The wild huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones

As a fan of The bone houses and The Drowned woods I was thrilled to read another gripping fantasy by Emily Lloyd-Jones. Three young people join to take part in a Wild Hunt, organised by the Otherking, the immortal ruler of Annwvyn and the mortal king of Dyfed. Each have their reasons for pursuing the magical wish granted by the Otherking. Branwen, who can see and destroy magical monsters, needs a cure for her mother’s memory loss. Gwydion is a prince who wants his sister to inherit the kingdom rather than his violent brother. Pryderi the king of Dyfed’s son, who was kidnapped and raised by a monster, wants to know where he belongs. Gwydian employs Branwen, the huntress, to help him in the Wild Hunt, and uses his cunning to gain entrance to the event. There they meet up with Pryderi and all three, along with Branwen’s magical cat Palug, are faced with the challenge of outwitting the other contestants and staying alive. But only one contestant can win the prize. Who will it be?

Told in alternating voices, the reader understands the motivation and deep-set desires of the three main characters as their backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses are brought to light. Each is engaging and it is easy to relate to their reasons for wanting to win the prize of the Wild Hunt. Combined with the emotions surrounding the trio comes the thrill of the chase as each brings different skills to unpack the clues and win the magic boon. Lloyd-Jones increases the suspense when three witches give enigmatic prophesies about the trio, and the reader knows that there are dire times ahead for the partners.

This is a wonderful fantasy told with charm and occasional flashes of humour. Readers who haven’t read the Welsh-inspired The bone houses and The Drowned woods are likely to enjoy them and could also try The amber owl by Juliet Marillier and The Raven scholar by Antonia Hodgson.

Themes: Fantasy, Wild hunts, Fae, Magic, Competitions.

Pat Pledger