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The Hunter in the Dark #1
Gift of the Destroyer
Nothing could stand against the Revenant's armies. Entire nations fell as crops withered and people starved. The world's most powerful warriors could not defeat him, even with the aid of the most powerful sorceress to have ever lived.
Thirty years earlier, the scarred warrior Brenor arrives at Lianna's farm. He holds the key to defeating the Revenant before he becomes a threat, but to do so, he needs to cross the Forbidden Lands. And for that, he needs Lianna's help.
Together, they are the only ones capable of preventing the future Brenor has already lived through. But to face the dangers of the Forbidden Lands, and the man who is hunting them both, Lianna must master the Gift of the Destroyer.
Gift of the Destroyer is the first book in the Hunter in the Dark trilogy. The second book - The Raven's Endgame - and the third book - Hunter's Chosen - are also available from Amazon.
Thirty years earlier, the scarred warrior Brenor arrives at Lianna's farm. He holds the key to defeating the Revenant before he becomes a threat, but to do so, he needs to cross the Forbidden Lands. And for that, he needs Lianna's help.
Together, they are the only ones capable of preventing the future Brenor has already lived through. But to face the dangers of the Forbidden Lands, and the man who is hunting them both, Lianna must master the Gift of the Destroyer.
Gift of the Destroyer is the first book in the Hunter in the Dark trilogy. The second book - The Raven's Endgame - and the third book - Hunter's Chosen - are also available from Amazon.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2011
111 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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July 24, 2014I LIKED IT
I’ll start by saying that I’ve been in the mood for a quest book for some time. I like it when characters explore new places. Makes for an entertaining read. This book was free of political intrigue, haughty nobles, and scheming merchants. And the cover art is stunning. It’s right up my alley. However...
Unfortunately, this wasn’t as in depth as I like my quest books. I read in another review that this book felt like a lot of “tell” and very little “show.” Sadly, they were right. What could have been amazing scenes were dry and over in a few paragraphs. While on the other hand, there were pages of reflection. What kept me going were some scenes that were done well and an overall curiosity raised by the pages of musings.
I would love to see this book have more detail and less internal ramblings by Lianna. I think the length would have been fine if I was more immersed in the story. As it was, I was reading more of Lianna’s repeating feelings, curiosities, and sensations, which made the book slow when it had all the potential to be crazy fun. I’d have rather been subtly reminded of her emotions and given a more detailed fight scene, firing at all my 5 senses. While the musings did raise story questions, they seemed to drag on forever and were very flat. However, they made me curious and I wanted to figure out what was going to happen. There was a bigger picture that was coming into play as they went about their main goal. Like I said, it made me curious and Steenbeeke did a great job giving us hints here and there that built up a deeper plot.
Nestled in all these words is a neat story. I really wish it would have been more in depth; maybe some banter between the characters, a friendly talk around the camp fire, more sensory input. Instead, it felt very business like. The dialog was long and never really moved outside of two characters bouncing ideas off each other in a very distant manner towards one another. Shame.
The bad guys in this were done quite well, I must say. Our PoV’s with them were short and to the point and added good depth to the story. I usually grow bored when we hop over to evil guys, but these were over before I even got a chance to think about boredom.
Overall, it was short book and had a good storyline. For me, it just didn’t have all those fun details I want in a quest book. Also, the writing did feel repetitive at times and with all the repeated musings, it kinda wore down on me towards the end. But there’s some good scenes in there and, as I said, a good story.
This review and other can be found on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
I’ll start by saying that I’ve been in the mood for a quest book for some time. I like it when characters explore new places. Makes for an entertaining read. This book was free of political intrigue, haughty nobles, and scheming merchants. And the cover art is stunning. It’s right up my alley. However...
Unfortunately, this wasn’t as in depth as I like my quest books. I read in another review that this book felt like a lot of “tell” and very little “show.” Sadly, they were right. What could have been amazing scenes were dry and over in a few paragraphs. While on the other hand, there were pages of reflection. What kept me going were some scenes that were done well and an overall curiosity raised by the pages of musings.
I would love to see this book have more detail and less internal ramblings by Lianna. I think the length would have been fine if I was more immersed in the story. As it was, I was reading more of Lianna’s repeating feelings, curiosities, and sensations, which made the book slow when it had all the potential to be crazy fun. I’d have rather been subtly reminded of her emotions and given a more detailed fight scene, firing at all my 5 senses. While the musings did raise story questions, they seemed to drag on forever and were very flat. However, they made me curious and I wanted to figure out what was going to happen. There was a bigger picture that was coming into play as they went about their main goal. Like I said, it made me curious and Steenbeeke did a great job giving us hints here and there that built up a deeper plot.
Nestled in all these words is a neat story. I really wish it would have been more in depth; maybe some banter between the characters, a friendly talk around the camp fire, more sensory input. Instead, it felt very business like. The dialog was long and never really moved outside of two characters bouncing ideas off each other in a very distant manner towards one another. Shame.
The bad guys in this were done quite well, I must say. Our PoV’s with them were short and to the point and added good depth to the story. I usually grow bored when we hop over to evil guys, but these were over before I even got a chance to think about boredom.
Overall, it was short book and had a good storyline. For me, it just didn’t have all those fun details I want in a quest book. Also, the writing did feel repetitive at times and with all the repeated musings, it kinda wore down on me towards the end. But there’s some good scenes in there and, as I said, a good story.
This review and other can be found on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
August 11, 2016
The one thing I love about this book is how it takes familiar themes and topics and transforms them into something new. Do you like zombies? Time travel? Have you ever wanted to be part of a virtual brain network? And use magic? How awesome when all of these things are combined? Well, Jeroen makes it happen and he makes it work.
February 6, 2024
a good find
This was a free book for Amazon kindle. And once again, I am enthralled by a story written and am looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Let me just say, that if I had not received this book as a special freebie I would not have considered this series to read. If you think giving out a book for free is stupid, this is the fourth series of that I have received the first free, then paid for the rest. That is a sale that would have not been made otherwise.
This was a free book for Amazon kindle. And once again, I am enthralled by a story written and am looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Let me just say, that if I had not received this book as a special freebie I would not have considered this series to read. If you think giving out a book for free is stupid, this is the fourth series of that I have received the first free, then paid for the rest. That is a sale that would have not been made otherwise.
September 18, 2017
Amazing
I loved this book! Just enough excitement and character development to keep me interested, but also a plot that changes and yet has smooth transitions throughout the story. I'm looking forward to book 2. Thanks
I loved this book! Just enough excitement and character development to keep me interested, but also a plot that changes and yet has smooth transitions throughout the story. I'm looking forward to book 2. Thanks
August 3, 2018
Rose
What excitement and contentment I had from reading this book! The characters were different from each other and had to learn how to get along while attempting to solve extreme and unusual problems. This is the kind of book sci-fi readers love!
What excitement and contentment I had from reading this book! The characters were different from each other and had to learn how to get along while attempting to solve extreme and unusual problems. This is the kind of book sci-fi readers love!
August 1, 2022
Good not great.
Very good premise for a book. The storytelling was glossed over where greater details would have enhanced the plot. Editing was poorly done Still, the story was intriguing enough for me to want to read the next installment in the series.
Very good premise for a book. The storytelling was glossed over where greater details would have enhanced the plot. Editing was poorly done Still, the story was intriguing enough for me to want to read the next installment in the series.
May 3, 2018
Liked it
I thought it was original and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy novels. Can’t wait to read the next installment.
I thought it was original and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy novels. Can’t wait to read the next installment.
February 27, 2019
Interesting
This story was definitely interesting, and enjoyable,with some colorful characters. The time travel was written and avoids intersection of any character
This story was definitely interesting, and enjoyable,with some colorful characters. The time travel was written and avoids intersection of any character
November 14, 2021
3.5 stars, but I’m rounding up because I would like to read the next book in the series.
September 6, 2022
Interesting book and a fun light read. What Lianna and Brenor go through, the enemies and strange lands keep this story moving.
March 21, 2017
Excellent book
Kept me engrossed no boring sections unusual storyline enjoyable satisfying.
Great characters the landscapes were completely believable and haunting if a little strange.
Kept me engrossed no boring sections unusual storyline enjoyable satisfying.
Great characters the landscapes were completely believable and haunting if a little strange.
October 10, 2012
Lianna has grown up on a farm near Rennick, one of the Seven Villages and thinks she has little to worry about except telling her father that she is pregnant by the blacksmith's son and they aren't wed yet. A wounded and scarred stranger to the village one day soon changes all that and Lianna is caught up in an adventure not of her making. The stranger, Brenor is being hunted and he's brought the danger to the once peaceful village.
Lianna's lover is killed, along with her great-aunt, the village wise woman. Brenor explains that Lianna is a Destroyer, she can manipulate elements to her will such as fire and air and that she must travel with him to gain mastery over these gifts and help him save the world.
I have to admit I thought Lianna going off with Brenor quite so quickly jarred a bit. She'd just seen her husband-to-be murdered, a stranger tells her even stranger things and off she goes with him! I think I would have been a bit more wary, but then I'm not a feisty heroine in a fantasy novel. And Lianna is feisty, there's no doubt about that. Don't let the fact that she's a young woman, pregnant, grieving and in fear for her life make you think she's weak: she's far from it. It's so refreshing to see strong heroines in fantasy novels, in far too many I've read they've been the damsel in distress, but I think that trope is gradually fading out in more recent ones.
From there, we have the normal fantasy quest as Brenor and Lianna set out to cross the Forbidden Lands and get to the Northlands and find the man who will one day destroy the world. I liked the little hints we get of the previous peoples and their technologies etc. throughout the book, rather than everything being told at once.
The author has a flair for world building and has created a fantastical world, but which still seems believable for the limitations he's set out in his creation. It's a tightly-plotted, fast-paced fantasy that very easily draws the reader in. The characters are interesting, even the villains have depth, but it's Lianna and Brenor we get to see most of and it's their joint quest that's at the heart of the book.
If you like traditional fantasy but with a bit of a twist, give this one a try.
Lianna's lover is killed, along with her great-aunt, the village wise woman. Brenor explains that Lianna is a Destroyer, she can manipulate elements to her will such as fire and air and that she must travel with him to gain mastery over these gifts and help him save the world.
I have to admit I thought Lianna going off with Brenor quite so quickly jarred a bit. She'd just seen her husband-to-be murdered, a stranger tells her even stranger things and off she goes with him! I think I would have been a bit more wary, but then I'm not a feisty heroine in a fantasy novel. And Lianna is feisty, there's no doubt about that. Don't let the fact that she's a young woman, pregnant, grieving and in fear for her life make you think she's weak: she's far from it. It's so refreshing to see strong heroines in fantasy novels, in far too many I've read they've been the damsel in distress, but I think that trope is gradually fading out in more recent ones.
From there, we have the normal fantasy quest as Brenor and Lianna set out to cross the Forbidden Lands and get to the Northlands and find the man who will one day destroy the world. I liked the little hints we get of the previous peoples and their technologies etc. throughout the book, rather than everything being told at once.
The author has a flair for world building and has created a fantastical world, but which still seems believable for the limitations he's set out in his creation. It's a tightly-plotted, fast-paced fantasy that very easily draws the reader in. The characters are interesting, even the villains have depth, but it's Lianna and Brenor we get to see most of and it's their joint quest that's at the heart of the book.
If you like traditional fantasy but with a bit of a twist, give this one a try.
October 21, 2012
The author is a gifted story teller. He weaves a complex world with wizards and warriors and zombies, without being cliche.
We begin with the main character, Lianna, discovering she is pregnant, an unusual condition in her society. She and her lover begin to make plans for a quiet future, married and working in their small village. Fate has other ideas. A Wanderer named Brenor appears wounded at her doorstep and her life is forever changed. Within the same day Brenor enters her life, her baby's father is murdered, her entire village is in danger of annihilation, and she discovers a power inside herself that makes her unpredictable. She is a Destroyer. Together, the Wanderer and the Destroyer embark on a dangerous journey to stop a madman from destroying the world. Stalked by two menaces, one that is known, the other that is not, Lianna and Brenor discover the fate of the world is in their hands.
The plot in this novel is fantastic. If you are a fan of epic fantasy I would recommend this book. However, the prose itself is somewhat bland and there is a real lack of setting. Much of the story feels like it is being told to the reader rather than letting us feel like we are a part of it. We observe the characters from a safe detached distance as if we were listening to someone tell us a story. It would be boring except the story itself is worth listening to. There is also a section near the end in which the characters trade life memories, and it turns into a pages long italicized expose, which is trying on the eyes. I skipped through most of the expose and did not feel I missed anything of the story.
In the end I would say this is a book for serious fantasy readers, not the curious passer-byer. It is epic in its story, and has a unique take on the genre, but there is not enough depth in the setting descriptions to draw in the uninitiated. As a fan of fantasy, I enjoyed it and would say it was a fun read.
We begin with the main character, Lianna, discovering she is pregnant, an unusual condition in her society. She and her lover begin to make plans for a quiet future, married and working in their small village. Fate has other ideas. A Wanderer named Brenor appears wounded at her doorstep and her life is forever changed. Within the same day Brenor enters her life, her baby's father is murdered, her entire village is in danger of annihilation, and she discovers a power inside herself that makes her unpredictable. She is a Destroyer. Together, the Wanderer and the Destroyer embark on a dangerous journey to stop a madman from destroying the world. Stalked by two menaces, one that is known, the other that is not, Lianna and Brenor discover the fate of the world is in their hands.
The plot in this novel is fantastic. If you are a fan of epic fantasy I would recommend this book. However, the prose itself is somewhat bland and there is a real lack of setting. Much of the story feels like it is being told to the reader rather than letting us feel like we are a part of it. We observe the characters from a safe detached distance as if we were listening to someone tell us a story. It would be boring except the story itself is worth listening to. There is also a section near the end in which the characters trade life memories, and it turns into a pages long italicized expose, which is trying on the eyes. I skipped through most of the expose and did not feel I missed anything of the story.
In the end I would say this is a book for serious fantasy readers, not the curious passer-byer. It is epic in its story, and has a unique take on the genre, but there is not enough depth in the setting descriptions to draw in the uninitiated. As a fan of fantasy, I enjoyed it and would say it was a fun read.
April 7, 2013
Lianna, a young farm girl from the Seven Villages finds out she is pregnant. She and her lover Dreyan come across a hurt man while discussing the best course of action to talk to his parents. Unfortunately the man that is after the wounded warrior crosses there paths and Drayen dies and Lianna is forced to race to safety with the unknown warrior to the forbidden lands. Thinking she is only a farm girl she soon come to realize that she has a destiny that changes not only her world but time itself. Excellent story I really look forward to the continuation of the story. Great way to spend an afternoon in the sun!
January 3, 2016
Great read
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Full of excitement and mystery. A great tale that could even be a bedtime story as there is no foul language or steamy sex scenes. Just a great and well written story. I'm looking forward to Liannas and Sarinas next adventures. That raven and his master have me very curious.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Full of excitement and mystery. A great tale that could even be a bedtime story as there is no foul language or steamy sex scenes. Just a great and well written story. I'm looking forward to Liannas and Sarinas next adventures. That raven and his master have me very curious.
January 2, 2013
I loved this book. The author combined a world with wizards, warriors, and zombies, without being cliche. Not to mention the cover looks awesome!
April 19, 2014
There is a good story hiding somewhere in here. parts were a bit slow
February 26, 2016
Not a bad entertaining few hours, though attempts to much to be epic instead of being solid. Fewer ideas, more expansion of them.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews