I am glad I was able to listen to this book through NetGalley.
I would have been disappointed if I would have purchased it.
Honestly I would have never finished it if it were not for needing to review here.
The summary had all the components I like/love in a book.
The book did not deliver for me.
The story bounced around and the narrator did not define the characters with her performance.
If I never here the word slaugh again, it will be too soon. So repetitive
I didn't find the book chilling, haunting or enjoyable.

This one was too boring to finish. I kept waiting for something to happen and eventually listened to my tbr and stopped trying to read it. I recommend skipping this one.

I didn’t like this one and I really should have but I just didn’t like it I think it was me there’s a lot going on in my life right now but who knows

I loved this audiobook. The narrator is amazing and the story is engaging, atmospheric and wonderful.

This is the story of a small island town. The locals have three rules; don't stick your nose where it is not wanted, don't mention the war, and never let your guard down in October. I love the Celtic mythology that is included in the book. It was slow at first, but once it got going I really enjoyed the book.

4 stars.

I really enjoyed this one--both the story and the narrator. I adore the cover. Though I mostly enjoyed it, I did find myself wishing it was a little scarier. I wished that the stakes were a bit higher when it came to the crows--perhaps I listened to the audiobook too quickly and wasn't able to settle into the terror enough, so I don't blame the writing. I may honestly buy my own copy and try to re-read at some point. But, I do think it expertly nailed the gloomy mood--it was vivid and tangible. I loved the heartfelt moments--the growing romance, the care that other townsfolk show each other--and the characterization was strong. Overall, I thought this was a nice blend of gothic, looming, creeping terror and examination of individual and collective trauma. It seemed to ask some of my favorite questions--what do we owe ourselves, each other?--and I very much enjoyed the asking and answering.

I received an ARC of this audiobook by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

The Wild Hunt is a deeply atmospheric historical fiction thriller set on an unnamed windswept Scottish island in the North Sea. While reading the novel, I was reminded of Hitchcock's The Birds, Victorian gothic novels, and the work of Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The Wild Hunt feels like a cold bleak October day, where the clouds hang low in the sky, and you can feel the damp mist thick upon your skin. As someone who is stuck in the sweltering Texas summer, I've been looking for a book that makes me feel like fall is on its way, and The Wild Hunt accomplished that. If you're looking for a book this upcoming autumn that gives you those creepy Halloween vibes without being campy, I recommend giving The Wild Hunt a try.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

A mysterious post WWII historical fiction novel set on a remote, northern, Scottish isle... on audio!? Yes, please!

I was fortunate to receive an ARC audiobook of The Wild Hunt from NetGalley, Emma Seckel, the author, and the publisher, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

This novel grabbed me immediately due to the wonderful writing, along with the uber-talented narrator, Ruth Urquhart. She has a divine Scottish accent that is mysterious, moody, and perfect for the darkly atmospheric setting on this small Scottish isle post WWII. Urquhart was able to seamlessly incorporate various female and male characters, always adding to the sense of realism, mystery and intrigue.

It features a strong female protagonist, Leigh Welles, (me singing: "Hallelujah"!) who is returning to the island from the mainland for her father's unexpected funeral. Leigh originally left behind the heartbreaking and painful memories in her past, including the abandonment of her mother, by moving away. We learn so much about Leigh, through the magical words of Emma Seckel and Urquhart's narration. In fact, the characters are all well created and flushed out throughout this novel.

Following WWII, many men didn't return to this island and the rest of the islanders are depressed and superstitiously naive. There is one man, a pilot, Iain MacTavish, who did return from the war and he seems like he is in a fog most of the time. Rightly so....he is missing the others who weren't as fortunate as he, and is grieving over losing his wife. Iain MacTavish makes a valuable partner to Leigh in this dark, sad, slow-paced, and moody setting.

Here comes the part that many readers will love and others, like me, tremendously didn't or won't enjoy. There are some creepy, dark, mythical bird-like creatures called the "sluagh" (pronounced slu-ahh) who return to the island every fall for a month. As part of a well known Celtic myth, the sluagh, are part demonic spirits and carry away the souls of the recently departed. Imagine an insane influx of these creepy-ass birds on their island due to their lost men in the recent war. (I used to love supernatural and mythical stories at a (younger) age, but I'm at the point now, especially following Covid, where I just crave and love a well-written book. Can be historical fiction, a good mystery and thriller, but just not too dark and/or miserable.) Don't stop reading yet....

This novel has a very slow pace up to this point, setting the stage for another disaster. A teenage boy goes missing on the island. Did the sluagh take him on purpose or by mistake? What will the islanders do? Well, Leigh and Iain aren't going to just sit by and let this go. Their combined quest is what picks up the pace, drama and continued interest in the story. This novel is SO WELL done that I put aside the creepy sluagh and had to finish it.
If you love a good, dark, mythical thriller, this will be right up your alley. Personally, I'd go for the audiobook bonus: the amazing narrator who brings the writer's words to life!

World War II is still fresh in the minds of islands when Leigh makes her way home to attend to her family farm after the untimely death of her father. The mood on the island has become bleaker. Many young men didn't return from the war, and the ones who did have returned changed. October brings the slaugh, raven demon creatures, that haunt the people and their animals. Centuries old Celtic traditions take center stage as the islanders use rituals to stave off the slaugh and hopefully protect their lives. It doesn't work. In the midst of this creepy scary time, a local man, Hugo, goes missing. A former RAF soldier, Ian, and Leigh join up to try and find Hugo, while the rest of the islanders quickly loose interest believing that the slaugh has worked their magic once again and taken the man away. The pace of this novel was slow to start but picked up towards the end of the book as Leigh and Iain come closer to finding out what happened to Hugo. The haunting dark atmosphere was chilling. I found myself googling the Wild Hunt in attempt to learn more about the slaugh and Celtic mythology. I didn't know there was so much lore surrounding the subject matter and that so many different cultures had their own versions.

Pub day: 8-2-2022 - Out Now!

This eerie and atmospheric read is set on a remote Scottish island where each October the Sluagh, bird-like creatures of Celtic legend that are said to carry the souls of the dead, take over the island.

This was chilling at times as we walked the island and learned stories of souls lost during the Second World War. The pace is very slow for the first half of the book and then it picks up substantially. A lot happens in what felt like a short period of time, which made the end fly by.

This has a subcategory of Horror on Goodreads but it didn’t feel like that to me so don’t let that deter you. There’s even some romance in the mix. I enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to seeing what Seckel does next!

If you enjoy a slow burn, small-town drama with some mystical vibes, you’ll most likely enjoy this!

Thank you RB Media and Netgalley for the alc in exchange for an honest review!

Full of atmosphere and captivating characters - The Wild Hunt is hauntingly beautiful. Seckel did a wonderful job weaving magic into the ordinary. As a horror fan, this filled a void that had been lacking in my reading life. Filled with Celtic lore, the dark atmosphere and balance between real and intangible keep the reader wanting more.

Bravo - this was a beautiful masterpiece.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an advanced copy of the audiobook!

On an old island in northern Scotland, October is a cursed month. In October the sluagh visit- a massive murder of crows that are known to carry people away and have become more and more violent in the years since the war. Leigh Welles has returned to the island for the first time in years when her father is found dead amid the rocks. She finds an island vastly changed, but also still stuck in the war- propaganda posters and blackout windows still present despite the decade since Victory over Europe.

When a young boy Leigh viewed as her little brother goes missing after antagonizing the sluagh, she and RAF veteran Iain MacTavish are the only ones who don't give up hope of finding him alive. In the process, Leigh learns how the island has coped with the loss of so many of their boys to the war, an entire generation minus Iain really. Younger brothers left in shadows, parents left adrift with the memory of their sons as their only anchor to reality. The entire town is stuck in a state of limbo while the young children grow up desperate for a change but also with an edge that only comes from loss.

That edge is what drives the teen to do something drastic, and what eventually leads to his disappearance. That same edge led Leigh to Leigh the island to find a grand life in Edinburgh only to feel even more left behind by her brother and a lack of success. Leigh finally finds a stability on her home island, and is determined to end the problems they face in any way she can.

The Wild Hunt is a a beautiful, atmospheric horror about loss, grief, and the power of moving on. Easily one of my favorite books of the year so far, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. A perfect Autumn read that I plan to read again during October.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The narrator was fantastic. The book reminded me a lot of A River Enchanted mixed with Spells for Forgetting. The non-linear timeline was a bit confusing at times, especially with listening to the audiobook and not being able to skip back and forth to remember what was going on. However, it made me think a lot about memory, especially intrusive memories. How they're always at the forefront of your mind and invade whenever something triggers them. And how you remember bits and pieces here and there. This book touched on that really well which I loved. I also loved the war aspect to it. This book is one that has something for everyone -- magical realism, lore, war, exploration of romantic relationships, familial relationships, and friendships, and a great mystery that'll keep you turning the pages.

AAAAA++++++ Very compelling- loved the mystery and intrigue! Plus historical fiction and compelling charecters- recommended read!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was more of a slow burn that before you know it has its hooks in you and is dragging you right along for the ride! Everything unfolding in a very interesting way and I really enjoyed the build up. The narrator did a great job of bringing it all to life.

Our protagonist Leigh has returned to her hometown following the death of her father. She has grieved the death of her mother who left them when Leigh was 10. Her brother, Sam, left soon after and became a soldier, as did most boys from the island due to the start of World War II. Most of these boys would not return, did return and were neither the same mentally and physically or committed suicide. The island is also marred following the conclusion of the war, and have become stuck in their war time routines and grief. It’s at this point that the sluagh crows who are not what they first appear to be and that return to the island every October enter the tale. Historically he wreak havoc on the island for a month but with increasing brutality the past several years. The previous year, the birds had escalated from killing farm animals to two people disappeared, thought to have been taken and killed by the birds.

The birds themselves are terrifying! Not only do they have an other worldly feel to them, travel in groups of 3 and without working take over your house, attack/kill both people and livestock, but there is not much that can be done to prevent their attacks. One such attempt to do just this is met with peril. What follows is a search for a missing boy, an apparition that follows Leigh that may or may not be trust worthy and a budding romance with a gothic triller feel.

While it did take me some time to really get into the book and start feeling like I cared about the story and the characters, about midway through I felt intrigued and in the folklore spirit of the book. I enjoyed the atmospheric feel of the small community in the aftermath of WWII. Not a fast pace book, but a slow burn that was well worth sticking with until the end.

There is a haunting depth to this novel that creeps in along the edges as you read. Leigh has returned home after her father dies to a Scottish island with a dark secret. Steeped in Celtic lore, readers are thrust into a nightmare wrapped in fragile grief and old rituals.

There is a beautifully somber atmosphere to this book. Each character is struggling with different versions of loss after WWII. While some of the prose is set on inner monologue and slow build, it also crafted the connection between character and reader. It's a call to return home and let fly the ghosts that a person wraps themselves in. I loved the message in these pages.

There are some trigger topics that I recommend looking into for those who need to. This is a slow burn with a paranormal appetite. There were a few areas that didnt fully tie together for me but not enough to take away from the story. I wouldn't call the characters likeable but they are genuinely relatable in their pain, loneliness and survival.

Obviously my favorite aspect ties into the slaugh. Curious what those look like? Take a Google gander. I'm not sure if the version in this book is any less creepy in killer crow form. Overall, I enjoyed reading and listening to this book. Ruth Urquhart had a beautiful narrative tone with a rich accent. Some areas needed a little more emotion but I think that may be due to my love of her narrating romance novels.

To my fellow readers who love a darkly atmospheric slow burn that touches on loss, grief and hope... you'll want to add this to your TBR ASAP!

Thank you HighBridge Audio for the gifted ALC and to Tin House for the exciting Goodreads giveaway win!

I enjoyed The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel. It took me a bit to get into the novel if I'm being honest, but once I was fully emerged into the story it was very enjoyable. I love good Celtic lore so this hit that spot beautifully. The characters are complex and I found them very layered where you could love and hate them simultaneously.

Historical Horror is a thing, right?! THE WILD HUNT by Emma Seckel was superbly narrated by Ruth Urquhart. ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 for this extra atmospheric story.

Leigh is called home after her father's unexpected death and is forced to confront the tense family ties she still tenuously holds. Ian McTavish is a RAF veteran and even though WWII is over, he still carries his demons. When a local boy goes missing, in October no less, the Celtic sluagh (Raven-like bird creatures) are blamed and the town seems to be resigned. Leigh and Ian find they can't just let it be and are confronted with the deep darkness.

I have to say, listening was a perfect way to be enveloped in this haunting story. Specifically for the pronunciation of "sluagh." The spelling is pretty spot on for English, but we have a terrible lack of letters for the right sound here. Ruth Urquhart brought out all the Scottish and I am so grateful for her rich vocals.

This story was foray into a bit of folklore for which I am new. I can't say enough about the atmospheric feel of it with the lonely moors, the tense suspense of the sluagh, and all the angst of the human drama undercurrent. I didn't have an expectation other than something new and in the foggy gray mood, and this delivered. A fantastic choice for a fall read, but even better around these fading summer campfires, this book is available August 2.

You will hear more of this as it is an Indie Next pick, a Buzzfeed best historical fiction for summer, one of Crime Reads' most anticipated, Lit Hub best book of summer, and Library Journal top spring/summer debut. Thank you so much, @netgalley and @highbridgeaudio for this Advanced Listening Copy.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC audiobook for an honest review.

The Wild Hunt
by Emma Seckel
Pub Date: 02 Aug 2022

The Wild Hunt was definitely atmospheric...the writing lulls you into a dream like state filled with foggy moors and birdlike creatures. There is some suspense, mystery, and even a little romance.

3 stars