Title: Fae Hunter (Soulstealer Trilogy, Book #1)
Author: Nicolette Reed
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Nicolette Reed (23rd June 2012)
Source: Nicolette Reed, the author.
Format: E-book
Blurb:

Who is the enemy when you hunt your own?

Valora Delos is a Hunter, charged with tracking the treacherous Soulstealers and bringing them to justice. Unlike the other fae of her kind, Valora was born with stunted wings that render her flightless, driving her to prove herself in the eyes of King Aric, with whom she has been infatuated since she first set eyes on him as a young prince.

She descends to Earth and finds herself trapped in suburban Seattle after the portal to her world closes. With the help of a sexy half-fae named Dooley, Valora must find her way back to save Dell’Aria. Dooley uses his own brand of magic to help Valora discover memories buried deep within her, which produce more questions than answers- questions about her growing attraction to Dooley and her devotion to her King. Uncovering who the Soulstealers are and who is behind the destruction of Dell’Aria brings Valora a truth she may not be able to handle.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

Fae Hunter is the first book in Nicolette Reed’s Soulstealer Trilogy. In it we are introduced to Valora Delos who is a Hunter and fae, despite this she doesn’t really fit into her world – and her colleagues are sure to let her know this. By order of her king she ends up in Seattle.

Although Fae Hunter is classed as an urban fantasy, there are a lot of details which (to me at least) suggest that it would fit just as well in the ‘sword and sorcery’ section of the fantasy shelf. If you want a fae who is struggling to fit in and hide within the human world, then this is not the book for you. However, if you want a kick-ass heroine who struggles to do her best and save her world then you should definitely check this book – and series – out. My only complaint about this book is that it isn’t long enough; I got to 40 pages from the end, and just wanted to read MORE.

I really liked Valora as a main character. She was easy to relate to, and quite fun. She was also really serious about the things that mattered to her, and she came across as a great heroine – but at the same time she has  flaws, so she’s not “perfect”. I also liked the fact that she’s a bit of an outcast, but is still extremely loyal to her people.  Dooley was an interesting character, we don’t get to meet him until we are well into the story and in some ways he is typical of the male lead in urban fantasy/paranormal romance. However, Reed does a good job of making him seem like he genuinely cares about Valora. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in later books, and I’m hoping that Reed will explore his past and his magic more. King Aric is also an interesting character, but in a different way to Dooley. I’m not totally sure what I think of him. Reed also does a great job with the secondary characters in the book, as they all seem real and believable.

There are several major plot threads to this book, and whilst none of them are original Reed does a brilliant job of weaving the story together. Most of the plot takes place in Valora’s world, rather than in ours, but Reed does a good job in creating the world. Fae Hunter is a really enjoyable read. If you enjoy reading fantasy, or urban fantasy, or both then you should definitely check out this series.

If you are interested in checking out this series, then don’t miss out on these upcomming titles. I am really looking forward to getting my hands on them!!! 🙂

Mane Attraction (A Soulstealer Novella) – Coming November 2012

Being a demon trapped in an elves body seemed a prison at first, but Mane has gotten used to his new home in the Riparian forest amongst the elves. When the waters of Lake Mavrovo start to run red it seems a sure sign that the demon king that cast him out may rise again. In order to investigate he will need to navigate the dominion of the selkie, and they aren’t known for playing nice.

Going from an apartment in the suburbs of Seattle to living in a castle at the bottom of a lake in the Realms was one change that Kit had to get used to, being half-selkie was another. Now she has to get used to the changes she undergoes after the the selkie sleep. One that involves bloodlust and lust of a whole different kind. A problem she is hoping Mane will help her with.

Fae Guardian (Soulstealer Trilogy, Book #2) – Coming December 2012

Dealing with wedding day woes, naked elven rituals, a best friend with a biting problem, dragon battles, and a war brewing between the selkie and the fae are only the beginning for Valora, the Fae Guardian.

Valora needs to get Aric out of her mind if she’s going to live happily ever after with Dooley. But nothing is ever easy with magic. Tying herself and Dooley to Aric becomes a matter of life and death, not just for them but for all of the Realms and even those beyond the portals to Earth.

But can Valora handle the affections of two half-fae brothers? She has to if she wants to save the Realms — a world filled with cloud cities, volcanic mountains mined by dwarves, deserts inhabited by dragons, and lakes teaming with ferocious selkie. And getting the two of them to get along may be her biggest battle yet.