Review: The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I loved this historical fantasy centered around the Duchess Anne of Britany.  Anne is such an interesting character both in the book and in history.  The author went to great lengths to make clear Anne's love of her country and people.  The afterword gives some historical context about the real Anne, and the historical influences used in the book.  This is not the first book I've read about the Duchess, and they all paint Anne as a strong willed, intelligent, and courageous woman and as Arden mentions there is always an air of romance about any tale I've read where she is involved.

I loved the lore that the author wove in to the historical aspects of the story surrounding Anne and her impending and unwanted marriage to the King of France.  Anne and her most trusted inner circle plot to out maneuver the French at every turn to delay the marriage as long as possible and find a better solution and keep the Duchy out of France's hands.  She tempts the king's lackey with a unicorn hunt in the Lost Lands, only to find that the mythical creatures are in fact real and might just be the aid she is looking for to evade the French.  Blessed by the unicorn, Anne and her entourage are determined to utilize the Lost Lands to their advantage only to find themselves not only in a political game but one of sorcery as well.  Anne finds herself questioning who she can trust at every turn as well as questioning if magic is real and if she can save her lands from going to war.

This story was so well written and the characters were so well crafted.  The myth and lore was woven throughout while taking place in lands inspired by actual people, places, and events that once occurred.  I  love historical fantasy when it is based a bit in reality and a bit in fantasy.  I loved Anne from the very beginning and while it took me a while to warm up to Orleans, he eventually won me over.  Their romance was slow to develop, but worth it in the end, and I really appreciated the ending.  There was also a great supporting cast, Elsebed and her cat Butter were my favorites!

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Review: Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun middle grade "scary story". It wasn't over the top scary so those who want to dip their toes into horror but don't want to be terrified, this would be a good one to start with. It still has Arden's beautiful writing while being whimsical enough to appeal to young readers. This book is perfect for Halloween/fall time when you really want to read something spooky. This is reminiscent of reading RL Stine’s Fear Street series for me as a kid, which I loved!

This follows Ollie, a 6th grade girl who has recently lost someone very close to her. She is grieving and uses books as a coping mechanism. She comes across a strange book by even stranger circumstances, but she doesn’t know that this book will save her and her friends on a very weird field trip. As the trip unfolds, Ollie teams up with two of her classmates, Brian and Coco, to figure out what is going on and try to find a way out of what seems like a nightmare. The trio is warned to stay in small spaces to stay safe. Guided by the book and prompts from Ollie’s watch, the trio faces scary situations and creatures on their way to save their class and themselves.

Overall, this was a fun little book and I’m looking forward to Dead Voices. I love Arden’s writing and I really enjoyed this.

I was provided an ARC of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  This book was published in September of 2018.  Dead Voices is due out at the end of August 2019.

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Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this! I really enjoyed learning about a new type of mythology/folklore from Eastern Europe. I don't know much about Russian folklore, but this has inspired me to pick up more books on the subject matter. I want to know more after reading about Vasya and the house spirits and other beings she encounters in the tale.

I listened to the audiobook and it was wonderful. The pacing of the book is slower, but I didn't find it to be a slow moving book at all. I was completely entranced by the story the entire time. I loved getting to know Vasya and her family. I will say that it took me quite a while to figure out the characters because they all go by multiple names. I find that easier to do on the page versus listening to the book because I can flip back and forth, however I was quickly able to figure out who was who.

Arden does an amazing job building the setting and the atmosphere of the book. I felt like I was in the forest with Vasya. Vasya is a wild, spunky, independent girl in a time when girls are supposed to be quite, well kept, and reserved. She can see and talk to spirits during a time when magic is dying and Christianity is taking over. Her mother had magic in her blood and knew Vasya would be special. Vasya's father does his best to foster Vasya in her mother's memory, but he also has to keep up appearances and his role as lord of a small Russian village. Vasya's step mother is very pious, but she sees "demons" everywhere she turns, not realizing that she also possesses a bit of magic. When a young, enthusiastic priest is sent to their village, Vasya must keep up the offerings to the local spirits as the townsfolk begin to abandon the oldways in favor of Christianity. The townspeople continue to befall more accidents of the paranormal type as the spirits don't have the strength to protect the people because they are no longer being cared for by the people. Behind the scenes a great battle of the gods is building, and Vasya is at the center of it. Meanwhile the priest finds himself caught between being obsessed with Vaysa and her salvation and just being obsessed with her. Vasya just wants to be left alone to do as she pleases and not be held down by the expectations of others.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I am anxious to find out how Vasya learns to use her magic and how her story progresses. I loved all of the spirits/demons that were present in the story.

I used this for the Popsugar prompt to read a book set in the season it is set in because it is set in winter.  You could also use it for a book about a family, featuring an imaginary creature, or inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore.  I have other books lined up for those prompts.

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