The Huntress: Book Review

Are you looking for a page-turner to whisk you away to a different time and place? Look no further than The Huntress by Kate Quinn, a gripping WWII fiction novel inspired by the incredible true stories of real-life brave women. The Huntress is sure to keep readers hooked from the very first page. Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or are looking for a book to get lost in, this best-selling novel is sure to please. In this review, you’ll find out why The Huntress is a must-read for any fan of World War II fiction.

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The Huntress: Synopsis

Jordan has big dreams, probably too big for Boston. As long as she can remember she’s had a camera in her hand, documenting every aspect of life down to the mundane everyday activities. She wants to be a professional photographer and journalist, and she dreams of one day shooting in the field like her some of her favorite female pioneers of photojournalism. Something draws her to investigate the world around her, to question the status quo, and to discern truth from fiction.

But before she gets a chance to step into her future, a mystery lands in her lap in her very own home. Jordan’s s long-time widower father has finally remarried, something she’s initially pleased to learn. Her new stepmother appears to be a wonderful woman, almost too good to be true. Jordan knows she should be happy for him, but something about his new bride seems off. Call it a hunch, but Jordan’s determined to get to the bottom of the mystery: who is this woman and why does he have Nazi memorabilia in hidden in her belongings?

Meanwhile, Ian, a former war journalist turned Nazi hunter, is hot on the trail of a notorious female Nazi known as The Huntress. She’s wanted for war crimes, some of the most heinous acts of WWII. To catch his mark, Ian will need help from one of the deadliest weapons known to man: a woman who’s lost everything. Once part of Russia’s notorious group of female fighter pilots, The Night Witches, Nina Markova is willing to do anything to finish what she started long ago. She can still feel the memory of the icy water on her skin, and she’ll do whatever it takes to take down The Huntress once and for all.

The Huntress: Musings

Kate Quinn is one of the best historical fiction authors of our time. Her World War II novels are some of my favorite historical fiction books, and The Huntress, her second WWII fiction, tops my list of the best Kate Quinn books. Three storylines, two timelines, and multiple main characters all converge to create a masterpiece of historical fiction. Suspenseful, hard-edged, and character-driven are all great ways to describe The Huntress, so if that appeals to you, you’ll want to add this book to your reading list.

Personally, I was hooked within the first few pages, and as the stories and timelines developed I became more entranced by the characters. I was completely sucked into all drama and the high-stakes world that Quinn created in this book. There were so many moments when my jaw dropped to the floor in both timelines, which is rare. Most dual timeline books reserve the action for one timeline and the world-building for the other. Quinn packs a punch in both timelines in The Huntress, something I think she does well in most of her books.

When I think of a bada$$ female character, Nina Markova is the very first to come to mind. I was captivated by the very first lines of her story, sucked into the complex web of pain, joy, suffering, and loss that Quinn creates around her heroine. Her foul-mouth quips and take-no-prisoners mentality are exactly what I want in a female protagonist. Nina is the type of character that takes an otherwise good novel to great heights. There will never be another like her in my opinion!

Overall, Nina captured my whole heart and held on tight to the bitter end. I’d never heard of The Night Witches (a real WWII all-female fighter pilot crew), so getting to know more about them was one of the book’s highlights. Truly, I loved this character SO much that she now lives in my head rent-free. Nina is, by far, my all-time favorite Kate Quinn character, and if you love a STRONG AF female protagonist, you’ll love her, too.

The Huntress: Rating

There are so many more things I could say about The Huntress, but I’d rather let Nina and Jordan do the talking. Trust me, friend! If you enjoy WWII fiction and/or wildly chaotic feminist main characters, you won’t want to miss this book. It’s a true page-turner of a novel, one that I won’t soon forget. Buckle up for this unforgettably wild ride of a novel!

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