Hunters of the Lost City

Kali Wallace has written a truly gripping, nail biting read which grabs you from the first page.
From the start, the unfolding narrative captures your imagination. From the terrifying, magical Feroxes to the heartbreaking apathy of the villagers of Vittoria; this is a tale that will remain with you when it's over.

Packed with shocking twists, frightening monsters, and dark magic, this is a page-turning fantasy adventure about twelve-year-old Octavia who grew up believing the town of Vittoria was the only one left in the world. The sole survivors of a deadly magical war and plague, the people of Vittoria know there’s no one alive outside the town walls—except the terrible monsters that prowl the forest.

But then the impossible happens: Octavia meets another girl beyond the walls, someone who claims to have traveled from far away. Everything she’s ever believed is thrown into question, and there’s no going back.

In her quest for the truth, Octavia discovers a world full of lies, monsters, and magic. She’ll have to use every scrap of her wits and courage to uncover what’s real about her family, her home, and the rest of the world.

Twelve-year-old Octavia grew up believing the town of Vittoria was the only one left in the world. The sole survivors of a deadly magical war and plague, the people of Vittoria know there's no one alive outside the town walls--except the terrible monsters that prowl the forest.
But then the impossible happens: Octavia meets another girl beyond the walls, someone who isn't Vittorian. Everything she's ever believed is thrown into question, and there's no going back.
In her quest for the truth, Octavia discovers a world full of lies, monsters, and magic. She'll have to use every scrap of her skill, wits, and courage to uncover what's real about Vittoria and the rest of the world.

I LOVED this novel!!! I couldn’t put it down! Wallace created a world full of tension, suspicion, friendship, magic, adventure and love that I wanted to be a part of.

Her main protagonist Octavia is a fiesty teenager that won’t be put in her place easily, and is determined to follow her own path irregardless of the rules in her terrified, walled in town of Vittoria. When she comes across Sima (a mysterious stranger from beyond the walls - who isn’t supposed to exist) Octavia’s curiosity and fierce drive to assist Sima in finding her family turns her world upside down as she goes against everything she has ever known to help her new friend.

This novel has so many fantastic themes throughout, filled with enigmatic characters, terrifying monsters and magical settings and was such a fantastic read that I would definitely recommend for children, young adults and grown ups alike.

#bookreviewsbymrsc #huntersofthelostcity #kaliwallace

Kali Wallace’s Hunters of the Lost City is a page-turner! The characters are well-developed and easy to relate to. I am so fond of children’s literature and this book is one of the memorable books I’ve read in this kind of Genre. It’s dystopian and science-fiction theme makes me feel – realistically and metaphorically speaking – I’m escaping into another world where everything makes sense.

The plot is beautifully developed into a remarkable ending that is both interesting and comprehensive to the target audience. The language use, structure, and aesthetics are appropriate to the target readers and a good source of comprehensive language input for non-native speakers of English as well. The way language was used to convey the story is remarkable as it offers the readers ample opportunities to visualize every scene, every character, and every description. The story is also age-appropriate to the younger readers and equally interesting to adult readers like me who love to read children’s literature and middle-grade books.
A highly recommended book, indeed!

Hunters of the Lost City by Kali Wallace is a very engaging adventure fantasy. The story and characters kept my attention through the whole book and this was one I finished in one sitting as I couldn't wait to see where else the author was taking me. This is definitely a book to recommend to all ages.

Thank you NetGalley and Kali Wallace for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honesty review!

This book is about 12yr old Octavia who lives in the walled city of Vittoria, the last city and home to the only survivors from the mass destruction of a Sorcerer's war 50 years ago, and is loathing her 13th birthday when she will have to pick up an apprenticeship with a local crafter instead of becoming what she really wants: a hunter. Despite the dangers of traveling alone outside of Vittoria's walls alone, Octavia escapes the city one afternoon to practice her hunting skills her recently missing-and-presumed-dead sister, Hana, taught her only to be faced with the largest Ferox she has ever seen. Ferox, created by an unnamed Sorcerer, are monsters made up of wood, metal, soil, and EVIL that lurk outside of Vittoria killing unlucky residents caught outside the walls at night. Octavia tries to escape, but is unable to lose the large Ferox that is seconds away from eating her alive when an arrow strikes the Ferox down. An arrow belonging to someone Octavia doesn't recognize...a stranger...someone not from Vittoria. Octavia is suddenly faced with the truth that the world after the war is bigger than she knew, but not everyone in Vittoria is wants this truth to get out.

Wallace's world building is masterful, full of diverse people, experiences, cultures, environments, and magic. The book did not end like a sequel is the plan, but the world is expansive enough that I think it is a possibility.

Super rewarding twist throughout that put some of the thrillers I have read to shame. Some of them were predictable, but the timing of each was perfect and there were no loose ends.

Octavia is lovable, so is Sima, but Rufus...Rufus must be protected at all costs<3

By developing morally grey characters, providing a host of truths and lies, and leaving the ending realistically open, Wallace invited her young readers to consider complex topics such as power, good and evil, and freedom in a magical landscape.

All in all, such a fun, fast-paced middle-grade fantasy that I will likely purchase for my high school library!

Initially, I found this book a little difficult to get into, and to get a handle on the characters, however the main character, Octavia, was interesting from the start. The book encourages questions from the start- what happened to Hana? The repetition of the fact that theirs is the only village that survived the war and of the mysterious creatures which threaten their lives lurking in the dark draw you in and give hints of the mystery that the children are going to experience. This is an exciting, fast moving read suitable for middle grade readers and those in KS3.

This book was a fantastic fantasy read! The world building was complex and definitely meant for older middle grade readers. I loved the descriptions of the ferox and the setting! The magic system was very interesting and the twists and turns kept me guessing what would happen. I love the strength and intelligence that Octavia showed. Sima and Rufus were excellently constructed characters. There were definitely tense and violent moments, which is why I would suggest this only for older middle grade readers, but they will enjoy the journey of Octavia and the city of Vittoria. I loved the voice of this story and loved every moment of the journey of reading it.

The city of Vittoria is the last habitable place in the world after the sorcerers' wars 50 years ago destroyed everything... or at least, that's what Octavia has been told. Despite warnings from her parents and the city council and the threat of monsters ready to tear her apart as soon as the sun sets, Octavia can't help but wander outside the walls, but what she finds there leads her to question everything she's been told.

What a gripping read! The first part of the book was carried beautifully on clever world-building, vivid imagery, emotional moments, and the force of Octavia's character, and just when it was beginning to flag, a mystery crops up that left me scrambling to turn the next page. I liked everything about this book and highly recommend it for middle grade readers who enjoy wizards and mystery, but I suspect it would be perfect for anyone who is intrigued by concepts like power struggles, forbidden magic, and questions of what really is right and wrong.

HUNTERS OF THE LOST CITY is my favorite brand of fantasy. Dark, atmospheric, beautifully written, and oozing with adventure!

It follows Octavia, a tenacious girl living in the last city in the world (or so they think), surrounded by a monster-infested forest. Octavia is determined to be a hunter -- but her plans are derailed when she meets another girl from *outside the city* in the woods one night.

I've read Kali Wallace's MG before, and gah, can she ever WRITE. I felt totally immersed in this exciting, evocative world from the very first chapter and my attention never wavered. Perhaps the second half was slightly weaker than the first, but nevertheless -- this is a MASTERFUL piece of children's fiction. It's fresh and familiar at the same time, and never underestimates its readers.

A hit for sure! I'm already bursting to see what Wallace comes up with next.

It has been fifty years since a terrible war destroyed the world, leaving only a solitary city surrounded by terrifying magical creatures in its wake. Twelve-year-old Octavia has only known the town of Vittoria, its bells, and its rules for her entire life, and she is determined to become a hunter to protect her town from harm. Ever since the death of her sister Hana the previous winter, though, all of Octavia’s formal plans to become a hunter have dissolved—but that does not stop her from continuing to practice the training Hana began while she was alive. One such practice session draws Octavia farther from Vittoria than she planned, and she finds herself directly in the path of a fearsome monster. Octavia’s very survival is in question, and when the dust settles, she begins to realize that the truths she has always believed may not be as substantial as she once thought.

This gripping fantasy adventure is ideally suited to older middle grade readers who are on the precipice of young adult literature. Octavia herself is twelve-years-old and much of the plot focuses on her discovery of the wider world, just as the target audience is sharing similar experiences. The story itself can be read as a metaphor for the protection children receive in their youth falling away as those children become teenagers, and the plot beautifully investigates this inevitable time of growth in an engaging way. Throughout the novel, secrets and lies are presented and dispelled in a pattern that keeps readers guessing from one chapter to the next. It is important to note that readers are given ample opportunity to come to their own conclusions even as the truth is carefully revealed within the narrative; this balance provides readers with a profound sense of satisfaction by the end of the novel.

From world-building to character development to overall storytelling, the writing in this novel is exquisite and helps readers fall head first into the fictional land in which Octavia resides. Each element blends elegantly into the next, and subtle moments of emotional connection enhance the primary mystery being solved. Strong backstories make the moments within the narrative realistic and believable, and readers mirror the characters in wondering where the truth really lies. Like much of history, the truth is found somewhere within the stories that have been passed down, and it requires dedication to dig to its roots. Octavia has the tenacity to do just that, and her story is one that will resonate with older middle grade and newer young adult readers long after the final page is turned. This is a highly recommended addition to fantasy collections for early teen readers.

This was such an unexpected treat of a book!

I had read the description, but hadn't focused on it enough to remember any of the plot, so went in entirely ignorant of what the story was going to be and blimey it started with a bang! Immediately dark and atmospheric, but without revealing too much of what the town of Vittoria's story was or too much of the past. It felt dystopian, brutal and cold, mountains, monsters and threat! Then the author seamlessly wove in themes such coming of age problems, loss, and family all through the eyes of an independent-minded, curious, and intelligent main character who wants more from what life has dealt her, Octavia has so much energy and agency without the author ever over-labouring the point that she needs to make her own choices, or forge her own path, this is all shown rather than told. The downfalls of isolation, and the mechanisms and motives of those who hold power was also really interesting to read, those themes resonated a lot with me after the past two years of pandemic, war, and corruption, and a great way to introduce those themes and discussion points for younger generations

The book felt like the best kind of feminist story, where there are just as many, if not more female characters and are strong, clever, and not lesser in any way, without that being raised as an issue at all. There is no point made about women being as good as, or better than men, they just have equality in this book, and get on with their jobs, lives, or power grabs, and I loved that, Just as naturally a part of this story and world is the relationships, though this is a middle grade, there is lesbian/gay representation relating to main characters, subtle, and beautiful, and not just a sentence related to a side character.

This packs so much into it, while still being very plot-centred, very dark brutal moments, but definitely one of, if not the highlights of my reading year so far! A great Middle-Grade to YA transition book, but also an interesting read for all ages.

Thank you to Netgalley, Quirk books, and Kali Wallace for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.