A Unicorn Hunter History

Well, I see there is a new pattern emerging. YA authors have been releasing novellas that tie into their currently running and recently finished series. I love this idea, but they seemed to be doing it exclusively by ebook, which I think is a shame because it excludes a significant population who don't have e-readers. Hopefully these short stories will be published as well, but for now at least I can enjoy them on my Kindle. Diana Peterfruend's Errant is a prequel of her Killer Unicorns series that gives another view of the life of the Unicorn Hunters in the Order of the Lioness.

Gitta is a nun with the Order of the Lioness- a unicorn hunter. Sadly, her duties have been dwindled, along with the unicorn population, to putting on slayings for ceremonies of their beloved zhi- trained, tiny unicorns that are devoted to hunters. She has had three zhi slain for these absurd ceremonies and weddings, and now she lose another. When she gets to the estate, she finds the bride to be, Elise, ready to perform her ritual slaying duties before she weds. Unfortunately, she isn't prepared for what she feels for Enyo, the little zhi.

At first Elise is annoyed by both the unicorn and the hunter, but she realizes her hunter magic is calling to her, brought out by her proximity to the unicorn. She knows her life will not be happy in her arranged marriage, but it will be better than dealing with her murderous cousin who would stop at nothing to get her money and land. When Elise realizes she can no longer deny the hunter inside of her, and cannot imagine killing the little unicorn, she and Gitta decide to take matters into their own hands. But will they be able to survive the schemes and plots all around them?

This was a fun little novella, but I don't think it would make much sense to someone who hadn't already read the rest of the series. It can stand alone, but it would make more sense (especially the background on the unicorns and the hunters) if someone had already read the other books. It is, though, a really great little insight into the world just before unicorns went "extinct".