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Adalta #2
Hunter
In Hunter, book two of the Adalta series, a blend of scifi and fantasy, Tessa, a young girl with a shattered dream, must unite with Galen, a young man with a shattered emotional shell.
Tessa's dream to reclaim her trauma-blocked elemental talent and become a healer fractures when a powerful flying hawk-headed horse claims her as the Austringer, one who hunts with hawks. Instead of learning to heal, she must learn to kill the ancient evil arising on the planet--the Itza Larrak, huge, half-metal, half-flesh with metal wings, and its minions, the urbat, vicious dog-like monsters with armored bodies and stubby wings.
Galen has no dream, and the emotions he can no longer stuff away threaten to explode. Assaulted by overwhelming elemental forces from the planet, he becomes the legendary Kern--with power over plants and soil he doesn't believe in and doesn't want. Power that can nurture and can kill.
When a blood-and-death magician releases the ancient alien imprisoned for centuries, its horrific urbat minions rise to kill everyone who threatens to block its returning powers and its invasion of the planet. Together Tessa the Hunter and Galen the Kern must fight the evil that threatens to enslave their planet.
Sherrill Nilson used to raise horses.
Now she writes about flying horses.
Tessa's dream to reclaim her trauma-blocked elemental talent and become a healer fractures when a powerful flying hawk-headed horse claims her as the Austringer, one who hunts with hawks. Instead of learning to heal, she must learn to kill the ancient evil arising on the planet--the Itza Larrak, huge, half-metal, half-flesh with metal wings, and its minions, the urbat, vicious dog-like monsters with armored bodies and stubby wings.
Galen has no dream, and the emotions he can no longer stuff away threaten to explode. Assaulted by overwhelming elemental forces from the planet, he becomes the legendary Kern--with power over plants and soil he doesn't believe in and doesn't want. Power that can nurture and can kill.
When a blood-and-death magician releases the ancient alien imprisoned for centuries, its horrific urbat minions rise to kill everyone who threatens to block its returning powers and its invasion of the planet. Together Tessa the Hunter and Galen the Kern must fight the evil that threatens to enslave their planet.
Sherrill Nilson used to raise horses.
Now she writes about flying horses.
- GenresFantasy
422 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2018
75 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Sherrill Nilson
4 books16 followersSherrill Nilson used to raise horses. Now she writes about flying horses—with hawk heads and wicked talons. Author of the Adalta Series, she’s been a cattle rancher, horse breeder, environmentalist, mother of three, traveler to exotic places–even a tarot card reader. She lived in Santa Fe and Ruidoso, NM, San Francisco, and Austin after leaving the hills of Eastern Oklahoma and her ranch. Now she’s back in Tulsa where she started.
She has a Ph.D. in East-West Psychology, and her studies opened her to the world of ancient myth and story. Writing all those many papers and her dissertation suited her. She loves science fiction and fantasy and is a prolific reader. One day she put down the book she just finished and thought, “I’m going to run out of books to read. I love imagined worlds. Why don’t I create my own? One I’d like to fly away to.” So she took a leap of faith and embarked on writing Karda and Hunter–the first two books in the Adalta series. She’s now working on Falling, the third book, and lurking in the back of her mind is another series about the trees deciding whether or not to leave earth. She is also working on a series of short stories telling the Epic of Gilgamesh from a woman’s perspective.
She lives, writes, and reads SciFi/fantasy (and occasionally poetry) in Tulsa, Oklahoma—back where she started as the oldest of seven kids, (don’t ask to drive) three of whom are writers.
She doesn’t have a dog, a cat, or even a bird, but she does have an old Volvo convertible and loves to drive around in her sunglasses with the wind blowing her hair. It’s how she gets her vitamin D.
You can reach her through SherrillNilson.com or email her at sherrill.nilson@gmail.com. She would like to hear from you because she wants to know what you think about her work. She says it makes her a better writer––and makes her write faster.
She has a Ph.D. in East-West Psychology, and her studies opened her to the world of ancient myth and story. Writing all those many papers and her dissertation suited her. She loves science fiction and fantasy and is a prolific reader. One day she put down the book she just finished and thought, “I’m going to run out of books to read. I love imagined worlds. Why don’t I create my own? One I’d like to fly away to.” So she took a leap of faith and embarked on writing Karda and Hunter–the first two books in the Adalta series. She’s now working on Falling, the third book, and lurking in the back of her mind is another series about the trees deciding whether or not to leave earth. She is also working on a series of short stories telling the Epic of Gilgamesh from a woman’s perspective.
She lives, writes, and reads SciFi/fantasy (and occasionally poetry) in Tulsa, Oklahoma—back where she started as the oldest of seven kids, (don’t ask to drive) three of whom are writers.
She doesn’t have a dog, a cat, or even a bird, but she does have an old Volvo convertible and loves to drive around in her sunglasses with the wind blowing her hair. It’s how she gets her vitamin D.
You can reach her through SherrillNilson.com or email her at sherrill.nilson@gmail.com. She would like to hear from you because she wants to know what you think about her work. She says it makes her a better writer––and makes her write faster.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 28, 2020
Couldn't put it down
Throughly enjoyed the storyline and character developmant/nteraction. Will be looking forward to the next book in this series and what will happen next.
Throughly enjoyed the storyline and character developmant/nteraction. Will be looking forward to the next book in this series and what will happen next.
October 27, 2019
Hunter picks up right where Karda left off, during the siege of Restal Prime, but instead of focusing on Marta and Altan, we meet Tessa Me’Cowyn. Tessa is the daughter of Connor Me’Cowyn, a strong Air talent and holder of Restal with eyes to see her married off to the strongest talent he can. That is, as long as they can keep hidden the fact that Tessa’s talent is blocked and inaccessible, and has been since she was a child. Tessa is suffocating under her father’s expectations that she will be a good broodmare—as she so often puts it—but sees no way out of her position. Until one day, a strange black Karda, smaller than most, flies in and declares her the Austringer, or Hunter, of legend. The Karda, Kishar, has come to claim her for despite the destruction of the Itza Larrak’s cavern and Readen’s imprisonment, the danger they presented is far from gone, and it is time for the rest of the legends to rise again.
But the Austringer is only half of the rest of the legend: there is also the Kern. Where the Austringer kills the urbat rising from the Circles of Disorder—half-animal, half-machine monsters of the Larrak—the Kern can replenish the land that has been sickened and diseased by the Circles of Disorder and their spreading Lines of Devastation which kill anything and anyone in their paths. Galen Morel is a hollow man: he has spent his life closing himself off from emotion, trying to please his ever-more-difficult and heartless father Kayne, and most recently had his outer shell of beauty burned away by his attempts to bring weapons to Readen. He does not know who he is, and who he was he can no longer pretend to be; the scars that mar his face, upper body, and arms ensure that he will never be able to catch a woman with just a simple grin as he did so many times in the past. And now, he finds himself being all but taken over by a strange new power, a strange new connection to Adalta that comes with unbidden knowledge of plants and earth. Having just lost all connection with who he used to be, he finds Adalta stepping in and providing him a new way to define himself, if he is courageous enough to listen to her and let himself discover who he is beneath all the masks he has worn.
More than a story of an evil rising ever closer to the surface and how people need to learn to look past their prejudices and ideas of who others are and what they are worth, Hunter provides a story of two people who are learning to stand on their own ground and shake off the hopes and plans that others have set for them. Tessa and Galen are both scarred physically and emotionally, though in different ways, and it will take them opening up to who they can be and reaching out to others as their own selves, not as someone they were supposed to be, if they ever hope to become more than just legends come to life, but individuals as well. It is this story of how Tessa and Galen learn who they are and become accepted for that which really carries this second book in the Adalta trilogy against the backdrop of a looming war with the Larrak’s urbat and darkness. The Larrak and Readen with their machinations are an ever-present thread moving things along-creepy symbol carving is creepy!-, yet without them, there would be no reason for there to be an Austringer and a Kern, no possible redemption for Galen, no self-assertion and independence for Tessa. Side note about Readen:
While Tessa’s arc is very engaging and empowering as a liberating feminist story, honestly I was more drawn to Galen’s. Not only because of how broken he was and how he patches himself together, but his arc also involved one of my favorite themes: that of someone being sort of taken over/shaped by this strange force against their will (right down to physical transformations/effects!), and how they learn to accept (or fight) against it, and what it does to them as a person. Ms. Nilson does a very good job of showing Galen’s struggle with himself, with Adalta, and the intersection of the two. It is very rewarding to see how Galen learns and accepts who he is once all his masks have been (often forcibly) stripped away, and how he gains confidence in front of others who still hold past deeds against him to stand up for what needs to be done. And then, is able to grow beyond that.
About my only complaint is relating to the love story developed between Galen and Tessa. Since they worked so hard to stay so far apart from each other for most of the book, keeping both physical and emotional distances, I felt that the ending event was a bit hollow. Sure, Ms. Nilson kept up a steady dialog around how Galen and Tessa felt for each other throughout the book—their feelings for each other were never in doubt—but the resultant event of that still seemed a bit forced. I may have celebrated and grinned in happiness at , but it still gave me echoes of when Altan and Marta proclaimed their love for one another in Adalta. These two couples find themselves irresistibly drawn to their partners in stronger than normal bonds, and they are also basically the reincarnations of the first two power couples of Adalta; both their destinies and their loves are pre-determined, and so the main struggle is with how they accept it, rather than how they make it. As for the ending climax and denouement:
As for everything else, though, as I said, I found the self-discovery and self-acceptance that both Tessa and Galen go through to be very engaging, and I loved how they became more confident in who they were and what they were to do. The complexity that appears in Readen also caught me, and has me wondering just how far he might be redeemed, if he isn’t consumed first, in the future. Captain Almryk was a good supporting character too, and the interactions between him and Galen as each learned about trust and forgiveness was rewarding. Kishar was enigmatic, and it was interesting to peel back his layers and secrets one by one, to see more of who he is and what he knows. The addition of Ket to the Karda ranks fighting with the humans is also welcome; his attitude had me all but laughing and nodding at how perfect a fit he is for his chosen partner. I’m glad that book 3 is coming out very soon, as I can’t wait to read it and see where all of this is headed!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention one of my favorite passages, as I found it very beautiful:
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my opinion of the novel.
But the Austringer is only half of the rest of the legend: there is also the Kern. Where the Austringer kills the urbat rising from the Circles of Disorder—half-animal, half-machine monsters of the Larrak—the Kern can replenish the land that has been sickened and diseased by the Circles of Disorder and their spreading Lines of Devastation which kill anything and anyone in their paths. Galen Morel is a hollow man: he has spent his life closing himself off from emotion, trying to please his ever-more-difficult and heartless father Kayne, and most recently had his outer shell of beauty burned away by his attempts to bring weapons to Readen. He does not know who he is, and who he was he can no longer pretend to be; the scars that mar his face, upper body, and arms ensure that he will never be able to catch a woman with just a simple grin as he did so many times in the past. And now, he finds himself being all but taken over by a strange new power, a strange new connection to Adalta that comes with unbidden knowledge of plants and earth. Having just lost all connection with who he used to be, he finds Adalta stepping in and providing him a new way to define himself, if he is courageous enough to listen to her and let himself discover who he is beneath all the masks he has worn.
More than a story of an evil rising ever closer to the surface and how people need to learn to look past their prejudices and ideas of who others are and what they are worth, Hunter provides a story of two people who are learning to stand on their own ground and shake off the hopes and plans that others have set for them. Tessa and Galen are both scarred physically and emotionally, though in different ways, and it will take them opening up to who they can be and reaching out to others as their own selves, not as someone they were supposed to be, if they ever hope to become more than just legends come to life, but individuals as well. It is this story of how Tessa and Galen learn who they are and become accepted for that which really carries this second book in the Adalta trilogy against the backdrop of a looming war with the Larrak’s urbat and darkness. The Larrak and Readen with their machinations are an ever-present thread moving things along-creepy symbol carving is creepy!-, yet without them, there would be no reason for there to be an Austringer and a Kern, no possible redemption for Galen, no self-assertion and independence for Tessa. Side note about Readen:
While Tessa’s arc is very engaging and empowering as a liberating feminist story, honestly I was more drawn to Galen’s. Not only because of how broken he was and how he patches himself together, but his arc also involved one of my favorite themes: that of someone being sort of taken over/shaped by this strange force against their will (right down to physical transformations/effects!), and how they learn to accept (or fight) against it, and what it does to them as a person. Ms. Nilson does a very good job of showing Galen’s struggle with himself, with Adalta, and the intersection of the two. It is very rewarding to see how Galen learns and accepts who he is once all his masks have been (often forcibly) stripped away, and how he gains confidence in front of others who still hold past deeds against him to stand up for what needs to be done. And then, is able to grow beyond that.
About my only complaint is relating to the love story developed between Galen and Tessa. Since they worked so hard to stay so far apart from each other for most of the book, keeping both physical and emotional distances, I felt that the ending event was a bit hollow. Sure, Ms. Nilson kept up a steady dialog around how Galen and Tessa felt for each other throughout the book—their feelings for each other were never in doubt—but the resultant event of that still seemed a bit forced. I may have celebrated and grinned in happiness at , but it still gave me echoes of when Altan and Marta proclaimed their love for one another in Adalta. These two couples find themselves irresistibly drawn to their partners in stronger than normal bonds, and they are also basically the reincarnations of the first two power couples of Adalta; both their destinies and their loves are pre-determined, and so the main struggle is with how they accept it, rather than how they make it. As for the ending climax and denouement:
As for everything else, though, as I said, I found the self-discovery and self-acceptance that both Tessa and Galen go through to be very engaging, and I loved how they became more confident in who they were and what they were to do. The complexity that appears in Readen also caught me, and has me wondering just how far he might be redeemed, if he isn’t consumed first, in the future. Captain Almryk was a good supporting character too, and the interactions between him and Galen as each learned about trust and forgiveness was rewarding. Kishar was enigmatic, and it was interesting to peel back his layers and secrets one by one, to see more of who he is and what he knows. The addition of Ket to the Karda ranks fighting with the humans is also welcome; his attitude had me all but laughing and nodding at how perfect a fit he is for his chosen partner. I’m glad that book 3 is coming out very soon, as I can’t wait to read it and see where all of this is headed!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention one of my favorite passages, as I found it very beautiful:
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way affected my opinion of the novel.
September 8, 2018
Another great read!
Another great adventure! If you haven’t read Adalta Volume I, I would highly recommend reading it prior to reading volume II. This will allow for full character development and give the reader the information required to fully understand what is happening in this book. In volume II we are introduced to some new and interesting characters. Forewarning, these characters are involved in some heavy and graphic scenes. The sci-fi world will not disappoint. The pace is fast and will keep you on your toes. I would highly recommend this for the adult sci-fi enthusiast. There is adventure in every chapter and it’s quite hard to put this book down.
Another great adventure! If you haven’t read Adalta Volume I, I would highly recommend reading it prior to reading volume II. This will allow for full character development and give the reader the information required to fully understand what is happening in this book. In volume II we are introduced to some new and interesting characters. Forewarning, these characters are involved in some heavy and graphic scenes. The sci-fi world will not disappoint. The pace is fast and will keep you on your toes. I would highly recommend this for the adult sci-fi enthusiast. There is adventure in every chapter and it’s quite hard to put this book down.
September 17, 2018
After reading the first volume in this story, it was relatively easy to continue with Tessa's story. This magical science fiction story is easy to ready and highly entertaining. I enjoy reading these novels as they have very strong female characters. I enjoyed all of the characters in this book from Tessa to Itza, the characters keep the reader reading! From magical talents and violence, volume II brings the reader on an even deeper journey with Tessa and Galen as they find out their destiny in their world.
April 11, 2022
The saga continues
Once again I have been drawn into the world that Sherrill Nilson has created. With this second volume the story continues and the editing issues that haunted to first dissappear. Two new characters become the focal point but they are not strangers to those who have read the first book. Nor do we lose track of those characters who became dear in that first book, but simply get to know more of and about the people here.
Once again I have been drawn into the world that Sherrill Nilson has created. With this second volume the story continues and the editing issues that haunted to first dissappear. Two new characters become the focal point but they are not strangers to those who have read the first book. Nor do we lose track of those characters who became dear in that first book, but simply get to know more of and about the people here.
January 24, 2021
Deftly woven, magical scifi with deep characters
Stunning second book. Again, can stand in its own, although it builds from what came before. The gravitas of this book was huge- the import of the characters choices affecting a planet, a huge spaceship, multiple lives and 4 civilizations. The characters are so well developed you love and hate them.
Stunning second book. Again, can stand in its own, although it builds from what came before. The gravitas of this book was huge- the import of the characters choices affecting a planet, a huge spaceship, multiple lives and 4 civilizations. The characters are so well developed you love and hate them.
November 23, 2018
I like the story.
February 6, 2019
Excellent read.
A wonderful blend of science and fantasy. You will love the heros and hate the bad guys. Can't wait for Vol. 3
A wonderful blend of science and fantasy. You will love the heros and hate the bad guys. Can't wait for Vol. 3
Read
September 9, 2019Good sequel
Good continuation of the story. Nice character development. Original world building. Looking forward to the conclusion of this series. Recommend it.
Good continuation of the story. Nice character development. Original world building. Looking forward to the conclusion of this series. Recommend it.
January 29, 2021
Hunter
I found this book dragged a bit, with too many fights and not enough story around the characters, even so I still I enjoyed it and look forward to the final book
I found this book dragged a bit, with too many fights and not enough story around the characters, even so I still I enjoyed it and look forward to the final book
June 11, 2022
Continued success
Second books often slow down in a series. This one did not. It continues the promises extended in the first book. I look forward to the next book.
Second books often slow down in a series. This one did not. It continues the promises extended in the first book. I look forward to the next book.
July 14, 2025
Fantasy/Sci-Fi; On to the next book.
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September 15, 2018First off let me start off by saying I recommend you read Vol 1 before venturing into Vol 2 as it will help introduce you to the world of Adalta. Also a warning that some of the scenes are very graphic. Here we are introduced Tessa Me'Cowyn and Galen Morel, two people on their own journeys of discovery. While Tessa wishes to embrace her healing powers, Galen wants to avoid his powers, together they have to combat the darkness that threatens to destroy their planet. All the while during this, they also have to fight the deep attraction between them. If you are a sci-fi lover as I am, it's a must read!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews