Hunters of the Lost City

by Kali Wallace

Years ago, powerful sorcerers waged a terrible war, unleashing strange monsters and a deadly plague that swept over the land. Now the people of Vittoria never leave the safety of their high walls except to hunt and scavenge nearby. Venturing farther is strictly forbidden by the town council, and no one has ever survived an attempt-including Octavia's sister, Hana. But one day, the impossible happens: Octavia is stuck outside the walls at nighttime, and she meets a stranger. Everything Octavia thought she knew is called into question, and so she embarks on an epic quest to uncover the truth of her town, the rest of the world, and her own family. Packed with twists, frightening monsters, and timely themes, this is a page-turning fantasy adventure by the critically acclaimed Kali Wallace.

• ISBN10: 1683692896
• ISBN13: 9781683692898
• Publish Date: 26 April 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quirk Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781683692898

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Hunters of the Lost City is a superbly written middle grade chapter fantasy by Kali Wallace. Released 26th April 2022 by Quirk Books, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

The writing is immersive and descriptive. Although it's essentially a coming of age quest fantasy, there are a lot of deeper currents: found family, loyalty, choosing a life path, expectations, loss, and xenophobia which will resonate with middle grade readers. The storytelling isn't derivative at all, but the story will likely appeal to fans of Holly Black and Catherynne M. Valente.

This is not a shy and fluffy tale. Danger, death, and scary monsters lurk. The writing is intentionally direct and might be a trifle overwrought for adult readers in places.

Four stars. This would be a good choice for public library acquisition and home library. It might be a bit scary and too easy to challenge, given the current political climate for banning books in the USA, for inclusion in school library collections. Definitely one for the fans of middle grade fantasy, and this one has a refreshingly adept and courageous/stubborn protagonist.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.