Huntress of Hearts (Precious Stones #5), by Blanka H. Madow
The Book
Synopsis:
One minute he’s living the magical life he was supposed to — and the next, going on a mission to a human land.
When the warrior, Avieles, is asked to bring humans to the land of the witches, he can't resist the challenge. He assembles a team of eleven witches, each with unique birthstones and abilities to assist him. He arrives and discovers that humans aren't as helpless as he believed, and most of all, they don't want to be saved.
Faced with convincing five factions of the human race that he's their only hope of survival, he must use everything in his arsenal from threats to charm all in hopes of saving them all.
One person stands between him and his mission, and she's the one he desperately needs to save.
My Review
Huntress of Hearts is the fifth book on the Precious Stones series (it can be read as a standalone as I did), written by Blanka H. Madow. In this novella, we will be following Avieles, a well-developed character, into a mission to convince and bring the humans from their lands to the land of witches.
Avieles is sent on a mission by his Queen, saving the humans and bring them to a land that won't slowly kill them; assembling a team that will be part of this journey. Convincing the different leaders will put him on a variety of situations that will allow us to be spectators of the wide array of emotions the character is able to express.
Personally, while I found the character development to be the main strength of Madow, it became almost a challenge to not feel overwhelmed sometimes with the world building, and the nuances around it; especially when we are talking in such a short novella.
Overall, I think I might not be the target audience for this novella, and despite I've enjoyed it as a standalone, I feel this book might shine more reading its complementary Precious Stones novellas.
Disclaimer: This novella has been read as part of the SFINCS. This review/rating only represents my personal opinion and it might differ with what the team decides.
The Author/s
Blanka H. Madow
Blanka H. Madow was born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia. Growing up, she was an avid reader of fantasy novels, inspiring her to write her own stories. Her debut novel, Mother of Pearl, is the first in a Precious Stones series. When she is not writing, she is still reading now in a smaller town. Blanka writes New Adult Fantasy - perfect for escapists.