Ree and her kid Javani have spent their lives moving from place to place for, you know, Reasons. Just when they finally think they can stop running and build a little farm the past comes catching up with them in the form of good looking Princes with a terminator like side kick who, will. Not. Stop. A couple of bickering siblings who may or may not be on the side of the angles and a blonde giantess who could crush you with her thumb. But who are they and just what do they want with Javani? And what Will Javani want when the secrets Ree has long kept buried start to leak out. If you like Wraggs other books you’ll like this. It’s an action horse powered car chase that doesn’t go very far, with explosions and bridge collapse and peril and angst. So much angst. It’s funny and heart felt and a real good time. I can’t wait for the next one!

David Wragg’s The Hunters is a fast paced and addictive story that follows Ree and her twelve year old niece Javani. After many years moving from place to place, they have settled on a farm in a mining community in the middle of nowhere. When a group of killers comes to the town looking for a young girl and an older woman, Ree and Javani are forced to flee across the desert and mountains. A deadly chase occurs, but will Ree be able to keep them both alive and keep her secrets intact?

David Wragg is such a fantastic writer and I knew going in that I was going to love this one. The story is full of twists and surprise moments and there’s plenty of action and edge of your seat moments. Wragg has a writing style that’s really gripping and there were lots of times I told myself I should put this book down but ended up reading one more chapter. The witty dialogue works really well and the sandy desert setting really comes to life in Wragg’s prose.

The Hunters has some really compelling characters and I found myself really growing attached to Ree, Javani and of course Aki and Anashe. The characters are really well crafted and it was really interesting the way family dynamics were explored between these characters. While there are some light hearted moments in the story, there are also plenty of dark and gritty moments too. The Hunters is the first book in this series and I can’t wait to see where Wragg takes the story next. If you’ve read The Black Hawks you’ll absolutely fall in love with The Hunters . If you’re looking for a fast paced, blood thirsty fantasy tale to sink your teeth into, you definitely don’t want to miss this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

Such an epic first book to start a series. Definitely love it and waiting for the next book

Oh my god I read this forever ago and completely forgot to update here about it. So here is my StoryGraph review of it!

In the first 25% of this I felt like it could very easily end up being a 4.5 star book for me. I really loved the characters and the authorial voice. The world was also interesting and we got right into the action, which I think worked well for this story.

Around 60% I was getting a bit fatigued with the chasing action -- just a personal thing, something that doesn't excite me all that much as a reader.

I still ended up having a really good time reading this, though!

The characters really come alive and I got connected to them, as evidenced by my getting a bit emotional toward the end... with
Spoiler
The interpersonal relationships were explored well also, in my opinion. We have a very complicated dynamic between Ree and Javani and even between Aki and Anashe. I absolutely love Javani -- what a spunky, smart, fun girl!

I tend to be a more plot-driven reader, but when I enjoy characters this much, I honestly don't need the plot to be my favorite. As long as the plot isn't "bad" (in my opinion), I'm good -- and that was the case here. The plot was still interesting overall and I really loved the characters. With the plot I just would have liked a bit less of the chasing.

I'm really excited to see where this story goes and where these characters go, as the series continue. I'll definitely be reading the next installment!

Cuando estaba leyendo The Hunters le tuve que preguntar a mi amigo Elías cómo se llamaba en matemáticas las distintas posibilidades de formar conjuntos partiendo de un determinado número de componentes (él, atento como siempre, primero me preguntó si importaba el orden o no para darme una respuesta precisa). Pues bien, estas combinaciones son las que se me vinieron a la cabeza con The Hunters, que tiene un elenco muy variado de personajes y que consigue mezclarlos a todos en distintos grupos en distintos momentos del libro para ver sus interacciones.


Nos encontramos entonces ante un libro muy movido y muy entretenido. No está centrado expresamente en los cazadores que conforman el grupo que persigue a las protagonistas, pero imagino que ya había muchos libros que se llamaban The Hunting. Es una novela coral, con un trasfondo de intrigas políticas y con humor para conseguir que el conjunto cohesione bien.

La ambientación de la novela nos recuerda al western pero la elección de una protagonista de mediana edad que se supone que ha dejado atrás una vida de emociones contrasta con los típicos “elegidos” de la fantasía. Como Shannon Chakraborty en The Adventures of Amina al Sirafi, David Wragg opta por la madurez en vez de la inocencia como guía de su personaje principal, aunque también equilibra la balanza con la juventud de su protegida Javani. Sería injusto pasar por alto el resto de participantes en la obra, porque Wragg ha hecho todo un casting para contar su historia. Tenemos a una joven de incierto pasado, dos hermanos consagrados a la búsqueda de información sobre su madre, un príncipe obstinado en complacer a la reina, un maestro del gremio trepa que solo busca mejorar su situación personal… y la lista sigue y sigue, cada uno con un carácter propio muy bien trazado. En este sentido The Hunters es una gran novela coral.

En cuanto al ritmo, está muy bien llevado. Bien es cierto que cuando un libro tiene diversos puntos de vista parece más fácil ir cambiando de escena para mantener el interés del lector, pero el autor consigue equilibrar el interés de cada capítulo, algo que no resultará tan fácil. A su favor cuenta también que es una novela autoconclusiva, si bien deja sembradas las semillas para continuaciones si fuera menester.

En definitiva, The Hunters es una novela fantástica muy entretenida de leer. No me extrañaría que alguna editorial española le echara el ojo.

Another masterpiece by David Wragg! The characters are astounding! The whole premise is engaging and exhilarating.

This is, pretty much, a Western-inflected fantasy saga. Beyond one of the minor characters, a merchant, having the spice of the Silk Road, we're in the world of dusty mining outposts, deserts galore, rocky places, impenetrable mountain frontiers, and so on. Munitions are alchemy, crossbows and variously-shaped swords are chief arms, and a mahoosive armoured horse-drawn wagon is key to the drama's movement at times, however much other people ride camels. Ree and the girl she looks after, Javani, are trying their best to settle down – for once in their lives – but being leant on by the local greaseball politician is not ideal. That will soon stop, as we might guess, when we see other people all converge on the town. It turns out Javani has A Secret Destiny, meaning some people want her dead, others will lay their lives down for her, and a lot of Stuff has to be worked out.

As interesting as this gets, and as dramatic the Western-styled action, such as an attack on said wagon, this is very flawed, and partly from the pacing. It can't all be one-note drama, but the lull before that attack was painful, and the way too much of the story hinges on yawnsome Family Issues really never had a chance of appealing to me. Elsewhere, one character is so strong it's like the author doesn't know what to do with them – they're seemingly a perfect warrior and he has to be very heavy-handed in thunking them off the page for the others to show their merits. There is also the strong tang of contrivance, too – the jailbreak deus ex machina during the first third, for one. Oh, and why does the text allow itself to mention once how damnably awkward it would be if anyone – ANYONE – were to attack the wagon through its team of eight horses, then refuse to allow any actual character to think as sensibly as that?

Leaving, then, a read that has what I would call minor benefits, but may well be essential in making this a delight for others. The cinematic scope is a given, considering the genre – the female-led action not. The world building is strong (as is the language borrowed from ours, if that is an issue), to the extent we get several verbose and unlikeable people on these pages to even out the heroic females. But this is an action piece, for me, hampered by two things. One definitely is the yack about mummies – even when trying to go pell-mell through the set pieces, it's mummy this, family that, ooh my childhood, the other mummy once more. The other has to be the insufferable number of switcheroo attempts about who is dead and who isn't. It's interminable (or is it?!). And the way the vulnerable horses have to combine to make the characters stupid is a distant second to how stupid the book makes you feel when the characters all turn into Pythonesque Black Knights, fighting on gamely long after they should be corpses. This did start out alright, but by the end had left all hope of me trying to read the rest of the trilogy long behind. One and a half stars.

Oh, and how can so much be seen inside an abandoned mine?

The Hunters is the first book in the Tales of the Plain series. It was a good introduction and an enjoyable read. For some reasons, I did find myself unable to fully connect with the characters, but I still found it to be a good read. The characters were well written and the world was an interesting one. I would definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you've enjoyed the authors previous books,

A strong story but the western edge wasn't entirely to my taste. It was fun to try something new and read a unique fantasy story, however.

Reviewed on my blog here - http://fantasy-smorgasbord.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-hunters-by-david-wragg.html

What an absolutely wonderful read!

We get to follow Ree, a woman who comes from a violent and blood-stained past. She has left that life behind, having found her safe place in a small farm on the edge of a mining country in Kazeraz. Life is hard but peaceful until two sets of professional killers begin a hunt to find an older woman and a young girl believed to have ties to the Shenak throne. What follows is a chase across the desert and a desperate race to survive.

I want to start this off by saying that I absolutely adore Aki and Anashe. Their bickering and fighting is so typical of a sibling relationship and so spot on that I can do little else but to love them. Aki thinks he’s a poet, a wordsmith, a blessing from the Goddess and Anashe is immensely irritated by his antics.

Ree and Javani was also a duo that was very interesting to follow. Javani is a typical teenager, hands down. She's prone to surliness and she's demanding, but it's also mixed with an innocence, a kindness and a need to feel loved. Ree however, is an emotionally hardened woman. She is as practical as she is fierce. Her relationship with her niece Javani is strained at best really. Neither of them seem affectionate toward each other, but following them through their journey sure pulled on my heartstrings.

The White Spear, a giant mercenary, was also a character that I greatly enjoyed reading about (and the amount of times she got ran over by a wagon).

Wragg's prose is witty and grips the reader in such a way that it is hard to actually put the book down. He creates characters that are engaging and interesting, none of them really fading to the background or having other personalities completely take over. Like I previously stated, the pure banter and arguments between the siblings were my favorite (perhaps mainly because it reminds me of me and my own sister). It sounds and comes across so naturally that it's enjoyable. Sometimes banter like this can come across as quite forced, but not here. The story, while it has a big emotional charge, especially toward the end, is injected with humor and jokes; it works as a counterbalance to the world the story is set, gritty and dark.

The Hunters by David Wragg is one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I will most definitely look forward to following these characters in future books!

A huge thank you for approving my request.

I was huge fan of The Articles of Faith and appreciated the mix of action, dark fantasy and humour.
This one, set in the same world, was a mixed bag as I appreciated the humour is some part but wasn't a fan of Ree and couldn't care a lot for her.
It's a good story, the storytelling is well done and I want to read the next story in this series as I want to know what will happen and how the characters will evolve
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

‘Ree is a woman with a violent past – a past she thought she’d left behind. After years of wandering, she and her niece Javani have finally built a small life for themselves at the edge of the known world.

But sometimes the past refuses to stay there, and Ree’s is about to catch up with her. This time, there will be blood.’

Oh guys, I wanted to absolutely love this book, I was so sold on the premise but for me personally I wasn’t able to find that connection to the characters this time. Don’t get me wrong it is beautifully written and the world building was very thorough but I find myself not caring about whether they were caught up to or not.

I did find there were some great comedy moments and some of the characters relationships to each other were loving shown to be very strong.

I just have a personal ick against secret keeping and there was a ton of it being dragged out knowingly for no apparent reason.

You definitely found the villainous characters deserving of their trials and tribulations throughout the story.

Overall a good read but I thought it would be a standalone until the last sentence.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC.

A fascinating insight into a brand new world and brand new author from me where I was drawn in by the cover alone. Thrilling, action packed and some very sharp humour - a wonderful read!!

The Hunters is my first introduction to David Wragg's writing. I have had his other books for such a long while, but haven't had the chance to read them as of yet. So when I saw this new start to his Tales of the Plains, which is billed as being accessible to newcomers without having to read the previous books, I thought this is a perfect place to start. Apparently, this is set in the same world as The Black Hawks and The Righteous, and whilst there are plenty of Easter eggs for returning readers, it is supposed to be good for those of us who haven't read the previous ones.

The story centres around Ree and her young ward, Javani who in a bid to escape an unknown past have become horse farmers in the back end of nowhere. When the guild encroach on Ree, in the form of acting guild master Kurush, Ree learns that her past is about to catch up with her.

This sets off a series of events which involves the appearance of various factions from distant lands hunting Javani in the belief that she is the illegitimate child of the crown prince of some far off land. Enter stage left the bad guys, Prince Lazant and assassinating side kick Khalida

However, along the way, Ree and Javani pick up some unlikely allies in the form Anashe and Aki, a forever quarreling brother and sister duo. Not only that, they pick up a terminator called The White Spear who represents the opposing faction of Prince Lazant.

Full of high octane action and plenty of humour, David Wragg's chase novel is quite enjoyable. There are standout characters such as Anashe and Aki who provide both emotional and comedic clout to the book.

However, I must say that this book is one of those books where my expectations may have spoilt what the book has to offer. David Wragg is one of those writers that is regarded with such high esteem that I went into the book with quite high anticipation, and don't get me wrong the book is good, but I think I was expecting bite yer face off kinda good, and unfortunately, it just didn't.

I think one of the problems that I found was that I just didn't find myself caring enough about the main characters.I found Ree's emotional detachment a little off putting, and Javani, I just found a little annoying. In addition to that I found the constant chase premise a little exhausting if I'm honest.

However, on the whole, this was an enjoyable read that kept me interested and turning pages.

I'm OBSESSED with Ree, Javani and this world!

I went into this just wanting a fantasy, having read nothing by this author before. But I was blown out of the water because wow did this book attack me! The action scene, dialogue and pacing were spot on. I enjoyed the writing and loved how Ree is on the run and being hunted, and the consequences that come with this. It was a high octane read and I can't believe I have to wait so long for the next book! Overall, this is a solid fantasy book that left me wanting to read more by this author. And that cover!! Wow, whoever illustrated these characters is a genius!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

4.5/5
Fast-paced and full of thrills! Wragg continues to delight

I really enjoyed this book. the writing was smooth and the characters are wildly entertaining. What The Hunters boils down to is a high-octane game of cat and mouse. Ree and her entourage flee for their lives from a crazy prince from a faraway kingdom. I can promise laughs, snarky quips, blood, and tears.

My only real critique is the end felt like the end of a standalone novel. The ending was a hair overlong and a bit final. There is def more that can be done with these characters but if this is the only thing you ever read of David Wragg it is IMO a full reading experience and worth the investment of time.

Plot
This book is tangible proof that execution is everything. I don't normally enjoy Wild West inspired settings. Just not my jam. But I had to request this book from Netgalley. It's David Wragg. Need I say any more?
And let me tell you, the execution is good. I never imagined a book based solely on the hunt to murder a child could be this entertaining.

This book is so incredibly packed with action, that it was literally playing in my head like I was watching an action movie. I could see everything so vividly. It was wildly good fun and makes me wish there were more fantasy books out there that feel like good old-fashioned action romps.
If there isn't a fantasy/action crossover genre then why the hell not? This was so much fun!

The Hunters feels like a classic western twisted with Mad Max:Fury Road meets Terminator 2. Badass car chases through the desert while Lazant sure felt like a motherfucking T1000 at times, and Ree has mad Sarah Conner vibes, while the Black Spear is Arnie, of course. Haaa. I loved the Black Spear's determination to protect Javanni and the initial bait-and-switch with her character. This was edge of the seat reading. I can't praise it enough.

Characters
David Wragg has done something quite remarkable here. He somehow had me invested in every character. I felt all the correct feelings for every character. I loved the ones I was supposed to love and hated the ones I was supposed to hate. Isn't it just the worst when you hate the one you're meant to love? It can happen all too often, but not here. I disliked the bad guys for all the right reasons and grew deeply attached to the good guys, especially Aki!

The twists and turns of Ree and Javanni's relationship kept me on my toes, never quite knowing what the truth was, even right until the end. But I loved how the deeper message was not about what makes family, but who. Blood means little. If someone is your family, then they're family and that's all that matters. I think this book does an excellent job of exploring the theme of family.

The running joke of the White Spear being constantly run over by the same wagon didn't slip my attention and made me laugh every time. Seriously. Never got old. And the fact that despite all of Lazant's posturing and peacocking he's just a dude with mummy issues. So unexpected, but somewhat humanised him. Loved it.

This book feels incredibly feminist in such a refreshing and subtle way. It's like it's not even trying to be feminist, it just is. It's bold and explores a female experience without virtue signalling. God, I hope this book is well-received by male fantasy readers. There's nothing not to like here.

If David Wragg has proven he can do just one thing from his last book series, it was that he knew how to write solid female characters (Lemon still haunts my thoughts regularly). This accolade is only cemented with this novel. His depictions are not only solid but exceptional. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do it. There are at least five female powerhouses in this book, including the kid, I'd be remiss not to. And each one was distinct and individual, felt real, and had their own strengths and weaknesses, goals and fears. None of them were the Strong Female Character archetype we've all grown so sick of, but also none of them slipped into other cliches we hate, such as damsels, pure maidens, prostitutes, or just generally hyper-sexualised creatures. Basically, what I'm saying is, Wragg has written a huge female cast without a speck of male gaze. THIS is how you do it, people. If your female characters can be interchangeable with your male characters, then congratulations, you haven't written a 'female character', you've written a human being. And as a fellow human being, it's so damn satisfying and appreciated!

Setting
I did wonder how engaging the general setting of the book would be. Deserts in fantasy books aren't usually my jam just 'cause they aren't the most visually engaging things to picture. While deserts are quite striking to look at, there isn't much variety and one sandy dune can look much like the next, however and thankfully, I never had a chance to get bored with the landscape. There is barely a moment to breathe in this book, much complain about the view. I actually loved how Wragg used the landscape as an obstacle so often. Sandstorms, blistering heat, the perpetual dust clouds surrounding the chase. He made what could've been a potentially boring and repetitive landscape into something visually striking on the page. Bloody good show, chap.

Writing Style
The Hunters happens to be one of those rare and wonderful cases where I actually feel like a fast reader. The sentence flow is smooth giving the overall narrative high readability. It's quick and easy and addictive. The short chapter length also makes it very easy to say 'just one more'.

The humour is always appreciated. Something I loved so much about The Black Hawks books was the humour and the group banter. Wragg just has a knack for it, I suppose. And something I didn't expect to do during this read was cry. I don't just mean tearing up and getting over it as I do in other books. Tears were falling, nose red. I had to reapply my god damn eyeliner.

The only thing I wasn't a fan of, and not a fan of in any book, is storytime. When a plot is paused for characters to sit and talk about how the world was created or some such rather than it being included naturally into the narrative. Just not my thing. Chapter 14 is a little guilty of this. I want to be interested in what's being discussed, but this kind of exposition struggles to hold my attention. But I'm sure there're plenty who love that sort of thing.

But regardless, Wragg is a strong writer who really knows how to paint a scene without overcooking it. Solid writing. I can't wait to read all his future books and see where he creatively goes next.

Final Impression
I loved it. I'm immediately going to go buy the book. I was going to wait until the paperback release as I generally prefer paperbacks but damn it, I want it in my collection now, so I'm straight off to buy the hardback and shout about this book to anyone willing to listen.
There's probably a whole lot more I could say (praise) about this book, but this is all I can think of right now, so I'll leave this review here. Hopefully, I've said enough here to convince at least one reader to buy it.
Fantastic start to the series. I've no idea where the next one could go but I'm 100% along for the ride, and yes, that pun is very much intended.

The Hunters is the first in the new Tales of Plains series by David Wragg

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the digital arc. The Hunters will be released this week on Thursday 20th July.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Black Hawks and The Righteous by the author and so was very excited when I saw he has a new book set in the same world.

Ree and her niece Javani have been wandering for a long time and finally think they have found a place to settle down outside a mining town on the frontier. All appears to be going well, that is until the groups of professional killers arrive in town looking for an older woman and a young girl. They flee into the desert and must find their way to freedom.

I really enjoyed ‘The Hunters’ ; it was a thoroughly enjoyable, wonderfully humourous romp. The setting was really well done. I loved the frontier town with its different groups such as the guild and the Guvuli brothers and from there into the desert and mountains and mines it all felt so natural. The plot flowed really well and it most certainly kept me hooked and wanting more. I loved the characters. The characters absolutely made the book. Ree and Javani had a wonderfully complex dynamic and the different groups chasing the duo had their own relationships but the standout characters for me were Anashe and her brother Aki. Aki stole the show as a lovably verbose protective poet one might even call him a warrior philosopher. Their banter and sibling affection was a high point.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any fans of fantasy and especially if you enjoyed the author’s first series Articles of Faith as you might find a small connection to that series. I cannot wait for the next one.

A sincere thanks to Harper Collins for this advance copy of "The Hunters" by David Wragg. This novel seamlessly blends vibrant world-building and engaging characters, creating a fast-paced adventure that keeps the reader invested from start to finish.

Our protagonist, Ree, a middle-aged horse farmer with a clandestine past, finds herself and her young niece, Javani, at the center of dangerous pursuits. Wragg's expert storytelling sees us traversing hot desert landscapes and navigating perilous political undertones.

"The Hunters" is punctuated with humor, often derived from the lively interactions of our diverse cast. The bickering siblings, the sassy, yet naive Javani, and the resilient Ree create a unique dynamic that brings levity to an otherwise high-stakes narrative.

More than just a thrilling journey, Wragg invites us to ponder on profound themes of family and loyalty. This tale redefines what family truly means, not by blood, but by bonds forged in shared struggles.

Wragg's vivid descriptions and masterful narrative left me eagerly turning pages, yearning to unravel the mystery of our heroine's past. If you enjoy books filled with humor, high-stakes adventure, and thought-provoking themes, then "The Hunters" is a must-read. This novel is a testament to Wragg's impressive writing prowess, and I look forward to his future works. Fans of "Kings of the Wyld" will undoubtedly find this novel appealing.