The Fox Hunt is a dark academia fairytale dripping in suspense, sumptuous detail and characterisation that makes you fall head over heels.
This is a wonderful mix of genres with fantasy, dark academia, mystery, and a touch of horror all blended together into a brilliant nightmare. It feel so rich and layered, with plenty to explore around every corner. It helps that we are brought into this through the eyes of Emma, who is a fairly quiet and unassuming woman used to tumultuous change following her mother’s research. She is smart and has a single-minded focus of doing the best she can. The prestige of the University is alluring but also means she has to work ten times harder to keep up. Around her is glamour and wealth beyond her wildest dreams, so when she is tempted to have a taste, what happens next feels inevitable. Do not be fooled though as Caitlin Breeze has plenty of surprises in store along the way. It is a Gothic fairytale at times with flair and passion running through. Emma’s story is endlessly compelling and you’ll race through the pages to discover just what will happen next. Around her is a well-developed cast of characters that I thoroughly enjoyed (shoutout to the Librarian, Nat and Robin) and again, their stories hint at further yarns to be spun within this universe. There is backstory and intrigue aplenty. For me, it is a real mark of a good fantasy story where you feel like you could chase down the various story threads forever.
I really enjoyed the way Breeze explores class dynamics, particularly within an English context. It is so keenly felt in our society and yet it can be like a quietly accepted division, only broached when it becomes impossible to avoid. Class is a huge power imbalance and we see it reflected in the real-life power structures Breeze references in the book. I am from the UK and instantly that kind of old boys club and the doors unlocked by grace of your last name and who you know are all too familiar. There is a universality to it but also within this context, a kind of specificity that is chilling. It lands with even more of an impact given the events of recent years and the certain type of person that is seemingly shielded from it all. Hand in hand with this is the patriarchal dominance instilled – even the women that are ‘in’ and have been part of the upper echelons for aeons are not truly part of this community. Breeze is careful to consider the intersectional nature of these deliberate divisions across class, gender and race, showing just how insidiously horrifying they are in isolation but tenfold more combined.
Emma is very much an outsider peeking into this world and that is hammered home in a fantastic sequence that does not entirely go the way you may think it does. From there, we move into new territory where Breeze’s creative imagination runs wild. It is such a gorgeously detailed world with plenty of lore and history that is touched on but I craved more. The tales here are fascinating and even the seemingly throwaway breadcrumbs feel like they have heft behind them.
Everything builds to an action-packed conclusion that still has a few questions lingering. Like a classic faerie bargain, it is enthralling but feels like there may be more than meets the eye. I really enjoyed the literature references Breeze includes too. You come out of the book feeling like you have just stepped out of a nightmare and without giving anything away, that ending is memorable. I have high hopes that this may not be the last we see of Emma’s quest against the Turnbull Club.
The Fox Hunt is a beguiling gem of a book that stands out from the crowd with its twisted blend of genres and cutting social commentary, married with incredible characterisation and world-building that you could get lost in.
The Fox Hunt is available Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 17th 2026.
Will you be picking up The Fox Hunt? Tell us in the comments below!
Welcome to the University, where an ancient magic secures the right of elite society the Turnbull Club to rule – in exchange for a sacrifice to the hidden, magical world of the Night City …
When naïve student Emma Curran falls for the Turnbull Club’s leader, the glamorous Jasper Balfour, she enjoys parties and strange rituals – until one night, the Turnbulls propose a dark little game: a fox hunt. The women run. The men chase. And Emma is their mark.
Emma is ripped from her mortal life and transformed into something beastly, in thrall to the magical Night City. Now she must harness all her ferocity and cunning if she wants to claw back her mortal life and topple the Turnbull Club. And as dark magic spills through the University, bargains go unpaid and the Night City loses control, Emma must choose between seeking vengeance … and saving herself.
Perfect for readers of Ninth House, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Atlas Six
