What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
20 days and 21:03:20
10 copies available
U.S. only
The Unicorn Hunters
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jun 26Win a free print copy of this book!
20 days and 21:03:20
10 copies available
U.S. only
With her country's future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Winternight Trilogy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts.
Anne of Brittany was a child when her realm was invaded, her home besieged, and her royal father driven to his death.
Now her treasury is empty, her land occupied by her enemies, and she is ordered, under threat of renewed war, to become queen of her conquerors and marry the King of France.
This marriage means her country’s annexation. But Anne promised her father that Brittany would never be conquered.
Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union.
Anne takes her court deep into a legendary forest, where the court diviners’ skill cannot reach. The world thinks they are only a hunting party, coursing after unicorns. But that is a lie, a trick, a feint. No one in living memory has seen a unicorn. All Anne wants is this secret wedding, which is her only hope of salvation.
But when against all hope a unicorn appears and a stranger out of legend stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change her own and her country’s destiny—or be lost in the shadows forever.
Anne of Brittany was a child when her realm was invaded, her home besieged, and her royal father driven to his death.
Now her treasury is empty, her land occupied by her enemies, and she is ordered, under threat of renewed war, to become queen of her conquerors and marry the King of France.
This marriage means her country’s annexation. But Anne promised her father that Brittany would never be conquered.
Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union.
Anne takes her court deep into a legendary forest, where the court diviners’ skill cannot reach. The world thinks they are only a hunting party, coursing after unicorns. But that is a lie, a trick, a feint. No one in living memory has seen a unicorn. All Anne wants is this secret wedding, which is her only hope of salvation.
But when against all hope a unicorn appears and a stranger out of legend stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change her own and her country’s destiny—or be lost in the shadows forever.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 2, 2026
23505 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Arden
17 books18.5k followersA note to everyone who trips and falls upon my Goodreads page. First, welcome. Let us read and discuss all the books together. I review books I've read, everything gets five stars, if I didn't like it I don't put it up.
Second, Goodreads is wondrous, but contacting me through my Goodreads DMs is a good way to ensure a long wait for a reply. Your best bet is Twitter or Instagram (arden_katherine) on both.
Happy reading.
Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury College. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, among other places. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she wrote much of The Bear and the Nightingale. She currently lives in Vermont.
Second, Goodreads is wondrous, but contacting me through my Goodreads DMs is a good way to ensure a long wait for a reply. Your best bet is Twitter or Instagram (arden_katherine) on both.
Happy reading.
Born in Texas, Katherine studied French and Russian at Middlebury College. She has lived abroad in France and in Moscow, among other places. She has also lived in Hawaii, where she wrote much of The Bear and the Nightingale. She currently lives in Vermont.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
Want to read
February 27, 2026Folks, folks, folks! They gave me an ARC of the book today!
I can't believe I got my most anticipated book this early. The Book Gods love me*, mine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.**
___________________________________
Update: I entered the giveaway for the print copy, and I really, really hope to win. I never win anything, and if I do, I promise on my honour as aknight lady that I'll be good for the next 5 years, er, make it 10 years to be safe. (Narrator's voice: She didn't win.)
*Or they want to punish me for something by again making my most anticipated reads of the year a flop, but we won't think of that.
**But now I have to behave and be a good girl for the next 10 years as promised? Ugh. Shoulda have promised my firstborn to Rumpelstiltskin instead.
I can't believe I got my most anticipated book this early. The Book Gods love me*, mine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.**
___________________________________
Update: I entered the giveaway for the print copy, and I really, really hope to win. I never win anything, and if I do, I promise on my honour as a
*Or they want to punish me for something by again making my most anticipated reads of the year a flop, but we won't think of that.
**But now I have to behave and be a good girl for the next 10 years as promised? Ugh. Shoulda have promised my firstborn to Rumpelstiltskin instead.
March 4, 2026
When I first heard about this book I was in awe, because Katherine Arden and medieval unicorns are the absolute most perfect match of author and story that I can think of. That's also why I'm a bit bummed out that this didn't end up being the flawless 5-star read that I was hoping for. It's undoubtedly a well-written and well-researched novel that does stand out from the masses of new fantasy releases this year. By that I mean that I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to your everyday fantasy reader. It's also a deeply historical novel, reimagining the past and adding an otherworldly spin to it. This, of course, turned a bit into Katherine Arden's trademark over the years, but I still wished that this book was more magical. The titular unicorn hunt, for instance, is over very quickly; the legendary forest of Broceliande remains a mystery. Katherine Arden is exploring the time period through a different approach instead. She relies on a courtly setting and makes duchess Anne of Brittany the main character of this book. The story is set around 1490 when the situation between France and Brittany is tense and the future unclear. The Bretons already lost to the French, and Anne is meant to seal this defeat by marrying the French King and giving up her land. But she already has an intricate plan to save her country and her people. It begins by spreading rumors of a unicorn and planning its hunt and everyone knows that only a virginal and virtuous woman can lure such a creature, so Anne better stay unmarried until it is captured. But as I said, the unicorn hunt is only a small portion of this book. It's really only the beginning of a long string of events that shall lead to Brittany's safety, but there are multiple other parties working for or against this goal too. There are political maneuverings, manipulations and distractions, and also plenty of supernatural interferences. Strange powers from inside the forest follow Anne into her courtly life and make yet another problem that she has to face. She was truly a great main character to me. Anne is viewed as a pawn, a childish girl, supposed to be married for greater political goals and never questioning the decisions that others make over her head. But in reality she isn't a passive character at all and has so much agency, even in the most hopeless situations. She is clever and cunning and never stops fighting for her country. I just loved to follow Anne around. I didn't really get where her romantic feelings for a certain person came from at one point in the book, but I was happy to see her happy. The chapters from the POV of other characters weren't as memorable to me and I had the feeling that they were always over too quickly to really making an impact on the story. These characters also didn't get the closure that Anne got in the end and while the ending definitely was of the good-for-her kind, it also came rather abruptly for me. Which was strange, because the whole book is a relatively slow and long built-up. But while the pacing was not my favorite in the end, I did really like how the story got more and more ghostly and otherworldly. As I mentioned already, I would have loved it if the book really leaned into these fantastical elements instead of the historical side of things, but maybe that wouldn't be true to Katherine Arden's style. Overall, I'm pleased with this story, even if it went in a different direction than I thought it would. The Winternight Trilogy remains my unchallenged favorite by the author, but I will, of course, always pick up her new releases and hope for more such greatness.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
arc-netgelley
February 27, 2026EDIT: GOT AN ARC LETS GOOOOO its getting devoured tonightttt
Gonna throw up from excitement, sounds like the perfect book omg
Gonna throw up from excitement, sounds like the perfect book omg
March 4, 2026
anne wanted to be married so little she came up with this elaborate unicorn scheme (and i love her for it)
here for louis throwing himself across the room to come to her aid and for more men just being super devoted in the name of love tbh
katherine arden your mind!!!
Bookstagram | Blog
here for louis throwing himself across the room to come to her aid and for more men just being super devoted in the name of love tbh
katherine arden your mind!!!
Bookstagram | Blog
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Katherine Arden's intricately crafted, atmospheric novel 'The Unicorn Hunters' examines the life of Anne of Brittany through the lens of fantasy...and isn't really about a unicorn or a unicorn hunt. I read this because Katherine Arden is one of my favourite fantasy authors, and loved it for many reasons. However, if you're planning on reading this specifically for the unicorn, you'll probably end up disappointed.
I love how the blurb gives away almost nothing about what the book is really about. It's not about the unicorn. In fact, the titular unicorn hunt concluded at around the 20% mark, and it was the aftermath of the hunt that really kicked off the story. The only spoiler I'll give is that no harm comes to the unicorn in the story. She plays an important role in Anne's story, but doesn't have a lot of screen time (page time?). The fantasy aspect of the book focuses on...a certain other element of Breton folklore. At its heart, 'The Unicorn Hunters' is about Anne's desire to protect Brittany from the French, and the lengths to which she'll go to achieve that.
Anne is yet another addition to Katherine Arden's strong-willed and incredibly compelling female protagonists. Her willingness to save her people at the cost of entering a loveless marriage for the rest of her life was quite moving. She was never the damsel in distress. There was a lot of scheming and political maneuvering involved, which is something I always love to see. The side characters were also well-written. I loved Anne's relationship with her sister Isabeau and half-brother Henri. This is yet another book where cats have the ability to travel between worlds, and honestly, I can't complain about that! The way Arden embellished the story with historical details, atmosphere, and customs and traditions of the time period was another highlight for me. The characters didn't talk like 21st century Americans; the dialogue and the prose suited the setting. As much as I'd love to rave about the fantasy elements of this book, I'd recommend that you go in blind. Not knowing what turns the story would take after the unicorn hunt really made my experience better. I appreciate how beautifully balanced the fantasy and historical elements were. The plot in historical fantasy novels often tends to favor one genre over the other, which I didn't feel was the case here. The ending was entirely unexpected and deeply satisfying.
My only two (minor) complaints would be that the pacing dragged in some parts, and the two sex scenes were a bit too long. They read like something straight out of a romantasy when the rest of the book is absolutely not that.
Overall, I'd say that Katherine Arden's newest was worth the wait. Reading it felt like reading an old folktale, something nostalgic and refreshingly new at once. I'd highly recommend this to both fantasy and historical fiction lovers!
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Katherine Arden's intricately crafted, atmospheric novel 'The Unicorn Hunters' examines the life of Anne of Brittany through the lens of fantasy...and isn't really about a unicorn or a unicorn hunt. I read this because Katherine Arden is one of my favourite fantasy authors, and loved it for many reasons. However, if you're planning on reading this specifically for the unicorn, you'll probably end up disappointed.
I love how the blurb gives away almost nothing about what the book is really about. It's not about the unicorn. In fact, the titular unicorn hunt concluded at around the 20% mark, and it was the aftermath of the hunt that really kicked off the story. The only spoiler I'll give is that no harm comes to the unicorn in the story. She plays an important role in Anne's story, but doesn't have a lot of screen time (page time?). The fantasy aspect of the book focuses on...a certain other element of Breton folklore. At its heart, 'The Unicorn Hunters' is about Anne's desire to protect Brittany from the French, and the lengths to which she'll go to achieve that.
Anne is yet another addition to Katherine Arden's strong-willed and incredibly compelling female protagonists. Her willingness to save her people at the cost of entering a loveless marriage for the rest of her life was quite moving. She was never the damsel in distress. There was a lot of scheming and political maneuvering involved, which is something I always love to see. The side characters were also well-written. I loved Anne's relationship with her sister Isabeau and half-brother Henri. This is yet another book where cats have the ability to travel between worlds, and honestly, I can't complain about that! The way Arden embellished the story with historical details, atmosphere, and customs and traditions of the time period was another highlight for me. The characters didn't talk like 21st century Americans; the dialogue and the prose suited the setting. As much as I'd love to rave about the fantasy elements of this book, I'd recommend that you go in blind. Not knowing what turns the story would take after the unicorn hunt really made my experience better. I appreciate how beautifully balanced the fantasy and historical elements were. The plot in historical fantasy novels often tends to favor one genre over the other, which I didn't feel was the case here. The ending was entirely unexpected and deeply satisfying.
My only two (minor) complaints would be that the pacing dragged in some parts, and the two sex scenes were a bit too long. They read like something straight out of a romantasy when the rest of the book is absolutely not that.
Overall, I'd say that Katherine Arden's newest was worth the wait. Reading it felt like reading an old folktale, something nostalgic and refreshingly new at once. I'd highly recommend this to both fantasy and historical fiction lovers!
Currently reading
February 26, 2026couldn't resist starting this last night... will any unicorns actually be hurt in this? please no 🙁
_________________
Thank you to Del Rey for the ARC.
_________________
Thank you to Del Rey for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Me : I have many arcs to read… I will wait closer to release date.
Also me : I CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER
Huge thanks to NetGalley & Del Rey for this arc 😭 you have made me soooo happy 💗
Katherine Arden has done it again!
She has woven Historical Fiction into a dark fairytale - and even if I didn’t expect the story to be like that (nothing in the blurb made me believe the story would happen that way) I absolutely got swooped in and couldn’t put it down.
I’ve read almost every Katherine Arden’s novels so far (the only one left is the last book of her first trilogy) - and there’s one thing for certain… this woman can write strong female characters and I simply cannot get enough.
We follow Anne, the Duchess of Brittany in her many quests and ideas as to not be married & annexed to Charles of France. She is smart, witty & always sees the light… no matter how dark it gets.
Anne also has a little sister, Isabeau - who was as smart, but maybe more bold than her older sister (if that is to be believed!).
And then we follow my little diamond - Elesbed & her cat Butter. Oh they were everything to me! How many times did they save the day? Those quiet secondary characters really had all my heart. I wish we had more of her backstory and I would 100000% read a novel about her (also Butter!!).
The only tiny thing that hindered my reading experience had to do with the pacing. It sometimes moved very fast - while some other instances were unearthly slow. I could’ve done without the sex scenes but that is 100% a personal preference.
Now if you’re reading this for the unicorns - you might be disappointed ; because the journey was about more than the unicorn (even if I absolutely loved every chapters with the animal in it). I absolutely loved the ending & cannot wait to see what Katherine Arden comes up with next!
Also me : I CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER
Huge thanks to NetGalley & Del Rey for this arc 😭 you have made me soooo happy 💗
Katherine Arden has done it again!
She has woven Historical Fiction into a dark fairytale - and even if I didn’t expect the story to be like that (nothing in the blurb made me believe the story would happen that way) I absolutely got swooped in and couldn’t put it down.
I’ve read almost every Katherine Arden’s novels so far (the only one left is the last book of her first trilogy) - and there’s one thing for certain… this woman can write strong female characters and I simply cannot get enough.
We follow Anne, the Duchess of Brittany in her many quests and ideas as to not be married & annexed to Charles of France. She is smart, witty & always sees the light… no matter how dark it gets.
Anne also has a little sister, Isabeau - who was as smart, but maybe more bold than her older sister (if that is to be believed!).
And then we follow my little diamond - Elesbed & her cat Butter. Oh they were everything to me! How many times did they save the day? Those quiet secondary characters really had all my heart. I wish we had more of her backstory and I would 100000% read a novel about her (also Butter!!).
The only tiny thing that hindered my reading experience had to do with the pacing. It sometimes moved very fast - while some other instances were unearthly slow. I could’ve done without the sex scenes but that is 100% a personal preference.
Now if you’re reading this for the unicorns - you might be disappointed ; because the journey was about more than the unicorn (even if I absolutely loved every chapters with the animal in it). I absolutely loved the ending & cannot wait to see what Katherine Arden comes up with next!
Want to read
December 14, 2025all i want for christmas @ del rey
♡.) The Warm Hands of Ghosts ★★★★
1.) The Bear and the Nightingale ★★★★★
2.) The Girl in the Tower ★★★★★
3.) The Winter of the Witch ★★★★★
1.) Small Spaces ★★★★★
2.) Dead Voices ★★★★
♡.) The Warm Hands of Ghosts ★★★★
1.) The Bear and the Nightingale ★★★★★
2.) The Girl in the Tower ★★★★★
3.) The Winter of the Witch ★★★★★
1.) Small Spaces ★★★★★
2.) Dead Voices ★★★★
Want to read
October 24, 2025I am beyond EXCITED for this one!!! NEED THIS ONE NEOWWWW!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
you're in her DMs marrying her by proxy, I'm wandering through the Lost Lands for her.
This book was absolutely everything my medieval romance (little r, not to be confused with the modern Romance genre) loving heart ever wanted. Katherine Arden has written a beautifully imagined historical fantasy novel that leans heavily on fairytales and myths, but even moreso on the courtly politics of the era.
First things first I adore Katherine Arden and her rich writing, and I have since I first cracked open The Bear and the Nightingale. But I will note, this wouldn't be the Arden book I recommend to a new fantasy reader. That honor goes to The Bear and The Nightingale, which feels much more of a coming of age fantasy tale, though it leans on the same historical fantasy mixed with myth trademarks.
But I got something different from this story...something that is so hard to describe but...that I've rarely felt. I haven't read many books that made me feel like I did here. Like I had actually stepped back in time, into an older world that - frankly - doesn't exist. It somehow felt like a combination of Under the Starlit Tide and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell somehow? And yet the feeling that I'm most captivated by is of looking at those medieval figures so flat and alien in a tapestry and seeing them as something fully rounded and real. I'm obsessed.
This story is about Anne of Brittany, a duchess determined to maintain her independence from France. Of course, this is a reimagining of history, and it naturally affords Anne choices that perhaps she wouldn't have had. But I think that's the beauty of the story.
Arden perfectly captures the feelings that a good sovereign would have toward her people: the necessary sacrifices, the impossibility of personal happiness, the responsibility and privilege combined.
Anne is an exceptional character - truly one of Arden's best.
The impossibility of it shook her, but it was her whole life's work to take impossibilities and act to make them real. To decide. To rule.
Louis of Orleans...where do we start. The knight of my dreams. The girls want more devoted knights. The girls want Louis of Orleans. The girls need a man with a sword ready to do battle for his lady.
He was shaken by his heart's own triumphant beating as it overbore, at last and forever, his head
Anyway...off to...convince myself I can pick up any other book now.
This book was absolutely everything my medieval romance (little r, not to be confused with the modern Romance genre) loving heart ever wanted. Katherine Arden has written a beautifully imagined historical fantasy novel that leans heavily on fairytales and myths, but even moreso on the courtly politics of the era.
First things first I adore Katherine Arden and her rich writing, and I have since I first cracked open The Bear and the Nightingale. But I will note, this wouldn't be the Arden book I recommend to a new fantasy reader. That honor goes to The Bear and The Nightingale, which feels much more of a coming of age fantasy tale, though it leans on the same historical fantasy mixed with myth trademarks.
But I got something different from this story...something that is so hard to describe but...that I've rarely felt. I haven't read many books that made me feel like I did here. Like I had actually stepped back in time, into an older world that - frankly - doesn't exist. It somehow felt like a combination of Under the Starlit Tide and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell somehow? And yet the feeling that I'm most captivated by is of looking at those medieval figures so flat and alien in a tapestry and seeing them as something fully rounded and real. I'm obsessed.
This story is about Anne of Brittany, a duchess determined to maintain her independence from France. Of course, this is a reimagining of history, and it naturally affords Anne choices that perhaps she wouldn't have had. But I think that's the beauty of the story.
Arden perfectly captures the feelings that a good sovereign would have toward her people: the necessary sacrifices, the impossibility of personal happiness, the responsibility and privilege combined.
Anne is an exceptional character - truly one of Arden's best.
The impossibility of it shook her, but it was her whole life's work to take impossibilities and act to make them real. To decide. To rule.
Louis of Orleans...where do we start. The knight of my dreams. The girls want more devoted knights. The girls want Louis of Orleans. The girls need a man with a sword ready to do battle for his lady.
He was shaken by his heart's own triumphant beating as it overbore, at last and forever, his head
Anyway...off to...convince myself I can pick up any other book now.
Want to read
February 25, 2026
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!
I received an arc of Katherine Arden’s newest book!!!
I’m so excited that I have a vaild (and inescapable) reason to finally read a KA book. ☺️
I received an arc of Katherine Arden’s newest book!!!
I’m so excited that I have a vaild (and inescapable) reason to finally read a KA book. ☺️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A medieval fantasy bursting with whimsy, political intrigue, a a unicorn, a scheming duchess, courtly romance, and enemies at the gate I was locked in from the start, fascinated, thinking “I could read a million of these stories!”, I adored The Last Unicorn. Based on the true story of Anne of Brittany who held out against France due to her father’s last wishes for her people, our Anne distracts from the incoming marriage alliance with a “Unicorn Hunt”. She was holding out on a Hail Mary from Maximillian, son of the Holy Roman Emperor. When a real Unicorn is found magic and folklore starts trickling in to the story the world opens even more. Chock full of interesting characters and a slow burn romance this was a page turner. I think readers who love historical fiction or historical romance would be attracted to the story as the fantasy bits don’t really come in full steam until the middle.
For me the ending started to slow down as it felt more tedious and the lost city/kerrigan aspects didn’t appeal to me quite as much but I think overall it was a very enjoyable read. I loved the folklore and ideas behind the story.
🏰 Folklore Historical Fantasy
🏰 Slow burn Romance
🏰 Smart Independent Queen
🏰 HEA Ending
🏰 Open Door, Med Spice
🏰 He carries Her, fights for her
🏰 Courtly Love
🏰 Scheming and Political Intrigue
🏰 Unicorns and Mythical creatures, Sorcery
🏰 Love on the run
🏰 Close family, sister and brother
*No Unicorns killed in the book 🦄✌🏼
Publication Date June 2, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and DelRey/Penquin for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
For me the ending started to slow down as it felt more tedious and the lost city/kerrigan aspects didn’t appeal to me quite as much but I think overall it was a very enjoyable read. I loved the folklore and ideas behind the story.
🏰 Folklore Historical Fantasy
🏰 Slow burn Romance
🏰 Smart Independent Queen
🏰 HEA Ending
🏰 Open Door, Med Spice
🏰 He carries Her, fights for her
🏰 Courtly Love
🏰 Scheming and Political Intrigue
🏰 Unicorns and Mythical creatures, Sorcery
🏰 Love on the run
🏰 Close family, sister and brother
*No Unicorns killed in the book 🦄✌🏼
Publication Date June 2, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and DelRey/Penquin for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Currently reading
February 20, 2026🌈:PRE READ!
🦄: when i was a young girl, all i wanted to be was a unicorn.. you don't know how healing this is to my younger self.
A fantastical world where Unicorns roam??? SIGN ME UP.
I'm so happy to have this arc!
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS MEANS ANYTHING TO YOU GUYS BUT...
I just got offered an arc... 😲. usually its me requesting.. right? this time, i woke up to an email, "Hello cyd! we're so happy to offer you this arc.." AHHH (guys im climbing the ladder)
🦄: when i was a young girl, all i wanted to be was a unicorn.. you don't know how healing this is to my younger self.
A fantastical world where Unicorns roam??? SIGN ME UP.
I'm so happy to have this arc!
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS MEANS ANYTHING TO YOU GUYS BUT...
I just got offered an arc... 😲. usually its me requesting.. right? this time, i woke up to an email, "Hello cyd! we're so happy to offer you this arc.." AHHH (guys im climbing the ladder)
Want to read
February 3, 2026- Katherine Arden ✅
- Historical fiction ✅
- Unicorns ✅✅✅✅✅
- Historical fiction ✅
- Unicorns ✅✅✅✅✅
Want to read
March 4, 2026i was wondering why her name sounded so familiar and realized woman literally wrote the bear and the nightingale
March 3, 2026
Historical fiction is my latest obsession.
This one beautifully weaves together a piece from history with a grim fairytale.
"The Unicorn Hunters" tells the story of a young duchess forced to think like a ruler long before she is ready. Her homeland is threatened and her choices are narrowing with every passing day. Determined to protect Brittany’s independence, she orchestrates a unicorn hunt in the legendary forest of Brocéliande. This is a move meant to outwit watchful diviners and create space for her own secret plans. But in this tale, myths are no harmless ornament, and Anne’s political maneuvering disturbs powers far older than any crown.
What I admired the most about this novel is its graceful blend of historical fantasy and the darker, grimmer fairytale. The political stakes feel real and weighty, yet the story moves softly through a world of legends. There is something timeless in its atmosphere, something that feels inherited from old fireside tales where beauty and danger are never far apart.
The most enchanting part of the book, for me, was the world itself and its hidden gems. The forest feels alive, layered with whispers of folklore and fragments of myths. Arden threads references to existing tales throughout the narrative. It feels as though the story intertwines older traditions, drawing strength from them while reshaping them into something new.
The only element that did not fully grab my heart was the romance. While it plays an important role in the plot, it unfolds rather quickly. I found myself wishing for a slower build, for more tension, more moments that would allow emotions to deepen naturally. Overall the romantic subplot felt slightly rushed.
Still "The Unicorn Hunters" is a very atmospheric read. It's a story full of legend and magic, where history meets the folklore. For every reader who enjoy historical reads with fairytale undertones.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This one beautifully weaves together a piece from history with a grim fairytale.
"The Unicorn Hunters" tells the story of a young duchess forced to think like a ruler long before she is ready. Her homeland is threatened and her choices are narrowing with every passing day. Determined to protect Brittany’s independence, she orchestrates a unicorn hunt in the legendary forest of Brocéliande. This is a move meant to outwit watchful diviners and create space for her own secret plans. But in this tale, myths are no harmless ornament, and Anne’s political maneuvering disturbs powers far older than any crown.
What I admired the most about this novel is its graceful blend of historical fantasy and the darker, grimmer fairytale. The political stakes feel real and weighty, yet the story moves softly through a world of legends. There is something timeless in its atmosphere, something that feels inherited from old fireside tales where beauty and danger are never far apart.
The most enchanting part of the book, for me, was the world itself and its hidden gems. The forest feels alive, layered with whispers of folklore and fragments of myths. Arden threads references to existing tales throughout the narrative. It feels as though the story intertwines older traditions, drawing strength from them while reshaping them into something new.
The only element that did not fully grab my heart was the romance. While it plays an important role in the plot, it unfolds rather quickly. I found myself wishing for a slower build, for more tension, more moments that would allow emotions to deepen naturally. Overall the romantic subplot felt slightly rushed.
Still "The Unicorn Hunters" is a very atmospheric read. It's a story full of legend and magic, where history meets the folklore. For every reader who enjoy historical reads with fairytale undertones.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Want to read
October 23, 2025Katherine Arden + folklore + unicorns — where should i sell my firstborn to get this book?
February 25, 2026
Many thanks to Del Rey for the preview. All opinions are my own.
Absolutely and utterly perfect. Once again Arden creates this alchemy of history, fairy tale, romance, and setting that just blows me away. The Unicorn Hunters is so beautiful, I’ve actually got tears in my eyes thinking about it.
Anne of Brittany is such a fascinating character. Determined to hold on to the independence of her duchy, she must still choose to sacrifice her own in marriage. But what if….she didn’t? And that is the story we explore here. It’s full of magic, sorcery, fae, the uncanny, and mystical creatures. Lost Lands and forgotten tales that merge with the mortal lands to create something entirely new. Anne is absolutely brilliant as she navigates courtly politics and plotting, gambling for her life and those of her subjects. She’s so strong, and her getting the life and love she deserves is a triumph.
So read this if you’ve love Arden’s other books, or if you love historical fantasy with amazing characters (including the cleverest cat named Butter!). Arden’s writing is as always gorgeous. This will be a new favorite to reread, just as The Winternight Trilogy has been.
Absolutely and utterly perfect. Once again Arden creates this alchemy of history, fairy tale, romance, and setting that just blows me away. The Unicorn Hunters is so beautiful, I’ve actually got tears in my eyes thinking about it.
Anne of Brittany is such a fascinating character. Determined to hold on to the independence of her duchy, she must still choose to sacrifice her own in marriage. But what if….she didn’t? And that is the story we explore here. It’s full of magic, sorcery, fae, the uncanny, and mystical creatures. Lost Lands and forgotten tales that merge with the mortal lands to create something entirely new. Anne is absolutely brilliant as she navigates courtly politics and plotting, gambling for her life and those of her subjects. She’s so strong, and her getting the life and love she deserves is a triumph.
So read this if you’ve love Arden’s other books, or if you love historical fantasy with amazing characters (including the cleverest cat named Butter!). Arden’s writing is as always gorgeous. This will be a new favorite to reread, just as The Winternight Trilogy has been.
Want to read
March 10, 2026I mean, this is called The Unicorn Hunters. And my dissertation subject (Ruth Pitter) gave a BBC radio address called "Hunting the Unicorn." So reading this is basically research, right?
Want to read
October 22, 2025October 22, 2025 : cover reveal and she's STUNNING
September 3, 2025 : (pterodactyl shrieks)
September 3, 2025 : (pterodactyl shrieks)
Want to read
February 27, 2026°˖➴
pre-read : ANOTHER ARC ACCEPTED FOR AN ANTICIPATED RELEASE. I AM SPOILED ʚ₍ᐢ ›̥̥̥ ༝ ‹̥̥̥ ᐢ₎ɞ
pre-read : ANOTHER ARC ACCEPTED FOR AN ANTICIPATED RELEASE. I AM SPOILED ʚ₍ᐢ ›̥̥̥ ༝ ‹̥̥̥ ᐢ₎ɞ
February 24, 2026
Attention: one of the best writers of our time writes my 13 yo self’s wet dream. This was one of my most anticipated releases this year. The Winternight trilogy is a 5 star series through and through imo. And although I love a good “Surprise! This is the best book ever!” feeling, I also love knowing when I open a book that I’m about to fall in love with a piece of literature so HARD. And this delivered. From page one of the writing I knew this was gonna be an absolute banger. And it feels so good to be right.
The prose be prosing. Once again Arden did her research but doesn’t throw it in the readers face, showing instead of telling. If you tend to be the person looking up historical stuff while reading you’ll love this. Some of my Google searches included: Anne of Brittany, Nantes castle, Margaret Beaufort and husbands age difference (🤬🤮), and ancient Roman pteruges. I would look up words I didn’t know (I like when I have to do this) and would see they made sense completely and had French roots which helped the overall books character and gave it depth. The use of shifting light and shadows throughout made everything so vivid while also backing the magic system. The magic system was odd at first for the simple reason that I haven’t read anything like it but by 30% or so it was easily understood but not so much as to take away from its mystery (Which is rather attractive in a magic system, as it’s…magic. Miraculous, unexplainable). There were also enough comedic reliefs. It takes real talent to see that sometimes when things get so dark the only thing we can do is find relief in laughter. The love scenes went for sensual over explicit and were so fucking hot 🥵 some of those one liners…girrrrrl.
Arden again, plays with contrasting characters and family dynamics, showing the good guys as a family unit even if unconventional in a lot of ways while the villains can’t trust each other and have to manipulate to get what they want. As someone who has a huge self-sacrificing bone, the FMC was relatable. Gotta love an FMC who knows that all she needs to do to “win” is to let men underestimate her. I liked that her ladies in waiting were trustworthy friends for once instead of being cast as competition. The cleverness of all the female characters was attractive af.
So many FMC’s cant trust anyone and have this sometimes annoying self-sacrificing tendency, but not if it’s done right, not if there’s a conclusion of good triumphing evil only when people work together, in community. And a man that makes a sacrifice for a woman who’s only ever known sacrificing herself? Where do I sign?
Plot wise, I couldn’t put the damn thing down. Is there a romance subplot? Yesssss and it was HOT. The conclusion was a little strange as there was like an ending before the ending but it made sense and felt right, didn’t feel rushed or mashed together haphazardly.
There were so many themes I enjoyed in this book but I really enjoyed the mini spotlight on how much women accepted the dangers of their own body. Men will never know what it’s like to be afraid of their own physicality. For women, in this time period especially, living meant marrying meant having children meant sometimes dying to have those children for those men, especially when at young ages. And the fact that this wasn’t as discriminatory between classes as it is today was interesting. I was reminded of Legend with Tom Cruise, A Knights Tale, and The 3 Musketeers.
In this book you will find haunted convents, ghosts of murdered brides, betrayal and treachery (screamed like a real lady I tell you), unicorns, lost cities and sorcery, an enchanted sword (screamed some more), melees, knights and jousting tournaments (big horses stamping and big men saying “My lady.”), castles under siege, escape from said castles under siege, yearning, and a very clever yellow cat…All of it is very French.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The prose be prosing. Once again Arden did her research but doesn’t throw it in the readers face, showing instead of telling. If you tend to be the person looking up historical stuff while reading you’ll love this. Some of my Google searches included: Anne of Brittany, Nantes castle, Margaret Beaufort and husbands age difference (🤬🤮), and ancient Roman pteruges. I would look up words I didn’t know (I like when I have to do this) and would see they made sense completely and had French roots which helped the overall books character and gave it depth. The use of shifting light and shadows throughout made everything so vivid while also backing the magic system. The magic system was odd at first for the simple reason that I haven’t read anything like it but by 30% or so it was easily understood but not so much as to take away from its mystery (Which is rather attractive in a magic system, as it’s…magic. Miraculous, unexplainable). There were also enough comedic reliefs. It takes real talent to see that sometimes when things get so dark the only thing we can do is find relief in laughter. The love scenes went for sensual over explicit and were so fucking hot 🥵 some of those one liners…girrrrrl.
Arden again, plays with contrasting characters and family dynamics, showing the good guys as a family unit even if unconventional in a lot of ways while the villains can’t trust each other and have to manipulate to get what they want. As someone who has a huge self-sacrificing bone, the FMC was relatable. Gotta love an FMC who knows that all she needs to do to “win” is to let men underestimate her. I liked that her ladies in waiting were trustworthy friends for once instead of being cast as competition. The cleverness of all the female characters was attractive af.
So many FMC’s cant trust anyone and have this sometimes annoying self-sacrificing tendency, but not if it’s done right, not if there’s a conclusion of good triumphing evil only when people work together, in community. And a man that makes a sacrifice for a woman who’s only ever known sacrificing herself? Where do I sign?
Plot wise, I couldn’t put the damn thing down. Is there a romance subplot? Yesssss and it was HOT. The conclusion was a little strange as there was like an ending before the ending but it made sense and felt right, didn’t feel rushed or mashed together haphazardly.
There were so many themes I enjoyed in this book but I really enjoyed the mini spotlight on how much women accepted the dangers of their own body. Men will never know what it’s like to be afraid of their own physicality. For women, in this time period especially, living meant marrying meant having children meant sometimes dying to have those children for those men, especially when at young ages. And the fact that this wasn’t as discriminatory between classes as it is today was interesting. I was reminded of Legend with Tom Cruise, A Knights Tale, and The 3 Musketeers.
In this book you will find haunted convents, ghosts of murdered brides, betrayal and treachery (screamed like a real lady I tell you), unicorns, lost cities and sorcery, an enchanted sword (screamed some more), melees, knights and jousting tournaments (big horses stamping and big men saying “My lady.”), castles under siege, escape from said castles under siege, yearning, and a very clever yellow cat…All of it is very French.
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2026
I needed a day or two to let this percolate before I could articulate a review.
This is marvelous. Well. Wow.
So far, all of Katherine Arden's novels for adults have made me want to shell out for fancy limited editions. I love the Winternight Trilogy, and The Warm Hands of Ghosts was like something someone would sell their soul at a crossroads to be able to write.
The Unicorn Hunters is an alternate history that begins around 1490, in the period shortly before the duchy of Brittany was annexed to become part of France. It's a challenging period for fiction to bridge us to, because the worldview of the people living in it is fairly far removed from that of modern readers.
Anne of Brittany, whose real life I'd previously been inclined to think of as an unqualified tragedy, is our main character. Arden makes a few carefully chosen edits to the facts from the historical record, at least to start with (it departs quite a bit further as magic becomes involved): Anne's age is advanced--because a 14-year-old being forced to marry is stomach-turning--and King Charles of France's older sister and politically savvy former regent becomes "Marguerite" to save us all from having to puzzle our way through a story with two central female characters both named "Anne."
Aside from those, though, in the beginning of the story there are only small differences. The political situation and the death of Anne's father, leaving her a young and inexperienced ruler with vanishingly few options (none of them good) are the same, but in this version of history, all noble courts have diviners, royal attendants who practice various forms of augury. So the story starts like historical fiction with just a dash of magical realism thrown in, but it gets progressively more fantastical as it goes.
And it goes quickly! I read a review somewhere in which someone complained of slow pacing. And I guess it takes all kinds? The only reason it took me three days to read this was because I was afraid I was inhaling it too quickly and made myself pause and read a little of something else so I could draw it out and enjoy it for longer. It is true that if you're hoping for a lot of on-page time for the unicorn, you'll be disappointed. BUT. There are the korriganed (Breton fairies), there's a mythical lost city, and other magical fairy tale elements from the region abound. There's also a mythical wood (Brocéliande) that, until I read Arden's afterword, I had no idea was also an actual real-world forest. There's even a romantic subplot that I not only tolerated but enjoyed!
In her afterword, Arden says (this is from an uncorrected proof and subject to change):
"I hope you will come away from this book beguiled as I was by this time period, the vibrant cusp between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Courts, religion, art, and secular life were all in the midst of startling and far-reaching change, as the laws of chivalry gave way to modern court politics. And in the midst of this change, I could not resist throwing a beautiful and brilliant young woman, an ancient magic, and a lost city by the sea."
She succeeded marvelously.
The book isn't perfect, but my quibbles are mostly writing continuity or logistical things: like at one point, two characters are riding horses at a gallop and talking, which isn't really feasible, for the noise if nothing else, but a few moments later someone on a pony at a trot overtakes them, which is only possible if they had slowed to a walk, but the story doesn't mention that change. It's tiny, sure, but it was moments like that, where my mind tripped up on logistics, that were the only things to pull me out of the story even briefly.
I thought Arden did quite a good job of telling a story with characters of a very different time and keeping their concepts and thoughts consistent with when they lived--the only exception being a portion at the very end when Anne is thinking and speaking about what a sovereign can and should be to a people, and the word "nation" gets used several times, when that wasn't really a concept of the time. Realms, peoples, duchies or territories, sure, but nations were a much later creation. But again: it's a very small quibble.
I loved Anne's relationships with her siblings, and I loved the mysterious maybe-abbess and the time spent in the Lost Lands. I can't wait to read the whole thing again.
I was thrilled to get early access from Del Rey and Netgalley in the form of an ARC, but I was absolutely always going to buy a shelf copy. Since finishing this, I have only been more sure and have put in a pre-order. Love, love, love.
P. S. - Because of the real Anne's life, I kept being braced for this to turn incredibly dark and tragic. It's not all easy by a long shot, but it also doesn't plumb the long dark nights of the soul nearly so much as The Warm Hands of Ghosts did. If that's a concern, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
This is marvelous. Well. Wow.
So far, all of Katherine Arden's novels for adults have made me want to shell out for fancy limited editions. I love the Winternight Trilogy, and The Warm Hands of Ghosts was like something someone would sell their soul at a crossroads to be able to write.
The Unicorn Hunters is an alternate history that begins around 1490, in the period shortly before the duchy of Brittany was annexed to become part of France. It's a challenging period for fiction to bridge us to, because the worldview of the people living in it is fairly far removed from that of modern readers.
Anne of Brittany, whose real life I'd previously been inclined to think of as an unqualified tragedy, is our main character. Arden makes a few carefully chosen edits to the facts from the historical record, at least to start with (it departs quite a bit further as magic becomes involved): Anne's age is advanced--because a 14-year-old being forced to marry is stomach-turning--and King Charles of France's older sister and politically savvy former regent becomes "Marguerite" to save us all from having to puzzle our way through a story with two central female characters both named "Anne."
Aside from those, though, in the beginning of the story there are only small differences. The political situation and the death of Anne's father, leaving her a young and inexperienced ruler with vanishingly few options (none of them good) are the same, but in this version of history, all noble courts have diviners, royal attendants who practice various forms of augury. So the story starts like historical fiction with just a dash of magical realism thrown in, but it gets progressively more fantastical as it goes.
And it goes quickly! I read a review somewhere in which someone complained of slow pacing. And I guess it takes all kinds? The only reason it took me three days to read this was because I was afraid I was inhaling it too quickly and made myself pause and read a little of something else so I could draw it out and enjoy it for longer. It is true that if you're hoping for a lot of on-page time for the unicorn, you'll be disappointed. BUT. There are the korriganed (Breton fairies), there's a mythical lost city, and other magical fairy tale elements from the region abound. There's also a mythical wood (Brocéliande) that, until I read Arden's afterword, I had no idea was also an actual real-world forest. There's even a romantic subplot that I not only tolerated but enjoyed!
In her afterword, Arden says (this is from an uncorrected proof and subject to change):
"I hope you will come away from this book beguiled as I was by this time period, the vibrant cusp between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Courts, religion, art, and secular life were all in the midst of startling and far-reaching change, as the laws of chivalry gave way to modern court politics. And in the midst of this change, I could not resist throwing a beautiful and brilliant young woman, an ancient magic, and a lost city by the sea."
She succeeded marvelously.
The book isn't perfect, but my quibbles are mostly writing continuity or logistical things: like at one point, two characters are riding horses at a gallop and talking, which isn't really feasible, for the noise if nothing else, but a few moments later someone on a pony at a trot overtakes them, which is only possible if they had slowed to a walk, but the story doesn't mention that change. It's tiny, sure, but it was moments like that, where my mind tripped up on logistics, that were the only things to pull me out of the story even briefly.
I thought Arden did quite a good job of telling a story with characters of a very different time and keeping their concepts and thoughts consistent with when they lived--the only exception being a portion at the very end when Anne is thinking and speaking about what a sovereign can and should be to a people, and the word "nation" gets used several times, when that wasn't really a concept of the time. Realms, peoples, duchies or territories, sure, but nations were a much later creation. But again: it's a very small quibble.
I loved Anne's relationships with her siblings, and I loved the mysterious maybe-abbess and the time spent in the Lost Lands. I can't wait to read the whole thing again.
I was thrilled to get early access from Del Rey and Netgalley in the form of an ARC, but I was absolutely always going to buy a shelf copy. Since finishing this, I have only been more sure and have put in a pre-order. Love, love, love.
P. S. - Because of the real Anne's life, I kept being braced for this to turn incredibly dark and tragic. It's not all easy by a long shot, but it also doesn't plumb the long dark nights of the soul nearly so much as The Warm Hands of Ghosts did. If that's a concern, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a read.
Let it be clear: Katherine Arden can write historical fiction. She goes into the detail and makes it feel authentic as anything. But, when you're expecting a fantasy from her - one that features unicorns, maybe temper your expectations just a bit.
I guess I miss old Katherine Arden. The one who wrote almost a completely original story with cameos with famous people here and there. Her Winternight Trilogy was still one of my favorite reads, and I wholeheartedly loved the story she told and the fierce female protagonist of that. So when she releases these new novels I hope to get that kind of feeling again. Another protagonist I can root for.
In this, she chooses to grab a historical female - Anne of Brittany, and turn her story into a 'what if' for the sake of this tale. Anne is to wed the King of France, but vows not to due to a promise to her father. She decides to use the legend of the unicorn and to call forth a hunt for it. However, all changes and soon Anne and her court are against foe from a land that was told to be lost for centuries.
When people write historical fantasy, and seeing what I had gotten in her trilogy, I expected something lush and as wonderous as that. Remember Warm Hands of Ghosts? This is that, only with a different lens. Maybe if I knew more about Anne of Brittany I'd care more. There are perhaps some Anne of Brittany aficionados who are going to either dislike the changes given to her history or lap it up because it gives strength to a character who really didn't have much to begin with. For me, I was trucking along for 50% of the book asking myself 'well, where is the magic'. Sure we get a unicorn, sure we get a mysterious nun who appears, a guy who may or may not be a foe who has strange powers, but it's bogged down by so much back and forth on 'is my husband from Germany going to come or not'. Also, we get a man who was captured by the French, then let go in return to make sure Anne takes France to wed. (Slight spoiler: he doesn't and ends up having a relationship with him... which isn't really romantic at all, just kind of strange because it feels like there is a story there we're missing. There is more to it in the author's afterword which kind of left me a little hmmm.)
It was fantasy lite - for people who don't like fantasy. The book doesn't get fantasy heavy until 60% into it, and when it is time for the two parts to merge (fantasy and historical) it ends up clunky and boring. I've read historical fantasy, I've read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell and that was (and still is) the strongest historical fantasy I ever read because of how detailed it was on bringing this au London to life.
I guess I gotta just keep hoping that Katherine goes back to writing something original. I'm not a fan of her history fantasy but for those who are, these are certainly for you.
Let it be clear: Katherine Arden can write historical fiction. She goes into the detail and makes it feel authentic as anything. But, when you're expecting a fantasy from her - one that features unicorns, maybe temper your expectations just a bit.
I guess I miss old Katherine Arden. The one who wrote almost a completely original story with cameos with famous people here and there. Her Winternight Trilogy was still one of my favorite reads, and I wholeheartedly loved the story she told and the fierce female protagonist of that. So when she releases these new novels I hope to get that kind of feeling again. Another protagonist I can root for.
In this, she chooses to grab a historical female - Anne of Brittany, and turn her story into a 'what if' for the sake of this tale. Anne is to wed the King of France, but vows not to due to a promise to her father. She decides to use the legend of the unicorn and to call forth a hunt for it. However, all changes and soon Anne and her court are against foe from a land that was told to be lost for centuries.
When people write historical fantasy, and seeing what I had gotten in her trilogy, I expected something lush and as wonderous as that. Remember Warm Hands of Ghosts? This is that, only with a different lens. Maybe if I knew more about Anne of Brittany I'd care more. There are perhaps some Anne of Brittany aficionados who are going to either dislike the changes given to her history or lap it up because it gives strength to a character who really didn't have much to begin with. For me, I was trucking along for 50% of the book asking myself 'well, where is the magic'. Sure we get a unicorn, sure we get a mysterious nun who appears, a guy who may or may not be a foe who has strange powers, but it's bogged down by so much back and forth on 'is my husband from Germany going to come or not'. Also, we get a man who was captured by the French, then let go in return to make sure Anne takes France to wed. (Slight spoiler: he doesn't and ends up having a relationship with him... which isn't really romantic at all, just kind of strange because it feels like there is a story there we're missing. There is more to it in the author's afterword which kind of left me a little hmmm.)
It was fantasy lite - for people who don't like fantasy. The book doesn't get fantasy heavy until 60% into it, and when it is time for the two parts to merge (fantasy and historical) it ends up clunky and boring. I've read historical fantasy, I've read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell and that was (and still is) the strongest historical fantasy I ever read because of how detailed it was on bringing this au London to life.
I guess I gotta just keep hoping that Katherine goes back to writing something original. I'm not a fan of her history fantasy but for those who are, these are certainly for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much for the eARC, NetGalley. I've been checking every day since I found out about this book, and I squealed when I finally saw it listed, and then squealed even more when I saw the approval email.
I love The Bear and the Nightingale, and The Warm Hands of Ghosts, so I had really high hopes.
If you would have asked me around the 50% mark, I would have said this would be a new favourite. The writing was beautiful, it was so atmospheric, and I really liked Anne.
It's difficult to fully express what I didn't enjoy about the second half without spoilers, but it was the romance that first made me pause in my enjoyment. It just seemed so sudden, with a rather uninteresting love-interest.
I also expected more magic, more from that aspect of the plot. It felt a bit underdeveloped, and Anne became a little Mary-Sue-ish, just too good at everything.
Overall, 3.5 stars, but I don't feel like I enjoyed it enough to round to 4, sadly.
I love The Bear and the Nightingale, and The Warm Hands of Ghosts, so I had really high hopes.
If you would have asked me around the 50% mark, I would have said this would be a new favourite. The writing was beautiful, it was so atmospheric, and I really liked Anne.
It's difficult to fully express what I didn't enjoy about the second half without spoilers, but it was the romance that first made me pause in my enjoyment. It just seemed so sudden, with a rather uninteresting love-interest.
I also expected more magic, more from that aspect of the plot. It felt a bit underdeveloped, and Anne became a little Mary-Sue-ish, just too good at everything.
Overall, 3.5 stars, but I don't feel like I enjoyed it enough to round to 4, sadly.
Want to read
October 22, 2025!!!!!!!!!
unreleased
March 11, 2026NEW KATHERINE ARDEN BOOK AHHH i'm foaming at the mouth. unicorns?! UNICORNS?! her mind...
Want to read
September 17, 2025new katherine arden book about medieval brittany i'm genuinely screaming crying throwing up
Want to read
November 30, 2025Uhmm EXCUSE ME?? My favorite author is releasing a new book in 2026??? And it sounds amazing???????
February 25, 2026
A couple of months ago I was at the Met Cloisters admiring the mysterious tapestries depicting the hunt of the unicorn. We do not know exactly who was behind their creation, but one theory suggests they were commissioned by Anne of Brittany before her wedding to Louis XII of France in the very late 15th century. Given these mysterious circumstances, it’s not surprising that the story of unicorns and Brittany under Anne inspired Katherine Arden to write this fascinating historical fantasy book, which turned out to be very different from what I expected.
This wasn’t my first book by this author, and when I read the synopsis of The Unicorn Hunters I assumed it would be something close in vibe to the Winternight Trilogy. In a way I was right, but also very wrong. I was right because this book fully commits to its fantasy elements. There are unicorns, fae, and other supernatural beings that genuinely influence the story, and Breton mythology plays a major role. At the same time, I was wrong, because despite all the magic, the book still reads very much like historical fiction and will likely appeal to fans of the genre. By this I mean that the novel captures the spirit of its setting incredibly well. It’s kind of hard to put into words, but while reading The Unicorn Hunters I kept thinking of late medieval and early Renaissance literature. I don’t mean the language, which is clearly adapted for a modern audience, but rather the mindset of the characters, who feel rooted in the 15th century. It’s not like modern people placed in a historical setting. It should be appreciated, because the late Middle Ages is a fascinating period, but also a difficult one to portray convincingly. Thinking about it now, I’m not surprised that relatively few authors choose it as a setting. It’s simply much harder to do well than for example, a Victorian era novel, where the distance in mindset is often easier for modern readers to grasp.
To get back to the point, the story is a fictionalized take on real historical figures, with a strong focus on politics. Court intrigue, shifting alliances, and power struggles are all central to the narrative, and they feel very much in line with the period. Anne, as Duchess of Brittany, is forced to seek allies beyond the French court, which’s determined to absorb her duchy through marriage. Instead, she sets her sights on marrying Maximilian of Austria and securing protection within the Holy Roman Empire. This leads to constant negotiations, strategic maneuvering, and plenty of tension. And of course, running alongside all of this, there’s the matter of unicorn hunting.
Saying all this, this definitely won’t be a book for everyone. The pacing is quite slow, especially in the first half. If you’re looking for fast paced, adventurous fantasy with a lot of action and mythological spectacle, you might end up disappointed. This isn’t an adventure book, even though the title may suggest it. Not gonna lie, I had mixed feelings myself, mostly because I expected something a bit different going in. It took me a while to fully get into the story and adjust to the style and the world. But once I settled into it, I started to appreciate what the book was trying to do. The second half does pick up somewhat, but overall it’s still much slower than The Bear and the Nightingale. This also feels very much like an adult novel. Alongside the political plot, there’s a romantic arc which (for me) feels very much like a chivalric romance from late medieval and early modern Europe. I actually enjoyed that aspect quite a lot.
Overall, even though this is obviously a fantasy novel, I think it will resonate more with readers who already enjoy historical fiction. It works better as a gateway into fantasy for historical fiction readers than the other way around. If you’re coming from second world fantasy and expecting something similar in structure and tone, this might not fully satisfy you. But in terms of historical research and atmosphere, it’s genuinely impressive and definitely worth giving a chance.
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This wasn’t my first book by this author, and when I read the synopsis of The Unicorn Hunters I assumed it would be something close in vibe to the Winternight Trilogy. In a way I was right, but also very wrong. I was right because this book fully commits to its fantasy elements. There are unicorns, fae, and other supernatural beings that genuinely influence the story, and Breton mythology plays a major role. At the same time, I was wrong, because despite all the magic, the book still reads very much like historical fiction and will likely appeal to fans of the genre. By this I mean that the novel captures the spirit of its setting incredibly well. It’s kind of hard to put into words, but while reading The Unicorn Hunters I kept thinking of late medieval and early Renaissance literature. I don’t mean the language, which is clearly adapted for a modern audience, but rather the mindset of the characters, who feel rooted in the 15th century. It’s not like modern people placed in a historical setting. It should be appreciated, because the late Middle Ages is a fascinating period, but also a difficult one to portray convincingly. Thinking about it now, I’m not surprised that relatively few authors choose it as a setting. It’s simply much harder to do well than for example, a Victorian era novel, where the distance in mindset is often easier for modern readers to grasp.
To get back to the point, the story is a fictionalized take on real historical figures, with a strong focus on politics. Court intrigue, shifting alliances, and power struggles are all central to the narrative, and they feel very much in line with the period. Anne, as Duchess of Brittany, is forced to seek allies beyond the French court, which’s determined to absorb her duchy through marriage. Instead, she sets her sights on marrying Maximilian of Austria and securing protection within the Holy Roman Empire. This leads to constant negotiations, strategic maneuvering, and plenty of tension. And of course, running alongside all of this, there’s the matter of unicorn hunting.
Saying all this, this definitely won’t be a book for everyone. The pacing is quite slow, especially in the first half. If you’re looking for fast paced, adventurous fantasy with a lot of action and mythological spectacle, you might end up disappointed. This isn’t an adventure book, even though the title may suggest it. Not gonna lie, I had mixed feelings myself, mostly because I expected something a bit different going in. It took me a while to fully get into the story and adjust to the style and the world. But once I settled into it, I started to appreciate what the book was trying to do. The second half does pick up somewhat, but overall it’s still much slower than The Bear and the Nightingale. This also feels very much like an adult novel. Alongside the political plot, there’s a romantic arc which (for me) feels very much like a chivalric romance from late medieval and early modern Europe. I actually enjoyed that aspect quite a lot.
Overall, even though this is obviously a fantasy novel, I think it will resonate more with readers who already enjoy historical fiction. It works better as a gateway into fantasy for historical fiction readers than the other way around. If you’re coming from second world fantasy and expecting something similar in structure and tone, this might not fully satisfy you. But in terms of historical research and atmosphere, it’s genuinely impressive and definitely worth giving a chance.
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews