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The Huntsman
An alternate cover edition can be found here.
Millennia ago, Sorkens desperate to escape the Milky Way’s savagery, settled into our nondescript, out-of-the-way star group. Unaware of Earth, a shockwave spreads across their world when humanity ignites its first worm hole.
Miranda Logan, star zoologist, cannot imagine the coming vortex that will sweep away her sheltered life. Led by a brutal crime lord, vicious warfare erupts among factions determined to control mankind’s gateway to the stars. All are oblivious to what an electro-magnetic beacon blaring across the galaxy implies.
Panicked, the Sorken Council meets to re-authorize the unthinkable. Through a long-forbidden worm hole, they send a Warrior Priestess. Before galactic wolves track the scent, she must destroy the device and everyone possessed of its knowledge.
Fate however has other cards to play. The Sorken will discover Earth’s dominant life form has a trait unique in the galaxy and Miranda will face her own revelation: the Huntsman too seeks the device.
Millennia ago, Sorkens desperate to escape the Milky Way’s savagery, settled into our nondescript, out-of-the-way star group. Unaware of Earth, a shockwave spreads across their world when humanity ignites its first worm hole.
Miranda Logan, star zoologist, cannot imagine the coming vortex that will sweep away her sheltered life. Led by a brutal crime lord, vicious warfare erupts among factions determined to control mankind’s gateway to the stars. All are oblivious to what an electro-magnetic beacon blaring across the galaxy implies.
Panicked, the Sorken Council meets to re-authorize the unthinkable. Through a long-forbidden worm hole, they send a Warrior Priestess. Before galactic wolves track the scent, she must destroy the device and everyone possessed of its knowledge.
Fate however has other cards to play. The Sorken will discover Earth’s dominant life form has a trait unique in the galaxy and Miranda will face her own revelation: the Huntsman too seeks the device.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2014
2 people want to read
About the author
Rafael
56 books11 followersBorn and raised in New York City, a spectacular river of people from every part of the world and country flows through my hometown. It inspired me to spend large segments of my life traveling across the globe to experience their native habitats.
The insights my characters bring to the human condition reflect my many adventures and encounters along those journeys.
The insights my characters bring to the human condition reflect my many adventures and encounters along those journeys.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 15, 2016
Sci-fi, action/thriller, horror, and romance. I love a good genre mashup and The Huntsman is a good one. Set in the near future, a rogue scientist uses government grants for one project to secretly develop wormhole travel technology. Technology he attempts to sell the highest bidder. Before he can succeed, a visitor from another world puts a stop to the transaction and scientist.
From there, we enter a wild ride that centered on Miranda, a brilliant and brave animal biologist, Janesh a man of many talents including black market dealings and an ongoing arrangement with Indian Game Preserves to cull dangerous tigers when they occur. Add in a blend of competent and incompetent police and CIA, a criminal king pin from Singapore, a charming Master Chef who also deals in the black market, and the cast of characters drives a fantastic story of adventure, love, honor, betrayal, and eventual justice.
It is hard to review The Huntsman without spoilers, so let me simply offer that the author has an amazing imagination that includes wonderful discussions of the natural world, inventive science, and gruesome violence. The final revenge on the worst villain in the story should have given me nightmares, but it was so appropriate, I cheered.
From there, we enter a wild ride that centered on Miranda, a brilliant and brave animal biologist, Janesh a man of many talents including black market dealings and an ongoing arrangement with Indian Game Preserves to cull dangerous tigers when they occur. Add in a blend of competent and incompetent police and CIA, a criminal king pin from Singapore, a charming Master Chef who also deals in the black market, and the cast of characters drives a fantastic story of adventure, love, honor, betrayal, and eventual justice.
It is hard to review The Huntsman without spoilers, so let me simply offer that the author has an amazing imagination that includes wonderful discussions of the natural world, inventive science, and gruesome violence. The final revenge on the worst villain in the story should have given me nightmares, but it was so appropriate, I cheered.
April 24, 2016
The Huntsman, by Rafael
I was taken by surprise by this book, the first I've read by Rafael. With an understated cover, I didn't really know what to expect - I certainly didn't expect it to be a rip-roaring page-turner that wouldn't be out of place alongside many an airport blockbuster.
This reads like the kind of story Michael Crichton might have produced - scientists dabbling in wormhole technology unwittingly unleash an alien killer on the world, a creature beyond the understanding of the federal investigators, who turn to eminent zoologist Miranda Logan for help.
In turn, after witnessing the brutal way the killer's victims have been dismembered, she seeks out the help of the spear-wielding huntsman of the title, Janesh McKenzie, who hunts man-eating tigers in the company of his two powerful dogs, Ronan and Duncan.
From there, the story bounds its way around the globe, taking in shady criminals, a Singapore mastermind desperate to acquire the wormhole technology to be able to control this world-changing discovery, CIA hit teams and, brutally awaiting them all, the bird-like alien sent to destroy the machinery that could take mankind to the stars.
We travel to more nations than Bond, all the while a simmering passion building between Logan and McKenzie. There's explicit violence and sex, and a high body count as different factions manoeuvre to gain advantage over one another. And the worst violence of all shows that the most vicious of all isn't the alien killer, but the humans themselves.
Rafael doesn't hold back on any count with this story - and it's all the better for that.
I was taken by surprise by this book, the first I've read by Rafael. With an understated cover, I didn't really know what to expect - I certainly didn't expect it to be a rip-roaring page-turner that wouldn't be out of place alongside many an airport blockbuster.
This reads like the kind of story Michael Crichton might have produced - scientists dabbling in wormhole technology unwittingly unleash an alien killer on the world, a creature beyond the understanding of the federal investigators, who turn to eminent zoologist Miranda Logan for help.
In turn, after witnessing the brutal way the killer's victims have been dismembered, she seeks out the help of the spear-wielding huntsman of the title, Janesh McKenzie, who hunts man-eating tigers in the company of his two powerful dogs, Ronan and Duncan.
From there, the story bounds its way around the globe, taking in shady criminals, a Singapore mastermind desperate to acquire the wormhole technology to be able to control this world-changing discovery, CIA hit teams and, brutally awaiting them all, the bird-like alien sent to destroy the machinery that could take mankind to the stars.
We travel to more nations than Bond, all the while a simmering passion building between Logan and McKenzie. There's explicit violence and sex, and a high body count as different factions manoeuvre to gain advantage over one another. And the worst violence of all shows that the most vicious of all isn't the alien killer, but the humans themselves.
Rafael doesn't hold back on any count with this story - and it's all the better for that.
April 18, 2016
This is an exciting sci-fi that takes the reader across the globe on an adventure marked by action, plot twists, and intriguing characters.
I particularly liked that the author did not create vanilla characters. There are strong female leads, and characters from many different ethnic groups. This is not political correctness; it is a novel that reflects a world that no longer solely revolves around western nations. I think this is a brave move for the author, one that deserves to pay dividends. The author either has a broad knowledge of eastern cultures and science, or has undertaken considerable research. I was impressed by the way the author seamlessly wove culture into the story, not as a bolt on, but as an integral part of the story.
The book is quite brutal in places, and occasionally sexually explicit. I don’t believe it is suitable for under 18 year olds, or the squeamish.
No book is perfect, and as far as criticisms are concerned, I do think the author missed an opportunity to engage some deeper level questions more rigorously, particularly towards the end. However, if you are not looking for social commentary, or philosophical explorations, then that won’t bother you in the least.
Once again, action lovers who are tired of vanilla characters will appreciate and enjoy this book. If you are looking for an exciting cosmopolitan sci-fi adventure, then go ahead and buy a copy!
I particularly liked that the author did not create vanilla characters. There are strong female leads, and characters from many different ethnic groups. This is not political correctness; it is a novel that reflects a world that no longer solely revolves around western nations. I think this is a brave move for the author, one that deserves to pay dividends. The author either has a broad knowledge of eastern cultures and science, or has undertaken considerable research. I was impressed by the way the author seamlessly wove culture into the story, not as a bolt on, but as an integral part of the story.
The book is quite brutal in places, and occasionally sexually explicit. I don’t believe it is suitable for under 18 year olds, or the squeamish.
No book is perfect, and as far as criticisms are concerned, I do think the author missed an opportunity to engage some deeper level questions more rigorously, particularly towards the end. However, if you are not looking for social commentary, or philosophical explorations, then that won’t bother you in the least.
Once again, action lovers who are tired of vanilla characters will appreciate and enjoy this book. If you are looking for an exciting cosmopolitan sci-fi adventure, then go ahead and buy a copy!
April 20, 2015
When evidence at a murder scene indicates the involvement of an animal that shouldn't exist, the CIA turns to Miranda Logan. She doesn't understand what she is seeing, but she is determined to figure it out...but it may cost her her life.
Janesh McKenzie is the best hunter/tracker in India and possibly the world, so it makes sense that his name would come up as a possible ally. He thinks it will be a straightforward job until he realizes things aren't adding up...things that could cost them their lives.
It is hard to explain how much I enjoyed this book-but I'll try. I especially don't want to give anything up about the book so I'll talk mostly about the technical things.
The Huntsman is an incredibly well written page turner with great characters and detail that let you see everything clearly without slowing down or distracting from the story. Rafael has done a lot of research for this book to make it as believable and amazing as possible and it is easy to see on every page.
You get to see each
The first few pages are all it takes to draw you into the story, and it doesn't slow down from there. Each page after that lives up to the expectation set by the pages before. I hadn't read a book by Rafael before this, but I will definitely be reading more in the future!!
Janesh McKenzie is the best hunter/tracker in India and possibly the world, so it makes sense that his name would come up as a possible ally. He thinks it will be a straightforward job until he realizes things aren't adding up...things that could cost them their lives.
It is hard to explain how much I enjoyed this book-but I'll try. I especially don't want to give anything up about the book so I'll talk mostly about the technical things.
The Huntsman is an incredibly well written page turner with great characters and detail that let you see everything clearly without slowing down or distracting from the story. Rafael has done a lot of research for this book to make it as believable and amazing as possible and it is easy to see on every page.
You get to see each
The first few pages are all it takes to draw you into the story, and it doesn't slow down from there. Each page after that lives up to the expectation set by the pages before. I hadn't read a book by Rafael before this, but I will definitely be reading more in the future!!
September 9, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2016
Out of this world and perfect reading material. These words perfectly describe "The Huntsman" by Rafael. Written in balanced narration/dialogue, many various people are tracking a mysterious monster: a bird of kind or a thing from another world, which defies all other possible explanations than perhaps extraterrestrial.
Our main characters, Miranda, an expert zoologist, and Janesh, a master hunter, are admired by the passion in their development as lovers and then partners on this expedition trying to track down this creature. With the author's writing, we are introduced to the horrors of the creature's violent acts, the great descriptions of a journey expanding across the globe, and into the depths of heart-defying moments where you may feel sorrowful for them. Also, I did learn more about another nations' cultures, which was seamlessly interwoven into the story like a delicate silk dress--beautiful and not quickly forgotten.
Overall, it was a pleasure reading something certified fresh like this novel. 5 stars.
Out of this world and perfect reading material. These words perfectly describe "The Huntsman" by Rafael. Written in balanced narration/dialogue, many various people are tracking a mysterious monster: a bird of kind or a thing from another world, which defies all other possible explanations than perhaps extraterrestrial.
Our main characters, Miranda, an expert zoologist, and Janesh, a master hunter, are admired by the passion in their development as lovers and then partners on this expedition trying to track down this creature. With the author's writing, we are introduced to the horrors of the creature's violent acts, the great descriptions of a journey expanding across the globe, and into the depths of heart-defying moments where you may feel sorrowful for them. Also, I did learn more about another nations' cultures, which was seamlessly interwoven into the story like a delicate silk dress--beautiful and not quickly forgotten.
Overall, it was a pleasure reading something certified fresh like this novel. 5 stars.
July 28, 2016
Part sci-fi, part thriller, part horror, Rafael's "The Huntsman" does a great job of mixing genres seamlessly and engaging the reader with suspenseful action. The sci-fi part is clever, although I would've liked to better understand how Joshua Ang's new invention worked. The author mentions the need for extremely precise coordinates, and yet somehow a team of experts reversed engineered the machine and used it with unlimited discretion. I couldn't help but feel a little hand waiving going on there. Yes, it's science *fiction*, not science *fact* but I feel like the author could've made the device more believable.
The other issue that I think could be improved in this story regards character development. The characters feel too... too... perfect? superhero-esque? stereotypical? I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it, but I kept relating characters to James Bond movies. The hero has capabilities that are superhuman, the villains are extremely wealthy and powerful, and all of the females are either supremely gorgeous, immensely capable, or both. If a book is going to help me suspend disbelief while I read it, I want characters to be more believable.
Be warned that this is a fairly graphic book both in terms of physical and sexual violence. I'm sure this is intended to rally the reader behind the hero in pure disgust for the antagonist of the book, but if you find that sort of thing to your distaste, you might want to head a different direction for your next read.
Where the book shines (and is certainly worth a read if you don't find the above critique too off-putting) is in the introduction of an alien race that is one of the most horrifying creations I've ever read about. In my opinion, Kreetor is the absolute best aspect of the book. It props up a story that fell just short for me due to the other issues listed above.
*** DISCLAIMER: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
The other issue that I think could be improved in this story regards character development. The characters feel too... too... perfect? superhero-esque? stereotypical? I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it, but I kept relating characters to James Bond movies. The hero has capabilities that are superhuman, the villains are extremely wealthy and powerful, and all of the females are either supremely gorgeous, immensely capable, or both. If a book is going to help me suspend disbelief while I read it, I want characters to be more believable.
Be warned that this is a fairly graphic book both in terms of physical and sexual violence. I'm sure this is intended to rally the reader behind the hero in pure disgust for the antagonist of the book, but if you find that sort of thing to your distaste, you might want to head a different direction for your next read.
Where the book shines (and is certainly worth a read if you don't find the above critique too off-putting) is in the introduction of an alien race that is one of the most horrifying creations I've ever read about. In my opinion, Kreetor is the absolute best aspect of the book. It props up a story that fell just short for me due to the other issues listed above.
*** DISCLAIMER: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews