The Nightjar

by Deborah Hewitt

Overview

The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt is a stunning contemporary fantasy debut about another London, a magical world hidden behind the bustling modern city we know.

Alice Wyndham has been plagued by visions of birds her whole life...until the mysterious Crowley reveals that Alice is an ‘aviarist’: capable of seeing nightjars, magical birds that guard human souls. When her best friend is hit by a car, only Alice can find and save her nightjar.

With Crowley’s help, Alice travels to the Rookery, a hidden, magical alternate London to hone her newfound talents. But a faction intent on annihilating magic users will stop at nothing to destroy the new aviarist. And is Crowley really working with her, or against her? Alice must risk everything to save her best friend—and uncover the strange truth about herself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250239815
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Series:	The Nightjar Duology , #1
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

DEBORAH HEWITT is a teacher and previous ‘Undiscovered Voices’ winner living in Manchester. The Nightjar is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

08/30/2019

DEBUT Alice Wyndham and best friend Jen are living out their grown-up dreams in London when Alice encounters an elderly stranger who claims she is an aviarist: one who can see the mythical soul birds, nightjars that guard each individual's soul. Also, she's in grave danger. Shortly afterward, Jen is hit by a car while protecting Alice and rushed to the hospital. Devastated, Alice reluctantly accepts the help of another stranger, Crowley, who opens a magical door into the Rookery, where her pursuers cannot follow. Although Alice doesn't trust Crowley, she believes him when he tells her that the only way to save Jen is to use her newfound powers and find Jen's nightjar, which became untethered when Jen was injured. Frantically working against time and without complete information or much skill, Alice blunders from one poorly conceived scheme to the next as she attempts to complete her quest. VERDICT Hewitt's debut is an intense, bloody, and unfortunately flawed fantasy thriller with an intriguing story line that hamstrings itself with a frustratingly inept protagonist whose romantic feelings never ring true.—Karin Thogersen, Huntley Area P.L., IL

Library Journal

★ 07/15/2019

In Hewitt’s superb, darkly charming debut, Londoner Alice Wyndham receives a mysterious gift and discovers that she is an exceedingly rare aviarist who can see each person’s invisible nightjar, a bird that is a mirror of the soul that it guards. She can even hone the talent to perceive a person’s emotions and memories. A man named Crowley tells Alice she’s in danger, and an attempted kidnapping causes an accident that puts Alice’s best friend, Jen, in a coma. To save her, Alice must reunite Jen with her nightjar, which fled in confusion when Jen was injured. Crowley offers to help Alice control her magic and whisks her off to the Rookery, an alternate “sister-city” of London, but they’re threatened by the powerful Judicium, who want to destroy people like Alice, and the leader of a death cult. Hewitt makes it easy to picture the 1930s-infused Rookery, where magic comes as naturally as breathing, and readers will be fascinated by the story’s magic, largely based in Finnish lore. It’s a delight to explore the Rookery alongside Alice as she discovers her unusual powers and races to save her friend. The wildly imaginative Hewitt is a writer to watch. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"I thoroughly enjoyed this. The compelling plot and original mythological elements kept me gripped. And here's to more from the author, as I need to see some of these mysteries resolved." —Genevieve Cogman

"The wildly imaginative Hewitt is a writer to watch." —Publishers Weekly starred review

"Darkly enchanting...the Nightjar is a magical adventure full of danger, betrayal, and devotion." —Emily Borsa, Booklist

"Impossible to resist." —Locus Magazine

From the Publisher

With an expressive delivery, narrator Tamryn Payne takes the listener on an expedition through a hidden part of London full of magic that is rooted in Finnish lore. Alice’s day starts with a mysterious package and an odd elderly woman and ends with a revelation about her past that will require her to retrieve a soul from Death’s realm. Payne draws the listener into Alice’s newly discovered world, infusing her narration with near-perfect depictions of emotions that add to her realistic character portrayals. Payne’s pacing suits the story as Alice experiences highs and lows throughout her ordeal. A delightful listen for those who like paranormal elements in their fantasy. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2019 - AudioFile

With an expressive delivery, narrator Tamryn Payne takes the listener on an expedition through a hidden part of London full of magic that is rooted in Finnish lore. Alice’s day starts with a mysterious package and an odd elderly woman and ends with a revelation about her past that will require her to retrieve a soul from Death’s realm. Payne draws the listener into Alice’s newly discovered world, infusing her narration with near-perfect depictions of emotions that add to her realistic character portrayals. Payne’s pacing suits the story as Alice experiences highs and lows throughout her ordeal. A delightful listen for those who like paranormal elements in their fantasy. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2019 - AudioFile