In a decimated world, two Antarctic nations wage war over food. Their only hope: a seed vault in the Arctic, and an outcast who must cross the ravaged world to reach it.
Toris Onero spends his time illegally scavenging wrecks for the black market, hoping to earn enough money to buy his sister a seat at the Academy. Struggling to get by in the remains of an iceless Antarctic, life is tough and every day could be his last.
When widespread crop failures spark a brutal famine, the council of Polaria prepares to invade their barbaric neighboring nation to seize the resources they need to survive. As his sister is conscripted to fight in the coming war, Toris makes a startling discovery – the existence of a secret Seed Vault from long ago, locked away on the other side of the planet.
The council offers their highest reward to anyone who can retrieve the seeds – and for the first time in seven hundred years, people return to the desolated world in search of salvation.
The race is on. To claim the prize and free his sister, Toris must survive a perilous journey with a crew of felons to the other end of the world. But with others also competing for the same prize, he knows this mission will put all of his skills to the test.
And things only get worse when a mysterious group begin their own expedition – to destroy the seeds and make war inevitable…
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Onero's Hunt is a thrilling sea adventure that barely gives the reader a chance to breathe. Its fulfilling action keeps the reader glued to the page and deeply invested in Toris' challenge.
Prose: The author delivers a dystopian thriller strewn with brutal hangings and high-octane sea chases. Onero's Hunt is frenetic, fast-paced, and packed with dense, intricate, descriptive detail.
Originality: Devoe's sea epic is neatly introduced with a map and a series of laws that throw the reader directly into its decimated world. The intense and involving battle scenes are both thrilling and unrelenting.
Character/Execution: Onero's Hunt is a book full of strong characters and relationships, spearheaded by the unlikely friendship forged between Toris and Lex, which could have potentially been explored further.
Blurb: An action-packed maritime page-turner.
Date Submitted: August 10, 2023
