Review: The Hunter by K. Aagard

Blurb:

Strider is content to die...

After 50 years, his revenge is complete and his purpose fulfilled. When a teenager steals the Hunter’s sword, his wolf companion Greer sees a way to help them both: in convincing Strider to escort the girl home safely, there's hope his friend might find the will to keep on living - to keep on fighting.

But this is no ordinary job. His young employer is deeply entangled in a dark plot that threatens her and her fiefdom. Strider must employ his magic and battle training to ensure their survival against soldiers and mercenaries out to claim their bounty.

Can these unlikely allies find a way to survive, or will their differences and secrets destroy them all?

Review:

This book started out with a main character having just completed their life’s mission. That intriguing choice is what kept me reading and it made the entire book work. I truly loved the ready-to-die beginning and how that plot thread blossomed throughout the book as a deeper struggle with meaningful character development in an unusual direction. 

Strider’s character really kept everything feeling “adult” and dark enough for me reading-wise despite that the other two characters were a teen girl and a goofy dog. Without him this would’ve felt much more like a YA book, but as is, I feel lovers of both YA and adult can enjoy it. 

The dynamic between Addy and Strider is an interesting one that doesn’t fit the regular molds. Greer, a very good wolf-horse-dog-thing, is the glue that binds them and really leads the book. This causes a sort of forced friendship that wouldn’t otherwise happen between the characters, which really makes the story all the richer. 

The tone of the book was dark and melancholic, focusing on the emotional journeys of the characters involved but with a larger overview of how their personal decisions might affect the larger socio-political dynamics of the world. There was a bit of humor mixed in at the right moments with the wolf-like creature, Greer. 

And there is zero romance in this book, which, if I’m being honest, is often a relief for me. 

While the book does have healing magic, it doesn’t come cheap. I appreciate the high cost of magic and the slow learning curve. Nothing feels too easy. The worldbuilding is rich with several species, factions, and a long history to make the world feel very lived in. 

Usually I find indie authors don’t do well with 3rd person omniscient, but in this case it was almost seamless. It gave needed insight into each characters’ mind and never left the feeling of “head hopping” whiplash as the transitions were smooth and clear. I really found it added to the story instead of distracting from it. That and the length contributed to it feeling a bit more like the old-style epic fantasy of my youth. This is definitely a chonky book. 

For criticism, I will say there was a tad bit of overwriting and it could use a little trim, especially at the beginning and end of the book. The beginning was a bit difficult to get through and could have been smoother, but once the story got going it was smooth sailing. 

Overall I adored this read and it’s a fantastic debut with a narrow character focus on an arduous journey through an intriguing world.