Book Review: Seeking the Storyteller by Jessica Walsh & Briana Lawrence
Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, tracking down and killing monsters called “demons” that harm humans. They’re experienced and work well together, and the Twin Cities are surprisingly monster-infested so they’re doing quite well for themselves, with a warehouse headquarters and full-time administrative assistant.
But not all “demons” are equally evil or destructive. Some are pretty benign. So when a shadowy creature named Dox reveals that he knows the whereabouts of the Storyteller, a demon with the power to (among other things) alter the past, Alix is listening. At least enough not to kill Dox, because there’s a part of Alix’s past that really needs changing.
Meanwhile, in the alternate world the monsters come from, a Scough (fox-person) girl named Mira realizes that her father is acting out of character in a way that seems sinister. Her magic book suggests seeking help, but that would require going to the most dangerous place of all–Earth.
This urban fantasy novel is by a pair of local writers, and is self-published. While most of the protagonists are adults, this book really has more of a “young adult” feel to it.
Randall and Alix are called to the aid of an older Hunter named Xaver, who was a mentor to both of them. They arrive too late, and then first battle and then inherit Xaver’s latest ward, a boy named Haven who’s bonded to an Ice Dragon. At this point, they also meet Dox’s friend Cyn, a former rich girl who was forcibly bonded with a plant-type monster.
The investigation of Xaver’s death is derailed by the arrival of Mira, who dragoons them all into helping her with her father’s plight, moving the cast to her world! This does, however tie into several characters’ own arcs so it’s not a waste of time.
This story feels very much like a novelization of a television series, with both good and bad aspects of that. The characters were easy to visualize, and I could see how their powers would work on screen. Their voices were distinct. The cast is reasonably diverse and LGBTQ+ characters included, some without that being their main character point.
On the other hand, I found the characterization shallow, and the investigation of Xaver’s murder too easily shoved aside without consideration of the possible risk to other Hunters. A couple of the subplots were blatant plothooks for the sequel Beneath the Chapter, which is already out if you like this book.
Content issues: child abuse, attempted rape, miscarriage, misgendering (one character’s situation is complicated–possibly over-complicated.) There’s some ethnic prejudice against the French in a running gag that again feels like it was made for television.
Overall, I think this book is best suited to fans of urban fantasy television shows looking for something similar. If the books sell well, I would not be surprised if an adaptation appeared on Netflix or Hulu in a few years.
