The Great Pursuit

December 15, 2016
Following duology opener The Great Hunt (2016), Princess Aerity and her people face another brutal threat in the form of angry Lashed citizens, who are tired of being punished for their ability to do magic. The royal family of Lochlanach is shocked and dismayed when another bloodthirsty beast appears after the first one was killed with so much effort. Before any plans can be made to defeat the monsters and their creator, Princess Aerity flees for one last goodbye to the man she loves but cannot marry. However, the rebellion is larger and more complicated than she ever suspected, and soon she finds herself face to face with the true enemy--Rozaria Rocato. Rozaria is working with Prince Vito of Kalor, who wants the magic-working Lashed to rise up and defeat all who have oppressed them. The suppression of the Lashed by others provides a template for an exploration of the uses and drawbacks of civil unrest, though the story stays very much on the surface of the topic. Instead, a slightly predictable plot and characterizations keep the book at a superficial simmer. Higgins' world is a mishmash of tropes, the faux British Lochlans juxtaposed against the exotic Zandalee and Kalorians, who are dark-skinned "tribesmen." Both maidens and those who have chosen to eschew maidenhood are both chivalrously protected and bravely participatory in the battle. A tepid, formulaic fantasy that fails to sufficiently interrogate the issues it raises. (Fantasy.13-18)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Kicking off immediately after the events of Higgins's The Great Hunt, this sequel finds Princess Aerity on a mission to locate Paxton, a hunter, to achieve a sense of closure before she marries Leif. Her wedding will be the fulfillment of the promise of her hand to whoever could kill the beast that terrorized her family's kingdom. Rozaria, who is part of the enemy Lashed clan, already has her claws in Paxton when Aerity tracks him down, and it's up to Aerity to protect her homeland before Rozaria and other Lashed rebels can usurp her family's power and destroy the realm of Eurona. With a foundation firmly in place from the previous book of the duology, Higgins hits her stride here, sending her characters in all directions as they embark on adventure. A stronger sense of pace and higher stakes make the novel even more engaging than The Great Hunt, while the characters have somewhat open personalities into which readers can insert themselves. Moments of romance will leave teens swooning for their favorite couples. Complete with a surprising betrayal and excitement through the very end, this title will appeal to those who loved Mette Ivie Harrison's The Princess and the Hound. VERDICT An enjoyable follow-up to The Great Hunt, this novel offers a happy ending that works both as a pleasant diversion and a political commentary about marginalized groups.-Abby Hargreaves, Alexandria Public Library, VA

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