I am not sure what I think of this book. I found myself reluctant to continue reading it and had to force myself to get to the end, but I am not sure why. Though I am not the target audience, by several decades, I do enjoy reading well-written children’s and teen books, and the Harry Potter series is a great favourite of mine. This is definitely not in the same class of writing, but it is not bad writing either.

The characters seem well fleshed out, particularly the two children at the heart of the story. There were several ambiguous characters whose motivations were only gradually revealed and one really nasty one whom you long to get his come-uppance.

Some elements of the plot were a little weak, particularly the ease with which the necessary items were discovered.

It may be the character of Hellish Mel, a teenage assassin, which troubled me because it reminded me of the Philip Pullman’s trilogy which I detest for its twisted morality. I’m not suggesting that this book displays that twisted morality, but that the association of ideas may have coloured my feelings towards this book, though there are signs that Mel will abandon her role of assassin and become an associate of Ethan, the hero.

Whatever the reason, I did not enjoy reading The Hunter Awakens. I won’t read any more in this series, and do not feel inclined to try any others by this author. ( )

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters were well fleshed out. The dialogue between characters was well done. There were twists that I wasn't expecting that made this book hard to put down. I'm eager to read the next installment to find out more about these characters. I definitely recommend this adventure. ( )

The Hunter Awakens by J.R. Roper

Thirteen year old Ethan Morus and his sister are sent to stay with their grandparent on their old farm. Ethan hears an old story putting his family in the middle of an ancient treasure hunt. Soon he finds burial chambers protected by poltergeists, a secret lair guarded by an ancient beast, and that sorcerers are watching him.

It doesn't take long to find that Ethan is a treasure hunter, he also has the rare power to discover powerful artifacts. Soon young Ethan is faced with tough choices, and learns that his decisions will affect his family.

Ethan is very likable, he is an ordinary boy put into an extraordinary situation. The story moves at a steady pace with attention to detail bringing the reader into the story. There is action, adventure, and danger in this wonderful story. I highly recommend to middle-grade, young adult as well as adult readers who enjoy a great fantasy. ( )