Waywarden by S.A. Harian – Review

Published: July 15, 2024

Publisher: Compass & Fern

Series: Briardark #2

Genre: Horror

Pages: 308 (Kindle)

My Rating: 4 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
In the thrilling second installment of the Briardark series, three paths diverge, uncovering revelations buried within an impossible wilderness.

Separated from her team and haunted by grief, Siena Dupont claws her way through the lightless Briardark in search of an escape. The final threads of her sanity unravel when she realizes The Shadow isn’t the only thing stalking her through the forest’s darkest depths.

Cameron Yarrow has long abandoned her team in pursuit of a ghost from her past. Desperation drives her to the depraved settlement of The Tooth, where a terrifying ritual ensnares her. To survive, she must place her trust in a stranger and embrace the trail of clues to Avery Mathis, the crux of her obsession.

Holden Sharpe refuses to let Siena vanish, even if it means embarrassing himself as a rescue mission amateur. But when a raging wildfire derails the search, he must find another path to the missing researchers—even if it means confronting the boundaries of reality itself.

---

I couldn’t get Briardark, the first book in this series, out of my head after I read it last year and I’ve been dying to get my hands on the sequel ever since. The author reached out and offered me a review copy, which was an immediate and enthusiastic YES from me. Waywarden held on to some of the unsettling LOST vibes, but this time with an unhealthy dose of cult practices.

Waywarden picks up immediately following the events of Briardark. Siena Dupont is following the guidance of the now dead (and much older) Isaac and trying to escape the Briardark, while Cam has wandered off on her own to continue searching for Avery. At the edge of the Deadswitch Wilderness, Holden Sharpe, Angel, and the rest of the search crew are putting in their best effort to track down any sign of Siena and the rest of the Alpenglow research group, but a wildfire has chased them out of the area they were hoping to search.

The Briardark remains a terrifying mystery and at every turn, both Cam and Siena face some new, threatening horror. Wounds quickly get infected, there’s a shadow following Siena, and at the Tooth it seems like something scary is going on, even aside from the cult vibes. This series does the unsettling feeling very well which enhances the confusion the reader feels. Now, I typically dislike being confused or not knowing what’s going on throughout an entire book but in this case, information is given in bite sized pieces and you can begin filling things in. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next to both Cam and Siena. Admittedly, I cared less for Holden’s storyline this time around though his POV was important – just not as exciting as what was happening in the Briardark.

Overall, I would say I didn’t enjoy Waywarden quite as much as Briardark, but it’s compelling and left me guessing at every turn. Some surprising characters turn up toward the end which really left me pondering motivations and how our characters ended up going to the Deadswitch wilderness in the first place. If you like books with wibbly timelines, cults worshiping nature deities, and hiking you should definitely check out this series! I can’t wait to check out the third book when it’s available – I have to know what happens to Cam and Siena!