The Wren Hunt is exactly the type of urban fantasy that floats my boat. The magic is so, so real in this book, I feel like it should be a true story rather than a work of fiction. This is down to the lyrical, beautiful word-smithery of author Mary Watson. She weaves a world that I couldn't help but fall into, utterly and completely, devouring every word until I reached the end and dropped back into my reality, starving and gasping for more.

The Wren Hunt is a unique take on an old Irish myth. It is filled with magic and beautiful prose. No similar books come to mind as this one is a special breed of it's own. The Wren Hunt is sure to please all readers alike. I can see this being a huge 2018 hit. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy a magical experience.

This book had so much promise, but it just didn't quite deliver for me. It tells the story of Wren, a young girl who lives in Kilshamble, Ireland and who is caught up in the ongoing battle between Augurs and Judges. There is an awful lot of folklore included in the narrative, which is fine, but I felt that sometimes, it overshadowed the plot. There were times when the prose just seemed a bit confused or muddled and it became a little bit choppy in places. I also had a bit of an issue with the characters and specifically, the choices and behaviours they employed. There were times when I felt that things were being done solely to service the plot and not because the character would genuinely have behaved like that in the circumstances. With that being said, I did find the plot compelling and read avidly to the climax, but was left feeling ultimately unsatisfied.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was completely drawn in by the concept of this book, and I'm so glad that I picked it up.

I enjoyed the magic within the book, and that there were two opposing sides of 'magic users' who were somehow different yet slightly the same. Almost with a Romeo and Juliet feel to it, but without too much of an intense romantic overtone. The story is really interesting, with lots of twists and turns to keep you hooked along the way, and many of them I didn't see coming and was genuinely surprised to learn! I really like Wren as a character, she felt real and three-dimensional, and her inner turmoil (so to say) really kept her real and helped keep the book interesting.

There were a couple of small things that I wish were more fleshed out though. I wish Watson had delved more into why the Wren Hunt happens, it is introduced at the start of the book as a huge thing that happens to Wren every year but it's never fully explained as to why her, why it happens and what the actual point is. At this point in the story Wren is anonymous to the Judges but yet she gets chased every year in their ritual. Also, I wish it'd been more explained as to how the Judges and Augers magic was different, and why they were such fierce enemies, it's alluded to but never really explored. If this world-building had been more in-depth then it would have been a really great read!

Overall, I really did enjoy 'The Wren Hunt' I just wish there had been more world-building and explanation behind parts of the story.

Oh wow. This was just not what I expected at all. And it is amazing. Fully deserving of the 4.5 stars I’m giving it.
It’s a relatively slow book, but in a good way, as you learn things along with Wren and are never sure who’s lying and manipulating or what the truth is. The story behind the judges and the augurs takes a while to take shape, but that is amazing too. The only thing I didn’t really get was the wren hunt tradition and why theirs was different, but it does an excellent job of setting up the boys characters. And sets up the atmosphere of the whole book nicely too.
Wren is both a great main character and a frustrating one, as she is often in the dark! She is pretty level headed and confused which is nice to see in a MC. I also loved Cassia, I don’t even really know why as we don’t get to see a huge amount of her, but I just do! Less convinced by Tarc, like we don’t really know enough about him and why he’s different to the others.
I also loved the magic in this book. I love when there’s different takes on magic or people having specific powers. I wanted to learn more about how it worked for the judges though! And more about the power sources and how that all works too.
I did also get a little confused by the setting as I imagined a typical fantasy setting and it’s much more modern. The inclusion of the Tesco threw me lol! But actually I really love that too.
And the finally, the ending. I don’t think I could have told you that was how it would work out at all. This book is just SO well done. It’s beautifully written, and well crafted in that all the little pieces suddenly fit perfectly together by the time you get to the end.
This appears to be a stand alone (at the moment, at least) but I am desperate to know what happens next! It is tied up nicely but with plenty of opening for more ;)

Every Christmas, Wren is chased through the woods by her family's enemies—the Judges—and there’s nothing that she can do to stop it. Once  the Augurs controlled a powerful magic. But now that power lies with the Judges, who are set on destroying her kind for good. In a  bid to save her family, Wren takes a dangerous undercover assignment—as an intern to an influential Judge named Cassa Harkness. Cassa has spent her life researching a transformative spell, which could bring the war between the factions to its absolute end. Caught in a web of deceit, Wren must decide whether or not to gamble on the spell and seal the Augurs’ fate.


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The Wren Hunt
Mary Watson

We're thrown straight into this book as we follow Wren as she's literally hunted by a group of boys on St Stephens day. This is supposed to be symbolic as the judges will 'hunt' the augurs, but I still don't really understand how a group of boys could hunt a girl every year? Surely the parents would say something, or the people in the small town who most likely all know each other? I get that it ties into the druid's Wren bird, and it's about Wren day and etc but it doesn't seem plausible that it could be a yearly occurrence in our time.

It's set in Ireland which means there's Nemetons and druids and lots of local based folklore and myth. This is something I live for, as I love the small local myths from Ireland, Wales and Scotland (as they also feel a lot more close to home). Even though there's very minimal 'magic' within this book, it is an extremely magical read. 

My main issue was that in general the pacing of the book was slow. It was beautifully written but it just never created that tension and drive to read on to the finale of the book. We spent a lot of time learning about the different aspects of being an augur and about Wren and extended family, but there's very little action within the plot. 

Our narrator, Wren, is found to be quite unreliable as she doesn't fully understand everything that is being planned around her. She only really knows what she's been directly told or what she's picked up along the way. This meant that the plot twist was made even better, because as a reader you don't quite see it coming. 

POSITIVES
+ Set in Ireland & Irish myth/folklore

+ Plot twist

NEGATIVES
– Slow pacing

– Significance of the titular 'Wren Hunt'

I received The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson from the publisher via Netgalley. This is an unbiased and honest review

This is an unusual YA story, with its roots in the ancient myths of Ireland. More magical realism than outright fantasy the world is recognisable as our own but with subtle differences - the power of the druids still exists in a watered down version, with an eternal power struggle played out between two rival factions, 'judges' and 'augurs'. Our heroine Wren, born into an augur family, finds herself conflicted and confused after being sent into the midst of the judges to spy, which is more or less where we pick up.

The book was a slow burner for me, I wasn't really drawn in until somewhere around the 20% mark but the pace picks up quite quickly from that point and I've struggled to put it down for the last day! I enjoyed the story, and there was a palpable sense of dread and things being slightly...off throughout the book, which draws you in.

However, the slow beginning coupled with a lack of world building knocks a couple of stars off the overall rating. Although the book is set in the real world so to speak, the magical system doesn't feel fully fleshed out - if I was to try to explain it to someone I would struggle beyond "um druids, and something about nature?"

A solid debut though, and if it turns into a series (it has a proper ending but there's definitely more to be said!) I would be compelled to read the next book. I would just hope that the world building would be expanded on.

The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson is an incredibly unique novel that I couldn't put down. The book felt very much like magical realism, and I was swept away by the verbose descriptions of the Hunt, the atmosphere and the novel itself.

I loved all the characters in this novel. They were all highly complex, with many layers to them. No one was as they seem, and are all connected by the Wren Hunt.

The romance was quite adorable and one I didn't see coming. I won't say who Wren gets with because it might be considered a spoiler, but it was definitely sweet.

The plot was intriguing, and the tone of the novel strange - but in a good way. It felt historical at times, but then we'd be reminded it's modern. Then it was very magical realism, but had strong feels of high fantasy peppered throughout. It wasn't confusing, but occasionally it did feel like a bit much, but for the most part I enjoyed it. In the end, everything fits together in a very clever, lovely way.

The Wren Hunt is a gorgeously creepy novel that will stay with me for a long time. I may even reread it soon!

This book wasn't for me, I tried to like it but I found it too difficult to really appreciate the world the author had created. I wish the author every success however and the cover design is stunning. Two stars for the cover design!

The Wren Hunt had some highs and lows. It opens up with an explosive scene of terror with Wren, our heroine, running in the woods from a pack of boys. Prior to reading this book, I had no knowledge of the wren hunt in the UK so I just didn't get it at first. 

The saving grace for me was the fact that it was dark, brutal and terrifying setup. Wren is used to this chase which should be childish but has become something quite sinister year after year. She would rather be the 'wren' rather than her foster sisters and this immediately says a lot about her character. That she would rather suffer than let her family suffer and I respected her for that.

However as the chase escalates, I couldn't help but feel that this had some sexual harassment undertones. Wren has known these young guys since she was little, and their delight in chasing her is cruel. She willingly participates in this even though she hates it. There's a confrontation between her and her biggest tormentor, David, and it becomes extremely uncomfortable. He takes a snip of her hair against her will which screams violation. Her relationship with David pops up along the rest of the story and it does undergo a change to demonstrate David's not all bad. But for me, that's not okay. He gets a kick out of tormenting and essentially violating her sense of space.

Once that intense opening scene is done, we're thrust into Wren's home life which is a mix of normal family stuff (breakfast, chores) and then her Augur life of magical rituals, etc. Watson does a brilliant job of creating a dark and creepy atmosphere that's intoxicating. So it's a bit of  shock when it suddenly switches gear to show Wren in her normal teenage life and scoring an internship with Cassa Harkness. I didn't find it too believable and wanted more witchy stuff.

If you like modern witchcraft with some teen angst, then this book might be for you. I have to say that it wasn't entirely for me but I'm curious to see if the sequel will improve my feelings on it

Overall this book did capture me into a world of darkness, magic, and treachery. Unfortunately, something about the execution of this debut was mildly off-putting to me.

There is something about urban, modern fantasies that I find difficult. The ability to inject a true sense of magic and fantasy into a modern, coffee- and bus-filled setting is not the easiest task. And sometimes Watson found the key to this, and sometimes it just wasn't quite working for me.

The Wren Hunt occurs between several different settings - the small village in which the magic is well and truly present, alive with rituals and old tales; the travel through the city, full of buses, cell phones, and typical modern coffee shops; and then Harkness House, where the magical and the modern converge in this old-fashioned art foundation setting.

I enjoyed and appreciated the contrast between the settings, however, at times it threw off the fluid story-telling and felt a little out-of-place and disjointed. In a modern world in which there was a secret magical conflict occurring, it seemed odd to suddenly be on a bus after finishing a magic ritual in the woods. The writing style was sometimes too jarring between these scenes to be comfortable.


Almost every character in this book has this big, dark cloud of mystery hanging just above their fictional heads. This is something that did draw me into the story.

I adored Maeve and her motherly instincts and even Smith with his gruff grandfatherly protectiveness. The entire auger clan were very homey and exactly what you expect from people in a village that practice rituals.

The judges are not all as sinister as you would expect them to be. There is a crispness and an authoritarian vibe across all the judge characters, even Tarc who quickly becomes a part of the very typical Romeo & Juliet trope. Which, by the way, I didn't mind. I appreciated the romance, but it wasn't something I was sobbing over.

But across all the characters there was always something not quite comfortable, which made it difficult to really appreciate the characters in an intimate way.


There is a gorgeous creepy, unsettling darkness across this entire book which I adored. If anything, this book has some seriously great atmosphere. But overall, it was just a little too slow and incohesive for me to truly love.

So, I started this book being a bit hesitant. While I love fantasy and YA books, the description seemed different, and intrigueing, but I still wasn't sure if it was going to fit my expectations. Which turned out to be entirely true. I can't say I have ever read anything like The Wren Hunt. It starts with a chase and it sucks you into the story, which is something I loved, because it grips your attention. I really liked the story and I recommend it to everyone that wants to read something that is different from all the other fantasy and YA books on the market right now.

ARC provided free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I did enjoy the concept of the overall story arc but found myself confused at certain points having to reread what I had just read to make sense of it. I also found it took me awhile to get through because I didn't feel connected to the characters or the story.
However, I can see this book becoming popular upon release as it is well-written and is definitely for the Young Adult market.
Thank you for the eARC

The hunt for the wren is a traditional Irish event, taking place in late December, which is thought to symbolise the sacrifice of the old year in readiness to welcome in the new.
In this novel, an assured debut, we focus on the fight for survival of two ancient groups - augurs and judges - and the young girl born of both groups who is to decide their fate.
Initially, I have to say this was a puzzling start. I was not sure who Wren was, how she was connected to events or even what kind of book this was. However, the writing style totally drew me in and I felt that we learned of some of the key events through the eyes of our main character which allowed us to truly empathise with her.
The story drew heavily on folklore and the fantasy elements of this entranced me. The development of our main character will surely be enough to captivate most people and I was more than a little surprised by the themes and ideas that ran through this.
Though I have read that there is a second book due - and it should provide us with a satisfying link to what we see here - this is one of those rare books that you would not feel hard-done by if it remained a stand-alone. It’s also a story that I think would be one I could read again and still delight in.
A huge thank you to the publishers Bloomsbury, the author Mary Watson and a NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this prior to publication.

It took me a little longer to get into this book than it should have really, set in Ireland it’s full of words I hadn’t known which I guess made the pace I read it at a little slower. By the end however, there are so many twists that it had me gripped. I really loved the character of Tarc, and Wren became more interesting as the story itself unfolded.

One thing to mention is, although this is primarily a YA fantasy book, there’s definitely a strong romantic element to the story. In a Romeo and Juliet way though the romance is staged as a forbidden love which does make it a lot more intriguing. Wren is an ‘Augur’ whilst Tarc is a ‘Judge’ and although they are meant to be enemies Wren can’t help but feel an attraction to him from the start.

The story itself starts off with a chase, followed by a lot of questions. “Why is she being chased, who are these boys?” etc. Watson doesn’t give too much away quickly – instead adding to the questions you’ll have throughout. There are some huge twists to the story starting from around halfway through, and the story becomes more unique as it goes on. I loved this book by the ending and getting my questions answered throughout definitely helped me like this book much more.

I’d also definitely be interested in reading a follow up – though I felt it did end in a neat and tidy way I would like to see what’s next for Wren’s future!

If, like me, you’re a fan of magic and fantasy then this is a must read book for 2018.

Where to even begin with this book? Let's start with Wren, our main character. Wren was an interesting one for me. In many ways she's quite a 'weak' character, often doing what she's told and being manipulated and used on all sides. Normally that's something I can't stand in a character, it just annoys me, but something about the way that Wren is written means her weakness never feels like a character flaw. She's being used but she's also a force to be reckoned with. I just found her delightful to read, perhaps delightful is the wrong word, she was intriguing to me.

The magic in this book is also (this is an intended bit of wordplay) enchanting. The idea of 'magic' (it's more like fortune telling) being tied to patterns was so unique and clever, to then turn that idea on its head and have a character whose ability comes from an absence of pattern? It's just ingenious, and it reads as though it makes perfect sense. This is simply the way the world is for Wren and so the reader accepts it as well.

What made me absolutely love this book were the small details that help make the world so rich. From the spider carved on the doorframe of Wren's home to the diary entries that begin each chapter everything is incredibly well thought out.

Speaking of things that were well thought out - the plot. If you asked me three chapters in where I thought this book was going to go I would have predicted something totally different. There are elements of a spy novel, parts of a high fantasy novel and some other elements I couldn't even begin to place. That's not to say that this novel is confused, again, everything is perfectly thought out, it all fits together into a beautifully tragic story that had me hooked until the last page.

Should you read this? If you like a novel with magic running at its core and an unexpectedly beautiful plot then you should definitely read this. It's absolutely gorgeous and I may have to read it again immediately.

My Rating: 5/5 stars

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Wren Hunt is out on February 8th!

The Wren Hunt si è rivelato uno strano miscuglio; da una parte elementi tipici di uno YA (un amore improvviso e contrastato, un accenno di triangolo), dall'altra un'ambientazione particolare: forme ancestrali di magia si mantengono nell'Irlanda dei nostri giorni, nutrite e nascoste ai più da clan rivali, gli Auguri e i Giudici, in lotta da secoli.
Complesso, affascinante, coerente il sistema di mitologia che fornisce carne e sangue alla vicenda, mentre proprio la protagonista, Wren , e il suo interesse amoroso risultano desolatamente stereotipati.
Senza infamia, ma senza particolare lode anche lo stile, che tenta un qualche lirismo ma senza troppo successo.
Una lettura che fa passare il tempo, ma poco di più.

Thoroughly enjoyed the story that this author creates within Ireland. It's different and I am essentially waiting patiently to read the sequel - if there is one!

I had no idea what my reading was going to be like, and I must say that even after I finish, I still have many questions.

The book begins in our contemporary Ireland, for centuries the Augurs and Judges have been in war, with the destruction of places of worship, harassment and others. The Augurs are in a bad position, but Wren our heroine is going to infiltrate the Judges in order to save her people from extinction. I think what I liked the most in this book is the nuance. Through the point of view of Wren we discover the folklore of the Augurs and we will discover at the same time the Judges' one. There is a similarity between the two, ​​they share values and the beginning of the conflict between the them remains unclear, so, there is a constant doubt about the villain, this gray area is at the heart of many things.

Wren was abandoned by her parents, raised by her grandfather, she asks herself a lot of questions about her family and what her mother was like. She is not the most brave heroine, she is forced by her family to take a position in the enemy house, but we feel that she is not cut for the role. Nevertheless, she will do what she is asked, and it will cost her. She is not like the majority of the YA heroines and that's one aspect of her character that I liked a lot. It is so refreshing.

If you are looking for a book with a lot of action, I do not think this book will be for you. It's a book that will ask questions about identity, the good, the bad, and that gray zone between. It is also a novel with an Irish spellbinding folklore which brings magic to the novel. The pen of the author is also beautiful and with the ending, I am curious to discover more in 2019 with the release of the sequel.

This just wasn't for me, I'm afraid. Loved the concept of Augurs vs Judges and the Irish fantasy edge, but I struggled to connect with the characters, and couldn't manage to care very much about what was happening - which meant it was a bit of a slog to get through. It's not badly written in any sense, and I can see it being very popular, but it just did not click with me at all. I spent most of my reading time itching to get to the end so I could move onto something else.

Too late, I've only just noticed that this is being marketed as 'For fans of The Raven Cycle' which explains a lot - I wasn't a fan of the The Raven Boys either. But if you like that series, you'll probably like this too.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for the arc.