Hunters of the Lost City

by Kali Wallace

Overview

“Reminiscent in feel to Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon, this lovely fantasy introduces a complicated, brave, and believable heroine. . . . An absolute delight.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Packed with shocking twists, frightening monsters, and dark magic, this is a page-turning fantasy adventure for middle-grade fans of Holly Black and Tamora Pierce.

Twelve-year-old Octavia grew up believing the town of Vittoria was the only one left in the world. The sole survivors of a deadly magical war and plague, the people of Vittoria know there’s no one alive outside the town walls—except the terrible monsters that prowl the forest.
 
But then the impossible happens: Octavia meets another girl beyond the walls, someone who isn’t Vittorian. Everything she’s ever believed is thrown into question, and there’s no going back.
 
In her quest for the truth, Octavia discovers a world full of lies, monsters, and magic. She’ll have to use every scrap of her skill, wits, and courage to uncover what’s real about Vittoria and the rest of the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683692898
Publisher:	Quirk Publishing
Publication date:	04/26/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	220,904
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

About the Author

Kali Wallace is the author of books for children and adults, including City of Islands, Shallow Graves, and Salvation Day. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Read an Excerpt

Every morning, as the first light of the sun shone over the mountains, bells rang from the seven watchtowers of Vittoria.
     Octavia kicked her thick blankets down, jumped out of bed, and threw open the shutters. The morning was cold, and her breath misted as she leaned on the windowsill. The scents of fresh bread and warm pastries rose from her family’s bakery below.
    The first bell to chime was atop the tallest tower, which overlooked Wyvern Gate on the northern side of town. It rang as soon as the sunlight touched the summits of the highest peaks surrounding the valley.
     Movement on the narrow street caught Octavia’s eye. Four stories down, a pair of town guards in black uniforms rushed down Fishing Cat Lane toward Juniper Street. She felt an uncomfortable twinge of worry in her chest. It wasn’t normal for the guards to be rushing about this early, before the gates were even open. Something must have happened during the night.
    She didn’t hear any shouts or sounds of alarm. She hoped it was nothing serious.
    The guards were gone from Fishing Cat Lane by the time the second bell began to ring. Five more followed in quick succession, and soon all seven bells were ringing together, all around the seven-pointed star of Vittoria’s high wall. Their song chased up and down the River Nyx and Long Road, echoed from the rocky mountainsides and the forested hills, and filled the terraced fields and orchards of the Lonely Vale.
     For the townspeople of Vittoria, the morning bells meant the day was about to begin. The bells meant it was time to wake, time to rise, time to work. During the daytime it was safe to venture beyond the wall, and it would be safe until darkness fell again. Vittoria was the last town in the world, home to the only survivors of a terrible war, surrounded by a vast and dangerous wilderness.
     The worst of the dangers were the monsters, and for those monsters the morning bells meant something else entirely. They were a warning, a signal to the creatures that lurked in the forest that daylight was coming. It was time for them to flee into the darkest thickets and caves, where they would cower until night came again. The creatures were called Ferox, a name given to them by the sorcerer who had created them as weapons of war, designed to attack with ruthless speed and vicious power under the cover of night. That sorcerer was gone now, and the war long over, but the Ferox remained.
     The endless rhythm of day and night, safety and danger, light and darkness, defined life in Vittoria. Octavia could feel the bright promise of the morning bells in her bones, just as she would, later, feel the ominous warning of the evening bells. The bells that rang at twilight had a deeper, heavier sound.
     Octavia listened until the bells fell quiet. The morning was cold, but the sky was clear and cloudless, streaked pink to the east, with the last stars twinkling in the west.
     Clear skies meant good light, good visibility, easier tracking.
     Today would be a perfect day for hunting.

Editorial Reviews

05/02/2022

The gates of Vittoria, purportedly the last town in the world following the conclusion of a deadly war 50 years prior, must never be opened after dark. The walls keep out predatory Ferox, animal-like weapons made of “all manner of materials, held together and animated by magic.” The only people allowed beyond the gates after dark are Hunters, who protect Vittoria from Ferox. When cued-white 12-year-old Octavia, who longs to be a Hunter like her retired mother and late sister, sneaks out to train, she meets brown-skinned, black-haired Sima. She claims to hail from the seaside town of Iberne, a place that shouldn’t exist, and Octavia learns, contrary to what she’s been taught, that the world beyond the gates has flourished. After sneaking Sima into Vittoria, she’s immediately under suspicion for being an outsider and taken prisoner. Octavia helps Sima escape and, determined to see the world for herself, embarks on a treacherous journey beyond the walls. Though the climax fumbles, Wallace’s (City of Islands) fast-paced narrative is intense. Richly detailed magical lore, gripping action, and frightening fantastical creatures are grounded by well-rounded characters and the girls’ blossoming friendship. Ages 10–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta Zurhellen, Folio Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

A Kids’ Indie Next List Pick

“Reminiscent in feel to Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon, this lovely fantasy introduces a complicated, brave, and believable heroine navigating grief, friendship, and the possible first stirrings of a (same-sex) crush while asking hard questions about power and community. . . . An absolute delight.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Richly detailed magical lore, gripping action, and frightening fantastical creatures are grounded by well-rounded characters and the girls’ blossoming friendship.”—Publishers Weekly

“A fantastical adventure through a world of magic and monsters. . . . A strong pick for fans of another hard-to-put-down fantasy about discovering truth, Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon.”—Booklist

“A rare look at a post-apocalyptic world for the middle-grade set. . . . Octavia, kind, brave, and insatiably curious, is a compelling protagonist to lead the way toward a new world.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A compelling read.”—Imagination Soup

“I absolutely loved this book. Octavia is a heroine for the ages.”—Ronald L. Smith, award-winning author of Hoodoo and Black Panther: The Young Prince

From the Publisher

★ 2022-01-11
A girl takes on the power structures of her world after discovering what’s been hidden.

Twelve-year-old Octavia, who is coded as White, lives in Vittoria, the sole town to survive a magical war that decimated the rest of the world 50 years ago. Vittoria is bustling and happy, with bakeries and markets, even if nothing has come from outside their borders since the war. Surrounded by forests filled with magical creatures that are designed to kill, Vittoria has strict rules for its residents: No one stays out past nightfall, and if they do, the gates will not be opened until the next morning. Octavia longs to be a Hunter like her late, beloved sister, and she sneaks out to practice—but when she is caught out after the gates close, she discovers brown-skinned Sima, a strange girl her own age, and learns that the world is more complicated—and less empty—than she thought. What follows is a journey of world- and self-discovery. Reminiscent in feel to Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon, this lovely fantasy introduces a complicated, brave, and believable heroine navigating grief, friendship, and the possible first stirrings of a (same-sex) crush while asking hard questions about power and community. This quiet fantasy gem renews and refreshes an old chestnut of a premise.

An absolute delight. (map) (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews