Review of The Grim Hunt

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Grim Hunt" by Ryan G. Beaty.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

In The Grim Hunt by Ryan G. Beaty, 'Threshold of the Spheres' has become a portal through which other planes have gained access to the human world. The 'Grafting of the Planes' event celebrates the arrival of magic into the world of men, but it is not only magic that came through. Monsters of all kinds have also passed through. These creatures torment men and their livestock. To combat them, 'The Order of the Grim Hunt' is created by humans. The Order is made up of 'hexblades,' men who have given up their human nature. They've undergone intensive training to finally bond with the 'venom' of a magical creature, harnessed the creature's powers, and employed the powers to attempt to defeat the monsters. By rule, the Order does not interfere with the affairs of men, but strange circumstances soon put Marcus, a new hexblade, in the middle of a human war.

The story in The Grim Hunt was an elaborate blend of many elements of several fantasy stories. It seemed the author was a fan of such stories, and other readers, like the author, would relate to these elements with excitement. There were creatures, like vampires, witches, demons, and werewolves, effortlessly incorporated into the book's plot. We saw familiar elements from movies like Venom, Dr. Strange, and Vampire Academy. The book was all over the place, but the author managed to distill all the thrilling parts into one whole. The author created a world with its rules and peculiar characters that were intriguing and exciting to read. The story's familiarity made it an easy and quick read despite its length. The author provided a detailed background story about his new world to ensure that readers understood his new world and could easily connect all the elements without confusion. He did the same thing when introducing certain characters, like the 'strigoi' vampire.

The characters in the book contributed immensely to its overall appeal. From Vlad, the web weaver, to Ayla, the cat charmer, they were all so mysterious and thrilling. The unique names given to them by the author, combined with their abilities, added to the book's allure. The character of Marcus, the hexblade, was particularly energetic. One could feel the passion he had for the work the Order did. However, his character seemed to overwhelm the rest of the other characters in the book, especially those from 'The Order of the Grim Hunt.' Hopefully, in the next installment of the series, the author will do something amazing with the rest of the characters.

The book had its dose of suspense. With every new contract given to a hexblade, there was a promise of some excitement. This added to the intrigue created by the underlying conspiracy and danger that always seemed to loom in the story's background. But with many familiar elements in the story, the book suffered some cliche moments that would arouse occasional eye rolls.

Overall, the story represented the ancient battle between good and evil. It showed the power of darkness that wreaks havoc and still the tenacity that light has to fight against the plans of evil. The book made a good entertaining read. The Grim Hunt would be appreciated by readers who love stories about the supernatural. Due to the number of errors and a few concerns, I'd rate it three out of four stars.

******
The Grim Hunt
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Amy Luman]

I am mot really a fan of fantasy novels, but lots of the time they are difficult to distinguish from science fiction. That seems to be the case here with the Threshold of the Sphere and the hexblades, but werewolves and vampires bring to mind fantasy. Hmmm!

[Blessing E]

Stories about the supernatural. Good book with an amazing review. I've learnt a lot about this novel just by reading this review. Well done

[Uwe Neufeld]

Human supernaturals against evil monsters. It's an appealing plott.
Great review!

[NetMassimo]

This seems like a fantasy novel that contains elements inspired by previous works, some of which are very classic, that are used to create an engaging story. Thank you for your great review!

[Austin Debby]

The author should take the book through another round of editing like you suggested. Insightful review.