Read + Review – Elite by Mercedes Lackey

Joy, the newly inducted Elite, knows that her life will be more dangerous. However, if anyone is able to survive in this harsh job, it’s Joy. She has been hunting the creatures since her childhood. Joy’s only wish is to live and hunt in Apex City without having a big red target on herself. Yet, a covert mission assigned by her uncle may make this impossible. With her extraordinarily large pack of hounds, 11 to be exact, she may yet survive. Despite the odds already stacked against her, other creatures start to appear. These creatures are unlike anything the Hunters have seen and show aspects that have not been previously accounted for. Furthermore, Psimons are found dead in the sewers with no apparent cause of their demise. As the death toll rises, she must uncover secrets that have monumental implications for not just Psicorp but the whole of Apex City.

Personally I adored this sequel to the first book, Hunter. Many books, especially young adult books, make a alluring world in the first installment and then make a super fast book with little to no development for the second. However, this book exceeded my expectations and I liked it better than the first. The characters acted like normal human beings would and weren’t super-righteous. This trait is something that is often lacking in many young adult fantasy/sci-fi books. The plot developed quite nicely and this is a great book for those theorists out there. Do you like to analyze things way beyond the author’s intentions? Well, than this book is for you. The small tidbits of information allow you to stick together a number of theoretical plots. The political intrigue and conflicts between the government make for an interesting progression, which is unusual in fantasy/sci-fi books. That is not to say this book isn’t for those regular book readers out there. This is still a book with plenty to catch the eye.