Review: Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt by Rhiannon Williams
Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt by Rhiannon Williams
Published by Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
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Synopsis
In this captivating middle-grade fantasy-adventure, a young girl must save her brother from a secret order of monster hunters.
Ottilie Colter and her brother, Gully, have always fended for themselves. So when Gully goes missing one night, Ottilie sets out to find him – and soon makes a horrible discovery. Gully has been forcibly recruited by the Narroway Hunt, a secretive male-only organisation that hunts savage, blight-spreading monsters called ‘dredretches’.
Disguising herself as a boy, Ottilie infiltrates the Hunt – but quickly realises that taking her brother home won't be easy. Trapped in the heart of the dredretch-infested Narroway, it's impossibly dangerous for them to leave. But as she trains to become a Huntsman alongside her brother, hoping for a chance to escape, how long can she keep her true identity a secret?
From Rhiannon Williams, the first ever middle-grade winner of the Ampersand Prize, comes book one in this bewitching trilogy about friendship, bravery and having the courage to do what’s right. Perfect for fans of Withering-by-Sea by Judith Rossell and A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee.
Review
Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt is a middle-grade fantasy adventure from Australian author Rhiannon Williams (her debut). The first book in a now-completed trilogy, The Narroway Hunt tells the story of Ottilie Colter and her younger brother Gully. Born into abject poverty, the siblings' life in the slums of the Hollow is one where they must work hard for scraps, with barely any support from the adults around them. The story starts with a gentle pace, focusing on establishing Ottilie’s character and the world she lives in. Ottilie and Gully’s relationship is one of deep love and care for each other. In spite of the dreariness of the Hollow, they find fun together. Though two-years older, Ottilie sees herself as following Gully, while he is the one ensuring she is alright. However, when Gully suddenly disappears, it is Ottilie who sets out to rescue him. She discovers his abductors, the secret, and likely terrible, Narroway Hunt, a male-only group that uses children to hunt monsters, and doesn’t hesitate to disguise herself as a boy and join them in order to save her brother.
As the world they know disappears, they are plunged into one of more immediate and violent danger, and the story’s pace picks up, with dramatic monster fights interspersed through the plot. Faced with the reality of what joining the hunt means, Ottilie and Gully must decide whether to attempt escape or accept their new future. Personally I think the slower start and built up pacing works really well, as sometimes character development can get a bit lost within a wild adventure.
The character work in this book was excellent, I loved the cast of characters, and thought Williams did a great job of showing different ways that similar circumstances can impact who people become. I really look forward to this further in the rest of the series. Ottilie was a wonderfully complex character. I really enjoyed how the story showed her complexity, how she is both scared and anxious, but also determined and persistent. The relationship between Gully and Ottilie is also really lovely, it’s nice to see a close sibling relationship, and how their personalities complement each other.
The book has the straight forward elements of a classic fantasy for kids (at a school learning, quest like activities, building up towards something where they begin to question what they’re being taught). Williams adds interesting twists and layers of complexity, including elements that show the reality of the world she’s created, particularly the suffering and poverty throughout the kingdom. These details made an immediate impression without being voyeuristic or patronising. They clearly form a foundation for many of the characters actions and understanding their motivations, particularly as is pointed out, when most of those taken by the Hunt come from such situations. I thought the balance between explaining and showing really suited the middle grade audience without annoying an older reader or detracting from the narrative.
The story shows the ways the boys in particular are manipulated into this situation is clearly articulated early on and Ottilie understands it as manipulation even though she is influenced by aspects of it. While gender discrimination is explored in a very blatant way, it is done well. Williams adds complexity to the obvious element of most people believing girls cannot do what boys can and shows the different ways discriminatory thinking can manifest in different people. There are those who are outright scornful of girls, some (mainly Gully) who can’t understand at all why their contemporaries believe girls are inferior, and many in between. While Ottilie and some of the other children want to prove girls are just as good at fighting and hunting monsters, always lurking is the underlying question of why children of any gender should be expected to do so.
Overall this felt like a really solid start to a series, and I’ve already put the other two books on hold at the library. Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt has some fantastic Tamora Pierce crossed with Diana Wynne Jones vibes, but also I think perfect for any fans of middle-grade fantasy.