Huntsman by Naima Simone ~ Review
HUNTSMAN
BOOK ONE IN THE HUNTED KINGOM SERIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS |
INTRODUCTION
Huntsman is one of those reads that stays with you and will make you want to gush about it to your friends–or to perfect strangers whenever you run into them at book events or book stores or online. It is a book that is so deliciously dark and fun and fearless that you cannot wait to tell everyone you know about it. It is a book that makes a mark, and it will have you gasping with just how brilliant it is. Or maybe that’s just me.
I didn’t plan to catalogue my reading experience of Huntsman, but I was absolutely mesmerized and enthralled with the story and I could not stop grinning and squealing into the ether as I read it. I highlighted so many things. Had so many thoughts and observations . It absolutely hit every single button for me as a reader, and I love the completely unhinged feel to it. There was nothing left off the table in this one, and it works flawlessly.
So, let’s talk about Huntsman, shall we?
DETAILS AND INFORMATION
I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) or advanced listening copy (ALC) of this book from the author, publisher, or publicist. The receipt of this ARC or ALC did not influence my choice to review the book on this site. It also did not influence how I felt about the book or its characters, storyline, and overall feel. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. As such, they only deal with what is written on the pages of the book and how what is written and otherwise presented made me feel during and after my reading of the book or how the book is presented in audio format and the narrators perform the book. Welcome to the dark world of The Hunted Kingdom where the daughters of modern-day mob families are reimagined fairy tale princesses like you’ve never seen before. In Huntsman, family is power... and power is everything. Nine years ago, my aunt took everything from me. My world. My throne. My mother. I’ve bided my time since then, serving under her in the Mwuaji crime family, but she’s crossed another line. She put a price on my head, sending the legendary assassin the Huntsman, Malachi Bowden, after me. The Huntsman’s never failed a contract before, but I know everything there is to know about him. It’s finally time for me to take my revenge and finish the war my aunt started. The Huntsman might be my death. But Malachi Bowden? He’s my weakness.
Huntsman by Naima Simone
Series: Hunted Kingdom #1
Published by Bramble, Tor Publishing Group on October 7, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Retellings
Pages: 320
Format: E-Arc
Source: Netgalley, Publicist/PR
Buy: Amazon | B & N | Kobo | Goodreads
Rating: 
Series Rating:
Huntsman is a dark mafia romance that explores themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for everyone. Please see the author’s content note at the beginning of the book.
FREQENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some quick answers to a few online questions about the Huntsman:
Is Huntsman a dark romance?
Yes. This is a dark mafia romance with both content and trigger warnings.
What are the content and trigger warnings for Huntsman?
There are several content and trigger warnings for this read, and all of them are very much warranted. Huntsman content warnings from the author include: 🩸play (But don’t worry! He likes it!), stalking (I fall first), redrum💀 (of mostly bad dudes), torture, violence, explicit sex (real filthy, with all the bad words), choking during sex (But no worries! We like it!), violence/mutual combat between FMC and MMC (we both got hands), a skosh of mass redrum, loss, betrayal, and secrets.
Is Huntsman spicy?
Yes. Naima Simone pulls no punches with this book. It is explicit with ALL THE SPICE AND BAD WORDS.
Is Huntsman worth the read?
Absolutely! This book may be dark, and it may prompt more than a few necessary content warnings, but it is also an incredible romance story between two broken people who deserve to find love and happiness for themselves.
While Huntsman is certainly different than anything else Naima Simone has written to date, it has remained, since early May as I read the E-ARC for the first time, my favorite read of the year. It is also, without question, one of my favorite books by Simone to date. Her voice shines on this book, and it doesn’t stop until it’s over. It is a rare breed of fearlessness, and it is incredibly special.
If you love lots of spice and dark romance and/or mafia romance, there is a lot of reason to read this book. But much more importantly, if you love semi-insane characters and a good unhinged romance that makes you squeal because it’s just so darn good and surprising in its delivery, then this might just be the book for you. I know it was for me.
I haven’t been able to stop gushing about Huntsman since I finished it in May, and I’ve read a lot of books since this one. I also loved it so much I decided to check out the ALC for it, too, to compare them. If you want to see some of my gushing about this book online, check out my socials (Threads, Facebook, Instagram). I’ve been talking about it FOREVER.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN HUNTSMAN
Huntsman starts off with a little bit of an enemy-to-lovers vibe, and a whole lot of touch her/him and die. Eshe is a woman endangered, though she is not a wilting wallflower waiting in the wings to be off’d. No, Eshe is every bit the ruthless mafia princess that others hunt, and she is GOOD at it. She’s strong, capable, and a verifiable force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to her power-hungry aunt who sent the legendary Huntsman to end her. Oh, and she’s a little bit unhinged when it comes to the Huntsman, too, because she has PLANS for him, and she isn’t about to let something like a contract hit to get in the way of things. Did I mention Eshe is a little unhinged?
When the story opens, Eshe and the Huntsman are in a pretty difficult spot with each other. There is a question about who is the hunter and who is being hunted, because even when they are standing on opposite sides, there is a distinctive pull between them that they cannot deny. This juxtaposition makes for such a fascinating and entertaining read, as it puts a ton of life and vibrancy into the characters and the story. Making for a memorable and thrilling romance read.
In addition to the forced proximity Eshe and Huntsman experience, there is also a morally grey element to this fairytale reimagining, and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. There are questions both asked and answered, and in ways I don’t think most readers will expect. Trust me when I say the author didn’t hold back in writing this book.
Go forth and read this book!
Simone’s voice positively shines on Huntsman. It brings a reader right into the story from the very first word, and it doesn’t let go. It is pedal to the metal the whole way through the book, and yet, it doesn’t feel rushed or crowded or anything other than exactly what it is—a fast-paced ride of epic proportions.
There are so many elements that went into this story that it is hard to catalog them all in a way that fully encapsulates everything this book is, and everything the forthcoming Hunted Kingdom series promises to be. But what I can say is that this book sets a high, high bar, and I cannot wait to find out what the author has in store for us next.
Huntsman is available now in retail stores and online. I highly recommend checking it out. It’s an incredibly fun story, and one that deserves to be read by as many readers as possible.
FAVORITE QUOTES IN HUNTSMAN
As I said at the beginning of this post, Huntsman is my most highlighted e-ARC to date. There are so many amazing gems and insights in this book that I found myself marking a ton of lines. Everything from description to dialogue to character wounds and flaws. I found so much in this book that I wanted to remember later, and I highlighted them to be sure I could find them when it came time to write this review. But man, I wish I’d had a hard copy of Huntsman during my first reading of it, because I would have annotated the heck out of it.
I absolutely loved this book and my thoughts while reading were all over the place, and in the best of ways. I was damn near cackling at some of Eshe’s actions and verbiage, but then there were some very real, very human moments between Eshe and the Huntsman that gave me pause because they were just so beautiful and insightful. This story was such a joy, and I am so grateful I had the chance to read it early.
The quotes below do not even begin to scratch the surface of all the gems you will find between the pages of Huntsman, but they do give a broad stroke overview of the way some of the lines hit. The push-pull tension. The escalating feelings of ‘I want you but I know I shouldn’t have you.’ It’s all there within the pages, and it’s all amazing and entertaining to read.
Is it possible to hate as passionately as I want? Because I do. He makes me weak by being my weakness.
Gah! I loved this line. It hit me quick because it captures who they are to each other so well. Enemies, yes, but also so, so much more.
My gaze zeroes in on her mouth. That disrespectful, corrupt, beautiful mouth. It’s been my downfall and my revelation. And I want more.
This pretty much sums up the Huntsman’s predicament where Eshe is concerned. She is a FORCE, and he is completely enamored by her, despite his best intentions not to be. I LOVE IT.
Death. Street wars. Betrayal. Hate. Blood. Violence is our norm, and suffering is our currency. It’s literally what we bank on for survival. It’s what I was born into, and what soul I have thrives on it. I’m not ashamed to admit that. It’s who I am. But it’s not all of me.
One of my favorite things about Eshe is that she is so unapologetically her. She knows who she is, where she comes from, and she is not afraid to embrace that part of herself. Instead, she thrives on it. She relies on it, and she trusts it to protect her. She is the very definition of trusting one’s own instincts.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON HUNTSMAN
Huntsman is one of those rare special books that left me feeling energized and inspired after reading it. As I stated previously, Simone pulls no punches with this book, and she does so in a brave and fearless way. The story is such a departure from her earlier works and yet, her voice shines on every page. She had fun writing this story, and it shows.
Readers can feel the joy between the pages of Huntsman. The completely unhinged shenanigans are dark and the characters semi-insane, but the story is a pure delight to read. Simone strikes the perfect balance between humor and madness, and easily draws readers in for a truly remarkable and unforgettable romance. This book proves it is different than what has come before it, and it is beautiful in its revelry. Simone did not hold back at all. She pushed the envelope on every page and the result is a story that both enraptures and exhilarates its audience.
Huntsman is a must read romance for anyone who loves their stories dark, spicy, and without any bars to hold it. There is structure and beauty and darkness and light and all the things in between, and yet, Huntsman is so much bigger than all of it. I mean it when I say it’s special, and I hope you choose to read it. If you do, come back and share your thoughts with me. I’d love to hear them!
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About Naima Simone
USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone’s love of romance was first stirred by Johanna Lindsey and Nora Roberts years ago. Well not that many. She is only eighteen…ish. Published since 2009, she spends her days writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark.
She is wife to Superman–or his non-Kryptonian equivalent–and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern US.
