Review by Sadonna
TITLE: Hunter’s Descent
SERIES: Mischief and Monsters
AUTHOR: Alice Winters
NARRATOR: Michael Ferraiuolo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 9 hours and 19 minutes
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2023
BLURB:
Lake: Snagging the hunter was the easy part. Now, I have to prove to him that a life filled with chaos, the most amazing fish ever, and delightful me is so much better than normal—trust me, he isn’t too hard to convince.
But when a group of insolent chimeras laughably think they can target my one true love, they have another thing coming for them—likely death.
With my dubious sidekicks in tow—and Declan, who is as happy as I am to run headfirst into danger—we travel across the country to track down why these chimeras are harassing Declan. But what we find might prove yet again that you never know who the real monster is.
Declan: Yeah…what he said. Except the fish part.
REVIEW:
Just when we thought things would be calm for our unlikely couple of Lake the chimera and Declan the ex-Hunter turned kindergarten teacher, of course they get pulled back in. Despite defeating Mona and the rest of her crowd who had infiltrated the DRD, it seems the fight is not over. When chimera seem to be coming after Declan and he gets a call from a former DRD colleague it’s clear that something is not right. The chimera seems to be a bit feral. And then there is that bizarre symbol that keeps showing up . On people. On things. What the heck is going on?
While Declan and Lake are trying to have fun, well it seems that there might be something from Declan’s past that is causing people to come after him. Lake and his buddies Sy and Indigo are there to help. As they try to ferret out what is happening and why these chimera are going after these hunters, it’s not clear who is pulling the strings. There is definitely something shady going on and the DRD still is not in the clear. Perhaps what the Hunters have been told about the outcome of their cases is not the real truth. Our intrepid heroes have to figure out a way to infiltrate whatever this group seems to be to find out what’s actually going on. Poor Declan has to deal with his least favorite former colleague, Grady, and he’s not eager to have him anywhere near Lake.
This is a fast-paced and action-filled romp! Lake and Declan along with their sidekicks Sy and Indigo are set against whoever is taking chimeras and also killing hunters. Mitten and Sir Reginald of course have to be along for the ride. There isn’t that much romance in this one, but there are enough moment devoted to Lake and Declan that we can feel their love and devotion. There is plenty of comedy and drama. And action – boy hold on to your hat. There are some deeper issues at play her – particularly around what it means to be “othered” and how it allows callousness to sneak in and rule. There are still a lot of loose ends though – so I hope that means more in this series 😀
Michael Ferraiuolo is such a dream narrator. These characters are so different and so well-drawn here. Lake and Declan just can’t live their lives in peace after all. They are back with a vengeance here. I also especially love Sy and Indigo who make a reappearance in this book. Mitten and Sir Reginald, while not voiced directly, certainly are there as vital parts of this found family 🙂 Most importantly Lake and Declan are still as devoted to each other as ever. Patrick and Grady and the other characters are distinct and portrayed exactly as I picture them. The performance is at once manic and sweet and scary and anxious and hilarious as the story requires. If you are a fan of this series and of Alice Winters particular brand of gloriously snarky and humorous way of dealing with and illustrating serious issues, then I think you’ll love this one. It’s a dream of an audio with lots of action and just enough sweet and steamy to keep us totally rooting for this bizarre found family. Highly recommended.
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