The Wickerlight

by Mary Watson

[jeannamichel]

Mary Watson hits it out of the park again with this companion to The Wren Hunt. I just hope she'll give us another installment; I want to stay in this world forever!

Zara knows that despite her sister’s death being ruled an overdose, it was just too suspicious to accept it as such. Zara retraces her sister’s steps and finds herself caught between two worlds. David, the next door neighbor, is determined to keep her out of this but he’s also got his own stuff to deal with like his father’s expectations to uphold, finding a lost ceremonial piece, and helping his brother out. Yet Zara unknowingly unleashes a power that could change everything. The Wickerlight is the companion novel to Mary Watson’s The Wren Hunt; it captured readers with her world building, witty characters, and atmospheric setting.

The Wickerlight follows David and Zara. It alternates their perspectives between chapters which is at first jarring since I wasn’t expecting two narratives. However, their narratives are very different though it took a while for them to overlap.

I recommend reading The Wren Hunt before reading The Wickerlight. Wren makes a few appearances in this one as this companion novel takes place during the events of The Wren Hunt.

Readers met David in The Wren Hunt. I had so many questions about him so I'm glad Mary Watson developed his character more in this one. He wasn’t what I expected. I thought he was rather rude, blunt and sort of a bully in The Wren Hunt but knew that there was more to his story than what we initially received. David cares so much for his brother. Their relationship seems so fragile but there’s a strong bond underneath that will make your heart melt. His ambition and his willingness to do whatever it takes for his family is commendable but does put him in some precarious situations.

Just like The Wren Hunt, Watson brings her incredible writing expertise to the table. She whisks readers away to an atmospheric novel with magic, dark settings and unfolding mysteries. Watson creates such a realistic world with her elaborate descriptions. Her characters felt so real, developed so delicately. Family plays a big part in her characters. Their dynamic, all different yet so relatable, made these people as real as you and me.

Zara, still grieving from her sister’s death, knows that Laila, her sister, did not die from an overdose. She tries to understand her and becomes tangled in an unbelievable world she never knew existed. She’s strong and relentless. It was easy to connect with Zara as she was learning about this magic system while readers are also learning more about it.

As we learned in the previous book, there are two sides that always seem to be at war with one another, the Judges and the Augurs. Zara, a newcomer, stumbles upon this knowledge when discovering more about what happened to her sister. It’s part fantastical and part mystery. Readers are swept up in the clues that Watson reveals, guessing what truly happened. The twists and turns happen at the best places, immersing readers further into the story.

The ending was everything I could hope for and more. The only problem was that it ended. I hope another installment in underway. There are so many questions that could be answered and other paths to follow.

The Wickerlight was a glorious companion to The Wren Hunt. It was atmospheric and magical, a novel that will have you on the edge of your seat.