The Forest of a Thousand Eyes
{4.5/5} “Everything he said sounded fantastical and unreal. The sea was little more than a myth, and the idea of crossing it to another land was the stuff of childish dreams. But next to Feather sat a man who had been walking the Wall, so everything was possible.”
The Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge, published in 2024
Feather lives in the Wall, like everyone else — her community’s part of the Wall is called Greyman’s Gate. The Forest takes up all the space that’s not the Wall and it’s dangerous. She thought no one went from one part of the Wall to another, until she met Merildun. She borrowed the headman’s spyglass so she could show it to Merildun. When Merildun has it in his hands, he pushes her off the Wall.
This is a short story — it’s been published in a nice edition with illustrations by Emily Gravett.
It’s about persistence, learning about your world, and what can happen when the Forest has an effect on the creatures within it. It’s about what you can do when you work together.
This is the 1st book I’ve read by Hardinge.