Orla and her brother go to stay with their gran in Ireland. Grieving the death of their mum, the children revel in the comfort of their grandmother’s house and her magical storytelling. But soon after they arrive, Gran vanishes. Helped by a local boy – and a peculiar creature found in the garden shed – they set out to find her. Shadowed by a shape-shifting darkness known as the Wild Hunt, the children – and especially Orla – must put their sadness behind them if they’re to rescue their beloved Gran.
I'm probably biased, but I've always felt that Ireland has one of the richest mythologies around. For such a tiny island, we have an astonishing variety of creatures and beings. Anna clearly feels the same way, as she has reimagined many of our magical beings into new shapes for this fantastic story.
Beyond the magical fantasy parts, which are amazing, there's also a wonderful story about grief and how it can make you act. Orla is a wonderful representation, and watching her slowly begin her recovery is very satisfying. Her found family is fantastic, quite literally in most cases, and I'm hoping there'll be more stories after this one - I'd love to see more adventures, and there's plenty more Irish myths that could be mined and rewritten.
It takes a certain level of skill to wrap real life issues in mystical adventures this smoothly, and I really enjoyed reading it. I think it's going to do really well.
Orla and the Wild Hunt publishes on the 7th of July, 2022. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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