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momwithareadingproblem 's review for:
The Great Hunt
by Wendy Higgins
I received an eARC of this book from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins is a loose retelling of the Brothers Grimm story by the same name. The country of Lochlanach (say that three times fast) is being terrorized by a beast. It comes out at night, slaughtering people in the country side. After it kills on royal land, the king sends out a proclamation for hunters. The prize for killing the beast is his eldest daughter’s hand in marriage, essentially the hunter would become heir to the throne. This brings in men from all over the world and leaves Aerity, the princess, with no escape.
So I liked Aerity. She’s 17 and still very much sheltered from life outside of the palace. Everything she knows she’s learned from her tutor, in books, or from spying on the maids. When the beast begins terrorizing the countryside, she grows up quickly, accepts her duty as princess, and learns that sometimes what the heart wants it can’t get. She’s good at hiding her emotions and projecting the regality that is required of her. My heart broke a bit at this. She’s devastated that she won’t marry for love as her parents did, but instead will marry an unknown hunter and this makes her scared.
Paxton Seabolt *swoon* I’m not really sure why he’s so swoon-worthy. I can’t explain it. He’s bitter, hates the royals, and wants nothing to do with the princess. He’s downright rude to her, but the few glimpses the author gives from his POV, as the reader you see he’s tortured. Haunted by his past and a future he can’t control, Paxton lashes out at everyone. Better they hate him than like him, right? Except Aerity sees through him. She sees his hurt and that his actions don’t always match what he says.
The plot of the book centers around this monster that is really terrifying. It attacks at random with no pattern to where it will hit next and kills everything that comes across its path. When the king issues the proclamation for hunters, over 100 arrive from all over. It makes for an interesting read as Aerity takes them all in, noting the differences in their cultures and dialects. Honestly it was great for the world-building aspect. There’s also the insta-love (gag me!). As much as I loved Paxton, he isn’t who I shipped for Aerity and honestly I’m not spoiling anything as it occurs from the first moment they see each other. Yep SEE each other, not speak or anything like that, just see each other and they are instantly in love….erhm lust.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It’s a high fantasy at it’s best and while it isn’t a cliffhanger ending, the author does leave you wanting more. I loved the details and little hints the author gives throughout the story that there is more to the beast than meets the eye. And Aerity, while a bit naive, was fun to see grow during the book. If you enjoy high fantasy and the Brothers Grimm, I highly recommend you grab a copy of the book and read it for yourself.
The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins is a loose retelling of the Brothers Grimm story by the same name. The country of Lochlanach (say that three times fast) is being terrorized by a beast. It comes out at night, slaughtering people in the country side. After it kills on royal land, the king sends out a proclamation for hunters. The prize for killing the beast is his eldest daughter’s hand in marriage, essentially the hunter would become heir to the throne. This brings in men from all over the world and leaves Aerity, the princess, with no escape.
So I liked Aerity. She’s 17 and still very much sheltered from life outside of the palace. Everything she knows she’s learned from her tutor, in books, or from spying on the maids. When the beast begins terrorizing the countryside, she grows up quickly, accepts her duty as princess, and learns that sometimes what the heart wants it can’t get. She’s good at hiding her emotions and projecting the regality that is required of her. My heart broke a bit at this. She’s devastated that she won’t marry for love as her parents did, but instead will marry an unknown hunter and this makes her scared.
Paxton Seabolt *swoon* I’m not really sure why he’s so swoon-worthy. I can’t explain it. He’s bitter, hates the royals, and wants nothing to do with the princess. He’s downright rude to her, but the few glimpses the author gives from his POV, as the reader you see he’s tortured. Haunted by his past and a future he can’t control, Paxton lashes out at everyone. Better they hate him than like him, right? Except Aerity sees through him. She sees his hurt and that his actions don’t always match what he says.
The plot of the book centers around this monster that is really terrifying. It attacks at random with no pattern to where it will hit next and kills everything that comes across its path. When the king issues the proclamation for hunters, over 100 arrive from all over. It makes for an interesting read as Aerity takes them all in, noting the differences in their cultures and dialects. Honestly it was great for the world-building aspect. There’s also the insta-love (gag me!). As much as I loved Paxton, he isn’t who I shipped for Aerity and honestly I’m not spoiling anything as it occurs from the first moment they see each other. Yep SEE each other, not speak or anything like that, just see each other and they are instantly in love….erhm lust.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It’s a high fantasy at it’s best and while it isn’t a cliffhanger ending, the author does leave you wanting more. I loved the details and little hints the author gives throughout the story that there is more to the beast than meets the eye. And Aerity, while a bit naive, was fun to see grow during the book. If you enjoy high fantasy and the Brothers Grimm, I highly recommend you grab a copy of the book and read it for yourself.