Book Review: Hunted (Spirit Animals, #2)

Author| Maggie Stiefvater
Edition| Kindle eBook
Genre| MG Fantasy
Publisher| Scholastic
Related Reviews| Wild Born
Rating| 4 Stars

I jumped into Hunted quickly after finishing the first book in the series.  It took me awhile to finish because I would read a chapter a night, tops.  Many nights I didn't even get to it.  It would have been a quick read, had I just sat down with it, but it didn't manage to keep me interested for that long.

Here's what I liked: the continuous character and world building.  The spirit animals continued to gain a personality, and a mythology really started to build up around their existence.  The plot moved fairly quickly, though the side characters it introduced were much weaker than those from the first book.  I liked the division among the characters, and the hard choices they had to face, and how they dealt with their decisions.  This book made the series seem more real, throwing in heavier issues.  The characters' roles were easier to distinguish as well, and the form of their team started to come into shape.

Here's what I didn't like: as quickly as the plot moved, it felt like it skipped a lot.  The actions scenes felt abrupt and there was little detail given to the fighting.  Like I said earlier, the newly introduced side characters were weaker, and I never got a good image of any of them.  As much as I like having creative power over how the character looks in my head, I wanted more of a framework for them.  There was also a clear difference in the writer's.  Don't get me wrong, I love both Brandon Mull (who wrote book one) and Maggie Stiefvater, but their writing does not mesh.  At least for me.  I get the impression that Mz. Stiefvater had to be held back in her writing, which crippled the story, while Mr. Mull had much freer reign.

Overall, the book was good.  It wasn't great, but the story still interests me.  I'll take a short vacation from this series before I return to it, but overall, I recommend it to younger readers out there.  It can entertain older readers as well, don't get me wrong, but it's aimed at a younger group and it fits nicely there.

Book Review: Wild Born (Spirit Animals, #1)

Author| Brandon Mull
Edition| Kindle eBook
Genre| MG Fantasy
Publisher| Scholastic
Rating| 4 Stars

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one.  I've had my eye on the series for a while, since I love most of the writers that contribute.  I don't read a bunch of Middle Grade, so I'm very selective with my choices.  This was, in a few words, a very good choice.

It was pretty standard, but it left a mark and was enjoyable.  There weren't exactly tropes, but it also didn't feel like it stood out of the pack.  I liked it mostly due to the world building and concept which, while I didn't think they reached their full potential, were interesting.

The characters, too, were very likable.  I loved all the main characters and have a hard time picking a favorite.  Again, they didn't reach their full potential, and I'm hoping for more growth in following books.

While there is a plot, most of this story focuses on setting up the rest of the series.  I have no problem with that!  Often, books like this can become tedious, but it managed to be quick and right to the point with where it wanted to go.  The climax was a little lackluster, but I'm writing that off to my own inflated opinion.  Often I feel I've read so many fantasy novels that I'm not as easily wowed.

I recommend this to younger readers looking to get into fantasy.  I think it caters to a wide range and introduces a diverse cast and big ideas.  It's also a quick, fun read, with major A-list writers attached.  Really, a win-win situation.