Exiled (Protector of the Small, #1)

by M.R. Merrick

Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped.

Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world.

Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna - a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret. In their attempt to stop them however, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it.

• ISBN10: 0987726218
• ISBN13: 9780987726216
• Publish Date: 12 April 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: M.R. Merrick
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 264
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

Fellow bloggers have been raving about Merrick’s books, to the point where even though I hadn’t read any of them I started to follow his twitter and his blog. I was lucky enough to win this in one of Matt’s giveaways and I’ve been itching to read it since I received it.

This book kicks off with a powerful start that drew me in and at times kind of broke my heart. You meet Chase, a hunter, who is just trying to survive in a world where he has to help pay bills and fight off demons. You are even given brief glimpses into his past in the Circle and with his father, which was enough to make me hate the man right away. Over the course of the book a lot of things are thrown at Chase and he handles them as well as you expect him to. There are a lot of moments where he’s bravery is obvious and other times where the decision is rushed and the outcome is more than expected, but despite his need to prove himself Chase is a great guy and means the best. The demons in this are fantastic and extremely varied. There are the normal things like vampires, witches and shifters; then there are the things you kind of forget about like cyclops and trolls. The whole idea behind the demons and the Circle is fantastic, and I loved watching all of it unfold. The demon world sounds oddly beautiful and at the same time kind of rough, I thought it was a great addition to the story to show that demons have lives and don’t just thrive on tormenting humans. I’m quite fond of the goblin that he encounters, despite his anger issues. There is also the utterly awesome elemental abilities that Hunters have and I’m kind of jealous that I don’t have anything like that. It adds a kind of special quirk to the story that I haven’t really gotten from other books, at least not quite like this.

The other characters are just as great as much fun to read about as Chase is. I would have to say that Rayna is my favorite character, though I doubt that is much of a surprise to those who’ve read it. She’s witty, sarcastic and when it comes to fighting she definitely knows how to handle herself. Of course her mysterious origin also helps her allure as a character. There is also a great connection between her and Chase that I really hope develops into something more in the second book, Shift. Willy, who is a demon with color changing skin and a stutter, has found his way into my heart as well. He’s a bit of a coward but he has a huge heart and he genuinely seems to care about Chase and Rayna. He’s a sweet guy with best intentions and he proves that he can come through when his friends need him.

I read this in about 5 hours and I barely took a break while reading it. The story is addictive and fast paced, and even though I was kind of out of breath at the end I would have gladly done it all again. This is one series definitely worth checking out and I look forward to reading Shift and Release.

[Ashley]

4.5 stars

As posted on booknook - YA book reviews

First, I'd like to Brenna from Esther's Ever After for gifting me a copy of this book! She is such a sweetheart! I had my eye on this series for a while now but just wasn't able to buy my own copy. So thank you Brenna, you're amazing!

Fans of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series will love this book! I've actually only read City of Bones so far, but there are a lot of similarities in style between that book and Exiled. I actually liked Exiles more than City of Bones. :D So if you like Cassandra Clare, definitely check out Exiled!

Exiled is a super awesome story about demons, demon hunters, vampires, warlocks, trolls, and more! This is exactly the kind of story I like: magical powers, secret world/society that humans don't know about, corrupt organization, and war! Chase Williams—a demon hunter—is the main character in this story. He's part of an organization called The Circle, the purpose of which is to protect the world from demons. On his fifteenth birthday, he steps up to claim his elemental power, which is passed down through demon hunter bloodlines, but it doesn't come. Since he's now labeled 'powerless,' The Circle decides to exile him and his mother. And awesome, unexpected adventures ensue!

I loved Chase's character because he actually reminded me a lot of myself, and as a girl, I don't usually relate that well to male characters. But I definitely saw a lot of myself in Chase and that was a pleasant surprise for me. He's loyal, determined, a little too stubborn, doesn't like to admit when he's wrong, and often gets a little overpowered by guilt. He's fiercely loyal to his friends so he hates it when his friends are put in danger because of his actions.

Rayna was also a terrific character! She's sexy, badass, super smart, and talented. Rayna is half half-demon and half hunter, and possibly one of a kind. She has so many interesting and unique powers, that even she is still discovering. Plus she has cat eyes — that's awesome.

There was a really interesting almost-romance brewing between Chase and Rayna. They start off kind of hating each other, but soon their jibes start straying away from dislike and towards the kind of playful banter that happens when flirting. Nothing ever officially develops between them, but the tension and chemistry are there, so I really hope this is something we see more of in book 2!

What's great about Exiled is that it's so full of action and there is never a dull moment. Chase is constantly being attacked by demons, striking deals with vampires, or going on some adventure to discover the truth or rescue his friends. There are plenty of battle scenes, some of which are a little gory, but they're all described in wonderful detail and clarity. M.R. Merrick introduces us to a wide variety of characters and creatures, from goblins to trolls to shifters. At one point, Chase acquires an animal companion he names Rai. This is the most awesome bird ever and I totally want one! But she doesn't get introduced until near the end of the story, so I won't reveal too much about her awesomeness. :P

Speaking of the end, it's really quite sad and totally had me tearing up, which was a little embarrassing since I was at an airport. :D But this is definitely an intriguing story that any magic lover or urban fantasy addict will enjoy! There are so many awesome characters, intriguing lore, and new worlds to learn about. Merrick really excelled at creating interesting characters with interesting and unique personalities. Each one had a very distinctive voice and I fell in love with all of them for different reasons.

Exiled is a self published book, but you'd never know it. Many people are turned off by self published books — and I often am too — but I really hope that doesn't dissuade you from picking up Exiled. During my reading, there was never a time where I was thinking, "This is a great story but it could really use some editing." The story flows well, the characters are interesting and develop, and I didn't encounter the spelling/grammatical errors that are often present in self published works. Exiled is a great book and I can't wait to read the second one in the series!