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Review: The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones

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The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The Wild Huntress
Emily Lloyd-Jones
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published October 8, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Wild Huntress

Dive into a lush, standalone fantasy, set in the same world as The Drowned Woods and The Bone Houses, about a deadly competition—perfect for fans of Holly Black and Erin A. Craig.

Every five years, two kingdoms take part in a Wild Hunt. Joining is a bloody risk and even the most qualified hunters can suffer the deadliest fates. Still, hundreds gamble their lives to participate—all vying for the Hunt’s life-changing prize: a magical wish granted by the Otherking.

BRANWEN possesses a gift no other human has: the ability to see and slay monsters. She’s desperate to cure her mother’s sickness, and the Wild Hunt is her only option.

GWYDION is the least impressive of his magically-talented family, but with his ability to control plants and his sleight of hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his cruel older brother from becoming a tyrant.

PRYDERI is prince-born and monster-raised. Deep down, the royal crown doesn’t interest him—all he wants is to know is where he belongs.

If they band together against the monstrous creatures within the woods, they have a chance to win. But, then again, nothing is guaranteed when all is fair in love and the Hunt.

My Review

Well, this is one of those stories where my favorite character definitely got the short straw. That was hard.

However.

This is the first book by Emily Lloyd-Jones that I’ve read. I used to own at least one of her other books, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. I think it came in an OwlCrate box several years ago. Anyway. The writing and the lush, dangerous forest with its otherworldly creatures drew me into the story. There are monsters and other dangers. There’s a cat who is not a cat– my second-favorite character!

As I read, I knew I was heavily invested in the story. When I had about 100 pages left, I hoped it was a duology because I really didn’t want to be coming to the end of the story and the really imaginative world. As I got closer to the end, I dreaded learning it was going to be a duology because I didn’t want to have to wait a year or more to find out what happens to the characters who make it to the last page. (It’s a standalone, so no worries there.)

Even though my favorite character met with disaster, I wasn’t unhappy to follow the rest of the cast to the end of the book. It definitely takes you on an emotional ride. It’s one of those books that draws you close and quietly slips a knife between your ribs. It was really great, though? I feel like I’ll be thinking of those one for a long time, and may even have to go back and reread it.

If you liked The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert or Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson, definitely check out The Wild Huntress.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Branwen has visible scars and an eye that can see magic and would make her a target or outcast depending on who discovers this. Pryderi survived kidnapping and abuse.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild swearing used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have magical ability. Some monsters have supernatural abilities. Characters participate in the Wild Hunt, which has magical rules and is governed by two kings, one human and one immortal/magical.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Graphic descriptions of monster attacks against people and animals. Attacks between humans.

Drug Content
Branwen spots enchanted food and drink while at a feast and avoids consuming any of it. She and her allies share a bottle of mead.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley

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Wicked Nix
Lena Coakley
Abrams
Published October 9, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About WICKED NIX

Mischievous woodland fairy Nix is up to no good. His beloved fairy queen has gone away, leaving him with a very important job: He must protect the forest from a most dangerous enemy—humans.

When a determined invader trespasses on his territory, Nix’s skills are put to the test as he invents several wicked tricks to chase the sorry fellow away. But when his efforts don’t go quite according to plan, it becomes clear that this intruder—and this sprite—may not be at all what they seem.

My Review

WICKED NIX is the kind of book you can read in an hour. It’s short and the plot moves pretty quickly. I love the way Nix’s perspective differs so much from the human perspective, and yet both come through clearly in the story, even if Nix doesn’t understand. The reader can see beyond what he sees, but the story still stays true to only recording things that he knows and sees from his perspective.

I also enjoyed Nix as a character. He wants more than anything to please the fairy queen, and everything he does to rid the forest of a pesky human comes from that place of wanting to fulfill his job as a fairy. I loved how creative he was with his tricks. It created this back-and-forth with the man in the house that made the story really interesting. I wanted to know what would happen next.

The twist in the story didn’t totally surprise me. I kind of saw it coming, but the emotional parts of the reveal kept it engaging, and I didn’t mind that I wasn’t surprised.

Over all, a quick read and a sweet dip into a memorable fantasy world.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Wicked Nix lives in a forest where the fairies visit each year. They play tricks and sometimes lure children away from their families. Nix doesn’t understand the human perspective on fairies. He believes the fairy queen has left him behind in charge of the forest to keep the humans away. The humans use methods to keep fairies away, too– a ring of salt on the ground around a home, a chain of daisies.

Violent Content
Wicked Nix plays tricks on the human in the forest, but nothing that harms him personally. His arm is bent where it was broken and not set properly after he fell out of a tree.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing but help support my blog.