Review: Mad Hatter Reads Review Huntsman's Prey
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 6, 2014
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5Source: I received an e-copy of this book from the author via the tour in exchange for an honest reviewI think everyone knows how much I enjoy classic fairy tales and the twists that modern authors give to them in their retellings. But there is just something special about the world that Marie Hall has created in her Kingdom series. It’s so rich and well imagined, combining the worlds we’ve all grown up with and putting twists and turns that I, for one, never even dreamed of. I’ve been hooked since the very beginning with HER MAD HATTER…what can I say? Of all the fairy tale realms, Wonderland (and a pretty sexy Hatter) just draws me in…in all it’s manifestations.Ah, but HUNTSMAN’S PREY goes beyond the story of Hatter and Alice. Have you ever wondered what might happen if they had a child? A girl? A girl who would inherit her father’s madness and turn it…and Wonderland…into something never seen before? That’s what we get with HUNTSMAN’S PREY. For poor, poor Chrysalis was moon-cursed at birth and now that she’s reached her eighteenth birthday it’s about to get very dark in Wonderland…very dark indeed. Aeric, the Red Queen’s own Huntsman, is called upon to stop Chrysa…but maybe…maybe…he can save her.The majority of the Kingdom series are novella length and I have to commend the author on packing so much world/plot development into the shorter length. They’ve always felt like the perfect little bite when I read one. But HUNTSMAN’S PREY is longer…regular novel length. Hall makes the most of the additional pages by really expanding the world of Kingdom and creating a fast-paced plot that keeps you turning those pages. The characters are well imagined, written, and are very intriguing. Hall throws in a pretty big twist when it comes to Chrysalis too. One that kept me guessing right up to the big reveal and I have to admit, while I got parts of it right, I didn’t get it all but I did enjoy how Hall treats it and Aeric’s reaction.While HUNTSMAN’S PREY is part of a series, you can read it as a stand alone. However, I would definitely recommend that you read the series before you start. Like I said, they’re novella length and are pretty quick reads…come on you know you want to! Well, if nothing else definitely read HER MAD HATTER (#1), DANIKA’S SURPRISE (#5.5), and MOON’S FLOWER (#6) before picking this one up. They all have history that lead up to Chrysalis’s story and it will make HUNTSMAN’S PREY that much richer for you. Enjoy!