Huntress - Book Review

Title ~ Huntress
Series ~ Prequel to Ash
Author ~ Malinda Lo
Release Date ~ April 5, 2011
Age Group ~ Young Adult
Publisher ~ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source ~ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

GOODREADS SUMMARY

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.

REVIEW

Huntress is extra special because it takes a subject that is controversial in today’s world, and shows that it doesn’t really need to be that way. Malinda Lo defies the norm and proves that girls falling in love with each other should be embraced rather than rejected. Indeed.

Kaede is an earthly girl set on becoming a huntress.. Taisin is a magical sage girl. This unlikely pair are chosen by the oracle stones to save the kingdom. Along the way, Kaede and Taisin fall in love. Their love sets off a big controversy, but not in the way you might expect.

You see, in current times, a girl and girl romance is not usually accepted. I think this is because it is not so common and people are afraid of anything that is different. In the time of Huntress, however, no one minds if a two girls fall in love. Even though they are accepted for their gender, Kaede and Taisin have other forces keeping them apart. Their journey to finding a solution is emotional and raw.

Taisin is a master at using her magic. I love the scene where she defends herself against magical wolves. She can even make protection circles. There is just enough magic and it is believable in the context of the story. Nice!

Huntress is set several hundred years before Ash. They are connected, but then again they aren’t, so you could read them in either order. Different is a good thing for this series.

RATING

4 Liked

COVER COMMENTS

The snow captures the changing seasons and sets off Kaede’s dark hair and coat. Everyone knows I love purple, so you know how I feel about the title. Look how that sword cuts Kaede’s body and face right in half. I like it!