The Wren Hunt

Set in present-day Ireland, this YA debut from South African thriller writer Watson (The Cutting Room) tells the tale of two warring clans of druidic descendants: the augurs, who have a preternatural affinity for patterns, and the judges, who have a magical connection to nature. Both groups draw their power from sacred objects, called nemeta, most of which are now controlled by judges. Without access to nemeta, the augurs will become extinct, so 17-year-old Wren Silke goes undercover as an intern at Harkness House, the charity run by chief judge Calista Harkness, hoping to glean tactical information. Although Wren’s augur abilities allow her to see the future, she fails to predict Calista’s intense scrutiny—or the attraction she feels for Calista’s bodyguard, Tarquin Gallagher. Despite a contrived setup and an overly complex mythology, Watson’s core characters still enchant. Calista is a nuanced, sympathetic antagonist; Wren’s struggles between love and duty, fate and free will are transfixing; and Wren and Tarquin’s forbidden romance feels at once modern and folkloric. Ages 14–up. [em](Nov.) [/em]