Willa of the Wood is the first book in the new Willa series by Robert Beatty. It is set in the same world as his Serafina series, and you will see some overlap, but it is not necessary to have read one series to enjoy the other. However, I absolutely loved the other series, so I recommend reading it regardless.
Willa, a young nightspirit of the Great Smoky Mountains, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the homes of day-folk in the cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work because the day-folk tend to kill whatever they do not understand. But when Willa's curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in a day-folk man's home, everything she thought she knew about her people, her enemy, and those she thought she could trust is forever changed.
Willa of the Wood is the start of another adventure in a fantasy series based on legends and the landscape of the Smokey Mountains. Like Serafina, Willa is a very special girl, but she is no Catamount. Willa is a Faeran girl, and she has some magic all her own. She can blend in with her surroundings and has a special connection to the world around her. However, the traditions of her people are changing and her kind are fading away, losing their gifts and dying out- partly because of their own actions. She is trying to come to terms with the world around her and understand how the day-folk are different from her, and through the kindness of Nathaniel, how much they have in common. She has to come to terms with herself, and the world around her. I found the read to be engaging and one that I had trouble putting down, or letting go of when I finished the book. Willa, Nathaniel, and the other characters were all very well built. The environment of the Great Smokey Mountains was extremely well described, and the flora and fauna were just as real as the landscape and people destroying it in the story. My only problem is that I just want more, but I do not want to rush the author because I want this level of quality story to continue.
Willa of the Wood is a wonderful start to a new series, and a return to Serafina's world. It is just as suspenseful and engaging but carries a little more brightness and hope than the Serafina. This is a wonderful middle grade read. I had some serious trouble putting it down, and serious binge read it over a weekend around picnics and family activities.
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