Tag: katherine arden

Book Review: The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy
Length: 354 pages
Author: Katherine Arden
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: June 2nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a desperate gamble to save her throne, a young monarch conceals a secret marriage in the shadows of an enchanted forest—and unknowingly alters the fate of her world—in this dazzling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

Anne of Brittany was a child when France invaded and drove her royal father to his death. Now she is a young woman, sovereign duchess of an occupied realm, and France means to crown their conquest by marrying her to their king. Such an alliance would put her title, her lands, and her body forever in the hands of her enemies.

But Anne refuses to be the last duchess of Brittany.

Her only hope of resisting conquest is another alliance sealed with marriage, so Anne arranges a daring last gambit: a secret betrothal to Charles of France’s greatest rival. But secrets are hard to keep in a world where rival courts spy on each other with diviners.

The forest of Brocéliande was once the haunt of Merlin the Enchanter and the long-lost faerie queen. But magic is long gone from Broceliande, except for the occasional sight of a unicorn and one critical quirk: This ancient forest is completely hostile to divination.

While pretending compliance with France, Anne plans a unicorn hunt in Brocéliande. A bit of pointless pageantry. A diversion so she can wed in secret.

Or so she thinks.

In this rich and epic novel, the author of the acclaimed Winternight trilogy turns the real history of a remarkable woman into an unforgettable tale of mystery, enchantment, and the price of power.

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.

I should have expected nothing less because I have loved every one of Katherine Arden’s books. This was another absolute amazing read. I devoured the audiobook (highly recommend). It’s the exquisite kind of historical fantasy that locks you in with gorgeous writing and story telling. Anne of Brittany was beautifully crafted and I loved the exploration into her story and character with a fantastical touch.

There is a small romantic angle if you’re curious. It’s not the point of the over arching story. But it adds to Anne’s tale and I was kind of swept away by the forbidden-ness of it all. I loved Anne’s strength and tenacity. She’s fiercely loyal to her family and her country. The magical elements involving unicorns and other things I shouldn’t say because spoilers, only increased my love for this book.

It is not one to miss!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: 2ish vague, low explicit open door
  • Violence: moderate

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy
Length: 325 pages
Author: Katherine Arden
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: February 13th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.

BEAUTIFULLY POIGNANT.

I am the biggest fan of historical fantasies. They get me every dang time and this was no exception. I’m also a major fan girl of all books Katherine Arden, so I shouldn’t be surprised by this development.

I thought this was beautifully written and explored many nuanced aspects of WW1. The fantasy dynamics intrigued me and I highly recommend reading the author’s note at the end. It brought the whole book (and certain characters) into an even better focus and the complexity is next level.

Freddie and Laura were great main characters. Giving two sides to this moving tale. The fierce love between siblings to find each other again, amidst the war, and ghosts, and love and all of these factors yanking and tugging them in different directions.

I could pick a few things I’d love a bit more of, but overall, this is a really solid standalone and one I would highly recommend to others. A book that is dark and vibrant at the same time and one that will stick with you.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: blood and gore depiction, WW1 themes

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 320 pages
Author: Katherine Arden
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Release Date: January 10th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

STILL HOLDS UP.

This is a reread review because I read this originally before starting this blog!

Y’ALL. Five years later and this book still captivates me. I absolutely love the winter setting and the atmosphere of the entire novel.

And all of the characters are fascinating. Complex and intriguing. It does take a little bit to nail down who’s who, but after that, it’s smooth sailing. I love Vasya’s family and all the intricacies of her siblings, parents, and step mother. For a book mostly set in a small town far away from everything, PLENTY happens. It’s incredibly well written.

Vasya is one of my favorite FMC’s. She is resilient and strong. I love that even during the chapters when she’s little, you can feel the essence of who she is and how well Vasya embodies those pieces. And those later chapters when she’s fully grown are the best. I love when Morozko shows up too!! The relationship between them is this hesitant partnership that you can see the inklings of friendship brewing.

It’s all here. And I know the series only gets exponentially better.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: mentions of closed door (not involving main couple)
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents, loss of loved ones, animal attacks, physical altercations, weapons violence, brief child abuse

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1) by Katherine Arden

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Middle Grade Horror
Length: 218 pages
Author: Katherine Arden
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: September 25th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. 

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she’s been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn’t have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN. 

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver’s warning. As the trio head out into the woods–bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them–the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: “Avoid large places. Keep to small.” 

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

NO SCARECROWS FOR ME.

Wow this was SPOOKY for a middle grade read! Had me shivering a few times at the absolute creepiness of those scarecrows. Hard NOPE. I will not be hanging around a corn maze or pumpkin patch after dark, better believe that.

This was a good book though. A quick audio book read that kept me interested and worried for all involved. It was an interesting tale and strong characters. I enjoyed Ollie. She really fit the middle school narrative (in a good way). Ollie was coping with loss, friendships and finding a way to take on the fear in front of her.

It’s fast-paced and reminds me of why I love Arden’s writing [if you’re new here, The Winternight Trilogy is one of my favorite series EVER]. I will happily keep reading anything she publishes and this is no exception. An eerie atmosphere with budding friendships really brought this book home. I have definite plans to continue this series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle grade horror
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Content warnings: minor bullying, loss of a loved one, grief and depression

Instagram || Goodreads