The Wickerlight

by Mary Watson

Overview

In this lush, magical thriller for fans of the Raven Cycle and The Hazel Wood, one girl's murder investigation leads her into an ancient magical war.

It's been two months since Zara's sister Laila was found lifeless on the village green of the small Irish town Kilshamble, not a mark on her. Vicious rumors circle that she died of an overdose or committed suicide—but an autopsy finds no evidence.

Zara believes somebody must know what happened, and she throws herself headfirst into an investigation. But retracing her sister's footsteps takes her to David, a member of an ancient magical faction called the judges. The judges are in the midst of an ancient feud with another faction called the augurs, and Zara quickly finds herself embroiled in a dangerous, twisted game. And if she isn't careful on the path she's treading, she could end up with the same fate as Laila.

Riveting, atmospheric, and full of dangerous magic, this lyrical novel set in the world of The Wren Hunt is perfect for readers of Maggie Stiefvater and Melissa Albert.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547601943
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/26/2019
Series:	Wren Hunt Series , #2
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.69(w) x 8.58(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Mary Watson grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where she worked as an art museum guide, library assistant, actress in children's musicals, front-of-house duty manager, and university lecturer. After publishing a short story collection and novel for adults, she fell in love with the brave girls in YA books, which inspired her to write her debut novel for teens, The Wren Hunt. She now lives on the west coast of Ireland with her husband and three young children.

www.marywatsonbooks.com
@stonemadonna

Editorial Reviews

In her atmospheric followup to The Wren Hunt, Watson blends magical lore and rituals with mystery born of family secrets. . . . Immersive.” —Booklist

“Reminiscent of Maggie Stiefvater's “Raven Cycle” . . . Watson brings a deep and visceral voice to old stories as well as an authentic and modern urban sensibility, making this a highly stylized read.” —School Library Journal on THE WREN HUNT

“Watson's core characters . . . enchant. . . Feels at once modern and folkloric.” —Publishers Weekly on THE WREN HUNT

“Lovely and haunting . . . [For] readers who loved the dark lore and lyrical language of Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood.” —Booklist on THE WREN HUNT

“Lush. . . [G]ood for fans of Maggie Stiefvater and Holly Black.” —Kirkus Reviews on THE WREN HUNT

“In this moody magical thriller, a girl with a secret identity and a talent that doubles as a curse has to outwit her enemies, survive her own damaging power, and follow her heart. For fans of . . . [t]he Shannara Chronicles.” —Buzzfeed on THE WREN HUNT

“Wren's a feisty but vulnerable hero . . . Readers who enjoy the mix of modernity and mythology of Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle will find that same blend here.” —BCCB on THE WREN HUNT

“[A] compelling take on druid mythology combined with a dash of family mystery.” —Foreword Reviews on THE WREN HUNT

“A great read for those who enjoy fantasy, romance, and a little bit of mystery.” —School Library Connection on THE WREN HUNT

“The Wren Hunt rings with ancient, subtle magic, masterfully transmuted into words. A tale that gets into your bones.” —Samantha Shannon, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE BONE SEASON, on THE WREN HUNT

From the Publisher

2019-08-22
An outsider encounters a secret magical war in this sequel to The Wren Hunt (2018).

Zara's family is unraveling following the unexplained (perhaps inexplicable) death of her older sister, Laila, in their new home, the Irish village of Kilshamble. Zara has few friends and soon earns enemies as she haphazardly attempts to solve her sister's mysterious last days and death. Brown-skinned Zara's isolated, not set apart from the mostly white residents because of her parents' South African background but because of her mundanity and humanity. Wading through grief and guilt, Zara stumbles on the secret war between the manipulative magic-wielding augurs and militant judges—feuding descendants of the semi-Druidic draoithe—and repeatedly crosses paths with neighbor David. Spurred on by his father and a "black-and-white vision of the world," white 18-year-old David simultaneously competes to succeed his disgraced brother, Oisín, as the judges' War Scythe and searches for a missing, potentially apocalypse-triggering, item. Swerving between Zara's grieving process and the erratically escalating draoithe guerilla war, the unevenly paced plot gets bogged down by extraneous details and side plots. Watson exhaustively explores the protagonists' current angst and agony but offers minimal backstories for the characters and vague and contradictory mythology for the draoithe. Zara's family is cued as being of Indian Muslim heritage.

A bleak and brooding contemporary fantasy that sells magic short. (glossary) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews