Author: Elizabeth Tammi 

Publisher: Flux Books

First Published:  27 November 2018

Rating: 4 stars

“I sigh as we walk into the hall, maybe for the last time with Kahina. I want to twist time around myself make it bend and grow where I need it most”  

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to Flux Books and NetGalley!

The Huntresses ofArtemis must obey two rules: never disobey the goddess, and never fall in love.After being rescued from a harrowing life as an Oracle of Delphi, Kahina isglad to be a part of the Hunt; living among a group of female warriors givesher a chance to reclaim her strength, even while her prophetic powers linger.But when a routine mission goes awry, Kahina breaks the first rule in order tosave the legendary huntress Atalanta. 

To earn back Artemis’s favor, Kahina mustcomplete a dangerous task in the kingdom of Arkadia— where the king’s daughteris revealed to be none other than Atalanta. Still reeling from her disastrousquest and her father’s insistence on marriage, Atalanta isn’t sure what to makeof Kahina. As her connection to Atalanta deepens, Kahina finds herself indanger of breaking Artemis’ second rule.

She helps Atalanta devise a dangerous game toavoid marriage, and word spreads throughout Greece, attracting suitors willingto tempt fate to go up against Atalanta in a race for her hand. But when themen responsible for both the girls’ dark pasts arrive, the game turns deadly.

 

The book is told in alternating perspectives from Kahina and Atalanta. I think was a good choice and the best way to tell the story, as not all the action occurs when they are together. Yes, their voices were similar but both characters are strong, independent huntresses so it does make sense.  

The novel is set in Ancient Greece, however the historical setting didn’t come to life as it does in other novels set in that time period, like Kerry Greenwood’s Delphic Women Series or either of Madeline Miller’s books. If you removed the Greek city names, it still has the feel of a standard fantasy with the Gods thrown in. I understand that this is a YA series, however Emily Hauser’s For the Most Beautiful and Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack The Ripper series are YA and have vivid and realistic historical settings.

Not to say the setting limited my reading enjoyment, the plot and characters do make this an engaging story, however this was an element that was lacking in comparison.

The romance between Kahina and Atalanta was so sweet. I loved the fact that there wasn’t a big deal make that the romance was between two girls. Also, enjoyed the slow build up and how the attraction is sprinkled throughout. It would be nice if the book was longer to give space for each plot point along with the romance elements.

Overall this was an enjoyable debut novel. I adore the mix of Greek mythology we do get. Artemis is my favourite goddess and think her representation was believable in comparison to the myths. The romance was so sweet and I really adore these two together.