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Wilderlore #4
The Night Compass
Barclay and his friends race to find a legendary beast in the Wilderlands before their enemy in this action-packed fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Wilderlore series.
As the election for Grand Keeper looms closer, the villainous Audrian Keyes returns. He claims he has the secret to finding Navrashtya, the Legendary Beast of the Tundra who’s been missing for centuries. And so a team of specialized Lore Keepers must undertake a desperate find her first, no matter the cost.
But the uncharted regions of the Tundra hold countless dangers, from the monstrous Beasts to the brutal cold, yet far more chilling mysteries await them out on the ice caps. Like why Navrashtya went missing in the first place. Or the truth behind this strange Lore that only Barclay can feel, whose power might very well save the mission—or doom it.
As the election for Grand Keeper looms closer, the villainous Audrian Keyes returns. He claims he has the secret to finding Navrashtya, the Legendary Beast of the Tundra who’s been missing for centuries. And so a team of specialized Lore Keepers must undertake a desperate find her first, no matter the cost.
But the uncharted regions of the Tundra hold countless dangers, from the monstrous Beasts to the brutal cold, yet far more chilling mysteries await them out on the ice caps. Like why Navrashtya went missing in the first place. Or the truth behind this strange Lore that only Barclay can feel, whose power might very well save the mission—or doom it.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2024
94 people are currently reading
2997 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Foody
26 books3,018 followersAmanda Foody is the New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestselling author of All of Us Villains (with C.L. Herman), the Wilderlore series, the Shadow Game series, and more. Her work has appeared in publications including Buzzfeed, Popsugar, Culturess, and Amazon selected All of Us Villains as the Best Young Adult Book of 2021. Originally from Pennsylvania, she lives in Boston, MA with her partner and their orange tabby, Jelly Bean. When not writing, she unironically loves to cook.
The Night Compass, the fourth installment in the Wilderlore series, releases on March 5, 2024. A Fate So Cold, her next novel with C.L. Herman, follows in Fall 2024.
The Night Compass, the fourth installment in the Wilderlore series, releases on March 5, 2024. A Fate So Cold, her next novel with C.L. Herman, follows in Fall 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
March 16, 2024
AHHHHHHHH
This feels like the plot twist at the end of the fourth Harry Potter book. AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS
Full RTC but I’m obsessed with this series
This feels like the plot twist at the end of the fourth Harry Potter book. AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS
Full RTC but I’m obsessed with this series
March 24, 2024
2024 reads: 68/250
this is the fourth book in the wilderlore series.
when audrian keyes claims he has the secret to finding navrashtya, the beast that’s been missing for centuries, barclay and his team set out to find her first. this is, of course, not without danger, as the uncharted regions of the tundra bring them new dangers at every corner.
i loved the setting in this book! if you’re familiar with the wilderlore series you know that the settings play a role in each book. the tundra setting was interesting and i liked how it made barclay and co’s journey more difficult.
going in, i was a bit surprised at the length of this book. however, i do think the length made sense without dragging on or anything. i can’t wait for book five!
this is the fourth book in the wilderlore series.
when audrian keyes claims he has the secret to finding navrashtya, the beast that’s been missing for centuries, barclay and his team set out to find her first. this is, of course, not without danger, as the uncharted regions of the tundra bring them new dangers at every corner.
i loved the setting in this book! if you’re familiar with the wilderlore series you know that the settings play a role in each book. the tundra setting was interesting and i liked how it made barclay and co’s journey more difficult.
going in, i was a bit surprised at the length of this book. however, i do think the length made sense without dragging on or anything. i can’t wait for book five!
June 17, 2025
Dang, this series just took a whole new direction and got a lot more intense! I managed to read it all in one day, and I was glued to the story for every minute of it.
April 13, 2023
As always, a DELIGHT
February 17, 2025
this was SO fun ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☁️❄️🐻❄️🦌☘️🧊
March 19, 2024
*Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted ALC*
This series is absolute magic and I love how much it's evolved since The Accidental Apprentice. It's getting dark, y'all. Steve West alternates between a great Scottish accent, a terrifying villainous voice, and narration that kept me totally engrossed. As always, the puzzles and educational elements were so well done. Despite guessing pieces of the puzzle of what The Night Compass was, I didn't see where the overall plot was going and I loved it. We also begin to get some answers into what makes Barclay so special and Runa's history with the tundra, Cyril, and beyond.
I cannot WAIT for Book 5, even if the cliffhanger at the end is absolutely *criminal*.
This series is absolute magic and I love how much it's evolved since The Accidental Apprentice. It's getting dark, y'all. Steve West alternates between a great Scottish accent, a terrifying villainous voice, and narration that kept me totally engrossed. As always, the puzzles and educational elements were so well done. Despite guessing pieces of the puzzle of what The Night Compass was, I didn't see where the overall plot was going and I loved it. We also begin to get some answers into what makes Barclay so special and Runa's history with the tundra, Cyril, and beyond.
I cannot WAIT for Book 5, even if the cliffhanger at the end is absolutely *criminal*.
March 21, 2024
The characters did get a little annoying for me at times, but they are also young teens so it can make sense. Other than that, I loved it. I loved learning more about Runa and seeing her be more vulnerable. I loved the lore and the adventure and the creatures. The idea for this series is just so good.
March 23, 2024
It's finally time for the fourth Wilderlore book, as our main cast and their friends head to their biggest adventure yet, as the investigation of a murder soon turns into a big expedition to try to find the Legendary Beast of the chilly Tundra. I loved the first three books of the series, and this book certainly continued the winning streak.
This book was really good, and getting to see our main and supporting cast again was a delight, felt like old friends coming for an extended visit. The story is simple but engaging, and the stakes are raised in the book, as not only do they have to try finding the Legendary Beast and keep an incredibly important object out of the hands of the villains, but we find out that Barclay is developing a new, scary power. We get to stick to our main cast as they go on this expedition, get to experience new things, interact with one another, start training to grow even stronger, and it's as engaging now as it was in the first three books. All of this is made even better by the fact that the author did something differently this time around. Personally, one of the bigger drawbacks in the first three books for me is that the Beasts often felt more like secondary characters who only popped up sometimes, but that all changed in this book, as here, the Beasts are very often outside their marks, out in the world interacting with their Keepers and with each other, showcasing lots of personality and making everything so much more fun and engaging. This is what I wanted, to see all the mingling with Keepers and Beasts, and the author definitely delivered.
In general, the setting is adequate. It's very much a lot of the same, but the place gets more dangerous the deeper the group goes into the Tundra, and all the varied personalities and interactions kept me engaged (including some interesting ones between Barclay and Yasha), as did the action sequences, from the main trio training to find new ways to use their Lore powers, to having to deal with dangerous wild Beasts, to battling the villains, there was definitely a good bunch of action in the book to keep me thrilled. Startling revelations added to the story, as well as new characters and especially the very welcome return of other characters we've seen before, especially Ethel.
Sadly, the book did have some negatives. One is that there are a lot of characters, much like in the last book, so not everyone gets a chance to shine. That's understandable, but I was disappointed with how little Nayan, Drissa and especially Ethel got to do. We don't get to explore why Nayan doesn't get along with his sister Hasu (though I suspect that will come to light in the next book), we don't get to see the sickly, enthusiastically geeky Drissa do anything to make him stand out from the crowd beyond his personality, but most disappointing of all, Ethel doesn't do much herself. I had been wanting to see the twins back so bad, they were so important in the first book, I knew it would be great to get them back,see the repercutions of their actions and how they've been doing since last we saw them, so I was beyond thrilled when Ethel made her return (Abel is absent but his not being there is properly explained), but sadly, we barely get anything with her. There is tension from having Ethel accompanying them, and she has one of the best scenes in the book where she later explains herself to Barclay and his friends, why she and Abel did what they did, what happened to cause it and what happened afterwards, and it was so well done, but beyond that, Ethel doesn't do much in the book, doesn't get a chance to shine in battle or bond with the others, and at one point she just stops appearing. That was super disappointing, and I can only hope that she (and maybe also her brother) appear again in future books. Besides that, my other negative is the main villain, Audrian Keyes. I get that he's supposed to be smart and dangerous, but by this point they have him outsmarting everyone and being pretty much invincible in combat, and it's getting quite annoying. I get that the main villain is supposed to be a threat, but going to the point of making him apparently unbeatable and making the heroes look incompetent by comparison gets to be a bit too much. It would honestly be refreshing to see at least one of his plans fail for once. It's just a couple negatives here, but unfortunately, they're glaring enough to keep this from being a perfect 5 star book for me.
But while it may not be a perfect 5, this book was still one very enjoyable ride. That's four books, all of them great, and I'm having an absolute blast. It's such an imaginative series, full of likable characters, imaginative locales, fast-paced action, and every book I finish makes me eagerly look forward to the next one. What adventures could come next for our heroes? What new discoveries will be made? Will Barclay and some of the others get new Beasts to bond with? How am I going to make it through a year of waiting for the next book? I might just re-read the whole series and fall in love with it all over again.
This book was really good, and getting to see our main and supporting cast again was a delight, felt like old friends coming for an extended visit. The story is simple but engaging, and the stakes are raised in the book, as not only do they have to try finding the Legendary Beast and keep an incredibly important object out of the hands of the villains, but we find out that Barclay is developing a new, scary power. We get to stick to our main cast as they go on this expedition, get to experience new things, interact with one another, start training to grow even stronger, and it's as engaging now as it was in the first three books. All of this is made even better by the fact that the author did something differently this time around. Personally, one of the bigger drawbacks in the first three books for me is that the Beasts often felt more like secondary characters who only popped up sometimes, but that all changed in this book, as here, the Beasts are very often outside their marks, out in the world interacting with their Keepers and with each other, showcasing lots of personality and making everything so much more fun and engaging. This is what I wanted, to see all the mingling with Keepers and Beasts, and the author definitely delivered.
In general, the setting is adequate. It's very much a lot of the same, but the place gets more dangerous the deeper the group goes into the Tundra, and all the varied personalities and interactions kept me engaged (including some interesting ones between Barclay and Yasha), as did the action sequences, from the main trio training to find new ways to use their Lore powers, to having to deal with dangerous wild Beasts, to battling the villains, there was definitely a good bunch of action in the book to keep me thrilled. Startling revelations added to the story, as well as new characters and especially the very welcome return of other characters we've seen before, especially Ethel.
Sadly, the book did have some negatives. One is that there are a lot of characters, much like in the last book, so not everyone gets a chance to shine. That's understandable, but I was disappointed with how little Nayan, Drissa and especially Ethel got to do. We don't get to explore why Nayan doesn't get along with his sister Hasu (though I suspect that will come to light in the next book), we don't get to see the sickly, enthusiastically geeky Drissa do anything to make him stand out from the crowd beyond his personality, but most disappointing of all, Ethel doesn't do much herself. I had been wanting to see the twins back so bad, they were so important in the first book, I knew it would be great to get them back,see the repercutions of their actions and how they've been doing since last we saw them, so I was beyond thrilled when Ethel made her return (Abel is absent but his not being there is properly explained), but sadly, we barely get anything with her. There is tension from having Ethel accompanying them, and she has one of the best scenes in the book where she later explains herself to Barclay and his friends, why she and Abel did what they did, what happened to cause it and what happened afterwards, and it was so well done, but beyond that, Ethel doesn't do much in the book, doesn't get a chance to shine in battle or bond with the others, and at one point she just stops appearing. That was super disappointing, and I can only hope that she (and maybe also her brother) appear again in future books. Besides that, my other negative is the main villain, Audrian Keyes. I get that he's supposed to be smart and dangerous, but by this point they have him outsmarting everyone and being pretty much invincible in combat, and it's getting quite annoying. I get that the main villain is supposed to be a threat, but going to the point of making him apparently unbeatable and making the heroes look incompetent by comparison gets to be a bit too much. It would honestly be refreshing to see at least one of his plans fail for once. It's just a couple negatives here, but unfortunately, they're glaring enough to keep this from being a perfect 5 star book for me.
But while it may not be a perfect 5, this book was still one very enjoyable ride. That's four books, all of them great, and I'm having an absolute blast. It's such an imaginative series, full of likable characters, imaginative locales, fast-paced action, and every book I finish makes me eagerly look forward to the next one. What adventures could come next for our heroes? What new discoveries will be made? Will Barclay and some of the others get new Beasts to bond with? How am I going to make it through a year of waiting for the next book? I might just re-read the whole series and fall in love with it all over again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2025
had to really lock in to finish by the last day of school but I did it!!! love these lil dudes
June 6, 2025
wilderlore my beloved what am i supposed to do until november
May 21, 2024
Parts are still fun, but it's all succumbing to the same flaw marvel movies do. The first one was so enjoyable and life or death, but now the stakes are so high that entire cities are being demolished and it's a lot of walking back and forth. You have to remember everyone's name, but also all their beasts and lore and where they're from. And the beasts used to behave more or less like you'd expect a beast to. Now they're smiling and shrugging and described in such human terms it's hard to keep straight. I miss when it was a boy and the wolf he didn't know if he wanted.
February 1, 2025
These books are the best!!! I cannot wait for book 5 to come out in December :D
Is anyone else shipping Barclay and Yasha? Just me? ....'kay
Is anyone else shipping Barclay and Yasha? Just me? ....'kay
September 22, 2024
For one reason or another, I flew through the first 150 pages and then struggled to get through the rest. Part of the problem was that a lot of the book is trekking through the Tundra, not exactly getting very far very quickly, but then the last bit of the book is just frenetic action and both were equally difficult for me to focus on. I think we definitely could have used some editing skills on this one.
I liked seeing Runa's and Cyril's growth (separately and together). I understood some of his hesitation, but was frequently baffled why Barclay was always keeping things from his friends/group when it would seem to be so much more beneficial to share with the class, so to speak. Some fun plot additions came along, but I grow weary of Audrian.
Not the best installment, but nevertheless a fun MG series that I would pass on to my kids as they get older. This series also reminds me a lot of Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow.
I liked seeing Runa's and Cyril's growth (separately and together). I understood some of his hesitation, but was frequently baffled why Barclay was always keeping things from his friends/group when it would seem to be so much more beneficial to share with the class, so to speak. Some fun plot additions came along, but I grow weary of Audrian.
Not the best installment, but nevertheless a fun MG series that I would pass on to my kids as they get older. This series also reminds me a lot of Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow.
June 10, 2024
Great addition to the series, my children and i really enjoyed our time reading it together. I love finishing reading a book to my children with tears running down my face XD
August 28, 2024
(3.5)
Rep: bi mc, Black side characters, side character with ADHD, Arab side character with a prosthetic limb, South Asian side character, sapphic side character
Rep: bi mc, Black side characters, side character with ADHD, Arab side character with a prosthetic limb, South Asian side character, sapphic side character
February 11, 2025
This was probably my favorite book in this series I loved it so much❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
May 6, 2024
4.5*. Packed with epic plot twists, emotional punches, and teasers of even more brilliant storylines to come, this was a delight. The Grand Three and the Barclay vs Yasha stuff especially. My emotions!
April 27, 2024
Another phenomenal addition to the series! I was nervous when I saw how long this audiobook was, far longer than any my kids and I had ever read, but it was interesting and engaging and kept our attention throughout.
One of the most impressive aspects of these books is the character development and the complex relationships. The cast of characters is large, but you care about all of them, and your feelings about them will be complicated and change throughout the series. There are no one or two dimensional characters here.
I love watching the characters advance in their skills as their training continues, and how what is expected of them also increases. This is a rare book that is full of kids and adults working together without the kids running away from the adults but also without the adults keeping the kids from doing anything interesting. The kids are not the most powerful characters in the story, but they still matter. It is refreshing to read about people who are important and make a difference without being The Chosen One.
We cannot wait for the next book!
A5R2.5K2.5
One of the most impressive aspects of these books is the character development and the complex relationships. The cast of characters is large, but you care about all of them, and your feelings about them will be complicated and change throughout the series. There are no one or two dimensional characters here.
I love watching the characters advance in their skills as their training continues, and how what is expected of them also increases. This is a rare book that is full of kids and adults working together without the kids running away from the adults but also without the adults keeping the kids from doing anything interesting. The kids are not the most powerful characters in the story, but they still matter. It is refreshing to read about people who are important and make a difference without being The Chosen One.
We cannot wait for the next book!
A5R2.5K2.5
May 2, 2024
This series just continues to get better and more rich in its character development just as much as it’s going deeper into the magic and world building. I was engrossed in it all from start to finish! I absolutely loved it!
April 26, 2024
I’m always sad to finish one of the books in this series because I enjoy them so much. I love the characters and the world-building especially. The beasts are definitely the best part! This one had a little too many battles for my taste, but it’s so fun to explore each new wilderland in each new book and I can’t wait for the next one.
April 3, 2024
An absolute thrill! I was so waiting for this book and I'm happy to say I've finally finished it :)
Come to the tundra, an area that is full of uncharted waters and ice galore. From the brutal cold, to strange but powerful beasts, to strange survival techniques to remember, and the ever looming threat of Audrian, Yasha, and Audrian's quest to seek out the Legendary beasts, there's alot for Barclay and his friends to deal with. Especially now that Navrashtya, the Legendary beast of the Tundra, has been reported missing for centuries. He is then placed on a team of specialized lore keepers to investigate this matter alongside some familiar faces. Ever stranger yet is the strange lore that only Barclay seems to be able to tap into.
It was lush as ever, with many secrets unfolding that had me gasping and awing at each turn. I loved learning about the mythologies of the land, more about the families and people in the universe, and discovering new creatures. I'm a huge fan of the index in the back with the beast log, which I always refer to each time I see a beast mentioned in the story as a refresher. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to see what Barclay and his friends, new and old, accomplish.
Come to the tundra, an area that is full of uncharted waters and ice galore. From the brutal cold, to strange but powerful beasts, to strange survival techniques to remember, and the ever looming threat of Audrian, Yasha, and Audrian's quest to seek out the Legendary beasts, there's alot for Barclay and his friends to deal with. Especially now that Navrashtya, the Legendary beast of the Tundra, has been reported missing for centuries. He is then placed on a team of specialized lore keepers to investigate this matter alongside some familiar faces. Ever stranger yet is the strange lore that only Barclay seems to be able to tap into.
It was lush as ever, with many secrets unfolding that had me gasping and awing at each turn. I loved learning about the mythologies of the land, more about the families and people in the universe, and discovering new creatures. I'm a huge fan of the index in the back with the beast log, which I always refer to each time I see a beast mentioned in the story as a refresher. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to see what Barclay and his friends, new and old, accomplish.
June 17, 2024
I continue to love this series. It's filled with classic middle grade fantasy tropes: a group of young friends trying to fight evil while navigating their own relationships, families, emotions, etc. Unlike so many MG fantasy books I've read recently, Foody isn't heavy-handed with her themes. Barclay seems to be growing and learning very naturally. I especially liked how we learned so much more background about Runa and Cyril. We also begin to see the complexities of both good and bad characters. All of this wrapped in great worldbuilding and exciting adventures. I can't wait for the next volumes in the series.
March 22, 2024
I mean when has Amanda Foody ever disappointed me? That’s correct, the answer is never!
If at times the book felt a bit slow, it wasn’t because it was bad. I was just slacking, is all.
The last 200 pages perhaps were the most intense ones ever. Some parts made me so scared, sad and boy oh boy my Tadg calling Barclay his best friend. Ah I love all their friendship group and I am also glad Runa and my boi Cyril are back to being friends. 😭
I am sad my prediction (for two books now) haven’t come true yet but there’s 3 more books planned in the series. There’s always a chance with the next book it happens 🙏🏼
My baby girl Hasu 😱 She gonna be killing it!!!
If at times the book felt a bit slow, it wasn’t because it was bad. I was just slacking, is all.
The last 200 pages perhaps were the most intense ones ever. Some parts made me so scared, sad and boy oh boy my Tadg calling Barclay his best friend. Ah I love all their friendship group and I am also glad Runa and my boi Cyril are back to being friends. 😭
I am sad my prediction (for two books now) haven’t come true yet but there’s 3 more books planned in the series. There’s always a chance with the next book it happens 🙏🏼
My baby girl Hasu 😱 She gonna be killing it!!!
February 21, 2025
Tome terminé et qu'est-ce qu'il était bien ! Si j'avais trouvé quelques longueurs dans le tome 3, celui-ci m'a happée du début à la fin ! On a aussi quelques révélations bien croustillantes... Runa se dévoile de plus en plus (pour notre plus grand plaisir). Barclay évolue aussi, doute beaucoup. Les aventures sont palpitantes et j'ai déjà hâte au tome 5 !
March 19, 2024
Guys best one yet in my opinion. And yes there was a lot of characters it was pretty hard to keep track, though I’m so happy to see Ethel back. I also loved the plot. I hope Yasha finds his way back to the group, one more thing ZINSI KISSED BARCLEY.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2024
My kids and I LOVE this series! This book was especially fantastic and we cannot wait until the next one comes out.
June 13, 2024
Barclay, his mentor, and his fellow apprentices have been summoned to the Tundra. The High Keeper of the Tundra has been murdered. They are pretty sure Adrian Keyes did the deed, and they think he did it to discover the location of the Navrashtya, the Tundra's Legendary Beast. The Grand Keeper wants Runa, Cyril, their apprentices, and some choice others to set out and find the beast first and hinder Keyes' evil plans. But it will not be easy. The Tundra is an unforgiving landscape. Cyril and Runa still have things to work out between them. And ever since they arrived in the Tundra Barclay has had a strange sensation that he can feel a power source but no one else seems to notice it.
In the background of all this the election for Grand Keeper is happening, Barclay is still convinced he can get through to Yasha (former friend and now Keyes' apprentice) while Yasha is trying to convince Barclay he should join them because Keyes can see a problem with the lands others can't and can train Barclay to use the power source he can feel. One of the other Keepers has brought 2 apprentices that Tadg and Viola and Barclay had major issues with in the first book, and they have to work out their differences. Viola is being torn between training to be a High Keeper and a Grand Keeper like her dad (and her beasts are being a pain). And on top of all that, Barclay and Runa discover some long buried secrets about Runa's family and the alleged family curse her aunt is always going on about. So as you can see, there's a LOT going on in this book beyond the main quest. At times there was so much going on I would forget what the main point of their quest was. But it does work in the end. Reading this is no cake walk, though, and I can see some less experienced middle grade readers abandoning it. That's ok though, there are other things they can pick up and the fans who are invested in Barclay, Viola, and Tadg will stick with them.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: One little kiss between a boy and girl.
Violence: There are several battles that do result in injuries, but nothing super gory. (And thanks to magical medicine, they recover pretty quick.) They find 2 long-dead bodies in the ice.
Ethnic diversity: The characters come from a variety of locations in their made up world and have a variety of skin tones.
LGBTQ+ content: Runa has an ex-girlfriend.
Other: Barclay has to deal with some psychological mind games and figuring out who he can trust.
In the background of all this the election for Grand Keeper is happening, Barclay is still convinced he can get through to Yasha (former friend and now Keyes' apprentice) while Yasha is trying to convince Barclay he should join them because Keyes can see a problem with the lands others can't and can train Barclay to use the power source he can feel. One of the other Keepers has brought 2 apprentices that Tadg and Viola and Barclay had major issues with in the first book, and they have to work out their differences. Viola is being torn between training to be a High Keeper and a Grand Keeper like her dad (and her beasts are being a pain). And on top of all that, Barclay and Runa discover some long buried secrets about Runa's family and the alleged family curse her aunt is always going on about. So as you can see, there's a LOT going on in this book beyond the main quest. At times there was so much going on I would forget what the main point of their quest was. But it does work in the end. Reading this is no cake walk, though, and I can see some less experienced middle grade readers abandoning it. That's ok though, there are other things they can pick up and the fans who are invested in Barclay, Viola, and Tadg will stick with them.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: One little kiss between a boy and girl.
Violence: There are several battles that do result in injuries, but nothing super gory. (And thanks to magical medicine, they recover pretty quick.) They find 2 long-dead bodies in the ice.
Ethnic diversity: The characters come from a variety of locations in their made up world and have a variety of skin tones.
LGBTQ+ content: Runa has an ex-girlfriend.
Other: Barclay has to deal with some psychological mind games and figuring out who he can trust.
January 11, 2025
Amanda Foody has not only created a fantastic world in the Wilderlore series. One of the most impressive aspects of these books is the character development and the complex relationships. The cast of characters is large, but you care about all of them, and your feelings about them will be complicated and change throughout the series. There are no one or two-dimensional characters here. Watching the characters advance in their skills as their training continues and how what is expected of them also increases. This is a rare book complete of kids and adults working together without the kids running away from the adults but also without the adults keeping the kids from doing anything interesting. The kids are not the most powerful characters in the story, but they still matter. It is refreshing to read about important people who make a difference without being The Chosen One. It was lush as ever, with many secrets that had me gasping and awing at each turn. I loved learning about the mythologies of the land, more about the families and people in the universe, and discovering new creatures. I'm a massive fan of the index in the back with the beast log, which I always refer to each time I see a beast mentioned in the story as a refresher. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to see what Barclay and his new and old friends accomplish.
July 29, 2024
I thought this book was ok. I still think that it suffers the same issue as its predecessors where it has a few too many minor characters that sort of take attention away from the main character (Barclay) and his relationship with Tadj and Viola. In fact, there were so many characters I sometimes had a hard time figuring out if the character being described by others (or being brought up in general) was one of their beasts or one of the other human characters. I feel Viola hardly had any kind of significant presence in this book. For example, in Harry Potter, even though various side characters do sometimes get to play a role now and then in the book, they don't overshadow the main trio. I also felt that Barclay's budding relationship with Zenzi was too sudden and WAY too forced. I won't be surprised if she's set up to be a villain later, but I could be wrong. Overall, the book did drag on at some points. The highlights of the book are when it involves Runa (she has a lot of character development in this book) and her interactions with Cyril and Audrian. It's a solid 3. Not amazing, but I liked it better than book 3.
August 14, 2025
Just as a note: I listen to the audiobooks for this when I'm walking my dogs, and I think the reader is really good. Given the huge cast of characters, he does an excellent job of differentiating them without giving any of them an annoying voice (which is something that I'm sorry to say happens quite often with audiobooks, though I doubt it's intentional). Totally recommended.
The best book yet in this series! I love how all of the characters have depth and even those whose issues have been covered (and dealt with) in previous books continue to have problems... it's not as if just dealing with something one time suddenly rids you of the issue, and I like that the main character realistically just feels angry or resentful towards people, or is sometimes mean to his friends, lacks patience or understanding when he's tired, etc. Obviously, these aren't "good" things, but they are real things; everyone has these faults and pretending you never make an error is far worse. I'd even go so far as to say that the villain's true worst quality is his pride. (Well, and obviously his desire for vengeance.)
I loved seeing Yasha again (not much of him in the previous book) and with the crazy revelations of this book, I think that the story will continue to go to interesting places! Like Cyril, I think readers will hope Keyes can be saved despite everything. It is also clear that something bigger is wrong in the world, and I think the author wants to make a point about whether ends justify the means when it comes to doing something about it. Also that people go down bad roads and cause damage to one another, to themselves, and to the world, not because they are naturally evil or something simple like that, but because of some combination of good intentions, delusions of grandeur, pride, things that have happened to them, and so on. Not just the villain, but also other characters in the book clearly have the same issues (if less extreme). Why do people do the things they do or make the decisions they make? Is there some point beyond which someone cannot change, or forgiveness is not possible? I like that these types of important philosophical questions drive the plot.
Tons of crazy and exciting things occurred throughout the book, so when I had only one or two chapters left I went to bed, thinking, "wow, that climax was crazy, but I've finally gotten through all the surprises... I'll deal with the denouement in the morning" and OMG. How could there be so much more in such a short space?! It also reminds me of why I hate reading unfinished book series... regardless of whether or not there's a cliffhanger (in this case, there kind of is), if I love a world and its characters, I don't want to wait to find out what happens to them! Not only will I have to wait a whole year (or more!) for the next book, but it seems obvious that things will only become more intense and then I'll have to wait ANOTHER 2-3 years for the rest of the books! Honestly, I'd hold off on reading the rest until they are all out, but I know I don't have the patience for that.
I was thinking of recommending this series to a friend of mine with kids, or a different friend I play Pokemon Go with on weekends, as I think they'd both really enjoy it, but honestly it's hard to recommend an unfinished series to someone when it's this exciting... It feels bad to have to wait in these cases. I don't blame the author - creating stories takes time and there's no way around that - but I might have to hold off on recommending the books to others until at least 6 (of 7) are released so that at worst, we can discuss stuff and wait for the ending together.
ALSO: I'm tired of seeing Harry Potter referenced by everyone. I mean, I understand why - orphaned boy discovers world of magic, makes 2 best friends (a girl and a boy), and becomes powerful unique magic user with personal connection to villain - but I feel like those are very common tropes in YA lit of the past 75 years (as well as in manga/anime, which have all the same tropes). It makes me wonder if people just aren't reading any other books. This is like comparing EVERY book with a love story to Romeo and Juliet... Yes that is famous and influential and all that, but you DO see all the differences, right? And you are aware there are loads of other love stories, even other love stories with the exact same main idea, right?
I feel like the things that make this series similar to HP are its most generic traits, whereas the things I actually like about it - its character development (especially of the "villainous" characters and all the adults), all the cute animals, how thoughtful and gentle its advice for the young is - are not things it has in common with HP. It makes me wonder if these people compare literally every YA book they read that has a magical society to HP.
LASTLY, I know it is a vain hope, but I wish that one thing readers (the young, but also anyone else) would take away from this book is: do not write down important secret shit in plain text unless you are okay with someone finding it. While nothing bad has happened (yet), I feel confident that Barclay spilling his all his most terrible secrets in a series of letters is gonna bite him in the ass later in this series.
I don't know how many diaries, letters, secret emails, private text messages, etc it's gonna take for people to understand that if you don't want secrets to be revealed THEN YOU CAN'T WRITE THEM DOWN ANYWHERE. In our digital world where privacy is becoming harder to maintain this is an especially important thing to be aware of. I understand that sometimes there is no other way to tell someone something, but in that case, BE MORE FUCKING CAREFUL. I doubt this is the author's intended message but frankly IT SHOULD BE, because I am weary of the real-world problems I see every day because people can't seem to grasp that just telling other people to respect your privacy is not effective.
The best book yet in this series! I love how all of the characters have depth and even those whose issues have been covered (and dealt with) in previous books continue to have problems... it's not as if just dealing with something one time suddenly rids you of the issue, and I like that the main character realistically just feels angry or resentful towards people, or is sometimes mean to his friends, lacks patience or understanding when he's tired, etc. Obviously, these aren't "good" things, but they are real things; everyone has these faults and pretending you never make an error is far worse. I'd even go so far as to say that the villain's true worst quality is his pride. (Well, and obviously his desire for vengeance.)
I loved seeing Yasha again (not much of him in the previous book) and with the crazy revelations of this book, I think that the story will continue to go to interesting places! Like Cyril, I think readers will hope Keyes can be saved despite everything. It is also clear that something bigger is wrong in the world, and I think the author wants to make a point about whether ends justify the means when it comes to doing something about it. Also that people go down bad roads and cause damage to one another, to themselves, and to the world, not because they are naturally evil or something simple like that, but because of some combination of good intentions, delusions of grandeur, pride, things that have happened to them, and so on. Not just the villain, but also other characters in the book clearly have the same issues (if less extreme). Why do people do the things they do or make the decisions they make? Is there some point beyond which someone cannot change, or forgiveness is not possible? I like that these types of important philosophical questions drive the plot.
Tons of crazy and exciting things occurred throughout the book, so when I had only one or two chapters left I went to bed, thinking, "wow, that climax was crazy, but I've finally gotten through all the surprises... I'll deal with the denouement in the morning" and OMG. How could there be so much more in such a short space?! It also reminds me of why I hate reading unfinished book series... regardless of whether or not there's a cliffhanger (in this case, there kind of is), if I love a world and its characters, I don't want to wait to find out what happens to them! Not only will I have to wait a whole year (or more!) for the next book, but it seems obvious that things will only become more intense and then I'll have to wait ANOTHER 2-3 years for the rest of the books! Honestly, I'd hold off on reading the rest until they are all out, but I know I don't have the patience for that.
I was thinking of recommending this series to a friend of mine with kids, or a different friend I play Pokemon Go with on weekends, as I think they'd both really enjoy it, but honestly it's hard to recommend an unfinished series to someone when it's this exciting... It feels bad to have to wait in these cases. I don't blame the author - creating stories takes time and there's no way around that - but I might have to hold off on recommending the books to others until at least 6 (of 7) are released so that at worst, we can discuss stuff and wait for the ending together.
ALSO: I'm tired of seeing Harry Potter referenced by everyone. I mean, I understand why - orphaned boy discovers world of magic, makes 2 best friends (a girl and a boy), and becomes powerful unique magic user with personal connection to villain - but I feel like those are very common tropes in YA lit of the past 75 years (as well as in manga/anime, which have all the same tropes). It makes me wonder if people just aren't reading any other books. This is like comparing EVERY book with a love story to Romeo and Juliet... Yes that is famous and influential and all that, but you DO see all the differences, right? And you are aware there are loads of other love stories, even other love stories with the exact same main idea, right?
I feel like the things that make this series similar to HP are its most generic traits, whereas the things I actually like about it - its character development (especially of the "villainous" characters and all the adults), all the cute animals, how thoughtful and gentle its advice for the young is - are not things it has in common with HP. It makes me wonder if these people compare literally every YA book they read that has a magical society to HP.
LASTLY, I know it is a vain hope, but I wish that one thing readers (the young, but also anyone else) would take away from this book is: do not write down important secret shit in plain text unless you are okay with someone finding it. While nothing bad has happened (yet), I feel confident that Barclay spilling his all his most terrible secrets in a series of letters is gonna bite him in the ass later in this series.
I don't know how many diaries, letters, secret emails, private text messages, etc it's gonna take for people to understand that if you don't want secrets to be revealed THEN YOU CAN'T WRITE THEM DOWN ANYWHERE. In our digital world where privacy is becoming harder to maintain this is an especially important thing to be aware of. I understand that sometimes there is no other way to tell someone something, but in that case, BE MORE FUCKING CAREFUL. I doubt this is the author's intended message but frankly IT SHOULD BE, because I am weary of the real-world problems I see every day because people can't seem to grasp that just telling other people to respect your privacy is not effective.
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