Book Review : Huntress by Malinda Lo

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

*****

I've been wanting to read this book ever since the first time I heard about it. I love LGBT theme and to find it in a young adult fantasy book was super amazing because it is very rare. Maybe my knowledge is limited but please recommend to me if you come across or happen to know any LGBT young adult fantasy / sci-fi books, ya.

This book was about an interesting relationship between two girls on a dangerous journey to escort the prince to meet the Fairy Queen. The land was divided by two kingdom : the land of human and the land of fairies and supernatural creatures. The story began when the king in the human land received an invitation from the Fairy Queen so he sent his son, three guards and two 17 years old girls from the Academy named Kaede and Taisin as his representatives. Both of them were classmates but barely spoken to each other. Taisin was a gifted student and good with magic and sorcery and she wished to be a mage after graduating. However, Kaede was only good with daggers and weapons and had no interest in sorcery at all. The relationship between Taisin and Kaede deepened as they have to rely on each other to complete their mission. 

I love the chemistry between Kaede and Taisin. They were shy and awkward at first (as they barely spoke to each other in class) but once they realized how much they attracted to each other, their relationship deepened.  They talked and giggled like best friends and they find hope to survive the mission in each other. They needed and relied on each other so much. I can only think of good things about their relationship because I ship them a lot. I cried at the end of this book because I think their relationship was very honest  and innocent BUT I hate their ending.

This book was not thick 300++ pages. The plot was okay and fast paced. This book was enjoyable to read especially the romance between Kaede and Taisin. However, I dislike the ending and I wish I could rewrite them based on my own liking. Haha.. I think the writer did not elaborate much on the characters in this book but I like how she wrote about feelings and how Kaede and Taisin fall in love. The description was very deep and poetic and I felt like Kaede and Taisin were very real.

I love the story but I hate the ending. So I give this book 4 stars.