Hunter by Mercedes Lackey, A Chat with the Author!

Posted 28 August, 2015 by Danny in Blog, Blog Tour, Danny, Giveaways / 5 Comments

Happy Friday Everyone!! I’m super excited to be part of the Blog Tour for Hunter an exciting new YA story with blends Fantasy, Dystopian and SciFi quite amazingly together! I really (really) enjoyed the book and was thrilled to get the chance to chat a little with Mercedes about Hunter and what’s coming up in the sequel!

Interview with Mercedes Lackey

Thank you so much Mercedes for stopping at the Bewitched Bookworms today for a little Chat!I really loved Hunter and especially loved the fantastic blend of genres, Fantasy, Dystopia and SciFI. Which of these genres/elements did you feel most strongly about when creating the “hunter world”?

That’s a little like asking, “what do you feel most strongly about when you make a pizza, the crust, the sauce or the cheese?” In order to do something different, all three elements had to be present and carefully weighted. I will say that I did enjoy doing SciFi for a change; other than a couple of books, most notably the Anne McCaffrey collab, The Ship Who Searched, I haven’t had much chance to work in it.

I really loved that each Hunter had to pick their “trademark” colors, which colors would be yours?

Probably brown and gold, although I might have gone for green and silver.

If Joy would have to explain what a Hunter is, or what she can do and what makes her so special, what would she say?

A Hunter’s job, a Hunter’s calling, is to protect those who don’t have powers from the Othersiders. It was the Hunters who first turned the tide against the Othersiders during the Diseray, and the Hunters who continue to be effective even when technology has (once again) started to fail. Mages and Psimons can do a lot, but only Hunters with Hounds can actually force back an Othersider onslaught.

… and what makes Joy so special?

Joy has a very special bond with her Hounds, something she only begins to realize once she reaches Apex City. Unlike other Hunters at Apex, Joy considers her Hounds to be equal partners.

Besides Hunters you also introduced us to characters that can read minds. Would you rather be a Hunter or a Psimon?

Personally I would rather be a Hunter. That’s because the Psimons are very much feared and socially ostracized, because how can you know when one is snooping around in your head? The only thing that keeps any given Psimon from doing that is his or her ethics…and without being a mind-reader yourself, you can never know if he or she actually has a code of ethics and whether or not he or she has decided to ignore that ethical code.

Will there be more magic in the following books?

Absolutely there will be more magic, a lot more. You’ll get a good look at what the Army Mages can do, and more of what the Folk can do. The first book is just the warning of the war to come.

Can you tease us a little about what is to come next for Joy?

There will be a lot more revelations about what’s going on at the highest levels in the human culture, more about the Psimons, and more about the Folk and the other Othersiders.

Tiny Spoiler Question: I can’t help but asking – but I’m so curious ever since that scene happened. In the early beginning Joy encounters a Fey like creature when the train is attacked, was that a significant scene that we are coming back to in the sequel?

If you look through Hunter you will find at least two scenes where Joy thinks she’s being watched, and catches mere glimpses of lavender and shiny things. Well, she is. That Folk Mage is very interested in her….

HUNTER

by Mercedes Lackey
Pub. Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 384
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Centuries ago, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were slashed open allowing hideous fantastical monsters to wreak havoc; destroying entire cities in their wake. Now, people must live in enclosed communities, behind walls that keep them safe from the evil creatures constantly trying to break in. Only the corps of teen Hunters with lightning reflexes and magical abilities can protect the populace from the daily attacks.
Joyeaux Charmand is a mountain girl from a close knit village who comes to the big city to join the Hunters. Joy thinks she is only there to perform her civic duty and protect the capitol Cits, or civilians, but as cameras follow her every move, she soon learns that the more successful she is in her hunts, the more famous she becomes.
With millions of fans watching her on reality TV, Joy begins to realize that Apex is not all it seems. She is forced to question everything she grew up believing about the legendary Hunters and the very world she lives in. Soon she finds that her fame may be part of a deep conspiracy that threatens to upend the protective structure built to keep dark magic out. The monsters are getting in and it is up to Joy to find out why.

About Mercedes:

Mercedes Lackey is the acclaimed author of over fifty novels and many works of short fiction. In her “spare” time she is also a professional lyricist and a licensed wild bird rehabilitator. Mercedes lives in Oklahoma with her husband and frequent collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots.

Find Mercedes on the web:

Website|Twitter|Facebook|Goodreads

Tour Schedule:

8/24/2015- Fictitious Delicious– Interview
8/25/2015- What the Cat Read– Review
8/26/2015- Tales of the Ravenous Reader– Guest Post
8/27/2015- The Book Bratz– Review
8/28/2015- Bewitched Bookworms– Interview

8/31/2015- She Dreams in Fiction– Review
9/1/2015- Two Chicks on Books– Guest Post
9/2/2015-The Book Cellar– Review
9/3/2015- Mundie Moms– Interview
9/4/2015- Supernatural Snark– Review

Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive a finished copy of HUNTER. US Only. Entries via the Rafflecopter below.

So, what do you say? Doesn’t this sound exciting? I really loved the story and I can’t wait to read the next one and I’m super curious what will happen next to Joy!