The Prey by Andrew Fukuda
Series: The Hunt #2
Published by St. Martin’s Press
Publish Date: January 29, 2013
304 Pages
Source: Publisher
Find It: Goodreads / Amazon / B&N
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. –(from Goodreads)
The Prey by Andrew Fukuda
My Thoughts: It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, The Hunt, but I quickly remembered how much I liked Author Andrew Fukuda’s original take on vampires. Fukuda’s follow-up, The Prey, was a fast-paced book that read much like a survival story and I actually think I may have liked it more than the first book.
This is the second book in the The Hunt Series.
There are some minor spoilers in this review,
so proceed forth at your own risk and choosing.
I have tried to keep spoilers limited to what is
included or alluded to in the summary.
– HOWEVER –
PLEASE enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post
for a copy of the first and second book in this series
whether or not you read this blog post to completion!
I would love for you to start the series AND
the giveaway is OPEN WORLDWIDE!
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To recap these particular vampires: While these vampires tend to follow some of the “regular” vampire mythology that we’re used to: no sunlight, bloodthirst, super strength and speed – they also have some unusual characteristics that I thought fascinating in the first book. For example: they do not laugh, they do not sweat, they have an unusual reaction to water and do not require it as they don’t thirst for it, etc. While these characteristics were much more prevalent in the first book than in the second book, it’s important to have a good understanding of exactly the type of creatures main characters Gene and the rest of his gang are dealing with in this installment. In The Hunt, Gene was trying to blend into a world where being one of these creatures out in society was the norm, but now in The Prey – Gene no longer blends in and is in survival mode.
(You can read my thoughts on The Hunt HERE.)
Speaking of Gene: He is the main character from the first book, and he is indeed still the main character in the second book. However, some of the more secondary cast has stepped up and become much more important to the story as they are running together from these creatures – there are a small but tight-knit group of humans just like Gene that have bonded over someone that they loved mutually – someone that is not currently with them.
The basic premise behind The Prey is that Gene and his pals are on the run from vampires that wouldn’t hesitate to rip them apart and feast on them in a second. When Gene and his friends pool their knowledge together, they realize that there is the possibility of a safe place for humans like themselves – the only problem is traveling to this place and making it there alive and in one piece. And you know what? They DO arrive there – this place is called The Mission. At first, it seems amazing. There is food everywhere, super-nice people (all human!), no threat from the vampires that want to kill them, and did I say food? However, the more they look around, something just doesn’t seem quite right about The Mission. It takes the group a few days to figure a few things out, but once they do they realize that they can’t stay there any longer – they’re just as in danger there as they were on the run. Leaving The Mission proves to be nearly as difficult as getting there.
In talking and secretly asking around at The Mission, the group realizes that Gene’s father (aka The Scientist) previously had ties there, although he is no longer affiliated with the community for reasons – and no one really agrees on what those reasons are exactly. The group decides that the amazing place Gene’s father talked about – the Land of Milk and Honey – this paradise that he had told them about couldn’t possibly be this place and they decide to set off again. But will they make it this time? And what do they risk by leaving. DO they all make out alive? And will they make it to this paradise that they all long for so much?
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Nearly non-stop action, this book! The Prey by Andrew Fukuda kept me glued to the pages because not only did I want to know if they were going to make it to their destination safely but I wanted to know what on earth was up with The Mission – it was seriously creepy! This second installment in this fun series picks up soon after the first book ends and DOES NOT LET UP until the last page. I have all ideas that when the third book is released soon, it’ll be much the same.
In the first book, Gene began the book a little on the timid and fearful side but had some character growth as the book progressed – this time, he started out as a strong character because, well, he had no choice. The Prey begins as the group is quite literally running away from a group of vampires and from that point on, Gene is looked upon as one of the leaders of his small group. He doesn’t have time to be weak, he doesn’t have time to falter, he doesn’t have time to do anything other than LEAD. Sure, Gene has times where he thinks back and wishes he’d have done things differently before. He has times when he thinks back on those he loved and lost. He has times when he thinks it would be easier, much easier, if life just wasn’t this way. The difference is that he doesn’t let his other group members – particularly the younger ones – realize this and he continues to be strong for the others in the group. He is a decision-maker, a fighter, and a good example. And he continues to show growth even in this second book – by the end, he is even stronger than he was in the beginning, often having to make some very difficult decisions (that I probably wouldn’t even be able to make myself). Gene’s growth across the series thus far has been fantastic and I enjoy his character, even in this unique and very unusual world.
His sidekick this time around is Sissy – she’s a bit of a fiesty mind and an independent thinker, and I love that about her. She was very present in the first book – just in a different way – and I absolutely love her in this book. Sissy is what you could call, I suppose, the other main character, and I love that she is a strong female that isn’t afraid to make decisions and lead the group as well. Even Gene looks to her for guidance sometimes. Once the group arrives at The Mission, Sissy is treated a bit unfairly for some of The Mission’s oddball reasons, but I love the way Gene and the others in the group band together and see to it that she is not only taken care of but rescued. Her character has really taken on a life in this second installment and I’m very anxious to see what happens with her in the next part of the series.
I mentioned in my review of The Hunt that the world that was created for this series was “just as unique as [the] vampire lore” and that I had an inkling that the world would be expanded in this second installment and BOY WAS I CORRECT. It was so cool to see the world beyond the city Gene previously lived in and the institute from the first book – in The Prey we are actually able to see how the landscape of the world has been changed drastically by the infiltration of these creatures into the population as well as learn some theories as to how it may have happened.
All in all, this is a strong second-book to this series and I don’t know why I waited so long to read it. The positive to that is that I won’t have quite so long to read before the third book, The Trap, comes out in a couple of weeks. I had no idea when I began this series that I would enjoy it as much as I have/am, and at this point, I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Like, a lot.
I recommend this series for fans of vampires and interesting/different vampire mythology, survival stories, action-driven plots, and male main characters. I’m itching to find out what happens next very soon!
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The Prey will appeal to fans of:
Vampires
Paranormal/Post-Apocalyptic
Action-Driven Plot
Survival
Male Protagonist
The Prey by Andrew Fukuda
is currently available for purchase.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for me to read and review on this blog. My thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone, and I received no compensation for them! Thank you St. Martin’s!
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And now for the Giveaway!
Author Andrew Fukuda and the folks at St. Martin’s Press
have generously provided copies of both
THE HUNT and THE PREY
for ONE LUCKY WINNER!
*Open Worldwide!*Ends 11/10*
About Asheley
Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.
You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.
Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!
JR Ward, Kresley Cole, & Sherrilyn Kenyon, RL Mathewson
Haven't started with this one yet but looking forward to!
i haven't started this series …maybe soon..thx u for the chance 🙂
My favourite vampire book would have to be The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.
I have not read many Vampire books The only books in that list are Twilight series and Rebecca Hamilton's The Forever Girl, though the Forever Girl wasn't exclusively wasn't a vampire book I liked the way vampires are shown in it 🙂
I haven't started this series yet