Spark Hunter - Sonya Wilson

2022 New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults

***   NZSA BEST FIRST BOOK AWARD   ***

Perfectly pitched for middle fiction readers, Spark Hunter weaves history, culture, conservation, humour, tension and adventure into her story of Nissa Marshall, who has always known there is more to the Fiordland Bush than meets the eye.  While leaning into the fantastic just enough to encourage the imagination, the inclusion of archival excerpts will spark keen readers to hunt out their own discoveries within the mysterious history of this corner of Aotearoa.  Making this story’s light shine bright is te reo Māori blended throughout and a cast of supporting characters that are easily recognisable as classmates, teachers, and friends.

Over a million hectares of wild bush-clad land and one young hunter …

Nissa Marshall knows that something is hiding deep in the forests of Fiordland National Park – she’s seen their lights in the trees.  But what are they, and why does no one else seem to notice them?

When Nissa abandons her school camp to track down the mysterious lights, she finds herself lost in a dangerous wonderland.  But she’s not the only one in danger – the bush and the creatures are under threat too – and she wants to help.  What can a school kid do where adults have failed, and can she find her way back?  In Fiordland, the lost usually stay lost.

Spark Hunter is an epic Kiwi adventure-fantasy – a story of survival in one of the world’s last great wildernesses.

Paperback