As usual, Katherine Arden’s writing does not disappoint. She crafts a compelling narrative with one foot in history and the other firmly planted in fantasy. In Ms. Arden’s hands, Anne of Brittany becomes a fierce, determined, and multi-faceted heroine in a time when women were traded for countries and alliances. Anne inspires loyalty through her tenacity and leadership, making it believable for others to follow her and easy for the reader to cheer for her. All the supporting characters–from Louis of Orleans to Butter, the cat–are given first-rate development and roles in the narrative. The plot pacing is strong and gathers momentum as the story progresses amid set-backs and twists; the author never makes it easy for her heroine. The first part of the book has a historical fiction vibe, but the latter part is all fantasy. Fantasy lovers in particular will enjoy this novel.

The author’s note at the end clarifies known facts about Anne and where the author chose to take the story for her own purposes and themes; these notes are always appreciated by the reader. The Unicorn Hunters is another strong offering by Katherine Arden.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 19 religious exclamations; 17 mild obscenities; 2 derogatory names.

Violence/Gore: Reference to previous battle/conflict/war; report of death by fall from horse; reference to women dying in childbirth; tale of a woman who had her lovers smothered by an enchanted mask; verbal threats of harm and death; bloody ghost with cut throat and a bloody sword; reference to sewing shut a bird’s eyes so it can be trained; a ghost with a rope around her neck from being strangled, slightly brief description; a ghost of a woman on fire; man clouts a little girl on the head (maliciously); a couple of separate deaths due to over-exertion/extension of diviner abilities; encounter with a magical creature leads to an individual beginning to die; child grabbed by the hair and held to try and force another’s actions; sword cuts someone’s leg; individual makes threatening sexual advances kissing, biting that are not welcomed; tournament with injuries to horse and man; fighting breaks out between two forces, fire started, person decapitated by sword and head rolls, man stabbed with knife, mention of blood; child hit in the middle of a battle; child taken hostage and a fight/scuffle ensues, breaking of wrist, etc.; child struck in face; fight scene with deaths by sword, individual has hand cut off by sword, and is surrounded and presumed killed as scene ends; mythical creature inflicts self-injury and bleeds; stated that a ruler puts heads upon spears on the seawall; character states they will kill someone; character is stabbed by mythical creature and then character self-inflicts death; reported death of a character’s family.

Sex/Nudity: Reference to a man having a mistress and having a bastard son through her; joke made with sexual innuendo; references to how political marriages involve external witnesses to the consummation act; brief scene of proxy marriage where both parties climb into bed and touch legs/thighs in symbolic act and then leave bed; references to virginity and purity of a female in relationship to unicorn hunting; female and male are attracted to each other and brief references to this and their desire; man kisses and bites a woman’s hand; male and female kiss passionately and embrace several times throughout the book; character considers what it would be like to share a bed with someone; ~2 page descriptive scene passionate kissing, caressing, partial disrobing, touching and kissing of areas normally covered by a bathing suit, resulting in one individual having climax; individual makes threatening sexual advances by kissing/biting that are not welcomed; couple embrace and stroke back, kiss passionately; a character’s virginity is questioned and it is decided that her fitness for queenship be judged in public so she is disrobed to her chemise, process is stopped before proceeding further; ~ 1 page sex scene with explicit description; 1 paragraph sex scene with description.

Mature Subject Matter:

Politics, ghosts, death, death of family members, war, illegitimate children, women treated as property with no rights, kidnapping/hostage.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

Characters drink wine with meals and sometimes to excess.