Released on April 5th, 2011
Source- Book from publisher to review
4 stars- I enjoyed it
Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.
To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.
The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novelAsh is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by theI Ching, and is filled with action and romance (quoted from Goodreads).
I wasn't sure what to except when I sat down to read Huntress, but I can say I didn't except to swept up into the world building and the character's journey's. The fantasy part of the book was my favorite. What starts off as a journey to the Fairy Queen turns into a wonderful character journey for the two main characters, Kaede and Taisin, both great heroines in their own right. I also loved the settle romance Malinda writes with their traveling companions, Prince Con and a member of his guard Sage.
Huntress has a very alluring mythology that hooked me from the get go. I've not read Ash, so I can not compare the two stories, though I know Huntress is a prequel to that story. With Huntress, I enjoyed all the elements that Malinda used to bring her story to life. It's rich Chinese influences, the action, the paranormal characters, the journey, and even the romance really created a spell binding story. Huntress is a story about following ones path and fulfilling their destiny. One of my favorite quotes from the story is found on page 28,
"Making a decision isn't' about knowing every potential consequence. It's about knowing what you want and choosing a path that take you in that direction."
Huntress has a fascinating mythology and fantastic action, and two sweet romances. I really love that both romances were supported by the characters making their own choices. Take Con for example, he's a Prince and told who he should marry, but instead he falls in love with Sage, a member of his guard. Than there's Taisin who's falling for Kaede the daughter of the King's advisor and highly knowledgeable in fighting, but is torn between being in love with her and following her path and her heart in wanting to be a Sage. Malinda's romances are written in a way that fits the customs of her time period. There's a few innocent kissing scenes and nothing more and even then there's only a couple of those scenes. The romance doesn't take away from what the story is truly about, but it adds to it.
For me, what makes this story is the adventure/journey and mythology. I know I keep saying that, but I was so hooked on it. I liked the added elements of magic. I feel Malinda's writing is flawless and her characters well developed. While they each have these notable talents and come from distinguished heritages, they are written in a manner that makes them relatable. They have times where they doubt themselves, they question their actions and abilities, and then they grow into themselves, and learn to accept themselves for who they are. I really like the end of Huntress, as Malinda stays true to her story. She keeps it realistic and as their journey together ends, each character has now chosen their own path to follow. I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy a wonderful fantasy, heart pounding adventure and a little bit of romance.
Be sure to visit the www.diversityinya.com site. Malinda, Cindy Pon and a group of fellow authors will be traveling around the country to talk about their books and the diversity in YA. This is one tour you don't want to miss!
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I agree. It's an awesome fantasy. I really enjoyed it too. :)
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