The Great Hunt

Eurona Duology #1

by Wendy Higgins

Wendy Higgins, the author of the New York Times bestselling Sweet Evil series, reimagines a classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale with The Great Hunt, a dramatic, romance-filled fantasy with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom.

When a monstrous beast attacks in Eurona, desperate measures must be taken. The king sends a proclamation to the best and bravest whoever kills the creature will win the hand of his daughter Princess Aerity as a reward. The princess recognizes her duty but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger—she was meant to marry for love—until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. And while there’s no denying the fiery chemistry between them, Princess Aerity feels that Paxton’s mysteriousness is foreboding, maybe even dangerous.

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

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Retellings, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic, High Fantasy

426 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 8, 2016

About the author

Wendy Higgins is a USA Today and NY Times bestselling author.
After earning a Creative Writing degree from George Mason University and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until achieving her dream job as a full-time writer.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Everything will be all right, Mama. Father will figure something out.”

Yikes. I really didn't want to write another 1-star review for a highly-anticipated YA fantasy/retelling, but this book takes a dark, twisted fairy tale and turns it into a romancefest with some of the weakest female characters I've ever read about.

The Great Hunt is based on the Grimm Brothers' tale "The Singing Bone", which is about a vicious beast that terrorizes a kingdom, and the darkest side of sibling rivalries. And yet, this book is not really about that at all.

The book opens with mentions of the beast murdering innocent people and we are treated to a dramatic scene where Wyneth loses her "great love" as he bravely faces down the creature. Unsure what else to do, the King promises his daughter to the man who can kill the beast.

This summary is also very similar to the first part of "The Singing Bone", and yet the stories diverge greatly after that. Where the original focuses on the brothers and the killing of the beast, this instead focuses on Princess Aerity, Wyneth and their affections for certain competitors.

"Now she found herself staring unabashedly from her window at Paxton Seabolt, wishing she had a seaman’s scope so she could peer closer.”

With lots of flushing, heated moments and hot douche-y boys, unromantic readers should steer clear of this book. And believe me when I say: there is little else to find. It's a superficial read that shows young damsels in distress falling over themselves for boys defined by their physical hotness.

I found it really difficult to take the characters seriously. Wyneth supposedly loses her "great love" and yet she is flirting with and kissing another guy shortly after (who is a douche, by the way). And Aerity falls for Paxton - a playboy and an asshole who’s had lots of "easy" girls but, of course, none of them were serious.

“He’s simply not the marrying type. The women he’s been known to fraternize with are . . . well . . .” She looked back and forth between the royal girls’ waiting faces. “Not exactly innocents.”

The more he is mean and insulting to her, the more Aerity seems to be obsessed with Paxton. While this might be an unfortunate realistic portrait of some young women's abusive relationships, this is not the kind of romance I want to read about. Also, I almost threw the book at the wall when Paxton joked about domestic violence. Someone needs to burn that out of the final publication because it's not fucking funny.

Higgins does try to add a twist of female empowerment by allowing some of the competitors to be a group of female hunters (Aerity is instead promised to a man from their village), but they remain undeveloped and it doesn't quite work with the rest of the story.

I can only recommend this for readers who enjoy romance stories with asshole love interests.

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[Wendy Higgins]

So…Aerity's hair color on the cover is not her hair color in the book. Aerity's hair is actually strawberry blond - a light, golden-hued red. Just wanted you all to know that I do know the difference between red and strawberry blond, so please don't hold it against me, haha. Some things are out of an author's control.

This will be a 2-book duology.

There will be a map in the final book, but it wasn't ready in time for ARC printing. If you're reading an ARC, you can see the maps in this blog post: http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com/201... Also, you can email me for an additional scene that will be in the final book but didn't make it into ARCs. :)

THE GREAT HUNT is dark, mysterious, at times spooky, and full of sensual tension in a high fantasy setting. :) Rugged hunters and royal girls with acrobatic talents!
This story is filled with the things you've come to expect from me. By this, I hope you know I mean romance and in this case multiple romances!

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

In his eyes lived something deep, dark, and untold. Something that frightened her.

But it didn’t scare her enough to make her want to stay away from him. Not nearly enough.

Oh god. I wouldn't recommend this book to the girl who ratted me out to my crush in 9th grade.

If you love love, and if you think being the helpless damsel in distress is THE GREATEST THING EVAR!!!11ONE!, then you may enjoy this book. Me? Not so much. Oh, and the "princess willing to risk all to save her people" thing in the blurb? I mean, if you consider giving up whom you thought was your One Twoo Wuv to marry your Real One Twoo Wuv a sacrifice then sure, I guess.

What can I say? This book was terrible. It's an old-fashioned teenaged girl's wet dream of the purest sort, and clichéd as all hell. Beautiful princess falls into insta-love with disrespectful asshole.

Still holding her hand, he dropped his gaze down to the swell of fabric at her chest, and kept it there too long, his hand tightening and seeming even hotter around hers.

Who is turned into a prince charming by her love. Not even the earliest Disney movies were this bad. If you want feminism and strength, you will not find it here.

This is a story about a fairy tale kingdom ruled by a kind king and his loving family, under the shadow of a Beast that has ravaged the countryside and killed numerous people. The kingdom is broke, unable to fund further efforts to kill the Beast. As a last resort, the king offers the hand of his beautiful eldest daughter, Princess Aerity (good lord, even the name makes me want to throw up in my mouth) to anyone who can kill the beast.

If you're hoping that the princess will rise to the occasion and kill the beast herself, you'd be wrong. She spends the entire fucking book dressing up, practicing aerial silks (I'm not fucking kidding), checking out hot, conveniently half-dressed guys and that's pretty much it.

The hunter looked down at his abdomen and then back up at the princess. He rubbed a hand down his stomach. “I’m not sure where my tunic’s gone . . . it was bloodied.”
Aerity waved off his comment with a shaking hand and said, “It’s all right.” As if she were used to being in the presence of half-naked, attractive men.
Do not look at his chest . . . or his stomach. . . .

Aerity gets to have her ego stroked and lives in the safety of her castle while a host of extremely hot men vie for her hands under the guise of killing the Beast. She meets many handsome, distinguished, gentlemanly men...

He wore a leather kilt to his knees, fur-lined leather boots, and a sleeveless tunic with a burnished breastplate over it.

His arms . . . seas almighty. His arms were all muscle, bulging without even flexing. Same with his calves. And his face was chiseled as in the coldlands tales of old.

While falling for the rude commoner asshole.

Given all of that, the princess was surprised she did not feel the same heat course through her that she’d felt for the rude commoner moments before.

#predictable

And as assholish and rude and MACHO as the main love interest, Paxton is, he seems to have...awfully emotional and flowery thoughts.

Paxton spared his last look for Princess Aerity. Even from afar she seemed to be looking right at him. She brought her slender fingertips to her lips and left them there, as if her hand could keep her emotions from escaping.

*rolls eyes*

Now, the myriad of things wrong in the book.

First, victim-blaming.

Paxton knew his behavior had been inappropriate, but it was her own fault.

Oh, it's her fault that he was attracted, was it? It was HER FAULT that he had to act like an asshole to her, is it? Fuck you. Seriously, fuck you.

Paxton is an douchenozzle. He is verbally abusive and mentally manipulative. Aerity doesn't seem to care. In fact, the worse Paxton treats her, the more Aerity seems to fall for him.

“Is it so hard to believe I’d prefer to be alone? I’m certain every eligible man in the kingdom would fall over his boot strings for a chance to ride behind your royal arse, but I am not one of them.”
Well, that settled it, the swine. Now Aerity would walk at his side for the simple pleasure of not giving him what he wanted. If he thought he could frighten her away with his words and intimidate her, he was wrong.

It's a terrible message to send to young women.

The book slut-shames.

He’s simply not the marrying type. The women he’s been known to fraternize with are . . . well . . .” She looked back and forth between the royal girls’ waiting faces. “Not exactly innocents."

Save yourself the headache and frustration.

Read this review and more @ The Book Eaters

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced with beautiful writing and filled with romance, fantasy, action, and magic. This was such an enjoyable read!

I should probably include a disclaimer where I let you know I have never read the Grimm Brothers’ story “The Singing Bone,” so I had no prior experience with the tale that inspired the author to write The Great Hunt. This may have made the story feel a bit more fresh than it may have for someone who really knows the original story. I’ll be reading the original later today since Wendy Higgins so kindly provides it on her website.

Princess Aerity lives in the kingdom of Lochlanach, one of the several kingdoms within Eurona. There is a great beast that has been terrorizing the towns within the kingdom. It’s proving to be impossible to kill. The king’s own soldiers are failing leading to his desperation. Though the king has always believed in love, he issues a proclamation that whichever hunter- in all the lands of Eurona- kills the beast gets to marry his eldest daughter, Princess Aerity. She understands that this is what is best for the kingdom, but before long sets her eyes on one of the hunters, Paxton Seabolt, who appears to want nothing to do with her.

Paxton has dark secrets and doesn’t particularly care for the royal family. He only cares about killing the beast to protect his family. It has nothing to do with the proclamation. What is he hiding? And what happens if he kills the beast? What if he doesn’t? The romance is a very slow-burning one. By the end of the book, you are dying for more. Seriously. I think the big romance fans may be a little disappointed, but am hoping the sequel more than makes up for that.

Oh..and there are also Lashed Ones who have the ability to use magic, but magic is outlawed throughout all of Eurona. The laws are older, but there is an assumption that Lashed are all dangerous and are hated and feared by most unlashed because of this. This leads to a lot of discrimination and clear conflict. I am really excited to see where this part of the storyline goes. It’s one of my favorite aspects of the book.

The narration is done in third person. There are several different perspectives we are given throughout, though the story is mainly told from Aerity and Paxton’s. I enjoyed the addition POVs for additional insight into the story. They also help to set up parts of the plot. The world-building was phenomenal and felt natural. It didn’t feel like all the information was just thrown at us making for a boring story. There was a lot of it, yet it fit into the plot naturally.

The Great Hunt is only the first of a two book duology leaving us with a pretty bad cliffhanger. I thought it was the proper time for the story to end and am really looking forward to book two. In terms of the story, you have a general idea of where book two is going, but have absolutely no idea how any of it will play out. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited that makes me!

If you are a fan of fantasy or fairytale retellings, I highly recommend you read this. You won’t regret it!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review via edelweiss.

[aly ☆彡 (on vacation) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kill the beast, Win the girl

When a ferocious beast threatens the land, the royal family is forced to make sacrifices to vanquish the threat and save the people. And that cover is just enticing. I am literally hooked with the six words deal. However, I find this book disappointing.

1. Very slow plot
I'm not sure why the author chose to rewrite the Brothers Grimm fairy tale and turn it into a full-fledged novel. It piques my interest, sure and these tactics can be successful in some cases. But in the instance of "The Great Hunt," readers would be better off reading the short story instead of the novel. It took me some time to finish them since the plot was tedious and uneventful. I am not sure if it's because a slow-paced book has never really been my cup of tea but this one felt entirely flat. I believe the author was just dawdling the whole story with less action and no progress.

2. Rather uninteresting characters
The plot is disappointing? Fear not, I still have faith that the characters would save the book. In truth? They don't. The novel's characters are closely interrelated to generate "depth," and I tried to search for appealing characters over and over but the only likability they provide is only on the facet.

Princess Aerity could have been my favourite and she has the potential as a heroine. Unfortunately, that was being overshadowed by the romance that fills the pages. She can be great but she be dumb for love.

Meanwhile, you may want to try to understand Paxton who we found to be emotionally broken. But here's a thing one failed to acknowledge about being broken or damaged: it should not serve as an excuse for your poor actions or behaviour and Paxton is no exception.

Do not even get me started with Aerity's cousin. She is the epitome of useless and the most annoying character in the book (spoiler alert: she is not even the antagonist).

3. Contradictions in character's description
This is actually very trivial and I don't usually get bothered by this. But apparently, Princess Aerity was painted as someone with strawberry blonde hair. And would you look at that cover... I am actually very particular about how and what the characters look like and I hate when I got:
i) Vague description of the characters
ii) Inconsistent in characters' visual representation
And this book falls into both categories.

I almost DNF this. However, a perspective from a friend kinda brought me some positive insights where she told me about Wendy Higgins as a slow starter (that's her style of writing) so you will enjoy them once everything gets sets up. Thanks to her, it actually helps me to read the book in a different light and finished the rest. What I can deduce is that her writing style is definitely not for everyone but I actually find it tolerable sometimes later.

This book would have been a success because I find the world-building to be decent and the political issues that made this compelling. Too bad, the pace, the plot and the characters became its downfall.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would.

The story and characters were very underdeveloped and the romance was too insta-love for my taste...and basically non-existent. The heroine was kind of bland and the "hero" was the typical aloof prick who is known to snag all the ladies and treats the heroine like shite - so, of course she digs him.

Something that made me also doubt the depth of the characters: the book begins with one of the supporting characters (the heroine's best friend/cousin) losing the supposed love of her life in an attack by the beast. And yet, mere chapters later she is blushing over the attentions of a new suitor. Pfffffft.

Basically this read like what it is: the cookie-cutter 2016 YA romance.

Even though I’ve already checked out book two from the library and have it ready to go, I’m not sure I will continue. Just very underwhelmed.

Next.

[☆☽Erica☾☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 26%

OKAY SO NO. BIG FAT NO.



I don't recommend this book.

And I don't usually use quotes in my reviews, but I will here.

This is a fairytale retelling of a fairytale I haven't heard of. The story is about a princess named Aerity who is the prize for killing a horrendous beast attacking the land. A bunch of hunters come out to try to kill it and whichever macho guy wins gets to marry the princess. There's also some vague suggestions of magic, but only some people possess the magic powers. There are two brothers named Paxton and Tiern, along with hundreds of other men, that compete in this challenge. Paxton is a stereotypical douchey sex-god alpha male who doesn't smile and bangs lots of chicks. Girls fall over him without him even talking. His younger brother, Tiern is a trope younger brother. Happy, baby-faced, energetic, trying his best but even with his charisma can't compete with the mind-blowing hotness of main guy.



Aerity, our pathetic heroine, is spellblindingly pathetic. Her personality is like a cheesegrater on your brain. She is shallow and petty and has no sense of humor whatsoever. She also expresses her deep emotions in the color of the dresses she wears. For instance:

She shook her head against the notion and went to her wardrobe to retrieve a drab, gray gown. She would mourn the loss of her cousin's fiance until Wyneth was up and about again. Only then would Aerity don dresses in soft colors.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME. She is showing her compassion for HER CLOSEST FRIEND/COUSIN'S hardship by WEARING A GRAY DRESS.



This is why I avoid books like "The Selection" and other books about dresses. Like who fucking cares about your dress.
Also, due to the beast, and the hoards of deaths that have come with it, she is not allowed to leave the castle. She goes:

The princess hoped they caught and killed the great beast soon, because this way no way for anyone to live. Since Breckon had been killed three days ago, they hadn't been allowed out of the castle, day or night, and she hadn't seen her cousin Wyneth or her dear friend Harrison.

Okay.

okay.

I need to regather myself here. She is complaining about being trapped in a CASTLE for THREE DAYS. Dear god. I live in a one bedroom apartment and I totally wouldn't mind if you trapped me in it for a month. I would get a ton of reading done and do some crafts. And there isn't even a crazy, neighborhood killer/ murderous mythical beast in my area! I would voluntarily do this. She is "trapped" in a castle with nearly infinite possibilities, including a room devoted to acrobatics.

Furthermore, Aerity treats her younger, 15 year old sister, Vixie, like absolute trash. She is so condescending to her I thought she was actually like six until they told us her age. At one point they go to meet the castle's magic lady (btw the magic people are called the "Lashed"):

"But the lashed are not evil," Vixie said, sitting forward. "Why are people just idiots? We know your godson saved father's life with magic."
"Vixie!" Aerity gasped with embarrassment and leveled a glare at her sister. Under her breath she ground out, "A bit of tact, please." Mrs. Rathbrook's grandson was not something the royal family spoke of. Vixie stared back as if to say, "What?"

Yeah, literally. What?
The entire land is in a state of distress and her younger sister is curious about something so asks basically a family member for consolation/understanding. Aerity's acting like she's a disgruntled teenager in the supermarket with her parents and they ran into the hottest dude in school. She's embarrassed by everything Vixie says.

Aerity...I'm not a fan of you. At all.

There's a ton of other examples of Aerity being unbearable, but I will spare you the misery of getting to know her.

Other than this book's fascination with dresses and the color of those said dresses, basically the only other thing we focus on is hotness. Let me regale you with a stream of facepalm-worthy quotes.

1) Princess Aerity was the very image desires were made of. Her silken cream dress was cinched at her waist, accentuating her femininity.

2) High seas, her mouth had gone dry. No man had ever made her nervous like this. Why did he appear so angry? And why did every detail of his appearance appeal to her on such a base level.

3) To her utter relief he took her hand in his rough, warm one. Paxton then did something that none of the other tables full of men had dared to do. Still holding her hand, he dropped his gaze down to the swell of fabric at her chest, and kept it there too long., his hand tightening and seeming even hotter around hers. Another shocked sound left Wyneth, this one high-pitched. Aerity's chest sizzled under the hunter's heated attention, and she dropped his hand.
In unison, the guards behind her stepped closer, one of them clearing his throat. When Paxton Seabolt's eyes drifted lower across her waist, Princess Aerity refused to cower. She was torn between offense and flattery at the intimate way he took her in with his eyes, perusing at his leisure until Tiern discreetly bumped him with his shoulder.

4) His arms...seas almighty. His arms were all muscle, bulging without even flexing. Same with his calves. And his face was chiseled as in the coldlands tales of old.

5) Given all that, the princess was surprised she did not feel the same heat course through her that she'd felt for the rude commoner moments before.

Oy. Have you ever seen a clearer representation about the dangers of rape culture/ abusive relationships? She insta-loves the abuser aka love interest (who will hurt her and then change a new leaf, I'm guessing) because honestly there's no mystery here, Paxton will win and marry Aerity. And if not, he will manipulate her into still seeing him even if she's married because they're in "luv." Women, especially young ones, will read this and accept this as a relationship they want. I promise you, you don't want this relationship. This is not romantic.

Basically this story could have been an interesting fairytale retelling, but instead is a total failmance and I want nothing to do with that.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book... SO good... until the ending. I don't know if I want to be lenient (because I know there will be a sequel) or harsh (because that ending gutted me).


***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins
Book One of Eurona Duology
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

Kill the beast. Win the girl.

A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family—yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires, dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear.

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

What I Liked:

This is my first Wendy Higgins book, so I can't compare this one to her Sweet series, or her self-published novel. I can say that I was pretty pleased with this book, despite its crushing ending. (Sorry! It gutted me though.) What is holding me together (and making me not rate this book down) is the fact that this is book one of two, and I'm almost 90% confident in Higgins not to steer me wrong in terms of certain... things. I'm taking a leap of faith, I suppose.

Lochlanach is under attack, by a strange and dangerous beast that has been attacking at night, ripping soldiers and villagers to shreds. The king is desperate; with his oldest daughter's reluctant permission, he issues a proclamation that whichever hunter kills the beast will have his daughter's hand in marriage. Aerity always wanted to marry for love, but she knows the safety of her kingdom is more important. But she can't help falling for Paxton Seabolt, a mysterious, grumpy, brooding hunter who is bent on killing the beast to protect his family and Lochlanach (i.e. not for her). Paxton isn't all that he seems, but then, neither is the beast, or what is really going on in Lochlanach.

I've never read "The Singing Bone", but I have a huge copy of the works of the Grimm Brothers so I will definitely be reading it when I get the chance! I love fairy tale retellings, and I'm sure Higgins did a beautiful job of twisting the tale into her own story.

I thought the world-building was well-written! I love how this book starts - in a horrifying, eye-opening way. A true hook, in my opinion.

I also really like how important family is, in this book! The king has three kids (Aerity, Vixie, Donny), and his two younger sisters have an army of kids as well. The oldest cousin is Wyneth, who is one year older than Aerity, and whose betrothed was killed by the beast. Wyneth has been in mourning, but clear how much Aerity and Wyneth love each other and are best friends as well as cousins. Their friendship is so strong, throughout the book!

This book is written in third-person limited, so we get Aerity's third-person POV, and Paxton's. I liked Aerity, though at first I didn't really connect with her. She's a good person and a selfless princess. I love how much she cares about her family, and her kingdom. I liked Paxton almost immediately - grumpy, silent, and somewhat moody heroes are my favorite. Especially the ones who are noble and yet have something to hide! Paxton is a fierce hunter and a selfless, brave man. He and his younger brother, Tiern, enter the Hunt, but both are more concerned with killing the best than marrying the princess.

I have seen a lot of people struggle with the pacing, or the writing, but I personally didn't have any trouble reading this book. I'll admit, the beginning, after the first scene but before the hunters gathered for the Hunt, I had to muscle through a bit. But once the Hunt was called, I was zipping through this book.

The romance is so sweet! It's the slow-burn type, and kind of hate-to-love, which are two of my favorite tropes in romances. I say "kind of" hate-to-love because the attraction is instant, for both Aerity and Paxton, but Paxton is doing everything he can to avoid Aerity, and Aerity is convinced that Paxton does not like her. Nevertheless, I liked the romance; no love triangle, and it's a pretty straightforward romance, at least until the ending. You'll see my thoughts on the ending in the next section.

The climax of this book something that I both dreaded and looked forward to - and I got exactly what I was expecting. Higgins ups the ante, and she sets up a bigger picture for book two really well. Of course, I abhorred the ending (you'll understand why - vaguely - in the next section), but Higgins did a good job of writing the ending. The ending makes sense, even if I hated it.

What I Did Not Like:

Okay fine, I hated the ending. It's a huge cliffhanger, in terms of several different aspects. The Hunt has just gotten super complicated (trust me, this is VAGUE), a new player has entered the game, and the romance... oh my heart. Just thinking about the proclamation, and the whole premise of this book - you can probably figure out why I hate this ending in terms of the romance.

If this book ended with all of the OTHER cliffhanger aspects MINUS what happened in terms of the romance, then I would give this book five stars, hands down. But it's getting 3.5 stars - which I am willing to round up to 4 stars - because of that cliffhanger.

Would I Recommend It:

Despite the cliffhanger, I enjoyed the entire book. It's one of those cases in which I LOVED the book up until the ending. What's keeping me strong is that I'm pretty sure Higgins loves a good HEA, and she wouldn't have spent so much time in those two specific characters' heads otherwise... right?

Maybe wait until book two publishes, to binge-read the series. Man, I love duologies. Though the wait is still the same, for the next book, it's only one book to wait for!

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I'm hoping that there will be a good ending to the series! I think I trust Higgins with this HEA but... I'm pretty anxious now! Still, she has guaranteed at least one person who can't wait for the sequel, because of the ending of this book!

[Radmila · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 STARS!!!

The kingdom is petrified with fear.





This beast. It's too strong, too vicious. The man say their war cries only taunt it. My girl... I'm frightened for what's to come.






Hunters














PAXTON






I have only one thing left to offer the man who kills this beast. I offer the hand of my oldest daughter in marriage.


PRINCESS AERITY





I am big fan of The Sweet Trilogy , so when I heard there will be a new book by Wendy Higgins I pressed the button without reading the plot. The Great Hunt wasn't great, but it was ok read. I wasn't fond of Aerity. Sometimes she was getting on my nerves with childish behavior. I was more interested in Wyneth and Lief's relationship then Paxton and Aerity's. I will never forget look on Lief's face when he realize that Wyneth isn't Aerity. Poor guy.




Lord Alvi stood and his crystal blue eyes went straight to Wyneth. He reached for her hands and her eyes bulged. "Princess Aerity", he crooned in a low voice. Whoops. Aerity bit the inside of her lip to hide a giggle as her cousin's cheeks reddened. "No, kind sir. I am Lady Wyneth Wavecrest. This is my cousin Princess Aerity herself." Her eyes were still huge as she turned to gesture toward the princess. Was it Aerity's imagination, or had he appeared momentarily crestfallen as his eyes changed course toward her? He stepped over and gave another bow, taking Aerity's hand. When his gaze rose to her, full of brazen confidence and an easy smile, she thought she must have imagined his initial disappointment.





Keep up the good work, Wendy !

[Ahmed Ejaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fear was a dangerous and unpredictable weapon

This book is inspired by "The Singing Bone" written by two of my most favourite writers, Grimm Brothers. I read that fairy tale and found out this book. I liked that tale or thought I would like this book too.

WORLD-BUILDING
Name of the world; Eurona
Divided into; 5 kingdoms
Name of each:
Lochlanach, Ascomanni, Toresta, Zorfina and Kalor.
Each kingdom is different from other and has its own unique language and culture.
The world is divided into two groups of people:
Lashed Or Un-lashed .
Lashed can do magic but Un-lashed can't.
Lashed Ones are not allowed to do magic for a reason by the laws of Eurona. They are believed to be dangerous to Un-lashed for a reason. But not all Lashed Ones are bad. Because of few, Lashed Ones are infamous.
There is a problem also. If they do magic, they will be hanged to death.
If they don't do magic then they will not survive for long age. Either way, they will be dead.

CHARACTERS
Aerity:
Princess of Lochlanach.
Paxton Seabolt:
A hunter.
Tiern Seabolt:
Paxton's younger brother and the hunter also.

OVERVIEW
Lochlanach is threatened by a beast who only appears in night and kills the men. There is fear all over the Lochlanach. When King's niece's betrothed is killed by the beast, the king takes action on it and offers a good deal of fortune to whom who will kill the beast and saves the kingdom. Nobody becomes ready. Nobody endangers his life. At last, to save his kingdom, to save his people, King announces that whoever kills the beast will be awarded his daughter as a gift. Will be allowed to marry his daughter. At this proclamation, there gathers 100s of hunters from all over Eurona to kill the beast. To win Princess Aerity.
In those hunters, there are two brothers also. Paxton and Tiern. Tiern falls in love at-first-sight with Princess. But not Paxton. He doesn't even wants to marry Aerity. He has his own plans which are more important. But eventually he falls in love with princess. Aerity loves Paxton too. BUT their fates have no good plans for them. Especially Paxton's.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1) There were hundreds of people gathered to kill the beast. To win the Princess Aerity. Okay.....Almost all the hunters worked as a team. I mean really?!! Brotherhood, huh? But why the heck they care about teaming up. Personally, I have no problem with this. But if we think practically, I don't think it is possible. Why I would help my rival? To let him win the Princess?
2) Ending was a bit of accidental. Wasn't planned. Aerity and her cousin, Wyneth wanted to go to dock, just for refreshing their minds. They didn't take all the hunters with them. They just took few including: Paxton, Tiern, Lord Alvi and royal guards. And there they swam, reached the island unintentionally for taking rest. And they accidentally encountered the mastermind behind the beast. Just simple is that it looks. Really!!!! All of a sudden! No planning!!

THINGS I LIKED
1) Paxton and Aerity's relationship.
2) I liked how Paxton's mysteries were revealed.
3) I liked how the beast was portrayed. I liked how strong it was. Nothing can penatrate its skin. It has only one weakness. I liked that too.
4) I liked the way the beast was killed. That was totally unexpected.
5) I liked the relationship of Brothers, Paxton and Tiern. They both loved each other. Cared for each other. Due to this, Paxton had endangered his life for forever. God Knows what will happen to him in the next book.
6) I am really happy there wasn't a love triangle. I liked Tiern left Aerity and began to love her sister. That was...o okay. Otherwise, love triangle among two brothers and one girl..!! I can't imagine it. Or probably I wouldn't have liked it.
7) I liked the concept of magic. I liked that whenever a Lashed One would do magic, a purple line would be appeared underneath his fingernails. And would remove eventually as their nails would grow.

Overall, this book was good, not great. Next book is a must-read for me. Or I think this book is just the beginning. This book is totally concerned with beast. It doesn't tell much about Lashed Ones. Just gives an introduction to them. And next book is totally concerned with them. Hope to get a better conclusion. It should be!!

January 29, 2016

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Hunt starts with a ferocious beast terrorizing the land of Eurona, with little options the King makes a royal decree: Whoever kills the beast will win his daughter, Princess Aerity’s hand in marriage. Hunters and villager’s from all over the kingdom travel to Eurona to compete in this competition to one day become royalty.

Aerity was a likeable heroine, I never got the spoilt princess vibe from her and when she was dealt a bad hand, as in her father marrying her off to any stranger who happens to kill the beast, she takes this in her stride with her head held high. Aerity cares a lot for her family, this is evident by allowing the hunt to proceed but I loved how she showed a lot of love to the royal lashed healer, Mrs Rathbrook. The lashed are people who are capable of wielding magic, however it has been banned in Eurona, anyone who is caught with the visible signs of using their magic (lashed marks/lines on fingernails) are put to death. Aerity didn’t treat Mrs. Rathbrook with the same prejudice are those in the kingdom would, Aerity wasn’t nothing but kind and considerate. Confession: Aerity totally reminds me of Merida!



I have to be honest, this book was one of my most anticipated releases but not because it was a retelling or a high fantasy book or even because it had a intriguing plot, all of this is true, but because of the words: Wendy Higgins and Romance. How I loved the Sweet Trilogy, I mean Kaidan Rowe? *Major Swoons* I don’t mind if my books are a complete romance fest, if they’re written well then you can shove that well written relationship in my face all day and I will eat it up. Maybe it was my original anticipation and excitement for this romance that somehow made me feel it was somehow…. lacking.

Paxton was everything he was made to be in the synopsis, forever the brooding and rugged hunter with a deep dark secret that he can never reveal. Let’s just say that Aerity and Paxton have an interesting first encounter but I must admit there was a strong whiff of insta-love here. And if there was one thing I was looking forward to in this book it would have to be the slow burn romance that I know Wendy can write *sighs *.



Paxton couldn’t care less about Aerity, he’s not entering the competition to win the girl, he wants to kill the beast thats responsible for murdering his people. On numerous occasions Paxton makes it painfully obvious that he is not interested in Aeirty, beside from physical attraction and this rejection only fuels Aeirty’s obsession with Paxton. While I enjoyed Aerity’s tenacious nature, I felt she didn’t have a lot to go on, besides Paxton’s lingering looks to actually chase him on.

I originally loved this book but upon some serious reflection I must admit that it was only my previous excitement that carried me through the first half. I think it all stems down to my expectations and experience with Wendy’s work. However what I did love about this book was some of the secondary characters, for instance Paxton's little brother, Tiern was instantly likeable, I adored him from the very beginning, we also get to see a group of kickass women entering the competition and showing the men how it's done; hurrah! The Great Hunt features action, adventure for some characters, a complicated history with magic and a fantasy world that wasn’t too detailed but I must say it was a good start to the series. After a fiendish cliffhanger I'm looking forward to the next instalment despite my earlier reservations I will always be eager for more of Wendy’s work.

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[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

“I have only one thing left to offer the man who kills this beast. I offer the hand of my oldest daughter in marriage.”

This was a YA fantasy story about a kingdom terrorised by a beast.

I thought that Princess Aerity came across as quite noble and mature in this book, giving up her future to marry any man who might slay the beast, even knowing that it could be someone she could never love. Paxton was likewise pretty self-sacrificing, and the two of them seemed to be a good fit.

The storyline in this was about a beast terrorising the kingdom where Princess Aerity and her family lived, and her father declaring that whoever slew the beast would win the princess’ hand in marriage. There was also a storyline about people known as the ‘lashed’ though, who possessed magic, which they were forbidden from using. The story did feel quite long though, and the pace was a bit too slow for me.
There was a little bit of romance between Princess Aerity and Paxton, which was quite sweet, but there wasn’t much of it really.

The ending to this left us with a new threat, and with things not looking too good on the romance front either!



6 out of 10

[Jilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I should have noticed that the last time I read a book by this author, I only liked it because it was the stupidest thing I've ever read. I remember it was about sexy sexy leprechauns, and the poor lone leprechaun that was too tall, and therefore an outcast. It was freaking hilarious. Hilariously bad. But, damn, I didn't notice and thought this book sounded like it had a good premise.

Good ideas are one thing -execution is another.


holy hell!! Kill it, quick!!

This book has a very simple premise: there is a monster that is killing everyone, so the king sends out a decree that whoever kills the monster will get to marry his oldest daughter. That has promise for a really fun fairytale-like story. And, for a little while, it seemed like it would deliver. The problem was that the story was stretched out way too far so that there can be a series.

This story is NOT series-worthy.

They killed the monster. The story should have ended there. Don't be trying to sell me the next book, cuz I ain't buying.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins
Eurona Duology book 1. YA fantasy. Retelling. Cliffhanger.
The kingdom of Lochlanach is being terrorized by a wild beast. It’s huge, strong and hungry. Arrows are repelled by its hide and the kingdom hunters are decimated. In an effort to defeat the beast, an award is promised: whoever can successfully defeat the beast will win the hand of the princess.
Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom and doesn’t complain that she will be the prize to the winner. I admired her strength and fortitude. And even though she is attracted to Paxton, she knows it’s ultimately not her choice.

I won’t spoil it but found it a bit sad in the end for multiple characters. But then the cliffhanger hits and suddenly I’m listening to the second book immediately which is highly unusual for me.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. The performance was excellent with many different clear voices for characters. The timing and emotions were spot on and electrifying. I listened to this mostly at my usual 1.2 with a small bit at 1.4.

[Victoria Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely, positively Higgins' best book to date. It has everything you want from one of her stories plus a whole new world, a smexy love interest, and action galore! I loved, loved, loved this book!

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not for the life of me connect with the story or the characters. It was just so... bland?

[Nastassja · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at about 30%

Do you know what is the surest way to make readers dislike a book? To dedicate it to stupid, petty, cardboard, misogynistic, too-perfect-it-makes-my-teeth-hurt characters. Right. There's really nothing wrong with The Great Hunt besides characters being unbearable to read about.

Trait #1: Her hair is the wrong colour *gasp*

Aerity’s hair lacked the bright curls of Vixie’s. She’d inherited her father’s nearly straight, strawberry blond strands. She often felt left out as the only royal child without the trait. Even their younger brother, Donubhan, had a mop of glorious dark red waves.

How terrible it is to have STRAWBERRY BLOND HAIR. Burn the witch! Now seriously, tell me, would you sympathize with the heroine's "hair trouble"? My answer would be definitely: fuck no, I think it's exceedingly petty to complain that your hair is perfect blond instead of perfect red.

Trait #2: He doesn't have hair problems *how dare he!* and his abs are perfect *oh, okay, i forgive his hair*

Paxton’s brown hair was wild with waves, and almost long enough to tie back with a strip of leather. Tiern didn’t know how he could stand to have it in his face like that. His own hair was the same dark brown shade, but straight. He kept it pulled back neatly at the nape of his neck. More rugged. More muscular. More mysterious. That was Pax.

So shiny and polished, it hurts my eyes. Now seriously, do you really care whether his hair is long or short, straight or wavy and whether it gets in his eyes or mouth or other parts of his body? My answer would be: fuck no!

Trait #3: Unruly waves!

He ran a hand through his unruly waves to get the locks out of his eyes as he walked over to the shooters

Again dude?! Now every few pages we are reminded how unruly his waves are! *goes to get sheers to cut the fucking hair off*

Trait #4: Beauty and the beauty.

A hush fell over the hunters as a shocking beauty walked gracefully to the king's side

First of all, what the shocking beauty even means? Shocking beauty as if waves of electricity shoot off this beauty and kill anyone who walks in the vicinity? I get the phrase: a shockingly beautiful, but shocking beauty... come on, it's too much!

Trait #5: I don't even have a name for that.

Despite whatever show the king and princess were putting on for them, he had no doubt she was a spoiled lass, probably incapable of passion for anything other than herself. Paxton would not be fooled. He would do as he must to keep his family healthy and at peace.
But, seas alive, she was sweet on the eyes. He unabashedly took his fill.

I. AM. SPEECHLESS. that fucker is something. To presume a person is bad because he thinks so, seeing her for the first time in his life from a distance. And then he has no scruples staring and her boobs. How nice #sarcasm. Where do I hire a killer to rid this book from that sorry excuse of a person?!

Trait #6: The gorgeous man.

But as she moved down the line and looked toward the end again, she found that the gorgeous man was no longer there.

The shocking beauty doesn't know yet that the "gorgeous" man is after her boobs only #runandhide

Trait #7: ... and now she does know.

Paxton then did something that none of the other tables full of men had dared to do. Still holding her hand, he dropped his gaze down to the swell of fabric at her chest, and kept it there too long, his hand tightening and seeming even hotter around hers.

Do I even need to comment on that? A man who treats a girl like this and thinks it's a brave and honorable thing to do, does not deserve to occupy any pages of any book.

Trait #8: Me Tarzan, you Jane!

“In our village the man is the ruler and the woman is expected to obey, without question, in all things. Any wife who’s not completely obedient is subject to punishment from her husband.”

Granted, it was a joke, but does that ape think such jokes are funny or even should be considered jokes at all?! Fuck him!

Trait #9: Marasmus.

“Princess,” he whispered in a guttural tone against her lips. “You don’t know what you do.”
“I do know, hunter. I know exactly what I do.”

Do you? Yes, yes, of course, the girl would want to kiss that piece of shit after all those boobs staring, because he has hidden depths. He is not a crap, he just pretends to be. I am too old to be that naive, so I guess I'll just sit in my corner and hate both of these shallow characters. They deserve each other.

My friends, I DNFed this book, so my review is only a tiny snippet of what this story contains. Riches upon riches of vanity and incredulity. I initially gave it 2 stars, because the writing is decent and the beast-storyline was pretty engaging at times. But, fuck my tolerance! I didn't like this book at all, I despise the characters, so 1 star it is. Dobby is free!

[booknuts_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Thoughts:
OOOOOOH man. I can already see that I am going to be an unpopular opinion when it comes to this book…

This book had a hard time pulling me in, and when it finally did, I was wishy-washy with it because it just lacked for me.

The idea of the story is fun and I love a good mystery and this has plenty of it. I did enjoy the hunt aspect and the fact that the princess was the prize for the man to kill this beast. Makes for a great story! I had no problem with the idea of this story or the whole execution of it.

Aerity was an okay character there just wasn’t anything that made me stand out for any other regular protagonist. There wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with her, she just was nothing I could relate to. I guess I was expecting a little more “back bone” or strength. I just felt like something was missing from her especially as her role as the princess and prize for the hunt.

The romance I think is was killed it for me. I am so sick and tired of male characters who are physically attracted to a female character and feel the need to be an “ass.” I love a good brooding character, I do. I love it when a character is attracted and wants to keep the person they are attracted to at a distance and yet they can’t fight their feelings, I love that. BUT I do not like it that a character feels the need to be crude or horrible and then have the other character somehow find that appealing in some sort of twisted way because they are so “attracted” to them. And this book does that! which is why I think it was a major downer for me. There was no spark, there was no connection just this physically desire for the other and the guy has to be all nasty. UGH! Gag me.

The side romance story with some other side characters was ok. I felt it was rushed especially after such tragedy. That came on…fast. I just couldn’t feel it.

Overall the story idea it self is fabulous, the romance a flop for me.

Sexual Content: moderate
Violence: moderate/heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
Language: moderate

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was... exhilarating.

I'm not one to get excited about fantasy romance, or paranormal romance - or most of types of romance, really. I tend to approach books that revolve around love and romantic relationships with a healthy dose of skepticism and distance. I really do, because most of them end up disappointing me. And I'm even more picky when it comes to fantasy books - I'm usually either bored out of my wits by the heavy world-building and overwhelmingly huge cast of characters, or very unimpressed with how the world is set up.

That being said, Wendy Higgins' The Great Hunt strikes just the right balance for me. The world she created comes with a pretty large cast of characters (and it only grows bigger and more diverse as the story progresses), and yes, I was a bit intimidated by that at the beginning of the story, but I think Wendy did a great job introducing them all, and making them perfectly distinguishable and unique. The way the story is set up, we first get to know the royal family and the family of Paxton Seabolt, and only later on are we introduced to the Lashed and hunters from all the other kingdoms. The history of the lands, the connections between all the kingdoms and the conflict between the Lashed and the Unlashed make this is a devourable and exciting story.

The world-building is incredibly rich, flavorful and complex, but it's spread-out throughout the book and offered to us in small, easy-to-digest doses, so even though there is a lot to take in, you don't feel overwhelmed or lost. There are 5 kingdoms in this story (Lochlanach, Ascomanni, Toresta, Zorfina and Kalor) and they are all very different from one another. Our heroine, the strawberry-blond Aerity, comes from Lochlanach. The royal family of Lochlanach is rather large and difficult to keep track of, but thankfully there is a list of all the royals you can refer to if you ever get confused (it's placed right before the first chapter).

Moving on to the plot line... When a terrifying beast starts terrorizing the lands of Lochlanach, the king is forced to seek help from other kingdoms. The beast's unnatural strength and unquenchable thirst for blood has people running for their lives. No one wants to face the beast, and so the king sees no other choice but to offer a worthy reward for killing the beast - his daughter's hand in marriage. Aerity isn't thrilled with the prospect of marrying a complete stranger, but she's a reasonable girl and she puts the kingdom before herself.

Paxton Seabolt and his younger brother, Tiern are both skilled hunters. They join the great hunt not for the glory, or the princess' hand in marriage, but for the monetary reward - to help provide for their family. In truth, Paxton couldn't care less about the spoiled royal lass. He holds the royal family in contempt for reasons only known to himself. He does not trust them, nor does he wants anything to do with them. And being romantically involved with one of them is the last thing on his mind.

Paxton's cold and distant demeanor, however, does nothing to deter Princess Aerity. She simply can't fight the undeniable attraction she feels for the rough and mysterious hunter. She's drawn to him much like a moth is drawn to a flame, and considering Paxton's dark secrets, she is bound to get burned. What will happen if Paxton kills the beast? And what will happen if he doesn't?

I never thought I would ever use this phrase in my review, but dang, I totally ship these two. Forgive me, I do not know how else to describe just how much I love the idea of Paxton and Aerity together. The chemistry between them made me blush - and that is something I haven't experienced in a very long time. Paxton is a dark and brooding type of hero, while Aerity is caring and dedicated, pure and hopeful, thoughtful and brave. They are attracted to each other, but their feelings develop over time. This isn't another case of ridiculous insta-love, this is a slow-burning romance at its best. And it totally made me swoon!

The Great Haunt is a truly fantastic book. It's filled with romance, magic, political conflicts, revenge, betrayals, sacrifices and secrets. You can expect the usual Wendy Higgins awesomeness from it - and by that I mean plenty of subtle yet excruciating sexual tension and kisses that feel like coming up for air when you're almost drowning - but you can also expect more - a breathtaking, well-developed universe, a diverse cast of wonderful characters and an interesting conflict at the heart of it all. I can't flipping wait for the next book!

[Jen (jenslostinthepages) ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

***4.5/5 Stars***

The Great Hunt was absolutely enchanting! I became addicted to the story-line, infatuated with the characters, and I was reminded yet again why I love Wendy Higgins' books. And while I thought I had it figured out, oh how wrong I was. Tears fell down long after I finished that last page. So I definitely can't wait to see how it all ends in the final book!

She knew she should say something, but words . . . there were no words. Her life, as she knew it, was over. Her future, and the freedom she’d imagined, was dead. - Aerity

I have to throw this out there, since so many reviews have talked about this - but yes the beginning was slow. BUT it made perfect sense to me. You see, the first fifth of the book set the characters, theme, and land into place. Learning all about the characters and the world they were in had a twofold affect. One - I became easily attached to all of the characters since I felt like I knew them inside out. Second - I completely understood the world and visualized everything so perfectly and beautifully. And no, there's no info dumps or overly detailed descriptions.

They were herding the beast straight for them.
“It’s coming!” Tiern shouted from behind him. - Paxton

So in a world of castles, royalty, and forbidden magic (except in a few instances), a great beast terrorized commoners and royalty alike. The beast was enormous and could tear men's bodies to shreds in second. To restore peace to the land, the King declared a proclamation, kill the beast, and marry his daughter, Princess Aerity. Oh, how I loved the princess! Princess Aerity was brave, strong, honorable, and underneath it all she was compassionate and humbling. She was everything that would make a fair Queen one day! But at the same time, she pushed boundaries. Especially when those boundaries related to one of the hunters that was at the Castle to kill the great beast. And that hunters name was Paxton.

“What if I said I do want you to kill the beast, Paxton Seabolt? What if I want it to be you?” -Aerity

Paxton Seabolt is my favorite type of guy. Ever. He could be a jerk at times, he easily appeared closed off, yet he gave us these moments that showed he was so much more. Moments when he was selfless, rational, thoughtful and loved his family fiercely. Yet to Princess Aerity, he came across as a closed off jerk, the majority of time. I always have faith in those types of hero's, and all I can say is that I am completely head over heels in love with Paxton. You definitely want to meet him!

“No,” Aerity whispered. A deep longing for Paxton expanded within her. “Seas, no. Please.” Her stomach knotted so hard that it sent another shooting pain through her ribs.

But there was SO much more going on in the book than just Aerity and Paxton. There was the magical group of the Lashed, whose history and current situation was terrifying. Then there was the hundred of hunters, many from afar, that had come to slay the beast. And then there was all of the royalty in the castle. I found myself attached to so many of them, and that made me nervous since deaths happened left and right. So what started out a little slow, easily led to a tale that gripped me. The tension, plight, sexual tension, and my emotional attachment to so many of the characters made me fall for The Great Hunt. Now I'm off to read the final book in this duology!

PS My faves, besides Princess Aerity & Paxton, were Tiern (Paxton's brother), Lord Alvi, Harrison, Zandora, Lady Wyneth and Princess Dixie.

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with Higgins writing after her very first book and that love only grew as she series did so it was without the slightest hesitation that I picked this up and dove right in.

I was hooked and sucked right into the very heart of the story after the very first chapter.

A horrible beast, hell bent on devouring those around it, how could I not be? And while there were some slower moments after that riveting introduction, I still left this was a good feeling and a satisfaction that Higgins had pulled off yet another fabulous book and what promises to be a riveting series.

The pages are filled to the brim with all the best things about fantasy, love, action, adventure, danger, and forbidden magic and secrets around every bend. And while I wasn't familiar with the tale that this retold, it was still a wonderfully done and beautifully written and one that ended up being every bit as hard to put down as it was good.

This is a series that needs to be read, loved, and watched.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Jaime (Two Chicks on Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freaking loved this! I really think this is Wendy's best book so far! I knew about the Grimm fairytale "The Singing Bone" (if you haven't read it and want to go here-http://genius.com/The-brothers-grimm-...) that the story was based off of so I kinda knew what to expect going in but, I didn't expect to love this so much! Wendy took the story and completely made it new! It still has the basics, kill the beast and win the princesses hand in marriage but that's where it ends. Wendy has built a whole world around this little story and I loved that she told it in multiple POV's! I fell hard for Pax and Leif and don't worry you love triangle haters there isn't one! I just love both of these guys for very different reasons! I also loved Aerity she was an amazing heroine and I truly mean that! She's no damsel in distress waiting for the hunters to kill the beast and save her. She's a fighter, maybe not in a physical sense but more of a political one, although she's pretty kick ass with her acrobatics and a bow and arrow.

I loved the world building and the nations/kingdoms and the magic oh the magic is so interesting! I wish there was more magic in the book but I get why there's not since magic is outlawed. But I hope we get more in book 2! Speaking of book 2 I need it now! I need it to be 2017 already!!!

[Stacee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was really excited by the premise of this and couldn't wait to get started.

I loved Aerity. She might have been a little sheltered due to being a royal, but she's fiercely loyal to her family and her kingdom. I really enjoyed reading her strength and grace while she was put in such an odd situation. Paxton and his brother Tiern were interesting. They couldn't be more different from each other and the brotherly banter was fun. There are a lot of other great characters {especially Aerity's sister Vixie} as well.

The plot is intriguing. Sometimes it got a little repetitive, but for the most part, I was captivated from the beginning. The ending is not completely cliffhangery, yet I was definitely a bit angry at how things ended up for now. I'm happy that this is just a duology because I don't know if I could wait for a third book to get a final ending.

**Huge thanks to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars
Review to come

Well, that was actually sort of boring :(
Honestly, I came back to my list of "ratings to come" and was like ... The Great Hunt? Wait ... what was that about again? (I finished this book 3 days ago)
It had potential... so much potential! But it was flat and one dimensional and just boring most of the time!!!

[Aila · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can find this review at One Way Or An Author!

Thank you Edelweiss and Harper Collins for providing a review copy!

It took me almost a month to read this book, not because it was long but because every time I tried to pick it up, I had to force myself to keep reading. The thing is, I think it’s only because this book is just not for me. If I weren’t so primed for adventure books maybe, or if I could appreciate more romance in my stories. In any case, I really do think readers who enjoyed Higgin’s previous books will also enjoy this one.

Right from the beginning we see the strange beast attack people in the kingdom of Lochlanach. I really enjoyed the world built in this book: there are people called Lashed ones, who are reviled and can use magic. Unfortunately, using their abilities is against the law so they have to hide it, which is also detrimental to their health and leads them to a shorter lifespan. The story is told from alternating third person limited POV’s, which means that we get to see what goes on in the heads of several of the characters.

Let me tell you straight up, not much happens. In the 50% mark, I took a break because it just got so BORING. We have a great beast killing all the villagers, and hunters get called to defeat it with the prize of the princess Aerity’s hand in marriage. However, the little moments that they do confront the beast have no impact. It felt like the characters kept circling the beast, or the central topic in the book, but to me it was like they were circling a bunch of nothing. I could never feel the DANGER of the beast throughout the entire book. The blurb made it seem like a dark, morbid and grim atmosphere but all I pictured were pretty princesses doing their thing.

The majority of the book was spent languishing around the castle and going outside occasionally for the hunt. I’m a huge fan of journeys and adventures, so seeing the characters act like sheeps grazing on the field made me pretty frustrated. No matter how intriguing the world was, the plot was just too mundane, too lackluster, too insipid for me to enjoy.

So why exactly does this book have so many pages? Oho, that’s a fun one to answer. Instead of a dark fantasy wrought with danger and tension that is advertised in the blurb, we get a bunch of superficial romantic entanglements. In the beginning, everyone makes such a big deal about getting an arranged marriage. I appreciate Aerity in accepting it for the duty of the people, but it was like a whole chapter of arguing. Can I just say: FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS much? While people are getting killed, the royals are still thinking about what THEY want. Figures.

I do think that romance readers will enjoy the ones that happen here. I really thought I would too (it’s pretty much a forbidden romance for almost all the couples) but I just think the execution was exasperating. (Not to mention the insta-attraction that really had no basis.) Listen:

“It wasn’t proper to be seen outside her chambers in nightclothes, and it was even more uncivilized to be seen barefoot. Aerity didn’t care, driven by some frantic fear for a complete stranger.”

“She wondered how it would feel to touch him, this lad she hardly knew who intrigued her so.”
All this after two to three times of meeting, and with the guy being quite rude towards her.



Paxton, the hunter, is the type of love interest who likes the girl but tries to get her to stay away from him “for her own good.” He didn’t have much redeeming qualities to me. Also, he has a pretty sad past that was probably added to make an excuse for his abominable behavior. And at that point I stopped caring.

Although I didn’t really like Aerity, I didn’t dislike her either. She was just too dull for me to really gather any feelings. The blurb describes her as “a princess willing to risk all to save her people.” By “all,” you mean her potential husband, right? Although I did enjoy what she did in the climax of the book (which was around one to two chapters). That was when there was actually action, and when I finally started to like reading it. It happened around the 92% mark and lasted for eight minutes. The wrap up at the end to prepare for the second book had me rolling my eyes and happy to have finished it.

The last thing I have to say is that while I did not enjoy it, I believe many other readers will. If you do not mind a fantasy lacking in action and a focus on the dramatastic lives of princesses and hunters and soldiers, I’d recommend this. If you, however, are like me and are seeking adventure and characters that give you major feels, skip this.

*Quotes are from an advanced review copy and are subject to change upon publication.

---------------------------

12/29/15:

1.5 -> 1 star
I'm so, so sorry to give this rating. But honestly, this book and I just didn't click. Maybe if I were more of a romance girl (which I thought I was but I certainly didn't enjoy the one in this) or if I weren't primed for reading about adventure, but this one just fell so short.

Short bullets and an actual review forthcoming.

- God, there's a beast going around killing everyone and our characters are worried about who's marrying who. I'm sorry to be so unsympathetic, but first world problems much?

- Although I actually like the world, nothing happened. The events were so static and everyone was just languishing around the castle grounds. In the story, Lashed ones are people who are reviled because they have the ability to use magic. That's cool.

- But in the end, the plot was just so lackluster, so mundane, so insipid that I really couldn't get into it.

- The love interest was the "I-like-you-but-stay-away-from-me-from-your-own-good" type but wow was he lame. I even have quotes to back up my annoyance with this dull romance.

- It was like the characters kept on circling the beast, or central topic when in fact it felt like they were circling a bunch of nothing. You could never really feel the full danger of the beasts.

- The climax was the most exciting part aka one chapter. I will not be continuing this series.

BUT I think that if you are more in favor of romance and do not care much for adventures in fantasy, try this one out! As people may say, this one was certainly not "my cup of tea." (If I drank tea. More like this one was not my brew of coffee. My type of paint. My sheet of music. ERGH either way I think other people may enjoy it.)

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not much of a fantasy reader. I like books rooted in realism and plausibility, and fantasy in general simply doesn't do that. Yet, I found myself hooked by the premise of The Great Hunt and was curious enough to give it a try. And I am so glad I did because this is a thrilling and entertaining fantasy, with superb characterization and a satisfying dash of romance.

A strange beast is prowling the kingdom of Lochlanach, devouring and killing villagers left and right. In a state of frenzy, with no other options available, the King makes a proclamation: the person who kills the beast will be awarded his daughter, Princess Aerity's, hand in marriage.

Aerity narrates the story, and her characterization is both impressive and realistic. Despite the awful circumstances she's thrown into - being forced into a marriage to a man she's never met - she keeps her chin up and is willing to make the sacrifice, seeing that it's for the good of the kingdom.

Aerity is fierce and witty, intelligent and capable. She may not be the stereotypical kickass heroine that's so common in YA fantasy, but the sacrifices she makes out of loyalty to her kingdom is more than enough to make me to want to root for her.

The romance comes in the form of the brooding Paxton Seabolt, one of the hunters who comes to compete in the contest for Aerity's hand in marriage. The romance between Paxton and Aerity is beautifully written, and filled with tons of emotion and an extreme amount of swoon.

The ending I wasn't completely sold by, and there is a tad bit of info-dumping here and there; but everything else is virtually perfect. I cannot wait to see what Higgins has in mind for the sequel.

[Laura]

A NEW BOOK BY WENDY HIGGINS?


I mean, a retelling high-fantasy book OMG




I AM CRYING THIS IS SO SO SO SO SOOOO WONDERFUL I NEED IT NOW

[grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Sandee is Reading]

 

RATING

ARC COPY PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW



I love Wendy Higgins.
I really do.

She's one of the nicest and most approachable authors out there. Plus, she's also a very talented author. I loved the first book in the Sweet Evil trilogy. I haven't gotten to the other books yet because I couldn't get a copy. But I will. No doubt about that. I mean why wouldn't I? DEVILISHLY HOT KAIDAN IS ON THOSE BOOKS!!! To be honest, I'm not sure why I haven't read the next books yet... better get to that soon!! As in real soon.

Going back, Wendy Higgins is a great author. But this book, just wasn't for me.

To be completely honest, I did not finish this book. I reached up to 30% of the eARC i got. But when I reached to a certain point where the main character does something so fucking predictable I was like, "oh nooo... not again please..."

I don't think I rated this book on Goodreads because I did not get halfway through the book. Also, please note that this review would only be about the 30% of the book I have read.

Again, the review to follow would only be for the 30% of the book I've read and not the entirety of it. This book could be good towards the middle of last quarter of the book, but I couldn't get that far so… Please keep that in mind.

So let me tell you a little bit about what this book is about.

Its body was massive, the size of a bear with wiry hair like nothing she’d ever seen. Its face was as ugly as a boar’s. Tusks curled up around a dripping snout, sharp teeth shining. Its beady eyes eerily caught the moon’s reflection. Everything about its stance and posture screamed feral. Deadly. Impossible.

The story starts with a death. Pretty cool huh?

So this country... uhhh... wait... *checks review notes* Lochlanach is being terrorized by a beast. People were speculating where this monster came from. It was killing people and destroying everything in its path. No one has survived yet. Not one.

The king was concerned with this. He wanted his people to be safe and he would do whatever it takes, even sacrifice the happiness of her eldest daughter, .. uhhh...*checks review notes*... Aerity.

“I will be issuing a king’s proclamation to all five kingdoms of Eurona to send their best hunters, but I must make their journeys worthwhile. I must ensure that the strongest will be willing to face this foe. A monetary prize is not enough, and as you all know, most of the kingdom’s excess funds are wrapped up in my son’s land and youngest daughter’s dowry. Therefore, I have only one thing left to offer the man who kills this beast. I offer the hand of my oldest daughter in marriage.”

Princess Aerity knew that it was her duty as a princess. Despite her sadness regarding the news, she knew it had to be done.

People all over the world came to help find this beast. Some might genuinely just want to kill the beast and others might just want to marry the princess and become royalty. Who knows?

...

That's basically what I have read so far and I left this book at around 35%.



Okay... Now this is hard.

• The Cover

Who doesn't think this cover is gorgeous must be blind. Hehe. Come on seriously.

• The Plot

I heard that this book is a retelling of a Grimm brother's fairy tale, The Singing Bone. I read the story and actually really liked it. So if this book would follow that story, then the ending of this book would be a really fucked up one. Anywhooo, I liked the plot, but not exactly the execution of it.



• Characters

They were boring. I didn't connect with any of them or felt that they were real people which really surprised me. Anna and Kaidan from the Sweet Evil trilogy were such good characters so I was so disappointed when the characters in this book didn't live up to my expectations.

Aerity, the main female character, was boring. Aside from that, she was also a fucking Mary Sue...

"Like her father, she was devoid of all haughtiness he expected to see from someone who lived a life of privilege. Around her head she wore a small golden circlet, which held a sapphire in the center of her forehead that sparkled like the sea. Her arm seemed to cling to her father with nervousness, though her face appeared assured and resolved."

And shortly after.

Princess Aerity was the very image desires were made of. Her silken cream dress was cinched at her waist, accentuating her femininity.

REALLY NOW???

There there's this guy Paxton which I felt nothing for. His brother Tiern was a different story though. He seemed to be the more likeable one. But still, both of them were pretty bland in my opinion.

There was something missing with these characters. They were like paper cutout characters. They did nothing to me at all.

• The Writing

I liked the plot, but I had a lot of issues with how this book was written. Maybe it was the third person narrative that annoyed me? I dunno. But there was something about the writing that didn't work too well with me.

• The Pacing

It's so slow. Like I said, I was at around 30% and the hunt was just starting. There were a lot courtly politics that were discussed during the first quarter of the book and then the boring discussions with Aerity's family. I thought they were extremely unnecessary. I didn't care for her family at all. There was nothing that happened to her family that made me sympathetic to them, despite that one death. I didn't think it helped that the author wrote quite a few chapters with Aerity and her family, I still don't feel the connection.

• A Weak Female Protagonist

I didn't like Aerity at all. I thought she was weak and a bit of a Mary Sue. Aside from being all perfect, I hate that in a character.

• Insta-love

Yep. There was a part where she met this guy... who I never really rooted for.

FINAL THOUGHTS

That is it for me for now. I really wish there as more I could say regarding this.

Again, I love Wendy. I would finish the Sweet Evil trilogy but I'm just not a fan of this book. This book had loads of potential, but it just didn't work for me. I saw a lot of positive reviews about this book and hope that I enjoyed this book like they did. I really, really wanted to like this book.

Have you read this book? If you have, what did you think of it?

 

[Martina Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of all of Wendy's books. There's complex and wonderful world building, great storytelling, and tension that keeps you hunting for more time to read, but it's the Aerity and Paxton are what elevate this book into something great. Paxton is Wendy's trademark brooding and sexy hero, but with a complexity that makes him stay with you as you fall asleep. Aerity is a fantastic and unusual heroine in her own right, but Paxton complements her perfectly, and you end up rooting for the two of them together. This book absolutely sings!