S.M. Hineline

I like it when an author spins a tried and true plot line in a new way. In the world of paranormal writing vampires are either completely hidden from society at large or completely out in the open and living amongst the humans. In the case of S.M. Hineline’s Hunting, not only are the vampires out of the dark, so to speak, but they are their own sovereign nation within the borders of the United States. Told you, new twist.

I also fancy a book that doesn’t completely conform to the first-in-a series formula: introduce all the major characters; introduce the long reaching plot line; introduce and tie up the short-term plot line and; provide just enough background information to keep the reader wanting more. Hunting is a vampire of a different blood type. Hineline does introduce the major characters; Jade, a human envoy to the Vampire Kingdom and Aldora, heiress to the throne of the Vampire Kingdom; she introduces and ties up the short term plot line; she introduces the long-term plot line but; instead of a tiny bit of background information, Hineline submerges the reader in background and history. While I am generally a very big fan of this type of reading, I did find it a bit tedious in this particular novel with some of the longer passages slowing down the pace of the novel.

As for the plot line itself, I am alright with it as it has yet another new twist. Turns out, the Vampire Kingdom conceived by Hineline has a fatal flaw; they begin to lose their power every five hundred years and will lose it completely if the single vampire child born to human parents once every fifth century isn’t found. That should be easy, right? There can’t be that many pregnant human women at one time, right? Oh so wrong  This part of the novel picks up considerably as Aldora, Jade, and two companions, Ignatious, a formidable magician and Mordecai, a much-feared hybrid with amazing skills. The hunt for the human child is dramatic, action-packed, and full of surprises.

The bottom line: I liked the characters, I liked the action of the contemporary Hunt scene, and I enjoyed most of the background information. The first part of the novel does drag just a bit but the pace picks up toward the middle and through the end of the book. I do believe future installments of this series will be better as the characters become more fully evolved and the long-term plot line further develops. For now, out of five stars, I am at a solid three and half on this novel with the side note that I am sure that rating will go up with installment number two.… (altro)