A haunting debut from Emma Seckel filled with Scottish folklore and the weight of grief and loss that one tiny island cannot recover from. "Haunting' will be a word that forever describes this book. However, there is a beauty to Emma's writing that transports you from the distant memories of the main characters - Leigh and Iain - back to the present with lyrical prose.

I would not say that there is any horror to this, but the 'sluagh' are definitely otherworldly, mostly unnerving. They are crows that only come to the island once a year in October and are said to be the souls of the dead. However, their behavior has grown more persistent, more vicious, since the island lost many a young man to World War II. The war itself is like a secondary character that only Leigh and Iain can manage to talk about while no one else can, it is too painful for everyone, the loss too great. The attachment of the islanders to their home and the resistance to change weave into the fabric of fantastical elements and traditions they hold ending in a startling finale.

This atmospheric novel starts off slow, but will grab you and hold you all the way to the end.

This book was a relief. What I mean by that is, before reading it, I had gone through book after book that didn't make me feel much at all. There was a disconnect between me and what I was reading that made me wonder if I was ever going to thoroughly enjoy a book again. And I did, it was this one. 'The Wild Hunt' is a book about loss, about forgiveness, especially when it comes to forgiving one's own self. That's always the trickiest one, isn't it? Letting go of the things beyond our control, things we couldn't possibly understand, and letting ourselves live without the guilt of the world crumbling down on top of us.

Perhaps the best part about this book is, the dog lives. That needs to be stated should anyone have any fears. The dog lives, our protagonist lives, and it's an ending that brings forth as much closure as anyone could ever desire.

I wanted to love the Wild Hunt, but I didn't quite. I enjoyed it, and had a good time reading it, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. So much time was spent on the development of ambiance and setting as to be at the cost of plot and character. The novel just felt out of balance to me. I think this will be a popular hand sell around spooky season, though, when ambiance is what readers start to value most.

Combines the realities of post-WWII life on a small northern island and dark folklore, Some commonalities with Hitchcock's The Birds, but, to my mind, much creepier. I hope booksellers will hand-sell the heck out of this in October for Halloween!

Short and somewhat predictable but satisfying I think. A novel about a serial killer is gonna have some death and descriptions but personally coulda done with a tad less.

While it had all the elements that would make this a five star read for me (historical fiction, isolated community, spirits, folklore, rituals, etc. etc.), it felt like it wanted to be so many different things and couldn't decide on one and didn't successfully do any of them either.

Follows Leigh Welles as she returns to her home island after the death of her father. The island seems to be stuck, stagnant after the war and the loss of so many young boys and men. Shrouded in grief, the community is also victim to the sluaugh every October - crow-like creatures that haunt and attack the villagers for an entire month. One boy attacks one of the creatures and disappears the next day. What starts off as a historical fiction, turns into a thriller (finding the missing boy) and then becomes a horror/fantasy and ultimately wraps up to not much of anything? Every time there was a genre/tonal shift, it felt like I was reading a totally new book. The pacing (tonal shifts aside) was also kind of weird - it took 50% of the book just to cover what was already explained in the summary/blurb. And then so many elements were jam packed in the second half that it felt very convoluted.

I also didn't feel totally connected to the characters as they didn't feel totally concrete or sure of themselves? Leigh (and also Iain) lived on the island her whole life but still seem somewhat confused about it and its rituals, quirks, etc. which didn't make sense to me because it's like ... girl you were there?

The exploration of grief and PTSD among the male characters was effective in some parts - but then the conflict between Sam and Leigh was just magically resolved without any growth at all? And this goes for a lot of characters that seemingly have history with one another but act like strangers?

I don't know it just felt like it wasn't enough while there was still far too much detail about things that didn't really matter.

That being said, thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book!

"A transporting, otherworldly debut of a young woman's fated return to a wind-battered island off the coast of Scotland, and the dark forces - old and new - that she finds there.

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 on the island in years, but when she finds herself called home from 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, an 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, birdlike 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 sluagh. When a young man 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, a skillful speculative edge, and a deep imagination, Emma Seckel's propulsive and transporting debut The Wild Hunt unwinds long-held tales of love, loss, and redemption."

Yes, a fresh start, you know, where Celtic legends are real and October is dangerous.

This novel ticks all the boxes for me--folk horror, superstitious and suspicious isolated communities, and with a Hitchcockian menace to propel the action. Truly a great ride of a novel.

Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Celtic lore and myth. Folk lore, folk horror, magical Realism, all favorites. This is a book about grief, loss, and an interesting myth involving my favorite bird. This author took one of my fever dreams and made it real. I loved this so much. This is the third book that I have loved enough to give 5 stars on Netgalley, in the 4 years I've been a member. That's a huge compliment. Will be buying a copy. For me, my son, and my dad. This is a book you must have in physical Form to cherish.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Now I read a lot of thrillers, but this is some fun, weird, witchy shit. Like crows and corpses witchy shit. With some Celtic folklore and post-war malaise. Not exactly a romp exactly, but a very good time.

Easy five, and this author becomes an auto-request

Leigh Welles has just returned to the island she grew up on after living on the Scottish mainland. Her father has died unexpectedly, leaving Leigh alone to begin anew in her childhood home and it’s farmland with its broken fences and years of collected dust. Her mother abandoned the family and the island years ago while her brother remains living on the mainland. The distance between Leigh and her brother is the tragedy of the recently ended WWII. Iain McTavish, a RAF veteran, strolls the island in his flight jacket longing to be in the sky. He is a young widower struggling to return to any sense of normalcy. Then October begins, and with it the crows, or the sluagh, that descend on the island. Celtic legend says they carry the souls of the dead and have haunted the islanders for decades. And with more wandering souls from the war, the sluagh are more abundant and restless. When a local boy goes missing, Leigh and Iain find themselves in the dark parts of the island looking for the truth and facing their pasts.

The Wild Hunt is a haunting, atmospheric, and immersive novel. Emma Seckel has a beautiful way with words and exploring post-war themes. This is not a fast paced plot, but rather an even paced, eerie build that I found myself drawn to. It is historical fiction laced with Celtic folklore, and almost literary for its prose. Above all, it’s a post-war story that encompasses trauma, grief, loss, and the path to redemption.


Many thanks to Tin House, NetGalley, and Emma Seckel for the chance to read this beautiful and haunting novel.

OK, I'm not thrilled about this book. I saw the title and immediately thought, "YES. FOLKLORE. YES. WILD HUNT." For those of you who may not know, the Wild Hunt, in folklore, is a chase led by some kind of mythological creature or figure along with his/her army of spirits/supernatural beings, like Odin, Theodoric the Great, etc. The hunters are usually elves or Valkyries or animals of some kind. So when I saw that there were crows that were wreaking havoc on a Scottish island, I thought oh yes, psychopomps, I'm all in.

But that's not QUITE what this is. Leigh has returned to her hometown after learning of her father's death. Her mother left them when Leigh was 10, and her brother, Sam, left soon after. World War II was happening, and most of the boys on the island joined up and many of them died, either in the war, or by suicide. The island is now left reeling with the aftermath of the war, and hasn't made any changes since the end of the war, as if they're in a holding pattern, and then they have to deal with the sluagh - the crows that come every October and wreak havoc on the island for a month. It is customary to open the season with Gaelic ceremonies and to close the month by celebrating with Gaelic traditions. It's just a part of life there. If any of you have read "Rainy Season" by Stephen King, you'll understand this idea. Before the year in which the book takes place, only two people have disappeared during that month, thought to have been taken by the birds.

The birds themselves are creepy, obviously, because there is an unnatural feel about them. They only show up in groups of 3s, they will straight up wreck your house, tear up animals, and just mess with everything. The problem is that they have gotten continually worse year after year, and the islanders have started to believe in musings of the old man on the island who tells them what they should do, such as hang offal on the doors of the shops, draw runes in blood, and hang up iron charms, in addition to nailing wood over the windows. But in addition to dealing with the sluagh, the island is still reeling from the war, and it's just a lot. And then one of the boys on the island kills a crow and disappears.

Leigh, who is at loose ends after the death of her father, and Iain, who is still living in the memories of the war, decide to team up to find the missing boy after the islanders have given up. But this is where I started to have questions about the book, and they were never answered.

I don't want to give spoilers, but there is an apparition that shows up and we don't really get into that. There are whispered voices asking questions but we don't really get into that. I don't totally understand how the crows are connected to the war and the the sluagh's increasingly aggressive behavior, or why they seem to be going after Leigh. I don't understand the ending, except for one part that I did understand after reading the wikipedia article when I finished the book (I recommend that, it was a neat little thing). I don't know why Leigh's brother Sam is such a jerk and we don't really get into it other than that he saw horrible things during the war and maybe Leigh wanted him to talk about it? So he's just going to run her out of the house and sell it? I don't think I understood how Iain and the woman he lives with are related (is she Caroline's mom?? But he knew her from before and didn't know Caroline from before??). I don't know how to break the cycle of the sluagh - according to legend, they are the spirits of the unforgiven dead. That is confusing. Who hasn't been forgiven? Why wouldn't they be forgiven? Have they not forgiven themselves? Why are there so many?? It's just very confusing.

Overall, it was a good, solid book that did a wonderful job describing a small community in the aftermath of war. I think we needed to understand more of the timeline (I think this takes place four years after the war ended but it feels like it's been a year, max), more about the sluagh, more about the runes, and all the other folklore stuff. The arc I was given was not edited well with regards to chapters and who was talking to who, and that could have played a part. It felt like it really skipped around because sections weren't given enough spacing. I still think the title is misleading and was pretty bummed about that.

Heady, atmospheric, and utterly absorbing, The Wild Hunt is a novel that I purposely kept putting down because I wanted it to last and last. I usually tear through books in huge gulps, but Seckel made me want to linger for days–for weeks, let me be honest–in her world.

Historical fiction combined with atmospheric creepiness, combined with an island setting, combined with slightly magical-no-one-quite-knows fantastical elements are all catnip to me. Add in the author's wonderful writing (though some might call it slow or ponderous, I quite enjoyed its thoughtful pacing), and The Wild Hunt is a winner for me.

I immediately added this to my "buy a physical copy of this when it publishes" list.

Thanks to Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

I liked the Celtic mythology/folklore. This just felt slow moving for me and when it was supposed to be atmospheric/suspenseful it didn't hit the mark for me.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story has a wonderfully created atmosphere, and the use of Celtic folklore helps to drive the story along. It makes you think, and draws you in from the start.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the chance to read this book!

Heavily atmospheric mystery centered around Celtic folklore. Enjoyed the historical background and the elements of supernatural, yet the tone is often so heavy it becomes a very slow burn. The story line started jumping around at the end and it just did not have the feel of a well put together narrative. Would recommend for lovers of Celtic mythology. #thewildhunt #emmaseckel #netgalley #goodreads

Oh, I loved this book so much. I requested it after seeing a bookseller rave on Twitter, and it exceeded her hype. Leigh returns to her small Scottish island home after learning her father has died. A small island where every October the residents have to deal with the sluagh, crow like birds who will attack people, animals and buildings. The island has changed a lot after WWII and Leigh starts to spend time with RAF airman Iain. This book is about love and dealing with grief and approaches both subjects so beautifully. I cannot wait to read more books by Emma Secket.

The word that best describes The Wild Hunt is haunting. Its evocative atmosphere and compelling characters had me hooked from the first line. It is a story that will stay with me long after reading the final words.

In this story you will explore mist shrouded moors, attend Celtic festivals steeped in dark lore, and meet a cast of characters reeling from post WWII trauma. You'll primarily follow Leigh, who has been called back to the island after her fathers death and Ian who has lived there since his return from the war. When a young man goes missing, Leigh and Ian work together to unravel the truth about his disappearance and the otherworldly lore that could be entwined. The author also offers up small vignettes introducing us to other islanders making this a robust and curious cast of characters.

I am in awe that this is a debut! Seckel masterfully weaves magic into the mundane and captures the readers heart with a sorrowful and brutal look at the aftermath of war and the moments that never leave us. Fans of stunning prose, transcendental atmosphere, and raw human emotion will get lost and found within these pages!

Endless thanks to Netgalley and Tin House Publishing for the advanced readers copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was compelling, atmospheric, evocative, and a bit creepy; all while telling a timely and timeless story.
Leigh Welles suddenly returns to the small remote Scottish island where she grew up after receiving word that her father has drowned as the result of an accident. Leigh moved to "the mainland" after WWII to find her way in the world, but was unsuccessful, and feels a bit embarrassed and ashamed among the people she left behind. Iain MacTavish is a former RAF pilot who lost a great deal in the war and has returned to the island to try to find a way to rejoin post-war life. Both have returned to a different island, however, during the strange and eldritch month of October. Every year, from October 1st to the 31st, the sluagh flock to the island in great numbers. Named for the legendary Celtic "lost souls," these birds have always been eerie and disconcerting. But is seems that in the past several years the birds have taken on even more dark and ominous and behavior. Amidst the threat of the birds, a teenager goes missing, and Leigh and Iain feel obligated to discover not only what has happened to him, but also what might be the truth behind what is happening on their island.
The author does a wonderful job right off the bat of creating an atmosphere of isolation, desolation, and slight dread. As soon as Leigh returns and the first sluagh show up, the reader knows that something strange and perhaps otherworldly is going on. The fact that the islanders completely accept the dangerous and escalating behavior of the birds adds to the feeling of almost mythological preternaturalness of the story. When Hugo disappears the tension and creepiness of the story are ratcheted up--while the story has an almost ethereal and unhurriedly mythic fable-like quality--it becomes very gripping and is very difficult to put down.
Another great aspect of the book was the way tragedy, loss, grief, and sadness are woven in, both literally and allegorically. The residents of the island have faced unspeakable hardships both during and after WWII, and the way they have dealt and are dealing with these issues are extremely significant--both for their time and the present day. Whatever dark force has a grip on the island must be addressed, and if the islanders cannot come to terms with it, the force may completely take control of the windswept speck of land.
I would certainly recommend this book. It tells a very relevant tale in a lyrical, slightly frightening, and hauntingly poignant way. It would be perfect for a rainy October day. If you enjoy historical fiction, magical realism, Celtic mythology, or a creepy tale, you should definitely check this book out.

What a wild book!! This one will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat and you will find yourself thinking of the story and characters long after you finish it. Highly recommend!! Can't wait to read more by this author!