Originally published in the UK in 2023, Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest is a middle-grade fantasy won and was shortlisted for several awards. It is for readers at the younger end of the middle-grade age range.
War is coming to Holderby and for safety’s sake, Rowan and her mother go to live with her grandfather in the Dark Forest. The trouble is that Rowan didn’t even know she had a Grandpa, let alone that he is a wildsmith. And what’s more, she might be one, too!
Rowan has always had an affinity with animals and at her Grandpa’s place she discovers his pet wolf likes her. She also finds a baby dragon in the forest whose mother has been captured by poachers. After rescuing the dragon and three more eggs and caring for them, Rowan and her new friends Cam and Will, along with Grandpa’s three witch accomplices, hatch a plan to catch the poachers, who are working for the enemy. It almost fails but they triumph in the end.
This little book is most attractively presented. It is a small hardback with black-and-white decorations on each page by Joe Todd-Stanton. There are pictures of the wolf running through the forest at each chapter opening and as the book progresses, his position changes. There are sprigs of leaves as borders and illustrations of various sizes throughout.
I’m looking forward to book two in the series, City of Secrets, being released in October.
Reviewed by Lynne Babbage
Age Guide 7+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORI grew up in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK, and moved back here when I had children, so my family could grow up in this beautiful landscape too. It has definitely been a source of creative inspiration – I based my YA novel Eden Summer right here, as well as my historical novel for adults set in the civil war: When We Were Divided.
As you can see in the photos above, I’ve loved cats, dogs – and most animals! – since I was very small. For a while, we fostered cats and kittens, and got to know all their different personalities and needs. Now we have a young collie, so we had to press pause on the fostering. However, my own cat Arya still offers me writerly support by sprawling on my desk.
I completed my PhD in Creative Writing in 2017, and now divide my time between writing and teaching – sometimes in universities and sometimes online. I also love doing events, festivals and school visits and talking to writers of all ages about reading, writing and creativity.
Sometimes it feels as if I’ve had many different jobs and roles. But being passionate about reading and writing has been a constant thread throughout it all…
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