Review: Huntress – Malinda Lo

Book cover: Kaede looks at the reader, holding a pole vertically between her hands. Behind her is a snowy scene.

I read Ash sometime ago and really loved the story, especially the writing of the lesbian romance. Huntress is set a long time before Ash and explains the world in more detail.

What was I hoping to get from Huntress? More insight into the world. A lesbian romance that doesn’t focus solely on romance. A book inspired by Chinese mythology (as it was in the book list of #DiverseReads2017). This book is #ownvoices for Chinese representation.

The Good

I loved the world-building in this book. There are so many different kinds of fae. So much to discover about how they navigate the world and in which regions they come from.

There are small details that show that the story is taking place in East Asia. As the book itself didn’t focus on ethnicity, I was satisfied with the indirect descriptions.

The Bad

I didn’t enjoy the romance between the two main characters. It was contrived and forced. What do they like about each other? What do they want from each other? I didn’t get answers to any of these questions.

Kaede’s father and her don’t have a strong relationship. I would have liked to find out more about the relationship and the reasons for the coldness between them.

In my opinion, the book pacing was too fast. Scene after scene, something new was happening. There wasn’t any opportunity for character development. I wasn’t able to get attached to any of the characters, as I didn’t discover much about them.

I don’t mind open endings. However, I found it an unsatisfactory ending in this book. 

All in all

The story doesn’t have a lot to do with Chinese mythology, which you might be assuming if you are participating in #DiverseReads2017.

Ash and Huntress are nothing like each other. If you want to read this book, read it for this book alone as not because it’s a prequel to Ash. 

I’m rather disappointed in Huntress. I had high expectations after Ash and was expecting the same level of writing, plot and character development.

3 stars

What do you think about Huntress?