In The Shadow of the Wolf Queen is the first installment of a new fantasy trilogy and it follows the fortunes of Ysolde, as she tries to find her sister, Hari, who was abducted by riders. Set in a beautiful world of forests and magic, where the trees speak their own language to those who have the gift of Listening, this book is a wonderful introduction to a new fantasy realm.

In some ways it reminded me of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, in others it was reminiscent of the Robin Hood fable. It is nicely paced, with an ending that leaves you eager for the next book in the series, however, I'm not sure I'll remember the story that well by the time book two is published. It is a well drawn fantasy novel and is perfect for the YA audience it is aimed at, but it didn't feel particularly memorable to me. Maybe I'll feel differently once I've read the whole series. I am looking forward to book two coming out in due course.

As with all of this author's work, the writing style is beautifully lyrical, almost poetic and she paints a vivid world with her carefully chosen words.The cover art is stunning and would look great face-out on a bookshelf. It is a fairly short book, one that I read over a couple of afternoons, sitting in the garden. As this novel is filled with earth magic, I felt it was fitting to read it in the garden, surrounded by trees, with the birds chirping and the bees humming alongside me. All in all, it is a very pleasant read and a lovely book to take on holiday with you, or to sprawl in a park or garden with. Happy summer reading!

Beautiful world-building with a solid story and plot; I enjoyed the story. It's very descriptive, which may put some children off. If this was for adults, I'd argue it would count as grimdark. The magic is rich and different, the setting is harsh, but ultimately it's the people who are the bigger threat. Ysolda's sister gets kidnapped, so she goes on a mission to save her and gets tangled up in a story far more complicated than she could have guessed. I enjoyed the collection of characters and hope to see them again.

Well, I found this slightly slow to begin with and then the story and characters just flowed beautifully and I found myself annoyed I'd got to end so soon. What a fantastic start to the series, I can't wait for the next installment.

Oh gosh, this is the start of something truly wonderful. You’ve got an incredible bunch of characters; a world filled with lore and Earth magic; the truth of the power of nature and a whole rollercoaster of emotion. There were bits in this that made me want to stop and just revel in their beauty: Kiran is truly a masterful storyteller.

Exquisitely written fast-paced fantasy adventure with nuanced characters, intricate and vivid world-building and what I can only describe as what feels like a living pulse beneath it all. Sometimes it's hard to explain what makes a story leap off the page, feel as though it's alive and pull you along. Sometimes I wonder whether books like that are still being published (whether writers are given enough time these days to craft such a beautiful, difficult thing). Once again Kiran Millwood Hargrave has restored my faith in fiction to do just that. Her prose is poised and poetic but never draws attention from the action or the scene. Her characters are complex, fallible and intriguing. This is a stunning fantasy adventure and I can't wait for the next in the series.

Exquisite world building & powerful, convincing characters dominate an absorbing adventure filled with magic and mythology. A strong sense of the natural world adds an extra dimension to this rich tale. Good as a challenging genre read for middle grade readers 10+

It is as beautifully written as all of the author's other books. It is a story about a young girl's quest to save her older sister after an earthquake. The author uses rich imageries to create a magical world for the readers.

what a wonderful book! I read it in one sitting, so it is very manageable for a younger reader. Full of magic and excitement, something new happens in every chapter. The characters are very relatable, even the bad guys have redeeming softer sides. Totally recommended!