Ants Waking – R.J. Huneke

Published By: Rune Works
Pages: 166
Released On: 28/10/2025

Erica’s journey into the magical city of Cambridge to attempt to thwart their beloved Danny’s untimely death has become legend. The lonely, autistic college freshman-turned trans warrior, Erica, uses story as their weapon, trudging the magical city’s snowy, cobblestoned labyrinth full of streetlamp faeries and meddling gods in the hopes of finding the Legioness at the city’s heart, before the onset of the Dark conquers the day and, with it, the only chance of redeeming tragedy. 

*****

Thanks to R.J Huneke for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

It’s a thriller, fantasy, alternate history – it’s a lot for such a short book. It’s about the power of storytelling and fairy tales.

It’s an intense look at identity, the sense of self, sense of belonging and discovery, about finding acceptance where there may be none, wrapped up in a magical world. It packs a punch. It’s like an inner monologue, but I admit I wasn’t sure who they were at first and how it linked, but I got there.

I read a review that says Charles Dickens would “feel right at home walking these streets”, and at first I was a bit dubious. I am a Dickens fanatic and I worry when something is compared to him, but I have to agree. The streets, the environment Huneke has described definitely gives off a flavour o a dark, miserable Dickens tale.

Erica is a very strong protagonist. She’s flawed, yes, but passionate and powerful and ambitious.

It’s short and fast paced which helps add to this stressed, anxious bubble that seems to encase everything.

My one negative is some of the language. It’s not a deal breaker and I still enjoyed it, but it is heavy on the poetical, it’s very metaphor rich. That’s not a big problem because I know that’s how Huneke has written it and it does work with the whole magical elements of the story. But I did find at times that I was focussing more on the language used than what was actually happening in the story. But that is definitely a personal opinion as I know for some readers this poetical language would be a highlight.

Yes it’s a fantasy world where the dark aims to claim everything around it, but at its heart is a very human story. It has elements that any reader can identify with.