Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

Title: Hidden Huntress
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Malediction Trilogy #2
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Source: eARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review (thanks Angry Robot!)

Summary from Goodreads:

Sometimes, one must accomplish the impossible.

Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation.

Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high.

To find Anushka, she must delve into magic that is both dark and deadly. But the witch is a clever creature. And Cécile might not just be the hunter. She might also be the hunted…

Review

After having LOVED Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress had some big shoes to fill as far as expectations go. And I am happy to say that Danielle Jensen did not disappoint. Although Hidden Huntress was a different kind of story, it was every bit as exciting and wildly imaginative as its predecessor.

Stolen Songbird introduced us to this brilliant world where magical Trolls were trapped to live under a mountain due to a curse placed on them by a vengeful witch. Due to prophecy, Cecile was kidnapped, held hostage among the trolls, and forced to marry their Prince in the hopes that it would set them free. But despite the circumstances under which she was brought to Trollus, she grows to care for some of them, the Prince above all. Stolen Songbird was every bit a hate-to-love story set against a fantastical backdrop.

Hidden Huntress was less romance focused and more mission-driven as Cecile finds herself in the position to help the Trolls by hunting down the 500 year old witch whose will the curse is tied to. But while she's in Trianon, dabbling in black magic, navigating upper class politics and mending the relationship with her long-distant mother, her heart is back in Trollus with Tristan. The situation in Trollus is graver than ever before as dangerous new alliances form and the peace becomes more tenuous. Tristan is trying to forge a new path forward but is still dealing with the consequences of his most recent actions.

I thought Hidden Huntress expanded this world and story brilliantly. So much happened in this book such that it felt very full. Even though the witch-hunt was a bit predictable, I still found it exciting. And it gave us a glimpse of how things were run in the outside world and introduced us to characters that will likely play a greater role in the third book. I loved reading about the situation in Trollus even more so. Power kept shifting hands and things were quickly escalating out of control. The situation was dark and unpredictable but it made for good reading material.And again, I think some recent developments will have even greater impact in book three.

There were a lot of tense moments and a good number of surprises. This book was not without its ups AND downs. But Tristan and Cecile’s bond grounded me throughout it all and I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better follow-up. And that ending – OMGOSH. The third book is going to be one hell of a ride. I can only imagine (and fear) what Jensen has in store for us. I can’t wait!