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Seventeen-year-olds Kaede and Taisin are called to go on a dangerous and unprecedented journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen, in an effort to restore the balance of nature in the human world.Tags
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There is a disturbance in nature – it's been years since the sun shone last and the crops are failing more heavily each year. As if that wasn't bad enough, strange creatures have been sighted within the kingdom's borders. But a glimpse of hope appears when the King recieves an invitation from the Fairy Queen, the ruler of the Xi. She requests a meeting in her city, Tanlili on Midsummer's Day. But as the King is busy with the crisis of his people, and no one has actually gone to Tanlili before; his son goes in his place, along with Taisin and Kaede; both sages in training at the Academy.
The choice to bring Taisin along isn't odd in any way; she's a thriving sage-in-training with magic flowing through her very soul – but Kaede, on show more the other hand, knows she will never actually become a sage despite her several years at the Academy. But according to Taisin, she had a vision of their journey and Kaede was present.
It's a dangerous adventure as nobody knows what to expect at the end station but together with the Prince and three of his guards, the two girls are drawn towards each other as they journey into the unknown; something that terrifies Taisin. Because according to her vision, her heart will soon belong to Kaede. Kaede who, according to her vision, she might lose forever.
I don't read fantasy that much and the main reason for that is the lack of diversity; especially when it comes to lgbt characters. So, seeing this one was like a blessing from above. Both Taisin and Kaede are interesting, complex characters that I easily found myself caring for – the same goes for the other characters too, especially the Prince. But what truly spellbound me was the interesting world they live in; I constantly wanted to know more about it and it made me sad to realise Huntress is a stand alone book; I easily could have read ten more.
Their relationship was interesting to explore and I felt excited as I noticed the bond between them grew stronger and stronger. They were truly cute together and it was tough not to root for them. But the dynamics in general, not just romantically, were interesting and I appreciated all friendships (and romances) in the book; it truly felt like the characters cared for each other which was heart-warming.
I did, however, feel like there was a lot left to be desired plot-wise. Mostly because the journey took up around seventy-five percent of the book which meant the last fifteen were the most intense and action-packed and because of that, the actual action felt very rushed. It was interesting to read about their journey too as it helped establish the characters and their relations to each other; but I would've preferred more adventure and less travelling. show less
The choice to bring Taisin along isn't odd in any way; she's a thriving sage-in-training with magic flowing through her very soul – but Kaede, on show more the other hand, knows she will never actually become a sage despite her several years at the Academy. But according to Taisin, she had a vision of their journey and Kaede was present.
It's a dangerous adventure as nobody knows what to expect at the end station but together with the Prince and three of his guards, the two girls are drawn towards each other as they journey into the unknown; something that terrifies Taisin. Because according to her vision, her heart will soon belong to Kaede. Kaede who, according to her vision, she might lose forever.
I don't read fantasy that much and the main reason for that is the lack of diversity; especially when it comes to lgbt characters. So, seeing this one was like a blessing from above. Both Taisin and Kaede are interesting, complex characters that I easily found myself caring for – the same goes for the other characters too, especially the Prince. But what truly spellbound me was the interesting world they live in; I constantly wanted to know more about it and it made me sad to realise Huntress is a stand alone book; I easily could have read ten more.
Their relationship was interesting to explore and I felt excited as I noticed the bond between them grew stronger and stronger. They were truly cute together and it was tough not to root for them. But the dynamics in general, not just romantically, were interesting and I appreciated all friendships (and romances) in the book; it truly felt like the characters cared for each other which was heart-warming.
I did, however, feel like there was a lot left to be desired plot-wise. Mostly because the journey took up around seventy-five percent of the book which meant the last fifteen were the most intense and action-packed and because of that, the actual action felt very rushed. It was interesting to read about their journey too as it helped establish the characters and their relations to each other; but I would've preferred more adventure and less travelling. show less
There is one reason I tried to read Huntress and this is it:
I was tired of saying "I want more f/f not-coming-out romance" and seeing Malinda Lo's books recommended to me.
I liked Ash quite a bit, but more for what I put into the story than what was actually on the page. I was happy enough to see the worldbuilding and a f/f romance in fantasy that I was willing to overlook the serious flaws. But I knew that I would never want to read Huntress, unless Lo became leaps and bounds a better writer.
Unfortunately, the book is terrible. I say unfortunate because it has so much going for it and due to being one of a very small number of books with those features, it ends up on What To Read lists all the time. It's the f/f romance, of course, and show more fantasy, and clear Asian influences in the setting. In fact, from a distance, if you squint, the story and worldbuilding are incredibly appealing (if you like traditional fairy tale quests, which I do).
Someone else on LibraryThing summed up on the problem with the book very well, so I paraphrase: it's just off. The characters don't work. The romances are pushed but unearned. The technical aspects of the writing are just plain bad.
I got about a third of the way in before I gave up and started skimming, then just stopped at the halfway mark because nothing was grabbing my attention to delve back in. I would like to know how the quest ends and what all the Xi/faeryland stuff is about, but not enough to endure the terrible pacing and bouncing back and forth between POVs and the constant clunky explanations in POV of things that don't need explanations. ("She felt that" "He realized that" etc.)
But I guess now I can stop feeling aggrieved that everyone keeps telling me to read a book I don't want to read, and instead I can feel insulted that everyone keeps praising such a bad book simply because it's one of a very small number. show less
I was tired of saying "I want more f/f not-coming-out romance" and seeing Malinda Lo's books recommended to me.
I liked Ash quite a bit, but more for what I put into the story than what was actually on the page. I was happy enough to see the worldbuilding and a f/f romance in fantasy that I was willing to overlook the serious flaws. But I knew that I would never want to read Huntress, unless Lo became leaps and bounds a better writer.
Unfortunately, the book is terrible. I say unfortunate because it has so much going for it and due to being one of a very small number of books with those features, it ends up on What To Read lists all the time. It's the f/f romance, of course, and show more fantasy, and clear Asian influences in the setting. In fact, from a distance, if you squint, the story and worldbuilding are incredibly appealing (if you like traditional fairy tale quests, which I do).
Someone else on LibraryThing summed up on the problem with the book very well, so I paraphrase: it's just off. The characters don't work. The romances are pushed but unearned. The technical aspects of the writing are just plain bad.
I got about a third of the way in before I gave up and started skimming, then just stopped at the halfway mark because nothing was grabbing my attention to delve back in. I would like to know how the quest ends and what all the Xi/faeryland stuff is about, but not enough to endure the terrible pacing and bouncing back and forth between POVs and the constant clunky explanations in POV of things that don't need explanations. ("She felt that" "He realized that" etc.)
But I guess now I can stop feeling aggrieved that everyone keeps telling me to read a book I don't want to read, and instead I can feel insulted that everyone keeps praising such a bad book simply because it's one of a very small number. show less
Stunning. Adventurous. Beautiful. Romantic. Lushly descriptive. Rich in culture and magic. High fantasy at it's very best. All of the above.
I could not wait to step back into the beautiful world that Malinda Lo built in her debut, Ash. In Huntress, we go back 200 years before the story of Aislynn and Kaisa, to see how the very first Huntress came about. Two students of the academy where sages are trained are called upon to make a perilous journey and meet with the Fairy Queen, hopefully to find out what she knows about the changes in the seasons that are destroying their lands. They are opposites, one is a devout student and a gifted seer who intends to become a sage. The other is a bit of wild child who will do anything to escape the show more fate her father has planned for her. Both of them were easily relatable, complicated characters. On this journey, they found bravery, adventure, strength, loss, friendship, and love.
The love story was perfect: tense and unsure, forbidden because all sages must take a vow of celibacy, they resist but dare to hope. They had this intense connection, each seemed to strengthen the other. As it played out, it was both heart-pounding and heart-breaking.
The language and flow and descriptions were just beautiful and completely effective in drawing up perfect visuals of what was happening in the story or the way something looked or sounded. One perfect example is this passage from the story:
The words were in another language---something brutal and dark, like a knuckle scraping against stone. She felt light-headed as her blood drained from her, making a slight hissing sounds when it struck the mixture in the clay pot. She couldn't look at the cut anymore, it was a mouth on her arm; it screamed at her.
One thing I did find slightly distracting was the quick changes in point of view. There were times when the POV would change so fast that I had to backtrack a few lines to be absolutely sure of who's head I was in, but it didn't take away from the story as a whole at all. I wouldn't have wanted it written any other way---all the different perspectives definitely added to the richness of the story.
This was another stunner from Malinda Lo---and I can only hope that she'll be writing these wonderful stories for a long time to come. show less
I could not wait to step back into the beautiful world that Malinda Lo built in her debut, Ash. In Huntress, we go back 200 years before the story of Aislynn and Kaisa, to see how the very first Huntress came about. Two students of the academy where sages are trained are called upon to make a perilous journey and meet with the Fairy Queen, hopefully to find out what she knows about the changes in the seasons that are destroying their lands. They are opposites, one is a devout student and a gifted seer who intends to become a sage. The other is a bit of wild child who will do anything to escape the show more fate her father has planned for her. Both of them were easily relatable, complicated characters. On this journey, they found bravery, adventure, strength, loss, friendship, and love.
The love story was perfect: tense and unsure, forbidden because all sages must take a vow of celibacy, they resist but dare to hope. They had this intense connection, each seemed to strengthen the other. As it played out, it was both heart-pounding and heart-breaking.
The language and flow and descriptions were just beautiful and completely effective in drawing up perfect visuals of what was happening in the story or the way something looked or sounded. One perfect example is this passage from the story:
The words were in another language---something brutal and dark, like a knuckle scraping against stone. She felt light-headed as her blood drained from her, making a slight hissing sounds when it struck the mixture in the clay pot. She couldn't look at the cut anymore, it was a mouth on her arm; it screamed at her.
One thing I did find slightly distracting was the quick changes in point of view. There were times when the POV would change so fast that I had to backtrack a few lines to be absolutely sure of who's head I was in, but it didn't take away from the story as a whole at all. I wouldn't have wanted it written any other way---all the different perspectives definitely added to the richness of the story.
This was another stunner from Malinda Lo---and I can only hope that she'll be writing these wonderful stories for a long time to come. show less
Ingeniously and beautifully written, it is truly unfair that Huntress has not received further awards and accolades. Being no stranger to the genre, I nevertheless found Huntress to be a wonderfully crafted coming of age story with surprisingly fierce “Woman Against Nature” structure.
Academically perhaps Huntress's most alluring quality lies in its setting: an amalgamation of Warring States Period Iron Age Chinese culture with European Fairy mythos. Although ultimately the Fae elements proved dominate, this combination of seemingly dispirit anthropology and folklore combined to create a wholly believable, compelling and startlingly teleological schema. Though given its bold move to incorporate ancient Chinese anthro into the mix, show more one might expect (in my case hunger for) more Tao proverbs, codes and ritual than what the reader is treated to. The burial rituals and protection spells were a nice touch though.
In addition, I’m blown away by the choice to create a plot that’s driven by Predestination Paradox. Seemingly very original for the genre (generally only seen in science fiction time travel stories), the plot hook which could have felt totally contrived actually feels appropriate and just plain cool.
Yet, the heart of Huntress lies not in its setting, but in its characters. Unlike Ash Lo’s second book in the “series” (for lack of a better word) offers the reader a fully-fleshed out understanding of both the protagonist and her love-interest. In fact all the primary characters are given their own small say as POV shifts continuously throughout the book (an odd but understandable choice). Naturally our heroine and huntress, Kaede, is given the primary focus of the story and her description and appreciation of natural beauty do not let us down. Yet, it’s really her... “companion” (not strong enough, more like her raison d’etre) Taisin who undergos the most dynamic character development. Taisin is a gifted young cleric who’s often unsure of herself and antisocial. Taisin lives in fear of a destiny she’s precognatively aware, but with enough hopes and dreams to allow Kaede to slowly draw her out. Eventually this bond helps Taisin realize her potential and decide who she is and who she wants to be. In the broadest sense the relationship represents a growing teamwork, as the girls come to recognize each other’s complimentary gifts. Through their internal psychological and psychic trials and external near-death journey together Kaede and Taisin eventually move beyond teamwork to something much greater and find destiny need not be avoided at all costs.
Additionally, I’d like to elucidate for a moment the ways in which Huntress is a natural progression from and improvement on Ash. In its ending (I do not intend to spoil), Huntress demonstrates how Lo has recognizes that a happy-ending is not always the most effective or desirable closure to a fairytale. As previously mentioned, Lo has chosen to offer the reader a better understanding of her characters’ hopes and fears and mental state. Also, by placing Huntress in the far past in relationship to Ash, Lo was allowed to greater explore who the Fae are and what species still existed at that time (the only detriment I can perceive by placing Huntress in the past is the loss of the lovely Renaissance diction and accent). Although it has recently become unfortunately endemic in young adult lit, the Wild Hunt is given form and the reader is treated to far fuller and more rewarding understanding of the Fairy Queen and fairy society (I wouldn’t have expected Taninli to so closely resemble Baum’s Emerald City, but whatever...). In terms of form, where Ash appears to follow a storybook/folktale fantasy aesthetic, Huntress has diverged into an adventure/suspense fantasy. Though both are wonderful reads, one gets the sense that Lo is moving slowly moving away from storytelling and incorporating more novel-like elements.
Yet, if Lo recognized the need for more character development, one must pause and consider why she chose to leave her antagonists all but voiceless and without any more concrete development. Naturally, being a young adult novel, the tendency is to relate to the heroine, but I’ve always thought this does little to prepare adolescents for the real world. In Ash the reader is treated to a clear cut understanding of who Aisling’s relatives are and how they perceive her. Although such an understanding is hinted at in Huntress, the reader is still left with something of an engima in its villain. Perhaps this was intentional, or a suggestion on the part of Lo’s publisher but if so I’d love to know why.
All in all, after reading Huntress I’m left feeling very satisfied with very few gripes. Huntress is simultaneously a breathtaking romance, a Tolkien-esque journey against unearthly monsters and incredible adversity and a fight against time to save the world (not to mention an adorable contribution to Young Adult Feminist and LGBT Lit) . Simply put, it’s incredible. show less
Academically perhaps Huntress's most alluring quality lies in its setting: an amalgamation of Warring States Period Iron Age Chinese culture with European Fairy mythos. Although ultimately the Fae elements proved dominate, this combination of seemingly dispirit anthropology and folklore combined to create a wholly believable, compelling and startlingly teleological schema. Though given its bold move to incorporate ancient Chinese anthro into the mix, show more one might expect (in my case hunger for) more Tao proverbs, codes and ritual than what the reader is treated to. The burial rituals and protection spells were a nice touch though.
In addition, I’m blown away by the choice to create a plot that’s driven by Predestination Paradox. Seemingly very original for the genre (generally only seen in science fiction time travel stories), the plot hook which could have felt totally contrived actually feels appropriate and just plain cool.
Yet, the heart of Huntress lies not in its setting, but in its characters. Unlike Ash Lo’s second book in the “series” (for lack of a better word) offers the reader a fully-fleshed out understanding of both the protagonist and her love-interest. In fact all the primary characters are given their own small say as POV shifts continuously throughout the book (an odd but understandable choice). Naturally our heroine and huntress, Kaede, is given the primary focus of the story and her description and appreciation of natural beauty do not let us down. Yet, it’s really her... “companion” (not strong enough, more like her raison d’etre) Taisin who undergos the most dynamic character development. Taisin is a gifted young cleric who’s often unsure of herself and antisocial. Taisin lives in fear of a destiny she’s precognatively aware, but with enough hopes and dreams to allow Kaede to slowly draw her out. Eventually this bond helps Taisin realize her potential and decide who she is and who she wants to be. In the broadest sense the relationship represents a growing teamwork, as the girls come to recognize each other’s complimentary gifts. Through their internal psychological and psychic trials and external near-death journey together Kaede and Taisin eventually move beyond teamwork to something much greater and find destiny need not be avoided at all costs.
Additionally, I’d like to elucidate for a moment the ways in which Huntress is a natural progression from and improvement on Ash. In its ending (I do not intend to spoil), Huntress demonstrates how Lo has recognizes that a happy-ending is not always the most effective or desirable closure to a fairytale. As previously mentioned, Lo has chosen to offer the reader a better understanding of her characters’ hopes and fears and mental state. Also, by placing Huntress in the far past in relationship to Ash, Lo was allowed to greater explore who the Fae are and what species still existed at that time (the only detriment I can perceive by placing Huntress in the past is the loss of the lovely Renaissance diction and accent). Although it has recently become unfortunately endemic in young adult lit, the Wild Hunt is given form and the reader is treated to far fuller and more rewarding understanding of the Fairy Queen and fairy society (I wouldn’t have expected Taninli to so closely resemble Baum’s Emerald City, but whatever...). In terms of form, where Ash appears to follow a storybook/folktale fantasy aesthetic, Huntress has diverged into an adventure/suspense fantasy. Though both are wonderful reads, one gets the sense that Lo is moving slowly moving away from storytelling and incorporating more novel-like elements.
Yet, if Lo recognized the need for more character development, one must pause and consider why she chose to leave her antagonists all but voiceless and without any more concrete development. Naturally, being a young adult novel, the tendency is to relate to the heroine, but I’ve always thought this does little to prepare adolescents for the real world. In Ash the reader is treated to a clear cut understanding of who Aisling’s relatives are and how they perceive her. Although such an understanding is hinted at in Huntress, the reader is still left with something of an engima in its villain. Perhaps this was intentional, or a suggestion on the part of Lo’s publisher but if so I’d love to know why.
All in all, after reading Huntress I’m left feeling very satisfied with very few gripes. Huntress is simultaneously a breathtaking romance, a Tolkien-esque journey against unearthly monsters and incredible adversity and a fight against time to save the world (not to mention an adorable contribution to Young Adult Feminist and LGBT Lit) . Simply put, it’s incredible. show less
I really love Lo’s world she created in “Ash”, but she’s gone to an entirely new level in this companion-prequel, “Huntress”, which takes place several hundred years before “Ash” does. Either way, the imagery, the setting, and most importantly, the romances, are on entirely new level of storytelling compared to the earlier work.
I loved “Ash”, but to be honest, I think I love “Huntress” more. Everything feels so much more honed and heightened compared to the previous work, and while they take place in two totally different time periods, they’re still in the same world. And the romance between Taisin and Kaede is fraught with “oh no, this is so not going to end well”, unlike the happy ending given to us in show more “Ash”. I love how Lo is completely unafraid to give us an gay romance AND also unafraid to tell us that sometimes, ultimately, there are no happy endings.
Regardless, this is the story of how the position of the King’s Huntress (as seen in “Ash”, the girl she ends up with in the end) is established. This is Kaede and Taisin’s story – of two girls separately treading two very different paths, and how those paths will meet and merge and split again and again. There’s not enough of this reality in YA romance lit as it is – sometimes there aren’t always happy endings, but there is a happy now you can take advantage of even if the ultimate fate of your relationship is doomed to fail. I applaud Lo for reminding the YA audience of this really unpleasant reality, but even more so in presenting it in a LGBTQ-friendly way. There’s definitely not enough YA LGBTQ-friendly paranormal lit out there as it is, either.
I can’t wait to see what Lo does next, and I hope she stays within this world she’s created. I’d like to know what happens to Kaede and Taisin after the events in “Huntress” – maybe a few years later or something. Will Kaede stick to her post, and Taisin to hers? Lo seemed to leave this open-ended, and while I love stories with open-ends (if you could call them that), I’d still like another story/novella/anything to take the audience closer to Ash’s time period and tie all of the loose ends together. I guess I’m a bit OCD like that about my stories.
Looking for a refreshing summer read where you don’t need to read the first novel first? Pick up “Huntress”, and immerse yourself into a world long gone but fondly remembered.
(crossposted to goodreads, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com) show less
I loved “Ash”, but to be honest, I think I love “Huntress” more. Everything feels so much more honed and heightened compared to the previous work, and while they take place in two totally different time periods, they’re still in the same world. And the romance between Taisin and Kaede is fraught with “oh no, this is so not going to end well”, unlike the happy ending given to us in show more “Ash”. I love how Lo is completely unafraid to give us an gay romance AND also unafraid to tell us that sometimes, ultimately, there are no happy endings.
Regardless, this is the story of how the position of the King’s Huntress (as seen in “Ash”, the girl she ends up with in the end) is established. This is Kaede and Taisin’s story – of two girls separately treading two very different paths, and how those paths will meet and merge and split again and again. There’s not enough of this reality in YA romance lit as it is – sometimes there aren’t always happy endings, but there is a happy now you can take advantage of even if the ultimate fate of your relationship is doomed to fail. I applaud Lo for reminding the YA audience of this really unpleasant reality, but even more so in presenting it in a LGBTQ-friendly way. There’s definitely not enough YA LGBTQ-friendly paranormal lit out there as it is, either.
I can’t wait to see what Lo does next, and I hope she stays within this world she’s created. I’d like to know what happens to Kaede and Taisin after the events in “Huntress” – maybe a few years later or something. Will Kaede stick to her post, and Taisin to hers? Lo seemed to leave this open-ended, and while I love stories with open-ends (if you could call them that), I’d still like another story/novella/anything to take the audience closer to Ash’s time period and tie all of the loose ends together. I guess I’m a bit OCD like that about my stories.
Looking for a refreshing summer read where you don’t need to read the first novel first? Pick up “Huntress”, and immerse yourself into a world long gone but fondly remembered.
(crossposted to goodreads, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com) show less
I actually read this prequel (set centuries earlier than Ash) first. I’m glad I did.
Richly characterized, both protagonists and secondary players have distinctive voices.
A list of the wealth of themes explored in this almost-traditional quest fantasy gives no clue to its readability and romance.
Ostensibly an exploration of how the huntresses became so important to Ash’s culture, it contains an unabashedly tense and sweet romance, illustrating how one’s plans can be thoroughly and totally demolished by love, and how that destruction, among others, is a necessary part of life’s cycle. With elements of myth and magic from many cultures, China being only one, Huntress’s coming of age/discovery of self narrative is pitch-perfect. show more .
My only - very minor - quibble was that it seemed to drag a bit in the middle, more a function of the form than the writing, I thought. show less
Richly characterized, both protagonists and secondary players have distinctive voices.
A list of the wealth of themes explored in this almost-traditional quest fantasy gives no clue to its readability and romance.
Ostensibly an exploration of how the huntresses became so important to Ash’s culture, it contains an unabashedly tense and sweet romance, illustrating how one’s plans can be thoroughly and totally demolished by love, and how that destruction, among others, is a necessary part of life’s cycle. With elements of myth and magic from many cultures, China being only one, Huntress’s coming of age/discovery of self narrative is pitch-perfect. show more .
My only - very minor - quibble was that it seemed to drag a bit in the middle, more a function of the form than the writing, I thought. show less
This book was very different from anything I've read before- and in a good way. Huntress takes place in an ancient, mythical version of China were two girls, Kaede (kay-dee) and Taisin (tie-sin), along with Prince Con Isea Tan (Con Ee-say Tan), Con for short, embark on a long, mysterious adventure. Years ago, before any of their parents were born, the King of the Kingdom and the Fairy Queen had signed a treaty that stated that humans and fay must stay in their own territory, and one wishing to cross the boarder must be given a formal invitation.
When the current King receives an invitation from the Fairy Queen, the first in centuries, Kaede, Taisin and Con are the ones chosen to fulfill the task. The journey is long, dangerous and show more tiresome and more than one life is lost in the process. Struggling with the incredible task of surviving, as well as the girls' journey in deciding between embracing or rejecting their sexuality, these young travelers find themselves face-to-face with much more than they bargained for. Huntress is exciting, filled with magic and beautifully written, all the while laced with the journey of sexuality that people still struggle with today.
I really, really enjoyed this book. I have not read Ash, Malinda Lo's first novel, so I didn't know what to expect. But after reading Huntress you can bet Ash has secured a spot on my to-read list. This was my first venture into Chinese, or any type of Asian inspired fiction, and I really enjoyed it. I also appreciated the pronunciation guide listed in the front that names all of the characters and towns as well as the correct way to pronounce them.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the fact that one of the main characters was gay and another was struggling between submitting to her feelings and becoming a Sage, a high honor which requires a vow of celibacy. I liked this so much because, yes, it was different, but also because it was very real in this novel. It wasn't one of those novels that flaunt gay characters just to prove that they have gay characters. The lesbian characters in this novel added to the plot without being in your face. Lo wrote their relationship delicately, neither drawing the reader's attention to the fact that they are gay or letting their minds completely skip over the fact. I was very impressed by how natural it all seemed do me.
I would definitely recommend this novel as it constantly kept my heart beating and my hands feverishly turning the pages. If you like magic, action or chinese fiction, Huntress is a book you don't want to miss!
*Thanks to Little Brown Books for Young Readers for supplying me with a finished review copy show less
When the current King receives an invitation from the Fairy Queen, the first in centuries, Kaede, Taisin and Con are the ones chosen to fulfill the task. The journey is long, dangerous and show more tiresome and more than one life is lost in the process. Struggling with the incredible task of surviving, as well as the girls' journey in deciding between embracing or rejecting their sexuality, these young travelers find themselves face-to-face with much more than they bargained for. Huntress is exciting, filled with magic and beautifully written, all the while laced with the journey of sexuality that people still struggle with today.
I really, really enjoyed this book. I have not read Ash, Malinda Lo's first novel, so I didn't know what to expect. But after reading Huntress you can bet Ash has secured a spot on my to-read list. This was my first venture into Chinese, or any type of Asian inspired fiction, and I really enjoyed it. I also appreciated the pronunciation guide listed in the front that names all of the characters and towns as well as the correct way to pronounce them.
One of my favorite aspects of this novel was the fact that one of the main characters was gay and another was struggling between submitting to her feelings and becoming a Sage, a high honor which requires a vow of celibacy. I liked this so much because, yes, it was different, but also because it was very real in this novel. It wasn't one of those novels that flaunt gay characters just to prove that they have gay characters. The lesbian characters in this novel added to the plot without being in your face. Lo wrote their relationship delicately, neither drawing the reader's attention to the fact that they are gay or letting their minds completely skip over the fact. I was very impressed by how natural it all seemed do me.
I would definitely recommend this novel as it constantly kept my heart beating and my hands feverishly turning the pages. If you like magic, action or chinese fiction, Huntress is a book you don't want to miss!
*Thanks to Little Brown Books for Young Readers for supplying me with a finished review copy show less
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Two teenage girls—Taisin, a sage who has visions, and Kaede, a brave fighter from a powerful family—must travel to see the Fairy Queen to try and save their land. A persistent winter has settled over their kingdom for two years, halting not only trade and harvests but the natural course of life itself, and threatening the survival of Taisin and Kaede's fellow citizens. The journey to the show more city of Taninli, home of the Fairy Queen, is treacherous, and along the way Taisin, Kaede, and their travel companions face many dangers and tests of their abilities, not least of which are Taisin and Kaede's growing feelings for each other. Lo's storytelling and prose are masterful, and her protagonists will fascinate, particularly Taisin and her relationship to death and its accompanying rituals, her visions, and the way she can occupy another's mind. As with Ash, Lo's characters are emotionally reserved, which makes the unfolding of romance between Kaede and Taisin all the more satisfying. Fans of Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy will love this. Ages 15–up. (Apr.) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2011-04-05
- People/Characters
- Kaede; Taisin; Lord Raiden; King Cai Simin Tan; Maire Morighan; Con Isae Tan (show all 12); Shae; Pol; Tali; Mona; Ealasaid; Elowen
- Important places
- The Academy; Seatown; Cathair; Ento; Jilin; Taninli
- Dedication
- To Amy Lovell
- First words
- "Clouds and thunder arise: / The sage brings order. / Those who chase deer without a hunter / Lose their way in the Wood." / -Book of Changes
She saw a beach made of ice, and she felt her heart breaking.
The ... (show all)ground where she stood was frozen white, but twenty feet away, cold blue ocean lapped at the jagged shore. Someone there was climbing into a rowboat, and she knew that she loved this person. She was certain of it in the same way that one is instantly aware of the taste of sweetness in a drop of honey. But she was afraid for this person's life, and the fear raised a cold sweat on her skin and caused a sick lurch in her stomach, as though she were on a ship during a violent storm. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Kaede smiled, and though her heart ached, the love she felt was stronger than the pain. "It will make an excellent story," she agreed. And after they had given the prince and the guard another few moments to themselves, Kaede and Taisin rode down the trail to meet them.
- Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genres
- LGBTQ+, Teen, Fiction and Literature, Young Adult, Fantasy
- DDC/MDS
- 813.6 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 2000-
- LCC
- PZ8 .L773 .H — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 980
- Popularity
- 26,679
- Reviews
- 54
- Rating
- (3.62)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 5
