Krysta Tawlks’ novel Wilderoot is a YA, historical urban fantasy set around the 1900s. In California, a few people have magical abilities, mostly involving shapeshifting. For prejudicial and other reasons, certain humans hunt those imbued with magic. The hunters want the gifted to reject their magic abilities or suffer the penalty, implied as putting them to death.
Wilderoot’s main character is Valora, a girl who can transform into a stag. She is running north with her family, attempting to escape the hunters on their trail. She and her brother, mother, and grandmother have befriended a family in Salinas, and while they would like to stay, they cannot linger. The book opens with the hunters catching up to Valora’s family and capturing all but her. From there, the main thrust of the book is Valora gathering a group of disparate heroes and attempting to rescue her family.
Wilderoot is the sequel to Children of the Wild, a fantastic fantasy novel of its own. I enjoyed the unique setting in this and the prior novel. Most urban fantasies take place in urban areas (often East Coast, U.S.A. or L.A.) in the present. It’s a breath of fresh air to find one at the turn of the twentieth century among California’s farmlands, like a magical Steinbeck novel. Valora was an important side character in Children of the Wild. She certainly was the most memorable besides the main character, Elbert. Elbert appears in Wilderoot as well, along with a few other characters from the prior novel, but mostly this novel introduces a new plot and new characters.
Wilderoot is an exciting book. Whether the characters are attempting daring escapes, chasing each other, or carrying another to save their lives, the plot doesn’t disappoint. Most YA novels shy away from complex characters, but this one has deep protagonists and antagonists in spades. Valora is spirited yet also grounded. She’s family-focused yet gives her heart to her friends. Other minor characters, such as Robert and Genie, have mysterious motives. Even at the end, I wondered if a third book might make their actions more clear. The book surprised me multiple times in a good way.
If Children of the Wild and Wilderoot is a duology, then it has told its story well, and everything has come to a conclusion. If Wilderoot is the middle of a trilogy or a series, it’s achieved its purpose even better. Often middle books leave cliffhangers and too much unresolved. This novel walks the tightrope of a satisfying ending but leaving the reader wanting to return to its world.
Wilderoot is a splendid novel. Whether you’re a young adult or not, the narrative will draw you in, and the characters and settings will stay in your memory long after you’ve finished the epilogue.