Review: Great follow-up to The Last Dungeon
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2014
Hunters of the Grey Forest picks up right where Hunters of the Last Dungeon left off. We follow our two teen heroes, Olly and Hiro, as they begin their initiation into the Union. Although they are technically Hunters (having passed the test), they will not be recognized as so until they complete a challenge: go into the Grey Forest and retrieve an item of value for the Union. Along with them on this initiation rite are some familiar side characters from the previous book.With the introductory parts out of the way in the first book, the pacing of this second book is much more consistent. The book picks up very quickly, with just a bit of initial exposition to (kind of) explain the transition from the end of the first book to the present, and to lead into the proceeding events. Immediately after, the action begins, with the Hunters’ journey into the Grey Forest. This continues, and the rest of the plot unfolds briskly.In the first book, our heroes began as meek, perhaps even nave children. After the events of the Hunters of the Last Dungeon, Olly and Hiro are changed, more impatient, outspoken, hardened, and maybe even a bit colder. It’s good to see that the great character development from the first book not only carries through to the second, but continues as well. Throughout Hunters of the Grey Forest, the heroes are constantly in emotional and developmental flux. They are affected by the events of the story in realistic and believable ways that lead to their motivations evolving and their very character changing.The plot itself is a blend of sci-fi, cyberpunk, and fantasy that takes place in the distant, dystopian future. The backdrop of the Grey Forest adds an air of mystery to the story, as straightaway, we find out that things are not as they seem. Immediately, our heroes are thrown into a dangerous, life-threatening adventure where it seems like everything is out to get them, yet it’s worth it to them because the reward is all their dreams coming true.Compared to the first book, Hunters of the Grey Forest felt a lot more brisk. For the sake of brevity, it seems like there were a lot of places where exposition was omitted to allow the plot and characters to drive the story. A lot of times, this can backfire, as it leads to a messy, incoherent story and no way to make sense of it. However, the organic personalities and the intelligent structure of the plot make it so that this lack of exposition works for this book, resulting in a quick, enjoyable, thrilling read. I’ve highly enjoyed the story so far, and I look forward to the next book in the series. I’d easily recommend either one of them.