Review of Hunter: A Thomas Hunter Novel

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hunter: A Thomas Hunter Novel" by Robert M Leonard.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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After a horrible day at work, Rachel Torrence finds herself battered in an even more unfortunate car crash. The talented geneticist from the Hightown district of Chicago is certainly not thrilled about the prospect of seeking help in the dirty streets of Lowtown, but she may have no other choice. With her mind link damaged due to her concussion, she's essentially helpless and stranded until Thomas Hunter comes along.

Hunter is also a well-known member of Hightown society, on the verge of successfully creating advanced simulation technology for military training programs. However, "Chief," as he's known in the filthy streets of Lowtown, prefers the vibrant nightlife he lives among the thriving surface dwellers. But Thomas's unique skillset piques Rachel's interest in all the wrong ways. The geneticist can't help but suspect that Hunter is the result of illegal gene experimentation and a threat to humanity. As Rachel becomes involved in tracing Hunter's origin, she becomes the target of the U.S. Military, which mistakenly determines that she must be engaged in illegal gene experiments herself. With false assumptions on the rise, will the truth be made known before the real threat to humanity can sink its teeth in?

Readers will discover the answer in Hunter: A Thomas Hunter Novel by Robert M. Leonard. In this page-turning science fiction novel, readers have the opportunity to explore the far-future earth that has changed in many ways. I enjoyed the world that Leonard created, and I felt that the author captured the many pros and cons of humanity in the actions of his characters. The main characters, including Rachel and her former college roommate, Mary, made many assumptions that drove the plot. The conclusions that these brilliant women came to put them at odds often and created much tension and drama throughout the book. I often wished that the women would put their skills to better use, working together to solve the novel's conflict, but the author realistically created a division between them. I thoroughly appreciated how the author illustrated how assumptions hinder progress, and the tension he developed between the characters became a good lesson in learning to communicate and understand the facts of the matter at hand.

I also loved the character Thomas Hunter. He was confident and self-assured in a way that seemed off-putting at the initial introduction but quickly became charming and admirable as the reader began to realize the amazing things of which he was capable. Hunter's theatrics made for some very entertaining scenes, and I loved learning about his history and abilities. On the negative side, I felt that the revelation of his true nature was a bit delayed and anti-climactic. The author also shared specific information about who Thomas was that would have been more shocking if presented more clearly. As it was, I had to go back to the beginning of the book to remember the significance of the information to appreciate it fully. Still, the author created a fantastic hook for the sequel and established an exciting premise to continue the series.

Ultimately, I had to reduce the rating to three out of four. There were quite a few lingering errors that didn't detract from the book's readability but were noticeable throughout. These errors and the efforts I had to make to appreciate the reveal entirely were enough to reduce the rating by one star.

Hunter was still an intriguing novel that I would recommend to science fiction readers who enjoy genetics, a bit of romance, suspense, drama, and mystery. There was a fair amount of non-borderline swearing and mild sexual content. The sequel is available, so if you don't like to wait to continue a series, you'll be able to jump right into the next book when you finish the first.

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Hunter: A Thomas Hunter Novel
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[Amy Luman]

I am a big fan of science fiction, especially a series. The one I’m reading now is about zombies and this seems much more realistic. I may have to switch.

[Yasmine M]

The story is intriguing, I wonder where the plot is taking us. Why did Rachel assume that Hunter is the result of genetic manipulations? Is it from his physical appearance or does he have some kind of superpowers? I suppose the threat to Humanity mentioned in the review, is linked to genetics. So much mystery!

[Chiwendu Ikechukwu]

I love the storyline of this book and your review did justice to that. Will definitely read this book someday. Nice job.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an intriguing science fiction novel that offers twists and revelations with themes connected to future science and technology that also offer some food for thought. Thank you for your great review!