**** Originally posted to Bookish Blog as a part of MEN in YA Event 
 Supernatural (the TV Show) meets The Mortal Instruments in Matt Merrick's insanely addictive, action-packed novel, Exiled. This excellent debut sparks and crackles with so much detail and emotion that it's virtually impossible not to fell in love with it. A superb cast of characters, clever dialogues, exciting plot twists and rich visual tapestry - all that makes it a book that readers simply can't afford to pass up! An absolute must-read! 
 No matter how many times I survived, there was always another danger around the corner, and I still wasn't used to being the victim. I was Chase Williams, a demon hunter. I wasn't supposed to be the one looking over my shoulder, I was supposed to be stalking prey.[Chase] 
 Chase Williams is a demon hunter who once belonged to the Circle (group of warriors bearing elemental magic). He was raised and trained to become a hunter. At the age of fifteen his powers were supposed to manifest themselves, but, well, they didn't. He's a magic-free zone, null, zero, nada. Together with his mother, he gets kicked-out of the Circle as a punishment for being a disgrace to his father and other Hunters. But that is only the beginning of his problems. Not only does he have to learn how to live among mortals on Earth, but it also appears that our MC is a magnet for all sorts of trouble, always crossing paths with Underworlders, and having to fight his way through life. 
 Now that we have the pissing contest out of the way, we need information. [Rayna] 
 Two years after his exile, he runs into a weird looking demon(ess) and a hunter who seems to be protecting her. Imagine his surprise when these two end up saving his life! Like that wasn't enough, they also tell him that things have changed in the Circle. And not for good at all. Something weird is going on, demon hunters are kidnapping Underworlders and no one knows why. Chase is about to uncover a disturbingly sophisticated web of lies and a plot to take over the world. He will also learn that not all demon hunters are noble and good willed, and not all Underworlders deserve to die. 
 Yeah, yeah, you expected better from me, being the son of the big, scary Riley Williams and all. Save it, I've heard it.[Chase] 
 OMG! Exiled exceeded all my expectations! Seriously, I did not think it would be THAT good. I saw people raving about it on Twitter, and I noticed that its Goodreads page is literally bombarded with tons of 5 star reviews, but I really didn't anticipate to be so amazed by it! OH-MY-GOSH!! It's just... unbelievably good! I know we all have those moments when we're hesitant to pick up a self published book, but let me just tell you - this book is nothing short of awesome. Passing up on it would be like saying no to a huge box of brand new books (or Starbucks Gingerbread Latte) - impossible to resist! 
 All the characters are fabulous. From the overly confident, charming, sexy and incredibly witty MC (Chase), to all the fantastic supporting characters, like the hilarious and insanely cute Underworlder, Willy (he is soooo adorable!!!). And then there's also Rayna! Wow, what a great chick! She's hot, totally kick-ass, sassy, funny, thoughtful, temperamental and loyal. Most importantly - she's not in the least whiny - thank goodness for that! I love Rayna (sorry Chase, you're awesome, too, but she's better!) Merrick's character-and-world-building is simply splendid. I honestly don't know how he does it! There's so much detail to the story, every scene, place and person is described so well, you can easily visualize all that in your head. The plot itself is brilliant, I wouldn't change a thing! I found myself wanting to learn more about the Circle and the Underworld, discover all the mysteries, get to know the characters! I genuinely cared about all that stuff, how extremely rare is that! The wait for the second part is going to be painful for sure, I can't wait to get my hands on it. 
 To sum it all up: Exiled is a mesmerizing, spine-tingling wonder of a book. It's the perfect blend of action, magic, mystery, thriller, romance and humor. A one-of-a-kind reading experience that you'll never forget! Read it!