Mundie Moms

Thursday, December 13, 2018

THE GREAT HUNT by Wendy Higgins / Book Review #TheGreatHunt



By: Wendy Higgins
Published by: Harper Harper
Released on: 3/8/16
Series: Eurona Duology #1
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Source: ARC from publisher to review

When a strange beast terrorizes the kingdom of Lochlanach, fear stirs revolt. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger... until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. There’s no denying the unspoken lure between them... or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast—but the princess continues to surprise him, and the perilous secrets he’s buried begin to surface.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom.


I love a good fairytale retelling. Wendy Higgins has done just that with THE GREAT HUNT. I've never read The Brothers Grimm, "The Singing Bone" before, but I've heard about the story. This book is based off that story. Higgins has done a brilliant job at creating a story entirely her own. I really enjoyed it! 

Higgins has created a story that stays true to the original; kill the beast that is terrorizing the village, and win the hand of the princesses thanks to her father's last ditch effort to rid his kingdom of the beast. From there Higgins has created a story rich in world building, her classic character chemistry that makes you what to do nothing more than to keep the two characters together, great characters you enjoy getting to know, and a story that takes a bit to lure you in, but once it does it leaves you wanting so much more. Being told from multiple points of views made this story that much more entertaining. I loved it. 

Aerity was so easy to like for me. She is one of those heroines that's so easy to root for. She is far from the damsel in distress you'd like she would be. She's a tough character who can hold her own, yet she is bound by the restrictions of her kingdom, and her duty. That doesn't stop her from pushing the boundaries. She's a fighter for change. I absolutely love that this girl can rock a bow and arrow, and her acrobatics make me wish I could do what she can. 

The romance in this book is the kind that Higgins is known for. It's that slow burning one that drives you crazy (in a good way), because you want to hurry and see these characters together. Pax is definitely a complex character, and for good reason. He has a lot to worry about. The more I got to know him, the more I liked him. It was incredibly easy to love his brother Leif. No, don't worry there is not a love triangle in this story. 

With action, romance, a bit of magic, rich world building, as well as good story telling, this is a book I absolutely enjoyed. It's one of those fun, easy, entertaining reads I blew through in a day. I have no idea why this ARC sat on my bookshelves untouched for so long. I am now picking up book 2 asap. This ending was brutal, and I need answers. 



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