The Death Hunting

The Death Hunting #1

by Emma Steinbrecher

“To be caressed by Death was to be consumed entirely.”
After an attack at the shooting range where she works—an attack that should have left her dead—Morana finds herself being hunted by a man who calls himself Death. There is no denying the shadows he wields and the strange way she avoided being killed. Discovering the truth about her powers, Morana is thrust into the land of the gods, where Death has her learning to embrace the shadows that saved her. But the god isn’t the only one hunting her.

As Morana trains with her newly discovered abilities, political tensions rise around her, and it becomes apparent that she plays some role in these tensions between the Court of Shadows, where Death rules as king, and the Court of Light. Surrounded by the Fae and the gods, Morana continues to grow in strength, but when assassins show up, calling her the “Queen of Darkness,” she is forced to unearth the truth about who she is and the war that looms between the courts.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Ebooks, Fantasy Romance, Dark Romance, Romantasy

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2022

About the author

This author is also published under Emmie J. Holland.

Reviews

[Katalyn Lutkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from Emma and my thoughts and opinions are my own - now to the goods!

To say that I am obsessed with the characters of this book - I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Emma builds the story and her characters so well and it was so hard to put the book down (if you saw me reading at work…no you didn’t). I am in love with the world, the characters, the banter, just all of it. I’m determined to get my friends to read it because who doesn’t need another book boyfriend covered in tattoos. Emma’s world building has me wishing that different realms were a thing as I want to visit them all. And the tension and slow burn *chefs kiss* (there is some spice, but it isn’t a lot - just perfect really - and isn’t something that drives the plot). I also love Emma’s use and twist of fae lore that we are familiar with and I cannot wait to see how it grows in the next book. There wasn’t a ton of lore except for what was crucial for this book’s plot so it had a nice easing into it with Morana kind of vibe, but I’m definitely going to reread and take notes before the next one because I have a feeling some things are going to be extremely important.

Morana is our bad ass MC whose sass and quips were just so good. Through her journey she starts to become more of herself and I love seeing her start to understand the world that Matthias has brought her to. I also love her healing journey as I feel like that is something that can be overlooked in a lot of fantasy books just to keep the plot going. Emma has done an excellent combination of having Morana heal while also ensuring that the plot continues on like everyday life would for any of us doing our own healing in the real world.

Matthias…he is…just…I don’t have words. Death god and in the world of the fae? I was hooked on him as soon as there was mention of tattoos (I may have a type haha). But seeing him through Morana’s eyes and learning his story as she does turned him from a strange Death god to someone that I would trust with my life. Also seeing all the different aspects of his role in the book with the fae has me excited to see what else we will see.

I think what I really loved was seeing Morana’s own growth through the book and coming to terms with approaching and dealing with the feelings she had buried for so long and allowing her to deal with them in her own way I think was what made me love her and Matthias even more. And seeing Morana have her own found family and support system through it all just made me love her and the story all the more.

With Morana and Matthias I just love that neither is completely good or bad - they’re both gray in their own ways, which isn’t a bad thing, it actually makes them more relatable. This is an aspect of fantasy that is really starting to emerge in newer works and it is refreshing to see and it works so, so well with this story.

Emma has a slew of other amazing characters that I wish I could will out of the pages to hang out with for even just a day (well most of them anyways). Now the wait for book 2 (but also please read this - I need someone to talk to about it)!

[Georgia Grace Sharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is mediocre at best, and it really leaves a lot to be desired. The writing style is choppy and weird, with a few grammatical errors thrown in as well. The story has a decent base, but I feel like it could have been so much better. 80-90% of the book is just an internal monologue of the FMC, and it gets boring and repetitive really fast. I was desperate for some dialogue. This is also a great example of show not tell, I fell like we are told everything without any evidence to show us it is true. The FMC is powerful because we are told that, but we don't really see much of that power. All of the romance felt lackluster and could have been more developed. The story is confusing and doesn't make a lot of sense, I needed more explanation of the world we are in and how it works. I felt little motivation to actually finish the book, and I didn't really feel anything while reading it. Even the cliffhanger at the end did noting for me. I would only recommend this book if you have nothing else to read and you need to justify a kindle unlimited subscription by reading another book. Good base story, but a lot left to be desired. Also, as far as the other reviews go, most of the reviews here on Goodreads seem to be ARC copies, so I would be interested what other reader who paid for the book thought, because this book is a solid 3 stars, and no better.

[Taylor Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Emma for allowing me to have access to the ARC of this amazing book.
Umm why is this already over? This was a great book!
I love the characters in this book, the plot is awesome, the smut wasn’t too much, everything was great. I will definitely be purchasing a hard copy once it is released.
If you want a book about a death god and a special woman with mystery powers then this is the book for you!

[Lauren Correa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive an ARC copy of this book to read! Onto the review (some spoilers!):

"A good king, a good god, and a beautiful mystery."

This book takes your normal (but still badass) woman and throws her into a world of gods, fae, and power. If you're looking for a book with some spice, and a love interest that's hotter than the sun, look no further. Morana and Matthias remind me of Feyre and Rhys from ACOTAR, only Morana has a bit more of a villain arc that I absolutely loved. The writing sometimes has a bit more show than tell, but it doesn't take away from the story, and there are some amazing lines in this book.

I'll definitely be buying a hard copy for my bookshelf on release day, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

[McKayla Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was BLESSED with an ARC copy, but all my thoughts are genuine & my own 👌🏻

Now that THAT’S out of the way: THIS BOOK, Y’ALL. Do you love: slow-burn enemies-to-lovers, trauma-healing journeys, grumpy (but cinnamon roll) love interests, fae lore, sassy & lovely side characters that have the potential for GREAT found family, all of the above?

MAY NOT WANT TO MISS THIS 😍 If you want DETAILS (no spoilers), KEEP READING 😂

While some main characters can get annoying with a stagnant “hardened-by-the-world, cold shoulder” attitude, Morana’s complex understanding of her emotions & trauma make her SO FREAKING RELATABLE. I loved how she CONTINUED to explore herself throughout this first book instead of just abandoning her own mental health in order to save the world or something similar. She is the perfect example for so many that you can be a strong bada** while ALSO FEELING & understanding your emotions.

Matthias, my MAN. The god of Death himself 😏 He is SUCH a fresh take on the idea of Death & death gods. I loved learning what his abilities & responsibilities entailed & only made me fall in love with him more of course lol. Also, can I please sign up for anti-people-pleasing pep talks from Matthias to begin each of my mornings? A certain talk him & Morana have about selfishness will FOREVER remain ingrained in my brain ❤️

I personally think this book had more of a slow-burn romance with spice where it made sense. If you’re looking for PURE spice as many may be nowadays, this is not it, but if you LOVE the torturous tension of a well-written slow burn that rewards the reader with a beautiful relationship between the main characters with some spice throughout? Look no further 🔥

As for side characters, I’M OBSESSED. I always have a tendency to look for found family & sassy side characters to become obsessed with, and this book has em all 🥺 Sarnai (the sassy but secretly sweet goddess), Garian (the grumpy old trainer who’s a softie deep down), RONAN (major Cassian/Finnick ODair vibes 🔥😍), and MORE. They already show the potential for a slight found family vibe & I’m already scared that they could be in danger at any moment 🙈😂

Regarding the world-building/lore, this book eases into the world-building lightly, but by the last bit, you can TELL the sequel will hold more lore with how much is revealed. Emma does a good job of using an already established fae system while adding her own unique spin, and I’m READY to learn more in the next book!

ALL IN ALL, if you’re a character-driven reader who LOVES their fantasy romance—especially regarding fae—this is a QUICK READ in between bigger books you may be reading. CHECK IT OUT 🔥

[YarnWyvern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma blessed me with an ARC of this and I can’t thank her enough. But how about a review? Yes let’s go.

This was one of my anticipated reads for 2022. I’ve been following Emma and definitely hyping her up and when she said she was working on a spicy story about the god of Death and he was hot and covered in tattoos? I was sold.

I’m not going to do a whole blurb or summary, because honestly I feel better basing my reviews on vibes and vibes alone.

Our MC Morana has more ✨trauma✨ than even I do and let’s be honest trauma is messy and hard to deal with but our girl does okay. Especially with some weird power stuffs she has going on that makes everyone just kind of go 🤷🏼‍♀️ at and also the assassin attempts. Like the girl has a lot going on. Her coping mechanisms for her trauma are definitely shown.

Matthias aka Daddy Death. I’m just gonna leave some heart eye emojis 😍😍😍 bc I love him and everyone who knows what I read by now knows I like broody, dark surly morally grey love interests who are ultimately cinnamon rolls.

A lot of FUN characters pop in along the way to solving the problems above. Among my faves are Ronan (adorable cutie) and Sarnai (just an amazing Goddess and overall good friend). Though can’t leave out Garian and his gruffness.

My overall vibes is that this book was a fun read. I loved the story, loved the plotline, and enjoyed how unique different parts of the story were. And Daddy Death. Thank you, Emma, for gracing us with him.


Im gonna go touch some grass now.

CW/TW: gun violence (including an armed robbery), death, torture, sword violence, whipping, flashbacks of trauma, ptsd, kidnapping, car accident.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted an ARC of this book.

I may have messed up while reading this. Sometimes I have a habit of accidentally reading the same trope a few times in a row and I split reading this book into two sittings and in-between those sittings I read another Persephone/Hades retelling. That is not the way to read this book and I would not recommend doing that because you will confuse yourself on which god of death is which.

With that probably irrelevant, because most people are not dumb enough to do that, warning out of the way… I love a Persephone/Hades retelling. This is an urban fantasy and a fairly loose retelling. It has a decent mystery element to it as you unwind about who different characters are and the role they play. It took me a little bit to get into the book, but once I got my feet under what was happening I sped through the last half of the book.

The story follows Morana, our main character who manages to evade death in the first few chapters. She is a badass MC who has a fair amount of trauma that she works through in the book. She meets Matthias, our hot death god who takes her to the underworld with him. As the book unfolds Morana's powers develop and we have some great interactions with side characters (the whole book can't be sexual tension between our two main characters).

The vibes of this book are fun if not a little dark at times. While there isn't anything I would call graphic in the book it is worth checking out the CWs before reading it.

[Savannah L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: The Death Hunting
.
Author: Emma Steinbrecher
.
Genre: NA Fantasy Romance
.
Tropes: Slow Burn, Love Triangle, Morally Grey Female Protagonist, Fae
.
Spice Level: 1/5
.
Romance Level: 2/5
.
Pacing: Slow
.
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
.

Not going to lie, I had a hard time with getting into this one. I like my fantasy reads to be fast paced and heavy on the detail. Or at least have one of these. This book did not BUT it became more fast paced, I want to say, a little half way through. And after I got through that point, I couldn’t put the book down. (ADHD Brain)

I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding with what’s happening to the FMC. And I loved her character development where she accepts who she is and becomes a bad ass while doing it. Most of the time I felt annoyed with her character because she wanted to fuck Mathias so bad and kept forgetting about her ONE-day boyfriend. It was so annoying. Like, just fuck Mathias already, okay? 😂 I liked her character in the end though. Like I said, Bad Ass.

That last scene! Are you kidding me?!

And, I’m curious… Cain?! There’s a scribe who’s wise beyond his years and his name is Cain. Like Cain from the Bible who murdered his brother? Is there a story here or am I just coming up with theories that don’t exist?!

Also, I like my fantasy’s to have a romance subplot but not the main plot. Which this has it. It’s definitely more about the FMC and her journey.

So overall, I enjoyed this book. The imagination and plot is fantastic.

[Kenna Karlsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s growth in this novel is astronomical. I have read her duology, and I can honestly say that this is her best work yet. I’m a total simp for Sarnai and Reese. You fall in love with them the moment they appear on the page. It was a wild ride to watch secrets unveiled and characters develop. And who doesn’t like a sexy death god? The tension is well done and leads to some spice. I highly recommend this book if you have a love for fae, redemption, and learning that being selfish isn’t the crime that people paint it to be, this one is for you. Morana comes to rock the boat with personal power. Can’t wait to see where this dang cliffhanger takes us. Also, Matthias is my husband. I claimed him first.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! I would call it urban fantasy/fantasy romance. I found Morana annoying in the middle but then warmed up to her again by the end, and I simped for Matthias the whole time. Some spice, open door/explicit but infrequent.

The plot was really fun, kind reminded me a bit of Laura Thalassa style world building and characters (but way less problematic lol). The main character was pretty badass from the beginning which was very cool, a nice break from ye olde chosen-one-orphan-with-no-skill-who-becomes-a-badass-warrior trope. Then she’s kind of plucked from her life and thrown into a new situation where her prior badass skills are less useful so she has to adapt and learn new & more relevant ways to be who she wants to be.

I will definitely read the sequel!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Death Hunting is a book that delivers all of our favourite and swoon worthy tropes that we DIE for in fantasy-romance! I mean seriously, we had a literal god on his knees, playful taunts and banter, riding the same horse??? Emma really had our best interests in mind while writing this lovely book.

Morana was a relatable main character, who has a fair bit of trauma that she needs to work through. Throughout the book she grows a lot as a character and learns how powerful she can really be.

Matthias is the literal god of death and is covered in tattoos. He will use his powers to protect but is also quite the softy 🥰😍 Need I say more?

I genuinely can’t wait to see where this series goes! I will be (im)patiently waiting for more of Matthias

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to ARC read this book, however my thoughts and opinions are my own.

I personally found this book to be absolutely delightful, the main character was relatable, the love interest was exactly what I am looking for when reading a book. There is some action in the book, however it is not the main theme of the book. There is some great mystery and intrigue for the main character that pulled me in really well. I enjoyed reading this book, the writing was lovely and there were quite a few quotes that left me in awe of their beauty. I cannot wait for the rest of this series to to dive back into this fabulous world!

[Wednesday Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hot death god, a powerful girl who is an emotional wreck, magical Fae lands and the beginning of a war that will bring out powers we can’t see yet.

The Death Hunting was a wild ride of emotions, and as always Steinbrecher has me swooning over her side characters that add so much depth to this story. I enjoyed the tension, the well placed spice, and the promise of more to come.

Sarnai and Ronan are my favorites but you will not be disappointed in the array of colorful characters that paint the pages of this NA fantasy.

Cannot wait for the next installment

[Dark and Angsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

Matthias, the God of death, could not resist the pull he felt towards Morana, the woman that came face to face with death and managed to escape her fate, or so she thought. Little did she know from that moment on, the hunt was on. The question is who is really hunting her, who can she truly trust, and who/what is she, because she is discovering she is far from the woman that was shot at work that night.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, fast paced, and at times predictable. But that ending, I did not see coming. Im excited to see where Morana’s story goes from here.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I was given this book as an ARC in return for an honest review.***

Honestly, I loathe cliffhangers and the fact that this has one is why this isn't five stars.
This story is haunting and totally engaging. I loved the angst that Morana went through and not gonna lie, Death is pretty cool here.

I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, so I'm not sure what else to add except I'm very much waiting to see what happens next.

[Kera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything you could want in a fantasy:
- morally grey mc
- powerful fmc who discovers her magic abilities
- fae, gods, and other magic creatures
- enemies to lovers
- spice (about 3 🌶️ spice level)
- a SEXY AF one horse scene!!
- and found family style friendships

The character and relationship growth is written so well and the author had me on the edge of my seat SEVERAL times.

I loved it.

[Amberlynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story had potential, God of Death could be so spicy but was lacking depth and development. The author's writing style was weak, show us through dialogue not inner monologue. It felt it could have had much better side character development and details about the universe. Very little explanation/details about the court of light and the court of shadows or the main characters background. The cliffhanger at the end did not inspire me to read the next book. It seemed out of character.

[Scarlet Riley]

Gods this book was good!

I could barely keep away, literally all I wanted to do was read it and then when I got towards the end I didn't want it to end. It's a perfect balance of new world and old world vibes. Gave me Crescent City vibes, with a little less sass.





I was given this book as an ARC.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m ready to meet death.”

I would be too if he looked as good as Emma makes him out to look! It started off kind of rough and jumbled, but once the story evened itself out, I really enjoyed it! The betrayal was unexpected and the slow burn was delicious! I can’t wait to see what happens in the continuation!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so this book was good. Not amazing. But good. The writing style took me a bit to get into, and I found myself getting confused at times. I did like the characters, and their banter was fun. Overall I think this book probably could’ve been done in 50-100 less pages and it was kind of all over the place, but nonetheless definitely going to continue

[Cherise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters. The plot. The tension. The world. The spice. It was all perfect 😻😭 Currently waiting impatiently for the next book because I am hooked! Definitely recommend giving this book a shot. I blew through this in a day of reading because I simply could not put it down!

[Katnip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it bad to say that I am in love with death??

The characters are fantastic. The story is phenomenal. I love it. There is the right amount of angst and banter with a drizzle of tension and spice to keep you entertained. I highly recommend you get this book!

And that cover! Gorgeous!

[Falon · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all the cover!! Amazing. Second the story was so well written. It kept your attention, progressed swiftly, wasn’t over worked by typical tropes. I highly enjoyed it and will definitely be reading the second book! Looking forward to the badass Morana is going to become.

[Marissa Atchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!

I was introduced to this author by a friend, and I am so glad I was. This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I can’t wait to see where this series goes!!!!

[Elisabeth Valienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just feeling really apathetic about this book. Like, I'm entirely uninterested in any of the characters and the suggestion of a love triangle coming up really turned me off. The writing is perfectly fine, just not engaging me personally.

[Lesly Sarabia]

I couldn't connect with the FMC.

[WOOWEEITSCHLOE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.
The author does a fantastic job of building her characters and the enemies to lovers troupe is chef’s kiss.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating for the series

[Breaux Reanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

when the male main and side characters are written in a way that you find yourself not liking the fmc because shes stealing your book boyfriends, you know that the author did a damn good job.

Morana, sad girl finally opening up to the one good guy shes met only to be hunted down by a sexy chainsmoking death god who transports her into the fae realm where he reigns as the king.

Matthias, Death god wondering who this mortal woman is who holds the power of the shadows, vows to protect her from Inara the Queen of light. if only to figure out why inara wants her so bad. but along the way finds himself taking a ride on a horse they'll never forget.

also.. Ronan. *insert side character lustful panting here*

[Nicole Sleeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second ARC copy from Emma and can I just say I was so happy when I got the email ! I’ve been watching her tik tok about this book and been dying to read it. Let me tell you though it was better than expected and I’m slightly pissed off the second book isn’t out yet 😂😂

Emma did such a great job at this book. I was literally on my toes throughout the entire book. I loved the twist & turns that she put in this book.

The romance in this book was fire, along the lines of IT NEEDED TO HAPPEN 😍😍

I cannot wait to see how the second books comes out !

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