Huntsman by Naima Simone – Audiobook Review
Narrated by: Trei Taylor & Myles Montgomery
Series: The Hunted Kingdom #1
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance, Fairytale Retelling
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
Blurb Recap:
In Huntsman, Naima Simone reimagines Snow White in the world of modern mafia royalty. When Eshe’s aunt seizes her mother’s empire, Eshe bides her time to strike back—until a hit is placed on her head and the infamous assassin, Malachi “The Huntsman” Bowden, is sent to collect. But Eshe knows everything about him—and she plans to turn the hunter into her weapon.
💭 My Thoughts:
Naima Simone’s Huntsman is chaotic, sexy, and absolutely unhinged—in the best possible way. A Snow White retelling with a dark, mafia twist, this story feels like John Wick meets fairytale revenge fantasy, with a heroine who refuses to be the hunted.
Eshe is fierce, stabby, and fueled by vengeance. Her complicated dance with Malachi—the assassin sent to kill her—crackles with tension and heat. Their chemistry is magnetic, and the line between obsession, love, and violence blurs deliciously.
This book moves fast. The pacing is breakneck, the plot dips in and out between action and spice, and the worldbuilding sometimes takes a backseat to the steam. Still, Simone’s sharp writing and unapologetically Black, blood-soaked take on power and legacy kept me hooked.
I did find myself wanting a bit more time to breathe between the fight scenes and the spice—more exploration of Eshe and Malachi’s emotional connection and the hierarchy of this mafia world. And while Eshe’s bravado sometimes tipped into posturing, she’s still one of the most dynamic, take-no-prisoners heroines I’ve read this year.
🎧 Audiobook Notes:
The dual narration by Trei Taylor and Myles Montgomery is outstanding. Taylor’s voice is Eshe—commanding, sultry, and emotionally layered. Montgomery brings just the right amount of danger and control to Malachi. The slang-heavy dialogue can occasionally pull you out of the moment, but overall, this is an audiobook performance that enhances the experience.
🩸 In Summary:
If you love:
- Fairytale retellings with bite
- Dark, violent, spicy romance
- Black women as mafia queens
- Enemies-to-lovers with lethal chemistry
Then Huntsman will absolutely entertain you. It’s sexy, smartly subversive, and sets up a world I’m eager to revisit in The Hunted Kingdom series.
📚 Recommended For Fans Of:
- Neon Gods by Katee Robert
- King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander
- A Court of Pain and Pleasure by C.N. Crawford
- Blood Orange by Karla Sorensen (for mafia-lite spice vibes)
