REVIEW: The Hunter by Theresa Meyers

The Hunter by Theresa Meyers
Publishing Information: 2011 (first publishing) 2011 (current edition)
Publisher: Zebra/Kensington, Mass-Market Paperback, 335 pgs
ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-2124-7
Series: Book One of the Legend Chronicles
Reviewer: Andy
Copy: Provided by Publicist

Synopsis: (from from back of book): They're the Chosen-- Winchester, Remington and Colt -- brothers trained to hunt down supernatural beings using the latest steam-powered gadgetry. Its a hard legacy to shoulder and it's about to get a lot more dangerous… Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there's a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Cold will have to do the unthinkable and work with a sexy irresistible demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross.

When I received Teresa Meyer's The Hunter in the mail I was genuinely excited to read it. I am a sucker for a western/steam punk hybrid, and though the cowboy on the cover looked like the Marlboro Man shooting a laser beam, my first grade teacher always warned me not to judge a book by its cover. Maybe I should have taken a closer look at the cover of this one.

Little did I know, The Hunter, for all intents and purposes, is a romance novel. One of the two central lovebirds is actually a succubus that looks more like a supermodel. Lilly, is the quintessential damsel in distress or rather demon in distress. Her counterpart Colt, cleverly named after the firearm, is always nearby to catch her when she's falling or prop her up on his mechanical horse. The fact that there are still women out there that go for this sort of thing in this day and age baffles me to no end. Not to mention, Lilly, obviously embodying the deepest fantasies of every young lady, can instantly and magically change her outfit on command, making her some sort of demon fashion designer from the abyss.

And Colt always notices Lily's outfit. In fact, Lily's outfits are so appealing to Colt he often stops the action so the two can make out. And Lilly's kisses should not be underestimated. Lilly's kisses can open doors that have been magically locked in abandoned mines. In one scene, Lilly even pouts when Colt does not pay attention to her long enough (she's an excellent role model for young women everywhere) While all this occurs, the male hero Colt is perpetually excited (we know this because of the constant references to the bulge in his pants). Colt must not have read the warning on his package of Cialis, because when you get a priapism you are supposed to call a doctor immediately.

Of course, I joke because I'm clearly not the intended audience for this book. Even excluding all the romantic elements, the book is full of cliches. The plot involves finding pieces of a magic book stashed away that contains instructions on how to stop the impending bad guy apocalypse. Yes - dire circumstances, indeed. But not so dire that the characters can't stop to make out. Yet. for all the tedious superficiality here, Meyers is not an altogether untalented writer. She has the ability to craft a sentence - if she could only tell a more worthwhile story.


Plot……….2.0/10

Characters………0.5/10

Style……….3.5/10

Overall……….2.5/10