Hunter

July 13, 2015
Lackey (the Shadow Grail series) successfully mixes dystopia and fantasy in this series opener. Sixteen-year-old Joy Charmand, endowed with strong magic and skilled in a variety of weapons, is an accomplished monster hunter in her mountain village, and her deadly pack of magical Hounds is one of the largest ever. Now she has been ordered to Apex City to join the corps of Hunters who protect the capital from increasing attacks by goblins, vampires, and other dangerous creatures. Joy’s hunting techniques are up to the task, but she discovers that Apex City’s internal politics are complex and dangerous. Additionally, her every move and word will be monitored, and because “Hunters are as much entertainment as protectors,” these recordings will be manipulated by the government to provide amusement and a sense of security for the residents of the city. Although not Lackey’s best work (the plot is predictable, and Joy’s quick rise from rookie to star too quick and easy), the novel is exciting, entirely entertaining, and sure to please her fans. Ages 12–up. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

Starred review from July 15, 2015
Joyeaux Charmand is a young Hunter, chosen from her village to join the Hunter corps of Apex, protecting its Cits from the Othersiders-fantastical, menacing creatures-and also protecting the secrets and people of her village back home. Joyeaux has the arduous task of figuring out the rules of her new environment while showing that she is worthy of her position. She also discovers that there will be cameras almost every step of the way, televising her journey to millions of eager fans. Before she even arrives, her skills are put to the test: Othersiders are breaking barriers thought to be impenetrable and using tactics that they were unknown to have. Even worse, someone or something is helping them, and Joyeaux decides to try to find the source. Armed with wit as quick as her reflexes, her magic, and her equally enchanting Hounds, Joyeaux embarks on a journey that sets her questioning the motives of every person she comes in contact with as well as the larger system that was built to keep people protected. Lackey builds this magically post-apocalyptic world briskly: some 250 years after the nuclear catastrophe that caused the pole-reversing Diseray, bits and pieces of our Earth, both geographical and cultural, remain. Joyeaux's narration is spellbinding, the prose easily balancing the technology of the future with the traditions of the past. Captivating, dynamic, well-paced, and thrilling. (Science fiction/fantasy. 12 & up)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-Joyeaux Charmand has spent most of her life at the remote Monastery, training and serving as a Hunter. Since a catastrophic event called the Disarray, monsters of all kinds have crossed into the real world from the Otherworld and it's the Hunters' jobs to destroy them. Joy and her supernatural Hounds are summoned to the capital city, Apex, where she learns that Hunters there are regarded as celebrities, with their own television channels and rankings. As Joy adjusts to her flashy new life, gets to know the other Hunters, and starts Hunting, she begins to realize that Apex is not as safe as it seems and that there are secrets the government does not want exposed. This satisfying sci-fi YA novel is set in a fully thought-out future with cultural references woven throughout. Joy's Hounds are Alebrijes, and the monsters she hunts come from a variety of sources: Drakkens, Folk (evil fairies), Vamps, Tommyknockers, Gogs, and Magogs. The protagonist is a principled, smart, strong girl and is easy to root for. The language can be clunky at times, but the incredible world-building more than makes up for it. VERDICT A perfect choice for "Hunger Games" fans and readers looking for stories with strong female heroines.-Marian McLeod, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
Grades 8-11 Lackey tries a reboot of dystopian fiction with the story of Joy, a Hunter who has found herself in a perilous situation. A biblical-level event disrupts Earth, and creatures once thought to be merely legend now plague the planet. The religious believe it's Revelation, but everyone else just wants to avoid being obliterated. Joy's monster-fighting training serves her well when she is called from her village to the capital city, where she stars in her own reality show and puts on a display to dazzle ordinary Cits. But as more and more monsters pour through from the Otherside, Joy allies herself with unlikely fellow Hunters, not all of whom prove trustworthy. If readers can persevere through the initial world building, they are in for a treat. Joy's abilities make the battle scenes really spark, and despite many tests, her integrity remains intact, garnering her both friends and foes. Spirituality, psychic abilities, propaganda, magic, monsters, and mayhem make this a book with a dozen hooks to snag readers and win Lackey even more fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)