This collection of novels features areas of wilderness within the pages, acting as a foil for the characters. Wild locations can almost become characters in their own right, they can exist on the edge of society, ready to claim lives or act as shelter. There is always a sharp realisation of the dangers that exist in remote areas, it places more of an urgency on proceedings, unsettles and unnerves. The Mercies takes place on a northerly Norwegian Island in 1617, and while there are some savage shocks in store, the descriptions are truly breathtaking and Kiran Millwood-Hargrave writes with a sensitive and considerate pen. Sal by Mick Kitson is an emotional and beautiful read where two young girls escape the trauma at home into the wilds of Scotland. Chris Hammer’s Opal Country is a stunner, the difficulties of living in a ferocious land sit centre stage and ensure a dynamic strength to the writing. The novels in this collection vary from crime to modern and contemporary, from fantasy to thrillers, all have a connection to the wild that ensures a uniquely compelling atmosphere. Go on, we dare you, enter the wilderness and give yourself up to whatever you may find.