Review: Shaky writing, but the story has a lot of heart and original vampires
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 13, 2012
Read more at Sarcasm and Lemons [...]If it's not obvious after reading a few of my reviews, I'm picky. I'm not that person who gives something five stars just because I liked reading it. On my blog, I even made a dual rating system to reflect the fact that, when I read a book, I'm comparing it to other books in the same genre that do similar things (my five star rating) and I'm also, consciously or not, comparing it to every other book I've ever read (my ten star rating). Why both? Well, because if you love Vampire Diaries and want something similar, you probably don't care that I didn't find it as compelling and life-changing as Crime and Punishment. But if I did feel compelled to give it an 8 out of 10 of every book I've ever read, that probably tells you that it's a really damn good book. Says your self-absorbed reviewer, anyway.I preface this because Hunting is the kind of book you might overlook, seeing a 3 star review. The writing is simplistic and a little clunky in places, which would is the main part that dragged down my rating. Because I'm a bit of a snob. And I like tight writing. But damn, does Hineline know atmosphere. She took a subject so saturated in the market that I cringe (vampires, in case you've been hiding out in a bunker for the last five years) and turned it into something new, clever, and pretty well thought out. Going back into Egyptian mythology, she crafts a creation myth ala Anne Rice (yep, I invoked the Vampire Queen). Her vampires are out in the human world in their own kingdom. They're strong. They drink blood. They're born from other vampires and have a hierarchy based on creation, with born vampires being stronger and more elite than vampires made from humans--a cool new concept that I loved. And they're tied to this neat ancient curse that requires sharing blood, every 500 years, with a child born of the cursed Egyptian line.See why I thought it was nifty yet? Even though the writing was muddy in places and the plot took a little too long to take off, I really enjoyed it. Even the slow parts. Hineline has this way of describing things that reminds me of the way they used to write old fairy tales or legends. Which may not work for everyone, but for me, it gave the book such a shiny mystical atmosphere that I didn't feel bored. The characters are admirable, the ending twist is cute, and the sequel has a lot of promise, especially if Hineline tightens up her writing. A cool new take on vampires. Definitely worth checking out.