In the Heart of Hidden Things

By: Kit Whitfield

Narrated by: Juanita McMahon

Everyone knows that if you fall afoul of the People, you must travel the miles to Gyrford, where uncounted generations of fairy-smiths have protected the county with cold iron, good counsel and unvarnished opinions about your common sense.

But shielding the weak from the strong can make enemies. Ephraim Brady has money and power, and the bitter will to hurt those who cross him. And if he can't touch elder farrier Jedediah Smith, he can harm those the Smiths care about.

The Smiths care about Tobias Ware, born on a night when the blazing fey dog Black Hal roared past the Wares' gate. Tobias doesn't understand the language or laws of men, and he can't keep away from the Bellame woods, where trespass is a hanging offence. If Toby is to survive, he needs protection.

It should be a manageable job. Jedediah Smith has a head on his shoulders, and so too (mostly) does his son Matthew. Only Matthew's son John has turned out a little . . . uncommon. But he means well.

It wasn't his fault the bramble bush put on a berry-head and started taking offence. Or that Tobias upset it. But John's not yet learned that if you follow the things other folk don't see, they might drag those you love into the path of ruin.

(P) 2022 Quercus Editions Limited©2022 Kit Whitfield

Critic reviews

An impressive debut

Resonates with real issues of power, responsibility and blame

A powerfully intelligent novel

Whitfield shows undoubted powers of imagination and talent

Whitfield is a criminally under-appreciated world-building master

Takes a traditional genre and changes it into something extraordinary

It's warm, witty, compassionate, filled with People, with a village and woods in which it's sweet to get lost. Fellow Good Folk aficionados, I know you're out there, I know you should get this book the minute it's out

Engaging, believable characters who draw us into a world of walking bramble bushes and spectral, fire-breathing hounds . . . stands out for its depiction of a family deeply connected to a community, helping those who need it the most, regardless of the danger to themselves

A beautiful exploration of masculinity, of what it means to . . . potentially have control over others, and how a person accepts responsibility

As tart, dark and juicy as a summer pudding . . . combines power and poetry to serve up the perfect slice of folk Gothic

Kit drew heavily on her own experience of being part of a neurodiverse family, and as someone whose own family mirrors this, it's really brilliant to see inclusion at play in commercial fiction; this is how we change minds and make our children accepted. Bravo.

Power struggles, violence, mistakes and responsibility are threaded throughout the story. John is a strong, nuanced protagonist whose sound heart gives this book its warmth, even when things start to go wrong. Whitfield's world-building is detailed, the magic of this story is enticing and I found plenty to enjoy in this book.

I really loved In The Heart of Hidden Things

As powerfully intelligent as it is entertaining, Whitfield's marvellously assured fantasy debut leads the reader into a mysterious world of fairy-smiths, weaving a gripping tale of trespass, revenge and responsibility

A very engaging novel

One of 2022's more enjoyable discoveries . . . Whitfield studs the tale with artful digressions, which provide useful backstory without really interrupting the story. The prose is skilful and appropriate to a fairy tale

[This] gentle meander through a village touched by the fae is not without peril but leaves you feeling like you are wrapped in a warm blanket, seeing the world around you with new wonder. All the stars!