CHRISTIAN BOOK REVIEW The Huntress: An Medieval Christian Fiction

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The Huntress by Carrie Cotten

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Christian Book Review of ‘The Huntress’: A Medieval Christian Fiction (Book One)
Author: Carrie Cotten

– MY RATING –
4.5 Stars!
⭐ Overall: ★★★★☆
💕 Romance: ★★★★★
✝️ Faith: ★★★★★
🍂 Atmosphere: ★★★★★
🖋️ Writing: ★★★★☆
🔥 Spice: None / 🌶️ (Closed Door/ Kisses on page)

– Book Synopsis –

Betrayed by their allies, the last of the Picts have escaped to the innermost part of an endless, dark forest, content to remain hidden there forever. Made queen at just a child, Cyrene has given all of her life and heart to the task of making sure her people are never terrorized again.

When a handsome stranger from the kingdom that betrayed them falls injured at the boundary of her village, she’s forced to choose between mercy and duty.

The second son of a ruling monarch, Duncan would never be considered for the throne, neither did he wish to be. But when a plague sweeps through the land, he is the only one of royal blood left standing. Returning to the tower that holds too many dark memories, the truth of his father’s tangled reign begins to unravel and Duncan is once again forced into a role he never wanted.


– MY THOUGHTS –

I absolutely adored this book. AND THE AUDIOBOOK?!? To die for. Please, do yourself a favor and read this with its audiobook. You will have ZERO regrets. I just finished the entire available series and am now not so patiently waiting for the audiobooks for the other books to be released, as well as the drop of the 6th book in The Huntress series. Carrie Cotten has earned a lifelong fan in me.

This is a medieval romantasy book (more on the fantasy aspect later) set in the Scotland between the Picts & the Scots. We have dual POV of two leaders, King of a Scottish clan & Queen of the Picts. Both reluctantly thrust into their positions but doing whatever they can to honor God in their ruling. When trouble comes knocking on their door, they are forced to ask themselves whether they are willing to put their deep distrust of one another and hatred for each other’s predecessors aside to save their people.

The Fantasy aspect of this book is by far my least favorite aspect, and that goes for the rest of the books in this series as well. In my opinion, it doesn’t lend the weight it’s trying to give to the story and characters. If I’m honest, I feel like this entire series would have still been incredibly amazing without any fantastical element to it. With that said, the fantasy element is very light and does not contradict scripture in the way it’s portrayed. It’s a little bit of a living legends element mixed with super charged gifts/talents given by God. I had no spiritual issues with the fantasy element at all. I just personally felt it could have done without or been re-written as God’s miraculous provision instead of God-given abilities/legendary bloodline.

– TROPES –

• enemies to lovers
• marriage of convenience
• forced proximity
• dual POV
• king & queen / warring kingdoms

– CONTENT –

• grief, loss & the horrors of war
• murder/blood
• vague mention of marital intimacy on a wedding night ( it is closed door but a clean build up does happen on page)
• vague descriptions of a birth of a child

– FAITH –

The faith journey for both the MMC (Male Main Character) Duncan and the FMC (Female Main Character) Cyrene is so real and so inspiring. Forgiveness and healing from both grief and betrayal are huge themes throughout. I love this author, Carrie Cotten‘s, handling of all things faith in this series. Beautiful, biblical messages throughout.

– ROMANCE –

Romance: Central
Spice: None / Kissing / Closed-door
HEA: Yes

– QUOTES I LOVED –

“This beautiful world wasn’t created for death; it was created for life. But it was broken. Everything was broken.”

“Ye dunna have to understand the path to follow it.”

“It might be only in the deepest valleys that a man’s heart was humbled enough to hear from the Savior.”

“Forgive my doubt and pride, Lord. I was looking to myself fer answers when I should have always been looking to Ye.”

“My mother told me once that when a person has only ever known darkness, their first exposure to light sometimes burns, but once ye be touched by that light—once ye can see when ye had been blind—’tis all ye crave.”

“Doesna each man choose how he shall live? Whom he shall serve? And each king, how he shall rule?”

That concludes my christian book review of The Huntress by Carrie Cotten. Have you read this work of art? If so, share your thoughts with me over on Instagram. This book series has quickly become one of my favorites.

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FULL DISCLAIMER: I was not sponsored, given a free book, or paid in any way for this review. Even when given a free advanced reader copy or book, I will still only post my full and honest opinion. If it’s so bad I do not finish it, I will simply DNF and not post a review (unless I feel it is dangerous and people should be warned to stay away).

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