The Wren Hunt

by Mary Watson

NOMINATED FOR THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS TEEN/YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018

'Beautiful, eerie, dark and dreamy' MELINDA SALISBURY
'Watson’s writing has the sort of poise rarely found in a debut' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE
'Thrilling and otherworldly' SUNDAY TIMES

Every winter, Wren Silke is chased through the forest in a warped version of a childhood game. The boys who haunt her are judges, powerful and frightening pursuers, who know nothing of her true identity. If they knew she was an augur, their sworn enemy, the game would turn deadly.

But Wren is on the hunt, too. Sent undercover as an intern to the Harkness Foundation – enemy headquarters – her family's survival rests on finding a secret meant to stay hidden. As the enmity between two ancient magics reaches breaking point, Wren is torn between old loyalties and new lies. And trapped in the most dangerous game of her life.

Part thriller, part love story, this captivating debut novel will leave readers spellbound.

• ISBN10: 1408884933
• ISBN13: 9781408884935
• Publish Date: 8 February 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Imprint: Bloomsbury YA
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[nightingalereads]

This book is different from anything I've ever read before. I think if you like The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, you'll like this story. It's the type of story that doesn't make a lot of sense until you read it. A group of magic boys chase the protagonist, Wren, once a year in a deadly game on St. Stephen's Day, but they don't know that she belongs to the Augurs, an enemy class of magic users. Things get tense when Wren has to secretly infiltrate the boys' home to search for a magical artifact, and then finds herself unwillingly falling for one of them. Basically, think Raven Cycle and Romeo & Juliet, mixed with Irish mythology and history. I really enjoyed The Wren Hunt and will definitely be reading more of Mary Watson's work.

[bookishzelda]

The Wren Hunt has the creepily weird, draw you in quality. It was kind of that unexpected book that I turned out to love. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Especially all of the strange and unusual lore.

I really found the world of magic interesting in the story. There are three lines...the Judges, the Augurs and the Bards but it’s believed that the Bards are wiped out. Each sets of the these lines draw power from different things and utilize those powers in different ways. I actually found the Judges most interesting since they draw mostly from natures. The trees, plants and so forth. I also loved the old lore that is also woven in.

I really didn’t like Wren’s Augur family. I felt like they kept putting her in situations without giving her all the facts. They also all kind of seemed selfish to me but I don’t know maybe I was reading them wrong. They just kind of bothered me and I felt she could go live off in a cottage by herself and do her own thing. I guess that’s not really how being part of a Grove works. They kept secrets and when she would find out they would act like oh ya sorry about that. Just something that majorly impacts your life. They super bugged me.

I feel like about halfway through the book is when there is change. A change in Wren as well as the people around her and things start getting really weird. We finally start getting a better picture of Arabella and the traditions of both the Augurs and Judges. It’s really interesting to watch the story evolve the way it did. I definitely could not put it down.

So many great characters but of course I was most interested in Wren, Tarc and Cassa. Wren is kind of this person that doesn’t necessarily fit in perfectly anywhere. Kind of like a peg in a square hole. Whether it being that she has very different Augur powers from the rest or the fact that her mother is MIA and she doesn’t know about her father. I think of her kind of like a blowing seed trying to find a place to root.

So when she meets Tarc it seems like their chemistry as friends and more almost makes no sense and perfect sense. They are different sides of the coin but manage to find common ground. I loved seeing them together.

I also really liked her interactions with Cassa. As strange as they sometimes might be. Each time Wren spoke to her, you could tell that she is more observant and sharper than she might even get credit for. Of course she is the head of Harkness House. I just thought she was super interesting.

I truly loved The Wren Hunt and it caught me in it’s snare. Even though it left me in a good spot I still need more.

[jeannamichel]

Wow! This intricate story is one of my new favorites!

The Judges have been stealing Augurs’ land and taking it for their own, stealing their magic and making the sides unequal in nature’s balance. It is time for Augurs to fight back. Wren, an Augur who can foretell the future, goes undercover as an intern to find a hidden map that will lead her family to the magic they so need. Working for the Judges, Wren discovers more than maps and her loyalty starts to waver. The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson is an immersive novel with superb world building, fantastic writing, and a clever plot that won’t leave you for days afterwards.

Mary Watson brings major spooky vibes in her YA debut. The setting descriptions: a legendary cottage, dew laden forests, farmlands, and abandoned buildings all play a part in creating such a spooky atmosphere in The Wren Hunt. The intricacy of the imagery will sweep readers away into The Wren Hunt world. It is certainly perfect to read during the autumn months! Watson whisks you away to Ireland right in time for Stephen's Day. To be honest, I had to do some extra research on celebrations, like the wren hunt, and other Celtic traditions. Watson builds the foundation of her world assuming most readers will be familiar with these customs. Beyond that, the magical notes of the brewing war between the Augurs and the Judges begins to take shape. The differences between the Judges and the Augurs—this long estrangement builds within the story, almost to the point where the gap between them seems almost tangible. The world building was superb, giving readers layers of magical history.

The writing was melodic. Watson poetically tells Wren’s story. Its fast pacing is magnificently done.

The Wren Hunt has a large cast of characters. It was difficult to keep all of them straight especially two characters on the Augurs side—Simon and Scott. Their similar names always confused me. Yet, several of them stand out. Wren, of course, shines as the star. She’s quiet, thoughtful, and determined. She goes undercover for her family to return what they've lost, even when her family doesn’t even give her all the answers. She’s trusting, which is a bit frustrating at times but realistic. Wren is not the sort of character who knows it all—about her powers, the Judges, their history, and even her own history. So, in that way, we learn as she learns which is always the best way to develop a character as well as learn more about the world they live in. Tarc quickly becomes a favorite. He's curious and incredibly flirtatious. He is, by far, one of the most interesting characters with his mysterious background. Hopefully, in the upcoming companion novel, we shall hear more from him.

The ending held one of most clever and masterful reveals I've read in such a long time. The foreshadowing coupled with the incredible world building makes for an absolute must read. The Wren Hunt calls for an immediate reread to fully comprehend how Watson has woven such a fantastical book. This is one of my favorite books of the year!