The Wild Hunt Published by Tin House Books by Emma Seckel
on August 2, 2022
Genres: Adult, European Literature, Scottish, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Historical
Source: Netgalley
Format: ARC, eBook
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Goodreads
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ISBN: 1953534228
The islanders have only three rules: don’t stick your nose where it’s not wanted, don’t mention the war, and never let your guard down during October.
Leigh Welles has not set foot in on the island in years, but when she finds herself called home from a disappointing life on the Scottish mainland by her father’s unexpected death, she is determined to forget the sorrows of the past—her mother’s abandonment, her brother’s icy distance, the unspeakable tragedy of World War II—and start fresh. Fellow islander Iain MacTavish, a RAF veteran with his eyes on the sky and his head in the past is also in desperate need of a new beginning. A young widower, Iain struggles to return to the normal life he knew before the war.
But this October is anything but normal. This October, the sluagh are restless. The ominous, bird-like creatures of Celtic legend—whispered to carry the souls of the dead—have haunted the islanders for decades, but in the war’s wake, there are more wandering souls and more slaugh. When a local boy disappears, Leigh and Iain are thrown together to investigate the truth at the island’s dark heart and reveal hidden secrets of their own.
Rich with historical detail and a skillful speculative edge, Emma Seckel’s propulsive and pulse-pounding debut The Wild Hunt unwinds long-held tales of love, loss, and redemption.
This book will probably stay with me, in my thoughts, for quite some time. It’s haunting, dark, but also extremely hopeful.
When Leigh Welles has to come back to her island home after her father dies she has to face an island that has been taken over by the sluagh–crows that may or may not be embodied spirits.
Set off the coast of Scotland, right after WWII, this island is haunted–not just by the sluagh–but by the ghosts of WWII. The islanders haven’t been able to move on after several of their men–boys have died. And those that did come back? They’re haunted by what they’ve seen.
The sluagh are taking over the island. They randomly attack people, they take over houses and barns, and the islanders are not sure how to stop them. They’ve just been getting worse over time.
And then a boy goes missing after attacking the sluagh.
Leigh and fellow-islander, Iain, do what they can to find him.
Again, this book is haunting. And the message behind it wasn’t clear until the end. Throughout the book, the author painted such a picture that it felt cinematic in its presentation.
I am so glad to have read this and been immersed in it. Part horror-part suspense, the island setting and fascinating characters had me hooked from the first page.
About Emma Seckel
Emma Seckel is an award-winning writer and photographer. She spent four windswept years nestled in a small town on the east coast of Scotland while studying at the University of St Andrews, from which she graduated in 2017 with both her Master of Arts (Honours) in English, and an enduring vendetta against seagulls. When not writing, taking photos, or scrolling Instagram, Emma can usually be found knitting increasingly elaborate sweaters for her friends and family. She currently lives in Vancouver, Canada.
