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gonturans's review against another edition
4.0
Weird, wonderful, beautifully written. In conjunction with The Wren Hunt, it’s a great example of how what’s considered good and bad depends on the perspective of the narrator.
anerdybookbirdy's review against another edition
4.0
Mary Watson is a BIPOC author who moved from South Africa to Ireland. She has always loved stories and shortly after her move to Ireland she was inspired by the tradition of wrenboys which led to her writing The Wren Hunt. Wrenboys traditionally in Ireland on St Stephens Day (Boxing Day) would chase and hunt wren birds. This is an old tradition which is now much more humane.
Both The Wren Hunt and The Wickerlight are YA Fantasy books set in a world where Augurs and Judges don’t get along. Both books take place in the same area, however follow two different main characters; Wren and Zara. The Wren Hunt chronologically takes place first with The Wickerlight’s first chapter happening almost immediately after the ending of The Wren Hunt.
So one of the first things to draw me to these books was a fellow booktuber Ashleigh from AFrolickThroughFiction, after her recommendation I read the description of The Wren Hunt and thought “WOW”. The description had me asking questions and wanting more, not a lot of descriptions do that for me. Consider me intrigued.
I read The Wren Hunt very quickly once I started it, I wanted a book that wouldn’t take too long and I originally thought it was a standalone. I adored the writing and the world building that Mary Watson created and was so excited when I realised there was a second book (kinda). Although the second book stands on itself and the books could be read individually and in any order, I would recommend reading The Wren Hunt first, even just to see one characters personal development.
I don’t want this blog post to be too long as there is only so many ways I can hype these books and express my obsession. I hope that one day Mary Watson writes more books and stories within this world (if you’re reading this Mary, please I beg you to write more). I feel like the ways in which Mary Watson leaves the stories and the world there is potential for other stories to be told. Both Wren and Zara’s stories could be extended and that would make me a happy birdy. I adored the magic system and feel like this can be explored further. I also want more Tarc and David content because they’re cute af- if you don’t believe me read it. The romance within the two books is written so effectively and had me fidgeting and fangirling in anticipation.
Despite the books having incredible plot, writing, characters and a cute romance, the books are also absolutely stunning. They are both stunning in paperback and in hardcover and I one day hope to own the hardcovers also.
I want to keep this short, so yes I would recommend The Wren Hunt and The Wickerlight by Mary Watson and I hope these books receive a significant increase in hype soon as they are *chef kiss*.
Both The Wren Hunt and The Wickerlight are YA Fantasy books set in a world where Augurs and Judges don’t get along. Both books take place in the same area, however follow two different main characters; Wren and Zara. The Wren Hunt chronologically takes place first with The Wickerlight’s first chapter happening almost immediately after the ending of The Wren Hunt.
So one of the first things to draw me to these books was a fellow booktuber Ashleigh from AFrolickThroughFiction, after her recommendation I read the description of The Wren Hunt and thought “WOW”. The description had me asking questions and wanting more, not a lot of descriptions do that for me. Consider me intrigued.
I read The Wren Hunt very quickly once I started it, I wanted a book that wouldn’t take too long and I originally thought it was a standalone. I adored the writing and the world building that Mary Watson created and was so excited when I realised there was a second book (kinda). Although the second book stands on itself and the books could be read individually and in any order, I would recommend reading The Wren Hunt first, even just to see one characters personal development.
I don’t want this blog post to be too long as there is only so many ways I can hype these books and express my obsession. I hope that one day Mary Watson writes more books and stories within this world (if you’re reading this Mary, please I beg you to write more). I feel like the ways in which Mary Watson leaves the stories and the world there is potential for other stories to be told. Both Wren and Zara’s stories could be extended and that would make me a happy birdy. I adored the magic system and feel like this can be explored further. I also want more Tarc and David content because they’re cute af- if you don’t believe me read it. The romance within the two books is written so effectively and had me fidgeting and fangirling in anticipation.
Despite the books having incredible plot, writing, characters and a cute romance, the books are also absolutely stunning. They are both stunning in paperback and in hardcover and I one day hope to own the hardcovers also.
I want to keep this short, so yes I would recommend The Wren Hunt and The Wickerlight by Mary Watson and I hope these books receive a significant increase in hype soon as they are *chef kiss*.
deannaksmith's review against another edition
4.0
Let’s start this review with a little honesty: I only requested this ARC because I loved the cover and just assumed it would be something that I’d love. So image my delight and surprise to see that this was actually the second book in a series! And the first book is one that I had heard about but didn’t really want to read. I’m an adult though, so I bit the bullet, bought the first book and started reading. And guess what? More shock! More delight! Because I loved the first book. I couldn’t put it down and was so excited to be able to read the sequel right away.
See? Sometimes it’s good to judge a book by its cover.
Even though this is a series, each book focuses on a different pair of characters. I was originally a bit hesitant seeing who this book was about but the first chapters immediately erased any doubts I had because I was just once again drawn into this twisted and tangled story. I think that the thing I love most about these books is that they truly keep you guessing and second guessing everything you read and everyone’s motivations. I don’t think that there’s a character in here that’s fully good or evil, they all fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum and it’s absolutely fascinating to read. I mean yes, some fall farther on either side, but it just adds such a depth to the story and makes everything that much more angst filled.
The story itself is pretty dark, it takes off almost exactly where the first book left off and we’re back in the midst of the tensions that are rising between the judges and the augurs. I’m not sure how to talk about the actual plot without giving too much away from the first book but the general idea is that Zara is trying to find answers about her sisters death and ends up getting in the middle of this ancient battle between the two factions of magic users and the twists start from there.
The book is full of magic, and drama, and there’s just so many questions presented throughout the book. There’s power plays and romance and friendship and betrayals. And a whole lot of violence and dark stuff happening in this small Irish town. If you’re into dark and twisted stories that have all of that then definitely check this series out. It’s a surprise favourite and I’m hoping that there will be more books in the series.
See? Sometimes it’s good to judge a book by its cover.
Even though this is a series, each book focuses on a different pair of characters. I was originally a bit hesitant seeing who this book was about but the first chapters immediately erased any doubts I had because I was just once again drawn into this twisted and tangled story. I think that the thing I love most about these books is that they truly keep you guessing and second guessing everything you read and everyone’s motivations. I don’t think that there’s a character in here that’s fully good or evil, they all fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum and it’s absolutely fascinating to read. I mean yes, some fall farther on either side, but it just adds such a depth to the story and makes everything that much more angst filled.
The story itself is pretty dark, it takes off almost exactly where the first book left off and we’re back in the midst of the tensions that are rising between the judges and the augurs. I’m not sure how to talk about the actual plot without giving too much away from the first book but the general idea is that Zara is trying to find answers about her sisters death and ends up getting in the middle of this ancient battle between the two factions of magic users and the twists start from there.
The book is full of magic, and drama, and there’s just so many questions presented throughout the book. There’s power plays and romance and friendship and betrayals. And a whole lot of violence and dark stuff happening in this small Irish town. If you’re into dark and twisted stories that have all of that then definitely check this series out. It’s a surprise favourite and I’m hoping that there will be more books in the series.
deannaksmith's review against another edition
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Content Warnings for torture & violence*
Let’s start this review with a little honesty: I only requested this ARC because I loved the cover and just assumed it would be something that I’d love. So image my delight and surprise to see that this was actually the second book in a series! And the first book is one that I had heard about but didn’t really want to read. I’m an adult though, so I bit the bullet, bought the first book and started reading. And guess what? More shock! More delight! Because I loved the first book. I couldn’t put it down and was so excited to be able to read the sequel right away.
See? Sometimes it’s good to judge a book by its cover.
Even though this is a series, each book focuses on a different pair of characters. I was originally a bit hesitant seeing who this book was about but the first chapters immediately erased any doubts I had because I was just once again drawn into this twisted and tangled story. I think that the thing I love most about these books is that they truly keep you guessing and second guessing everything you read and everyone’s motivations. I don’t think that there’s a character in here that’s fully good or evil, they all fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum and it’s absolutely fascinating to read. I mean yes, some fall farther on either side, but it just adds such a depth to the story and makes everything that much more angst filled.
The story itself is pretty dark, it takes off almost exactly where the first book left off and we’re back in the midst of the tensions that are rising between the judges and the augurs. I’m not sure how to talk about the actual plot without giving too much away from the first book but the general idea is that Zara is trying to find answers about her sisters death and ends up getting in the middle of this ancient battle between the two factions of magic users and the twists start from there.
The book is full of magic, and drama, and there’s just so many questions presented throughout the book. There’s power plays and romance and friendship and betrayals. And a whole lot of violence and dark stuff happening in this small Irish town. If you’re into dark and twisted stories that have all of that then definitely check this series out. It’s a surprise favourite and I’m hoping that there will be more books in the series.
*Content Warnings for torture & violence*
Let’s start this review with a little honesty: I only requested this ARC because I loved the cover and just assumed it would be something that I’d love. So image my delight and surprise to see that this was actually the second book in a series! And the first book is one that I had heard about but didn’t really want to read. I’m an adult though, so I bit the bullet, bought the first book and started reading. And guess what? More shock! More delight! Because I loved the first book. I couldn’t put it down and was so excited to be able to read the sequel right away.
See? Sometimes it’s good to judge a book by its cover.
Even though this is a series, each book focuses on a different pair of characters. I was originally a bit hesitant seeing who this book was about but the first chapters immediately erased any doubts I had because I was just once again drawn into this twisted and tangled story. I think that the thing I love most about these books is that they truly keep you guessing and second guessing everything you read and everyone’s motivations. I don’t think that there’s a character in here that’s fully good or evil, they all fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum and it’s absolutely fascinating to read. I mean yes, some fall farther on either side, but it just adds such a depth to the story and makes everything that much more angst filled.
The story itself is pretty dark, it takes off almost exactly where the first book left off and we’re back in the midst of the tensions that are rising between the judges and the augurs. I’m not sure how to talk about the actual plot without giving too much away from the first book but the general idea is that Zara is trying to find answers about her sisters death and ends up getting in the middle of this ancient battle between the two factions of magic users and the twists start from there.
The book is full of magic, and drama, and there’s just so many questions presented throughout the book. There’s power plays and romance and friendship and betrayals. And a whole lot of violence and dark stuff happening in this small Irish town. If you’re into dark and twisted stories that have all of that then definitely check this series out. It’s a surprise favourite and I’m hoping that there will be more books in the series.
rhappe13's review against another edition
4.0
Another atmospheric and enchanting book by Mary Watson! I absolutely love the Irish folktales and culture in this book, and thank goodness for the glossary in the back so I can read the right pronunciations for some of the words. The setting, many of the characters, and the mood throughout the book are the same as The Wren Hunt. I only wish that I had read this right after The Wren Hunt to have some of that more fresh in my mind for The Wickerlight.
There's a lot of conflict and growth in this book, and I love that a lot of it stems from the characters wanting to create their own path and work through their past and their grief. It complemented the magical aspects of the book so nicely and helped ground it and make it more relatable. Seeing things from David's perspective was a real treat, and I also enjoyed Zara's POV as an outsider.
I'll definitely be adding this book to my collection and giving the duology a few rereads.
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
There's a lot of conflict and growth in this book, and I love that a lot of it stems from the characters wanting to create their own path and work through their past and their grief. It complemented the magical aspects of the book so nicely and helped ground it and make it more relatable. Seeing things from David's perspective was a real treat, and I also enjoyed Zara's POV as an outsider.
I'll definitely be adding this book to my collection and giving the duology a few rereads.
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
noraleest's review against another edition
5.0
the fact that this was written from the point of view of david makes me so insanely happy. It’s so interesting to see whats going on inside of him and why he makes certain choices.
The end of this book left me in tears, and everything was put together in such a beautiful way. I highly recommend this series to anyone and everyone. It’s amazing.
The end of this book left me in tears, and everything was put together in such a beautiful way. I highly recommend this series to anyone and everyone. It’s amazing.
aedinjane's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
roisin2002's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bethanyyoung86's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book and hope a third book is in the works. I feel there’s so much more to be told within the characters lives. I love how Mary weaves a story just as magically and mysteriously as the folklore , magic and mysteries in the plot itself are said to be.