The Great Pursuit

Gr 9 Up—Kicking off immediately after the events of Higgins's The Great Hunt, this sequel finds Princess Aerity on a mission to locate Paxton, a hunter, to achieve a sense of closure before she marries Leif. Her wedding will be the fulfillment of the promise of her hand to whoever could kill the beast that terrorized her family's kingdom. Rozaria, who is part of the enemy Lashed clan, already has her claws in Paxton when Aerity tracks him down, and it's up to Aerity to protect her homeland before Rozaria and other Lashed rebels can usurp her family's power and destroy the realm of Eurona. With a foundation firmly in place from the previous book of the duology, Higgins hits her stride here, sending her characters in all directions as they embark on adventure. A stronger sense of pace and higher stakes make the novel even more engaging than The Great Hunt, while the characters have somewhat open personalities into which readers can insert themselves. Moments of romance will leave teens swooning for their favorite couples. Complete with a surprising betrayal and excitement through the very end, this title will appeal to those who loved Mette Ivie Harrison's The Princess and the Hound.