While it's classified simply as "fiction" on the cover, this book really should be "paranormal romance" (or at least "urban fantasy") to make it easier for fans to find. There are vampires and there is romance, and most readers of "general fiction" probably won't be all that interested. That said, it's a decent entry in the "para-rom" genre. The writing is competent, though not inspired, and doesn't get in the way of the story (except for a couple of grammatical and word use quirks that, while a bit odd, almost add to the interest). The set up--vampires are real, but based on technology rather than supernatural forces--is interesting if not wildly original, and the plot is compelling and well-constructed. It's the characters that make The Renegade Hunter worth reading despite its flaws, though. They're engaging and imperfect in just the right way.Unless it's very obvious from the cover that a book is, say, the middle book of a trilogy, even a series novel ought to be able to stand on its own for a new reader. And The Renegade Hunter almost achieves that goal. The reason it does not quite qualify as a standalone is that there is information missing at both the beginning and the end which is probably due to the book being part of a series. If it's not for that reason, then there's a bigger problem here. Fortunately, it's only a small amount of information in both cases, and while it's definitely annoying, it isn't a big enough flaw to ruin the book. So first-time readers of the series shouldn't avoid it for that reason. There is enough that's good in this novel to make it worth the read.
