Customer Reviews

The Renegade Hunter: A Rogue Hunter Novel (Argeneau Rogue Hunter 3)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This review has spoilers

This book is a very weirdly plotted book-and honestly may be the one that makes me stop reading her vampire books. Nicholas, one of the Argeneau vampires believes he killed a pregnant woman shortly after his lifemate died in a tragic accident 50 years ago. He's been on the run from the vampire council while hunting rogue vampires ever since. He chases Ernie, a rogue vampire, to just outside of a party at the Hunter's compound where Josephine (mortal) is a guest. He saves Josephine from Ernie and discovers that they are lifemates.

The story then descends into the normal Lynsay Sands "the couple can't get together too soon" sex that isn't sex-i.e.; they are interrupted while kissing, while having dream sex, phones ring, etc. Honestly I've seen it before from her too many times. I probably would have given up on the book if I hadn't been stuck on a bus with nothing else to read. I used to find this part of the story fun, but this time if felt like she'd cut and pasted scenes from previous books.

And then, on page 214 we get a plot. In about 150 pages Nicholas confesses the crime he "committed." While Sam (the lawyer from Rouge Hunter and Joanne's sister) couldn't lawyer her way out of a paper bag, Jo is able to see that Nicholas didn't kill the woman, his memory has been wiped, and that he was set up for something his dead lifemate was about to tell him. What's more, after Josephine gets hurt and Nicholas is forced to turn her into an immortal, she manages to convince the Hunters and Lucian that Nicholas might be innocent and that they need to investigate further.

And then the story almost literally stops. Nicholas and Jo are locked together in a cell with a double bed, some furniture and privacy while everyone else conducts the investigation. Weeks later Nicholas and Jo are released and told "he's innocent." End of story, and I mean that literally. The book ends there. We don't know who committed the murders or why. Now it's pretty clear that Lynsay Sands is going to tell that story in another book, but come on... I bought *this* book-and I feel like my $7.99 deserved a plot resolution.

So that's it. 1/2 a book that is formulaic at best, with what felt like cut and pasted sex scenes, 1/2 a book that is a decently paced mystery and no ending. Honestly I wish I'd reread Single White Vampire, Tall Dark and Hungry or Bite Me If You Can instead. They were better written and I enjoyed them a heck of a lot more.

As an avid reader of Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series, I have generally looked forward to every new book, but after The Immortal Hunter and now The Renegade Hunter I may be taking my reading elsewhere.

The Immortal Hunter was a terribly boring and flat book, but that would be a different review. The Renegade Hunter picks up where that book left off, continuing the story of Nicholas, the rogue.

While I thoroughly enjoyed Jo's personality (and found it refreshing after so many 'professional' types that were used in many of the books beforehand) I felt cheated as the story unfolded.

There are a ton of unresolved plots from the previous book and then even more are added into this one. What made this book horrid, instead of disappointing was the ending. There is none. It's like the author just decided "Eh, that's enough" and sent it on its way. At least in the first book there was mention of the second book coming to wrap up some of the loose ends (which it doesn't). This one just... stops.

Also, the idea of Enforcers (vampire cops) that are supposedly amazing at their jobs yet can't keep a mortal female in a room or house let alone NOT let the bad guy in after them is getting tiresome. Apparently they should all be fired because they fail at their jobs? This is a running theme and it happens a lot and it's quite stupid at this point.

There are also several inconsistencies between books. Example: The first once says that the child of an immortal and a no-fanger has a one in three chance of being a sane no-fanger, a crazy no-fanger or stillborn. It also mentioned that the villain would take immortal women and use them to father his sons (who are all no-fangers in the first book). Yet when we get to the second book, one of his sons (an immortal, not a no-fanger) says the child will always be what the mother is. So if the mother is immortal, the child will be too.

Wait, what? But in the first book you said.... (You see my point :p)

Either Ms. Sands' has decided all her readers are bumbling ninnies that are only interested in the "hot and steamy (and now lacking, repetitive) romantic scenes" or she's really lost her touch as an author.

Don't buy these three books. I don't believe there is any chance whatsoever that a fourth would save this little series nor would any reader be willing to take the chance after the first two failures.

The Rogue Hunter : 2/5 stars
The Immortal Hunter : 0/5 stars
The Renegade Hunter : 2/5 stars (a half for Jo who was slightly refreshing, a half for the dog and one for the hilarious Lucian/Jo confrontation towards the end)

ok. there are a lot of people giving this book a thumbs down. forget about them. all that, "the story doesn't have an ending..its not believable" crap is just that, crap. duh, whats believable about a story about immortals from Atlantis with nanos keeping them forever young but needing to drink blood with fangs. nicholas is a rogue, but he didn't do what they accuse him of doing. he's acquitted, but we dont know how until a future book. um, hello...thomas and inez's story? yeah, that went unfinished too, but everyone loves that book. and jo figuring out thomas has either false memories or was drugged isn't so far fetched. people believe weird crap all the time without proof, going off gut instincts. called faith. wouldn't you tend to believe your loved one, someone you're having super awesome sex with, isn't a vicious killer, too? doesn't matter if he did it or not, she doesn't really know he didn't do it, she has faith he didn't do it. i wont blow then ending, like some of the people who wrote reviews, but we know he is innocent but the author didn't tell us why, yet. i thought this book was great and stayed true to all her vampire books. the characters were funny and sexy, the bad guy was somewhat believable, though i think its dumb how easy he got to jo...3 times. you find out a little bit about the bad guy from the last book, who the female was that carried him off in the end and more about mortimor and sam. you also see characters from the older books and it was nice finding out what has been happening with them. she also gives clues to her next books, hopefully thomas, nicholas and jean louise's (or whatever her name is) father will finally make an appearance. read it, you'll like it, unless you're one of those people that can't deal with delayed gratification. its not that important to know how nicholas got off, just that he and jo live happily ever after. the end.

I love this author, I love this series, but the ending of this book makes me want to quit reading this series. I didn't like the way the story just ends - with no resolution to the plot of the book. I understand leaving something unresolved to start the next book with, but this was really bad. I hope future books in this series have a better ending...

I might have finished this book satisfied with the light, formulaic fluff that it is (nothing wrong with that, not every book needs to be War & Peace). Would have happily given the book four stars for providing a couple hours of entertainment. Instead, I get to the end and find out that "Lucien is on his way over to reveal all" - and the book ends, we don't actually get to hear Lucien reveal all. The author might as well have written "Do you want to know the conclusion to Nicholas' and Jo's story? Please wait six months and deposit another $8.00 to find out". i'm left feeling unsatisfied and cheated. No excuse for this Ms. Sands. Shameless manipulation of your readership to sell the next book.

Well crap, another book that should have said "to be continued" someplace. I read it in like 1 day and it was a great read, but to leave us hanging like it does and NOT even have a date for when the next release will be is enough to ruffle my feathers a bit. If you love the series you will tear through this book as I did and be like "WTF, and what happened then". OK, she got me hooked and now I gotta wait till who knows when for the next book. Too bad these stories are so good and the humor is good enough to make me read them if no other reason was there. Great story maybe dragged out a bit but still very enjoyable or I would not care when the next book came out. Buy the book, you will, love it and I may have to buy the whole series one day just to reread them, one of the best things in print for reading entertainment. How the h*ll am I gonna get through Christmas with this series and the Dark-hunter series in mothballs until after the new year, <sigh> ....

I have read everything Lynsay Sands has written and have been until a loyal follower of her various series'. However, I'm not sure if this book lacked substance due to the author's content or from a push of the publishers - as it seems the latest book is being packaged now with little story content, no fully developed characters and in this case absolutely resolution and/or endings (if any) shared with the reader. Thus to encourage our payment for the next book - where all will be answered - leading us on all with crumbs to make the next ever mighty dollar. All the books in the past were fun with solid characters, this was not her best and I will most likely not buy another book in this series.

Other authors, as of late, that are putting together shoddy work to lead you to buy the next book in their series -- Sherilyn Kenyon and Karen Marie Moning

Possible one of the worst books I've ever read. Very hard to follow. The writing style is jumpy and doesn't flow. The plot is thready and there is no ending. It feels very contrived. Don't bother wasting your time, because that's all it is, a waste of time.

I have read all of the books up to book 14 and I am loving the series! Can't wait to see what she has in store for future books!

This is book 12 in the Argeneau Family series, and book 3 in the Rogue Hunter series. Our hero this time out is Nicholas, who we learned in the previous book is a rogue immortal. Fifty years ago he was a rogue hunter himself, but after his wife was killed in a freak accident, he murdered a pregnant woman who resembled her. He's been on the run as a rogue since that time.

In The Immortal Hunter, the Council sent hunters to try and capture Nicholas, who managed to escape them while at the same time helping them rescue two women who had been kidnapped by a nest of other rogues. In this book, Nicholas is still around, and this time it's Jo Willan he rescues, discovering in the process that she is his life mate.

Thus the ground work is set. Nicholas is determined to keep Jo safe, not only from the rogues who want to harm her, but from a life on the run with him. Jo believes in her heart that Nicholas is innocent of the crime he's been accused of, and is just as determined to find a way to prove it and save him.

Renegade is not quite as good as Immortal was, but is still better than the first Rogue Hunter book. My biggest gripes - a) Jo constantly raises her eyebrows, it seems like on every other page she does so. Although once I began to get really irritated with it she seemed to stop. And b) everyone, but especially the men, speak "dryly". Sometimes three times on one page. I got sick of that word!