Book Review "The Prey" by Andrew Fukuda

The Prey is the second installment in The Hunt series. As you might have read, I thoroughly enjoyed The Hunt, and The Prey was no exception.
We're thrown back in the thick of the action, Gene, and the previously trapped humans from the dome, are still on the run. They could be the last hepers on the planet, and they're endlessly hunted by a mutated race of humans with fangs and a potent hunger for flesh. They'll stop at nothing to find these escapees, only hampered by the bright rays of daylight.
Gene and his new friends have a goal, following the river towards the mountains in the hopes of finding a mythical land promised to be packed with humankind; the kind without fangs.
Dreary days and endless nights of torment drift by, until finally they meet with the end of the road. A mysterious cabin in the woods spills secrets, and soon leads them on a path towards a place known as 'the mission'.
Salvation seems within grasp, and they pluck at its promise, praying that their days of running from blood-thirsty tormentors is over. But are they finally safe? Have they found the haven they've been searching for?
I can't tell you without ruining the story, but let me just say, that even though you have sneaking suspicions, the twists and turns are immense and entirely too thrilling.
Once again the writing is elegant and compelling in its use of descriptive language and succinct story-telling. The action is mostly towards the end of the novel, but the narrative is in constant motion, more often than not, driving the story via character point-of-view.
To say that I'm enjoying this series is understatement, and will most definitely be buying the third book once it's released - four out five fangs.

Synopsis:

For Gene and the remaining humans—or hepers—death is just a heartbeat away. On the run and hunted by society, they must find a way to survive in The Vast... and avoid the hungry predators tracking them in the dark. But they’re not the only things following Gene. He’s haunted by the girl he left behind and his burgeoning feelings for Sissy, the human girl at his side.
When they discover a refuge of exiled humans living high in the mountains, Gene and his friends think they’re finally safe. Led by a group of intensely secretive elders, the civilisation begins to raise more questions than answers. A strict code of behaviour is the rule, harsh punishments are meted out, young men are nowhere to be found—and Gene begins to wonder if the world they’ve entered is just as evil as the one they left behind. As life at the refuge grows more perilous, he and Sissy only grow closer. In an increasingly violent world, all they have is each other... if they can only stay alive.

Book Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

I may be about the one-millionth person to say this, but The Hunt is Vampires meets The Hunger Games, and yet, decidedly better. It's impossible not to compare these lottery based novels involving a death defying hunt, as truly it's the purpose of the book.
The Hunt follows the story of a human, or heper, as the vampires refer to them, with the designation - Gene.
Gene isn't normal. At least not by this world's standards, a world where vampires are the dominate race and hepers are a dying breed - their only purpose - to serve as fodder in the hunt.
Gene is extremely intelligent and has been taught by his now deceased father the value of assimilation. Masking body odours, shaving hair, and wearing fake fangs are all part of the camouflage. Partaking in the strange animalistic rituals is also a must – frothing at the mouth at the thought of human flesh, scratching wrists when amused, and schooling all emotion is all part of Gene’s survival techniques.
And then he is selected for the hunt. Randomly? We never really find out, but to also be paired with Ashley-June, the vampire he is inexplicably drawn to can only lead to heartache.
Will the heper institute learn of Gene’s ongoing deceit? And will he finally be exposed to a species he can finally relate, perhaps form relationships with the very creatures he’s been selected to hunt and kill?
What I loved about this book was that clear skip of detail regarding how the world became vampire ridden, or how humans were hunted into non-existence. Andrew Fukuda’s writing is such, that as a reader, you merely accept the world as it’s painted with information supplied when necessary and without complication. Paired with sumptuous imagery, and strange, albeit compelling characteristics of the vampires, and you find yourself enraptured.
With strong, descriptive prose that was filled with enough moments of suspense and interspersed action to keep my heart stuttering within my chest, and I can say without a doubt this is one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. Thank you, Andrew Fukuda for the wild imagination – five out of five fangs.

Synopsis:
Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. The only remaining humans, or hepers as they are known, are housed in domes on the savannah and studied at the nearby Heper Institute. Every decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected to be one of the combatants he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow competitors whose suspicions about his true nature are growing.