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The Dark Fable #2
The Wild Dark
One last heist. One last chance at revenge.
Once an outcast and an orphan, Evie Wilder now finds herself as the new leader of the Dark Fable. But the secret group of globetrotting thieves is not the prestigious magical crew it once was, after suffering losses in their last heist. Evie must plan their next series of thefts carefully, to keep them alive until they can regain their strength and reharness the demons that control their unique magic.
But the Basilisk--the most ruthless criminal in their dark world--is set on destroying the Dark Fable. Only one of them can win, and Evie's best chance requires a dangerous alliance between an arch enemy and a former friend . . .
In this heart-pounding finale, loyalties are tested, and no one is safe as the Dark Fable plans their biggest heist yet.
Once an outcast and an orphan, Evie Wilder now finds herself as the new leader of the Dark Fable. But the secret group of globetrotting thieves is not the prestigious magical crew it once was, after suffering losses in their last heist. Evie must plan their next series of thefts carefully, to keep them alive until they can regain their strength and reharness the demons that control their unique magic.
But the Basilisk--the most ruthless criminal in their dark world--is set on destroying the Dark Fable. Only one of them can win, and Evie's best chance requires a dangerous alliance between an arch enemy and a former friend . . .
In this heart-pounding finale, loyalties are tested, and no one is safe as the Dark Fable plans their biggest heist yet.
400 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2025
4 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Harbour
13 books248 followersThe author of The Dark Fable, Thorn Jack, Briar Queen, and Nettle King. (The Children of Night and Nothing series) Pretty good Painter and terrible gardener. Loves Faery, the Gothic, Victorian writers, the female surrealists, botany, and myth & folklore. My aunt once dated a Beatle, my father loved to read Mark Twain, and, if I was brave enough, I'd explore all those haunted woods and houses.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 10, 2025
~ ARC provided by Edelweiss in exchange for my honest opinion ~
Welcome back to the world of the Dark Fable. The allure of its glittering darkness dazzle me in this duology. Despite emerging from the challenges posed by Mother and Father, the crew hasn’t come through entirely unscathed. With Evie now at the helm and even greater stakes at play, one must wonder: will her siblings ever find safety? Will the gang forever be on the run? Just like in the first installment, this crew unites once more, pushing the limits of their magic and testing their loyalties to the brink.
Welcome back to the world of the Dark Fable. The allure of its glittering darkness dazzle me in this duology. Despite emerging from the challenges posed by Mother and Father, the crew hasn’t come through entirely unscathed. With Evie now at the helm and even greater stakes at play, one must wonder: will her siblings ever find safety? Will the gang forever be on the run? Just like in the first installment, this crew unites once more, pushing the limits of their magic and testing their loyalties to the brink.
February 25, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Wild Dark by Katherine Harbour is a third person multi-POV YA contemporary fantasy sequel to The Dark Fable. After losing Jason to Cirian, Evie and her crew need to plan their next series of heists. Traveling around the world to acquire Pandora’s Jar, they run into Jason and the Basilisk who will not rest until it destroys their group once and for all.
I requested this book without realizing that it is a sequel and I do feel that I needed the first book to fully understand everything that is going on. Some series you can just read the sequel and pick things up, but Katherine Harbour obviously did a lot of the heavy-lifting in The Dark Fable and went full steam ahead in The Wild Dark. There’s nothing wrong with that and some readers definitely do prefer that style. All it really means for the sake of my review is that I can’t say if the relationships felt like they had a big payoff and I will heavily encourage any reader looking at this book to read The Dark Fable first.
Of the three main POVs, I did prefer Evie’s, who we spend the most time with. Evie is trying to hold everything together but she’s willing to admit when she has a false impression or when she’s struggling, even if it’s only to herself. I can tell that she has a lot of respect for her crew but has a lot of frustration with the loss of Jason and his insistence that he was abandoned in the first book. There’s also a bit of a sense of wonder which vaguely reminded me of Inkheart, which is probably my favorite Middle Grade fantasy of all time. I will be keeping an eye on Katherine Harbour’s work in the future because I have been so hungry for a book that reminds me of Inkheart.
What I really liked was the mixing of fairy tales and Greek mythology. One doesn’t overpower the other and it feels subtle enough where nothing feels shoehorned in. There’s a unicorn and portals and Pandora’s Jar which are all such big parts of the Western fantasy canon and it’s fun to see them played with in new ways. It’s really hard to mix sources together because they have such a strong coding to their native cultures, so the leads traveling around the world definitely helped to sell it.
I would recommend this to fans of The Dark Fable and readers looking for a fantasy heist that takes place in our world in the modern day
The Wild Dark by Katherine Harbour is a third person multi-POV YA contemporary fantasy sequel to The Dark Fable. After losing Jason to Cirian, Evie and her crew need to plan their next series of heists. Traveling around the world to acquire Pandora’s Jar, they run into Jason and the Basilisk who will not rest until it destroys their group once and for all.
I requested this book without realizing that it is a sequel and I do feel that I needed the first book to fully understand everything that is going on. Some series you can just read the sequel and pick things up, but Katherine Harbour obviously did a lot of the heavy-lifting in The Dark Fable and went full steam ahead in The Wild Dark. There’s nothing wrong with that and some readers definitely do prefer that style. All it really means for the sake of my review is that I can’t say if the relationships felt like they had a big payoff and I will heavily encourage any reader looking at this book to read The Dark Fable first.
Of the three main POVs, I did prefer Evie’s, who we spend the most time with. Evie is trying to hold everything together but she’s willing to admit when she has a false impression or when she’s struggling, even if it’s only to herself. I can tell that she has a lot of respect for her crew but has a lot of frustration with the loss of Jason and his insistence that he was abandoned in the first book. There’s also a bit of a sense of wonder which vaguely reminded me of Inkheart, which is probably my favorite Middle Grade fantasy of all time. I will be keeping an eye on Katherine Harbour’s work in the future because I have been so hungry for a book that reminds me of Inkheart.
What I really liked was the mixing of fairy tales and Greek mythology. One doesn’t overpower the other and it feels subtle enough where nothing feels shoehorned in. There’s a unicorn and portals and Pandora’s Jar which are all such big parts of the Western fantasy canon and it’s fun to see them played with in new ways. It’s really hard to mix sources together because they have such a strong coding to their native cultures, so the leads traveling around the world definitely helped to sell it.
I would recommend this to fans of The Dark Fable and readers looking for a fantasy heist that takes place in our world in the modern day
September 19, 2025
2 stars.
Our gang is back with a small heist. Ciaran’s back for revenge, and Jason — alive but changed — now hates Evie and is working with Ciaran.
They try to steal the Pandora Jar but get trapped, the Basilisk hunts them, and betrayals keep coming — the priest steals the mirror, Charm tricks them, and they nearly drown. Charm turns out to be Evie’s half-brother, has feelings for Dev, and gets captured again. A huge messy chaos!
Meanwhile, Evie and Jason — my least favorite characters — are suddenly kissing and sleeping together?! Didn’t he hate her like two hours ago? Plot flow, hello??
Half this book was Evie running after her siblings only for them to be kidnapped or threatened over and over. The romance was flat, the action rushed, and we still got no Ciaran backstory or Mad development.
Overall, this was a chaotic mess — constantly jumping from one action scene to the next. The characters didn’t shine as I hoped (especially Mad, my favorite!), and I hated how Ciaran’s ending was handled. I went in with a little hope that this would improve after book one — but sadly, it felt worse.
Our gang is back with a small heist. Ciaran’s back for revenge, and Jason — alive but changed — now hates Evie and is working with Ciaran.
They try to steal the Pandora Jar but get trapped, the Basilisk hunts them, and betrayals keep coming — the priest steals the mirror, Charm tricks them, and they nearly drown. Charm turns out to be Evie’s half-brother, has feelings for Dev, and gets captured again. A huge messy chaos!
Meanwhile, Evie and Jason — my least favorite characters — are suddenly kissing and sleeping together?! Didn’t he hate her like two hours ago? Plot flow, hello??
Half this book was Evie running after her siblings only for them to be kidnapped or threatened over and over. The romance was flat, the action rushed, and we still got no Ciaran backstory or Mad development.
Overall, this was a chaotic mess — constantly jumping from one action scene to the next. The characters didn’t shine as I hoped (especially Mad, my favorite!), and I hated how Ciaran’s ending was handled. I went in with a little hope that this would improve after book one — but sadly, it felt worse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2025
The Wild Dark is a masterclass in delivering a satisfying series conclusion. It amplifies everything that worked in the first book, the found family dynamics, the inventive magic system tied to art and artifice, the lush, atmospheric settings, and wraps it in a higher-octane, more emotionally resonant package. Katherine Harbour proves herself a compelling architect of YA fantasy, capable of weaving together action, heart, and a touch of the mythic. This duology is a must-read for fans of Six of Crows, The Gilded Wolves, and anyone who loves a story where the greatest heist is stealing back one's own future.
June 21, 2025
I really liked these stories, and this conclusion was really good! I wanted a little more into the story of Ciaran, I don’t want to say any spoilers, but there is more to this guy I just know it! I hope The Wild Dark is not a complete conclusion, even though it did wrap nicely here. If you read past the acknowledgments there is a taste of Ciarans origin story and I gasped at the end! I enjoy Katherine’s fast paced writing style, there is no room for fillers. She keeps it going adventure after adventure.
January 30, 2025
Short, fun and an excellent prequel to a series that will absolutely delight readers. Silvana G. Sanchez is a such a fun and descriptive writer. Her stories are unique and interesting and always fun to read - even if dark acadamia.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 20, 2025
I'm not going to lie, this was not as good as the first one. it was fun to read and full of the same magical heist stuff as the first, but I think there was just too many plot points packed into one thing that it felt hard to follow. there were too many moving pieces and predictable twists. idk I just think this could have been two books and written better.
January 27, 2025
Look for my review in School Library Journal
September 25, 2025
Beni çok yordun dostum… her an bir şeyler olduğu için 1 yıl yaşlandım seni editlerken bir süre görüşmeyelim!! Şaka şaka güzeldi bayaaaa
October 24, 2025
The conclusion of this duo logo did not disappoint. Evie Wilder has grown into her role as leader of La Fable Sombre. I loved the new members of the crew Knife and Charm. Again, I’m struck by Ms. Harbour’s ability, thru her writing, to put the reader right in the middle of every scene. The settings, the costumes and the evolution of the crew’s understandings of their companions and affinities really shone through. There is sadness, loss and yet great love and found connections in story. To me this was the perfect ending to a world I could visit frequently. I’m left a bit sad that the story is now complete.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews