has the right amount of adventure, humor and romance that gets you turning page after page despite the pull of every thought being narrated and the idea of explaining the plans and consequences of actions, which has always been Lackey’s style.

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

        

The Fairy Godmother
(Five Hundred Kingdoms #1)
by Mercedes Lackey

Summary from Goodreads:

"The Barnes & Noble Review

Mercedes Lackey's The Fairy Godmother is the debut title in an exciting fantasy line called Luna Books, an imprint dedicated to women and fantasy fiction. A compelling retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale, Lackey's novel blends fantasy and romance -- with enchanting results! 

Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella -- the mistreated stepsister who fatefully falls in love with a prince, marries him, and lives happily ever after -- except that the prince is only a child! When Elena's stepmother and her two wicked stepsisters hastily leave town to escape debtors, she is left alone in the empty house to fend for herself. A 21-year old woman with no education, no money, and no hope of ever marrying a highborn man, Elena has only one option: to try to be hired as a servant. (At least she'll be paid for her hard work!) Then fate intervenes. She is taken on as an apprentice to a fairy godmother and is introduced to a life of magic and supernatural creatures. 

Elena eventually becomes a fairy godmother herself and revels in helping steer people in the right direction. But when she helps three princes (one extremely handsome, by the way!) on a quest, will she let her emotions get in the way of her responsibilities? Readers who enjoy their fantasy mixed with a healthy dose of romance should check out The Fairy Godmother. Who says no one lives happily ever after? Paul Goat Allen"

Rating:

It’s my first time to read a book by Mercedes Lackey. It’s also my first to read an adult fantasy book. Probably because I found the excerpts of some strangely focused on…well, – to lightly put it – intimacy; which I prefer it to be seen somehow only in a chapter or two. I like fantasy books that engulf in twists in their plot rather than focused on that matter. 

When I picked out “A Fairy Godmother”, I automatically expected a Cinderella story retold; I was even wondering why it seemed way too thick for a Cinderella tale. But boy was I wrong. It was a retelling of Cinderella but not entirely focused on that story. It was a marvellous clash of every other fairy tale ever told. 

I love how Lackey comprised humor and romance in the least expected events of the story, it was quite entertaining. I didn’t expect any battles for this book, thinking that it was Cinderella so I was surprised to find fighting near the end. It was a bit shortly described but providing a bit of action was also amusing. Although I do have to admit, that the story was a bit too long and some parts are a bit slow but in totality, I was pleased with reading this book. I’m excited to read the other books of the Five Hundred Kingdoms.