ARC Review: Wish Hunter by Jordan Riley Swan and Hero Bowen

About the Book:

Title: Wish Hunter

Author: Jordan Riley Swan and Hero Bowen

Series: The Savannah River Series #1

Page Length: 350

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher:

Synopsis: Explore the dark underworld of wish hunting in the compelling first installment of this urban fantasy trilogy set in Savannah, Georgia—perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and V. E. Schwab.

Nadia Kaminski’s family has stolen wishes for generations, auctioning them off to skeevy business tycoons and politicians in back-alley deals. Their operation is simple enough. Find someone who gained a wish after saving a life. Trick the wisher into sharing a deep secret. Steal the wish.

And as a marriage counselor, Nadia has more access to people’s secrets than most.

But when Nadia comes across the perfect opportunity to steal a wish for herself, she takes it—and the rock star she’s stolen it from desperately wants his wish back.

As Nadia tries to figure out how to get rid of the cocky thorn in her side, she must face off against vengeful wish hunters, her all-too-powerful family, and the consequences of her own desires—because stealing wishes can be a deadly affair.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

If you could wish for anything in the world, what would you wish for?

Nadia, a young widow, would wish to bring her husband back, as he was murdered almost a year before the story begins. However, Nadia and her family are wish stealers, and they are indebted to the Wishmaster for 100 wishes. She uses her job as a counselor to take wishes from unsuspecting people, and she has no chance of procuring her own wish until the debt is paid. When an opportunity to keep a wish for herself arises, Nadia leaps at the chance to bring her love back. But actions have consequences, and Nadia’s hasty decision brings danger and life-threatening situations.

Miles, the rock star that lost his wish to Nadia, is determined to get it back, but Nadia isn’t giving up his wish without a fight. Nadia goes on such a journey throughout the story. Bereft over the loss of her husband, her deepest desire is to bring him back. However, with a debt to be paid to the Wishmaster, as well as ever-growing conflicts in her life and the fact that necromancy isn’t really done, Nadia’s goal feels unattainable. Throughout the course of the story, Nadia reveals just how far she is willing to go to bring back her husband, but her priorities also change.

In the world of wishes, the floor was lava and everything was guarded by an intricate web of laser beams.

Nadia also has to deal with complicated relationships with her mother, grandmother, and sister, and she realizes that they all have secrets. Nadia faces betrayal and hurt, and she doesn’t know who to trust, even within her own family. With family dynamics that are complex and riddled with uncertainty, Nadia doesn’t know where to turn, and surprisingly finds help from the man she betrayed,

Miles is an interesting character, and he and Nadia are a great team. One would think they’d be bitter enemies considering Nadia stole a wish from him, but their growing friendship and the connection they share is stronger than any resentment Miles might feel. I like how this relationship slowly builds and changes throughout the story, and it’s clear that they develop a deep bond. I’m definitely curious to see what happens with this relationship as the series continues.

I’m really interested to learn more about other characters in the story, including Nadia’s sister Kaleena and some of Kaleena’s followers. Her story is so intriguing, and I have a feeling Nadia and Kaleena have some difficult times ahead of them. It’s interesting that the person that it seems one should distrust the most is one of the few who is honest with Nadia, and I’m curious to find out how that will play out as the series progresses. I also think it is interesting that the one person Nadia can depend on throughout her journey is the person she has only known for a short time. It’s also the person she betrayed.

Finally, her worst fear had come true: she was truly alone, with nobody to turn to. And that lonliness was a peach pit in her stomach; spiky and rough, and sprouting fronds of fear that slithered up into her ribs, squeezing her chest until she couldn’t take a full breath.

There are great references to different locations in Savannah, and the authors do a wonderful job of creating a unique and fascinating supernatural world among a familiar backdrop. I also love the reference to The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs, as the story made me think about all the ways in which wishes could go wrong, much like Jacobs’s story. The characters in Wish Hunter must be very precise in their wish wording and aware of the possible consequences of their wishes.

I think readers who enjoy urban fantasy and paranormal fiction will enjoy this unique and entertaining story. The characters are well-developed, the pacing is great, and the many revelations are surprising. Plus, that ending!! The cliffhanger is fantastic and makes me eager for the next book in the series!

Thanks so much to the authors and Story Garden Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Rating:

Favorite Lines:

When there’s a lion around, the antelopes have to stick together.

You should know it’s hard to shine when you’re used to the dark.

“Now look at me like I’m one of your fancy guitars.” He chuckled. “I see you more as a pair of cymbals. You come in when no one’s expecting it and scare the shit out of people.”