You have got a medieval setting, a quest and a magic realm in Katherine Arden’s The Unicorn Hunters to give it the distinct air of Arthurian romances. The sense of reading a very English novel is heightened by the presence of France as a common enemy.
This is my first book by Katherine Arden and I was instantly taken in by the almost lyrical quality of the prose. The story has the distinct air of a fairytale despite having pretty dark themes to it. The narrative style is comparatively calm and strikes a balance between world-building and multiple character arcs successfully.
So let’s get into The Unicorn Hunters book review!
The Plot of The Unicorn Hunters: What is the book about?
Anne of Brittany is trying her best to protect her duchy from the reaching grasps of France. Following her father’s death and in the face of an illegitimate brother and a young sister for her remaining family, Anne is expected to marry Charles of France. But this marriage would mean annexation of Brittany. She cannot let this happen.
Young Anne conspires to bring in the recently-widowed King of Austria into this conflict by proposing to marry him. If this ploy works out, Austria will protect Brittany against France and the King is the heir to the Holy Roman Empire, outranking Charles. But this plan dependent on men has too many loopholes.
Anne contrives to play the fool and organises a unicorn hunt to occupy the French emissary in her court to stay the hand of France. Obviously, there is no unicorn to actually hunt. She is hoping that the delay gives Austria enough time to accept the proposal and send the King and army to her rescue.
Anne is supposed to be the blessed virgin to tempt the unicorn. She is staying in the nearby abbey with her retinue the night before when the supernatural occurrences begin. Shakespearean ghosts appear with premonitions and warn her of something more afoot. She is asked if she is ready to fight for her land instead of just sacrificing herself for her people.
So when the unicorn actually appears and blesses her with its favour, it is almost inevitable. But while the unicorn makes the inopportune escape, there is a man who appears to have been lost in the magical lands for 200 years and has made his way Anne at the same time.
What secrets are this man hiding? What magical power struggles does Anne get dragged into? Does winning the unicorn’s favour actually help her? Can her political maneuvering keep her in her home and save her from a loveless marriage? This standalone medieval fantasy answers all of these questions through its intricately-woven plot.
My Verdict: Is The Unicorn Hunters Worth Reading?
If you like fairytale-esque storytelling set in the Middle Ages with a female protagonist who saves herself, this book is for you.
The book has considerably dark themes, violence, child marriage, abduction, on-page deaths, but the narrative style make it into a dreamy sort of story with low stakes. You already know that the events are going to work themselves out fine. It adds to the charm of the novel in this case.
The magic system employs folklore and portal fantasy to build up this world of magical beings and stories. While the diviners are not sorcerers, every court has one of them for official communication that plays into the plot heavily. The lore of a prosperous city lost to time and sea for a half-mortal-half-magical queen’s greed is the pivotal axis in the plot.
The story is very women-centric, the men in the plot are almost incidental. The lack of authority of women in all walks of life is acknowledged but the fact that they are the key to any action is also firmly established. But the story still carries a sort of gentleness to it.
This book was calming for my restlessness. While I would not recommend this book to someone trying to break free of a reading slump, I would definitely recommend it to readers looking to slow down or just an engaging but calming narrative to keep you engrossed in the story for weeks. I have really liked the author’s writing style and look forward to reading more by Katherine Arden.
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