Gene and the humans from the dome have escaped from the hunt, but they are still fighting for their lives, fighting to stay one step ahead of the monsters that stalk them from the river banks as they float down the river. It is a dangerous journey, not only because of the hunters stalking them from the bank, but also because they have no idea where the river is taking them or what dangers lie ahead for them, and their supplies have dwindled away to nothing. Caught between the life he has always known, the creature he has had to be, and the human that the others take him for, Gene tries to stay one step ahead, to predict what might be coming next. Sissy accepts him easily, but the others are not so sure of him, and Epap struggles against him and his suggestions, convinced Sissy is making decisions because of her feelings for Gene.
When the river leads them to a community that seems oddly untouched by the hunters, which they call duskers, it seems as though the travellers may finally have found a place of safety, a place where they can relax and heal. But things are not always what they appear, and both Gene and Sissy sense that something is not right, that there is something off about this happy and smiling place where the young woman sing as they complete their assigned tasks. It is a community that seems like a paradise to Epap and the boys, but when Sissy and Gene speak out about what they see in the community, they quickly realise that there is a dark secret - one that could destroy them all. Gene and Sissy are challenging forces they don't understand, forces that are not against fighting dirty to get what they want.
The prey carries on immediately from the end of The hunt, dragging you back into the story at break neck speed, carrying you along with Gene, Sissy, and the others as they struggle for survival against the horde that is chasing them. The adventure keeps up the frantic pace of the first book, barely giving pause for breath as they fight for survival on the river, only to be dragged into a community full of intrigue and mystery, where there is something not quite right but they can't put their fingers on it straight away. The relationship between the members of the group changes in the community, altering the dynamics and forcing them all to make choices that could affect them all - it is a very real reaction and change in their relationships.
While I guessed parts of the story before they happened, the fast pace and energetic writing style ensured another absorbing and addictive read. Finally we also learn some of the back story for the series, a tantalizing glimpse of what created the world Gene knows, a truth that may or may not be the whole truth. This is a series that comes highly recommended, and hopefully Fukuda can keep up the pace, the tension, and the drama through the final instalment in the trilogy - bring on September 2013.
If you like this book then try:
- The hunt by Andrew Fukuda
- Enclave by Ann Aguirre
- Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
- Variant by Robison Wells
- Anna dressed in blood by Kendare Blake
- I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
- The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan
- Sister assassin by Kiersten White
- Every other day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Angel arias by Marianne de Pierres
- Rot and ruin by Jonathan Maberry
- Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Reviewed by Brilla
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