Elegant and atmospheric, yet restrained and well-paced. Unlike lots of teen magical/gothic/mystery sorts of supernatural tales that throw you into the action from the get-go, this book is a slow burner that builds up tension and mystery while dropping clues and suggestions of where it's headed. There isn't any early declaration about who is a Chosen One and there isn't any obvious macguffin. It's not even clear what sort of magic is going on, who the opposing forces are, or who is or isn't the "villain". That's all fine because our hero is a perceptive and engaging sort who dithers at first, but basically has his wits about him and so draws us into his complicated situation. The supporting characters have distinct and shifting sorts of personalities, which contributes to keeping our hero, and the reader, off balance. The buildup of creepy atmosphere, and introduction of doubt and dread is understated, but exceptionally effective for all that. And once things get up and running, the tale becomes gripping and quite satisfying. A wonderful and entertaining find.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

How often did I want an unknown relative to whisk me away to a secret mansion when I was a kid/teen? So often. Tom, who would otherwise be spending his summer at boarding school, is thrilled when he gets a letter from an unknown uncle inviting him to stay at his farm for the summer. But as Tom gets to know the land and the people that live there, he realizes that not everything is as it seems, and Tom has a difficult to choice to make.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book. I enjoyed exploring this place just as much as Tom did. There were secrets and twists to discover around every corner. I enjoyed the mysteries as well. I think the best part of the book was the relationships forged between the characters. I also thought the addition of the dialects spoken by the characters lent a great authenticity to the characters. Dialects aren't done as often as they used to be and it was so fun to read in the characters' voices.

Great read for fantasy and mystery fans!

A mysterious uncle comes out of the woodwork and invites Tom, our orphaned main character, to visit for the holidays. The storyline was fun and had a few twists and turns but overall it just didn't have me wanted more. It was easy to put down the book and not pick it back up. I think the potential was there - it just didn't deliver.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This book started off good and had interesting characters. There were some twists and turns but after a bit; it was hard to get back into.

Wildlord was an interesting story about a boy who lost his family but came across a mysterious uncle who may seem too good to be true.

I loved the magical elements and how the story had a very dark twist. The characters were likeable. I do wish there would have been more flashbacks so the older characters could have had more of the spotlight as I found their stories a bit more interesting.

Overall, it was an alright read! Definitely a good one to read during spooky season.

Wildlord has a weird and whimsical plot that caught my attention immediately. Unfortunately I never felt connected with these characters.

Sixteen year old Tom is on the precipice of a long and boring summer. As an orphan he is destine to spend his break staying at his boarding school. Just as he loses all hope of a eventful break a mysterious letter arrived from a his Uncle. Tom has never met his Uncle James but jumps at the chance to spend his summer holiday at the families Farm. Tom soon learns that the farm has secrets of it's own and that the saner choice might have been his previous mundane summer plans!

Wildord kept me engaged the entire time. It is an easy read with wonderful pacing. I simply didn't find any deep connection with the story or characters....it's sadly the type of a story that will be soon forgotten after this review. If you are looking for a light whimsical read this could absolutely work for you though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy.

Spooky light. I unfortunately DNFed because I found the writing to be lacking a fluidity that keeps me hooked.

I was loving this book and got halfway through before I decided to read the summary for a refresher. That’s when I read that the author summarized the entire plot. Everything. So, I stopped since he tells us what happens and how it ends.

I really wanted to like this book and I did, to a point. It’s a very whimsical tale with interesting magical concepts, but the writing felt less like a flowing river and more like a staccato beat which made it difficult for me to stay engaged.

Thanks very much for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

Wildlord follows an orphaned boy at a boarding school who gets swept into a fantasy world of magic and evil forces, which sounds like everything I love. The mystery was quite compelling, but for some reason I could not get invested in the characters or the plot and I found myself just turning pages.

It was written in a really classic fantasy style - may be perfect for Narnia fans, or the underrated Here There Be Dragons.

It wasn't for me, but it certainly wasn't bad!

A young man receives an unexpected invitation from an unexpected and unknown relative and soon finds himself living in a strange place filled with supernatural beings. Tom Swinton thought he was an orphan, so when he receives a letter from his unknown uncle requesting he come spend time with him Tom is all to happy to escape his boarding school and reconnect with family. Tom is invited to spend time in his uncle Jame’s Suffolk Farm but when he gets there he senses something is wrong..., he’ll have to figure out whether the threat is coming from outside or within the farm. Along the way he finds a mysterious diary and he begins to unravel the mysterious in the farm as well as his own choices... whether it be between power or freedom? While this was a teen fantasy with mystery and magic and a bit of romance, it just didn’t hit the mark for me. Though it didn’t work for me definitely give it a go.

*Thanks Netgalley and Little Island Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you, Little Island Books, for allowing me to read Wildlord early!

This novel was quite the surprise. Exciting and with a nice pace, I ended up enjoying very much.

Tom is an orphan, looking bleakly towards another summer spent alone at his boarding school when he suddenly receives a very strange note from a boy that disappears into thin air. The note is an invitation to stay with an uncle Tom's not entirely sure exists, but his curiosity is peaked. Once he makes it to his uncle's manor, Tom must unravel a mystery full of magic that intertwines past and present.

I really loved Philip Womack's prose in Wildlord, it did an amazing job gently weaving a fascinating mystery! This book feels like it blends the lines between middle grade and young adult, but in a way that feels natural. The plot, too, was fascinating and felt very original. I'm not sure I've ever experienced a YA book that nails the gothic feeling Wildlord does.

One of the small things that bothered me in this manuscript was the formatting. I didn't notice any glaring errors except for the punctuation each time a character spoke, because it was only capped by a single quotation mark not a double quotation mark. I'm not sure if this was a stylistic intent or not but it did irritate me. It, however, wasn't enough to deter my overall love of reading this!

Since this was the first book I've read from this author, I'm excited to delve into more of his work to see if the rest delivers as much as this did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Island Books for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

I thought Wildlord was a fantastic YA story. It really hit all the marks for me, likable characters, interesting world-building, and an intriguing plot. As Thomas learns more and more about why his uncle Jack had sent for him it becomes clear that Jack is not at all what he seems. I really loved how the relationship grew between Kit, Thomas, and Zita. His struggles in choosing freedom versus power are well-written and thoughtful. The mysterious Samdhya turn out to be super interesting. While there were a few unanswered questions at the end, I thought overall it was great, and look forward to reading more by this author.

This was a great suspenseful novel, it worked well as a teen novel and I think adults would enjoy this too. The characters were well written and I enjoyed getting to know them. I enjoyed the way Philip Womack writes but I had enjoyed another book of his The Arrow of Apollo, so I kinda expected this to be well done.

"Who knows?’ answered Zita. ‘Their ways are mysterious. As she says – they see everything at once. Jack had held the Captive already for two hundred years or so by this point – maybe Rohenga thought Margaret could help him release her."