Hunters' Quest (book 2 in the Hunters of Reloria series)

(no rating)
Hunters of Reloria was a fun romp with a fellowship straight out of Lord of the Rings (a couple of men, an aloof elf, several hobbits, and a dwarf - though this one had three hobbits and two dwarves and they were looking for their wizard to round out their group. At least this fellowship had a token girl, though I do question why we can't even up the numbers between males and females since this is the modern age) on a quest to rescue an Elven princess and take down the enemy forces while traveling through a Middle-Earth-like realm. There were touches of other movies like Star Wars (I swear the princess was wearing the slave Leia outfit). But where this book excelled was in the moments when it escaped from borrowing and brought its own imagination, such as with the Mountain Men, the hydras, and the wizards. It read mostly as middle-grade, at times even bordering on a Disney look with the fairies and their green bell hats and the mermaids with their bright technicolor hair, but at times it did tread adult area with the start of a sex scene and one of the groups they met was cannabalistic. Since this is a middle book, a lot of the time it just felt like it was bridging between the first book, as it spent its time visiting one group to the next while setting up for the eventual final battle in the next book. Each group they met welcomed them with open arms (though some had a moment or two of difficulty before welcoming them). Still, this is a fun read with plenty of imagination, adventure, action and fantasy elements.

True to form, the descriptive settings and characters pull you right into the story, even faster with this sequel than with the first book. There is a map at the beginning to bring a visual element to the settings and this story comes with some illustrations and descriptions of the characters I left in the first installment along with a brief background to refresh my memory.

The author wastes no time in causing the characters turmoil. They are immediately thrown into difficult situations and there is a greater feeling of stress and anticipation in the words of this story when compared with the first installment of this epic tale.

The description of gravity and the thin air on the other planet was a great detail. I appreciate the thought that went into describing in detail the sensations associated with being in a place with less gravitational pull than what we are used to. I wish that the cyclops, in regard to weapons, had stuck to the fantasy theme and left the science fiction out of the story, but they did offer up something different to keep things interesting despite my thoughts on the matter.

Frankly I am looking forward to the last book. I am anxious to see what happens to the characters and I have a feeling that the next installment will be even grander than the first two.

Note: This version of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. For the full review, please visit The Review Board website.

Hunters' Quest is the second book in The Hunters of Reloria trilogy. I did read the first book Elven Jewel to get the full effect of all that has gone on.

One of the things I tend to get asked as a reviewer is if the books in a trilogy can stand alone. Although one can read Elven Jewel and get the feel that it is a stand alone story, I cannot say for sure in reference to Hunters' Quest, simply because of the way Hunters' Quest ended.

Although the colors of the cover have a whimsical appeal, a few more illustrations as far as the journey would have been helpful. Yes, there was a map at the beginning of the book but no others sprinkled throughout. That way it would have shown the differences between different locations they were going to, as well as being provided more descriptions on what these lands looked like.

Whether the author intended the books in The Hunters of Reloria trilogy to stand alone or not, the descriptive component of locations and the new characters needed improvement. The way they were presented to the reader isn't an introduction that stands out; it came across more matter of fact than anything. There were bits of comic relief to break up the intensity of the quest yet the down moments threatened to keep one's attention off the main elements of the story. This author doesn't quite strike the balance between establishing local color and having excessive fluff.

There was great potential in a lot of the action sequence yet they were executed in a bit of a detached way. A dynamic tale such as this one should have the author showing the story—to the point where it plays like a movie inside of one's head.

The pace was excruciatingly slow. This was a flaw Elven Jewel also committed. I wanted to dismiss the slow pacing of the first as the author's attempt to establish build up, since it was such a long book. However, Hunters' Quest is about half the size of its predecessor, so why is the pace just as slow, if not slower in this rendition?

The chapters are way too long. They should be crafted in such a way that the action and flow of the story is immediate. When one is thinking to himself, "What happened at the beginning of this chapter?" or "Wait! I'm only on Chapter such and such?" it's a bad sign. When an author has written a riveting story, there should be a seamless transition and an eagerness to find out what happens next. There was not a huge urgency there for me in the first book and even less so for this one.

The main part of Hunters' Quest that delivered harm was the way the ending was delivered. I do not mind if there are incomplete threads in a series, just as long as one of the major threads that was presented to be solved has closure. Hunters' Quest ended abruptly, like that movie that is getting to the good bit, and then "To Be Continued" pops on the screen. I was highly disappointed.

If one is going to do a series, one should strive to have the next part of the series be just as good, if not better than the book before it. This author has a lot of work to do in order to get this one to that level.

Hunter’s Quest is part two to Elven Jewel. I am happy to say that Kasper has succeeded in writing the perfect sequel. This story will not disappoint readers following the Hunters of Relora. I look forward to book 3.

Kasper Beaumont delivers yet another delightful read with Hunters' Quest, Book 2 of the Hunters of Reloria series.
The quest for the precious Jewel continues and the heroes are developing beautifully against the amazing backdrop that has been so skilfully crafted.
Action-packed from the outset, the fantastical creatures abound with mermaids, Centaurs and gnomes to name only a few, introduced at stages throughout the fast moving plot.
The locations are as nicely drawn as to be expected from Kasper Beaumont and the glimpses of otherworldly religion, astrology and even the details of the Centaurs dietary preferences lend a delightful authenticity, as well as providing extra humour to the tale. I liked the lovely funny quirks of these creatures in much the same way as I was enamoured with the depiction of the fairies.
 Daeron and elven princess Shari Rose's connection was particularly inspired, and I felt the pain of Daeron's situation with the lovely Cassie -Belle. He thinks she could do better than him! No, she couldn't, and I do hope that she can win him round in the future.
This is such an exciting read, learning more about the characters, the Dragons and the other amazing additions to The Hunters series. 
The cliffhanger sets up peferctly for the next where I hope to see the Jewel rescued from an evil laser eyed Emperor on another world, find out what happens with the gifted Violetta, and I 'm also very curious what's going to happen with Randir's involvement with the seductive white halfling.
I highly recommend this fantastical read for the young 12+, and the young at heart.

Back in Beaumont's world of elves, dwarves and halflings, the adventure continues with more action and romance. While there are still aspects of the storytelling that need to be polished, Beaumont's characters show a lot of growth. I particularly enjoyed the development of the romantic relationships, particularly between Fendi and the 'halflling huntress.' I look forward to seeing what happens with them.

This is the second book in Hunters of Reloria series and just as good as the book one. The story starts from where it was left last time. Although Vargai lost the war but they were able to capture the Elven princess, who posses Elevn Jewel. Without it defenses of Reloria are weak and to protect their land hunter's start a quest. They also need to warn the others about coming danger. Along the way we are introduced to new characters which will help the hunters on their quest. The story left me spellbound. I think i have developed a new taste for fantasy-adventure.
It is a captivating tale of a world where magical beings lives together. There are heroes and villains. Characters which are so good that you will fall in love with them, I have. I can't wait to read the next book. I am sure that it will be full of adventure and action packed, just like first two books. I have given this book 5-stars because of engaging story line and well developed characters. Also because I had a lot of fun reading it. It made me laugh and anticipate the next thing to come. An amazing experience which I'll love to have again and again. I hope that the writer keeps writing such beautiful stories. :)
P.S. I especially loved the prolong, which gives a brief introduction (with graphics) of all the hunters, whom we met in book one.

The Hunters of Reloria adventures continue in this exciting second part of the series…

I have to say that the author did an amazing job with the characters, is as if they pop right out of the page making you a part of their incredible journey to try and free princess Shari-Rose from her captivity. As I pointed out in my review of the first book, once again we experience an action packed story without a dull moment. There was a particular scene in which I couldn’t help but crack up in laughter (that’s when the hunters meet the deaf wizard) absolutely hilarious.

Once more the author delivered an outstanding fantasy world for us to lose ourselves in.  You will find a twist in the story at every turn and also there’s new characters introduced.
Anyone that reads this will definitely feel like a member of the Hunters of Reloria.

(no rating)
An exciting story that follows on from Elven Jewel. The hunters of reloria continue their treacherous journey to save the Elven Jewel and their home. They meet some fascinating creatures along the way. I particularly enjoyed the land of dragons, the centaurs, and the chatty and quirky mage. The halflings and their bond fairies become brave warriors in this instalment. A cliffhanger ends the story leaving me highly anticipating book 3. Suspense, adventure, action and some romance make this a must read.

I was dying to get to book 2 and it didn't disappoint as so many series can. The action if anything was even more action packed. Such a great story I can't wait for the last book as I'm so in love with the characters I'm dying to know how it all ends. This author surprises me with unusual events and new ideas so I can't even guess how it will all end.