**Review ~ Hunting in Bruges ~ E.J. Stevens**

Hunting in Bruges

Hunters' Guild #1

Release Date: November 11, 2014
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 3 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis

The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals. With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions - but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series set in the world of Ivy Granger.

I want to preface this review by saying that my feelings about Hunting in Bruges may be colored somewhat by the extreme book hangover I'm suffering...

I liked Hunting in Bruges. I may have liked it even more had I read Stevens' Ivy Granger series, but she did a nice job of explaining the world for the uninitiated. I like the world of the Hunters and I liked my introduction to it. I also really appreciated the detail and historical accuracy Stevens devoted to the story. I've not been to Bruges in person but I can picture it in my mind now. And I also spent some time googling some of the baddies and their connection to the downfall of the Knights Templar.

Hunting in Bruges was a bit slow to start for me and I think it was the worldbuilding that was the cause. As the action kicked in, the pacing picked up and I was drawn into the story. The action was well done, vivid, gory, and had me on edge. My main issue with the story stems from my difficulty in connecting to Jenna, the MC. There was something about her that bothered me and after thinking on it, I decided it was because she's a "Mary Sue" - in this case, a Warrior Sue. She's had a tragic past she's worked hard to overcome and she's an amazing Warrior. She's good at everything she does - moving up the ranks quickly - and she says things like:

"Wasn't that gratitude for you? I raid a vamp next, put down a rabid master vampire, and help rescue a dozen human prisoners and when I make it topside I get told I stink. I snorted and shook my head. Good thing I didn't do this job for the glory and recognition."

Jenna grew on me though, over the course of the story. And the supporting cast was great. I really liked Ash - even if I'd figured out his story from the beginning. Darryl and Celeste were also wonderful additions to the cast - they both contributed some comic relief. 

Overall, I liked Hunting in Bruges. It's well written and the historical detail and accuracy were a bonus in an urban fantasy. The description of Bruges was also excellent. The action scenes were laid out well, making me edgy waiting on what would happen, and cringe when it did. I just think I would have enjoyed it more had it not been predictable - I figured out the mysteries right off the bat - and had Jenna not been a Mary Sue. However, I liked her despite that and I liked the supporting cast as well. I'm also intrigued with the over-arching plot line. So I will check out Hunting in Paris.