Quick Thoughts: The Wickerlight (The Wren Hunt #2) by Mary Watson

 

The Wickerlight

(The Wren Hunt #2)

by Mary Watson

May 30, 2019

Goodreads Summary:

It's been two months since Laila was found lifeless on Kilshamble village green, not a mark on her. Rumour says she died of an overdose. Or maybe it was suicide? The autopsy found nothing, but somebody must know what happened.

Now Laila's sister Zara is ready to pick up the trail. But retracing her sister's footsteps takes her to David, a Judge at the dangerous heart of an ancient magical feud. All too unwittingly, she begins to tread the same path that led her sister to the village green .

Mary Watson's sequel to The Wren Hunt is an eerie, magical thriller about a dead girl, her sister and the boy who can unlock the truth of what happened the night she died. Perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge and Emily Bain Murphy's The Disappearances.

Review

The Wickerlight was powerful but the story didn't flow as smoothly as The Wren Hunt did. Some parts felt slow and abrupt. But I liked both main characters and appreciate how they dealt with their inner turmoil.

What I Liked:

- the eerily atmospheric writing

- unpredictable characters

- grateful for the insight into David's mind

- Zara's persistence in finding out what exactly happened to her sister

- following the clues Zara's sister left for her

- like called to like: Zara and David were both tortured souls

- watching the power struggle play out

- seeing Mauve and Sibéal under a different light- they were all kinds of evil in this book

The Not So Much:

- I need more insight into Wren's transformation

- it's not their story, I know, but give me more Wren and Tarc moments!

- a bit of a weak ending

"Sometimes we have to break things to find release." (p. 389)

"Rather, our attachment feels grounded in how we've both discovered ourselves in ways we hadn't before." (p. 394)