Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Leading up to reading this, I spent the last couple of weeks going through all of Ms. Lloyd-Jone's works, and I almost can't say which one I loved more. The Wild Huntress is certainly up there though. It holds true to her previous works, with her blending of folklore and adventure, and the expansion of the worlds we've seen in The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods. I hope this world keeps getting bigger and bigger, I love being lost in it. I can always count on a dash of romance and some beautiful Welsh tales.

I enjoyed this book.
What I loved about this book was the found family. I enjoyed the relationships between the main characters as they continued to grow and change throughout the book in a way that seemed natural, it did not feel forced nor rushed. I appreciated how much emotion could be felt through the adventures pitfalls and triumphs for all of the characters. The ending wrapped things up with all questions answered. I appreciated how more realistically things progressed without too much unrealistic romance. The only reason I am not giving this five stars is because to me it was a slow start in regard to politics, and the ending without giving too much away also left me questioning the politics and if how everything went down was mismatched.
I haven't read the rest of the books in this same world but, this book convinced me I should. It left me wanting more but worked as a standalone without making me feel like I had to read the other books before reading this one.
Thank you so much for the arc copy.

I am obsessed with literally everything Emily Lloyd-Jones writes. Her world-building is so lush, and her characters are always so beautifully complex! Another 5-star read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Lloyd-Jones, and the publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.75 stars

This book was captivating from the start. At first, I struggled with the 3 POVs but once you get into it becomes easy. I enjoyed all of the POVs. They all felt like well-rounded characters. Of course, my favorite will always be the Huntress. I love a strong FMC. I enjoyed the way the world was crafted and the competition. I will be reading more of the author's work in the future.

I highly recommend it!

This book is inspired by Welsh folklore which can be seen though the story. The characters really grow on you throughout the story. I felt in the start that the characters were underdeveloped, but it all makes sense by the end. The book had some twists that I somewhat saw coming but I still enjoyed it. While this book is very fast paced, it could have used some moments of slowing down. Overall, this was a great read, and I loved it just as much as I loved other works by this author.

I have a lot of feelings about this book. Bear with me though because I do stand by my 4 stars!

The story follows three characters. This individual stories did not intrigue me much, BUT all together they are an entertaining and interesting combination. Their interactions together had me locked in to the story line. I just wished it had happened faster!

This book needs a map and a pronunciation guide! I don't know if that's in the works for the final book, but it needs to be!

I grew to love these characters. Their found family elements warmed my heart. The personal inner struggles were beautiful to discover. The banter was witty. The action had me on my toes! I kid you not, I did not put this book down for the last 30%. I was completely glued to my kindle.

I have not read any of her other books or any books at all based on Welsh folklore. It took me a good chunk of the book to figure out what all the different Welsh words were supposed to mean because the context clues were hard to read.

I think this book has a little too much exposition. It took a significant amount of time to feel like we made it to the real plot of the book which I found frustrating. BUT when we did get there I was glued in.

My only final question is about that dang cat! I want a whole book about the cat....

Of course, this was a five-star read, there’s a cat sidekick, do I need to say more? 

Okay, I will.  

The only flaw I encountered during my read was a small pacing issue. The book is divided into three sections, one for each main character. They all started with a flashback to their different upbringings. This felt like a great and unique way to present the story, however, when I got to the third and last character, the flashback didn’t add anything more. Throughout the novel, we already learned about its past; it only put a damper on the story, especially as it cut through a huge reveal. Fortunately, it was only a few pages and was easy to overlook. I only wished this flashback could have added something more to the character, something that would justify its actions. But that might just be me trying to find excuses for people’s behavior when sometimes there isn’t any.  

Every other aspect of the book was flawless in my opinion. We follow three unique characters, coming from different lives. Somehow they still found each other and were alike in certain ways while complementing one another in other ways. Because they all fit together so well, it took me a while before I knew for sure what the love interest was. I could see it going in any way. 

These characters were well flushed out, but the same can be said of the side characters. We encounter a lot of them, but they never felt generic. Every one of them had a uniqueness and was well-rounded.   

The plot in itself could’ve been mundane – a hunt with a grand prize as a reward – especially with hunts, trials and tournaments taking over fantasy books lately. However, this wasn’t the case here. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, that it didn't feel common. Not to mention the Welsh folklore that added a singular atmosphere. There aren’t a lot of books that are inspired by Welsh culture – that I know of – so I wasn’t familiar with most monsters we stumbled upon. I researched some of them and others were explained in the book. It introduced me to a new type of folklore I want to learn more about. Just don’t ask me to pronounce any of the names.  

The writing that was truly as magical as the story itself also added something unique to the story. I highlighted so many good passages.  
Finally, the world-building was also throughout. However, I didn’t have the map in the advanced copy I was given which made it a bit harder to remember all the different kingdoms. Nonetheless, I can appreciate how much work the author put into creating a unique world. This is why I already ordered The Drowned Woods to continue living in the same world a little longer.  

A huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before it came out. It was a truly magical adventure. And I now have a new auto-buy author.

I am incredibly fond of Emily Lloyd-Jones's writing. I love the stories she chooses to tell as much as how she tells them. I consider her an auto-buy author at this point.

The Wild Huntress had me hooked from the very beginning. I always enjoy her characters and the lore. I loved the atmosphere. There was one point when I thought the story might too closely resemble the story from The Hedge Witch of Foxhall, but enough of the story elements diverge that I no longer feel that way.

This book managed to surprise me, which does not happen often.

Overall, I enjoyed my reading experience immensely and will definitely be recommending this book to customers and to my followers on Instagram. I look forward to purchasing a copy so it can live on my shelves next to The Bone Houses and The Drowning Woods.

It was a little slow to start but once you get going….. it’s an entertaining troupe. Enjoy reading this fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for the arc! I’ve never seen a book intentionally torpedo itself like this. I did not enjoy this at all.

It sucks, because it did start so strong. I’ve struggled to connect with this author’s characters in the past, but I was engaged when it came to Branwen. The other characters weren’t as lucky, but one began to grow on me slightly. The other, however, I came to dislike almost immediately. I believe this wasn’t the author’s intention, as they started to shove this character down my throat. They wanted me to root for this character, but I wanted to Old Yeller said character.

Further along into the book, the focus really began to shift from Branwen to the character I hate. Why name a book after Branwen when she doesn’t even maintain control of the narrative? It became all about this specific dipshit, and then towards the ending the plot really went off the rails.

The third act and ending were both so hideous. The book devolved so much you’d think it had tuberculosis. I started skimming, and it just kept on getting worse and worse. If I had a physical arc I would have thrown it across the room. The ending itself was purely enraging; I can’t say anything positive about it if I tried. Thanks, I fucking hate it! I fucking hate that shithead character and I want to see them burn on a pyre. I mean Jesus, that ending will haunt me. I guess this book left an impact, at least!

Anyways, this book is the most pure example of squandered potential. My therapist will be hearing about this, and I’m going to send this author the bill. I am pissed, I am hyperbolic, but I am free. 2 stars

4-4.5 ⭐️ Ah it’s so fun to be back in the world of “The Bone Houses” and “The Drowned Woods.” Although you do not have to read either book prior to reading this, as it reads like a standalone.

The Wild Huntress did not disappoint! It had a fast moving plot that always kept me super engaged. If anything I felt like it could have been longer! I throughly enjoyed the characters and atmosphere. I have mixed feelings about the ending, which keeps me from giving it five stars like “The Bone Houses.” But, I personally still enjoyed it more than “The Drowned Woods.”

Thank you to NetGalley for proving me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for and honest review!

The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones takes readers on a fantastical journey with three characters who come together to win a deadly competition. It has monsters, magic, loveable animal companions, and a little romance. What more could you want?

Emily Lloyd-Jones has beautifully descriptive writing that creates a rich atmosphere for readers to explore. The world-building in this book is executed so well. Reading this book makes you feel like you're living in a fairytale.

The Wild Huntress has Welsh folklore and fae that are absolutely addicting. The magic woven into this story is so much fun to read about. It's not at all difficult to understand. The way all the different magical elements are included in the story is incredibly well done and lovely to read about. The mix of the world-building and the magic system creates a wonderful YA fantasy read.

Deadly competitions and games are my favorite things to read about in fantasy. This book has a big hunt for a competition, and I love it. The competition adds so much tension to the story. The way it affects different characters and relationships gives it a strong impact. Emily Lloyd-Jones did an amazing job with the competition aspect of this story.

I didn't love the pacing of this book. I don't think it ever felt too slow, but the action should have been spread out more. It felt like most of the action and tension had been saved for the end of the story. The last 15-20% felt so different from the rest of the book. While it does make sense for most of the action to be at the end, I do think it could have been spread out more.

This book was entertaining and exciting while I was reading it, but it's not a book I'm going to think about much now that I'm done with it. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like this story will be very memorable for me. It was a wildly fun YA fantasy, but it's not one of my favorites. It is still a book I would recommend, though.

The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones is a great YA fantasy for people who love competitions, folklore, and magical worlds.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) as of 7/30/2024
Review on Instagram (sophiesreading https://www.instagram.com/sophiesreading/) expected 10/8/2024

I was so excited to get this arc, it actually got me out of a bit of a reading slump! I could not put this down. I loved The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods, so I was pretty sure I would love this too. Happy to say I was not disappointed! Emily Lloyd-Jones is becoming an auto buy author for me. I already have this pre-ordered and can't wait to have my own copy in the fall. Definitely didn't see things going the way they did the last few chapters... especially with Pryderi. That hurt.

Emily Lloyd-Jones continues to amaze with her folklore adaptations. This book had everything I was looking for: a strong lead female character, a flawed love interest, high stakes, and unexpected twists and turns. As with all of her works, I appreciate her ability to create lush story lines with smaller page counts that many fantasies. I look forward to reading future works of hers, and I would highly recommend this book!

This world is just so luscious and atmospheric! I’m always immersed into Emily’s stories from the get-go; her writing has me immediately pulled into the heart of the magic and wonders of her Welsh fantasies.

One particular component I love about Emily’s books is the compassion and consideration with how she writes her animal characters. They’re not just background props but are woven into the story as loyal and loving companions, all with their own distinct personalities. You can just tell from her writing that Emily herself is an animal lover. As a pet parent myself, I really respect this level of love and attention given to the animal companions. So far we've had a stubborn goat, a sassy spy corgi, and a secretly savage cat. I'm curious what other adorable creatures we'll get to meet in the future!

Of the three novels Emily has written so far in this world however, this is my least favorite by far. I was so sure this was going to be another 5 star banger, but was very disappointed with the direction the story headed in, and how everything was wrapped up. Frankly I was left feeling kind of annoyed and deeply unsatisfied. Regardless, I hope Emily will put out more stories in this world. I will be awaiting them with impatient fervor.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for fans of Celtic and traditional faerie mythology, compelling young people learning about the world and lovable pet companions.

This is a fast paced, young adult story that follows three POVs: Branwen, a young woman who has spent much of her life hunting faeries and helping people harmed by their proximity to the faerie forest, Gwydion, the youngest of the royal family and the family outsider and Pryderi, a young prince looking to prove himself to his father.

The interactions between characters feel genuine, and there is a good mix of action and heartfelt emotion throughout the adventures of these three. I also love the way Lloyd-Jones incorporates elements of faerie mythology throughout the book and her descriptions of magic. Also, I want to adopt Palug, please and thank you.

Fluctuating between a semi-baffled (that’s mostly good) 3.5-4 stars.

Inspired by Welsh folklore, The Wild Huntress is about three characters who enter a magical and deadly hunt, teaming up to compete against mortals and fae alike for the chance to win a wish from the Otherking.

I really enjoyed the majority of this book. All of the characters had interesting backstories that were influenced by the magics of their world, for good or for ill, and it was fun to see how their histories both helped and hindered their ability to participate in the Hunt. The cat companion was a marvelous addition, though I wish he had played a larger role.

My only critique would be that the writing would become a bit melodramatic at times, especially in the case of one of the characters, and it detracted from my ability to be fully immersed in the story. It also makes it difficult to know whether this will be a standalone, or if there will be a sequel.

That being said, it’s a good book that only got better towards the end. There was a clear vision of where this book needed to go for the characters to succeed in their personal missions, and it does that in a way that often surprised me with its twists.

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an arc of The Wild Huntress in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ARC.
SPOILERS BELOW:
This is the third novel I've read by this author, after The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods. All three draw on Welsh mythology. This book references events in the other books but can be read and understood on its own. Lloyd-Jones is great at writing disabled characters, especially characters who have chronic pain. I'm disabled (and I think the author is too). I personally dislike magical cures, but I think the ending subverts the magical cure trope. Magic does treat Branwen's mother's dementia at the end, but it's more of a medical treatment (so that it doesn't progress further) than the magical cure trope as I understand it. Like in real life, in the novel, dementia is not reversible. So, I was OK with that nuance.

As always, I loved the way the book handled the fae. I also love that magic has a cost in Lloyd-Jones' books and takes a toll on its users. I love how creepy and mysterious the Fae are, as they should be.

I requested this book for two reasons: the first being I liked one of this author’s previous books, The Bone Houses, and the second being the premise reminded me of A Far Wilder Magic, which I also enjoyed.

Going in I didn’t have many expectations outside of hoping it would have a nice atmosphere and execute the hunt well. Both of those expectations were met, thankfully, and the atmosphere, which felt cozy and woodsy, was definitely a highlight. The pacing was another thing I really enjoyed. We had time to get acquainted with all the main characters, and then the hunt started, and at no point did I feel things were moving too fast or too slow.

Another thing I liked was how clear the writing was while still having a quality that made each scene very easy to visualize. The Welsh folklore that was incorporated was interesting as well but also easy enough to understand that I wasn’t left confused by the things I hadn’t heard of.

In terms of things I didn’t like, the 70% mark twist was when things started to go downhill for me. I didn’t expect the story to go in the direction it did when I first started, and I wasn’t mad that it did; I just think it was missing something. The decisions one of the main characters made made sense and weren’t overly predictable despite having been foreshadowed, but the actual reveal moment of what they had done and the things that happened right after didn’t feel as impactful as they should have.

After that, we reached the actual ending, and it just… wasn’t as strong as I felt the beginning of the story was. There was nothing inherently terrible about it; it just wasn’t the most satisfying for me, as I felt like a certain character didn’t deserve the ending they got.

Overall, while I didn’t love it quite as much as The Bone Houses, it was still enjoyable. Even though this story takes place in the same world as that, it works just as well on its own. I would definitely recommend this for fans of the concept behind Alison Saft’s A Far Wilder Magic and the mythology and court politics within Anna Bright’s The Hedgewitch of Foxhall, or for anyone who is looking for a cozy fall read.

~🄾🅅🄴🅁🄰🄻🄻 🅁🄰🅃🄸🄽🄶: ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰.5~

I have read the entirety of Emily Lloyd-Jones' books and loved all of her books. I love her books set in the world of The Bone Houses the best and this was no exception. The way she finely weaves in the fantastical setting and drops in lore-even if you hadn't read anything else from the universe- makes this story not only a great standalone but if you have read the others, an amazing piece within the story. This retelling of Welsh lore follows three main characters as they enter a great hunt for glory and favors, each with their own motives and reasoning. I'll stop here in fear of gushing too much about this and spoiling everything but this book will not only be heavily requested to be purchased for my library but will be bought for myself for my bookcases.