Book Review: Curse of the Huntsman’s Jewel by Kirsten S. Blacketer

Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Fairy Tale Retelling

Content warning: There are several explicit sex scenes in this book, and one in particular that involves questionable consent.

A mashup of two classic fairy tales (Red Riding Hood and Snow White and Rose Red), Curse of the Huntsman’s Jewel focuses on two sisters and their cousin as they are pursued by a wicked queen. The queen wants to use their power for herself, but they’re not even certain what that power is.

Along the way, they encounter a trio of brothers. Each is an animus, someone with the ability to transform into an animal at will. The brothers fall in love with the women, swear to protect them, and are drawn into their conflict with the queen. Each pairing has its own unique flair.

Rose and Emmett are trusting and understanding of one another. Both are gentle souls, though this proves to be an advantage for the wicked queen. Emmett’s animus is a bear (based on his initial physical description, I pegged him for that from the start.) Soft-hearted teddy-bear characters are some of my favorites.

Bianca and Caleb… Bianca was my least favorite character in the book. She’s angry for most of the story, she’s stubborn, and she threatens Caleb time and again. At some points, she was downright cruel. Caleb, on the other hand, seemed to be a sweetheart. His animus is a falcon, which plays an important role in the storyline. It took until the very end – Bianca’s final chapter – before she finally warmed up to him enough to acknowledge they were a true pair.

Scarlett and Nicholas were a difficult pair for me to handle at the beginning of their relationship. Nicholas’ animus is a wolf, which suits his solitary and somewhat feral nature, while Scarlett is this book’s red riding hood. Their initial encounters were mysterious and relatively tame, but mid-way through the book, Scarlett found herself alone with him—and his desires. Scarlett fought him, attempted to say no to his advances, but he ignored her protests and got his way. I’m not sure, even after rereading that passage, she actually consented to him. It was a bit uncomfortable for me.

After that point, Scarlett and Nicholas find an understanding with one another. By the end of the book, she trusted him and he probably would have done anything she asked of him. (I know there was some magic involved that made it almost impossible for her to resist him, but I still have a lingering unease about the aforementioned scene.) In spite of the uncomfortable way their relationship started, I actually liked them best as a couple at the end of the book.

Overall, the story itself was very enjoyable. Even though it was a fairy tale-retelling, it had some original aspects that kept it interesting, and a couple plot twists toward the end that I wasn’t expecting. Some passages were a bit more risqué than I would typically read, but that’s only my preference. It didn’t really detract from the story. The book ended with a hint there might be a sequel in the future.

If you like a spicy romance in a fantasy setting, check out Curse of the Huntsman’s Jewel.

Author website: kirstensblacketer.com

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