Review of Midlife Bounty Hunter by Shannon Mayer

I have been reading Young Adult fantasy for a few years now, so when one of my favorite authors came out with this one, I was a little taken aback. I felt almost attacked. Yes, I’d love to believe that I could become a magical bounty hunter if I had to, even at my (ahem) “advanced age.” But I also know that I would be the first to be eaten by the werewolves. They wouldn’t bother trying to change me. Why should they, when I’m so nice and juicy.

If you start reading the Will Wight Cradle books.

And if you’re like me, you’ll be upset that book eight is not out yet.

My friend recommended Cradle to me a few years ago. I ignored him. I had a lot of other books on my plate at the time. Then a month or so ago, he told me that the first three books in the series were on sale. So I got them.

Today I read the Hugo Award nominations. Blade Runner, by virtue of it starting with the letter B, was the first film listed in the category “Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form.” I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but I admit that I was.

I was looking forward to this movie. I posted back in May 2017 that I wanted to see it. In fact, I was really disappointed when I couldn’t see it on release day. I was terrified that it would no longer be in theaters when I finally got to see it on October 28th. And honestly, that fear was justified. It should not have lasted that long.

I couldn’t do it. I’ve enjoyed some of the other Ilona Andrews books that I’ve read, but I couldn’t bring myself to like this one—not even a little bit. There are just some themes that should not be in fiction at all, and especially not mucking up decent SciFi and Fantasy.

And the number one theme that fits that category is the romance novel trope of Stockholm Syndrome.

The book Alphas: Origins starts out funny. I loved the first line, even read it out loud to my family at Costco. I could relate to the main character. She’s a mom with a middle-grade aged daughter taking her and some other kids on a field trip. While driving, one of the kids announces that he has to go to the bathroom. So she calls another mom she’s been following and says “I’m going to stop at the exit right here for a bathroom break.” The other mom makes confused noises that makes it clear (to the reader at least) that she doesn’t see this exit, or the motel, or the blue sign. But Karina ignores her and so we as readers know that she’s off on her adventure. That beginning was spooky and disturbing, perhaps less so if you don’t have your own middle-grade child in tow, but I do so it worked.