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Hunters #1
Seeking The Storyteller
I know of the Storyteller, it whispers into the man’s ear, I’ve met him. If you promise not to kill me, I’ll take you to him.
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, part of a hidden network of humans who track and kill the monsters lurking in our world so everyone else can pretend they don’t exist. But when a living shadow mentions someone called the Storyteller, Alix hesitantly decides to learn more.
They say the Storyteller lives in a massive library full of books that tell every being’s life story. He can read these books, rewrite them and change anything he wants, even if it’s already happened. That’s the power Alix wants, the power to bring his murdered family back and he’s determined to make the Storyteller do it.
He just has to decide if working with the very creatures he’s supposed to kill is worth it.
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, part of a hidden network of humans who track and kill the monsters lurking in our world so everyone else can pretend they don’t exist. But when a living shadow mentions someone called the Storyteller, Alix hesitantly decides to learn more.
They say the Storyteller lives in a massive library full of books that tell every being’s life story. He can read these books, rewrite them and change anything he wants, even if it’s already happened. That’s the power Alix wants, the power to bring his murdered family back and he’s determined to make the Storyteller do it.
He just has to decide if working with the very creatures he’s supposed to kill is worth it.
- GenresFantasy
368 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2013
4 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Walsh
9 books24 followersMy life is a flurry of writing, art and creativity. You can usually find me reading a book, scribbling notes in a notebook for future creations, typing on a laptop with music blaring in my ears or buried in my basement watching documentaries and sitting behind a sewing machine.
I've been writing for as long as I can remember and have boxes of old notebooks in horrible handwriting to prove it. Only recently have I stumbled back into writing and finishing my ideas.
Seeking the Storyteller is the first novel I've published; with my partner in crime and life, Briana Lawrence. I also write horror, fantasy, supernatural and occasionally romance pieces which I am currently shopping around through contests and publishers.
(My opinions and views are my own - and may not necessarily represent companies or publishers I work for.)
I've been writing for as long as I can remember and have boxes of old notebooks in horrible handwriting to prove it. Only recently have I stumbled back into writing and finishing my ideas.
Seeking the Storyteller is the first novel I've published; with my partner in crime and life, Briana Lawrence. I also write horror, fantasy, supernatural and occasionally romance pieces which I am currently shopping around through contests and publishers.
(My opinions and views are my own - and may not necessarily represent companies or publishers I work for.)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 3, 2014
This is really 3 1/2 stars.
This book has great premise, with some very nice world-building. I have to admit, I did struggle with the omniscient point of view in the beginning. Once I got used to it, I was fine. Alix's motivation is clear and he doesn't stray from that. He's a very consistent character, and one that you're not sure if you like or hate, or maybe just want to slap up side the head and yell, "get over it, man!"
Even though Fagan was hard-ass and gruff, you got to know him enough to know there's a heart in there. Of the major sub-characters, Dox is the most memorable. I constantly kept trying to picture him, and wasn't sure whether I'd be jeebed or not if I met him. I probably would! I really liked Haven. Probably one of my favorite characters.
And speaking of characters. Yes, there's one doozy of a surprise. And I like my surprises. :)
The demons were different, and I liked reading about the various...what do you call them? Breeds? I dunno. I liked the dragon-folks quite a bit. They seemed the most mature and steady. The fox people made me feel kinda awkward with all that touchy-feely stuff going on, but they were nicely drawn. Anything that gets a reaction from me is good, in my opinion.
The plot, at least when it came to Mira, a fox-girl, and Alix, moved forward. There were a lot of characters introduced that I'm not quite sure what they brought to the story. Some seemed to have a story to tell, but we didn't hear the end. I also got lost a bit with the names of certain demons, and I think those are the ones that we weren't dealing with but had a lot of history. I had trouble connecting some dots there, though I eventually figured it all out. I think. :)
At times, the dialogue strayed, and didn't hit the mark. For example, there was a lot of stuttering when people were nervous...especially at the end. For me that detracts. I'd rather see that nervousness portrayed through actions or description. Most times it was good, but it strayed enough for me to take note of it.
All in all, I found myself gripped in the story as it progressed, and looked forward to those moments where I could pick it up and read. When that happens, you know you have a gem in the making.
This book has great premise, with some very nice world-building. I have to admit, I did struggle with the omniscient point of view in the beginning. Once I got used to it, I was fine. Alix's motivation is clear and he doesn't stray from that. He's a very consistent character, and one that you're not sure if you like or hate, or maybe just want to slap up side the head and yell, "get over it, man!"
Even though Fagan was hard-ass and gruff, you got to know him enough to know there's a heart in there. Of the major sub-characters, Dox is the most memorable. I constantly kept trying to picture him, and wasn't sure whether I'd be jeebed or not if I met him. I probably would! I really liked Haven. Probably one of my favorite characters.
And speaking of characters. Yes, there's one doozy of a surprise. And I like my surprises. :)
The demons were different, and I liked reading about the various...what do you call them? Breeds? I dunno. I liked the dragon-folks quite a bit. They seemed the most mature and steady. The fox people made me feel kinda awkward with all that touchy-feely stuff going on, but they were nicely drawn. Anything that gets a reaction from me is good, in my opinion.
The plot, at least when it came to Mira, a fox-girl, and Alix, moved forward. There were a lot of characters introduced that I'm not quite sure what they brought to the story. Some seemed to have a story to tell, but we didn't hear the end. I also got lost a bit with the names of certain demons, and I think those are the ones that we weren't dealing with but had a lot of history. I had trouble connecting some dots there, though I eventually figured it all out. I think. :)
At times, the dialogue strayed, and didn't hit the mark. For example, there was a lot of stuttering when people were nervous...especially at the end. For me that detracts. I'd rather see that nervousness portrayed through actions or description. Most times it was good, but it strayed enough for me to take note of it.
All in all, I found myself gripped in the story as it progressed, and looked forward to those moments where I could pick it up and read. When that happens, you know you have a gem in the making.
September 23, 2018
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, tracking down and killing monsters called “demons” that harm humans. They’re experienced and work well together, and the Twin Cities are surprisingly monster-infested so they’re doing quite well for themselves, with a warehouse headquarters and full-time administrative assistant.
But not all “demons” are equally evil or destructive. Some are pretty benign. So when a shadowy creature named Dox reveals that he knows the whereabouts of the Storyteller, a demon with the power to (among other things) alter the past, Alix is listening. At least enough not to kill Dox, because there’s a part of Alix’s past that really needs changing.
Meanwhile, in the alternate world the monsters come from, a Scough (fox-person) girl named Mira realizes that her father is acting out of character in a way that seems sinister. Her magic book suggests seeking help, but that would require going to the most dangerous place of all–Earth.
This urban fantasy novel is by a pair of local writers, and is self-published. While most of the protagonists are adults, this book really has more of a “young adult” feel to it.
Randall and Alix are called to the aid of an older Hunter named Xaver, who was a mentor to both of them. They arrive too late, and then first battle and then inherit Xaver’s latest ward, a boy named Haven who’s bonded to an Ice Dragon. At this point, they also meet Dox’s friend Cyn, a former rich girl who was forcibly bonded with a plant-type monster.
The investigation of Xaver’s death is derailed by the arrival of Mira, who dragoons them all into helping her with her father’s plight, moving the cast to her world! This does, however tie into several characters’ own arcs so it’s not a waste of time.
This story feels very much like a novelization of a television series, with both good and bad aspects of that. The characters were easy to visualize, and I could see how their powers would work on screen. Their voices were distinct. The cast is reasonably diverse and LGBTQ+ characters included, some without that being their main character point.
On the other hand, I found the characterization shallow, and the investigation of Xaver’s murder too easily shoved aside without consideration of the possible risk to other Hunters. A couple of the subplots were blatant plothooks for the sequel Beneath the Chapter, which is already out if you like this book.
Content issues: child abuse, attempted rape, miscarriage, misgendering (one character’s situation is complicated–possibly over-complicated.) There’s some ethnic prejudice against the French in a running gag that again feels like it was made for television.
Overall, I think this book is best suited to fans of urban fantasy television shows looking for something similar. If the books sell well, I would not be surprised if an adaptation appeared on Netflix or Hulu in a few years.
But not all “demons” are equally evil or destructive. Some are pretty benign. So when a shadowy creature named Dox reveals that he knows the whereabouts of the Storyteller, a demon with the power to (among other things) alter the past, Alix is listening. At least enough not to kill Dox, because there’s a part of Alix’s past that really needs changing.
Meanwhile, in the alternate world the monsters come from, a Scough (fox-person) girl named Mira realizes that her father is acting out of character in a way that seems sinister. Her magic book suggests seeking help, but that would require going to the most dangerous place of all–Earth.
This urban fantasy novel is by a pair of local writers, and is self-published. While most of the protagonists are adults, this book really has more of a “young adult” feel to it.
Randall and Alix are called to the aid of an older Hunter named Xaver, who was a mentor to both of them. They arrive too late, and then first battle and then inherit Xaver’s latest ward, a boy named Haven who’s bonded to an Ice Dragon. At this point, they also meet Dox’s friend Cyn, a former rich girl who was forcibly bonded with a plant-type monster.
The investigation of Xaver’s death is derailed by the arrival of Mira, who dragoons them all into helping her with her father’s plight, moving the cast to her world! This does, however tie into several characters’ own arcs so it’s not a waste of time.
This story feels very much like a novelization of a television series, with both good and bad aspects of that. The characters were easy to visualize, and I could see how their powers would work on screen. Their voices were distinct. The cast is reasonably diverse and LGBTQ+ characters included, some without that being their main character point.
On the other hand, I found the characterization shallow, and the investigation of Xaver’s murder too easily shoved aside without consideration of the possible risk to other Hunters. A couple of the subplots were blatant plothooks for the sequel Beneath the Chapter, which is already out if you like this book.
Content issues: child abuse, attempted rape, miscarriage, misgendering (one character’s situation is complicated–possibly over-complicated.) There’s some ethnic prejudice against the French in a running gag that again feels like it was made for television.
Overall, I think this book is best suited to fans of urban fantasy television shows looking for something similar. If the books sell well, I would not be surprised if an adaptation appeared on Netflix or Hulu in a few years.
November 22, 2017
DNF'd at about 50%. Just never could get into it, as much as I wanted to. The concept sounded fun, but in execution...
I kept wondering if I was reading a sequel because it felt like I was just supposed to just know things. Or that I was supposed to be familiar with these characters and their personalities/relationships already. Speaking of which, there were too many characters in this book.
The "plot" was all muddled to the point where I just gave up because I had no idea what was happening or why I should care about any of these people. The world building was possibly the worst part. I didn't understand this world, or its rules, or what was supposed to be possible/impossible.
I did give this two stars because these gals are indie authors like myself, but their book wasn't my cup of tea!
I kept wondering if I was reading a sequel because it felt like I was just supposed to just know things. Or that I was supposed to be familiar with these characters and their personalities/relationships already. Speaking of which, there were too many characters in this book.
The "plot" was all muddled to the point where I just gave up because I had no idea what was happening or why I should care about any of these people. The world building was possibly the worst part. I didn't understand this world, or its rules, or what was supposed to be possible/impossible.
I did give this two stars because these gals are indie authors like myself, but their book wasn't my cup of tea!
September 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this book - the characters are all fun and interesting, and the world is familiar while still leaving room for new discoveries. I really enjoyed the characters learning that most of what they thought they knew about demons wasn't true.
Definitely recommend this book, especially if you like the setting of the real world with a touch of fantastical elements.
Definitely recommend this book, especially if you like the setting of the real world with a touch of fantastical elements.
March 1, 2025
While I genuinely enjoyed the story and characters, the writing was a bit rough and hard to understand at times. The whole storyline with Alix and his big secret just felt... Strange. Also, it ended in a bit of a cliffhanger so now I have to read the next one (though I liked the characters so much that I was going to likely do that anyway 😊)
May 5, 2017
An engaging story.
Monster hunters meets portal fantasy. Almost every one has a secret. Some good action and adventure. The characters were interesting and developed. I did get a bit confused when too many were together in one place towards the end of the book.
Monster hunters meets portal fantasy. Almost every one has a secret. Some good action and adventure. The characters were interesting and developed. I did get a bit confused when too many were together in one place towards the end of the book.
November 29, 2023
I really enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to the next book. The book explores demon relationships in our world and theirs.
January 17, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a non-reciprocal review.
The book could use editing for various things. I had a PDF file, so I can't say if things were same in the Kindle version, but here's a couple examples:
Page 7: "Alix was disgusted by the thought.
The figure..."
The indent for the first paragraph is shorter than the indent for the start of the next paragraph here.
Page 17: "He crouched in front of, Yvonne and slowly looking him over."
Page 25: "He says that he was attacked first"
Page 34: "Other times, Fagan and Xaver would hang out at a bar, drinking tall mugs of beer that Alix would distasteful, preferring a classy, well-aged wine."
I understand how easy it is to miss an error in hundreds of pages. An editor would help catch more of those as well as help clean up other things. For example,
"Fagan - Randall to his parents, but only because they believed in calling him by his dreadful first name - stepped out of the driver's side and expertly closed his door without any sound."
They're just starting a hunt and the part about his name doesn't belong. It would be better to find a way to work it in, if necessary, another time. Or, better yet, show it. Have his parents use his first name when talking to him.
There was also something odd that I haven't seen before.
In places in the book a word will be crossed out. At first I thought this was perhaps the author making some sort of remark and then continuing on with the story, but then it also appeared in spots where that wouldn't make sense.
Page 91: "He tried to keep his voice steady but (it) this new information was a bit disturbing."
Since there are two authors, it makes me wonder if something like this happened while they were passing the document back and forth between each other and changing things, and somehow some of the corrections are still in the text with a strike-through.
And sometimes there's things that don't make sense. Cyn is given a button down shirt. She chooses to only button the top part so that her stomach is still exposed. Two pages later she's asking if she can have a coat because she's cold. If she's cold I would imagine the first reasonable thing to do is button up the shirt.
As far as descriptions, I usually had a description to go with a character except for the group of Scough. When they were introduced, there was a paragraph of description for them, and I wasn't sure which description went to which name for a lot of them.
There was a lot of repeatedly used words as well (everyone chuckles all the time).
There's also the issue of Alix and gender. I didn't care if he wanted to be considered male or female, but this is a tricky subject. For awhile it wasn't clear if Alix wanted to be regarded as male or female or if he didn't care what people called him, but by the end of the book it was clear - Alix repeatedly and consistently wanted to be considered male. He had a desire to go back to his previous life, but in his current state he wanted to be considered a man.
It's one thing for demons on another world to be uninformed and confused about it, but for the people around Alix it was disrespectful when they would change pronouns on him or decide at will to go against the gender he preferred to go by. Tackling a subject like this, it's necessary to understand what would be considered okay and what wouldn't be, otherwise characters can come off like jerks when they aren't meant to be. Luckily I don't recall too many situations where Alix was addressed in person as the wrong gender, although people did bring it up his original name several times.
There was one other issue that came to mind. I believe Cyn was supposed to be 15. I don't know the ages of all the people who expressed and interest in her, but at least a few of them were old enough that they should be locked up for it. I'm not sure how old Mira was, but I was under the impression she was pretty young, too.
All of that aside, I can say I did enjoy the story and I think there were a lot of good, fleshed out characters. The copy I had, at least, had many errors that were still included in the text for some reason. I think with an editor to go over it, and to comb through and get rid of errors, telling-instead-of-showing, repetition and inconsistencies, this could be made into an exciting, fast-paced adventure. There's a lot to work from and the world that was built up was fine and the characters were overall enjoyable. I'd love to see this book fixed up.
Right now, I think I'd give it about a 3.5.
The book could use editing for various things. I had a PDF file, so I can't say if things were same in the Kindle version, but here's a couple examples:
Page 7: "Alix was disgusted by the thought.
The figure..."
The indent for the first paragraph is shorter than the indent for the start of the next paragraph here.
Page 17: "He crouched in front of, Yvonne and slowly looking him over."
Page 25: "He says that he was attacked first"
Page 34: "Other times, Fagan and Xaver would hang out at a bar, drinking tall mugs of beer that Alix would distasteful, preferring a classy, well-aged wine."
I understand how easy it is to miss an error in hundreds of pages. An editor would help catch more of those as well as help clean up other things. For example,
"Fagan - Randall to his parents, but only because they believed in calling him by his dreadful first name - stepped out of the driver's side and expertly closed his door without any sound."
They're just starting a hunt and the part about his name doesn't belong. It would be better to find a way to work it in, if necessary, another time. Or, better yet, show it. Have his parents use his first name when talking to him.
There was also something odd that I haven't seen before.
In places in the book a word will be crossed out. At first I thought this was perhaps the author making some sort of remark and then continuing on with the story, but then it also appeared in spots where that wouldn't make sense.
Page 91: "He tried to keep his voice steady but (it) this new information was a bit disturbing."
Since there are two authors, it makes me wonder if something like this happened while they were passing the document back and forth between each other and changing things, and somehow some of the corrections are still in the text with a strike-through.
And sometimes there's things that don't make sense. Cyn is given a button down shirt. She chooses to only button the top part so that her stomach is still exposed. Two pages later she's asking if she can have a coat because she's cold. If she's cold I would imagine the first reasonable thing to do is button up the shirt.
As far as descriptions, I usually had a description to go with a character except for the group of Scough. When they were introduced, there was a paragraph of description for them, and I wasn't sure which description went to which name for a lot of them.
There was a lot of repeatedly used words as well (everyone chuckles all the time).
There's also the issue of Alix and gender. I didn't care if he wanted to be considered male or female, but this is a tricky subject. For awhile it wasn't clear if Alix wanted to be regarded as male or female or if he didn't care what people called him, but by the end of the book it was clear - Alix repeatedly and consistently wanted to be considered male. He had a desire to go back to his previous life, but in his current state he wanted to be considered a man.
It's one thing for demons on another world to be uninformed and confused about it, but for the people around Alix it was disrespectful when they would change pronouns on him or decide at will to go against the gender he preferred to go by. Tackling a subject like this, it's necessary to understand what would be considered okay and what wouldn't be, otherwise characters can come off like jerks when they aren't meant to be. Luckily I don't recall too many situations where Alix was addressed in person as the wrong gender, although people did bring it up his original name several times.
There was one other issue that came to mind. I believe Cyn was supposed to be 15. I don't know the ages of all the people who expressed and interest in her, but at least a few of them were old enough that they should be locked up for it. I'm not sure how old Mira was, but I was under the impression she was pretty young, too.
All of that aside, I can say I did enjoy the story and I think there were a lot of good, fleshed out characters. The copy I had, at least, had many errors that were still included in the text for some reason. I think with an editor to go over it, and to comb through and get rid of errors, telling-instead-of-showing, repetition and inconsistencies, this could be made into an exciting, fast-paced adventure. There's a lot to work from and the world that was built up was fine and the characters were overall enjoyable. I'd love to see this book fixed up.
Right now, I think I'd give it about a 3.5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2014
2.5/3
(Rounding up because I do like to support new authors)
HEADS UP SPOILERS AHEAD
So much potential. Such a great premise. Lacking in execution. My main issue was the plot. I still don't know what, exactly, this was about. It's called "Seeking the Storyteller", so I suppose the storyteller is the main plot, but what about finding Xaver's killer? Or fighting this war? Or dealing with all these demons they main group is suddenly housing? And let's not forget learning about Alix's tragic past. Of, and Cyn's, too! The plot was everywhere, and at times hard to follow. It didn't really all come together in the end, either. At least not well.
Then there was all the information thrown at us. It was a lot of telling and not showing. Telling me someone had a scowl on their face and was therefore angry or upset. I don't need that. I know they are angry or upset because they are scowling. I can tell when Alix is angry because he is yelling, I don't need the narrator to tell me. And with Mira, you have a great chance to use her ears to express her emotions, and for the most part it's used that way, but again, it's elaborated to telling us what her ears plastered against her head means. There was a lot of that throughout the book, and it was very hard for me to get through because of that.
On the subject of Mira, how old is she? She is described as a "young woman", yet her mannerisms and way of speaking suggest she is merely a child. I wouldn't mind so much, except she keeps flirting with other characters and is looked at in romantic ways and since I visualized her around eight years old, this was very creepy and confusing.
I also feel as if the authors kind of took everything people on tumblr say they want in a book (someone who isn't heterosexual, but isn't bound by that fact, a genderqueer character, demons, magic, other worlds, war, cat girls, you name it, really) and just shoved it into one story. It made for a mess of characters with clunky and just downright boring dialogue. Okay, Alix is really Alixandre who lost her fiancee and unborn child and is now hunting demons because of that, but masquerades as a man, Alix, just because people take him more seriously that way. Fine, I'm cool with that. Sure, Katalynn flirts with Fagan all day long, but what she really wants is to go out with that hot bartender she saw the other night. That's cool, too. Oh and Cyn is a goth because she couldn't stand her father experimenting on her. And Mira is part fox, with Zach hitting on her because she's a cute cat-girl. Okay...? It just didn't work together.
I love the idea, though. Trying to find the writer of your life, your "story", to change something you didn't like. It's a wonderful idea, I just think with the addition of war, demons, and whatever was going on in this book made it a big mess. Really, it has great potential, but needs a lot of work.
(Rounding up because I do like to support new authors)
HEADS UP SPOILERS AHEAD
So much potential. Such a great premise. Lacking in execution. My main issue was the plot. I still don't know what, exactly, this was about. It's called "Seeking the Storyteller", so I suppose the storyteller is the main plot, but what about finding Xaver's killer? Or fighting this war? Or dealing with all these demons they main group is suddenly housing? And let's not forget learning about Alix's tragic past. Of, and Cyn's, too! The plot was everywhere, and at times hard to follow. It didn't really all come together in the end, either. At least not well.
Then there was all the information thrown at us. It was a lot of telling and not showing. Telling me someone had a scowl on their face and was therefore angry or upset. I don't need that. I know they are angry or upset because they are scowling. I can tell when Alix is angry because he is yelling, I don't need the narrator to tell me. And with Mira, you have a great chance to use her ears to express her emotions, and for the most part it's used that way, but again, it's elaborated to telling us what her ears plastered against her head means. There was a lot of that throughout the book, and it was very hard for me to get through because of that.
On the subject of Mira, how old is she? She is described as a "young woman", yet her mannerisms and way of speaking suggest she is merely a child. I wouldn't mind so much, except she keeps flirting with other characters and is looked at in romantic ways and since I visualized her around eight years old, this was very creepy and confusing.
I also feel as if the authors kind of took everything people on tumblr say they want in a book (someone who isn't heterosexual, but isn't bound by that fact, a genderqueer character, demons, magic, other worlds, war, cat girls, you name it, really) and just shoved it into one story. It made for a mess of characters with clunky and just downright boring dialogue. Okay, Alix is really Alixandre who lost her fiancee and unborn child and is now hunting demons because of that, but masquerades as a man, Alix, just because people take him more seriously that way. Fine, I'm cool with that. Sure, Katalynn flirts with Fagan all day long, but what she really wants is to go out with that hot bartender she saw the other night. That's cool, too. Oh and Cyn is a goth because she couldn't stand her father experimenting on her. And Mira is part fox, with Zach hitting on her because she's a cute cat-girl. Okay...? It just didn't work together.
I love the idea, though. Trying to find the writer of your life, your "story", to change something you didn't like. It's a wonderful idea, I just think with the addition of war, demons, and whatever was going on in this book made it a big mess. Really, it has great potential, but needs a lot of work.
May 22, 2014
Hunter: Seeking The Storyteller
By Jessica Walsh & Briana Lawrence
This is a fantasy story about “demons” who leave their own world and enter ours. The term “demons” is used to describe anyone from the alternate world whether they are friend or foe. Two “Hunters” (people who track down demons) named Fagan and Alix are given a tip to meet an old partner at an abandoned house with some important information. They arrive to find their friend shot to death and several demons hiding on the premises. They capture the demons and take them prisoner in their warehouse holding cell. Their names are Dox, Cyn and Haven. They each have very special abilities. Dox can move through the shadows and is literally the monster in the room when you sleep. Cyn is actually human but had a demon surgically placed within her without her knowledge that enables her to control plant roots and use them as weapons. Haven is a young man with a dragon tattoo on his arm which signifies a real frost dragon coexisting within him giving him tremendous power but little insight other than to not trust people and stay on the move. Beyond trying to figure out the murder of their friend, Alix has an ulterior motive in keeping them alive. The demons have knowledge of “The Storyteller”; a demon who can change your past, the present or the future all through sketches that appear in their notebook. Another demon arrives named Mira who fills in many of the blanks for the partners. She is not there just as a source of information; however, Mira seeks to recruit them all to help stop a war about to commence in the demon world that might spill into ours. She also promises a meeting with The Storyteller. There is action and drama as conflicting personalities try to work together with extreme difficulty. I’m not a spoiler but I can tell you there are some surprises and twists at the end that will make you yearn for the sequel. The writers do a masterful job of creating characters so dissimilar that you need to follow closely to keep track of them all. As the story moves along you learn more and more about each of them. The plot is gripping and holds your attention. This is a nice piece of fantasy writing with a fresh take on the theme.
By Jessica Walsh & Briana Lawrence
This is a fantasy story about “demons” who leave their own world and enter ours. The term “demons” is used to describe anyone from the alternate world whether they are friend or foe. Two “Hunters” (people who track down demons) named Fagan and Alix are given a tip to meet an old partner at an abandoned house with some important information. They arrive to find their friend shot to death and several demons hiding on the premises. They capture the demons and take them prisoner in their warehouse holding cell. Their names are Dox, Cyn and Haven. They each have very special abilities. Dox can move through the shadows and is literally the monster in the room when you sleep. Cyn is actually human but had a demon surgically placed within her without her knowledge that enables her to control plant roots and use them as weapons. Haven is a young man with a dragon tattoo on his arm which signifies a real frost dragon coexisting within him giving him tremendous power but little insight other than to not trust people and stay on the move. Beyond trying to figure out the murder of their friend, Alix has an ulterior motive in keeping them alive. The demons have knowledge of “The Storyteller”; a demon who can change your past, the present or the future all through sketches that appear in their notebook. Another demon arrives named Mira who fills in many of the blanks for the partners. She is not there just as a source of information; however, Mira seeks to recruit them all to help stop a war about to commence in the demon world that might spill into ours. She also promises a meeting with The Storyteller. There is action and drama as conflicting personalities try to work together with extreme difficulty. I’m not a spoiler but I can tell you there are some surprises and twists at the end that will make you yearn for the sequel. The writers do a masterful job of creating characters so dissimilar that you need to follow closely to keep track of them all. As the story moves along you learn more and more about each of them. The plot is gripping and holds your attention. This is a nice piece of fantasy writing with a fresh take on the theme.
January 13, 2014
Rating: 3.5 Stars
With all books, I am always excited to read the prologue. It's like the worm dangling on the hook. Tempting you to bite, the hook just hidden, waiting to latch on. Unfortunately the prologue in this book didn't succeed. Many of the scenes were over descriptive. The demon seemed too cooperative in providing information and the hunters too easygoing to accept it. A demon behind plain bars, no bounds or chains, none of the familiar markings, wards etc we are used to seeing or reading about. No torturing of any kind to get this information. Nevertheless I continued on with the book. The following chapters did lead to much more exciting reading. Alot of which I do feel would have been better for the prologue.
I loved the Scough. Mira is dead cute, sometimes it felt a little strange to fully grasp her age etc but anywho, all the cuteness that came with the Scough...squeeeee!!!
Unfortunately, there were perhaps too many storylines happening within the book. A few of which didn't ever really come to anything or just ended too quick. I would have loved to have seen more focus on some of these i.e Xaver's death or Dox and Cyn to properly play them out and then perhaps ending the book with the entrance into the demon world to seek the storyteller. I am under the belief that this is going to be a series, so it just seemed strange that it all felt just a little bit rushed and a little bit too much thrown into the first book. Also some of it just felt unexplained. For example, we have two hunters who kill demons. Demons that harm humans. Yet the demons in the story (apart from the main bad guy) all pose no threat to humans, even when they travelled to the demon world, none crossed their paths.
However, I see potential for this series. With a bit of work I can really see both authors make something great out of this and I do hope I get the opportunity to read and review the rest of the series.
Congratulations to Jessica and Briana on their first joint book publishing. May you both have many future successes!
**Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
With all books, I am always excited to read the prologue. It's like the worm dangling on the hook. Tempting you to bite, the hook just hidden, waiting to latch on. Unfortunately the prologue in this book didn't succeed. Many of the scenes were over descriptive. The demon seemed too cooperative in providing information and the hunters too easygoing to accept it. A demon behind plain bars, no bounds or chains, none of the familiar markings, wards etc we are used to seeing or reading about. No torturing of any kind to get this information. Nevertheless I continued on with the book. The following chapters did lead to much more exciting reading. Alot of which I do feel would have been better for the prologue.
I loved the Scough. Mira is dead cute, sometimes it felt a little strange to fully grasp her age etc but anywho, all the cuteness that came with the Scough...squeeeee!!!
Unfortunately, there were perhaps too many storylines happening within the book. A few of which didn't ever really come to anything or just ended too quick. I would have loved to have seen more focus on some of these i.e Xaver's death or Dox and Cyn to properly play them out and then perhaps ending the book with the entrance into the demon world to seek the storyteller. I am under the belief that this is going to be a series, so it just seemed strange that it all felt just a little bit rushed and a little bit too much thrown into the first book. Also some of it just felt unexplained. For example, we have two hunters who kill demons. Demons that harm humans. Yet the demons in the story (apart from the main bad guy) all pose no threat to humans, even when they travelled to the demon world, none crossed their paths.
However, I see potential for this series. With a bit of work I can really see both authors make something great out of this and I do hope I get the opportunity to read and review the rest of the series.
Congratulations to Jessica and Briana on their first joint book publishing. May you both have many future successes!
**Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2016
Original review on Molly Lolly
Four stars!
The world Ms. Lawrence and Ms. Walsh created was so much fun and absolutely fascinating. However you really have to pay attention in the book. There are tons of characters to keep track of and it’s easy to get confused or lost. The characters were really well written though. You could get a clear picture of them and definitely felt like you knew the large players by the end of the story. The minor characters grow on you as you go and you can’t help wanting more about them; their purpose and motivations.
It’s clearly a first book in a series because there’s lots of set up and things are left at the end where you have to keep reading. It’s not a cliffhanger, but it’s definitely not a standalone. I’m very interested to know what happens next. It felt like there was too much going on in a few instances and the omniscient point of view was hard to follow from time to time.
The plot twist that came about around one of the central characters was completely mind blowing and I didn’t see coming. It made me want to go back and re-read everything up to that point to see if there were clues I somehow missed! I enjoyed how Ms. Lawrence and Ms. Walsh handled this turn of events. I’m also fascinated how the ending effects this character and how they present themselves.
I really like the overall storytelling and hope this duo continues in the world they’ve started. Hopefully as they go they can tighten up their writing a bit and bring the world building out more and we can see these characters again.
Four stars!
The world Ms. Lawrence and Ms. Walsh created was so much fun and absolutely fascinating. However you really have to pay attention in the book. There are tons of characters to keep track of and it’s easy to get confused or lost. The characters were really well written though. You could get a clear picture of them and definitely felt like you knew the large players by the end of the story. The minor characters grow on you as you go and you can’t help wanting more about them; their purpose and motivations.
It’s clearly a first book in a series because there’s lots of set up and things are left at the end where you have to keep reading. It’s not a cliffhanger, but it’s definitely not a standalone. I’m very interested to know what happens next. It felt like there was too much going on in a few instances and the omniscient point of view was hard to follow from time to time.
The plot twist that came about around one of the central characters was completely mind blowing and I didn’t see coming. It made me want to go back and re-read everything up to that point to see if there were clues I somehow missed! I enjoyed how Ms. Lawrence and Ms. Walsh handled this turn of events. I’m also fascinated how the ending effects this character and how they present themselves.
I really like the overall storytelling and hope this duo continues in the world they’ve started. Hopefully as they go they can tighten up their writing a bit and bring the world building out more and we can see these characters again.
January 15, 2014
♠Free copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review♣
If you turned manga plot into a book, this would be the result!
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, they hunt the demons that lurk in the night.
But when they get a visit from a shadowy demon telling them about the "Storyteller" and his ability to rewrite past doings. Faced with the possibility of a new start, what will they do?
Never trust a good summary, it can always go wrong.
I wanted to like this book, i really did.
The base seemed interesting enough. The performance trough, was inadequate.
The main storyline quickly multiplied into various other storylines and you just got overwhelmed by an abundance of information.
The key points of the story which where supposed to have an impact, have been done to soon and spoken like it was nothing.
Nothing was well planned or carried through
The characters lacked execution. They were shallow and not explored enough. There are just too many of them.
You have two main characters, explore them, give them substance, don't add more half-assed characters that aren't going to be fleshed out as they deserve.
My least favorite character was Mira the happy go lucky dumb little fox girl that actually carries a lot of power.
Such a typical manga character, i mentally cringed whenever she was around.
All in all, i liked the idea, the potential is there.
In the next book i would love to see less manga-like plot and more fleshed out writing.
Congratulation to Jessica and Briana on publishing their first book.
It can only get better from here!
If you turned manga plot into a book, this would be the result!
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, they hunt the demons that lurk in the night.
But when they get a visit from a shadowy demon telling them about the "Storyteller" and his ability to rewrite past doings. Faced with the possibility of a new start, what will they do?
Never trust a good summary, it can always go wrong.
I wanted to like this book, i really did.
The base seemed interesting enough. The performance trough, was inadequate.
The main storyline quickly multiplied into various other storylines and you just got overwhelmed by an abundance of information.
The key points of the story which where supposed to have an impact, have been done to soon and spoken like it was nothing.
Nothing was well planned or carried through
The characters lacked execution. They were shallow and not explored enough. There are just too many of them.
You have two main characters, explore them, give them substance, don't add more half-assed characters that aren't going to be fleshed out as they deserve.
My least favorite character was Mira the happy go lucky dumb little fox girl that actually carries a lot of power.
Such a typical manga character, i mentally cringed whenever she was around.
All in all, i liked the idea, the potential is there.
In the next book i would love to see less manga-like plot and more fleshed out writing.
Congratulation to Jessica and Briana on publishing their first book.
It can only get better from here!
October 28, 2015
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are hunters. Yes, hunters--of the demon hunter variety. They track down and rid the world of those forces that don't belong here, those sinister forces that threaten all of us. But for Alix, the motivation to be a hunter is quite personal. And when a captured demon tells him of a being that might be able to give him exactly what he wants and undo all of his pain, that motivation becomes a singular focus. But Alix and Fagan are called on to help a friend--Fagan's former hunting partner--and quickly find out there might be more to demons (and the world they come from) than either of them ever could have imagined.
This was a definite page-turner for me--well, in so far as my Kindle has pages. It's a great little urban fantasy story that does a great job of presenting two worlds--both our world and the world of the demons. The characters are dynamic, including--and sometimes especially--the secondary characters, who really add quite a bit to the story. There's a hint of realism (because, let's face it, there is a part of fantasy and science fiction that still needs to seem authentic), and a great balance between the fantastical and the mundane. The story isn't overly complicated, and that's a good thing with the number of characters and entities that come popping in and out between the pages.
Definitely worth a read for those interested in fantasy, paranormal stories, and especially urban fantasy.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.]
This was a definite page-turner for me--well, in so far as my Kindle has pages. It's a great little urban fantasy story that does a great job of presenting two worlds--both our world and the world of the demons. The characters are dynamic, including--and sometimes especially--the secondary characters, who really add quite a bit to the story. There's a hint of realism (because, let's face it, there is a part of fantasy and science fiction that still needs to seem authentic), and a great balance between the fantastical and the mundane. The story isn't overly complicated, and that's a good thing with the number of characters and entities that come popping in and out between the pages.
Definitely worth a read for those interested in fantasy, paranormal stories, and especially urban fantasy.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.]
September 13, 2016
I was recently given to review a very interesting fantasy novel by authors Jessica Walsh and Briana Lawrence, which I will highly recommend!
The story is about a pair of demon hunters who get mixed up with a group of demons they're actually trying to protect instead of kill. Each of these two hunters has their own background and story, which are dribbled throughout the book as a way to explain their radically different personalities.
The dynamic between Alix and Fagan, the two hunters, is dynamic and strong. They take into their care four demons, each a different type, as a way to unravel the mysterious death of their fellow hunter friend.
My favorite part of this book is the unique blending of several very strong, very different personality types. Each hunter and demon is different. One is bouncy and outgoing. One is bitterly angry. One is rebellious and scared. And their actions are driven by that unique personality.
This story takes part half in our own, very modern world, half in the world of demons. The blending is well done and relevant. However, if you start to get confused with the demon names, persevere! It's relevant and they're easier than you think.
The story is about a pair of demon hunters who get mixed up with a group of demons they're actually trying to protect instead of kill. Each of these two hunters has their own background and story, which are dribbled throughout the book as a way to explain their radically different personalities.
The dynamic between Alix and Fagan, the two hunters, is dynamic and strong. They take into their care four demons, each a different type, as a way to unravel the mysterious death of their fellow hunter friend.
My favorite part of this book is the unique blending of several very strong, very different personality types. Each hunter and demon is different. One is bouncy and outgoing. One is bitterly angry. One is rebellious and scared. And their actions are driven by that unique personality.
This story takes part half in our own, very modern world, half in the world of demons. The blending is well done and relevant. However, if you start to get confused with the demon names, persevere! It's relevant and they're easier than you think.
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