A review by laffingkat
Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens
4.0
This is the first novel in the Hunters’ Guild series by E.J. Stevens, which is a spinoff of the Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective series. This story stands on its own.
Steeped in history, the city of Bruges forms a perfect backdrop for this urban fantasy. I loved the setting, the plot was interesting, and I was delighted with the variety of supernaturals that make an appearance—in addition to vampires, ghosts, and shifters, we have swan maidens, rusalkas, and a grindylow, oh my!
It took me a while to warm up to the brusque heroine, hunter Jenna Lehane. I don’t mind tough women, but it’s hard for me to relate to someone who is so detached from everyone around her. Some of the secondary characters are fun, though—I adored Ash! The drug-addicted witch Celeste, blind librarian Darryl, and bloodthirsty demolitionist Aleksey all provided some laughs. And Jenna becomes more likeable once she starts to trust the people around her and work as part of a team.
I really appreciated the narration by Melanie A. Mason and Anthony Bowling. Their performances were well paced and easy to understand, and I enjoyed the character voices, especially with such a diverse cast of humans and supernatural creatures. I think the narration adds a lot of enjoyment to this story, so I definitely recommend the audiobook.
If you enjoy snarky urban fantasy, I recommend this book and any of Ms. Stevens’ other books in this setting, and I think they are a great choice for listening.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook by the author and volunteered to provide an honest review. I purchased the Kindle version.
Steeped in history, the city of Bruges forms a perfect backdrop for this urban fantasy. I loved the setting, the plot was interesting, and I was delighted with the variety of supernaturals that make an appearance—in addition to vampires, ghosts, and shifters, we have swan maidens, rusalkas, and a grindylow, oh my!
It took me a while to warm up to the brusque heroine, hunter Jenna Lehane. I don’t mind tough women, but it’s hard for me to relate to someone who is so detached from everyone around her. Some of the secondary characters are fun, though—I adored Ash! The drug-addicted witch Celeste, blind librarian Darryl, and bloodthirsty demolitionist Aleksey all provided some laughs. And Jenna becomes more likeable once she starts to trust the people around her and work as part of a team.
I really appreciated the narration by Melanie A. Mason and Anthony Bowling. Their performances were well paced and easy to understand, and I enjoyed the character voices, especially with such a diverse cast of humans and supernatural creatures. I think the narration adds a lot of enjoyment to this story, so I definitely recommend the audiobook.
If you enjoy snarky urban fantasy, I recommend this book and any of Ms. Stevens’ other books in this setting, and I think they are a great choice for listening.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook by the author and volunteered to provide an honest review. I purchased the Kindle version.