The Bride Hunt of Elk Mountain Author Lumen Reese
ARC Book Review
Set to release September 30, 2022!
4 out of 5 stars!
"Dan is back."
In a post-apocalyptic world, there's a small town with "odd" rituals. Five years ago a Bride Hunt took place that ended in tragedy for the Marlow family. Now with the pressing hunt coming back around the Marlow family's thrown into unease again.
Dan's returned to help the sisters with the upcoming barbaric ritual. Hoping to get through to them and for them to agree to his help. Only Winter Catholicism has a firm hold over the town and the young women who live there. Can Dan get through to the girls? Will things end like they did with the last Bride Hunt? And will Griffin hold up his end of the bargain with Dan?
"Not every man deserves a wife." - Rob
First of all, this book is a darker one! If the clergyman and the town council all agree on a young woman being in the hunt, then she is in. One of the main characters of the book is only fourteen! Nothing happens to her but the mindset of the town and how heavily brainwashed people are is a little unnerving. This review may be a little heavy because this book deals with some heavy material. Not to say this wasn't a fantastic read!
"Doing the right thing is the hardest when it's the most necessary." - Dan
Dan had been a spectator of the last Bride Hunt and it shook him to his core. He's now determined to not see the same fate happen to the other Marlow Girls. Refusing a man who catches you in the woods during the hunt is seen as going against God and "His" plan. . . The only thing is Dan has to work on the eldest girl to agree to the training for her and the other two.
This small town is heavily controlled by religion and the beliefs the clergyman and council have set in stone for the residents. The author did a phenomenal job really selling the point of how heavily brainwashed everyone was. Not thinking anything different of how things were operated or trying to question. It's scary how much of a hold religion can have on people.
For me this book hit close to home because of several reasons. Namely religion and the justification of things. . . The author did such a great job writing this novel. It kept me engaged until the end! The buildup to the climatic scene was perfect and the suspense once we arrived toward the end! There were also some twists at the end that had me cheering and crying happy tears.
I loved all of the girls and Dan! I really, really loved how the author included Lizzie who was deaf from childhood. And just how everyone learned to sign for her so she could be a part of conversations. It broke my heart when you fully realized the gravity of her situation within the hunt. Not to mention her valid worry of someone picking her and refusing to learn to sign. . . Just this book will have your heart in a stronghold!
One of my favorite characters would have to be Griffin! The more I read about his character the bigger my grin was. And at the end I was just stating "I knew it" and "YES!". The characters were perfect in this book and just being able to feel the mental wars they all had within their heads.
You've got to read this book because the end was just. . .wow! I also very much loved the dedication for this book. This was a great read and an intense one. But the ending was a happily ever after that will leave you applauding.
There was a violent SA that was implied. The author didn't go into great details and it wasn't needed. There's mention of "grape" in the book, I don't know how to word it or what the appropriate abbreviation for the word is. The karma for a certain individual was perfect and had my dark side cheering! The mentality of the men in this book. . . I was angry in several places. . .
There's a fourteen-year-old main character but I promise nothing happens to her! The book has heavy material and subjects. There is some slight violence and some gore within the book. Language is present as well as abusive mentalities. I did love that there was lesbian representation in the book and it was a very sweet romance! There's FF action, but only kissing.
I enjoyed the multiple POVs and how the author wrote them. It was different in the sense of not having just straight chapters dedicated to certain characters' POV. This read it just flowed from one person's view point to the next. It was rather interesting and unique how it was done. I loved it.
The feminism in this book and the rise of things. . .just beautiful. This is a darker read but so worth it! Please do enjoy and give the author some stars!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ZoominLumen
https://twitter.com/ZoominLumen
Comments
Post a Comment