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Hunting
Ash Lenthard doesn’t call herself a vigilante. She’s merely prone to random acts of derring-do, and occasional exhibitions of tomfoolery. Her friends, the Huntsmen, have never stepped over the line while patrolling the streets of Luinhall.
That was before the murder of Ash’s beloved guardian, Genevieve.
Now, Ash Lenthard is out for blood and even when the hunt sends her to the palace, on a collision course with a past identity she would do anything to forget, Ash cannot, will not, back down.
That was before the murder of Ash’s beloved guardian, Genevieve.
Now, Ash Lenthard is out for blood and even when the hunt sends her to the palace, on a collision course with a past identity she would do anything to forget, Ash cannot, will not, back down.
266 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2013
19 people are currently reading
4394 people want to read
About the author
Andrea K. Höst
24 books818 followersBorn in Sweden and raised in Australia, Andrea K Höst currently lives in Sydney. She writes fantasy, but wanders occasionally into science fantasy.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
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April 5, 2013"Hunting" was written in response to my extreme frustration with Georgette Heyer's Regency Buck. Much as I love Heyer's books, on occasion she takes a promising young lady, and just...foils her at every turn. My need for a heroine capable of getting herself out of her own scrapes produced Ash Lenthard, who does not so much kick ass, as tap-dance across the heads of her enemies...
May 19, 2017
Host is one of the reasons I keep wading thru the sewers of self published fiction.
Her stories are always original, decently written, culturally sensitive and sophisticated, feminist in an incidental way and have sweet romances.
Hunted is about a girl who is investigating the cause of her mentor and care-givers murder. She is unwilling teamed up with a member of this world's nobility.
I didn't enjoy this as much as Silence of Medair but I do think it is a better, more fully realised novel. The prose is improved and on a structural level the novel was coherent.
One disappointment was the slightly anti-climatic ending and how quickly the romance evolved once it was acknowledged. In part I think this is a market problem. Self publishers get rewarded for being prolific not perfectionists, but I often feel when I'm reading self published work that I love the idea of a work more than the execution.
That was true for me with both this novel and The Silence of Medair. Unfortunately, self published novels often feel a little underdeveloped. And that isn't surprising when self published authors are encouraged to publish as often as physically possible. I would say that this general criticism held true for this novel.
Also I wish there were actual sex scenes. I'm not a fan of the "fade to black" thing but I don't want creepy long and detailed scenes either. I want sex scenes that reflect the characters personalities, that reveal something about them as a couple.
However, if you enjoy low fantasy (one person POV, non-epic plot structure) than Host is an author you should try. She writes really interesting, diverse, clever stories and I'd love to see more people enjoying her work.
Her stories are always original, decently written, culturally sensitive and sophisticated, feminist in an incidental way and have sweet romances.
Hunted is about a girl who is investigating the cause of her mentor and care-givers murder. She is unwilling teamed up with a member of this world's nobility.
I didn't enjoy this as much as Silence of Medair but I do think it is a better, more fully realised novel. The prose is improved and on a structural level the novel was coherent.
One disappointment was the slightly anti-climatic ending and how quickly the romance evolved once it was acknowledged. In part I think this is a market problem. Self publishers get rewarded for being prolific not perfectionists, but I often feel when I'm reading self published work that I love the idea of a work more than the execution.
That was true for me with both this novel and The Silence of Medair. Unfortunately, self published novels often feel a little underdeveloped. And that isn't surprising when self published authors are encouraged to publish as often as physically possible. I would say that this general criticism held true for this novel.
Also I wish there were actual sex scenes. I'm not a fan of the "fade to black" thing but I don't want creepy long and detailed scenes either. I want sex scenes that reflect the characters personalities, that reveal something about them as a couple.
However, if you enjoy low fantasy (one person POV, non-epic plot structure) than Host is an author you should try. She writes really interesting, diverse, clever stories and I'd love to see more people enjoying her work.
Read
February 15, 2017I used Google's 'read aloud' function to turn this into an oddly pronounced audiobook. Going to have to, one day, go through the three partial sequels and try to work them into something publishable. Lots of worldbuilding changes mean it's a big job.
April 24, 2013
4.5/5; 5 stars; A
I loved this book. It was fun and interesting, well paced and unpredictable. I really like the way this author portrays young people as competent and resourceful in her books. I liked the main female character, Ash, very much. Her resolve to find her benefactor's murderer at the same time as hiding from her past, making a new life, not getting killed and saving all and sundry from harm, made her a very busy girl indeed. The addition of horses into any story always add an extra draw for me and I enjoyed the bits of the story that included Arnth and Cloud Cat.
One thing that the author did very well, was handle the hidden gender issue. I've read books before where a person is in permanent disguise as the other gender and the author gets all messed up on the pronouns. In this book, Ash was a female and since we, the readers, knew that, the author always referred to her in the proper gender. It was still perfectly clear that everyone else in the story thought of her as a male.
I sincerely hope that Andrea K. Host is going to write more stories in this world. She alluded to some interesting women back in Thornaster's home country, such as his mother and sister. I hope there will be more stories including them as well as the young mage they had found and were returning to her homeland.
I loved this book. It was fun and interesting, well paced and unpredictable. I really like the way this author portrays young people as competent and resourceful in her books. I liked the main female character, Ash, very much. Her resolve to find her benefactor's murderer at the same time as hiding from her past, making a new life, not getting killed and saving all and sundry from harm, made her a very busy girl indeed. The addition of horses into any story always add an extra draw for me and I enjoyed the bits of the story that included Arnth and Cloud Cat.
One thing that the author did very well, was handle the hidden gender issue. I've read books before where a person is in permanent disguise as the other gender and the author gets all messed up on the pronouns. In this book, Ash was a female and since we, the readers, knew that, the author always referred to her in the proper gender. It was still perfectly clear that everyone else in the story thought of her as a male.
I sincerely hope that Andrea K. Host is going to write more stories in this world. She alluded to some interesting women back in Thornaster's home country, such as his mother and sister. I hope there will be more stories including them as well as the young mage they had found and were returning to her homeland.
December 14, 2017
I wanted to love this book, and I still rather liked it. However, for all the build up and wonderful character interactions, the mystery felt a little disjointed, and both the resolution of the romance line and the final climax were somewhat anticlimactic. Not terribly so, but a little more page time, a little more uncertainty, and I would have loved it completely. For example,
Don't get me wrong, though, this is still a strong read and definitely worth some late night reading and a little lost sleep. ;)
Don't get me wrong, though, this is still a strong read and definitely worth some late night reading and a little lost sleep. ;)
May 2, 2013
Höst does it again. And makes it still harder to decide which of her novels is my favorite (if I were required to do so).
The world building is characteristically cohesive. The religious background has an intriguing conflict where the prior deity of light attacked a fellow god out of jealousy and rage. As a result, that god was replaced by another and thrust out of the heavenly conclave. Since deities pretty much are the heavenly bodies, that means a former lunar satellite came crashing to earth giving all the people on the planet a front-row seat for the celestial brawl.
The gods are an active presence in other ways in the lives of their followers. For one, the earth itself (Luin in the story) determines who will be allowed to rule a given piece of land, both on the individual level of land-holder as well as the aggregated rule of nobles and even royalty. Judging criteria are known and can be learned (and center on maintaining "balance" and good husbandry of resources). In such a system, it makes sense that nobles would figure out a formal system for teaching their children the intricacies and theories of good rule so that they can maintain a family dynasty. I particularly enjoyed this dynamic as Höst avoids working any particular political hobby horse that other authors might have been tempted to exercise given the setup. Cities aren't automatically bad, and people aren't inherently despoilers of the land even when they gather together in groups (or, gasp, go hunting).
And I really liked our heroine, Ash. She's in a tough position. In hiding due to events in her past (that start off murky, but that we learn over time), she finds herself in the middle of a set of murders that are rocking the town. The story starts with Ash's mentor having been killed, thus putting Ash out of a home as well as a loving relationship she treasured. Vengeance is naturally on her mind. Noticing as much, a foreign landholder tasked to investigate the murders diverts her into his service (this is less jarring if you add that Ash is currently masquerading as a boy).
From there, the book proceeds at a great pace as we get to know the court and the people in it, and join Ash and Rion in their search for a merciless killer. I really liked Rion, too, and greatly appreciated the conflict between him and Ash as he tries to harness her energy and intelligence in the task given by his friend, the king. Ash's skill with leadership and her intelligence in putting clues together (and digging more out) quickly validate Rion's choice to put her in his service and together they make a formidable team.
True to form, Höst doesn't take any of the easy or stereotypical paths in this story, either. Ash has a lot of secrets to protect, but there are more important matters at hand, as well—and in abundance. Since the story doesn't hang on her secrets so much as on the central mystery, Höst doesn't drag them out unnaturally or resort to contrived circumstances or a comedy of errors to protect (or reveal) them. I greatly appreciated this, as it meant the pace of the story could proceed at its own rate. While the book isn't a suspense-filled page-turner, it is a great romp with likeable characters I cared about in a challenging situation.
The world building is characteristically cohesive. The religious background has an intriguing conflict where the prior deity of light attacked a fellow god out of jealousy and rage. As a result, that god was replaced by another and thrust out of the heavenly conclave. Since deities pretty much are the heavenly bodies, that means a former lunar satellite came crashing to earth giving all the people on the planet a front-row seat for the celestial brawl.
The gods are an active presence in other ways in the lives of their followers. For one, the earth itself (Luin in the story) determines who will be allowed to rule a given piece of land, both on the individual level of land-holder as well as the aggregated rule of nobles and even royalty. Judging criteria are known and can be learned (and center on maintaining "balance" and good husbandry of resources). In such a system, it makes sense that nobles would figure out a formal system for teaching their children the intricacies and theories of good rule so that they can maintain a family dynasty. I particularly enjoyed this dynamic as Höst avoids working any particular political hobby horse that other authors might have been tempted to exercise given the setup. Cities aren't automatically bad, and people aren't inherently despoilers of the land even when they gather together in groups (or, gasp, go hunting).
And I really liked our heroine, Ash. She's in a tough position. In hiding due to events in her past (that start off murky, but that we learn over time), she finds herself in the middle of a set of murders that are rocking the town. The story starts with Ash's mentor having been killed, thus putting Ash out of a home as well as a loving relationship she treasured. Vengeance is naturally on her mind. Noticing as much, a foreign landholder tasked to investigate the murders diverts her into his service (this is less jarring if you add that Ash is currently masquerading as a boy).
From there, the book proceeds at a great pace as we get to know the court and the people in it, and join Ash and Rion in their search for a merciless killer. I really liked Rion, too, and greatly appreciated the conflict between him and Ash as he tries to harness her energy and intelligence in the task given by his friend, the king. Ash's skill with leadership and her intelligence in putting clues together (and digging more out) quickly validate Rion's choice to put her in his service and together they make a formidable team.
True to form, Höst doesn't take any of the easy or stereotypical paths in this story, either. Ash has a lot of secrets to protect, but there are more important matters at hand, as well—and in abundance. Since the story doesn't hang on her secrets so much as on the central mystery, Höst doesn't drag them out unnaturally or resort to contrived circumstances or a comedy of errors to protect (or reveal) them. I greatly appreciated this, as it meant the pace of the story could proceed at its own rate. While the book isn't a suspense-filled page-turner, it is a great romp with likeable characters I cared about in a challenging situation.
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January 24, 2024
⤅ Re-read revoew
I've re-read this one a number of times, though I'm not exactly sure why - the romance isn't spectacular and the plot is a bit confusing. HOWEVER, this is a great depiction of a heroine disguised as a boy. It can be a little light on detail at times (for instance, it's not explained if Ash actually just wears her breast-compressors all the time, which can't be either safe or comfortable) but it flows well and has moments of humour. In fact, Host I believe was inspired by Georgette Heyer, and there are definite shades of Heyer about the hero and the dialogue.
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ONE LINE SUMMARY
Cute romance, and I love genderbent heroines so I was SOLD.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
I've re-read this one a number of times, though I'm not exactly sure why - the romance isn't spectacular and the plot is a bit confusing. HOWEVER, this is a great depiction of a heroine disguised as a boy. It can be a little light on detail at times (for instance, it's not explained if Ash actually just wears her breast-compressors all the time, which can't be either safe or comfortable) but it flows well and has moments of humour. In fact, Host I believe was inspired by Georgette Heyer, and there are definite shades of Heyer about the hero and the dialogue.
__
ONE LINE SUMMARY
Cute romance, and I love genderbent heroines so I was SOLD.
[Blog] - [Bookstagram]
October 3, 2025
I just finished my latest re-reading of Hunting tonight, so I thought I'd try to write a bit about why this is one of those books I can go back to time and time again. This book is such a comfort read for me. It features one of Host's completely enveloping worlds, a place I can sink into while I'm reading it. The people who live in this world are intelligent, subtle, witty, and civilized and the narrative is compassionate in that all characters' points of view are considered by the author. Though we root for Ash, we can see that the people she butts up against aren't necessarily and invariably evil, bad people, sometimes they just have different motives that lead them into conflict with her. Plus this book features on one of my favorite fantasy tropes: a girl living as a boy in order to operate in a patriarchal society. And there is a sweet romance, friendships, plenty of derring do, and just generally fun all round. So yes, I long for the day when this ( and Touchstone) come out as audiobooks. I think if/when that happens I'll listen to these as often as I do Sharon Shinn's twelve houses series. Until then I'll just re- read every year or so.
October 14, 2015
Here we have a great protagonist, Ash, who is a girl disguised as a boy, a trope I always enjoy if it's well done. Except she's not a girl, really. She's young, but she's an adult woman. Ash is 21. She's passing herself off as an almost-17-year-old boy.
Ash can pretend to be a teenage boy quite well, but then she can pretend to be practically anything -- she's a social chameleon, good at observing the social milieu and adjusting her own behavior to get everyone else to do what she needs them to do. She's not mean about it, but she's definitely manipulative. I love how good she is at sliding into and out of social groups, and setting aside her feelings in order to pursue a goal.
Thornaster is an excellent male lead and his reaction when he finds out Ash is actually a woman is perfect. It's entertaining how little the revelation matters, in fact; this is one book where it's not a disaster for the girl to be unmasked. Not only is Ash perfectly capable of dealing with the fallout, but she's surrounded by people who may be surprised, but who handle it. I liked this, because I almost always enjoy competent protagonists and dislike angst. But it's an unusual treatment of the girl-passing-as-boy scenario.
The metaphysical background is the other thing I particularly liked in this story. The stars really are gods, the Sun and the Earth really do bring forth life in a very direct way, it's all ornate and interesting. I like the butterflies and moths, and *naturally* I particularly like the phoenixes.
I will say, the clutter of names and titles at the beginning could be confusing. Also, this is one murder mystery where a lot of motivations are left dark. Was it *all* mind control weirdness or did some of those people know what they were doing? Why and how did the main bad guy survive? What *about* the mage who was killing herbalists, where did she come from and why did she get involved? She didn't seem to get a lot out of her presumed deal with the bad guy. I actually felt quite sorry for her, not to mention that the motive for killing the herbalists in the first place seemed thin to me. Also, the final resolution of the problem seemed unduly brisk and simple, though I suppose having gods on your side would be helpful at those moments.
So I'm not sure I would say this is a story to read for plot. If that's the main thing you enjoy, this one might not be your favorite. But Ash and Thornaster are delightful, watching their relationship develop is a pleasure, and I will certainly be coming back to re-read this one again.
January 21, 2014
Not flawless, but a completely delicious read - masterful world building with an original cosmology, an extremely resourceful and likeable heroine, a magical murder mystery and a satisfying romance made my one or two minor quibbles feel quite negligible.
July 1, 2013
I really ought to give this book four stars because I think it has a few problems. But it was so intensely, viscerally satisfying I just can't bring myself to. Höst writes books that are exactly the kind of fantasy I love, and while I think I liked Medair better, it's a really close call.
Ash has been pretending to be a boy for eight years, "adopted" by an herbalist named Genevieve. Now, someone is murdering herbalists, and when Genevieve is killed, Ash takes up with a nobleman named Thornaster to figure out who's behind the killings and why. Ash is a complex character, and her motive for becoming a boy and going into hiding, when it's revealed, is both an interesting plot twist and part of what drives the story. Thornaster is clever and has a mysterious past, but I liked that he didn't have any idea his new seruilis (sort of like a page) is female until that fact is proven beyond all doubt. I was proud of myself for figuring out his real identity when Ash did, and I liked how their romance developed despite having reservations about this very heterosexual man falling for her so quickly after having only known her as a boy. But, as with Medair, I liked the romance so much that I stuffed those reservations in a closet and locked it.
There are some other problems with the book. I am completely in favor of authors dealing out information for the reader to figure out as opposed to stupid infodumping all over the place, but I think Höst may have gone a little too far in the other direction. This may also be because when Ash becomes a seruilis and is introduced to the other young men of this status, there's a big section in which all of their names and descriptions are thrown at the reader in one go. It's a little overwhelming and I think it could be offputting; I saw it as a challenge, but I don't know that that's the default reaction.
The flip side of this is that Höst has created a really interesting world with an intriguing religion/magic that goes much deeper than what's presented in the book. Even though I'm pretty sure there's not much more story here, it makes me sad to leave behind so much creativity. I'm pretty sure, though, that I will be reading this book again, so it's not so much leaving it behind as leaving it behind for now. Excellent work, and I look forward to reading more of Höst's work.
Ash has been pretending to be a boy for eight years, "adopted" by an herbalist named Genevieve. Now, someone is murdering herbalists, and when Genevieve is killed, Ash takes up with a nobleman named Thornaster to figure out who's behind the killings and why. Ash is a complex character, and her motive for becoming a boy and going into hiding, when it's revealed, is both an interesting plot twist and part of what drives the story. Thornaster is clever and has a mysterious past, but I liked that he didn't have any idea his new seruilis (sort of like a page) is female until that fact is proven beyond all doubt. I was proud of myself for figuring out his real identity when Ash did, and I liked how their romance developed despite having reservations about this very heterosexual man falling for her so quickly after having only known her as a boy. But, as with Medair, I liked the romance so much that I stuffed those reservations in a closet and locked it.
There are some other problems with the book. I am completely in favor of authors dealing out information for the reader to figure out as opposed to stupid infodumping all over the place, but I think Höst may have gone a little too far in the other direction. This may also be because when Ash becomes a seruilis and is introduced to the other young men of this status, there's a big section in which all of their names and descriptions are thrown at the reader in one go. It's a little overwhelming and I think it could be offputting; I saw it as a challenge, but I don't know that that's the default reaction.
The flip side of this is that Höst has created a really interesting world with an intriguing religion/magic that goes much deeper than what's presented in the book. Even though I'm pretty sure there's not much more story here, it makes me sad to leave behind so much creativity. I'm pretty sure, though, that I will be reading this book again, so it's not so much leaving it behind as leaving it behind for now. Excellent work, and I look forward to reading more of Höst's work.
September 11, 2013
After letting this simmer for awhile I decided that I was a little critical of this story. I still have some of the same complaints but still, this book is so much better that most of the tripe I've been reading lately, and Host is my author! I can't leave her out to dry with a three star review. So I upped it.
I liked Hunting, I really did.
I loved Ash, she was strong, funny and smart. I liked Thornaster. He was a good hero, and I enjoyed their back and forth banter the whole way through.
I don't know. I'm kinda struggling here to explain what it was that didn't click with me. I didn't really understand everything about the plot I guess. I still don't know why the bad guy was killing who he was killing. I really don't understand what the bad guy is even. I was confused by everyone's titles. I know I need to do a better job reading, really its probably my own fault, but still. The world building seemed to take a bit of a backseat in this one, or maybe that's not right. Maybe there just wasn't enough explanation on the world. Because I feel like the world was all there, all put together and very thorough. I just didn't get to know about it.
I also wasn't crazy about how quickly the two leads decide they want to be together. The build up was good, but I need a little more angst after they declare themselves or something.
I don't know. I'm going to stop rambling now and put it down to a three starrer, and move on. :) Can't wait for whatever she writes next.
July 11, 2020
While I initially found the world-building confusing, I quickly fell and fell hard for the first 70% of this book. I didn't want it to end. I loved that it was a stand-alone, but I wanted a series. I wanted more of this world. I was ready to recommend the book to everyone!
Strong female lead cross dressing as a boy? Check.
Strong friendships? Check.
Subtle, under the surface romance? Check.
A creative and well-developed world with mythology and religion? Check.
Action? Mystery? Tension? Consequences? Check, check, check, check.
For the first 70%.
And it is not like it crashed and burned after that point. It just...sped things up so fast I kept going, 'Wait...WHAT?!'
And not in a good way.
But I'll discuss the specifics in the spoiler. I really did enjoy this novel. It kept things fast and entertaining. It reminded me of a Tamora Pierce novel, but without the things that frustrate me about her books.
A good, strong NA fantasy.
But here is where it 'lost' me:
Strong female lead cross dressing as a boy? Check.
Strong friendships? Check.
Subtle, under the surface romance? Check.
A creative and well-developed world with mythology and religion? Check.
Action? Mystery? Tension? Consequences? Check, check, check, check.
For the first 70%.
And it is not like it crashed and burned after that point. It just...sped things up so fast I kept going, 'Wait...WHAT?!'
And not in a good way.
But I'll discuss the specifics in the spoiler. I really did enjoy this novel. It kept things fast and entertaining. It reminded me of a Tamora Pierce novel, but without the things that frustrate me about her books.
A good, strong NA fantasy.
But here is where it 'lost' me:
October 18, 2019
2.75
Well... I don't know about this one.
I really enjoyed Höst's Touchstone Series, and was looking for another interesting story with unique world building and strong characters. This could have been that kind of story, but I felt the overall execution fell a bit flat.
I liked the premise of the story- 21 year old Ash is living her life dressed as a boy- first off to hide from people in her past who did her wrong, and secondly to avoid the restrictions placed on women in her world. She has grown into her own as the leader of a 'street gang', and as a herbalist working under her adoptive 'aunt' Genevieve.
Everything changes however when herbalists in her town wind up dead, chief among them being her aunt. With her persona as a teenage boy in place, an investigator named Thornaster takes her in as his assistant- in the hopes of keeping Ash off the streets and under his thumb during the murder investigation. Ash goes along with the farce in order to gain access to the palace, to get leads, and to keep her enemies close.
So that was what I like about the story. However, the world building, names, and titles of the characters were just a bit to much for me. I just felt constantly bombarded with titles and names.
Khanteck, Visel, Rhoi, Rhoimarche, Mern, Northern Arabaya, Kantar, Firuvar, Landhold, seruilis, Veirhoi, Decsel,Nemator, Aremal...there were a lot more.
I didn't know who's title mean what, and had even less of a grasp of where people came from, and how that equated into the flimsy magic system. I guess I could have stopped reading and made an index for myself, but really since the story is stand alone, and it didn't have a huge impact on the mystery in the story- I didn't feel like I should bother.
Also, once the romance was introduced I felt like the story really fell apart.
Spoiler review:
Also, LGBT? Genderqueer? Huh, what, where? Ash only dressed as a boy to hide her identity, not because she didn't identify as a cis woman...and there was one side character who was gay in the gang, and his sexuality was more of a throw-away line on how he would have been with Ash is she really was a guy...so not a major plot line. Unless I missing something here?
Well... I don't know about this one.
I really enjoyed Höst's Touchstone Series, and was looking for another interesting story with unique world building and strong characters. This could have been that kind of story, but I felt the overall execution fell a bit flat.
I liked the premise of the story- 21 year old Ash is living her life dressed as a boy- first off to hide from people in her past who did her wrong, and secondly to avoid the restrictions placed on women in her world. She has grown into her own as the leader of a 'street gang', and as a herbalist working under her adoptive 'aunt' Genevieve.
Everything changes however when herbalists in her town wind up dead, chief among them being her aunt. With her persona as a teenage boy in place, an investigator named Thornaster takes her in as his assistant- in the hopes of keeping Ash off the streets and under his thumb during the murder investigation. Ash goes along with the farce in order to gain access to the palace, to get leads, and to keep her enemies close.
So that was what I like about the story. However, the world building, names, and titles of the characters were just a bit to much for me. I just felt constantly bombarded with titles and names.
Khanteck, Visel, Rhoi, Rhoimarche, Mern, Northern Arabaya, Kantar, Firuvar, Landhold, seruilis, Veirhoi, Decsel,Nemator, Aremal...there were a lot more.
I didn't know who's title mean what, and had even less of a grasp of where people came from, and how that equated into the flimsy magic system. I guess I could have stopped reading and made an index for myself, but really since the story is stand alone, and it didn't have a huge impact on the mystery in the story- I didn't feel like I should bother.
Also, once the romance was introduced I felt like the story really fell apart.
Spoiler review:
Also, LGBT? Genderqueer? Huh, what, where? Ash only dressed as a boy to hide her identity, not because she didn't identify as a cis woman...and there was one side character who was gay in the gang, and his sexuality was more of a throw-away line on how he would have been with Ash is she really was a guy...so not a major plot line. Unless I missing something here?
May 21, 2013
This book opens up when Ash Lenthard's guardian, Genevieve (a herbalist living in Luinhall), has been brutally murdered. Ash finds herself in a predicament, by wanting to find her murderer and being forced to move into the palace to train as a seruilis -a sort of squire- for the foreigner and investigator Thornaster. Her life is even more complicated, as she has been disguising as a boy for the past 9 years.
What an interesting treat. I have been eagerly waiting to read a new story from Andrea. She is such a talented, creative and amazing indie Australian writer. She has a gift when it comes to imagining fantastic places that are vividly described by her writing. She also makes sure all the places you visit on her books have a unique voice for their dwellers. I carry her fantasy worlds in my mind all the time.
However, in this book, you get thrown a bit too fast to the system of beliefs and the society which develops it.
I am still confused about what a Rhoi is, about the gods Astenar and Luin, what was the issue with property, lands and it's whole significance with Luin's Laws of Balance.
Perhaps this is the curse that I have to endure thanks to The Song of Ice and Fire or The Wheel of Time. Both of the authors of these High Fantasy epic adventures spoiled some of my enjoyment of Hunting. Lots and lots of details flow through these books, where in most cases you end up knowing more about the Stark family tree than your own. Or by repetition, what Aes Sedai wear. In the case of Hunting, there is so much potential for developing many characters and cosmogonic system of beliefs, that left me wanting MORE! I felt I was reading a quick teaser of something epic that was occurring in the background. I had to keep going back and doing lots of searches to try to figure out who the characters where, locations, the names of the gods, which blood flows in whom and the families, characters names and who was where. You don't have to take notes or pay extra attention to all the details, but it is possibly that you will forget so much, most of the things I kept on looking back where just vaguely mentioned once.
What I specially liked about this book was the bickering! I loved the interactions between Ash and Thornaster.
For example:
"You're a real wordsmith. You should consider a career as a player."
"And you would make a remarkable diplomat, Ash. I shall recommend you. Now close your mouth and, if you cannot master your tongue, say nothing."
Ash's pragmatism reminded me a lot of Madeleine from And All The Stars
In sum, I liked it. I would love to read a story set in this world. Perhaps a spinoff where Kiri is the main character, and we learn more about her and Arun? Yes, please!
What an interesting treat. I have been eagerly waiting to read a new story from Andrea. She is such a talented, creative and amazing indie Australian writer. She has a gift when it comes to imagining fantastic places that are vividly described by her writing. She also makes sure all the places you visit on her books have a unique voice for their dwellers. I carry her fantasy worlds in my mind all the time.
However, in this book, you get thrown a bit too fast to the system of beliefs and the society which develops it.
I am still confused about what a Rhoi is, about the gods Astenar and Luin, what was the issue with property, lands and it's whole significance with Luin's Laws of Balance.
Perhaps this is the curse that I have to endure thanks to The Song of Ice and Fire or The Wheel of Time. Both of the authors of these High Fantasy epic adventures spoiled some of my enjoyment of Hunting. Lots and lots of details flow through these books, where in most cases you end up knowing more about the Stark family tree than your own. Or by repetition, what Aes Sedai wear. In the case of Hunting, there is so much potential for developing many characters and cosmogonic system of beliefs, that left me wanting MORE! I felt I was reading a quick teaser of something epic that was occurring in the background. I had to keep going back and doing lots of searches to try to figure out who the characters where, locations, the names of the gods, which blood flows in whom and the families, characters names and who was where. You don't have to take notes or pay extra attention to all the details, but it is possibly that you will forget so much, most of the things I kept on looking back where just vaguely mentioned once.
What I specially liked about this book was the bickering! I loved the interactions between Ash and Thornaster.
For example:
"You're a real wordsmith. You should consider a career as a player."
"And you would make a remarkable diplomat, Ash. I shall recommend you. Now close your mouth and, if you cannot master your tongue, say nothing."
Ash's pragmatism reminded me a lot of Madeleine from And All The Stars
In sum, I liked it. I would love to read a story set in this world. Perhaps a spinoff where Kiri is the main character, and we learn more about her and Arun? Yes, please!
September 30, 2015
Summary: When Ash (our Sweet Polly Oliver protagonist) finds her guardian dead, possibly as a result of a larger conspiracy, she makes it her mission to find the killer.
Thoughts: This book is a great, fun mystery fantasy with a side of romance and plenty of snarky dialogue. Ash is a wonderful heroine: complicated, smart, brave, and a little reckless when she needs to be.
Unfortunately, there were moments where I was a little confused. Neologisms and characters are introduced at breakneck speed with little explanation and I found myself going back to re-read sections to keep up. On the flip side, there were other things that so well foreshadowed I figured them out well before the big reveals. This dulled my enjoyment somewhat, but I still really liked it.
Thanks to Andrea for putting your books on sale for Christmas!
7/10
Thoughts: This book is a great, fun mystery fantasy with a side of romance and plenty of snarky dialogue. Ash is a wonderful heroine: complicated, smart, brave, and a little reckless when she needs to be.
Unfortunately, there were moments where I was a little confused. Neologisms and characters are introduced at breakneck speed with little explanation and I found myself going back to re-read sections to keep up. On the flip side, there were other things that so well foreshadowed I figured them out well before the big reveals. This dulled my enjoyment somewhat, but I still really liked it.
Thanks to Andrea for putting your books on sale for Christmas!
7/10
December 26, 2022
This is certainly up there with my favourite YA fantasy stories - I have a soft spot for the girl-in-disguise plot and am always up for a sprinkle of romance in my fantasy. I loved the underlying theme of female empowerment (and yay for a female BFF who is really a BFF). Minor niggle: the various titles used for the aristocracy had me confused at the start, but I eventually got there...
April 6, 2014
I love love Host's writing. I just love it. So when I found myself in a reading slump, yet again, I decided to pick up one of her books in the hope that it would help me get out of this slump. And it did.
I adored Ash, just adored. Major girl crush going on. She was just so awesome and kick ass. We aren't told that she is smart and can kick ass, like so many books out there and then just left wondering when this supposed genius and kickassery comes in. No, we are shown steadily throughout the whole book exactly how smart Ash is and how she can kick ass with her knives. She is practical, methodical, a survivor, a fighter and a leader.
She's had a tough life, her parents sucked, and she had to go live in the streets to keep her freedom and sanity, did she ever complain about it? Not really, just pointed out that it sucked. Did she wallow in self pity? Hell no. She moved forward and went on with her life, and life that she recognized suited her much better than the one she would have had.
And she wasn't the only awesome female character, no, this book was filled with girl power. We have Kiri and Talat, who we don't really get to meet till the last 1/3rd of the book or so, but they were great characters. Talat is another girl that fell on really hard times. But she has been making the best of them and doesn't freaking complain about it either. No she is looking forward to taking back what's rightfully hers. Kiri was the best friend that Ash left behind and even though Kiri has all the showings of a mean court girl, by being incredibly beautiful and wickedly smart, she isn't. She is loyal to her best friend and when they are rejoined they pick up were they left off with Kiri now helping them out.
The male characters weren't bad either, I specially loved the main guy, Thornaster. Instead of being the broody, mysterious, bad ass, he was a caring, prone to levity, mysterious badass. He never once treated Ash wrongly, and he wasn't the type either that because he was the older and male, that automatically meant he was smarter and she should listen to him period. He knew when he was in the wrong and when Ash was making more sense, and he accepted it graciously. He might not have always liked her ideas but they were necessary.
The world-building was another awesome aspect. Host drops you right into the middle of this fantastical world and you have to piece together everything about it. There is no glossary to help you along either. Sure, this meant I was utterly lost at the beginning but you it starts making sense eventually and while I would have liked even more in depth detail about this world and it's gods and the way it was tied to the land and it's people, I got more that enough to form a competent picture.
This books only downfall was the romance and resolution. I liked the plot and how the character went about figuring stuff out. My problem was the ending, and how Ash always seemed to be in the right place and the right time. Now some of that could be because she was actually always trying to position her self in advantageous spots whenever she was in a room, but there were just a little too many coincidences for my liking. Not to mention that the end felt just too anticlimactic. Both how the bad guy died and how they resolved his villainous plans. As for the romance, that felt entirely too abrupt as well. While I understand these were different times and different customs, I would have liked a bit more romancing before jumping right into marriage. I guess I wanted more time with their awareness of their feelings than was shown, even though they were in a time constraint.
All in all, Hunting has an amazing cast of characters, intricate world building, and a plot that twists and turns till the every end. The romance left something to be desired and the ending was on the underwhelming side but it was more than worth the read.
I adored Ash, just adored. Major girl crush going on. She was just so awesome and kick ass. We aren't told that she is smart and can kick ass, like so many books out there and then just left wondering when this supposed genius and kickassery comes in. No, we are shown steadily throughout the whole book exactly how smart Ash is and how she can kick ass with her knives. She is practical, methodical, a survivor, a fighter and a leader.
She's had a tough life, her parents sucked, and she had to go live in the streets to keep her freedom and sanity, did she ever complain about it? Not really, just pointed out that it sucked. Did she wallow in self pity? Hell no. She moved forward and went on with her life, and life that she recognized suited her much better than the one she would have had.
And she wasn't the only awesome female character, no, this book was filled with girl power. We have Kiri and Talat, who we don't really get to meet till the last 1/3rd of the book or so, but they were great characters. Talat is another girl that fell on really hard times. But she has been making the best of them and doesn't freaking complain about it either. No she is looking forward to taking back what's rightfully hers. Kiri was the best friend that Ash left behind and even though Kiri has all the showings of a mean court girl, by being incredibly beautiful and wickedly smart, she isn't. She is loyal to her best friend and when they are rejoined they pick up were they left off with Kiri now helping them out.
The male characters weren't bad either, I specially loved the main guy, Thornaster. Instead of being the broody, mysterious, bad ass, he was a caring, prone to levity, mysterious badass. He never once treated Ash wrongly, and he wasn't the type either that because he was the older and male, that automatically meant he was smarter and she should listen to him period. He knew when he was in the wrong and when Ash was making more sense, and he accepted it graciously. He might not have always liked her ideas but they were necessary.
The world-building was another awesome aspect. Host drops you right into the middle of this fantastical world and you have to piece together everything about it. There is no glossary to help you along either. Sure, this meant I was utterly lost at the beginning but you it starts making sense eventually and while I would have liked even more in depth detail about this world and it's gods and the way it was tied to the land and it's people, I got more that enough to form a competent picture.
This books only downfall was the romance and resolution. I liked the plot and how the character went about figuring stuff out. My problem was the ending, and how Ash always seemed to be in the right place and the right time. Now some of that could be because she was actually always trying to position her self in advantageous spots whenever she was in a room, but there were just a little too many coincidences for my liking. Not to mention that the end felt just too anticlimactic. Both how the bad guy died and how they resolved his villainous plans. As for the romance, that felt entirely too abrupt as well. While I understand these were different times and different customs, I would have liked a bit more romancing before jumping right into marriage. I guess I wanted more time with their awareness of their feelings than was shown, even though they were in a time constraint.
All in all, Hunting has an amazing cast of characters, intricate world building, and a plot that twists and turns till the every end. The romance left something to be desired and the ending was on the underwhelming side but it was more than worth the read.
June 13, 2013
Originally posted at Novel Idea Reviews
RATING: 4/5 Stars
This isn’t just a fantasy book. It’s a fantasy murder mystery. How do you resist?? I mean, it has roof running, tree climbing, strategic gossip, undetectable poisons, shapeshifting mages, secret identities, and VENGEANCE. I can’t imagine what else you might want, except maybe an amazing female lead… WHICH IT ALSO HAS. If you’re not sold yet, I have no idea why. Hunting contains everything I love about Andrea K. Höst’s fantasy novels, from incredibly detailed world building to great, complex characters. Read on for more!
There are a few constants in life, one of which is that I can always count on A.K. Höst to deliver a female lead that won’t disappoint me. The author has this to say about the protagonist of hunting: “My need for a heroine capable of getting herself out of her own scrapes produced Ash Lenthard, who does not so much kick ass, as tap-dance across the heads of her enemies.” Does she ever! Wily, resourceful, street-smart Ash has left her painful past behind, shedding her skin and becoming a boy who flies across rooftops with her band of Huntsmen. I loved that Ash is never sitting still. She’s always up and doing something, making the most out of what she has at her disposal. I love that she goes for what she wants instead of twiddling her thumbs. It gets so tiresome reading books in which the characters remain inert for long periods of time, whether it’s due to hesitation or insecurities or what-have-you. This is definitely not the case with Ash.
Plus she made me laugh, and frequently. Ash is one of those characters who is either getting herself into shenanigans or finding herself dropped right in the middle of them, and watching her extricate herself from situations ranging from awkward to dangerous is truly entertaining. She’s self-possessed, focused, and a born leader. I admired her confidence. (I’ve had really good luck recently with female protagonists who go around dressing like boys and then subsequently running circles around them. Also see: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen.) I also loved her relationship and banter with Rian Thornaster, the man she reluctantly teams up with to investigate Genevieve’s murder. They were more than a match for each other.
One of my favorite things about this author’s fantasy books is her world building, which is so detailed that it boggles the mind. Ash’s world is no different; it’s a fully realized universe, and delving into it is akin to visiting a foreign country. You have to learn the language, figure out the nuances of its culture. It’s an exercise in discovery that occasionally proved to be a challenge due to the sheer volume of new things to absorb and process. I don’t mind a challenge, but keep in mind that there are no training wheels. The same has been true of other fantasy books I’ve read from this author, and I think it adds to how real they end up feeling. I loved the world introduced in Hunting, especially the complex relationship and balance between the gods, the people, and the land, which were all connected and intertwined. I read a lot of fantasy so it’s always refreshing to see new concepts and ideas in a genre where a lot of tropes are often re-used. Just another thing I’ve come to expect when I read A.K. Höst!
It takes a bit of an adjustment period to orient yourself in the world of Hunting, which is pretty complex. Lots of words, names, and cultural details to learn, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. Ash Lenthard is an unforgettable heroine you can’t help rooting for, whether she’s falling down wells or protecting the people she loves. You may also like The Medair Duology (The Silence of Medair and Voice of the Lost), also by Andrea K. Höst, and the first of her fantasy novels I ever picked up. (I loved them too!)
RATING: 4/5 Stars
This isn’t just a fantasy book. It’s a fantasy murder mystery. How do you resist?? I mean, it has roof running, tree climbing, strategic gossip, undetectable poisons, shapeshifting mages, secret identities, and VENGEANCE. I can’t imagine what else you might want, except maybe an amazing female lead… WHICH IT ALSO HAS. If you’re not sold yet, I have no idea why. Hunting contains everything I love about Andrea K. Höst’s fantasy novels, from incredibly detailed world building to great, complex characters. Read on for more!
There are a few constants in life, one of which is that I can always count on A.K. Höst to deliver a female lead that won’t disappoint me. The author has this to say about the protagonist of hunting: “My need for a heroine capable of getting herself out of her own scrapes produced Ash Lenthard, who does not so much kick ass, as tap-dance across the heads of her enemies.” Does she ever! Wily, resourceful, street-smart Ash has left her painful past behind, shedding her skin and becoming a boy who flies across rooftops with her band of Huntsmen. I loved that Ash is never sitting still. She’s always up and doing something, making the most out of what she has at her disposal. I love that she goes for what she wants instead of twiddling her thumbs. It gets so tiresome reading books in which the characters remain inert for long periods of time, whether it’s due to hesitation or insecurities or what-have-you. This is definitely not the case with Ash.
Plus she made me laugh, and frequently. Ash is one of those characters who is either getting herself into shenanigans or finding herself dropped right in the middle of them, and watching her extricate herself from situations ranging from awkward to dangerous is truly entertaining. She’s self-possessed, focused, and a born leader. I admired her confidence. (I’ve had really good luck recently with female protagonists who go around dressing like boys and then subsequently running circles around them. Also see: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen.) I also loved her relationship and banter with Rian Thornaster, the man she reluctantly teams up with to investigate Genevieve’s murder. They were more than a match for each other.
One of my favorite things about this author’s fantasy books is her world building, which is so detailed that it boggles the mind. Ash’s world is no different; it’s a fully realized universe, and delving into it is akin to visiting a foreign country. You have to learn the language, figure out the nuances of its culture. It’s an exercise in discovery that occasionally proved to be a challenge due to the sheer volume of new things to absorb and process. I don’t mind a challenge, but keep in mind that there are no training wheels. The same has been true of other fantasy books I’ve read from this author, and I think it adds to how real they end up feeling. I loved the world introduced in Hunting, especially the complex relationship and balance between the gods, the people, and the land, which were all connected and intertwined. I read a lot of fantasy so it’s always refreshing to see new concepts and ideas in a genre where a lot of tropes are often re-used. Just another thing I’ve come to expect when I read A.K. Höst!
It takes a bit of an adjustment period to orient yourself in the world of Hunting, which is pretty complex. Lots of words, names, and cultural details to learn, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. Ash Lenthard is an unforgettable heroine you can’t help rooting for, whether she’s falling down wells or protecting the people she loves. You may also like The Medair Duology (The Silence of Medair and Voice of the Lost), also by Andrea K. Höst, and the first of her fantasy novels I ever picked up. (I loved them too!)
April 27, 2013
Hunting is actually more of a two star book for me, but I just can't bear giving such a low rating to this author. I think Andrea Host is such a talented Indie author, and I'm totally rooting for her and her million dollar movie deal, but unfortunately I thought this book was a fumble instead of a touchdown. Bummer!
First, some good: Once again AH has created interesting, quirky characters. The dialogue is clever. The world building is decent. I liked the bit about how people and rulers are magically bound to the land. This gives the rulers power, but also a greater responsibility in caring for it. Land that is left "unbound" is vulnerable to falling out of "Balance". I guess this is a theme that AH likes, because it's also present in Medair. The Ibisian king's life is entirely governed by his link to his land, and he must adhere to strict rules and rituals designed to maintain its health. It's kind of an interesting take on environmentalism, although I've never found it to be excessively moralistic or pedantic in AH's books.
But here is where I have to start getting negative. :-( My overall impression of Hunting is that it was, well, sloppy. (I wonder if AH rushed a bit too much to get this book out.) I'm not talking about the occasional typo. There were plot threads that were completely dropped. For instance, during the murder of one of the herbalists, a three-year-old girl goes missing. Everybody is worried and sad, and it seems like a little sub-mystery is starting. And then the little girl appears three chapters later. No explanation of how she was found or anything, she just shows up again.
I also thought the love story was rushed. This wouldn't have been so bad, in and of itself, accept that some of the other circumstances made it feel a little strange. Ash, a 21-year-old young lady, had been masquerading as a 16-year-old boy. Her mentor finds out that she's really a woman, and in about a day, falls in love with her. It just seems like either he would have needed more time to stop thinking of her as an adolescent boy, or else he must have had some romantic interest before. The latter possibility seems a little weird because he really seemed to think of her (him) as a kid... At the very least, I'd call this a missed opportunity for a little angst to make the romance more interesting. Story-wise, the potential for it was considerable (Ash: he'll never love me, he thinks of me as a boy... Thorn: How do I feel? Can I accept this? Am I taking advantage of the fact that I was her mentor? etc...)
And the ending I didn't get at all. I thought it was a bit of a let-down for everything to have happened because of a supernatural force. It started out as a mystery, and I guess I wanted a more clever explanation. I still don't understand why the herbalists were being murdered. I guess it had something to do with being able to recognize a certain type of poison, but at the end, the god hardly tried to be subtle,so the murders seemed pointless. I never even really understood how it was defeated. In all fairness, I got a little bored in the last 10% of the book and had to force myself to finish it. I might not have been reading that carefully. But even so, it probably says something that I wanted to stop reading during the climax.
Anyway, I hate that I am so negative in this review. I would still highly recommend Andrea Host, but if you are new to her work, I would suggest starting elsewhere.
First, some good: Once again AH has created interesting, quirky characters. The dialogue is clever. The world building is decent. I liked the bit about how people and rulers are magically bound to the land. This gives the rulers power, but also a greater responsibility in caring for it. Land that is left "unbound" is vulnerable to falling out of "Balance". I guess this is a theme that AH likes, because it's also present in Medair. The Ibisian king's life is entirely governed by his link to his land, and he must adhere to strict rules and rituals designed to maintain its health. It's kind of an interesting take on environmentalism, although I've never found it to be excessively moralistic or pedantic in AH's books.
But here is where I have to start getting negative. :-( My overall impression of Hunting is that it was, well, sloppy. (I wonder if AH rushed a bit too much to get this book out.) I'm not talking about the occasional typo. There were plot threads that were completely dropped. For instance, during the murder of one of the herbalists, a three-year-old girl goes missing. Everybody is worried and sad, and it seems like a little sub-mystery is starting. And then the little girl appears three chapters later. No explanation of how she was found or anything, she just shows up again.
I also thought the love story was rushed. This wouldn't have been so bad, in and of itself, accept that some of the other circumstances made it feel a little strange. Ash, a 21-year-old young lady, had been masquerading as a 16-year-old boy. Her mentor finds out that she's really a woman, and in about a day, falls in love with her. It just seems like either he would have needed more time to stop thinking of her as an adolescent boy, or else he must have had some romantic interest before. The latter possibility seems a little weird because he really seemed to think of her (him) as a kid... At the very least, I'd call this a missed opportunity for a little angst to make the romance more interesting. Story-wise, the potential for it was considerable (Ash: he'll never love me, he thinks of me as a boy... Thorn: How do I feel? Can I accept this? Am I taking advantage of the fact that I was her mentor? etc...)
And the ending I didn't get at all. I thought it was a bit of a let-down for everything to have happened because of a supernatural force. It started out as a mystery, and I guess I wanted a more clever explanation. I still don't understand why the herbalists were being murdered. I guess it had something to do with being able to recognize a certain type of poison, but at the end, the god hardly tried to be subtle,so the murders seemed pointless. I never even really understood how it was defeated. In all fairness, I got a little bored in the last 10% of the book and had to force myself to finish it. I might not have been reading that carefully. But even so, it probably says something that I wanted to stop reading during the climax.
Anyway, I hate that I am so negative in this review. I would still highly recommend Andrea Host, but if you are new to her work, I would suggest starting elsewhere.
February 8, 2017
"A ribbon so you know I'm here"
What the summary doesn't tell you is that along the way Ash saves half the cast from dire straits at various points (in person's case twice!) because she can not because anyone particularly tells her to. Seriously, she even says she can't help herself it just kind of happens. A lot. (to be fair she also is laboring under a pretty intense case of regret because of Genevieve's death).
Höst says that Hunting was in response to Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer, a story about a girl searching for her brother and getting into a wild amount of scrapes (considering how well to do she was) and constantly needing rescuing. One thing Ash doesn't really need is rescuing (though on occasion she does need help rescuing herself). Ash prepares for things and within reason can estimate how things will shake down to anticipate what she needs to do.
She's not infalliable; her mistakes tend to be underestimating people and their motivations however. Ash has a lot of street smarts--she can turn a phrase so its not quite a lie and adapts to situations quickly. She understands people to a point. Ask her why her peers are hostile towards her or why Genevieve helps people the way she does and Ash will have an immediate response. However despite witnessing cruelty and evil, Ash is at a loss to understand the motivations of the killer hunting the herbalists throughout the city.
And to be perfectly truthful I was a little sketchy on the reasoning as well. A lot is made of the Rhoi (Arun)'s life being put in jeporady...probably. The mystery of who is behind some of the attack's on Arun's heir is less complicated then Höst perhaps intended. I guessed the fiend fairly quickly though whether its because I watch a lot of detective shows or because Höst choreographed this person's involvement quite loudly is anyone's guess.
The attacks are only part of the larger conspiracy and this is when the mystery begins to break down for me. When we find out the "true" culprit things become a bit dicey motivation wise. Its not until late into the game that Ash and Co. make a connection between the culprit and what's going on now. And much of that is because of something said to Thornaster. If that phrase hadn't been said I'm not sure they would have made the parallels they did.
The best part of this book was the characters. Ash is a delight--sometimes a bit too arrogant of her abilities for her own good, but its justified. She's also not above a manipulation to get what she wants, which is good since its put to use throughout the book. Her banter with Thornaster is lively and makes their eventual mutual understanding much easier to see. Ash also keeps lively company with her "Huntsmen" and has some interesting conversations with a couple peers (though I'll admit they're given a much broader stroke of detail than the Huntsmen).
Overall I enjoyed Höst's newest work. Its not quite as defined as her other worlds, but there's an intriguing mythology at its roots and Ash was simply a joy to read.
What the summary doesn't tell you is that along the way Ash saves half the cast from dire straits at various points (in person's case twice!) because she can not because anyone particularly tells her to. Seriously, she even says she can't help herself it just kind of happens. A lot. (to be fair she also is laboring under a pretty intense case of regret because of Genevieve's death).
Höst says that Hunting was in response to Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer, a story about a girl searching for her brother and getting into a wild amount of scrapes (considering how well to do she was) and constantly needing rescuing. One thing Ash doesn't really need is rescuing (though on occasion she does need help rescuing herself). Ash prepares for things and within reason can estimate how things will shake down to anticipate what she needs to do.
She's not infalliable; her mistakes tend to be underestimating people and their motivations however. Ash has a lot of street smarts--she can turn a phrase so its not quite a lie and adapts to situations quickly. She understands people to a point. Ask her why her peers are hostile towards her or why Genevieve helps people the way she does and Ash will have an immediate response. However despite witnessing cruelty and evil, Ash is at a loss to understand the motivations of the killer hunting the herbalists throughout the city.
And to be perfectly truthful I was a little sketchy on the reasoning as well. A lot is made of the Rhoi (Arun)'s life being put in jeporady...probably. The mystery of who is behind some of the attack's on Arun's heir is less complicated then Höst perhaps intended. I guessed the fiend fairly quickly though whether its because I watch a lot of detective shows or because Höst choreographed this person's involvement quite loudly is anyone's guess.
The attacks are only part of the larger conspiracy and this is when the mystery begins to break down for me. When we find out the "true" culprit things become a bit dicey motivation wise. Its not until late into the game that Ash and Co. make a connection between the culprit and what's going on now. And much of that is because of something said to Thornaster. If that phrase hadn't been said I'm not sure they would have made the parallels they did.
The best part of this book was the characters. Ash is a delight--sometimes a bit too arrogant of her abilities for her own good, but its justified. She's also not above a manipulation to get what she wants, which is good since its put to use throughout the book. Her banter with Thornaster is lively and makes their eventual mutual understanding much easier to see. Ash also keeps lively company with her "Huntsmen" and has some interesting conversations with a couple peers (though I'll admit they're given a much broader stroke of detail than the Huntsmen).
Overall I enjoyed Höst's newest work. Its not quite as defined as her other worlds, but there's an intriguing mythology at its roots and Ash was simply a joy to read.
November 2, 2016
Now here’s a thing: a book by Andrea K Höst that doesn’t set me on fire. It’s a perfectly fine, entertaining read, you understand, a solid YA fantasy with a little romance, but it just doesn’t quite have that extra something that normally lifts the author’s writing out of the ‘good’ column and into the ‘awesome’. That makes me sad.
It starts badly. The first few chapters are a blizzard of names and titles and nicknames and throwaway references to customs and ideas that the average reader can’t possibly understand. And is that an orphaned heroine of mysterious background I see before me? (Well, not quite but close enough.) And - surely not? - that can’t be a girl masquerading as a boy? But it is. Can we say ‘overused tropes’ here? Naturally the author is far too creative not to put her own twist on all this, but it’s still a slightly underwhelming start.
The magic of this world is quite intriguing. The rulers are chosen by the gods, rather than simply inheriting their power, and the gods give them a direct connection with their land. Their job is to maintain the balance of the land, so that it’s not overused or neglected, and they have powers to enable them to do that. The gods also intervene at death, choosing whether a soul is worthy to go to the sun god (a heaven equivalent), or goes to a different god to be cleaned up first. A very few are rejected outright, if they’ve been very evil, or are reborn, if they have some task to finish.
The plot involves someone going round bumping off herbalists. The heroine, Ash, the one pretending to be a boy, is a friend of one of those murdered, and is taken up by outsider Thornaster to help him investigate the murders, since she has some knowledge of herbs. So there’s a lot of sneaking around, and improbable mingling with the nobility, and dramatic rescues of various characters from attempted murders and the like. And it’s all great fun and a nice, easy read, so long as you switch off all logical thought.
The whole girl pretending to be a boy thing is the biggest obstacle for me. Is it really possible to do this convincingly? The author has considered some of the difficulties, like breasts and periods and ways of walking, but I always wonder quite how you’d get away with not being able to pee standing up. And here Ash is mingling with an entirely masculine crowd, yet nobody wonders why she always sneaks away to pee?
But if you can get past that, the story rolls along very nicely, in the usual crisis-resolution, crisis-resolution way, and I suppose the final explanations and tidying up of loose ends made some sense. It just all seemed a bit less surprising and a bit more ordinary than I’d anticipated. The romance, such as it was, started too easily and resolved itself without very many difficulties. There were some nice moments along the way, though, and I rattled through this at a fair pace, without ever losing interest. This is, by any standards, an enjoyable read. It’s only by comparison with some of the author’s other work that it falls a little short. Three stars.
It starts badly. The first few chapters are a blizzard of names and titles and nicknames and throwaway references to customs and ideas that the average reader can’t possibly understand. And is that an orphaned heroine of mysterious background I see before me? (Well, not quite but close enough.) And - surely not? - that can’t be a girl masquerading as a boy? But it is. Can we say ‘overused tropes’ here? Naturally the author is far too creative not to put her own twist on all this, but it’s still a slightly underwhelming start.
The magic of this world is quite intriguing. The rulers are chosen by the gods, rather than simply inheriting their power, and the gods give them a direct connection with their land. Their job is to maintain the balance of the land, so that it’s not overused or neglected, and they have powers to enable them to do that. The gods also intervene at death, choosing whether a soul is worthy to go to the sun god (a heaven equivalent), or goes to a different god to be cleaned up first. A very few are rejected outright, if they’ve been very evil, or are reborn, if they have some task to finish.
The plot involves someone going round bumping off herbalists. The heroine, Ash, the one pretending to be a boy, is a friend of one of those murdered, and is taken up by outsider Thornaster to help him investigate the murders, since she has some knowledge of herbs. So there’s a lot of sneaking around, and improbable mingling with the nobility, and dramatic rescues of various characters from attempted murders and the like. And it’s all great fun and a nice, easy read, so long as you switch off all logical thought.
The whole girl pretending to be a boy thing is the biggest obstacle for me. Is it really possible to do this convincingly? The author has considered some of the difficulties, like breasts and periods and ways of walking, but I always wonder quite how you’d get away with not being able to pee standing up. And here Ash is mingling with an entirely masculine crowd, yet nobody wonders why she always sneaks away to pee?
But if you can get past that, the story rolls along very nicely, in the usual crisis-resolution, crisis-resolution way, and I suppose the final explanations and tidying up of loose ends made some sense. It just all seemed a bit less surprising and a bit more ordinary than I’d anticipated. The romance, such as it was, started too easily and resolved itself without very many difficulties. There were some nice moments along the way, though, and I rattled through this at a fair pace, without ever losing interest. This is, by any standards, an enjoyable read. It’s only by comparison with some of the author’s other work that it falls a little short. Three stars.
January 31, 2015
I'm giving this 3.5 stars. Sadly I couldn't give it 4 stars because I felt the ending was far too abrupt and easily come by to be a truly satisfying conclusion to the build-up involving dark forces and the resurrection of dead gods the rest of the book was.
Despite the sucky way the plot unfolded I truly did enjoy reading this. I liked getting glimpses of the world the story took place in and how the society worked. The characters were all people with interesting, or at least understandable, motivations for the most part too. Though I thought the Seruilisi reaction to Ash was weirdly unbelievable. There wasn't one instance of a secret smile or hidden nod proclaiming "I don't really hate you but I'm not making myself a social pariah by speaking to you either". Then it all kind of fizzled out and got swept under the carpet before the end without any real resolution.
I liked the character of Ash who I thought was intelligent, resourceful and very determined throughout the story, but I could not understand her waking up one day to suddenly realise she was in love with Thornaster. Before this revelation she'd shown absolutely no signs, even when she saw him naked her thoughts seemed to be rather on the detached and clinical side of appreciating the beauty of the male form rather than wanting to jump in to bed and have smexy times.
I also quite liked Thorn though I don't think we're ever given the chance to really get to know him. I couldn't even tell you how old the character is beyond somewhere between 21-30, though I'm guessing at the lower end because he is once described as looking boyish in his sleep and he says he's a few years younger than the Rhoi and his other friend and they don't seem much older than 25. Thorn's insta-love with Ash was just as jarring as hers for him was. He seems to go from believing she's his 16 year old servant boy one day to "let us get married right now!" the next with no in-between stage.
I am sad all the other characters in the story barely even count as minor. I'd like to have known more about Verel(?) the female mage-guard, and seen some of Lauren Carlyon when he wasn't acting in the capacity of the First Seruilis (or being completely shellshocked by events). Also what about Kiri, Ash's childhood friend? So much potential completely wasted!
Overall I am not unhappy that I have read this and wouldn't mind recommending it to others even if I do think the plot wrapped up a little too pat and the love thing felt really out of place.
Despite the sucky way the plot unfolded I truly did enjoy reading this. I liked getting glimpses of the world the story took place in and how the society worked. The characters were all people with interesting, or at least understandable, motivations for the most part too. Though I thought the Seruilisi reaction to Ash was weirdly unbelievable. There wasn't one instance of a secret smile or hidden nod proclaiming "I don't really hate you but I'm not making myself a social pariah by speaking to you either". Then it all kind of fizzled out and got swept under the carpet before the end without any real resolution.
I liked the character of Ash who I thought was intelligent, resourceful and very determined throughout the story, but I could not understand her waking up one day to suddenly realise she was in love with Thornaster. Before this revelation she'd shown absolutely no signs, even when she saw him naked her thoughts seemed to be rather on the detached and clinical side of appreciating the beauty of the male form rather than wanting to jump in to bed and have smexy times.
I also quite liked Thorn though I don't think we're ever given the chance to really get to know him. I couldn't even tell you how old the character is beyond somewhere between 21-30, though I'm guessing at the lower end because he is once described as looking boyish in his sleep and he says he's a few years younger than the Rhoi and his other friend and they don't seem much older than 25. Thorn's insta-love with Ash was just as jarring as hers for him was. He seems to go from believing she's his 16 year old servant boy one day to "let us get married right now!" the next with no in-between stage.
I am sad all the other characters in the story barely even count as minor. I'd like to have known more about Verel(?) the female mage-guard, and seen some of Lauren Carlyon when he wasn't acting in the capacity of the First Seruilis (or being completely shellshocked by events). Also what about Kiri, Ash's childhood friend? So much potential completely wasted!
Overall I am not unhappy that I have read this and wouldn't mind recommending it to others even if I do think the plot wrapped up a little too pat and the love thing felt really out of place.
December 28, 2014
I couldn't give five star, as the beginning left me utterly confused. As with all her work, I love the worlds she creates and her stories are utterly fascinating, but I am always a bit baffled by this author's apparent lack of 'will' in writing adult heroines. I can't really understand why all her heroines are either teens or barely out of it. Always so young or young-sounding. :)
A bit detracting to a grown woman *grin*
Her name is on my recommend list nonetheless.
A bit detracting to a grown woman *grin*
Her name is on my recommend list nonetheless.
Want to read
December 24, 201422 December 2014: $0.99 on Kindle
5/29/2013: $0.99 on Kindle
5/29/2013: $0.99 on Kindle
April 16, 2013
Good fun read, would like to see more in this universe.
Strong main leads, interesting plot -- world was intricate (although could use a bit more detail on how it worked -- but that's a personal preference). Would recommend.
Strong main leads, interesting plot -- world was intricate (although could use a bit more detail on how it worked -- but that's a personal preference). Would recommend.
May 10, 2013
Hunting is Andrea K Höst's latest release. Unlike the earlier books of hers that I've reviewed in the past (And All the Stars, The Touchstone Trilogy), Hunting is definitely fantasy, not science fiction. The blurb was what really got me keen to read this one.
I have to say, when I first started reading, I was a little bit disappointed. Not because it was bad, but because it wasn't as funny as the blurb sounded like it would be. Mostly, this is because things start on a sombre note, with Ash's aunt dying and Ash's circumstances being turned on their head. It wasn't boring, it just wasn't what I expected. But then! From about the halfway point it really picked up and I found myself laughing out loud several times. I enjoyed the second half a lot more. (If I rated them separately, I'd give the first half 4 stars and the second half 5 stars.)
Ash is a runaway who dresses as a boy. Before the opening of Hunting she was living with Genevieve, a herbalist who took her in when she was younger (she's now 20 but dresses as a 17 year old boy). When Genevieve is killed, Ash swears vengeance but isn't allowed to go at it alone, partly because others think she's an underage boy. She is taken in by a foreign noble, Thornaster, who is investigating a spate of herbalist murders, and becomes his page-like servant. A lot of the humour comes from the banter and interactions between Ash and Thornaster, and there were some very amusing moments. I also liked that Höst didn't make Thornaster a strict or cruel person, because that would have changed the overall tone of Hunting significantly.
The world Höst has built is detailed and not limited to the one city most of the action takes place in. It was a little tricky at first to keep all the places and titles straight in my head and I think the earlier parts of the book could have been improved with more backstory/descriptions. On the other hand, the full details of Ash's past don't come to light for a while, and I quite liked the circumstances in which the full story was revealed (and of course I had some idea of what was coming from hints earlier on).
An aspect I particularly liked was the way in which so many little threads all came together in the end. There were some things which I took in stride as "just" being part of the set-up or backstory which turned out to be relevant to the main story. Hard to say more on this without spoilers. Also, a small thing but the fact that the main character's mentor was female not male was gratifying. And even though Ash was a girl dressed as a boy in a male-dominated society, there were actual other good female characters in the story (and only one of them was a laundry maid) who showed us other roles women could play in the society without having to dress as a man.
There was one particular aspect of worldbuilding that I found quite fascinating and that was the matter of religion. The gods in the world of Hunting are associated with the sun and moon (the two main gods) and planets (the minor gods which aren't important). When people die, one of three things happens: their soul goes straight to heaven carried by the sun god's butterflies, their soul is taken by the moon god's moths for cleansing before later going on to heaven or the gods decide the person's soul is beyond redemption and they're damned — trapped on the mortal coil indefinitely, before eventually deteriorating into nothing. Somewhat painfully. What this means is that after you die, assuming you don't die alone where no one finds you quickly enough, everyone knows what the gods ultimately thought of you. There was one character who was a horrible person and, as part of the backstory, was damned when he died. The repercussions on the family members that survived him, who generally weren't terrible people, were not insignificant. This aspect made me think a lot about how people might change or police their behaviour if they knew there were real afterlife consequences for them. Food for thought.
Finally, there was a romantic storyline but it didn't start until a good chunk of the way in. I liked that there were several possible love-interests and that it wasn't until Ash realised she had a crush on someone that I knew which way it would go.
I ended up enjoying Hunting a lot and, as the length of this review may suggest, getting more out of it than I necessarily expected. I recommend it to fans of fantasy, particularly the kind of fantasy that is confined to one city. I'm tempted to call it "ye olde urban fantasy". I think readers of Tamora Pierce's earlier books (I haven't read her later stuff) will also enjoy it, although I admit my reasoning may start and end with the "girl dressed as a boy" element.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
I have to say, when I first started reading, I was a little bit disappointed. Not because it was bad, but because it wasn't as funny as the blurb sounded like it would be. Mostly, this is because things start on a sombre note, with Ash's aunt dying and Ash's circumstances being turned on their head. It wasn't boring, it just wasn't what I expected. But then! From about the halfway point it really picked up and I found myself laughing out loud several times. I enjoyed the second half a lot more. (If I rated them separately, I'd give the first half 4 stars and the second half 5 stars.)
Ash is a runaway who dresses as a boy. Before the opening of Hunting she was living with Genevieve, a herbalist who took her in when she was younger (she's now 20 but dresses as a 17 year old boy). When Genevieve is killed, Ash swears vengeance but isn't allowed to go at it alone, partly because others think she's an underage boy. She is taken in by a foreign noble, Thornaster, who is investigating a spate of herbalist murders, and becomes his page-like servant. A lot of the humour comes from the banter and interactions between Ash and Thornaster, and there were some very amusing moments. I also liked that Höst didn't make Thornaster a strict or cruel person, because that would have changed the overall tone of Hunting significantly.
The world Höst has built is detailed and not limited to the one city most of the action takes place in. It was a little tricky at first to keep all the places and titles straight in my head and I think the earlier parts of the book could have been improved with more backstory/descriptions. On the other hand, the full details of Ash's past don't come to light for a while, and I quite liked the circumstances in which the full story was revealed (and of course I had some idea of what was coming from hints earlier on).
An aspect I particularly liked was the way in which so many little threads all came together in the end. There were some things which I took in stride as "just" being part of the set-up or backstory which turned out to be relevant to the main story. Hard to say more on this without spoilers. Also, a small thing but the fact that the main character's mentor was female not male was gratifying. And even though Ash was a girl dressed as a boy in a male-dominated society, there were actual other good female characters in the story (and only one of them was a laundry maid) who showed us other roles women could play in the society without having to dress as a man.
There was one particular aspect of worldbuilding that I found quite fascinating and that was the matter of religion. The gods in the world of Hunting are associated with the sun and moon (the two main gods) and planets (the minor gods which aren't important). When people die, one of three things happens: their soul goes straight to heaven carried by the sun god's butterflies, their soul is taken by the moon god's moths for cleansing before later going on to heaven or the gods decide the person's soul is beyond redemption and they're damned — trapped on the mortal coil indefinitely, before eventually deteriorating into nothing. Somewhat painfully. What this means is that after you die, assuming you don't die alone where no one finds you quickly enough, everyone knows what the gods ultimately thought of you. There was one character who was a horrible person and, as part of the backstory, was damned when he died. The repercussions on the family members that survived him, who generally weren't terrible people, were not insignificant. This aspect made me think a lot about how people might change or police their behaviour if they knew there were real afterlife consequences for them. Food for thought.
Finally, there was a romantic storyline but it didn't start until a good chunk of the way in. I liked that there were several possible love-interests and that it wasn't until Ash realised she had a crush on someone that I knew which way it would go.
I ended up enjoying Hunting a lot and, as the length of this review may suggest, getting more out of it than I necessarily expected. I recommend it to fans of fantasy, particularly the kind of fantasy that is confined to one city. I'm tempted to call it "ye olde urban fantasy". I think readers of Tamora Pierce's earlier books (I haven't read her later stuff) will also enjoy it, although I admit my reasoning may start and end with the "girl dressed as a boy" element.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
June 19, 2013
The Story
The story is about a last named Ash. She ran away when she was younger, and Genevieve took her in, becoming her guardian. Right before Ash turns twenty-one, her guardian is killed. Since Ash is hiding from her past, everyone thinks she is a seventeen year old boy. So, a foreign, handsome, investigator named Thornaster takes her in to be his…servant. He knows she's out for blood, and he'll help her get it. But of course, he doesn't know she's a girl. Someone is killing the herbalists, and they will do whatever it takes to stop them.
My Thoughts
I thought this book was great! I've been waiting for it to come out, and I wasn't disappointed at all. So, I guess the only problem I had with this book is that a lot of names were mentioned, and it was kind of hard to distinguish what each person did or what they meant to the people. I was able to piece together most of the information, but it was still a bit confusing. Besides that, the story and characters are amazing (:
Ash is running from her past, so naturally, Ash is not her real name. And even though she's dressed as a boy, that doesn't stop the other seruilis (servants) from messing with her. Everything they did was nothing to Ash. She had a ton of street-smarts and it was easy to thwart any plans they had. Time and time again Ash impresses them, and I love it.
Thornaster is awesome. Dark-haired, perceptive, and able to laugh himself into hiccups--he is absolutely great. The relationship he had with Ash was cute. You can tell that he was very lenient with her. I know that she wasn't really a seruilis and it was only a cover story, but Thornaster made it clear that she was a real seruilis despite her claims otherwise. …Or at least, he tried to.
The ending was maybe wrapped up a little too quickly, but it was enough. I wouldn't dock a star because of it. I had expected a bigger battle though.
Anyways, great book, awesome characters, strong heroine, good plot--what else could you need?
I highly recommend it if you're into adventure and kickass girls in disguise.(;
The story is about a last named Ash. She ran away when she was younger, and Genevieve took her in, becoming her guardian. Right before Ash turns twenty-one, her guardian is killed. Since Ash is hiding from her past, everyone thinks she is a seventeen year old boy. So, a foreign, handsome, investigator named Thornaster takes her in to be his…servant. He knows she's out for blood, and he'll help her get it. But of course, he doesn't know she's a girl. Someone is killing the herbalists, and they will do whatever it takes to stop them.
My Thoughts
I thought this book was great! I've been waiting for it to come out, and I wasn't disappointed at all. So, I guess the only problem I had with this book is that a lot of names were mentioned, and it was kind of hard to distinguish what each person did or what they meant to the people. I was able to piece together most of the information, but it was still a bit confusing. Besides that, the story and characters are amazing (:
Ash is running from her past, so naturally, Ash is not her real name. And even though she's dressed as a boy, that doesn't stop the other seruilis (servants) from messing with her. Everything they did was nothing to Ash. She had a ton of street-smarts and it was easy to thwart any plans they had. Time and time again Ash impresses them, and I love it.
Thornaster is awesome. Dark-haired, perceptive, and able to laugh himself into hiccups--he is absolutely great. The relationship he had with Ash was cute. You can tell that he was very lenient with her. I know that she wasn't really a seruilis and it was only a cover story, but Thornaster made it clear that she was a real seruilis despite her claims otherwise. …Or at least, he tried to.
The ending was maybe wrapped up a little too quickly, but it was enough. I wouldn't dock a star because of it. I had expected a bigger battle though.
Anyways, great book, awesome characters, strong heroine, good plot--what else could you need?
I highly recommend it if you're into adventure and kickass girls in disguise.(;
April 13, 2013
From my comment to AJH:
This a great romp, with mystery and palace and intrigue and excellent snarky dialogue, but it's one of her earliest books (freshly rewritten admittedly) and the pacing and scene changes are off a bit and the number of neologisms threw me a bit because they didn't have as much time for me to see them in everyday use as they did in the Touchstone Trilogy - and while I appreciate the heroine falling in lust with the love interest at that point, the falling into love-realisation is just too sudden for me, especially as it's motivated by jealousy from what I gathered.
On the other hand I always want more pages from Andrea because I fall in love with her characters. And she was totally right when she said that Ash tap-dances, she totally makes me buy the incredible level of control and sheer competence Ash has, which makes her manoeuvre around everyone who tries to foil her - for good or bad reasons.
And the guys do realise that! Once she explains her reasoning and all.
As I said to Sartorias at LJ:
The most frightening bit and where the danger was most tangible to me, was the episode in the well - the later magical resolution with Ash and Thornaster at the poisoned blue well was a bit too fast and became less hair-raising (and considering that thing was the biggest danger and the root cause for all the stuff happening in the book, that was a shame).
This is a 3.5 star for me, could easily be another intriguing world or related stories or further adventures, like Darest is turning out to be ^^. The characters the focus is on shine.
This a great romp, with mystery and palace and intrigue and excellent snarky dialogue, but it's one of her earliest books (freshly rewritten admittedly) and the pacing and scene changes are off a bit and the number of neologisms threw me a bit because they didn't have as much time for me to see them in everyday use as they did in the Touchstone Trilogy - and while I appreciate the heroine falling in lust with the love interest at that point, the falling into love-realisation is just too sudden for me, especially as it's motivated by jealousy from what I gathered.
On the other hand I always want more pages from Andrea because I fall in love with her characters. And she was totally right when she said that Ash tap-dances, she totally makes me buy the incredible level of control and sheer competence Ash has, which makes her manoeuvre around everyone who tries to foil her - for good or bad reasons.
And the guys do realise that! Once she explains her reasoning and all.
As I said to Sartorias at LJ:
The most frightening bit and where the danger was most tangible to me, was the episode in the well - the later magical resolution with Ash and Thornaster at the poisoned blue well was a bit too fast and became less hair-raising (and considering that thing was the biggest danger and the root cause for all the stuff happening in the book, that was a shame).
This is a 3.5 star for me, could easily be another intriguing world or related stories or further adventures, like Darest is turning out to be ^^. The characters the focus is on shine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2013
Hunting is a standalone young adult fantasy novel by Andrea K. Höst [1]. Ash Lenthard is the street-smart young heroine who has disguised herself as a (slightly younger) boy and apprenticed herself to a herbalist in order to escape from an unfortunate previous life. When her guardian is murdered, she finds her desire to return to life on the streets thwarted when she is warded to the Investigator appointed by the king to look into the serial killing of herbalists. With no choice but to maintain her identity as a young boy, Ash finds herself cornered into becoming a seruilis (squire) to the foreign noble and a key part of his murder investigation.
A summary of the first couple of chapters makes Hunting sound like a bit of a fantasy version of a grim investigative procedural, and to an extent it is. The more that Ash and the nobleman, Thornaster, poke around, the more vicious and bleak the conspiracy they uncover becomes. Beneath the witty banter, romantic interplay and the flirtation with cross-dressing farce, the world of Hunting has a more nihilistic streak than most of Host’s work. But she does an excellent job of keeping the action moving so that the story never threatens to wallow in its own darkness.
The author has mentioned that Hunting was written at least partly in response to her frustration with the heroines of Georgette Heyer’s Regency novels, who despite their deep reserves of pluck and spirit often fall just short of being proactive. Some guy always comes along to make all their decisions for them. Ash is every bit as strong-willed as any Heyer heroine, but she’s only likely to go along with a would-be white knight if it happens to suit her purposes. She’s a fun character, even if she herself is not often having much fun.
I have to confess that I didn’t fully understand the magical elements of the story, which are integral to the plot’s resolution, but it certainly didn’t keep me from enjoying them. Apart from that, it’s an adventurous romp with plenty of derring-do, peril and romance, flavoured with the odd splashes of darkness to settle the froth.
A summary of the first couple of chapters makes Hunting sound like a bit of a fantasy version of a grim investigative procedural, and to an extent it is. The more that Ash and the nobleman, Thornaster, poke around, the more vicious and bleak the conspiracy they uncover becomes. Beneath the witty banter, romantic interplay and the flirtation with cross-dressing farce, the world of Hunting has a more nihilistic streak than most of Host’s work. But she does an excellent job of keeping the action moving so that the story never threatens to wallow in its own darkness.
The author has mentioned that Hunting was written at least partly in response to her frustration with the heroines of Georgette Heyer’s Regency novels, who despite their deep reserves of pluck and spirit often fall just short of being proactive. Some guy always comes along to make all their decisions for them. Ash is every bit as strong-willed as any Heyer heroine, but she’s only likely to go along with a would-be white knight if it happens to suit her purposes. She’s a fun character, even if she herself is not often having much fun.
I have to confess that I didn’t fully understand the magical elements of the story, which are integral to the plot’s resolution, but it certainly didn’t keep me from enjoying them. Apart from that, it’s an adventurous romp with plenty of derring-do, peril and romance, flavoured with the odd splashes of darkness to settle the froth.
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