Elite by Mercedes Lackey
Hunter #2
Disney Hyperion
Joy knows she’ll be facing more dangerous Othersiders than ever before as a new member of the Elite Hunter unit, but if anyone is up to the challenge it’s her. She’s been Hunting these monsters since she was a child, and has a pack of eleven fiercely protective magical Hounds. Then the rules change. Monsters unlike any Joy’s ever seen or even heard of are breaking through Apex City’s barriers, and the Hunters are scrambling to find new ways to fight them—all the while hiding the true danger Apex faces from the Cits, who are ignorant of the severity of the Othersiders’ attacks.
The leaders of Apex must come together to protect the city, but tensions have never been higher between the Hunters and the powerful PsiCorps, with each group competing to be the primary protector of the city. The conflict escalates even further when Joy starts discovering bodies of Psimons while patrolling the city sewers on a special assignment from her uncle, who commands the Hunters. Someone is killing Psimons, and if Joy doesn’t uncover the true culprit she might just take the fall for it.
Chaos erupts when Ace, the murderous Hunter who tried to kill Joy at her Elite trials, escapes from the Army’s captivity and defects to the Othersiders. Joy has no idea what Ace might be capable of with the help of the cunning Folk, but she may be about to find out; Othersider forces are gaining strength and momentum just beyond the barriers. A storm is approaching Apex City, and unless Joy and her fellow Hunters put up the fight of their lives, it might just sweep them all away . . .
I loved Hunter, the first book in the Hunter trilogy. Due to how much I remember enjoying Hunter, the first book of the trilogy, I had high hopes for Elite. The book does not disappoint. It delivered on all accounts.
There was lots of action in fights, intrigue with the bodies Joy keeps discovering in the sewers and wondering who is responsible, who may be responsible, and how the bodies were reaching the condition they were reaching. Suspense when Ace breaks free of the prison he was kept in, and wondering when he was going to strike and how it was going to play out since he went with the Othersiders. What more could you ask for?
The writing and pace of the story were spot on. Things moved at a good speed, and had some surprises thrown in with things you were not expecting. The surprises are nice because they are worked in a way where they are a surprise not just for the reader, but for Joy as well.
I’m excited to continue on with Apex, the final book of the Hunter trilogy. With the first two books hitting the ball out of the park, can the final book hit another home run? I have no doubt it will.