Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt

In the most thrilling fantasy of the year, a young girl must pretend to be a boy to rescue 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.
 

• A 2019 CBCA Notable Book of the Year for Younger Readers
• Longlisted for the 2020 ABDA Awards: Best Designed Children's/Young Adult Series

“'In this Australian trilogy opener, a girl infiltrates an all-male monster hunting organization to save her abducted brother. Cautious Ottilie has always followed her brother, Gully, who--though almost two years her junior--is the more confident and daring of the two. They live with their neglectful mother in abject poverty on the fringes of civilization in the Swamp Hollows. When Gully fails to come home one night, Ottilie learns of boys going missing and sets off to save her brother. To follow him, she must disguise herself as a boy and sneak into the midst of another group of abductees. After Ottilie, masquerading as Ott, arrives at the Narroway--a place none of them have ever heard of--she's reunited with Gully and told that the boys have been specially selected to serve in the Narroway Hunt to protect their kingdom's border from dangerous, monstrous dredretches. Only Gully and a female sculkie friend (while boys are huntsmen, girls can only be servants) know of Ottilie's secret as she plots an escape while also falling deeper into Narroway culture, seeing horrors and coming to embrace the mission's importance. Exquisite worldbuilding keeps a strong sense of discovery and balances the appeal of the huntsman's life with the deeply unfair society and hints of conspiracies afoot. Amid thrilling action, plot threads set up the next installment. A must-read for fans of the genre.' - Kirkus (Starred review) 'Imaginative, fearsome and exciting. I loved it.' - Judith Rossell, author of the bestselling Stella Montgomery Intrigue series 'Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt is the first middle-grade novel to win Hardie Grant Egmont's Ampersand Prize, and it seems destined to be one of those award-winners that also captures the hearts of its audience. It takes the familiar path of the 'apprenticeship plot' often found in fantasy-adventure, but it also explores deeper questions about fairness, gender and friendship, making for a highly enjoyable read. The world-building is original and pared back enough so that it never distracts from the story. This is a great book to put into the hands of Ranger's Apprentice or Song of the Lioness fans aged nine to 12.' - Holly Harper, Bookseller + Publisher ' 'If you know a fantasy-adventure fan, they NEED to check out Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt . This middle grade novel is action-packed! From start to finish, it's a fast-paced, addictive ride. It grips you from the first chapter, spreading tendrils of mystery into your brain, holding you captive until you reach the very last page. Filled with gruesome monsters, fantastical beasts and life or death challenges, its uniqueness is thrilling. Kids are going to love the mysteries and intrigue, and they will be HUGE fans of the action and adventure that never ever stops. The characters, too, are strong, real and relatable. They are characters with sass, inner strength, courage and strong ideals. They are characters every reader is going to want to be. Rhiannon Williams is a master of words, and this amazing new series is one to grab onto now so you can be part of what is sure to be a middle-grade sensation.' - Shaye Wardrop, Kids' Book Review”

'In this Australian trilogy opener, a girl infiltrates an all-male monster hunting organization to save her abducted brother.
Cautious Ottilie has always followed her brother, Gully, who—though almost two years her junior—is the more confident and daring of the two. They live with their neglectful mother in abject poverty on the fringes of civilization in the Swamp Hollows. When Gully fails to come home one night, Ottilie learns of boys going missing and sets off to save her brother. To follow him, she must disguise herself as a boy and sneak into the midst of another group of abductees. After Ottilie, masquerading as Ott, arrives at the Narroway—a place none of them have ever heard of—she’s reunited with Gully and told that the boys have been specially selected to serve in the Narroway Hunt to protect their kingdom’s border from dangerous, monstrous dredretches. Only Gully and a female sculkie friend (while boys are huntsmen, girls can only be servants) know of Ottilie’s secret as she plots an escape while also falling deeper into Narroway culture, seeing horrors and coming to embrace the mission’s importance. Exquisite worldbuilding keeps a strong sense of discovery and balances the appeal of the huntsman’s life with the deeply unfair society and hints of conspiracies afoot. Amid thrilling action, plot threads set up the next installment.
A must-read for fans of the genre.'
– Kirkus (Starred review)

'Imaginative, fearsome and exciting. I loved it.'
– Judith Rossell, author of the bestselling Stella Montgomery Intrigue series'Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt is the first middle-grade novel to win Hardie Grant Egmont’s Ampersand Prize, and it seems destined to be one of those award-winners that also captures the hearts of its audience. It takes the familiar path of the ‘apprenticeship plot’ often found in fantasy-adventure, but it also explores deeper questions about fairness, gender and friendship, making for a highly enjoyable read. The world-building is original and pared back enough so that it never distracts from the story. This is a great book to put into the hands of Ranger’s Apprentice or Song of the Lioness fans aged nine to 12.'
– Holly Harper, Bookseller + Publisher 

''If you know a fantasy-adventure fan, they NEED to check out Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt. This middle grade novel is action-packed! From start to finish, it's a fast-paced, addictive ride. It grips you from the first chapter, spreading tendrils of mystery into your brain, holding you captive until you reach the very last page.
Filled with gruesome monsters, fantastical beasts and life or death challenges, its uniqueness is thrilling. Kids are going to love the mysteries and intrigue, and they will be HUGE fans of the action and adventure that never ever stops. The characters, too, are strong, real and relatable. They are characters with sass, inner strength, courage and strong ideals. They are characters every reader is going to want to be. 
Rhiannon Williams is a master of words, and this amazing new series is one to grab onto now so you can be part of what is sure to be a middle-grade sensation.'
– Shaye Wardrop, Kids' Book Review

'We loved Ottilie as it’s such an engaging and beautifully written book that has tremendous appeal for children while also—seamlessly!—encouraging them to think deeply about important subjects. Personally, I so appreciated meeting a young heroine who starts off realistically and imperfectly human—a bit uncertain and overwhelmed and not having all the answers already. Journeying with Ottilie to the Narroway and cheering her and the others on through rousing adventures and real transformation was a most gratifying experience. Thank you for this book.'
– Rise: A Feminist Book Project
 

'Imaginative, fearsome and exciting. I loved it.'

– Judith Rossell, author of the bestselling Stella Montgomery Intrigue series

Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt is the first middle-grade novel to win Hardie Grant Egmont’s Ampersand Prize, and it seems destined to be one of those award-winners that also captures the hearts of its audience. It takes the familiar path of the ‘apprenticeship plot’ often found in fantasy-adventure, but it also explores deeper questions about fairness, gender and friendship, making for a highly enjoyable read. The world-building is original and pared back enough so that it never distracts from the story. This is a great book to put into the hands of Ranger’s Apprentice or Song of the Lioness fans aged nine to 12.

Holly Harper is an author and bookseller at Readings Kids

Originally from Taradale, Victoria, Rhiannon Williams now lives and writes in Sydney, sharing an apartment with two friends and the ghost of a cat. She studied English and history at the University of Sydney, and completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours at Flinders University. Rhiannon has a background in theatre and hopes to tell stories until the end of her days. Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt was the first middle-grade novel to win the Ampersand Prize. It is her debut novel. 

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