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Valiant #1
Hunter
A reckless young woman named Averella does what no woman has ever done.
She disguises herself as a man and purposefully gets herself arrested and thrown into Zagerah. Her brother Gabriel was taken, and with his disease, he will not survive on his own. She has no idea what to expect inside the prison; all she knows is that once men get taken, they never come back.
The Hunters will find her.
Genetically altered to be faster and stronger than humans, the Hunters use their powers to find and kill every prisoner who enter Zagerah. The only ones who can defeat them, are in fact, themselves.
Jared is a Hunter. It’s all he’s known, all he remembers. He kills ruthlessly and without regret, one prisoner after another. When a new prisoner Dalex shows up, everything begins to change. Jared goes undercover to make Dalex and the other prisoners believe he is one of them, a prisoner himself.
No one knows the truth.
He will trick them.
Toy with them.
Then, he will kill them.
She disguises herself as a man and purposefully gets herself arrested and thrown into Zagerah. Her brother Gabriel was taken, and with his disease, he will not survive on his own. She has no idea what to expect inside the prison; all she knows is that once men get taken, they never come back.
The Hunters will find her.
Genetically altered to be faster and stronger than humans, the Hunters use their powers to find and kill every prisoner who enter Zagerah. The only ones who can defeat them, are in fact, themselves.
Jared is a Hunter. It’s all he’s known, all he remembers. He kills ruthlessly and without regret, one prisoner after another. When a new prisoner Dalex shows up, everything begins to change. Jared goes undercover to make Dalex and the other prisoners believe he is one of them, a prisoner himself.
No one knows the truth.
He will trick them.
Toy with them.
Then, he will kill them.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 6, 2021
15 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
About the author
Joanna White
41 books227 followersJoanna White is a Christian Author and fangirl. Hunter and Shifter are the first two books in her debut series, called the Valiant Series, published by Christian publisher Ambassador International and there are more to come. Coming this December, one of her short stories will be featured in a Winter Fairy Tale Retelling Anthology by Divination Publishing. Her newest release, Dark Magi, just came out on November 19th.
She graduated from Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing For Entertainment. Ever since she was ten years old, she's been writing stories and has a deep passion for writing and creating stories, worlds, characters, and plots that readers can immerse themselves in. In 2019, she reached her personal goal of writing a million words in a year. Most of all, Joanna loves God, her family, staying at home, and being a total nerd.
To stay updated and find out more about her novels, where her inspiration comes from, and more, visit her website at: joannawhite316.wordpress.com.
She graduated from Full Sail University with a BFA in Creative Writing For Entertainment. Ever since she was ten years old, she's been writing stories and has a deep passion for writing and creating stories, worlds, characters, and plots that readers can immerse themselves in. In 2019, she reached her personal goal of writing a million words in a year. Most of all, Joanna loves God, her family, staying at home, and being a total nerd.
To stay updated and find out more about her novels, where her inspiration comes from, and more, visit her website at: joannawhite316.wordpress.com.
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May 11, 2019
I offered to review this novel after reading its prequel, Forgotten (Valiant 0.5) which I had bought many months ago not realising Hunter would be released so soon after this and also offering to host Joanna in a blog tour of the release for Hunter.
Now I am hooked! I loved the darkness and oppressiveness of Forgotten and this set the scene for Hunter. Now after reading this new tome, I am ready for Sightless, a short story set between Hunter and Shifter, this latter novel to be released in July, 2019. I am so hooked on this series, I have asked for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Sightless!
I understand that Hunter was written first, in 2012 (but not released until now) and White wrote Forgotten a few months ago solely to show how Jared became a Hunter. I am glad she wrote this as I can see reading Hunter, without this prequel knowledge, it would have made it harder to understand the world of the Hunters and why and how they came into existence. The spiritual aspects would also have been missing thus adding to a lack of depth to the worldbuilding and plot development. Forgotten solves this issue!
Hunter grabs you right from the start and does not let go! You hit the ground running (excuse the pun, as all the prisoners seem to do is run from the Hunters!). And when Averella becomes imprisoned, the action revves up even further! It then that more of the plot and its twists occur. And this is where this novel and this series, comes into its own.
In this prison, Zagerah, which is not a bricks and mortar prison but an area of land that is bordered by and encased by a dome that has a geological features such as, volcanoes, lake and river tributary, ice caves, swamp, fogged area, wasteland, mountain plateaus, rock forest and shadow forest, cliffed area and man-made structures of a glass pyramid, invisible maze. All this becomes the hunting ground for the hunted. These are all human males from the surrounding villages of Averell who are captured by the Gredi (guards of the Aretul) and dragged to Zagerah for the sole purpose to be hunted and killed by the Hunters. If a prisoner shows Hunter potential, they are taken to the Aretul labs and genetically altered to give them specific superpowers and abilities to hunt and kill humans. Zagerah is head of the Aretul and of which the prison is named after him (although in Forgotten, it is implied that it the name is based on him as well as the prison).
In Forgotten we learn that Jared is deliberately transformed into a Hunter (also known as being one of the Corrupted) as he is considered one of the Chosen by The Father (God) and by doing so, they have prevented another of the Chosen from their quest, which is to prevent and destroy the Darkness being spread from the Dark Master over the known galaxy. We get a hint of the Chosen in Forgotten where Radon (allegory to Jesus) is sent by The Father to rescue the Chosen from the many planets in the galaxy in the fight against the Dark Master (allegorically satan). There is mention of three Chosen already saved/rescued by Radon, those of Toron, Jace and Aidan. I would love to see this backstory as another short story or prequel novella, exploring more of Radon and the quest of the Chosen to thwart the evilness of the Dark Master and his spreading Darkness over the galaxy. Future story fodder, Joanna, or are these already part of the 10 novels in this Valiant series?
White successfully enables the reader to endear themselves to Jared in Forgotten and this is further reinforced in Hunter. Just when you get used to the Hunters being devoid of all memory of their lives before being captured, this is not so with Jared. Like all Hunters, he only knows two emotions from his genetic engineering, anger and hate. However, with the introduction of Averella (known as Dalex once she is captured and disguised as a male), Jared experiences new emotions he should not be able to, love, compassion, caring, protectiveness, wanting to belong, self-worth/esteem, wanting to do something right and a desire to be rid of the negative and destructive emotions and behaviours of being a killing machine (Hunter). One gets the feeling that this ability to experience these emotions is due to him being a Chosen, and that The Father has enabled him this ability; that it was not destroyed through genetic engineering, but maintained in order to be able to rescue and break the bondage of fear, captivity the prisoners have lived with. No prisoner has ever escaped or been released from Zagerah, hence The Father’s desire and Will to have this demonic bondage and abuse broken and the prisoners released. This latter plot twist is continued in Sightless, the short story that follows on from Hunter, before the events of Shifter (Valiant Book 2), release date July 1, 2019.
It is here that this novel becomes an allegory to the story of Moses. I first heard about this when I had White as part of her blog tour to promote the release of Hunter. Whites stated on this post that,
As I finished the Valiant Series and realized each book had been paralleled with the Bible, I realized Hunter’s importance. I’d always written to inspire people, to give them worlds and books they can delve into and be able to read books ingrained in truth, that are also clean with Christian standards to them, but realizing that Hunter paralleled the story of Moses made me realize it was far more important than it seemed and it also made me realize that God had been writing the book with me the whole time, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.
You have a man raised in a different society – so Jared parallels with Moses – who are both called to do something far above themselves. They both have doubts and don’t believe they’re the right person for the job. Then you also have the people being oppressed – so the prisoners parallel with the enslaved Israelites. It wasn’t heavy handed but the themes were there.
There’s also a lot more Biblical themes throughout Hunter. One of the main ones is forgiveness. Many of the characters make mistakes and they all have to learn to forgive each other. It really touches on the bitterness and anger and how difficult it is to forgive someone. But you realize you’re no better than the one you need to forgive, it opens up their hearts to a place of forgiveness.
Hunter also is a journey of growth and hope, one where Averella has to learn not to doubt herself because others see her as weak. It’s a lesson God’s been trying to teach me that we are weak and He is strong and through Him, we can be strong with Him. That we, as Christians, are stronger together. Teamwork is another underlying lesson woven into the story.
You can fully see this parallel when White depicts Radon appearing to Jared and commands him to free His people, together with a burning tree instead of the burning bush from the biblical account. And speaking of forgiveness, White has Jared consider The Father’s forgiveness through the death of Jesus from the Biblical account when Averella and the other Christian prisoners were discussing their faith and how they missed having access to the Word of God as they did in their pre-captive lives. It is a poignant moment and one that I am sure every Christian can remember when faith was ignited in our soul and spirit that led to our acceptance of Jesus as our Saviour,
“Why sacrifice himself like that? He had… so much power. So many options he could have used to escape,” Jared pointed out.
“He did. But instead, He chose to die in order to save us all. He had to take our sin upon himself so that we could be freed. Because He rose again, if we believe in Him we can join Him in Heaven,” Lehlax answered.
“He came back to life?” Jared asked.
“He did,” Lehlax answered. He told Jared about sin and how bad we were separated from God, and how because of the Savior, we can be forgiven of our sins. When he talked about forgiveness for all the wrong we had done, Jarend swallowed hard.
“You mean none of it matters? None of the horrible things we do?” he asked them.
“It matters, but if you truly seek forgiveness it will be given to you if you mean it in your heart,” Lehlax explained.
And later:
"I couldn’t believe that the horrible things I had done could be forgiven. It was a wild idea, but it stirred my thoughts and made me want to know more. All the men I had killed flashed in my mind at once and I thought, that man can forgive this? Is there hope for someone like me? Is there?"
"We were all eating and most of us had finished the meat, when Sine started humming lightly. Pretty soon others joined him. I watched them with curiosity and I couldn't shake that feeling that had come back: the words dancing around the edges of my closed off mind, teasing me. I thought I knew them, I thought all this seemed like something I could believe in, hope in something that could be real. God….Forgiveness. Hope."
and through his involvement with Averella and her witness to him, he further considers it,
"Then you talked about forgiveness and it gave me hope that maybe....Maybe i'm not too far gone, Maybe I can be forgiven for the things I've done."
Another theme that is evident in this novel, is that of suffering. White addresses the age-old question from those who do not believe that if a loving God really loved us, why does He allow us to suffer, why does He not deliver us? White explains one aspect of this answer through the rebuke and scoffing from Wes concerning the existence of God and His lack of involvement in their fight for survival. Averella defends her beliefs, God’s existence and this question of suffering and deliverance with this discourse,
He is real! And He is watching out for us! He can stop it, but you know what? He won’t because that’s one of His greatest gifts to man – the gift of free will! Which means the Aretul, the people who run Zagerah, and event the Hunters themselves have the free will to make their own choices! God is not going to override that or force them to do anything! But He can and will protect us! If we die here, there’s a reason, if we die tonight, tomorrow, or thirty years from now there is a reason for it! We don’t know the reason, but He is always with us, and He will never leave us nor forsake us!”
(This reference in the quote above of God always being with us and not forsaking us is from many verses in the Bible and this one stands out amongst the rest: Deuteronomy 31:6 New King James Version),
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
And White goes on to explain through Lehlax what we do while going through any tribulation,
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31)
And just like any discourse in this debate over this perpetual question of suffering, some answers are not accepted by everyone, and further challenges to the Christian faith and the question of God’s existence and His motives for suffering are thrown in the mix. This time, Runx challenges Averella,
“So, tell me this….. if this guy (God) is watching us and always there for us and all that, but he’s not going to control someone else’s choices, yet you say he will help us, then why do we still die in here? Why not pop out a miracle and save us all from the Hunters, huh?”
Averella retorts,
“He helps us, and He answers our prayers, but it’s not always in our timing or in the exact way that we want it or expect it. It’s quiet, it’s subtle, and sometimes we might not even realize what happened.”
This may sound like preaching when extracted from the plot like I have done, but seen in the context of the story and events that led to this discussion, it is powerful and adds depth to the plot, adds even more suspense and enables the reader to relate to the characters POV. And does not similar conversations occur amongst Christians and non-Christians? It is reality and in this novel setting, it is art imitating life! It is also where faith and fiction intersect!
I do have one question about this faith discourse and depiction of some of these prisoners being Christian. If these Christian prisoners have faith in God and know His Word as well as what they have espoused in their discussion, why did White not show through their fight for survival and fight against the Hunters, more prayer and living out their faith under these tribulations? Their actions in this fight and flight response of being hunted to death are very reactive and of the base nature of survival, which is fine and not to be ignored but acted upon, however, as Christians, we do not have to only rely on this survival and reactivity. We are called to be doers of the Word, not just hearers! (1 James 1:22):
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
This inclusion of prayer, living out His Word and even using the name of Jesus to come against the actions and demonic powers of the Hunters would not have detracted or lessened the suspense, action, or rivetingness of the plot. White has shown that the Hunters and the Aretul are involved in the demonic so including these spiritual warfare principles would have balanced out the demonic and shown true spiritual warfare, which is one of the pillars of this novel and series.
However, this novel stands on its own and what White has included of the Christian faith and its doctrines holds this novel/series in good stead. I am sure it will be an encouragement to those Christians who are struggling in their faith or to those who don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus that either a seed of faith may be planted or an existing one watered by the faith elements White has included here.
I respect White for dealing with the betrayal, the lies, the misunderstanding, the unforgiveness that sometimes happens in a relationship and how she portrayed the resolution of these in a positive Christian way. This supports the way that Christians are to deal with these issues and their aftermath. Just as Jesus did not give up on sinful and “fallen from grace” mankind, so based on Jesus’ example, Averella did not give up on Jared despite the hurt and betrayal he caused her through his lies, deceit as an undercover Hunter. In this age of throwaway and disposable relationships, it is encouraging and relationship-affirming to see an author deal with this God's way and not man's way.
I have stated in previous reviews that I am not a fan of the romance genre, but I do appreciate and enjoy romance when it is included as a subplot and that it does not overtake the plot. White has done this well in this novel. I loved the developing relationship between Averella and Jared. I hope to see more of these two and the development of their relationship in future novels. As with other novels where the subplot of romance exists, it serves well to break up the suspense, action and adventure and give the reader a breather from this! What a nice breather it is too!
While reading this novel and Forgotten, I was struck by how much more of the backstory of the Aretul and the origins of this darkness, of Zagerah and the Dark Master I wanted to know. I happen to venture over to White’s website and she had just added exactly what I was seeking:
-Evil Incarnate: A Detailed Look At The Dark Master
-A Man or A Prison: A Detailed Look At Zagerah
-Leader, Husband, Father: A Detailed Look At Municx
-Gone but Not Forgotten: A Detailed Look at Malik and Kellarch
-The Secret Sacrifice: A Detailed Look At Wexx (and Sine)
I would encourage White to include these documents either in a companion book about this series (there will be 10 novels after all!) or as an appendix to Hunter. If she adds anymore concerning those characters of future novels, then these could be the appendix to that novel.
Reading these backstories only enhanced my enjoyment of this novel. I am sure there would be readers who do not investigate an author’s website and so would miss out on this information about the characters and the worldbuilding and its enhancement of their reading enjoyment. I mention this to be an appendix as it gives vital worldbuilding information. As any discerning reader and fan of science fiction and fantasy knows, solid, detailed worldbuilding is essential in making it relational and believable science fiction and/or fantastical world an author creates. Otherwise, the novel falls flat and the reader does not come back for more or seeks another author who has the goods on all these issues.
White has delivered here and is well placed to further expand the worldbuilding of this series.
Strongly recommended.
The three ratings below are based on my discernment:
World Building 5/5
Characters 5/5
Story 5/5
The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:
Spiritual Level 3/5
Enemy Spiritual Level 3/5
Overall Rating: 4.2/5
Now I am hooked! I loved the darkness and oppressiveness of Forgotten and this set the scene for Hunter. Now after reading this new tome, I am ready for Sightless, a short story set between Hunter and Shifter, this latter novel to be released in July, 2019. I am so hooked on this series, I have asked for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Sightless!
I understand that Hunter was written first, in 2012 (but not released until now) and White wrote Forgotten a few months ago solely to show how Jared became a Hunter. I am glad she wrote this as I can see reading Hunter, without this prequel knowledge, it would have made it harder to understand the world of the Hunters and why and how they came into existence. The spiritual aspects would also have been missing thus adding to a lack of depth to the worldbuilding and plot development. Forgotten solves this issue!
Hunter grabs you right from the start and does not let go! You hit the ground running (excuse the pun, as all the prisoners seem to do is run from the Hunters!). And when Averella becomes imprisoned, the action revves up even further! It then that more of the plot and its twists occur. And this is where this novel and this series, comes into its own.
In this prison, Zagerah, which is not a bricks and mortar prison but an area of land that is bordered by and encased by a dome that has a geological features such as, volcanoes, lake and river tributary, ice caves, swamp, fogged area, wasteland, mountain plateaus, rock forest and shadow forest, cliffed area and man-made structures of a glass pyramid, invisible maze. All this becomes the hunting ground for the hunted. These are all human males from the surrounding villages of Averell who are captured by the Gredi (guards of the Aretul) and dragged to Zagerah for the sole purpose to be hunted and killed by the Hunters. If a prisoner shows Hunter potential, they are taken to the Aretul labs and genetically altered to give them specific superpowers and abilities to hunt and kill humans. Zagerah is head of the Aretul and of which the prison is named after him (although in Forgotten, it is implied that it the name is based on him as well as the prison).
In Forgotten we learn that Jared is deliberately transformed into a Hunter (also known as being one of the Corrupted) as he is considered one of the Chosen by The Father (God) and by doing so, they have prevented another of the Chosen from their quest, which is to prevent and destroy the Darkness being spread from the Dark Master over the known galaxy. We get a hint of the Chosen in Forgotten where Radon (allegory to Jesus) is sent by The Father to rescue the Chosen from the many planets in the galaxy in the fight against the Dark Master (allegorically satan). There is mention of three Chosen already saved/rescued by Radon, those of Toron, Jace and Aidan. I would love to see this backstory as another short story or prequel novella, exploring more of Radon and the quest of the Chosen to thwart the evilness of the Dark Master and his spreading Darkness over the galaxy. Future story fodder, Joanna, or are these already part of the 10 novels in this Valiant series?
White successfully enables the reader to endear themselves to Jared in Forgotten and this is further reinforced in Hunter. Just when you get used to the Hunters being devoid of all memory of their lives before being captured, this is not so with Jared. Like all Hunters, he only knows two emotions from his genetic engineering, anger and hate. However, with the introduction of Averella (known as Dalex once she is captured and disguised as a male), Jared experiences new emotions he should not be able to, love, compassion, caring, protectiveness, wanting to belong, self-worth/esteem, wanting to do something right and a desire to be rid of the negative and destructive emotions and behaviours of being a killing machine (Hunter). One gets the feeling that this ability to experience these emotions is due to him being a Chosen, and that The Father has enabled him this ability; that it was not destroyed through genetic engineering, but maintained in order to be able to rescue and break the bondage of fear, captivity the prisoners have lived with. No prisoner has ever escaped or been released from Zagerah, hence The Father’s desire and Will to have this demonic bondage and abuse broken and the prisoners released. This latter plot twist is continued in Sightless, the short story that follows on from Hunter, before the events of Shifter (Valiant Book 2), release date July 1, 2019.
It is here that this novel becomes an allegory to the story of Moses. I first heard about this when I had White as part of her blog tour to promote the release of Hunter. Whites stated on this post that,
As I finished the Valiant Series and realized each book had been paralleled with the Bible, I realized Hunter’s importance. I’d always written to inspire people, to give them worlds and books they can delve into and be able to read books ingrained in truth, that are also clean with Christian standards to them, but realizing that Hunter paralleled the story of Moses made me realize it was far more important than it seemed and it also made me realize that God had been writing the book with me the whole time, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.
You have a man raised in a different society – so Jared parallels with Moses – who are both called to do something far above themselves. They both have doubts and don’t believe they’re the right person for the job. Then you also have the people being oppressed – so the prisoners parallel with the enslaved Israelites. It wasn’t heavy handed but the themes were there.
There’s also a lot more Biblical themes throughout Hunter. One of the main ones is forgiveness. Many of the characters make mistakes and they all have to learn to forgive each other. It really touches on the bitterness and anger and how difficult it is to forgive someone. But you realize you’re no better than the one you need to forgive, it opens up their hearts to a place of forgiveness.
Hunter also is a journey of growth and hope, one where Averella has to learn not to doubt herself because others see her as weak. It’s a lesson God’s been trying to teach me that we are weak and He is strong and through Him, we can be strong with Him. That we, as Christians, are stronger together. Teamwork is another underlying lesson woven into the story.
You can fully see this parallel when White depicts Radon appearing to Jared and commands him to free His people, together with a burning tree instead of the burning bush from the biblical account. And speaking of forgiveness, White has Jared consider The Father’s forgiveness through the death of Jesus from the Biblical account when Averella and the other Christian prisoners were discussing their faith and how they missed having access to the Word of God as they did in their pre-captive lives. It is a poignant moment and one that I am sure every Christian can remember when faith was ignited in our soul and spirit that led to our acceptance of Jesus as our Saviour,
“Why sacrifice himself like that? He had… so much power. So many options he could have used to escape,” Jared pointed out.
“He did. But instead, He chose to die in order to save us all. He had to take our sin upon himself so that we could be freed. Because He rose again, if we believe in Him we can join Him in Heaven,” Lehlax answered.
“He came back to life?” Jared asked.
“He did,” Lehlax answered. He told Jared about sin and how bad we were separated from God, and how because of the Savior, we can be forgiven of our sins. When he talked about forgiveness for all the wrong we had done, Jarend swallowed hard.
“You mean none of it matters? None of the horrible things we do?” he asked them.
“It matters, but if you truly seek forgiveness it will be given to you if you mean it in your heart,” Lehlax explained.
And later:
"I couldn’t believe that the horrible things I had done could be forgiven. It was a wild idea, but it stirred my thoughts and made me want to know more. All the men I had killed flashed in my mind at once and I thought, that man can forgive this? Is there hope for someone like me? Is there?"
"We were all eating and most of us had finished the meat, when Sine started humming lightly. Pretty soon others joined him. I watched them with curiosity and I couldn't shake that feeling that had come back: the words dancing around the edges of my closed off mind, teasing me. I thought I knew them, I thought all this seemed like something I could believe in, hope in something that could be real. God….Forgiveness. Hope."
and through his involvement with Averella and her witness to him, he further considers it,
"Then you talked about forgiveness and it gave me hope that maybe....Maybe i'm not too far gone, Maybe I can be forgiven for the things I've done."
Another theme that is evident in this novel, is that of suffering. White addresses the age-old question from those who do not believe that if a loving God really loved us, why does He allow us to suffer, why does He not deliver us? White explains one aspect of this answer through the rebuke and scoffing from Wes concerning the existence of God and His lack of involvement in their fight for survival. Averella defends her beliefs, God’s existence and this question of suffering and deliverance with this discourse,
He is real! And He is watching out for us! He can stop it, but you know what? He won’t because that’s one of His greatest gifts to man – the gift of free will! Which means the Aretul, the people who run Zagerah, and event the Hunters themselves have the free will to make their own choices! God is not going to override that or force them to do anything! But He can and will protect us! If we die here, there’s a reason, if we die tonight, tomorrow, or thirty years from now there is a reason for it! We don’t know the reason, but He is always with us, and He will never leave us nor forsake us!”
(This reference in the quote above of God always being with us and not forsaking us is from many verses in the Bible and this one stands out amongst the rest: Deuteronomy 31:6 New King James Version),
"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
And White goes on to explain through Lehlax what we do while going through any tribulation,
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31)
And just like any discourse in this debate over this perpetual question of suffering, some answers are not accepted by everyone, and further challenges to the Christian faith and the question of God’s existence and His motives for suffering are thrown in the mix. This time, Runx challenges Averella,
“So, tell me this….. if this guy (God) is watching us and always there for us and all that, but he’s not going to control someone else’s choices, yet you say he will help us, then why do we still die in here? Why not pop out a miracle and save us all from the Hunters, huh?”
Averella retorts,
“He helps us, and He answers our prayers, but it’s not always in our timing or in the exact way that we want it or expect it. It’s quiet, it’s subtle, and sometimes we might not even realize what happened.”
This may sound like preaching when extracted from the plot like I have done, but seen in the context of the story and events that led to this discussion, it is powerful and adds depth to the plot, adds even more suspense and enables the reader to relate to the characters POV. And does not similar conversations occur amongst Christians and non-Christians? It is reality and in this novel setting, it is art imitating life! It is also where faith and fiction intersect!
I do have one question about this faith discourse and depiction of some of these prisoners being Christian. If these Christian prisoners have faith in God and know His Word as well as what they have espoused in their discussion, why did White not show through their fight for survival and fight against the Hunters, more prayer and living out their faith under these tribulations? Their actions in this fight and flight response of being hunted to death are very reactive and of the base nature of survival, which is fine and not to be ignored but acted upon, however, as Christians, we do not have to only rely on this survival and reactivity. We are called to be doers of the Word, not just hearers! (1 James 1:22):
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
This inclusion of prayer, living out His Word and even using the name of Jesus to come against the actions and demonic powers of the Hunters would not have detracted or lessened the suspense, action, or rivetingness of the plot. White has shown that the Hunters and the Aretul are involved in the demonic so including these spiritual warfare principles would have balanced out the demonic and shown true spiritual warfare, which is one of the pillars of this novel and series.
However, this novel stands on its own and what White has included of the Christian faith and its doctrines holds this novel/series in good stead. I am sure it will be an encouragement to those Christians who are struggling in their faith or to those who don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus that either a seed of faith may be planted or an existing one watered by the faith elements White has included here.
I respect White for dealing with the betrayal, the lies, the misunderstanding, the unforgiveness that sometimes happens in a relationship and how she portrayed the resolution of these in a positive Christian way. This supports the way that Christians are to deal with these issues and their aftermath. Just as Jesus did not give up on sinful and “fallen from grace” mankind, so based on Jesus’ example, Averella did not give up on Jared despite the hurt and betrayal he caused her through his lies, deceit as an undercover Hunter. In this age of throwaway and disposable relationships, it is encouraging and relationship-affirming to see an author deal with this God's way and not man's way.
I have stated in previous reviews that I am not a fan of the romance genre, but I do appreciate and enjoy romance when it is included as a subplot and that it does not overtake the plot. White has done this well in this novel. I loved the developing relationship between Averella and Jared. I hope to see more of these two and the development of their relationship in future novels. As with other novels where the subplot of romance exists, it serves well to break up the suspense, action and adventure and give the reader a breather from this! What a nice breather it is too!
While reading this novel and Forgotten, I was struck by how much more of the backstory of the Aretul and the origins of this darkness, of Zagerah and the Dark Master I wanted to know. I happen to venture over to White’s website and she had just added exactly what I was seeking:
-Evil Incarnate: A Detailed Look At The Dark Master
-A Man or A Prison: A Detailed Look At Zagerah
-Leader, Husband, Father: A Detailed Look At Municx
-Gone but Not Forgotten: A Detailed Look at Malik and Kellarch
-The Secret Sacrifice: A Detailed Look At Wexx (and Sine)
I would encourage White to include these documents either in a companion book about this series (there will be 10 novels after all!) or as an appendix to Hunter. If she adds anymore concerning those characters of future novels, then these could be the appendix to that novel.
Reading these backstories only enhanced my enjoyment of this novel. I am sure there would be readers who do not investigate an author’s website and so would miss out on this information about the characters and the worldbuilding and its enhancement of their reading enjoyment. I mention this to be an appendix as it gives vital worldbuilding information. As any discerning reader and fan of science fiction and fantasy knows, solid, detailed worldbuilding is essential in making it relational and believable science fiction and/or fantastical world an author creates. Otherwise, the novel falls flat and the reader does not come back for more or seeks another author who has the goods on all these issues.
White has delivered here and is well placed to further expand the worldbuilding of this series.
Strongly recommended.
The three ratings below are based on my discernment:
World Building 5/5
Characters 5/5
Story 5/5
The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:
Spiritual Level 3/5
Enemy Spiritual Level 3/5
Overall Rating: 4.2/5
March 23, 2020
The two narrators of this book begin in opposition. Jared is a Hunter, a superhuman predator with no memory of any life but that of stalking and killing human prisoners for the Aretul who created him. Avarella is a young woman whose people live in poverty under the boot of the mysterious occupying Aretul. All the people know of their oppressors is that they regularly capture men or boys, who never return from Zagerah prison. They either die there or are turned into Hunters, an effective way (or so the Aretul must think) of preventing a hero from rising. When Avarella’s sickly brother is captured, she disguises herself as a young man in order to be captured, too, to try to find and help her brother. She soon encounters Jared, and working in concert with other prisoners, outsmarts him. He becomes obsessed with killing this new prisoner (called Dalex) but agrees to go undercover as a prisoner in order to learn “his” secrets.
Set mostly in the pocket world of Zagerah with its quirky day-night cycle and varieties of dangerous terrain, this is a fast-paced story with plenty of fighting, peril, and narrow escapes, but also strong themes of community, compassion, friendship, and redemption. Jared, knowing only hate, anger, and the thrill of the hunt and kill, is baffled by how Dalex and friends work together and help one another, and even more by his own feelings when they begin to emerge. Could there be forgiveness and community even for someone like him? Could there be … love?
As a reader, I generally steer clear of “Christian Fiction,” which can fall into the trap of preachiness or blandness. Hunter is far from bland and mostly avoids preachiness, aside from one chapter in the middle when the characters begin talking about their faith and berating the non-believers in the group. It seemed out of character with what had gone before, dropped in rather than integrated with the rest of the story; a missed opportunity to include cultural and religious material earlier, as world building and character development. But the outgrowth of it is an effective and thrilling scene that gives Jared the opportunity to change his whole purpose, perhaps finding redemption for himself and liberation for his friends. The path from villain to hero never did run smooth, though, providing plenty of conflict and action through the second half of the book, up to and including the explosive conclusion.
Set mostly in the pocket world of Zagerah with its quirky day-night cycle and varieties of dangerous terrain, this is a fast-paced story with plenty of fighting, peril, and narrow escapes, but also strong themes of community, compassion, friendship, and redemption. Jared, knowing only hate, anger, and the thrill of the hunt and kill, is baffled by how Dalex and friends work together and help one another, and even more by his own feelings when they begin to emerge. Could there be forgiveness and community even for someone like him? Could there be … love?
As a reader, I generally steer clear of “Christian Fiction,” which can fall into the trap of preachiness or blandness. Hunter is far from bland and mostly avoids preachiness, aside from one chapter in the middle when the characters begin talking about their faith and berating the non-believers in the group. It seemed out of character with what had gone before, dropped in rather than integrated with the rest of the story; a missed opportunity to include cultural and religious material earlier, as world building and character development. But the outgrowth of it is an effective and thrilling scene that gives Jared the opportunity to change his whole purpose, perhaps finding redemption for himself and liberation for his friends. The path from villain to hero never did run smooth, though, providing plenty of conflict and action through the second half of the book, up to and including the explosive conclusion.
November 21, 2020
How far would you go to save someone you love?
Averella does just this, but she soon learns that her life and those of others are in peril and there's a traitor in their group.
The book has a parallel to Moses, but with enough originality to keep a reader glued to each page. The surprising turns that the book takes allows the story to play out into a satisfying ending.
With so many nuances, themes, and emotions, reading about Averella and Jared's story is something that will stay with the reader and create a desire to read more.
The Valiant Series is definitely one to start collecting!
Averella does just this, but she soon learns that her life and those of others are in peril and there's a traitor in their group.
The book has a parallel to Moses, but with enough originality to keep a reader glued to each page. The surprising turns that the book takes allows the story to play out into a satisfying ending.
With so many nuances, themes, and emotions, reading about Averella and Jared's story is something that will stay with the reader and create a desire to read more.
The Valiant Series is definitely one to start collecting!
not-interested
August 13, 20251st person
August 22, 2019
The story is told in the first person by the main characters. Changing every chapter the narrative character could be confusing and bit annoying though. We enter a brutal world where special mutated creatures that look human enough and have superpowers are killing people with no apparent reasons. The hunters as the mutants are called have established an era of terror and torture in the region of Zagerah until (as usual) a rare girl came with powers to counter their supremacy. One of the main characters is a girl who finds herself voluntarily in the prison where many unforeseen events take place that will change her and others forever (cliché overload!). Nonetheless, the books have a nice narrative at times and despite some long descriptions and internal feelings, the pace goes in an interesting rate and the story moves until the final confrontation and the victory of the good guys!
September 17, 2021
Hunter: Valiant is the first book in The Valiant Series This is a beautiful story of second chances and forgiveness. The story line is beautifully crafted a wonderful start to the Valiant Series. Joanna White has crafted a world that is both flawed and courageous, the book explores the themes of family, bravery, and redemption. This world she has created is far different than our own but leaves wondering as we begin to realize how close this world parallels our own. There is a short novel Sightless that follows this novel and might tie up any lose ends you might have. Ms White is a gifted writer and a wonderful addition to the world of Christian Fiction. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the book
May 16, 2019
Overall I liked this story. It is the story of a prison and the hunters who seek their prey there. Men are taken from their villages and sent to this prison - which is actually a vast plot of land with many hazards on it. There is no way out. The hunters, changed men with different powers, hunt, play vicious games with, and kill these prisoners. There is a lot of violence in this story, graphic violence. I skipped through some of the other battle scenes after I read through the first battle between the hunters and a group of prisoners.
A woman's sick brother is taken and she disguises herself as a man and gets captured to find and save her brother. She finds instead that she made a very huge mistake. The prison wasn't at all what she had thought it would be. She becomes friends with some other prisoners and exhibits strengths even she didn't know she had, and that makes the hunters to want him/her alive, so they send in a hunter to act as a prisoner and learn his/her secrets. He learns more than he expected to learn, like love and companionship, and friendship - something he had "never" experienced before.
As I said, I enjoyed the overall story but the violence was too graphic for my comfort and there were a couple of scenes where her womanhood is discovered that were uncomfortable, but not graphic. There isn't any bad language in this, and the Christian message doesn't really show up until near the end.
A woman's sick brother is taken and she disguises herself as a man and gets captured to find and save her brother. She finds instead that she made a very huge mistake. The prison wasn't at all what she had thought it would be. She becomes friends with some other prisoners and exhibits strengths even she didn't know she had, and that makes the hunters to want him/her alive, so they send in a hunter to act as a prisoner and learn his/her secrets. He learns more than he expected to learn, like love and companionship, and friendship - something he had "never" experienced before.
As I said, I enjoyed the overall story but the violence was too graphic for my comfort and there were a couple of scenes where her womanhood is discovered that were uncomfortable, but not graphic. There isn't any bad language in this, and the Christian message doesn't really show up until near the end.
April 30, 2019
I had the great honor to be part of Joanna White’s street team for her latest release, “Hunter.”
It is a very well written story, with engaging characters and unique world building. After reading Hunter, I have more questions about the Arutel and what in universe is going on beyond the Zagereth, than when I began the story and am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
That, I must say, is one thing I love about series. Not every question needs to be answered, and now I find myself engaged in Joanna’s new series.
It is a very well written story, with engaging characters and unique world building. After reading Hunter, I have more questions about the Arutel and what in universe is going on beyond the Zagereth, than when I began the story and am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.
That, I must say, is one thing I love about series. Not every question needs to be answered, and now I find myself engaged in Joanna’s new series.
May 1, 2019
Hunter, the first of the Valiant series, was an incredible book to read. Despite the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover," the cover made me instantly love the book. The story itself was even better though. I was drawn in immediately by the dreaded, yet virtually unknown, Zagerah. Following Averella, a young woman whose love and loyalty know no bounds, you get to see it up close, which is both exciting and terrifying.
I recommend this book to young adults who like good stories and are interested in what it means to be human and what the 'right thing to do' is.
I recommend this book to young adults who like good stories and are interested in what it means to be human and what the 'right thing to do' is.
May 1, 2019
I had the privilege of reading this book in it's first draft.It was amazing then and is still amazing! One of the best books and series out there.World building is excellent, characters are believable. Very detailed and in depth writing. So many plot twists that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat the whole time.
Go buy this book and follow the author because there are many more books to come in this series!
Go buy this book and follow the author because there are many more books to come in this series!
April 9, 2020
I just ordered this book on Monday and finished it today. That is how good this book was. I couldn't put it down. The way that Joanna created the world of the Aretul and the Hunters is amazing and I can't wait to see where it goes in Shifter.
For starters, I love the characters that Joanna introduced us to in Hunter; from people like Aravella to the Hunter-turned-liberator Jared, to even his father Municx. Every one of the characters I met in Zagerah were entirely fleshed out and I loved them. One aspect that I really liked about Aravella herself was the fact that she was willing to get herself captured in order to protect her older brother who was sick.
Also, I love the way that the world and characteristics of the Hunters are explained and isn't info-dumped. The story Joanna tells is crafted beautifully and I loved the parallels between Aravella and Mulan and later the Biblical parallels between Jared and Moses is amazing.
The world of the Aretul and the Corruption seeping through is just getting started and I can't wait to read more.
Overall, I'd give Hunter by Joanna White a 5 out of 5 stars.
For starters, I love the characters that Joanna introduced us to in Hunter; from people like Aravella to the Hunter-turned-liberator Jared, to even his father Municx. Every one of the characters I met in Zagerah were entirely fleshed out and I loved them. One aspect that I really liked about Aravella herself was the fact that she was willing to get herself captured in order to protect her older brother who was sick.
Also, I love the way that the world and characteristics of the Hunters are explained and isn't info-dumped. The story Joanna tells is crafted beautifully and I loved the parallels between Aravella and Mulan and later the Biblical parallels between Jared and Moses is amazing.
The world of the Aretul and the Corruption seeping through is just getting started and I can't wait to read more.
Overall, I'd give Hunter by Joanna White a 5 out of 5 stars.
July 16, 2021
Hunter
Interesting book. Didn't see the religious aspect until more than half way through the book. Interesting concept, world and characters.
Interesting book. Didn't see the religious aspect until more than half way through the book. Interesting concept, world and characters.
June 7, 2019
This novel was a really good read. It's one that you won't want to put down and keeps you turning pages until the end. I really enjoyed taking the journey with the main characters. The worldbuilding was well-thought out, and the characterization definitely made the novel worth the read. I would definitely recommend the novel for preteens and teens. It's a clean novel with no gratuitous violence or inappropriate scenes that would cause concern for parents looking for a solid fantasy novel for their kids to read, and for those adults who enjoy a bit of good YA fantasy from time to time, this is a good choice. I would definitely recommend Hunter to fantasy enthusiasts.
August 15, 2017
A young woman tries to save her brother by getting herself thrown in prison too. This was a good book. The girl risks a lot for her brother and the Hunters were interesting to read about. It did need some work with editing, but for fans of the genre, it is worth a read.
January 30, 2024
First - this is a christian book by a Christian author. However, if I am totally going to be honest I would not have known this if it had not been for the blurb on the book - God isn't mentioned until almost half way through the book - and then only briefly as the FMC says that God is bigger than the stars (somewhere around the 54% mark). Then the prisoners are around the campfire at 63% and discussing God, Scriptures, and religion. And at this point the MMC realizes there is more to life than being a Hunter. Then BAM! God (or Jesus) - known here as Radon - appears in a burning bush and tells Jared to "free my people". And if I had DNF'd the book at the 45% mark (which I honestly almost did!!) I would never have seen the Christian elements at all.
The entire book drags at points - I skipped large portions of it because, quite frankly, I was bored to tears and just wanted get on with it. The FMC is a woman who disguises herself as a boy in order to get caught and put in a prison where she hopes to find and save her sickly older brother. What she doesn't know is that her brother was killed two days prior to her capture. The MMC is Hunter named Jared and part of the book is from his POV.
The book needed to (OR NEEDS TO) undergo editing one more time - or the author needs to find and hire a better editor. There are numerous typos, tense agreement issues and other glaring grammatical errors. There is even a rather large spelling error when one prisoner states that another starving prisoner was looking at him "like I was a stake" instead of steak. This type of thing really detracts from the book - which is already hard to get through because it reads more like a briefing of events than a story that pulls you in. Sometimes the dialogue is overdone and leaves you feeling like you are drowning.
Something just don't make sense or add up and even at the end when answers are given you are kinda left thinking...."hmmm....yeah but how.....". And what the heck is this prison any way - and why do the governing bodies not do something about it? I think maybe world building is lacking and that a little more insight to the political structure or actual world would help a bit. I don't know - maybe not, because then the author might drone on a bit too much.
Over all the premise is good...the story is okay.
The entire book drags at points - I skipped large portions of it because, quite frankly, I was bored to tears and just wanted get on with it. The FMC is a woman who disguises herself as a boy in order to get caught and put in a prison where she hopes to find and save her sickly older brother. What she doesn't know is that her brother was killed two days prior to her capture. The MMC is Hunter named Jared and part of the book is from his POV.
The book needed to (OR NEEDS TO) undergo editing one more time - or the author needs to find and hire a better editor. There are numerous typos, tense agreement issues and other glaring grammatical errors. There is even a rather large spelling error when one prisoner states that another starving prisoner was looking at him "like I was a stake" instead of steak. This type of thing really detracts from the book - which is already hard to get through because it reads more like a briefing of events than a story that pulls you in. Sometimes the dialogue is overdone and leaves you feeling like you are drowning.
Something just don't make sense or add up and even at the end when answers are given you are kinda left thinking...."hmmm....yeah but how.....". And what the heck is this prison any way - and why do the governing bodies not do something about it? I think maybe world building is lacking and that a little more insight to the political structure or actual world would help a bit. I don't know - maybe not, because then the author might drone on a bit too much.
Over all the premise is good...the story is okay.
December 21, 2024
Surprising, Intense Fantasy
I read and listen to a lot of stories, even though fantasy is not my main reading jam. This book surprised me, and in the best ways. The author truly showed Jared's growth arc from what at first seemed to be an otherworldly dark being back to his human self. The prologue puts you in the mind of a serial, socially sanctioned killer, and it is not a comfortable place to be! But the author brilliantly unwinds this dark character as he comes to know more than just the brutal killing that is his role in his society. He comes to understand love, even though he didn't think he had the capacity for any feeling, let alone that deep, life-altering one.
This book has a strong Hunger Games vibe. The characters in this book battle for their lives every second of their night (the hours of their “day” are mostly dark) in this unique, artificial-reality prison where the odds are truly stacked against them. Instead of fighting each other, as in The Hunger Games, they develop alliances that help them survive--even though it isn't easy to trust others where death is always so close at hand. Yes, there are deaths in this book, and when it happens to characters we have come to care for, this isn't easy. I loved the psychological elements of this story, including true and false fathers, and ultimate reckonings that must come, especially when truly evil forces are at play. The scene of ultimate sacrifice for the greater good—after all that had transpired—at the end of the book is breathtaking, but the epilogue gives hope that all is not truly lost. If you're ready for fantasy that is certainly different and don't mind sitting with the uncomfortableness of watching a dark, brutal character transform, you will probably find this book as breathtaking as I did. Highly recommended.
I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.
I read and listen to a lot of stories, even though fantasy is not my main reading jam. This book surprised me, and in the best ways. The author truly showed Jared's growth arc from what at first seemed to be an otherworldly dark being back to his human self. The prologue puts you in the mind of a serial, socially sanctioned killer, and it is not a comfortable place to be! But the author brilliantly unwinds this dark character as he comes to know more than just the brutal killing that is his role in his society. He comes to understand love, even though he didn't think he had the capacity for any feeling, let alone that deep, life-altering one.
This book has a strong Hunger Games vibe. The characters in this book battle for their lives every second of their night (the hours of their “day” are mostly dark) in this unique, artificial-reality prison where the odds are truly stacked against them. Instead of fighting each other, as in The Hunger Games, they develop alliances that help them survive--even though it isn't easy to trust others where death is always so close at hand. Yes, there are deaths in this book, and when it happens to characters we have come to care for, this isn't easy. I loved the psychological elements of this story, including true and false fathers, and ultimate reckonings that must come, especially when truly evil forces are at play. The scene of ultimate sacrifice for the greater good—after all that had transpired—at the end of the book is breathtaking, but the epilogue gives hope that all is not truly lost. If you're ready for fantasy that is certainly different and don't mind sitting with the uncomfortableness of watching a dark, brutal character transform, you will probably find this book as breathtaking as I did. Highly recommended.
I received a promo code for this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.
May 27, 2020
Allegorical Fantasy Romance
This is a story of second chances and forgiveness. It is set on a world where men are kidnapped from their villages and made prisoners in a large reserve. They are then hunted and killed by "Hunters," men who were also kidnapped, memory wiped and turned into killing machines before being turned loose in the reserve to kill prisoners. Our heroine disguises herself as a man hoping to be kidnapped and save her sickly brother who was taken. The reason for all this is never made clear leaving the reader wondering what the point is.
The storyline is badly paced being slow to start and finishing in such a rush that it feels like it could do with another chapter or two to wrap things up. Minus one star. The plot has too many inconsistencies for comfort with the author paying more attention to the broader picture than the details. Consequently the reader finds many of the happenings just too convenient to be plausible. Minus the second star.
The story does have it's pluses and one of the most beautiful moments is when, sitting round the campfire discussing religion, the author uses three quotes from the Psalms which fit beautifully into the storyline. The author gets a round of applause for their selection. The theme of forgiveness and being given a second chance are well portrayed. Also of note is the symbolism of water restoring life, being both water and spiritual water. Plus one star.
It is recommended that you read the short prequel before reading this. It explains a lot of the content in this book and is adeptly written. This story does not contain swearing or any sexual content other than the odd kiss.
This is a story of second chances and forgiveness. It is set on a world where men are kidnapped from their villages and made prisoners in a large reserve. They are then hunted and killed by "Hunters," men who were also kidnapped, memory wiped and turned into killing machines before being turned loose in the reserve to kill prisoners. Our heroine disguises herself as a man hoping to be kidnapped and save her sickly brother who was taken. The reason for all this is never made clear leaving the reader wondering what the point is.
The storyline is badly paced being slow to start and finishing in such a rush that it feels like it could do with another chapter or two to wrap things up. Minus one star. The plot has too many inconsistencies for comfort with the author paying more attention to the broader picture than the details. Consequently the reader finds many of the happenings just too convenient to be plausible. Minus the second star.
The story does have it's pluses and one of the most beautiful moments is when, sitting round the campfire discussing religion, the author uses three quotes from the Psalms which fit beautifully into the storyline. The author gets a round of applause for their selection. The theme of forgiveness and being given a second chance are well portrayed. Also of note is the symbolism of water restoring life, being both water and spiritual water. Plus one star.
It is recommended that you read the short prequel before reading this. It explains a lot of the content in this book and is adeptly written. This story does not contain swearing or any sexual content other than the odd kiss.
November 11, 2024
I didn't remember having read anything by Joanna White, but apparently I have read this story previously. Since I had no recollection of the story I read it again.
There is A LOT of violence in this story. There are three classes of people; the prisoners (people kidnapped from their homes); the Hunters, and then the men who control the Hunters. Jared has been a hunter for as long as he can remember, and because of what had been done to him he reveled in killing, he hungered to kill - but there was this something inside that was bothered by the killing.
Averella's brother is kidnapped and she disguises herself as a man so she can find him and help him escape. But once she is in there she slowly loses her hope of ever escaping or finding her brother. But she has made friends among the other prisoners and they help each other to survive.
There is a scene where she is taken prisoner (something that has never been done, the prisoners are always killed), but she is tortured and the leaders show the others that she is a female. This scene is discretely done, but it was still very uncomfortable for me to read. After prayer I decided not to read the rest of the book, but I did read the ending so it wouldn't be hanging over me. There was quite of bit of mention of God in that last chapter, but none in the first half of the book!
There wasn't any bad language in the first half or at the end, and the "nudity" was discretely handled.
There is A LOT of violence in this story. There are three classes of people; the prisoners (people kidnapped from their homes); the Hunters, and then the men who control the Hunters. Jared has been a hunter for as long as he can remember, and because of what had been done to him he reveled in killing, he hungered to kill - but there was this something inside that was bothered by the killing.
Averella's brother is kidnapped and she disguises herself as a man so she can find him and help him escape. But once she is in there she slowly loses her hope of ever escaping or finding her brother. But she has made friends among the other prisoners and they help each other to survive.
There is a scene where she is taken prisoner (something that has never been done, the prisoners are always killed), but she is tortured and the leaders show the others that she is a female. This scene is discretely done, but it was still very uncomfortable for me to read. After prayer I decided not to read the rest of the book, but I did read the ending so it wouldn't be hanging over me. There was quite of bit of mention of God in that last chapter, but none in the first half of the book!
There wasn't any bad language in the first half or at the end, and the "nudity" was discretely handled.
September 16, 2024
I really wanted to like this book. The story immediately hooked me and I was sucked into the world building and fantasy. The writing was a little tough to follow at first, but I was willing to overlook it because I was hooked on the story.
Unfortunately I completely lost all enthusiasm with the introduction of God and literal bible verses. I’m not anti-Christian, but I think the author could’ve been more creative with it. Plenty of fantasy novels introduce the concept of a higher being and its teachings without having characters literally quoting bible verses while sitting around a fire. It completely pulled me out of the fantasy.
While I understand the importance of cliff hangers to keep audiences interested in reading the next book, none of the main plot mysteries were answered with this book, and there’s not enough pull to keep me reading.
Unfortunately I completely lost all enthusiasm with the introduction of God and literal bible verses. I’m not anti-Christian, but I think the author could’ve been more creative with it. Plenty of fantasy novels introduce the concept of a higher being and its teachings without having characters literally quoting bible verses while sitting around a fire. It completely pulled me out of the fantasy.
While I understand the importance of cliff hangers to keep audiences interested in reading the next book, none of the main plot mysteries were answered with this book, and there’s not enough pull to keep me reading.
February 13, 2020
Hunter is a story that gives The Maze Runner a run for its money. As a dystopian novel that pushes the characters to new limits in a depressing game of cat and mouse, it brings the whole world to life. The reader is drawn into the world and worries with the characters about who is going to survive and who the hunters will take next.
Jared is stunned as he underestimates the new prisoner, Dalex. The arrival of this prisoner changes Jared's whole world, starting with his perception of those he hunts. Joanna White patterned her novel after the biblical story, Moses, in an almost realistic way while creating a full dystopian world. From start to finish, this story created an intensity that kept bringing me back for more.
Jared is stunned as he underestimates the new prisoner, Dalex. The arrival of this prisoner changes Jared's whole world, starting with his perception of those he hunts. Joanna White patterned her novel after the biblical story, Moses, in an almost realistic way while creating a full dystopian world. From start to finish, this story created an intensity that kept bringing me back for more.
August 3, 2021
What an interesting fantasy read! It felt like a blending of Mulan, The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner and the story of Moses. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions throughout the novel, often touching on many of the senses. As well, there was a wonderful use of fantasy to make the world and plight of the characters more “real”. Averelle was an admirable character who chose to try rescue her brother and by doing so put herself in harms way. Jared was equally interesting- a Hunter, yet constantly thinking and wondering about what his feelings around Dalex/Averelle meant. I couldn’t put the book down as I watched the plot unfold and more details about the situation were revealed.
I received a free copy of this novel through StoryOrigin and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
I received a free copy of this novel through StoryOrigin and am voluntarily sharing my honest review.
May 27, 2022
Christian fiction isn't a genre I usually read, but I am so glad I gave this book an honest chance!! It was a fast-paced, full of action and never got dull. I loved that the main character Averella pulled a "Mulan" and disguised herself as a male to try and save her family. Women are so underestimated and usually aren't considered "heroes". So reading a story that has a strong female lead who is independent in her actions and beliefs, makes me feel good and smile!! I loved the world the author created and the characters in it. They're unique, original and very interesting!! I can't wait to dive into the second book and continue the series!!
I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
February 6, 2020
” Hunter-A Valiant Novel” by Joanna White is a tale of one fearless woman called Averella/Dalex who deliberately gets herself tossed into a prison ...dressed as a male...on Zagerah....to save her brother Gabriel whose incarcerated there and who is diseased and won’t survive the ordeal without her helping.......Zagerah itself is a glassed- in prison where the male only prisoners are hunted...and while there she meets a Hunter named Jared. A wonderful tale of love...trust...forgiveness and freedom. Read and See if these two ...Averella and Jared...bond for a HEA! Much enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book
August 30, 2023
Can Averella rescue her brother from the prison that harvests men from her world and kills them?
Hunter is a action packed story. The author pays very close attention the the fighting seems and clearly has a love for fighting details.
Unforchinetly this attention slowed down the story for me, and I felt it lacked the spark of emotion and color I was looking for. There was much of the forst 60 present of the book that didnt move the story along and I had a hard time getting though it.
There where a few seens that I loved and I have enjoyed the short stories the author has writen to go before this book.
Hunter is a action packed story. The author pays very close attention the the fighting seems and clearly has a love for fighting details.
Unforchinetly this attention slowed down the story for me, and I felt it lacked the spark of emotion and color I was looking for. There was much of the forst 60 present of the book that didnt move the story along and I had a hard time getting though it.
There where a few seens that I loved and I have enjoyed the short stories the author has writen to go before this book.
December 7, 2024
A really enjoyable book which is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and the Faire Guild Trails. The book follows a girl who disguises herself as a boy after her sick brother is taken from their home, in order to get herself captured as well so she could find and protect him. After capture she meets a man called Jared who is more than he seems.
The narrator does a great job of telling the story, however, I feel the decision to produce this multiple POV book with just one narrator made it harder to follow. I would have preferred to have seen it as a duel narration with the female character narrated by a female.
The narrator does a great job of telling the story, however, I feel the decision to produce this multiple POV book with just one narrator made it harder to follow. I would have preferred to have seen it as a duel narration with the female character narrated by a female.
July 28, 2020
The story grows on you
I loathed the gory start of this book, but then the tale drew me into it.
Averella's brother is stolen and taken to prison, and Averella wants to get him out. She disguises herself as a male and is captured and taken away, hopefully, to join him.
While in prison, Averella meets a Hunter, Jared, whose only mission in life is to kill prisoners, and she is one.
Herein lies the tale. It grows on you, drags you into caring what happens to the families, villagers, prisoners, and yes, eventually, one specific Hunter.
I received a free review copy.
I loathed the gory start of this book, but then the tale drew me into it.
Averella's brother is stolen and taken to prison, and Averella wants to get him out. She disguises herself as a male and is captured and taken away, hopefully, to join him.
While in prison, Averella meets a Hunter, Jared, whose only mission in life is to kill prisoners, and she is one.
Herein lies the tale. It grows on you, drags you into caring what happens to the families, villagers, prisoners, and yes, eventually, one specific Hunter.
I received a free review copy.
February 2, 2020
This is a fast paced book. This book is clean with Christian morals. You can have your teenagers read this book. You have Family, redemption, and bravery in this well developed storyline. The characters are believable and likable. This book is a start to the valiant series. JoAnna White builds her world similiar as a parallel to ours. This is a book you start and won't want to put it down. Enjoy!!
September 3, 2023
Loved the narration of Timothy McKean
Avarella iand her people live in poverty under the control of the occupying Aretul. Who regularly capture men or boys, who never return from Zagerah prison. They either die there or become Hunters. When Avarella’s brother is captured, she disguises herself as a man so she be captured, in order to help her brother. It there she meets Jared . This book is full of love and loyalty
Avarella iand her people live in poverty under the control of the occupying Aretul. Who regularly capture men or boys, who never return from Zagerah prison. They either die there or become Hunters. When Avarella’s brother is captured, she disguises herself as a man so she be captured, in order to help her brother. It there she meets Jared . This book is full of love and loyalty
November 8, 2020
Slow to start and finished in a rush. Distracting with too many inconsistencies that made it even more distracting. Hard to concentrate on the story. With more work it could have been a great story. The one saving grace, if it had been interesting, was the fact the author did put the work in to make it a true novel rather than a novella or novelette.
October 5, 2021
When I received this book I was able to read it from the very beginning to the very beginning. The story line was very good and it brought it had a great premise in my opinon. The character built up was instrumental to this story in my opinon. I received this book thru an Advancecd Reveiw Copy, ARC, with an honest review given.
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