An interesting blend of mythology and originality, The Wild Huntress follows the journeys of three characters and how their lives (and deaths) become entangled.

Branwen's mother changed the path of their lives the night she opened the door to an otherfolk man. Her daughter uses what she was mistakenly given to help keep those around her safe even though it costs her dearly.

Pryderi is the lost prince, stolen from his family by a monster in the night. Even though he is meant to be king after his father, so much of him is still stuck on the person his unorthodox childhood created him.

Gwydion is the trickster of Gwynedd. He has spent years cultivating his connections along with his magic to prevent himself from ever being taken advantage of. When his uncle announced who his next heir is supposed to be, Gwydion strikes a bargain to change his mind.

All three of their paths cross during the Wild Hunt, a once-every-five-years event between the kings of Dyfed and the otherfolk kingdom of Annwvyn. During this time, alliances will be forged, secrets will be revealed, and futures will be shattered.

I'm now interested to reading Lloyd-Jones's other works. I have bought several of them, and I suspect that they will moving higher up on my TBR list now. It was definitely interesting to see how she twisted some elements of Welsh mythology while paying homage to the elements she modified.

“Kings and monsters are grown from the same soil.”

“The Wild Huntress,” by Emily Lloyd-Jones

This book was so amazing. I adored every single thing. I love trio adventure with friends (Trickster, Prince, and Huntress) with that sort of tension of a possible love triangle. The characters were completely lovable and entertaining with amazing back stories. I loved the wood Grimm style books so much and this one was mixed with the wild hunt and fae. I loved how the way two of the characters met in the beginning is how they saw each other when they met at the end. My heart was all over the place by the end of the book because I was so attached to the characters and story. I will be rereading this book plenty more times. I will be reading more books by this author for sure. 5 out of 5 stars, perfect!

-Fae
-Multi POV
-Wild Hunt
-Magic

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

“Those who grew up surrounded by cruelty either took that cruelty into themselves- or they armored themselves against it.”

“Some hurts were so close to the soul that they demanded secrecy.”

“It seemed a cruel trick of fate to tell a person their future without giving them the tools to avert it.”

“Evenings were a time for magic and forgotten things.”

The perfect fall read! This book was fantastic! This is definitely my favorite of all her books. Her writing as usual was so atmospheric and enthralling.

This book in particular had a lot of things I enjoyed- first and foremost… THE CAT 🐈‍⬛

The pacing, the characters, the story - all great. Couldn’t put this one down and I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys Welsh/Celtic mythology!

What I loved: Excellent characters and enchanting world-building. I haven't read the other books in this world, but I didn't feel lost in the least so if you, also, haven't read any of Emily's other works I think you'll still find yourself fully engrossed by this homage to Welsh faerie stories. I love the Wild Hunt
What I didn't love: the story is SO well-plotted that the ending left me a smidge disappointed? It didn't feel like the pay off the story merited, BUT I still enjoyed it so I do recommend!

Content Warning: death, violence, illness

Emily Lloyd-Jones books are an auto-read for me so I couldn’t wait to read this one. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I was engrossed in this story right away. I love the storytelling and how we have three compelling characters with different backgrounds, talents and very different goals. Branwen wants to cure her mom’s illness, Gwydion wants to put his sister on the throne and Pryderi is heir to a throne but doesn’t want it. These three come together and join in the Wild Hunt so they can win and get any boon they want. Also, there is a very lovable and moody cat! I love how complex each character is.

+ The world-building is wonderful and magical. I was really immersed in the setting. It’s a world where humans and otherfolk live together so it’s filled with scary creatures, beasts and lots magic. There is political intrigue and drama as well.

+ The Wild Hunt section of the story was action packed. The three characters become a found family which was fun to see. But there are a few twists in this story that kept me on my toes. The story took me on an emotional rollercoaster.

Dislikes:

+ The romance isn’t the main part of this story but I was rooting for it until things fell apart. It resolves in the very end but for me, I did not agree with it. It really is heartbreaking what happens to these three characters on this quest.

My Thoughts:

I was definitely entertained by this story and it took me only two days to read. It has a group of characters that make a found family, a sprinkle of romance, lots of action and magic. I really love this world the author has created which is all part of her other books The Drowned World and The Bone Houses (I loved the Bone Houses a lot) – it would be fantastic to have more books set in this world. I hope to read more from this author!

This book really surprised me. I enjoyed the use of Irish fables and mythology. The characters were very easy to love and I saw the growth and development throughout the story.

The ending had me shocked, I wasn’t expecting the twists and turns it went through. I did enjoy the tied-up ending I feel like I don’t need anymore because what was given was perfect.

If you like The Cruel prince world meets the Witcher but its a badass FMC you will love this book✨

-Welsh Mythology
-Found family
-Trials
-Folk Magic

This is your perfect fall read! The Lore behind each character was so beautifully written its like reading from a fairy tale as a child but also getting a deeper look behind each character, myth and legend created 🥰

I was thoroughly obsessed with Branwens character she is exactly what the witcher was but a badass woman, saving her village from horrible monsters that only her left golden eye can see 💛 she has the best character ARC in my opinion

I think the synopsis some of the entire plot of the story very well the 3 band together to win each for there own gain and the hunt isn’t just any hunt…theres more betrayals than you can count

Overall thoughts, this was a 5 star read for me this is my first Emily Lloyd Jones book and i will be reading the first 2 stand alone in the same world. Because the writing is perfect for us girlies who love dark folklore with a lot of action packet moments

With likable leads, evocative prose, and sharp plotting, The Wild Huntress is sure to appeal to fans of YA fantasy, especially for its terrifying and beguiling depictions of Welsh mythological creatures. At the same time the novel sometimes feels overly familiar, with an ending that doesn’t feel entirely earned.

In many ways, The Wild Huntress feels like the Hunger Games transported to a fantasy setting where the games are held by the Fae-like tylwyth teg in The Wild Hunt. It’s not exact, The Wild Huntress is drawing on a mythology that is hundreds of years old, but I do think it helps to capture the type of YA structure the novel works within and largely excels at.

The novel’s three POV are all likable and suitably complex, with clear, substantive character arcs. Branwen, a fiercely independent and caring huntress, feels a bit overly familiar, and so I especially liked Gwydion, a trickster trying to protect his kingdom, and Pryderi, trying to outrun his monstrous upbringing. The romance that develops is also compelling. The plot hits some familiar, predictable beats, but also pleasantly swerves at times, not afraid to take big swings. The action sequences, especially those with monsters, deserve special mention. They are visceral, often genuinely scary and suspenseful because of their clear stakes. Quick-moving prose, creating beautiful and chilling environments, ties everything together nicely.

A minor, but persistent issue (and I recognize that this is especially subjective), is that the world felt very similar to other fantasy worlds. The diviners’ magic (controlling plants or fire, but with a physical cost), the generically European setting when not at the Wild Hunt, and even the Fae-like tylwyth teg don’t have enough new details or directions to make them stand out from a crowded field. The world-building never detracts from the story, but I wasn’t especially grabbed by it.

More majorly (and less subjectively), is that the ending, while shocking and moving, doesn’t feel like it has a fully earned conclusion. There’s an admirable amount of messy complexity and joy and heartbreak in the conclusion, and it’s all smoothed out in a way that feels too pat. Still, The Wild Huntress is engaging from beginning to end and well-worth reading.

My word I was not expecting that. This book is divine, the storytelling is absolutely masterful and the world building is so enthralling. We follow Branwen the huntress, whose magic touched eye allows her to hunt monsters, Gwydion the trickster prince- who has an affinity to nature and Pryderi the lost son of a king, raised by a monster. This unlikely trio bands together to win the famed Wild Hunt. If you are a fan of Holly Black and that whimsical fae storytelling this is perfect. I adored that it was a standalone, we don’t see many of those much these days. If you enjoy:
—fae
-adorable feline sidekicks
-a deadly hunt
This book is for you. I cannot recommend it highly enough

3.75/5 ⭐️
This was another book that made me sad & frustrated because I could see it’s potentially, see it was on the cusp of greatness, if only the editor or someone pushed a little harder.
I really liked the idea and the world and little moments in this book. The prologues to each part were my favorites. However, there was some foundational aspects I think should’ve been flagged. For example I think Gwyndion’s POV could’ve be scrapped. It was not needed, adding more confusion for me as the reader, and he would’ve been more intriguing if we only viewed him through the others’ eyes. Sometimes I even thought his entire existence could’ve been cut and focused solely on the other two. I also think the narration was a little tough. I think it was trying to straddle this line between omnipotent, which is common in classic folk tales, and third person limited, but didn’t quite land it. I think it was trying to do a similar style of narration to The Bear and the Nightingale (though it is a style that makes or breaks for readers), but in Katherine Arden’s series, she does a good job at showing us things instead of telling. Here it felt like every description about the characters and their personalities and feelings were straight up told to us instead of shown and inferred, allowing the readers to puzzle it out. On top of that, there was a repetitiveness to phrases and entire scenes that could’ve been cut or trimmed and the dialogue felt unnatural, given a sense of amateur even though I know this author is not.
I think I this story could still be enjoyed, despite all that. It’s an intriguing tale in an intriguing world. However, I think there is a stronger version of this story that could’ve existed. Unfortunately it felt like we were given an early draft that hadn’t been prodded and streamlined by someone like a developmental editor. I would still recommend this book to people. But probably wouldn’t be the first book I’ll think of recommending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

Emily Lloyd-Jones is making her way onto my "favorite authors" list. I greatly enjoyed The Bone Houses, which was one of the main reasons why I was so excited to read this ARC. I absolutely adored the lore, and I greatly enjoyed the FMC. I can't wait to have a copy for my shelves!

The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd Jones is my third book by this author and the only one that I haven’t loved. I don’t know what it was but I could not get into the story. Her other two books were single sitting books for me but I have been reading this one for over a week and cannot get into it. I dnfed it at 50 percent which is unfortunate. Based on the other reviews, I am in the minority with this one which is nice. I hope a lot of people pick this up and enjoy it. It just wasn’t the book for me. I will pick up whatever this author comes out with next because I loved her two previous books.

The Wild Huntress is a captivating story of friendship, challenges, and dreams. Branwen, Gwydion, and Pryderi all enter the Wild Hunt for their own reasons; yet, they soon find themselves working together to win the ultimate prize. All the characters in this book are morally gray, and the end isn't the happily-ever-after that a lot of readers will want. I thoroughly enjoyed these aspects. It's a unique stand-alone story involving the fae, fantastical creatures, princes, and huntresses. If this were to be a series, I would want more world building; however, I thought the author did a fine job with describing the world and its magical elements for a single book. Overall, The Wild Huntress is a super satisfying fantasy read.

One extra note - I absolutely loved the cat sidekick!

Emily Lloyd-Jones continues to write captivating retelling style stories that still feel fresh and immediately pull you in with characters (both human and animal) that you love. Wonderful character arcs, emotional connections, and world building that feels natural.

3.25 stars

At first, I was really excited about this book. I enjoyed the setting, the plot, the characters. I was stoked to see what would come next. However, the last quarter was so, so disappointing and made me actually quite dislike this book. It gets 3.25 because I did enjoy the first half.

The romance was not redeemable.

The deaths seemed entirely for shock value.

There's really only one character that's the focus of this book, and everyone else suffers because of it.

I think the ending was meant to be like... unexpected? Trying for something a bit out of the box, and it failed hard for me. It robbed me of satisfaction. I was actually angry after finishing this book. I felt really ripped off.

📣 a fantasy that had me feeling feeeeeelings after I finished

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what’s one of your Wednesday numbers? Mine are: 1 kid awake, 2 family members I plan on meeting in Pigeon Forge today, 52%, how far I am into my current read: Morbidly Yours.

Did I immediately decide to read everything Emily Lloyd-Jones has written after finishing this badass book? Yes yes I did.

The Wild Huntress is a riveting story of monsters & choice & loyalty & forgiveness & strategy set against a world where the Folk are dangerous & so are humans.

Branwen can see magic. Gwydion has magic. Both are joined together on the Wild Hunt where they meet a third member of their group, a prince who struggles with the monstrous aspects of his past.

It’s hard to sum up this book because it has pretty much everything, including a twist that engaged my heart. There’s one aspect of the plot that left me vaguely unsatisfied but the book is overall so good, it lingers so well, that I’m ending up rating it 5 ⭐️.

Out 10/01.
CWs: death, violence.

[ID: Jess holds the ebook against her green dress. A blue sky & trees are in the background.]

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.75 | 😘=2 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=3.5 | 14+

summary: so there’s this girl who can see magic and this guy with nature powers and they team up to go on this hunt to get a prize or something but all is not as it seems and there’s monsters and intrigue and stuff

thoughts: several things to say:
- kinda boring!!
- I like the FMC’s backstory and magic; very cool
- King Math is an extremely dumb name. like why would you do that.
- Gwydion’s identity as “The Trickster” was more told than shown for like 80% of the novel; I know he’s supposed to be the Twist at the end, but show him being more mischievous before then!! make me buy into this!! semi-charming banter does not a trickster make.
- prince guy was boring. like I’m not invested or emotional about his story at all (including the ending)
- did not care about the romance whatsoever? these people haven’t known each other very long and don’t have enough chemistry to justify hints
- this is not bad, I guess?? (even if I do have several bullet points critiquing it), just not… good. 0r interesting??

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, it was a perfect fit for what I was looking to read. I was also happy that this ended up being a standalone. Not that I wouldn’t have read a series in this world, I was just glad I got to enjoy the story being resolved.

The world of this book is very similar to the Cruel Prince series, which I love. I love trickster fairy stories and where magic is dangerous. This book includes the mortals, mortals who have some magic, and the otherfolk. There are also magical creatures whose true forms can only be seen with magic.

The plot of the story is about the Wild Hunt which is where the kingdoms of the otherfolk and the mortal, invite hunters to participate in the Wild Hunt to win the Champion’s prize. No one can speak of the Wild Hunt after it is over, so no one knows how the Hunt works and what the stakes truly are. Everyone knows it is dangerous and that people have died taking part in the Hunt, but no one knows the extent of the danger. (This Hunt gives Hunger Games feels and I loved it).

The story follows three main characters, Branwen, Gwydion, and Pryderi. I love all of them and their stories. They are all so well written with their backstories and motives. Branwen is a mortal who is able to see magic, this allows her to become a hunter of magical creatures who prey on mortals. She is desperate to help her mother therefore, she joins the Wild Hunt to win the boon to save her mother.

Gwydion is a prince who has a magical ability but his family overlooks him. He desires to participate in the Wild Hunt because he wants to save his family’s kingdom from his brother who is dangerous and powerful.
Pryderi is also a prince (from another kingdom) who was raised by a monster after being stolen by a monster as a child. His father is the king who participates in the Wild Hunt and has pushed his son to join as well, even though Pryderi does not know what he wants or where he fits in. He knows who to be a killer, but he does not want to be one.

I thought each character was so well done and I loved the three characters coming together and learning to work together even though none of them should get along. They each have unique abilities that allow them to play off each other’s strengths.

I highly recommend this book. I could not put it down. I read it over the weekend, and I was so glad to have had the time to just sit and read it. If you are a fan of classic fairy folk-type settings, I highly recommend giving this a try.

I loved this book. So many references to fae and magic here. It keep my attention through the whole book. If you like fairy tales with mythology references, this is the book for you. A dash of romance, and a smidge of action brings a delightful mix to readers.
I look forward to reading more of her books.

Overall, I enjoyed The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones as I have with her previous novels set in this world. This one takes place in the same world and involves three new friends joining the Wild Hunt to win a boon. The world, based on Welsh folklore, feels lush and magical. The novel started out slowly, introducing the main players and the world, but picks up quickly once the hunt is underway. Some of the plot was telegraphed but still engaging. I didn’t guess the twist but I probably should have done, and the ending leaves a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Recommended for readers of folkloric fantasy. Thank you to Little Brown and Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.