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Hunter #3
Apex
Being a member of the Elite Hunter Command imperils Joy in more ways than one. In their latest clash with Othersiders, the army of monsters nearly wiped them out. Apex City is safe?for now. But within the city barriers, Joy must wage a different kind of war.
The corrupt and powerful PsiCorps is determined to usurp the Hunters as chief defenders of Apex City and Joy is now squarely in their crosshairs. Unused to playing political games, she has very few people she can truly trust-not even Josh, her first friend in Apex City, who broke up with her when it became too dangerous for a Psimon to be dating a Hunter.
Then Josh comes to Joy for help. He fears that Abigail Drift, the head of PsiCorps, will soon use him in her twisted experiments designed to empower PsiCorps and render Hunters superfluous--a scheme that's already killed off dozens of Psimons. Joy manages to smuggle Josh to safety, but he cannot evade Drift forever?
As Joy faces ever more powerful Othersiders, she is helped by the most surprising ally imaginable---the same Folk Mage she once met in battle on the train to Apex City. But can Joy trust the most cunning and treacherous of all Othersiders?
In the thrilling finale to Mercedes Lackey's #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy, Joy must risk everything to end a brutal war?before she loses all she's ever loved.
The corrupt and powerful PsiCorps is determined to usurp the Hunters as chief defenders of Apex City and Joy is now squarely in their crosshairs. Unused to playing political games, she has very few people she can truly trust-not even Josh, her first friend in Apex City, who broke up with her when it became too dangerous for a Psimon to be dating a Hunter.
Then Josh comes to Joy for help. He fears that Abigail Drift, the head of PsiCorps, will soon use him in her twisted experiments designed to empower PsiCorps and render Hunters superfluous--a scheme that's already killed off dozens of Psimons. Joy manages to smuggle Josh to safety, but he cannot evade Drift forever?
As Joy faces ever more powerful Othersiders, she is helped by the most surprising ally imaginable---the same Folk Mage she once met in battle on the train to Apex City. But can Joy trust the most cunning and treacherous of all Othersiders?
In the thrilling finale to Mercedes Lackey's #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy, Joy must risk everything to end a brutal war?before she loses all she's ever loved.
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First published September 5, 2017
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About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,543 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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October 6, 2017Rating: undecided.
3 thoughts:
1. Omg I loved this one as much as the first two. 😍
2. Omg omg there's going to be a 4th book (there'd better be, anyway) 😁
3. Omg omg omg I'm going to have to wait a WHOLE YEAR for it. 😩
4th thought: PISSED!!! It didn't feel over to me, but apparently it is. I'm not ready. No. This has to be a mistake.
3 thoughts:
1. Omg I loved this one as much as the first two. 😍
4th thought: PISSED!!! It didn't feel over to me, but apparently it is. I'm not ready. No. This has to be a mistake.
March 31, 2022
“And revenge generally turns out to be a lot less satisfying than you think it will be.”
In Mercedes Lackey's Apex (Hunter #3), Hunter Joy returns to defend Apex City from a final assault of monsters from the other side. This isn't just a clash with the monsters, but with PsiCorps, an organization intent on usurping the Hunters as the primary protectors of Apex. As a final battle takes shape, other questions swirl. What is behind the PsiCorps' new strategy to defend Apex City? Can Joy trust her ex-boyfriend, Josh, who is a member of PsiCorps, or is he being used by its leader, Abigail Drift, to get at her? For that matter, can the Folk Mage who seems to help Joy be trusted? Quick and easy read that I think is a smidge better than its predecessors. 3.25 stars
In Mercedes Lackey's Apex (Hunter #3), Hunter Joy returns to defend Apex City from a final assault of monsters from the other side. This isn't just a clash with the monsters, but with PsiCorps, an organization intent on usurping the Hunters as the primary protectors of Apex. As a final battle takes shape, other questions swirl. What is behind the PsiCorps' new strategy to defend Apex City? Can Joy trust her ex-boyfriend, Josh, who is a member of PsiCorps, or is he being used by its leader, Abigail Drift, to get at her? For that matter, can the Folk Mage who seems to help Joy be trusted? Quick and easy read that I think is a smidge better than its predecessors. 3.25 stars
September 5, 2017
Quite possibly one of the best Mercedes Lackey series
I'm not ashamed to say that, leading up to the release of this, I reread Hunter and Elite, and then I spent a few hours checking to see if it was out yet (it downloaded at about 1am EST), and the second it was I inhaled it.
First I'll make a quick note of the bad; there's some weird little grammar things in the kindle issue, mostly commas instead of periods, but it's not a lot by any means; and the romance is still fairly "meh." I called Josh "background boyfriend" as much as by name. There were also some details Lackey seemed to forget, like one of Joy's Hounds being bigger than the one that's treated as biggest in this book, but nothing major.
Onto the gushing.
I'm a big Lackey fan. I've at least dipped my toes into most if not all of her universes, including collabs, so I'm well used to her one great weakness; she has patterns, and part of those means the middle book or books of a series are usually boring and lose you completely.
Not so, of the Hunter trilogy. These books are fun in a way her "grown-up" books aren't always. It's something she embraces in her Five Hundred Kingdoms series as well, but this trilogy really found a quite possibly perfect balance.
These books are packed with action, magic, mythos, humor, awesome women, great characters, a decent dose of queer positivity, and did I mention magic? It's heart-warming, it's sad, it makes you want to crawl into the pages and yell at people. And with Apex in particular: it is intensely satisfying. It's like watching an action flick and cheering when the good guys win.
I won't get more detailed than that, because it'd be spoilers, and redundant.
I absolutely think everyone should read this series, but it's very worth noting that they're very much written to be read together. Elite and Apex give only the smallest recap, and not only can you not really understand the book without the others, you'll probably be a bit lost if you haven't read them recently. But heck, they're worth it.
Apex doesn't tie everything up with a bow, but not in an unsatisfying way. I hope we see more like this from Lackey; I think these books which are a little "simpler" and shorter than her usual fair let her have some fun, and taking her out of her usual "comfort zone" of medieval (in feel at least) fantasy into dystopian fantasy were a breath a fresh air. I'd love to read more about Joy of course, because she's a really fun character surrounded by fun characters, and the world of Hunter is awesome--but I'll be keeping an eye out (as I have been for years!) for Lackey branching into any genre. Whenever she tries something new, it never fails to entertain, thrill, and delight!
And yeah, this is a totally biased gushing review of Apex from a long time fan. No shame.
I'm not ashamed to say that, leading up to the release of this, I reread Hunter and Elite, and then I spent a few hours checking to see if it was out yet (it downloaded at about 1am EST), and the second it was I inhaled it.
First I'll make a quick note of the bad; there's some weird little grammar things in the kindle issue, mostly commas instead of periods, but it's not a lot by any means; and the romance is still fairly "meh." I called Josh "background boyfriend" as much as by name. There were also some details Lackey seemed to forget, like one of Joy's Hounds being bigger than the one that's treated as biggest in this book, but nothing major.
Onto the gushing.
I'm a big Lackey fan. I've at least dipped my toes into most if not all of her universes, including collabs, so I'm well used to her one great weakness; she has patterns, and part of those means the middle book or books of a series are usually boring and lose you completely.
Not so, of the Hunter trilogy. These books are fun in a way her "grown-up" books aren't always. It's something she embraces in her Five Hundred Kingdoms series as well, but this trilogy really found a quite possibly perfect balance.
These books are packed with action, magic, mythos, humor, awesome women, great characters, a decent dose of queer positivity, and did I mention magic? It's heart-warming, it's sad, it makes you want to crawl into the pages and yell at people. And with Apex in particular: it is intensely satisfying. It's like watching an action flick and cheering when the good guys win.
I won't get more detailed than that, because it'd be spoilers, and redundant.
I absolutely think everyone should read this series, but it's very worth noting that they're very much written to be read together. Elite and Apex give only the smallest recap, and not only can you not really understand the book without the others, you'll probably be a bit lost if you haven't read them recently. But heck, they're worth it.
Apex doesn't tie everything up with a bow, but not in an unsatisfying way. I hope we see more like this from Lackey; I think these books which are a little "simpler" and shorter than her usual fair let her have some fun, and taking her out of her usual "comfort zone" of medieval (in feel at least) fantasy into dystopian fantasy were a breath a fresh air. I'd love to read more about Joy of course, because she's a really fun character surrounded by fun characters, and the world of Hunter is awesome--but I'll be keeping an eye out (as I have been for years!) for Lackey branching into any genre. Whenever she tries something new, it never fails to entertain, thrill, and delight!
And yeah, this is a totally biased gushing review of Apex from a long time fan. No shame.
February 12, 2018
This has been very, very entertaining.
In terms of sheer enjoyment and awesomeness, I rate this trilogy quite high in my mind. But. If I consider the plot of all three books, it feels to me something like an overly drawn out episode. Like an episode with three parts that story-wise just only needed one part. Catch my drift?
Over the course of three books the development has been sparse, the backstory's detail insufficient and the showdowns anti-climatic. Even now, with only an year passed from the first book to the last, very little has happened as far as the story goes. I can imagine the trilogy being one 800 page long book with all the fighting condensed and this makes more sense to me.
I still love these books. K.
The visual appeal of these books is off the charts. The idea of fighting side by side with and against inter-dimensional beasts with magical Doctor Strange powers is enough to get you tingling all over with excitement and imagination overload. Which is why the lack of everything but fighting is easily ignored.
Seriously, the only thing you care about is the awe-inspiring kick-butt ninja move-busting going on and the main character. Period. I mean, one of the protagonist's close allies dies in this book and it took me several pages to figure that out, one because it was described really offhandedly and two, I didn't care even though I actually sorta liked that guy. Even funnier is the fact that there was literally no funeral. Ouch. Like, boom, you're dead. Dismissed.
The final battle was underwhelming and nothing that hadn't happened before which undermined the whole "Super Epic Final Battle" thing. The romance is so laaaaaaame. There is no spark between the two and even though I dig this part usually, the characters in these books, the hunters especially, live by such a shitty schedule of eat-sleep-fight-eat-fight-fight-fight-repeat that I don't blame anyone for it not working.
So mainly disappointed by the following things:
-world-building (other territories, cities besides Apex?)
-backstory (I still don't understand how the Diseray happened EXACTLY. I needed patient detail not a harrassed paragraph)
-no trip to the Otherside
-lack of escalation in terms of plot
June 8, 2020
Having read all three books. I could have liked the main character if she wasn't whiny, judgemental and self absorbed.
For some unknown reason, only the main character ever had an idea. The elites must not have gone on hunts before Joy joined the team, because clearly, they would all have died.
On the other hand it was a fast read, overly repetitive sometimes. Either Joy was a horrible listener and seemed incapable of more complicated thoughts till maybe the last few chapters of book 3 or the author wrote that as suspense. If it was suspense, it was at the detriment of the main character.
Also the romance between Joy and her boyfriend had me gagging. It was completely without depth, unromantic and it fell so flat to me. On one end, I was glad it wasn't the center of the book. On the other, that romance could have developed Josh's character had it been written well. As it is, Josh's character was a filler, an accessory checked off a list. Even the end with Josh supposedly being the hero was understated.
The book was too abrupt. From the judgement of Jesse to Drift and Ace being horrible. There was no real build. Like when did Drift first contact the folk mage. How are Ace and Drift now working together? Since when are Josh and Mark friends? Josh is suddenly able to walk into PsiCorp even though he is wanted? What are those scanners and cameras for if Josh can just literally waltz in and seize a whole corporation with ease? That blows my mind considering how, this whole time there has been talk of how restrictive life is for those at PsyCorp.
I feel like a lot could have been written that wasn't. For all the criticism though, I really loved the world build. There were several points that I could picture spill-over and all the horrible beasts. And for me that succinct description is not simply commendable, it's impressive.
For some unknown reason, only the main character ever had an idea. The elites must not have gone on hunts before Joy joined the team, because clearly, they would all have died.
On the other hand it was a fast read, overly repetitive sometimes. Either Joy was a horrible listener and seemed incapable of more complicated thoughts till maybe the last few chapters of book 3 or the author wrote that as suspense. If it was suspense, it was at the detriment of the main character.
Also the romance between Joy and her boyfriend had me gagging. It was completely without depth, unromantic and it fell so flat to me. On one end, I was glad it wasn't the center of the book. On the other, that romance could have developed Josh's character had it been written well. As it is, Josh's character was a filler, an accessory checked off a list. Even the end with Josh supposedly being the hero was understated.
The book was too abrupt. From the judgement of Jesse to Drift and Ace being horrible. There was no real build. Like when did Drift first contact the folk mage. How are Ace and Drift now working together? Since when are Josh and Mark friends? Josh is suddenly able to walk into PsiCorp even though he is wanted? What are those scanners and cameras for if Josh can just literally waltz in and seize a whole corporation with ease? That blows my mind considering how, this whole time there has been talk of how restrictive life is for those at PsyCorp.
I feel like a lot could have been written that wasn't. For all the criticism though, I really loved the world build. There were several points that I could picture spill-over and all the horrible beasts. And for me that succinct description is not simply commendable, it's impressive.
October 31, 2017
This just felt a little too phoned in. Everything was either super obvious or a little too convenient. Not the worst book ever, but kind of disappointing for a series that I thought was so fun to start out.
March 1, 2019
UGH I’m finally finished with this crappy series. I tried to like them so, so hard, but ultimately I was really bored, and it took me MONTHS to get through three little YA books (that honestly bordered on middle grade).
The characters were lackluster. Torcion, the only morally gray character (although he wasn’t THAT morally gray tbh), was considerably the only good character in the entire series. Joy, on the other hand, was the worst person to read about in the entire world. She was so full of herself, and Lackey wrote her character to be so overpowered I was endlessly bored with her because I knew she would NEVER be defeated; she never came out of a battle with more than a scratch. She was always the absolute best and most powerful at everything, and it SUCKED. I want some variety in my characters, some weakness, some gray morality. Instead, in the Hunter trilogy, we’re stuck with Joy, a pompous brat who knows her shit doesn’t stink. She’s so irritating
Also, the romance is literally SO boring and detailess it hurts. Lackey must not know how to write a romance AT ALL because I wasn’t invested in Josh and Joy in any of the books: their romance seemed forced and wasn’t well thought out, or written well. And Joy’s relationships with other characters, platonically, are just as bad. Basically every female is over the top jealous of Joy, and every boy is lowkey into her. G A G.
I will say, the world Lackey created in these books is AMAZING, which is really sad it wasn’t thought out or written well. She could have set this world in a bit more of an adult setting, been a little more vulgar and had WAY more morally gray characters, and I would have LOVED it. Instead this series read like a ‘How To Fill a Series With Every Cliche Trope Possible’ for a ten year old. I wish they’d lived up to my expectations :(
The characters were lackluster. Torcion, the only morally gray character (although he wasn’t THAT morally gray tbh), was considerably the only good character in the entire series. Joy, on the other hand, was the worst person to read about in the entire world. She was so full of herself, and Lackey wrote her character to be so overpowered I was endlessly bored with her because I knew she would NEVER be defeated; she never came out of a battle with more than a scratch. She was always the absolute best and most powerful at everything, and it SUCKED. I want some variety in my characters, some weakness, some gray morality. Instead, in the Hunter trilogy, we’re stuck with Joy, a pompous brat who knows her shit doesn’t stink. She’s so irritating
Also, the romance is literally SO boring and detailess it hurts. Lackey must not know how to write a romance AT ALL because I wasn’t invested in Josh and Joy in any of the books: their romance seemed forced and wasn’t well thought out, or written well. And Joy’s relationships with other characters, platonically, are just as bad. Basically every female is over the top jealous of Joy, and every boy is lowkey into her. G A G.
I will say, the world Lackey created in these books is AMAZING, which is really sad it wasn’t thought out or written well. She could have set this world in a bit more of an adult setting, been a little more vulgar and had WAY more morally gray characters, and I would have LOVED it. Instead this series read like a ‘How To Fill a Series With Every Cliche Trope Possible’ for a ten year old. I wish they’d lived up to my expectations :(
September 6, 2017
The boring and unnecessary romance (which felt like an item being checked off a list) and the boring and unnecessary focus on PsiCorps (I honestly didn't give two s***s about the stupid PsiCorp) left me completely underwhelmed by the third book in this trilogy. Josh is a two-dimensional character and brings very little to the story. He hardly even advances the plot! There was such a great storyline waiting to be tapped in Torcion and the formation of an alliance against the Grand Alliance but sadly Lackey chose more to focus on Josh Green's mattress fort in the middle of Spillover. The only good thing was Cielle as Joy's new bff and hunting partner, but other than that I'm extremely disappointed. Even in the hunting scenes, this book just lacked the fun and excitement of the other two.
September 17, 2017
I loved Hunter and Elite one on my favorite books of the year. Can't wait for a third book I'm so ready and excited!!!!
September 14, 2018
So, for about 80% of this book I was digging it, I thought it was better then book 2, still a bit wishy washy with your typical YA annoyances, but more like book 1 which I liked.
It's written like the others, pretty clear, straight forward. If you're up to this point I can promise you there's nothing new here. I do appreciate it by-passes the typical love triangle these kinds of books generally feel obligated to create...
But - spoilers follow...
But... It's a book 3, there's a final battle at the end, I'm utterly unsurprised but okay, it's not the first book to do it so whatever. So. Final battles, as they go, usually have the 'good guys' as the underdog and SOMETHING comes along to save them. Also, fine. Lackey as set up three possible paths, within her prose, that can answer to this. Four possibilities that would all make sense, use inner logic, and show us the growing interactions of this world of hers.
(1) The 'masters' of the mountain, their hounds, and their associated warriors come to save the day. This was being built up to, they were out of communication so it sounded like they were coming.
(2) Josh and the psionics - clearly he went off, went dark. They did get involved, but that would have been a very good way to resolve the ending conflict.
(3) 'Lavender' gets his people to go neutral, if not help out - this leaves a fair fight in the end, the hunters take over, and, ta-da resolution. Again all written into the story, an outcome that would have worked for most all sides.
(4) Stretching it a little - the Military and the Army mages - it was hinted they had some healing powers and could do some outstanding things. Could easily have been them that resolved the conflict. This might have been a little out of left field... but we'd still be in the park in terms of conflict resolution.
So - what does Lackey do? Right, "the Great Hunt". Pure Deus Ex. Joyo is told, out of no where, she can summon the great hunt. This was never hinted at. Never brought up. The hounds never once made mention of anything even close to this mysterious ability. And, deus Ex, she essentially summons the Dog god to come fight for her.
WTF.
It's pointless. Sloppy. Unnecessary. Makes you realize this is just another lackluster psuedo fantasy series written that rises above stream of consciousness only because the Author is, at this point, experienced enough to keep it better polished then that.
This will be my first and last series with the Author. And yes, you can kill a book with idiotic writing like that. Easily.
It's written like the others, pretty clear, straight forward. If you're up to this point I can promise you there's nothing new here. I do appreciate it by-passes the typical love triangle these kinds of books generally feel obligated to create...
But - spoilers follow...
But... It's a book 3, there's a final battle at the end, I'm utterly unsurprised but okay, it's not the first book to do it so whatever. So. Final battles, as they go, usually have the 'good guys' as the underdog and SOMETHING comes along to save them. Also, fine. Lackey as set up three possible paths, within her prose, that can answer to this. Four possibilities that would all make sense, use inner logic, and show us the growing interactions of this world of hers.
(1) The 'masters' of the mountain, their hounds, and their associated warriors come to save the day. This was being built up to, they were out of communication so it sounded like they were coming.
(2) Josh and the psionics - clearly he went off, went dark. They did get involved, but that would have been a very good way to resolve the ending conflict.
(3) 'Lavender' gets his people to go neutral, if not help out - this leaves a fair fight in the end, the hunters take over, and, ta-da resolution. Again all written into the story, an outcome that would have worked for most all sides.
(4) Stretching it a little - the Military and the Army mages - it was hinted they had some healing powers and could do some outstanding things. Could easily have been them that resolved the conflict. This might have been a little out of left field... but we'd still be in the park in terms of conflict resolution.
So - what does Lackey do? Right, "the Great Hunt". Pure Deus Ex. Joyo is told, out of no where, she can summon the great hunt. This was never hinted at. Never brought up. The hounds never once made mention of anything even close to this mysterious ability. And, deus Ex, she essentially summons the Dog god to come fight for her.
WTF.
It's pointless. Sloppy. Unnecessary. Makes you realize this is just another lackluster psuedo fantasy series written that rises above stream of consciousness only because the Author is, at this point, experienced enough to keep it better polished then that.
This will be my first and last series with the Author. And yes, you can kill a book with idiotic writing like that. Easily.
November 1, 2017
Finally!!! I’ve been waiting way too long for Apex to come out and I bought it as soon as it did, because things were heating up for Joy in book 2. Now, the Hunters are in an all-out war against the Othersiders, and it doesn’t look as though those magical creatures are ever going to give up. Combine that with heated tension growing between the PsiCorps and the Hunters, and there’s lots of drama and intrigue to be had by all.
As I’ve mentioned in reviews for the previous books: I really appreciate Lackey’s ability to seamlessly weave together science fiction and fantasy. I love both genres and having them perfectly incorporated into one story is heaven. Apex differs from its predecessors in that it has a lot more action and a lot less character development. Because of this, I thought the first bits of the book were slow-going, but once intrigue started happening with PsiCorps and the Folk Mage, it starts to get good.
Joy realizes that the Othersiders are being controlled by Folk Mages and feels as though there’s something she’s missing about the Othersiders’ intentions. She feels as though there’s a bigger game being played, but has no idea what exactly it is, so she enlists the help of a couple of trusted friends and puts her life on the line to trust the lavender Folk Mage to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. Again, Joy proves to be an amazing main character; she struggles and nothing is super easy for her, but she also takes charge of situations and goes all-out to protect her friends and do her job as a Hunter. I love that she isn’t a perfect badass character who never gets hurt or faces challenges, but she also isn’t helpless either.
The resolution of Apex is impossibly perfect, and I felt such a rush reading it — definitely makes it worth your while to pick up the series. It has SUCH A GOOD ENDING! I’m not sure if any books are planned for the future, but I definitely can see Lackey writing a spinoff trilogy set in the same world (which is a common move for her). It has enough of a finale that I feel as though Joy’s story has ended nicely, but leaves enough open that future spinoffs would be appreciated, which is a nice way to end a fantasy book, I think.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
As I’ve mentioned in reviews for the previous books: I really appreciate Lackey’s ability to seamlessly weave together science fiction and fantasy. I love both genres and having them perfectly incorporated into one story is heaven. Apex differs from its predecessors in that it has a lot more action and a lot less character development. Because of this, I thought the first bits of the book were slow-going, but once intrigue started happening with PsiCorps and the Folk Mage, it starts to get good.
Joy realizes that the Othersiders are being controlled by Folk Mages and feels as though there’s something she’s missing about the Othersiders’ intentions. She feels as though there’s a bigger game being played, but has no idea what exactly it is, so she enlists the help of a couple of trusted friends and puts her life on the line to trust the lavender Folk Mage to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. Again, Joy proves to be an amazing main character; she struggles and nothing is super easy for her, but she also takes charge of situations and goes all-out to protect her friends and do her job as a Hunter. I love that she isn’t a perfect badass character who never gets hurt or faces challenges, but she also isn’t helpless either.
The resolution of Apex is impossibly perfect, and I felt such a rush reading it — definitely makes it worth your while to pick up the series. It has SUCH A GOOD ENDING! I’m not sure if any books are planned for the future, but I definitely can see Lackey writing a spinoff trilogy set in the same world (which is a common move for her). It has enough of a finale that I feel as though Joy’s story has ended nicely, but leaves enough open that future spinoffs would be appreciated, which is a nice way to end a fantasy book, I think.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
November 23, 2021
I really fell in love with this story and the characters. They are all very unique and it's set in a world similar to our own. I also enjoyed the familiarity of the lore and mythology, and their intricate explanations were captivating. I recognized most of them, but others (like Knockers) were new to me.
The magical elements were a nice addition to the story. Opening portals and having Hounds aid people in battle was fascinating. The fact that those Hounds were also Otherworlders that could wield their own magic, only added to the excitement. Joy's relationship with her Hounds was beautiful and endearing. If my dogs could talk and breathe fire, I think life would be a lot more exciting.
The audiobooks are long, so I'm sure the books are hefty, but I would still recommend you get all of them at once. If you read the first one, you're not going to want to stop!
The magical elements were a nice addition to the story. Opening portals and having Hounds aid people in battle was fascinating. The fact that those Hounds were also Otherworlders that could wield their own magic, only added to the excitement. Joy's relationship with her Hounds was beautiful and endearing. If my dogs could talk and breathe fire, I think life would be a lot more exciting.
The audiobooks are long, so I'm sure the books are hefty, but I would still recommend you get all of them at once. If you read the first one, you're not going to want to stop!
June 22, 2019
I have read every book in the series hoping that I would end up liking them in the end, but I didn’t like it at all. I just had to force myself to finish it. I couldn’t relate to the characters. I couldn’t stand the main character, which I already explained in my review of the second book. I didn’t even care about some of the characters that ended up dying which is not typical of me when I get into a story.
I hate to give her a bad review to these books but I just did not see the hype and why it was so exciting for many people.
I hate to give her a bad review to these books but I just did not see the hype and why it was so exciting for many people.
October 15, 2017
Not great. The story didn't tie up nicely in the end. Too many battle scenes. Too much of Joyo always feeling guilt and always being the best. More character development needed.
January 18, 2019
Well, this book was better than the one preceding it, but only just. There's something weird about these books, a sort of hollowness that I can't shake. The pacing doesn't help; with the last two books in the series, both have opened with action, and then continued that action more or less at a boringly consistent pace before the book abruptly ends. There isn't much rising action or tension, and the fight scenes (which are 90% of the book at this point, and roughly identical) kind of plod along in a very formulaic fashion. It's a short book, so you won't necessarily get bored, but...it's just pretty meh all around.
At this point in the series I would expect a strong plot to have developed, but in point of fact there never really is a big plot. One is hinted at, but never really explored, nor is it given enough meat for the reader to get invested in. If this really is the final book, it's a bit of a letdown, because it feels as though this world the author has created has so much potential. And it all gets squandered. Now, unlike the last book there was at least one scene compelling enough to stand out for the others (the final battle, if you must know), but even then...there was a moment where I got swept up in the action, and then...it just petered out. As if the author spent all her energy and focus on working towards that big reveal, and then, having achieved it, immediately dismissed it, fixed all the problems offscreen, then dusted her hands off and quickly scribbled off one last chapter to close off the book.
The characters are kind of bland. Most haven't really developed from the first book (although the protagonist asserts that she has) and most of the pages are wasted on lackluster fight scenes, some of which fade to black just so the author can quickly summarize them in the next paragraph. That's a good thing, I suppose, since boy there is enough of the hacking and slashing as it is, but it really, really leaves very little left in the book to keep a reader invested. New characters are introduced, or old characters finally get a paragraph or two of descriptive features, and then they get shunted off into the background to act as fodder for the battlefield.
I won't say that it was bad, but it's definitely lacking something. Purpose, maybe. Or personality. Or both. But if you like action and fantasy, well, you could do worse.
At this point in the series I would expect a strong plot to have developed, but in point of fact there never really is a big plot. One is hinted at, but never really explored, nor is it given enough meat for the reader to get invested in. If this really is the final book, it's a bit of a letdown, because it feels as though this world the author has created has so much potential. And it all gets squandered. Now, unlike the last book there was at least one scene compelling enough to stand out for the others (the final battle, if you must know), but even then...there was a moment where I got swept up in the action, and then...it just petered out. As if the author spent all her energy and focus on working towards that big reveal, and then, having achieved it, immediately dismissed it, fixed all the problems offscreen, then dusted her hands off and quickly scribbled off one last chapter to close off the book.
The characters are kind of bland. Most haven't really developed from the first book (although the protagonist asserts that she has) and most of the pages are wasted on lackluster fight scenes, some of which fade to black just so the author can quickly summarize them in the next paragraph. That's a good thing, I suppose, since boy there is enough of the hacking and slashing as it is, but it really, really leaves very little left in the book to keep a reader invested. New characters are introduced, or old characters finally get a paragraph or two of descriptive features, and then they get shunted off into the background to act as fodder for the battlefield.
I won't say that it was bad, but it's definitely lacking something. Purpose, maybe. Or personality. Or both. But if you like action and fantasy, well, you could do worse.
March 26, 2018
An interesting premise and world concept. In fact I only kept reading for the hope more about the Hounds, Folk Lords and Othersiders would be revealed. Very little actually was and when it was, the tone was so rushed I wasnt able to savor it or really get invested. Unfortunately, nothing else about the story was able to invest my interest. The main story was so boring, the characters so uninspiring and generic that I actually didnt care if any of them got hurt and/or killed. The villains have no nuance and were described always as arrogant or weasel faced or smug or *insert generic negative adjective here* while the heroes and their friendships all set at the same level of congeniality. For example Joys friendship with Mark Knight (her best friend)felt the same as the friendship she creates with other people in her team, with lots of grinning and fist bumping to show exactly how friendly all the good guys are.
Everything except the relationship Joy has with Bya, and the hints of what the otherside was like, felt contrived and forced. If you want a naunced fantasy story with magic and conflict and risk and peril read the Dresden Files.
Everything except the relationship Joy has with Bya, and the hints of what the otherside was like, felt contrived and forced. If you want a naunced fantasy story with magic and conflict and risk and peril read the Dresden Files.
January 3, 2018
Dnf around 40%. I LOVED the first book, it was a breath of fresh air for Lackey, but book two slipped in more of her little Lackeyisms - one liners where she gets to complain about some small aspect of modern society.
Anyway, book three was just boring. More monster hunts, the same old monsters, stale characters, and I didn't care about the mysteries of the Folk.
Hunters = Heralds, Hounds = Companions, and now we have Waystations?
Anyway, book three was just boring. More monster hunts, the same old monsters, stale characters, and I didn't care about the mysteries of the Folk.
Hunters = Heralds, Hounds = Companions, and now we have Waystations?
December 4, 2019
Why? I loved the first two books in this series and I was super excited for the third, but then it. just. exploded in my face. I don't get it. How do you have something as good as the first two books in this series and then botch it this badly? How is it possible? It makes no sense. Lazy writing. Characters thrown down the drain for cheap emotional effect. Everything we were excited about just didn't happen. I really, really, hated it, and I'm so mad that Joy didn't get the ending she deserved.
March 3, 2019
I was expecting so much for for the final installment. Unfortunately this seemed just lackluster. The first book is the best. You really don't need to go beyond it.
August 3, 2019
YA by-the-yard, with a side of self-doubting teenage heroine. But exactly the flavor of brain-candy that I was looking for for a summer read
September 1, 2017
APEX is an action-packed adventure from start to finish.
At 304 pages and with its fast-paced plot, this is a very quick and very enjoyable read. All three of these books have classic elements I've seen in other books, but Lackey has certainly put her own spin on those elements and tied them all together in one beautiful package.
Joy is such a great main character, and she is anything but a damsel in distress. She is a character you simply can't help but root for. I loved watching her dig in and fight no matter the situation she found herself in. She is a girl with some serious gumption, and I loved reading through her perspective.
The world-building in this book is really well done. I especially enjoyed the magical creatures, both the good and the bad, that I discovered within these pages. It is clear that Lackey did a lot of research on classic mythological creatures and also put a lot of work into making them her own.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think it's one that will certainly be entertaining for readers of all ages.
*Thanks so much to Disney-Hyperion for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
At 304 pages and with its fast-paced plot, this is a very quick and very enjoyable read. All three of these books have classic elements I've seen in other books, but Lackey has certainly put her own spin on those elements and tied them all together in one beautiful package.
Joy is such a great main character, and she is anything but a damsel in distress. She is a character you simply can't help but root for. I loved watching her dig in and fight no matter the situation she found herself in. She is a girl with some serious gumption, and I loved reading through her perspective.
The world-building in this book is really well done. I especially enjoyed the magical creatures, both the good and the bad, that I discovered within these pages. It is clear that Lackey did a lot of research on classic mythological creatures and also put a lot of work into making them her own.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think it's one that will certainly be entertaining for readers of all ages.
*Thanks so much to Disney-Hyperion for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
November 18, 2020
Been enjoying this series more so than I expected. This book takes a bit of a turn and has some unexpected developments. I don't know if it isn't as good as the others because some of the same "battles" have now become repetitive for 3 books. Each one becomes more bigger more badder, yes I said that. It was still good and I am interested in seeing where it goes.
May 26, 2024
Nooooooooo.... it's not over, where are the rest??? They were about to into the other realm.
Mercedess Lackey. Please finish this.
4 Stars
Mercedess Lackey. Please finish this.
4 Stars
May 21, 2019
Really disappointed in this series as a whole. Everything from lackluster world building to the protagonist's slightly (and by slightly I mean incredibly) condescending attitude towards everyone to the romance that lacked any hint of a spark. This book in particular was uber predictable and I forced myself to finish it over my long weekend off for some reason.
June 25, 2019
Gah I never would have started this series if I had known that they would leave it all hanging.
September 13, 2017
Nice ending of the plot arc & hints of future ones
Pretty much ties up the plot threads of the Apex political machinations; now focusing on the Folk for (hopefully ) future stories.
Looking forward to the next.
Pretty much ties up the plot threads of the Apex political machinations; now focusing on the Folk for (hopefully ) future stories.
Looking forward to the next.
November 21, 2017
My feelings on this book are fairly mixed and I’ve been struggling for a few days to write this review so forgive me if it rambles on a bit or if I contradict myself at all in it. Mercedes Lackey has probably been my favorite author for nearly 15 years now and I would have to say that this has been one of the more interesting and unique worlds that she has created in a long time. Unfortunately, I don’t think that Apex was anywhere near as good as the first two books in the series.
Now that’s not to say I think that Apex was a bad book, because I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it and think the audiobook was well worth the purchase. There were just a few aspects of the story that I didn’t enjoy and think really brought the book down in some ways. I know the angsty love story between Joy and Josh was a major part of the last two books but I feel like it was really shoehorned into Apex just to have a romance subplot in the book. I found most of the scenes with Joy and Josh together to be surprisingly boring.
I think the book would have been much better if it had focused less on Joy and Josh and more on Joy, Josh, and the PsiCorps. I also would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of Joy’s new hunting partner Cielle, I loved her character and thought she really brought something to the story. I think what Apex did best was expand upon the information we had on the Hounds and the Others. I loved every hunting scene we got in this book because every time one of the Folk or Joy’s hounds appeared we learned some fascinating new piece of information.
As always I think Amy Landon did an absolutely fantastic job narrating this book and couldn’t imagine listening to anyone else read it. She puts so much energy and emotion into her narration that you can practically feel everything that Joy feels over the course of the book. She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite audiobook narrators.
Aside from the issues I had with this book I still think Apex is a great addition to this series and I can’t wait to see what Mercedes Lackey has in store for Joy and her hounds in the next book!
Now that’s not to say I think that Apex was a bad book, because I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it and think the audiobook was well worth the purchase. There were just a few aspects of the story that I didn’t enjoy and think really brought the book down in some ways. I know the angsty love story between Joy and Josh was a major part of the last two books but I feel like it was really shoehorned into Apex just to have a romance subplot in the book. I found most of the scenes with Joy and Josh together to be surprisingly boring.
I think the book would have been much better if it had focused less on Joy and Josh and more on Joy, Josh, and the PsiCorps. I also would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of Joy’s new hunting partner Cielle, I loved her character and thought she really brought something to the story. I think what Apex did best was expand upon the information we had on the Hounds and the Others. I loved every hunting scene we got in this book because every time one of the Folk or Joy’s hounds appeared we learned some fascinating new piece of information.
As always I think Amy Landon did an absolutely fantastic job narrating this book and couldn’t imagine listening to anyone else read it. She puts so much energy and emotion into her narration that you can practically feel everything that Joy feels over the course of the book. She’s quickly becoming one of my favorite audiobook narrators.
Aside from the issues I had with this book I still think Apex is a great addition to this series and I can’t wait to see what Mercedes Lackey has in store for Joy and her hounds in the next book!
March 15, 2018
This series was so disappointing. I only finished it because I kept hoping it would get better. The worst part was that this idea had so much potential, but it flopped. The idea of hunters summoning hounds was so fascinating. The idea of psionics was all so fascinating. However there was no character development other than Joy. You never learn anything solid about any of the other characters. It would have been nice to get out of her head and perspective. I couldn't find it in myself to dislike the villains very much because I felt like I didn't really know them. She has the potential for a great political Intrigue story but never gets outside of the world of hunters to explore and develop that story. This may be minor, but it also bothered me that she couldn't come up with more interesting terms for a post-apocalyptic world then shortening typical words. Cit for citizen Crete for concrete. I mean, come on. A an elementary school student could come up with that. I thought this was a huge letdown compared to her other books.
September 6, 2017
Another page turner very well done!
I wasn't sure I would like this series and waited until about a month ago to get the first 2 books, once again I have been captured in a world that is so hard to leave. When I finished thus book, all I could think if is it can't be over already! Now to reread.
I wasn't sure I would like this series and waited until about a month ago to get the first 2 books, once again I have been captured in a world that is so hard to leave. When I finished thus book, all I could think if is it can't be over already! Now to reread.
February 3, 2020
DNF.
Book 1: Hunter, was really good. It was an unusual story filled with interesting characters/creatures and afterwards, I was really excited to dive into book 2. However, Elite was boring and very repetitive. The MC is stuck in some kind of Groundhog Day, going on repeated missions and searching the sewers. But sometimes the second book in a trilogy is the boring intersection between two good books, so when I noticed Book 3: Apex was available, I figured I'd give it a read. I still wanted to find out about the Folk Mages.
*sigh* I didn't make it too far when boredom set in. It's the same tired old fights. At this point, I don't give a fuck about the MC, those Mages, or anything else. DNF.
Book 1: Hunter, was really good. It was an unusual story filled with interesting characters/creatures and afterwards, I was really excited to dive into book 2. However, Elite was boring and very repetitive. The MC is stuck in some kind of Groundhog Day, going on repeated missions and searching the sewers. But sometimes the second book in a trilogy is the boring intersection between two good books, so when I noticed Book 3: Apex was available, I figured I'd give it a read. I still wanted to find out about the Folk Mages.
*sigh* I didn't make it too far when boredom set in. It's the same tired old fights. At this point, I don't give a fuck about the MC, those Mages, or anything else. DNF.
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