Audio Review: The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins

The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Series: Eurona Duology #2
Published by HarperCollins on 2017-03-07
Length: 12hr and 30min
Reviewing Audiobook from Audible
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2019 Audiobook Challenge, Beat the Backlist 2019

One hunt has ended, but the pursuit for love and justice continues.

The kingdom of Lochlanach has traded the great beast that once terrorized the realm of Eurona for something far more dangerous: the ire of powerful Lashed woman Rosaria Rocato. Rosaria demands that Eurona overturn the laws prohibiting magic, or an innocent will be killed each day.

Despite the king’s resistance, Princess Aerity believes they must make peace with the Lashed, and though she’s accepted a betrothal to the man who took down the beast, she cannot help thinking about Paxton, the Lashed man who stole her heart and disappeared.

Aerity soon discovers that Paxton has joined Rosaria’s army in the war against her family. Though her feelings for him are still strong, her duty to her kingdom and her family is stronger—especially when her parents are kidnapped and she has to step up to the throne and once again put aside what’s best for her in order to do what’s best for her people. Paxton and Princess Aerity must fight to see what is more powerful: their love or the impending war between the magical Lashed and the non-magic humans.

The Great Pursuit by Wendy Higgins is everything I could’ve asked for and more for the Eurona Duology. It compliments The Great Hunt perfectly, shifting the hunt into a full-blown war. Paxton and Aerity are separated for much of the book, but that doesn’t detract from the love that was born in book one. In fact, I feel it strengthens it. 

Now that the hunt is over, Aerity has been relegated back to being the princess. Her father who had let her sit in on council meetings begins pushing her out. Then she catches Lord Alvie in a precarious position with her maid *wink-wink* and she is at her wits end. Wishing to see Paxton one last time, she sets off with Harrison to find him before she will wed Lord Alvie. Aerity grows so much in this book. Circumstances out of her control find her leading the kingdom as queen not princess. She learns quickly that despite what her heart might want, she has to put her country and its people first. As I mentioned in my review for The Great Hunt, her kind heart and her lessons in diplomacy showed what a great leader she would become. Here it plays out as predicted. Aerity will make a fine queen!

Paxton Seabolt *sigh* At the end of book one, Paxton was on the run. He had to be because he’d used his magic, and his Lashed blood couldn’t stay hidden. As he travels south though, he comes across a flyer saying that all Lashed are welcome. Curious and cautious he follows it only to find that Rosaria had escaped and was building a Lashed army. To protect those he loves and his country Lochlanach, Paxton joins under the guise of hating the rulers and wanting his freedom. He is torn though. He believes in what Rosaria is preaching, freedom for Lashed to use their magic, however it’s the execution of it that he vehemently disagrees with. 

Once again Saskia Maarleveld took me on an adventure. Her tone and inflection held my attention and left me breathless. Her portrayal of the characters is spot on, and I had no trouble keeping up with who was who as she read. I will be listening to more of audiobooks because she is the narrator I can promise you that!

Overall I loved The Great Pursuit. My emotions were spent by the end, but I was happy. The author created a world that it is easy to get lost in. Every character is important and has a story to tell within this book. I kind of hope there are more books set in Eurona. If you enjoyed The Great Hunt or enjoy YA fantasy, I highly recommend it. 

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