Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

As witches scheme to break her family apart, a young mixed-race Irish girl must rescue her father and risk losing her mother.Pearl "Mup" Taylor first spies the raggedy witches the night that Aunty dies. Long ago, Aunty brought Mup's white-presenting mother across the border into the mundane world to protect her from her mother—Aunty's sister—the queen of the Glittering Land. But when Aunty dies, witches kidnap Mup's human, Nigerian-Irish father as he's on his way back from a North Sea oil rig in order to lure the queen's heir, Mup's mother, back across the border. Danger lurks everywhere as Mup, her mother, little brother, and Aunty's ghost stage a rescue mission—and as the power of magic steadily calls to her mother, Mup fears she will lose her entire family in the Glittering Land. Kiernan has crafted something at once familiar and delightfully surprising with this fantasy quest. Like biting into an unassuming brownie to discover it has a heart of Nutella, Mup's narrative has all the hallmarks of a traditional misadventure with the fairy folk, but the unusual deployment of the "chosen one" trope, a plot-driving interweave of magic and family tension, and ineffably Irish elements of worldbuilding and characterization deliver readers an unexpected twist of richness.It's fortunate a trilogy is planned, for readers will surely demand more of Mup. (Fantasy. 8-12)

ALA Booklist (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

From the author of Into the Grey? (2014) comes this exciting first adventure in the Wild Magic trilogy. When Aunty dies, everything changes: Mup sees the witches for the first time. When they take her father, Mup must journey with her mam, her baby brother, and her dog, Badger, into another world to save him. Along the way, Mup uncovers family secrets and the cold reality of the Witches Borough. While the adult characters, from Mup's perspective, are often cold or distant, and the witches' rule brings darkness, the story isn't without its lighthearted moments; Mup's brother (who becomes a dog) offers comic relief with his playful and innocent personality. Crow, a raven who can only speak in rhymes, may resonate with readers the most, as he struggles with speech and with his anger toward adults for letting him down. Kiernan finds magic in music, rhyme, and freedom of speech in this brilliant adventure into another world.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

To save their family, Mup, her mam, and her baby brother cross a magical border into the realm of witches; there Mup discovers secrets about her heritage as well as another side of herself. Kiernan creates a rich new story in the fantasy tradition, with familiar tropes such as human-animal transformations and rhyming riddles alongside fresher elements (including a dark-skinned protagonist). Readers will look forward to the projected sequels.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

As witches scheme to break her family apart, a young mixed-race Irish girl must rescue her father and risk losing her mother.Pearl "Mup" Taylor first spies the raggedy witches the night that Aunty dies. Long ago, Aunty brought Mup's white-presenting mother across the border into the mundane world to protect her from her mother—Aunty's sister—the queen of the Glittering Land. But when Aunty dies, witches kidnap Mup's human, Nigerian-Irish father as he's on his way back from a North Sea oil rig in order to lure the queen's heir, Mup's mother, back across the border. Danger lurks everywhere as Mup, her mother, little brother, and Aunty's ghost stage a rescue mission—and as the power of magic steadily calls to her mother, Mup fears she will lose her entire family in the Glittering Land. Kiernan has crafted something at once familiar and delightfully surprising with this fantasy quest. Like biting into an unassuming brownie to discover it has a heart of Nutella, Mup's narrative has all the hallmarks of a traditional misadventure with the fairy folk, but the unusual deployment of the "chosen one" trope, a plot-driving interweave of magic and family tension, and ineffably Irish elements of worldbuilding and characterization deliver readers an unexpected twist of richness.It's fortunate a trilogy is planned, for readers will surely demand more of Mup. (Fantasy. 8-12)