Book 24, 2025

[chez_jae]

Hunter's Salvation by Shiloh Walker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


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Today I finally finished reading my “spare” book, Hunter’s Salvation by Shiloh Walker. It’s the 11th in her “Hunters” series. The story was a hybrid of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Main characters are Jessica Warren, an investigative reporter with some psychic abilities, and Vax, a Hunter and a witch with some serious psychic mojo.

When Jess got too close to a story involving missing women, her sister was abducted and murdered. Bent now on revenge, Jess goes to the club she suspects is the locus of the activity. There, she’s thwarted in her effort to get close to the inner circle by a man who saves her and warns her to stay away, but there’s no way in hell she’s going to let this go. Vax has given up on being a Hunter, but when a call comes he responds, not realizing that the woman he just saved will become so important to him so quickly. He tries to keep Jess out of the fray, but she is determined to avenge her sister. It will take the two of them working together, along with some help from other Hunters, to take out the monsters who’ve been preying on young women.

Oof. This was well written and compelling, but I didn’t like it. I prefer urban fantasy with some humor, and this was nothing but grim and gritty. I could have done without the instant love, too. More like instant lust, which, fine, but don’t try to put a romantic spin on it. Vax spent most of the book being an arrogant he-man asshole, and Jess was too stupid to live, in my opinion. Once she learned there were real monsters behind the crimes, she needed to step back and let the professional(s) handle it. Characterizations were good but not top-notch. The plot zipped in some places and plodded in others. Worst of all, the final showdown didn’t live up to the build-up.

Favorite line: Chasing after the man who had killed Randi was a lot less unsettling than being surrounded by witches, werewolves and vampires. Oh my.

It took forever to read this because it didn’t hold my interest. I can see where it would appeal to others, however. But, I’m not scoring it any higher than average.