A Far Wilder Magic
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- Create Date：2022-03-06 09:52:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Allison Saft
- ISBN：1250623650
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Summary
When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala， the last living mythical creature， she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow。 Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches， and unlock an ancient magical secret。 If Margaret wins the hunt， it may finally bring her mother home。 While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town， only teams of two can register， and she needs an alchemist。
Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist--yet。 Fired from every apprenticeship he's landed， his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in。 But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor， he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble。 Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay， but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her。
Although they make an unlikely team， Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her， in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow。 And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life， Margaret is drawn to him。 He， too， knows what it's like to be an outsider。 As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise， Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt - if they survive that long。
In A Far Wilder Magic， Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric， rich fantasy world that will sweep you away。
Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist--yet。 Fired from every apprenticeship he's landed， his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in。 But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor， he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble。 Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay， but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her。
Although they make an unlikely team， Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her， in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow。 And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life， Margaret is drawn to him。 He， too， knows what it's like to be an outsider。 As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise， Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt - if they survive that long。
In A Far Wilder Magic， Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric， rich fantasy world that will sweep you away。
Reviews
Mandy
，
3。5 but we round up when a book makes us giggle in this house boys。 This was so absolutely wonderful！ A special shoutout to the cover and endpapers which are absolute works of art in and of themselves。 I've been looking forward to this since I read Saft's first novel and this was just as lovely as I wanted it to be。 The writing is incredible， the world set up is immersive and at once familiar， but just different enough to settle into fantasy without making you work too hard。 I loved how it delve 3。5 but we round up when a book makes us giggle in this house boys。 This was so absolutely wonderful！ A special shoutout to the cover and endpapers which are absolute works of art in and of themselves。 I've been looking forward to this since I read Saft's first novel and this was just as lovely as I wanted it to be。 The writing is incredible， the world set up is immersive and at once familiar， but just different enough to settle into fantasy without making you work too hard。 I loved how it delved into abuse and not forgiving your abusers in the face of their pain。 Everyone got what they deserved at the end of this book。 The overarching systematic issues weren't magically resolved by the end of the story because they'll always be there， despite the happy ending。 I wish we had spent more time with Wes and Margaret getting to know each other as a whole。 I bought into the relationship but I wanted more time with them just existing and being friends。 The end game together rather suddenly after drawing everything else out and I wanted a bit more time spent on the hunt that is the premise of the book。 Overall， I enjoyed it a lot！ YA readers today are lucky to have Allison Saft。 。。。more
Constantine
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Rating: ⭐⭐ ½Genre: Fantasy + Young AdultIn the Wickdon town， the Halfmoon Hunt is organized to hunt the legendary Hala， a sacred creature that once killed will grant the killer invaluable knowledge。 Margaret Welty is the daughter of a very well-known alchemist。 Her mother went for a mission but did not return for months。 Margaret feels like an outcast in her society due to her religious beliefs。 One day， a guy called Weston Winters shows up asking for Margert’s mother。 Wes wants to become an alc Rating: ⭐⭐ ½Genre: Fantasy + Young AdultIn the Wickdon town， the Halfmoon Hunt is organized to hunt the legendary Hala， a sacred creature that once killed will grant the killer invaluable knowledge。 Margaret Welty is the daughter of a very well-known alchemist。 Her mother went for a mission but did not return for months。 Margaret feels like an outcast in her society due to her religious beliefs。 One day， a guy called Weston Winters shows up asking for Margert’s mother。 Wes wants to become an alchemist and upon reaching Welty’s Manor， Margaret tells him that her mother is not around。 She makes a deal with him。 She asks him to join the hunt competition with her and if they win he can take the full prize。 First， let me say that this story has a great concept and a very beautiful cover。 These two factors encouraged me to request the ARC from NetGalley。 The book has a very good start。 The setup of the story， the girl living alone， the guy and how he tries to help his family after the death of his father。， and the presence of a dog called Trouble。 All that sounded good。 However， despite the good start it soon becomes a slog。 The story just becomes stagnant and hardly moves forward until 91% in the book in which the hunt starts， and by then you are just too bored to care anymore。 For a 400 pages book， this is not OK。At first， I thought this would be like a medieval fantasy story， but no it turned out to be more like an urban fantasy （That cover does not suit urban fantasy at all）。 There are cars， phones， movies， etc。 All this took me by surprise and killed off the scenes I was building in my mind when I was reading the story in the beginning。 The religions felt more like real-life religions with their names changed。 The world-building was definitely lacking。 The synopsis says that it is an artfully layered world but that was not the case for me。 The chemistry between the main characters was all right， nothing special to rave about。 I feel this story had the potential but to me， it didn’t deliver what I was expecting from it。 Many thanks to the publisher St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book。 。。。more
Ashley
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Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for this arc。 Super excited to get my hands on this one。 And quite frankly I’m torn about this one。 In a way， it’s a bit like historical fantasy。 It’s set against the backdrop of religious persecution and politics。 Maggie Welty is a child of a famed alchemist whose been abandoned by her mother。 She’s stuck taking care of the worn down manor when she meets Weston Winters。 Winters is desperate for an alchemist apprenticeship to help his family。 S Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for this arc。 Super excited to get my hands on this one。 And quite frankly I’m torn about this one。 In a way， it’s a bit like historical fantasy。 It’s set against the backdrop of religious persecution and politics。 Maggie Welty is a child of a famed alchemist whose been abandoned by her mother。 She’s stuck taking care of the worn down manor when she meets Weston Winters。 Winters is desperate for an alchemist apprenticeship to help his family。 So he makes a deal with Maggie to participate in the hunt for the wild Hala。 It’s a slow burn romance the kind that makes you scream “GET IT TOGETHER！ KISS HER”。 It’s also full of magic。 The struggles each of the characters have really make the story。 Their different family dynamics and the way they’ve handled their struggles is great。 It’s definitely very teenage angsty。 I think I struggled with the historical aspect of it。 And the religious side of it as well。 I’m not entirely sure I enjoyed it。 But I loved the concept of the hunt that kept me reading。 And the writing I found was beautiful。 Saft creates such a eerie setting and I found myself rooting for the two characters through it all。 。。。more
Colt
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 5 stars for romance，4 for overall plot，3 for charactersIf you're a fan of The Raven Cycle， you should check out A Far Wilder Magic。 The writing is fantastic， and the descriptions are rich with details so you get a vivid setting in your mind。But talk about a slow burn romance！ The characters are well created with lots of flaws。 Margaret is a tough nut to crack （which makes sense the more you learn about her past， but it's a weird hurdle to get over）。 And Wes is great as far as his interest in alc 5 stars for romance，4 for overall plot，3 for charactersIf you're a fan of The Raven Cycle， you should check out A Far Wilder Magic。 The writing is fantastic， and the descriptions are rich with details so you get a vivid setting in your mind。But talk about a slow burn romance！ The characters are well created with lots of flaws。 Margaret is a tough nut to crack （which makes sense the more you learn about her past， but it's a weird hurdle to get over）。 And Wes is great as far as his interest in alchemy goes but。。。 some of his personality towards women is off-putting。 But the romance is definitely the main plot of this story， so this is for you if that's your drive。The world's system of magic -alchemy - is well built and founded on science， but I felt there could be。。。 more。 Just some more to explore。 （potential future books？ eh？ eh？）There's quite a bit of triggering content， including xenophobia， animal abuse， emotional abuse， and really graphic descriptions of injuries。 。。。more
Jessica T
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I loved this story！ The slow burn romance， the character growth， the descriptions of the locations。 It was fantastic。 I enjoyed getting to know these two wonderful characters。 They're both outsiders trying to do the best they can。 The messages of love and hope lifted me up。 If you enjoy books about outcasts， alchemy， mythical creatures or slow burn romance check this one out。 Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review。 I loved this story！ The slow burn romance， the character growth， the descriptions of the locations。 It was fantastic。 I enjoyed getting to know these two wonderful characters。 They're both outsiders trying to do the best they can。 The messages of love and hope lifted me up。 If you enjoy books about outcasts， alchemy， mythical creatures or slow burn romance check this one out。 Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shaena Peters
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Reviewed for NetGalley:I had high expectations for this book。 The beautiful cover and reviews from others。For me， the story telling was a little slow paced and I didn’t know what to think of Margaret and Wes until 45 percent in。 It just didn’t fully click with me。
Haley Renee The Caffeinated Reader
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If you're looking for a book about an alchemy demon fox hunt。You might be disappointed。The writing is beautiful but the hunt is not the main part of the novel or even the middle or the last third。 （It is in the last ten percent）3/5 Cups of coffee from me， thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review。Full RTC If you're looking for a book about an alchemy demon fox hunt。You might be disappointed。The writing is beautiful but the hunt is not the main part of the novel or even the middle or the last third。 （It is in the last ten percent）3/5 Cups of coffee from me， thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review。Full RTC 。。。more
Bethany
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Allison Saft is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors。Her sophomore novel was just as enthralling as her debut， Down Comes the Night， and I can't wait to see where she goes from here。Told from the POV of Margaret， a sharp-shooting， no-nonsense taking， fragile yet sturdy heroine and Weston， a big dreamer， even bigger flirt， and loveable alchemist。 Though the two could not be more different， and their stubborn ways quickly make them butt heads， as their story progresses they realize that per Allison Saft is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors。Her sophomore novel was just as enthralling as her debut， Down Comes the Night， and I can't wait to see where she goes from here。Told from the POV of Margaret， a sharp-shooting， no-nonsense taking， fragile yet sturdy heroine and Weston， a big dreamer， even bigger flirt， and loveable alchemist。 Though the two could not be more different， and their stubborn ways quickly make them butt heads， as their story progresses they realize that perhaps they aren't so different after all。 These characters have so much depth to them， so much relatability。Though the plot surrounds the fox hunt of the Half-Moon Hunt， at its core the book is so much more。 Exploring themes of what love is and should be， loneliness and the feeling of belonging， and prejudice。 While there is magic and laughs， this book offers so much more to its reader。 Saft's prose is not to be passed over。 As with her debut， and book I absolutely loved， Down Comes the Night， Saft transports readers into her carefully crafted world of magic， though not so far from our own world and its many wonders and problems。 Her writing is beautiful， plain and simple。As always， we love a good slow burn， and Saft gives it to us once more！ Weston and Margaret teach each other so much over the course of the book， and it's absolutely beautiful watching them and their love blossom--even if they are both incredibly stubborn。 That may make it all the more endearing， to be honest。 They are so careful with each other， their moments to pure and reserved， yet somehow still sent my heart racing many a time。Filled with action and adventure， love， and many emotions， A Far Wilder Magic should find its way to the top of your TBR。 。。。more
Katie | niftyreads
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The more I read A FAR WILDER MAGIC by Allison Saft， the deeper I fell for the roaring 20s inspired magical story。 I was already sold on the gorgeous cover and fantastic tagline， “A magic secret。 A mythical hunt。 And a love that could change everything。” So I’m extremely happy that the beautiful prose and storytelling lived up to both of those。 Saft has a whimsical way of writing - beautiful words that are atmospheric and set every scene。 I felt like I was falling into Margaret and Wes’s universe The more I read A FAR WILDER MAGIC by Allison Saft， the deeper I fell for the roaring 20s inspired magical story。 I was already sold on the gorgeous cover and fantastic tagline， “A magic secret。 A mythical hunt。 And a love that could change everything。” So I’m extremely happy that the beautiful prose and storytelling lived up to both of those。 Saft has a whimsical way of writing - beautiful words that are atmospheric and set every scene。 I felt like I was falling into Margaret and Wes’s universe each time I read and my outside world disappeared。I loved the banter - and inner monologues - of Margaret and Wes。 Let’s call them barely speaking acquaintances to coworkers to lovers all while being in a forced proximity （same house） in this achingly slow burn love story。 It’s the chef’s kiss of mixing tropes and making them work！Honestly， we spend 95% of the book with Margaret and Wes。 I didn’t need other characters。 I didn’t mind it when they appeared， but I loved these two so much and the story - especially the last few chapters。 And even though animal death makes me uncomfortable， which I’m sure some of you are wondering why I read this。 Due to the whimsy and mythical nature of the writing and story， I was never felt ill at ease。 It was tasteful and well done。 Yes， A FAR WILDER MAGIC is about a hunt， but more so it’s about two people and them figuring out their relationship， and a town and it’s bigotries - surprisingly very little hunting happens。 Speaking of bigotries， Saft’s magical book is well-written narrative on today’s climate with how people are treated without actually using real nationalities/religions。 Margaret is Yu’adir and Wes is Banvish， both suffer for it。 They are bullied and others are coerced to find them less than even if they don’t believe it just to fit in with the status quo。 Saft does an excellent job of weaving the intricacies of prejudices in a fantasy novel without being preachy。 Do I recommend A FAR WILDER MAGIC？ Yes。 Yes， I do。 It surprised me that I enjoyed it so much given the topic。 I think it will surprise you， too。 A FAR WILDER MAGIC is out 3/8Thanks Wednesday Books for the gifted book！Content Warnings: animal death and injury （the dog lives！）， bullying， familial death， religious bigotry， panic attacks， parental neglect 。。。more
Bailey Shores
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This author has a lovely writing。 Heart pounding with danger and the ache and loneliness of being an outsider。 Two characters going on a journey together although religious reasons would normally separate them。 I am becoming a huge fan of the author and her world building。 I would definitely recommend！
On the Same Page
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ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 CWs: sectarianism， animal deathI got lured in by the synopsis， which promises:* an achingly tender love story* set against a deadly hunt* in an atmospheric， rich fantasy worldSo let's address each of these， because I have something to say about all of them。The love storyA romance only works for me if I am invested in the characters as individuals， as well as the chemistry between them， and Margaret and Wes just did ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 CWs: sectarianism， animal deathI got lured in by the synopsis， which promises:* an achingly tender love story* set against a deadly hunt* in an atmospheric， rich fantasy worldSo let's address each of these， because I have something to say about all of them。The love storyA romance only works for me if I am invested in the characters as individuals， as well as the chemistry between them， and Margaret and Wes just didn't work for me on any level。 Wes always tries to be charming， but is really hiding a ton of insecurity underneath。 Margaret doesn't trust anyone， and is stubbornly sticking to the idea that， if she gets her mother the one thing she's missing to finish what she's attempting to achieve， she will have a happy family again。 This is very much the wishful thinking of someone much younger than Margaret is supposed to be。 Both of them tend to get stuck in the same mental monologues about how they'll never amount to anything （Wes） or how she has to keep her secrets to herself because nobody will understand her anyway， and nobody can be trusted （Margaret）。 And after reading that a couple of times， it got really tedious。 As far as the romance goes， I'm honestly not sure what the basis for it is。 I didn't totally hate it， but I also wouldn't say it made my heart ache with how tender it was。 The problem is， with all of the trust issues that Margaret is constantly telling us about， the romance didn't feel believable， because none of that really gets resolved。The huntIf you're interested in this book because of the hunt aspect， that doesn't actually come into play until you're about 90% in。 We do get a lot of preparation for the hunt， with Wes trying to imbue weapons with alchemy， and two competitions where each of them participates in order to secure a good starting time。 And in between， we get a whole lot of repetitive nothingness， where the bully of the story gets to treat both our main characters horribly because they're different， or where Wes and Margaret can angst over each other。 In short， this book is way too long for the story it's trying to tell， and has terrible pacing。 There were a couple of places where the characters seem to hint at something more going on， something that would make the world more interesting， or at least make the hunt more dangerous， but unfortunately， none of this ever pans out or gets explained。 The worldDespite the promise of a rich and atmospheric fantasy world， I would honestly call this urban fantasy。 Sure， you can slap a new name on an existing thing， and I guess that makes it a fantasy world。 But it's neither rich nor atmospheric if it's all based on our own world。The world in the book has technology， like cars， phones and zeppelins， but Margaret's village feels a bit more old-fashioned。 There are also religions that are clearly based on Judaism （there are Hebrew words/phrases in the book）， and either Roman Catholicism or just Irish culture （again， Irish words in the book）。 The dominant religion， which is called Katharist， is harder to place， but this might just be Christianity。 The Katharists are prejudiced against the Sumic and Yu'adir， making both of your characters outsiders from marginalized groups。 Sectarianism is deeply woven into this story， which isn't surprising considering the historical bias against Jews and Irish， but again， this is hardly new or original， and just because you call them something different doesn't make them so。What predominately makes this a fantasy world， is the presence of alchemy and the hala， and I definitely wanted to hear more about the latter。 The author does go through some of the myths surrounding the hala， but at the end of the book I felt let down by the route the author decided to take。 I was hoping to learn something new and surprising about these creatures， but that wasn't the case。The alchemy was interesting， but I did feel like some of it was inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist， as was the story of Margaret's mother， and the incident that first fueled Margaret's distaste for alchemy。 （view spoiler）[In the show， Ed and Al， the two main characters try to resurrect their mother through alchemy after her death， resulting in the loss of Ed's arm and leg， and Al's entire body。 The result is a creature that looks like a human turned inside out。 In this book， Margaret's mother attempts a similar ritual to bring back her son， and the description of what she conjured up sounds pretty similar。 There's also the fact that she is looking for the philosopher's stone， because this would allow her to create matter out of nothing。 The quest in Fullmetal Alchemist is identical。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
PlotTrysts
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A thoughtful YA fantasy that throws together two young people who find each other through their shared trauma。 Here the setting combines early 20th Century western civilization （phones， cars， rifles， trains） with recognizable stand-ins for Catholicism， Protestant Christianity， and Judaism。 Margaret and Wes are members of different minority religious groups， and face discrimination and violence because of it。 Overlaid on the setting is a system of alchemy， a combo of science and magic that is vie A thoughtful YA fantasy that throws together two young people who find each other through their shared trauma。 Here the setting combines early 20th Century western civilization （phones， cars， rifles， trains） with recognizable stand-ins for Catholicism， Protestant Christianity， and Judaism。 Margaret and Wes are members of different minority religious groups， and face discrimination and violence because of it。 Overlaid on the setting is a system of alchemy， a combo of science and magic that is viewed differently by each religious group。Margaret is the daughter of a celebrated alchemist。 Wes shows up at her door one day to apprentice himself to her mother。 He's absorbed the democratic ideals of his country， even though he is persecuted for his family's beliefs， and his goal in becoming an alchemist is to eventually join the political ruling class to effect change for the downtrodden。 Margaret， on the other hand， is distrustful of alchemy because of her mother's past actions。 Eventually Margaret and Wes team up to hunt a "demiurge，" an immortal magical being。The book starts off a little slow。 It's written in 3rd person present tense with alternating perspectives。 By around the halfway mark， both the plot and the romantic relationship pick up。 Both Wes and Margaret are fully-formed characters。 Neither one is perfect， but their growing trust in one another and their ambiguous but complementary reasons for participating in the hunt make them easy to root for。 In the end， the book takes on religious discrimination and generational trauma in a sensitive， nuanced way。 Recommended for any YA fantasy lover！This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel。 。。。more
tara
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Thank you to Hachette and Netgalley for the ARC！I really enjoyed this YA fantasy， and read it all in one sitting。 There's magic and politics and family trauma/drama， but mostly this is a love story， and sometimes that's how books should be！ Thank you to Hachette and Netgalley for the ARC！I really enjoyed this YA fantasy， and read it all in one sitting。 There's magic and politics and family trauma/drama， but mostly this is a love story， and sometimes that's how books should be！ 。。。more
Courtney
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I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 A Far Wilder Magic is an evocative romantic YA fantasy。 There’s an element of historical and religious allegory here to the world building， where it’s pretty clear that it’s meant to comment on the respective Irish Catholic and Jewish experiences with persecution in recent times。 Whether that works for you， on a conceptual level or in execution is highly dependent on how original or distinct from r I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 A Far Wilder Magic is an evocative romantic YA fantasy。 There’s an element of historical and religious allegory here to the world building， where it’s pretty clear that it’s meant to comment on the respective Irish Catholic and Jewish experiences with persecution in recent times。 Whether that works for you， on a conceptual level or in execution is highly dependent on how original or distinct from reality you want your fantasy worldbuilding to be 。 I personally liked it， and while I can’t speak to the nuances of the rep， I did enjoy it and feel it made the statements about how they are ostracized by society in an interesting， yet compassionate way。 Margaret and Wes are both great characters in the way they are unified in their struggles with being “othered，” even if they are opposites in some ways， including their respective circumstances。 However， that makes them work and play off each other well， and the slow-burning romance is filled with sweet moments。 Plot-wise， it is a bit slower moving。 While the hunt is advertised as a big part of the book， it doesn’t become a major plot point until near the end。 Up till that point， it’s more character-driven。 Again， whether this will work for you is highly dependent on what type of reader you are。 This is an enjoyable read， and will appeal to those looking for a character-focused romantic fantasy。 。。。more
Chloe Frizzle
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I enthusiastically recommend this book to fans of The Scorpio Races。 It has an old-timey small-town setting， some dangerous magic， a perfectly balanced double-narrator romance， a daring traditional competition， and is beautifully written without being overly flowery。This is a story of Margaret and Wes， two young people who get tangled up in the world of alchemy， a demon foxhunt， and each other's emotional vulnerabilities。I appreciate the way that this book so delicately explores a cultural/relig I enthusiastically recommend this book to fans of The Scorpio Races。 It has an old-timey small-town setting， some dangerous magic， a perfectly balanced double-narrator romance， a daring traditional competition， and is beautifully written without being overly flowery。This is a story of Margaret and Wes， two young people who get tangled up in the world of alchemy， a demon foxhunt， and each other's emotional vulnerabilities。I appreciate the way that this book so delicately explores a cultural/religious identity。 Both of the protagonists are part of marginalized religious ethnic groups， and this fact both brings them together and provides higher stakes to the plot of the book。 I also appreciated that their identities were Irish-Catholic & Jewish coded， because it felt like an extension of our own world （and history）。 Without spending a long time explaining why these groups were discriminated against， I could understand the big picture of it。 Additionally， the main characters are layered in their flaws and mental struggles。 They find it difficult to open up to anyone， and so their romance is driven by their character growth。 They （between them） have PTSD， dyslexia， ADHD （at least， that’s how I would armchair diagnose them）。 And while sometimes this is a thing for them to work through， most of the time it is just how they are， with their own strengths and weaknesses。 Honestly， I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like in this book。 It’s flawless。Thanks to St。 Martin's Press and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kristi
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“… or did you always love the memory of him more than you loved the reality of me？”I am such a fan of Allison Saft’s writing！ Down Comes the Night is a favorite and her sophomore novel， A Far Wilder Magic， has cemented my love for her work all while stealing my heart and maybe breaking it just a little， too。 Margaret is the daughter of an absent mother， an alchemist always off anywhere but with her。 Margaret is left to fend for herself in a ramshackle yet oddly charming old manor on the outskirt “… or did you always love the memory of him more than you loved the reality of me？”I am such a fan of Allison Saft’s writing！ Down Comes the Night is a favorite and her sophomore novel， A Far Wilder Magic， has cemented my love for her work all while stealing my heart and maybe breaking it just a little， too。 Margaret is the daughter of an absent mother， an alchemist always off anywhere but with her。 Margaret is left to fend for herself in a ramshackle yet oddly charming old manor on the outskirts of town。 Margaret is no stranger to feeling outcast and lonely， but she’s got her trusty bloodhound， Trouble， and a host of skills that have helped her survive。 Raised with the legend of the Hala， Margaret has a different version of this legendary creature than those of the Katharist church。 Her father believes it is a carrier of divine knowledge while others think it is a demon。 When the Hala shows up in Margaret’s woods， she knows this is the sign that the Halfmoon Hunt will soon be here。 Killing the Hala has great significance and would change Margaret’s life。 Finding a partner will be her greatest challenge – until she meets Wes！ This is one of the sweetest romances that slowly unfolds amidst the danger of the hunt and all that that entails but it’s also about bigotry and classism， grief and loss， and bullying。 The effects of all combining to make for a book that is hard to put down， was emotive as hell and just wrung my heart right out。I cannot wait for what Allison Saft does next！ Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this gifted DRC。 。。。more
Luz Trevino
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A Far Wilder MagicRating: 4 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。A Far Wilder Magic brings us a world where alchemy along with family relationships play a very important part in this story。I really enjoyed reading this story。 I was very entertained by how Margaret and Wes didn't stand each other， yet they both were able to find a way to work together。 They joined each other's strengths and were able to stand up to those who had no faith in A Far Wilder MagicRating: 4 starsThank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。A Far Wilder Magic brings us a world where alchemy along with family relationships play a very important part in this story。I really enjoyed reading this story。 I was very entertained by how Margaret and Wes didn't stand each other， yet they both were able to find a way to work together。 They joined each other's strengths and were able to stand up to those who had no faith in them。I look forwards to reading more from this author。 。。。more
Maddy
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Massive thanks to St Martin's Publishing Group and Goodreads for sponsoring the giveaway for this arc。Some implied spoilers beyond this point！-------I am breaking this review down into separate elements that will hopefully create a more coherent review so I'm not just repeating "Gah， I adore everything about all of this！" over and over。1。 Atmosphere。 Saft builds a world so lush and saturated with culture， I don't know how I could be expected not to fall head-over-heels for it。 This book is steep Massive thanks to St Martin's Publishing Group and Goodreads for sponsoring the giveaway for this arc。Some implied spoilers beyond this point！-------I am breaking this review down into separate elements that will hopefully create a more coherent review so I'm not just repeating "Gah， I adore everything about all of this！" over and over。1。 Atmosphere。 Saft builds a world so lush and saturated with culture， I don't know how I could be expected not to fall head-over-heels for it。 This book is steeped in magic， and it bleeds through every page。 It's intoxicating。 I am blissfully haunted by the world in this book。2。 Characters。 I adore Margaret and Wes， together and separate。 I'm a very character-oriented reader， so reading all of the interactions leading up to the Halfmoon Hunt was like being fed all of my favorite things on a golden， gem-encrusted spoon。 The way Margaret's stubborn need to survive paints everything she says and does， the way Wes's flirtatiously carefree attitude charms all of Wickdon's residents while still endearing him to Margaret （and Trouble！）， the way we see them gradually open up to each other and recognize the trust they've placed in the other-- it's eenchanting。3。 Family。 The Winters family is a fictional family I would kill and die for。 The amount of history between them， the backstory that we don't directly see but can piece together through each sibling action or interaction， is so potent。 I just admire how fiercely they all loved one another even when they hated each other， because that's how siblings are， and it's so good to see it reflected in fiction， especially young adult。4。 Pacing。 Normally with books that build up to a Big Challenge Of Some Sort， the buildup drags on and the actual Point Of The Buildup is short-lived and falls flat。 That is absolutely not the case here。 The exposition is rich with plot points while growing the personalities of our main characters into ones we desperately want to see win their fights-- and the end fight rewards all of that patience and anticipation so graciously。5。 Romance。 Of course you can tell where the romance is going from the first interaction of our main characters （and the cover art！）， but of course Saft also gives us the greatest slowburn in fantasy literature。 It's such a gradual love， but it's such a passionate one， and it's a big risk for both Margaret and Wes， though each is risking something different and deeply personal。 The portrayal of love as an intimately woven connection rather than a surface-level attraction that leads to connection made this my favorite romance in YA， without question。 Is it a hetero romance？ Yeah。 Is it still quite possibly my favorite bookish romance？ Yup。 I adore them。 They turn into such goobers for each other。6。 Motivation。 Margaret's self-preserving character keeps her cautious， keeps her world black-and-white， until Weston waltzes in and challenges the cocoon she's kept herself wrapped in her entire life since her brother's death: someday， her mother will be her true family again。 After she kills the hala， after she proves her value as a daughter， after Evelyn Welty finishes her incessant search for her alchemical project。 Everything in Margaret's life hinges on what would bring her mother back as an active presence in her life。 Wes shows her that she doesn't need to put her entire life on hold just because it's safe， because that isn't a life at all。 We see Margaret grapple with her unconditional devotion to her mother from start to finish， we see how Evelyn emotionally abuses Margaret in the past and on the page。 Even once Margaret thinks she knows what she wants， the moment Evelyn steps back into the picture and voices all of Margaret's unspoken fears， she second-guesses herself。 Wes doesn't hate her for it; he just wants to help her heal。 I loved seeing this portrayal of uncertainty in the face of familial devotion。 As someone who still struggles with that， it's empowering to see Margaret overcome it on the page by the end。7。 Academics。 I didn't really know what to call this category。。。。but it punched me in the gut thinking back on it。 Weston is not an academic boy。 He's smart as a whip， but he can't complete scholarly requirements to save his life。 And yet he still wins the Hunt with Margaret， he still shows his ingenuity， his resourcefulness， his stubborn drive to know and learn and grow。 I need more literature that shows that a college degree isn't necessary to be successful。I am so emotionally invested in the success of this book， I think I will cease breathing if somebody tries to tell me it isn't one of the most enchanting things they've ever read。 。。。more
bri
，
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this title！CW for animal death， mild gore， xenophobia， and fictional anti-Semitism （the religion/ethnicity is a fictionalized version of Judaism as I understand it）I absolutely loved this title！ I love a good slow-burn romance， but the book itself was fast paced and every second of it felt so immersive and magical。 The writing in this was poetic， but it never felt like it was overstuffed with prose and it never took away from the expe Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this title！CW for animal death， mild gore， xenophobia， and fictional anti-Semitism （the religion/ethnicity is a fictionalized version of Judaism as I understand it）I absolutely loved this title！ I love a good slow-burn romance， but the book itself was fast paced and every second of it felt so immersive and magical。 The writing in this was poetic， but it never felt like it was overstuffed with prose and it never took away from the experience of reading it。 An easy 5 stars。More than anything， the characters in this are so compelling。 Margaret and Wes are delightful to read from the first time you meet them， and it's been a while since I encountered a male lead that I loved as much as I love Wes。 The snark and the valiance and the extravagance is so much fun， but his sense of justice and his desire to do good by and for others is moving to read。 I also love a surly heroine very much， and I loved getting to experience Margaret and her growth as the main character in this。 The two of them together are such a delight。 Like I said - I love a slow-burn。 I love the denial and the yearning and everything comes with it; I was so invested in these two it was painful。There was a point in this that I was unsure of where the plot was going because it was feeling like the climax was approaching but certain plot points hadn't yet been explored。 This feeling was short-lived， though！ Everything connected in such a way that I had to put the book down more than once to absorb what I'd just read。 The climax of this book doesn't begin until around the 80% mark， and I blew through that last twenty percent of the book like I was running for my life。 The tenseness of the atmosphere and the hunt had me feeling real life anxiety waiting to see what would happen， and the tenderness throughout this portion was overwhelming for me emotionally sometimes。 I needed to put my head down more than once。 （view spoiler）[Reading the hala tear into Jaime Harrington was also one of the most satisfying book climax moments I've ever experienced。 I was 8 years old and watching the T-Rex fight off the velociraptors in Jurassic Park all over again。 （hide spoiler）] I've been recommending this book to everyone I know。 Definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year！ 。。。more
Avhlee
，
**Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for gifting me an early ARC。 My review is 100% honest。**A Far Wilder Magic is like an autumn tea blossom slowly unfurling at the heart of a glass teapot， both wild and majestic in its beauty。 While the true plot is the careful whittling away of armor， and slow healing of long festered wounds in the hearts of Margaret and Wes， it's set against the backdrop of a turn-of-the-century fox hunt that will make - or break - the careful dreams these characters have **Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for gifting me an early ARC。 My review is 100% honest。**A Far Wilder Magic is like an autumn tea blossom slowly unfurling at the heart of a glass teapot， both wild and majestic in its beauty。 While the true plot is the careful whittling away of armor， and slow healing of long festered wounds in the hearts of Margaret and Wes， it's set against the backdrop of a turn-of-the-century fox hunt that will make - or break - the careful dreams these characters have built for themselves。Stakes are high， emotions are wrung from every carefully concealed crevice， and yet the story is so soft in its conflict。 Rife with prejudice， bullying， and all manners of self-loathing， the conflict certainly packs a punch。 But its edges are softened， favoring a carefully clever waltz between Margaret and Wes as they try to find their place in an uncertain world， and even more uncertain future。I very much adored that softness to the story。 While there certainly is magic - displayed as a Fullmetal Alchemist-type alchemical system - there is none of the rough-and-tumble action-packed fights one would expect from a fantasy story steeped in that kind of power。 Instead， the world feels so close to our own， even with a different time-period as inspiration （1920's America） and it still carrying all the trappings of a secondary-world fantasy。When it comes to the characters， I truly am a sucker for a good grumpy-girl-gets-with-sunshine-boy dynamic， and this time has been no different。Margaret is an interesting character， as while she is reserved， collected， and rather independent， she still oozes vulnerabilities。 Her anger is like a quiet seethe， more fumes than roaring flames， more carefully tempered than all consuming of her personality。 She is a character who closes herself off from others， yet also keeps her head down。 She is cold， yet tries to make herself smaller to avoid confrontation。 Then we have Wes who is every ounce of Margaret's opposite。 When she is calm， he is chaos。 Where she is organized， he is a disaster。 While she is careful in her words， he is quick to swing。 I have to say that Wes is definitely my favorite for these reasons。 I love how expressive he is， how outgoing and hilarious he acts。 He is a determined sort of stubborn， and a stupid kind of brave。 All the best things I love in very chaotic characters。 Allison did a fantastic job of making these characters feel so real and tangible， while helping them pull out the best （and sometimes the worst） out of each other。 The way they tore open each other's wounds， but also helped heal over the hurt was magical in-and-of-itself。There is a catharsis that lies deep within the words on the pages of A Far Wilder Magic。 It soaks into every fiber of the reader's being。 I couldn't help but be utterly devoted to Margaret and Wes' journey。 I was anxious to see them compete in the fox hunt， to see if they would win - or lose - and what that would truly mean to them。 To watch their wounds be laid bare， their hearts carefully puzzled back together， and their love to stitch closed re-opened hurts - it was beautiful， magical， and so utterly full of hope。 。。。more
Caity
，
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft， has that rare effect of staying with you long after you’ve finished it。 With its gentle storytelling and intricate world， Saft weaves a cosy story filled with magic， self discovery， and a beautiful slow burn romance。 Simply， this book is beautiful。
Victoria
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Actual rating: 3。5I’d like to start by saying how torn I have been on rating this。 I quarreled with myself back and forth on whether to rate it higher or lower but finally settled on 3。5 being fair。 While I absolutely loved the atmosphere of this book， it fell short in enough ways that I couldn’t ignore the pang of dissatisfaction I had when it came to its conclusion。Margaret Welty lives alone in a decaying countryside manor on the edge of the town of Wickdon。 Abandoned by her mother after the l Actual rating: 3。5I’d like to start by saying how torn I have been on rating this。 I quarreled with myself back and forth on whether to rate it higher or lower but finally settled on 3。5 being fair。 While I absolutely loved the atmosphere of this book， it fell short in enough ways that I couldn’t ignore the pang of dissatisfaction I had when it came to its conclusion。Margaret Welty lives alone in a decaying countryside manor on the edge of the town of Wickdon。 Abandoned by her mother after the loss of her brother， and the fleeing of her father， she lives a quiet and sheltered life…much preferring the company of her hound Trouble to the company of…well， anyone else really。 When the arrival of the much feared， and equally exalted hala throws the town into a frenzy， Margaret is even more aghast when a prospective alchemical apprentice shows up at her door in search of her mother’s tutelage。 Enter Weston Winters。Together， Margaret and Weston make an unlikely pair， and eventually team up in hopes of slaying the powerful and destructive hala in hopes of winning something they each need desperately。 For Weston， this is money and notoriety; for Margaret， her mother’s approval and love。The time period seems to settle around the 1920s-1940s and leans heavily on elements of magical realism and religious reverence。Speaking of， the religious elements are part of what drove me to rate this book lower than I initially thought I would。 Throughout the book we are constantly reminded about both Margaret and Wes’s heritage/religion and how most of New Albian is both xenophobic and religiously bigoted。 I used context clues to assume what real-world religions and ethnic backgrounds Saft was drawing inspiration from but， truly it wasn’t hard。 She makes it painfully obvious what she’s borrowed from。 I had the keen feeling that perhaps she just couldn’t commit to calling a real-world religion by its name so as not to offend…but it would have been better， in my opinion， if she had done so…or simply created her own religion from scratch。 Instead， we’re left with clumsy monikered substitutes such as Katharist peoples （interpreted as Christian， to me） + Wes and his Banvish （Irish） heritage and Sumic （Catholic） religion。 Meanwhile， Margaret is Yu’adir （Jewish）。 There are many a reference to real-world religious practices that help you draw these conclusions。 At one point the author even uses the term Shabbos for an assumed Yu’adir （Jewish） religious observance。 For those who don’t know， Shabbat is an actual Jewish observance。 In short， it was off-putting and distracting from the plot of the story。 I could have done with a less intensely religious overtone， along with less frequent reminders of their inferiority in the eyes of others。Parental neglect also has a very large and very bright spotlight on it in this book。 It’s a theme that is repeated through the book over and over and truthfully was a bit of a bummer。 Not to say that books can’t be sad and difficult to read， it’s just not what I was expecting。 And when coupled with the other harsh elements of the book， made it heavier than its description promised。Aside from that， I had a lot of unanswered questions towards the end， and a few frustrations with the characters。 Some of the issues were resolved too easily and some not easily enough。 For instance， the Halfmoon Hunt was a major plot point， but literally lasted like less than 20 pages which was a really big wtf moment in terms of built-up anticipation。But let me end on a good note: I saw some people saying that Wes is obnoxious/sleazy and Maggie is unlikeable…and I’ll agree that they aren’t a likable pair at first…but they did grow on me。 I enjoyed the contrast of a sunshine boy and a grumpy girl instead of the other way around which is sort of the norm in lit these days。 They both had a decent amount of character development， and it wasn’t like they were suddenly perfect…they were just subtly a little bit freer than before。 A little less broken。The slow， torturous burn of their love for each other and their sweetness once it fully bloomed was pleasantly unexpected。 It felt a bit more realistic because Maggie’s love truly had to be earned by Wes， and she made a besotted man out of him， which is always cute。 I love that she scared him shitless and he loved her the more for it。Mental illness and vulnerability were also two unexpected elements that I appreciated。 As someone who suffers from panic attacks， it was comforting to see them portrayed in a way that wasn’t stigmatized， but honest and fair。All in all， I did actually enjoy this book very much。 Yes， I had my qualms with it， but at the end of the day I see what the author was trying to do， and I admire her writing and her approach to a great many difficult subjects。 I think maybe she pulled too many into one single book， but I’m still very much glad I decided to read A Far Wilder Magic。Thank you NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Alicia
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Thank you Wednesday Books for an eARC for an honest review。 4。25 starsCWs: racism， violence， hunting， deathWow， this book was so much more than I was expecting。 It was a story about a girl who learned that she was able to have dreams， and that she was capable of being loved。 It was a book about a boy who loves his family so much that he faces hatred and failure but still dreams of making a change。 This book was amazing。 I did struggle a little bit with the writing style in the beginning， but onc Thank you Wednesday Books for an eARC for an honest review。 4。25 starsCWs: racism， violence， hunting， deathWow， this book was so much more than I was expecting。 It was a story about a girl who learned that she was able to have dreams， and that she was capable of being loved。 It was a book about a boy who loves his family so much that he faces hatred and failure but still dreams of making a change。 This book was amazing。 I did struggle a little bit with the writing style in the beginning， but once I got farther into it it felt easier to read。 I was fully wrapped up in this story， and I was so drawn into the world that the author created。 It was pretty slow-burn in terms of the plot and the romance。 Most of the book is the build up to the hunt itself， but we get to meet the characters， learn about them， watch their relationship grow and change， and also watch them prepare for the hunt and face obstacles before they even get to the hunt itself。 I didn’t mind the slow pace， and I still felt captured by the book and the story。 And I really liked seeing the relationship between Margaret and Wes change。 It felt realistic， and I was completely rooting for them。 Margaret was such an intriguing character。 At her core she wanted her mom to notice and love her， and it was heartbreaking at times to see her character growth backtrack because of this。 It felt very realistic， and I thought Margaret’s emotions came through really well。 Wes was a very interesting character as well。 He had so many layers and depths， that I liked seeing all the new sides to him uncovered during the book。 I thought both characters were fantastic， and I really liked reading about them。 Overall this book was fantastic。 I really enjoyed reading it， and I think the slower pace worked well to give me a chance to really get to know the characters and there were still exciting moments throughout。 。。。more
Clarissa
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this book。holy shit this book。 The annual Halfmoon Hunt begins when the Hala is seen - a mythical creature the last of its kind wreaks havoc on the town until the Cold Moon。 Margaret Welty， sharpshooter （also my sweet child who I will protect with my life） lives in an isolated manor away from town waiting for her mother to come back home from her alchemy research。 For Margaret， entering the hunt and killing the Hala is the only way to get her mother back， and finally have a whole family again。 H this book。holy shit this book。 The annual Halfmoon Hunt begins when the Hala is seen - a mythical creature the last of its kind wreaks havoc on the town until the Cold Moon。 Margaret Welty， sharpshooter （also my sweet child who I will protect with my life） lives in an isolated manor away from town waiting for her mother to come back home from her alchemy research。 For Margaret， entering the hunt and killing the Hala is the only way to get her mother back， and finally have a whole family again。 However， she can't do this without an alchemist。 Enter Weston Winters， aspiring alchemist is striving to be trained by Margaret's mother。 Idealistic and stubborn - winning the hunt would essentially， save his family and his dreams。 Not without their troubles， they enter the hunt together。 1） Allison Saft's writing？ BEAUTIFUL。 AWARD WINNING。 she can craft a sentence - there is one in particular that I told my best friend that will stay with me。 2） I'm tired of seeing myself in books - if I have to walk away from a book crying because I relate just a little too much。。。idk what i'm saying i'm still going to read it。 maybe this is a me thing but Margaret was just so incredibly relatable。 I'm keeping her safe from Multiple people in this book。 3） i do love me some good worldbuilding and Saft just gets that so well - just like DCTN， I felt like I was stepping into a full formed world。 Things made sense （things also made me want to pull my hair out in anger but。。。it was realistic） all in all， i loved this book and i think it's going to be one of my favourites for the year Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review - I am eternally grateful 。。。more
Amber
，
A Far Wilder Magic spins a tale of alchemy and magic， gods and monsters， and friend and foe in this new， wildly imaginative adventure。✨Every autumn， the last living god-like creature， the hala in the form of a clever and cunning fox， emerges and brings havoc to the surrounding town， destroying crops and laying waste to the lands。🦊🏹 Hunters and alchemists gather together to hunt this creature as an opportunity to gain wealth， power， and a chance for a better life。 Small town girl Maggie and city A Far Wilder Magic spins a tale of alchemy and magic， gods and monsters， and friend and foe in this new， wildly imaginative adventure。✨Every autumn， the last living god-like creature， the hala in the form of a clever and cunning fox， emerges and brings havoc to the surrounding town， destroying crops and laying waste to the lands。🦊🏹 Hunters and alchemists gather together to hunt this creature as an opportunity to gain wealth， power， and a chance for a better life。 Small town girl Maggie and city boy Wes team up to take down the legendary creature but will their growing feelings for one another affect their odds at winning the hunt？👀This book drew me in with the forestry atmosphere， small-town setting， and sweet romance。☺️ While this story was a slower-paced read and the majority of the plot happens at the end of the novel， I did enjoy the heartfelt and almost tender element to the friendship and developed romance between Maggie and Wes。 It grew to be a great partnership， and you can’t help but love their adorable banter！🥺😍*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Bethany Frankel
，
A Far Wilder Magic has to be one of my new favorite books。 Ever。 It’s that good。Allison Saft’s writing is lyrical and lush， and in her sophomore novel， she really cements herself as a wonderful new voice in the fantasy genre （and in young adult in general）。 A Far Wilder Magic follows Margaret， a girl abandoned by her alchemist mother， who has a chance to prove herself when the legendary ancient fox-creature the hala appears and triggers the Halfmoon Hunt。 But only teams of two— a sharpshooter （M A Far Wilder Magic has to be one of my new favorite books。 Ever。 It’s that good。Allison Saft’s writing is lyrical and lush， and in her sophomore novel， she really cements herself as a wonderful new voice in the fantasy genre （and in young adult in general）。 A Far Wilder Magic follows Margaret， a girl abandoned by her alchemist mother， who has a chance to prove herself when the legendary ancient fox-creature the hala appears and triggers the Halfmoon Hunt。 But only teams of two— a sharpshooter （Margaret’s specialty） and an alchemist— can join the Hunt。 Enter Wes， a struggling alchemist， and the sunshine to Margaret’s grumpiness。 As they start the Hunt and grow closer together， they realize a darker scheme that is brewing beneath the surface of the Hunt and under everything they thought they knew。 Intrigued yet？ A Far Wilder Magic is gothic and fantastical， filled with alchemy， magical fox hunts， a warm romance， and its 1920s inspired setting paves the way for this book to feel like something fresh and new in the fantasy genre。 I already won’t shut up about how much I love this book， and I’ll be trying to convince anyone I can to read it， because believe me— this is an absolute must-read， especially for fans of Maggie Stiefvater and those who crave a comfort， romantic， magical read。★ : 5 out of 5Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for access to an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Makayla
，
Forgive if this is a bit sappy， I'm still crying。 If you're worried about this ending in tragedy， don't。 My tears are a mix of everything in this book， but mostly in the how well the themes of parentification， absent parents， and how that can leave you in a hole desperate for approval， are explored。 I know what it's like to feel trapped in time， because you can't imagine anything for yourself down the line。 （Also， wow， the gaslighting。 It's written perfectly but it also hit a bit too hard， you k Forgive if this is a bit sappy， I'm still crying。 If you're worried about this ending in tragedy， don't。 My tears are a mix of everything in this book， but mostly in the how well the themes of parentification， absent parents， and how that can leave you in a hole desperate for approval， are explored。 I know what it's like to feel trapped in time， because you can't imagine anything for yourself down the line。 （Also， wow， the gaslighting。 It's written perfectly but it also hit a bit too hard， you know？）Aside from those I really loved this world。 The magic is interesting， the characters are whole and flawed， and the socio-political and religious aspects reflect our own world all too well。 If you liked Alchemists of Loom， I think you'll like this less steam-punk more dark-cottage-core story。 。。。more
sunny
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ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers！ Thank you so much for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review！Okay。 Wow。 Where to start with this book。 I'm kind of genuinely overwhelmed， but I'll do my best to unjumble my thoughts。This book is not a bold， exciting fantasy story。 It is not a story of heroes and villains， or grand battles of good and evil。 No， this is a quiet story。 The vast majority of it takes place in one remote little town， with most of that being centere ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers！ Thank you so much for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review！Okay。 Wow。 Where to start with this book。 I'm kind of genuinely overwhelmed， but I'll do my best to unjumble my thoughts。This book is not a bold， exciting fantasy story。 It is not a story of heroes and villains， or grand battles of good and evil。 No， this is a quiet story。 The vast majority of it takes place in one remote little town， with most of that being centered on the woods outside of it and the isolated manor where our protagonist— not our hero— lives， wasting away waiting for a mother who doesn't care for her the way she deserves。 And while our other protagonist— also not a hero— and the mythical hala— wild and vicious， but hard to call a villain— do liven up the somber little setting， it never truly loses its quiet charm。Oh， don't get me wrong。 There are some truly despicable characters on this book， but I wouldn't call them villains。 Antagonistic definitely， and the town golden boy bully is outright an antagonist， but I have to stress that villain doesn't accurately describe them the same way that hero doesn't truly describe Margaret and Wes。This is a quiet tale。 Whimsical。 A 20s inspired fantasy setting set not in the roaring party scene one thinks of first， but in the little parts of of the countryside。 Not only that， but Margaret and Wes are both outsiders in every sense of the word— namely， they are both ethnic minorities in their country。 Margaret seems to parallel Jewish experiences if the way she is treated and the specific insults and conspiracies hurled at her。 Wes and his family are a bit harder to pin down a real world parallel， but if I had to guess， probably Polish （or more generally Eastern European？） or Irish。 This is my speculation of course， but at the end of the day their experiences as minorities and the way they clash with the dominant culture of their country is a central theme of the story。I do specifically want to mention that I think the strongest theme of this book is that of love; be it the love we do or don't receive from others， the love we give to others， or the love we give to ourselves。 There is an undercurrent of self-hatred to this quiet story， of grief and guilt and loneliness。 Of not feeling like you're enough for the people you love， and that means you aren't worthy of being loved in return。 Of being so desperate for love despite that， that you're willing to sacrifice everything— even if it isn't healthy。Themes of neglect and emotional abuse from a parent is heavy here， but it's handled incredibly well。 And while heavy， it ultimately has a feeling of hope and breaking free of cycles of abuse and misery。 I try not to go into spoilers in my reviews， and I don't think that's truly a spoiler， but if you're sensitive to themes of parental abuse and neglect then know it's here and handled seriously， but also with hope。I care about both of these characters dearly。 I care about their relationship， which felt so earnest and gentle。 I nearly cried through the whole last quarter of this book because of how overwhelmed I was with how much I loved them and wanted them to be okay。 They're two characters who've just toppled over the brink of adulthood and are so terribly， awfully confused and lonely。 And I love them。Anyways。 For a vibe check of this series， think Over The Garden Wall and Hozier。 I mean this in the best way possible。 Quiet， whimsical， creeping in its eeriness。I will be buying this physically， and I'll also be following this author in the future。 。。。more
Angelique Nish
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*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 4。5/5A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft is about Margaret Welty， a country girl whose well-known alchemist mother has gone away to accomplish something to make their family happy again… but to do so leaves Margaret alone and unhappy。 Then comes Weston Winters， a city boy with his own dreams to chase and capabilities to prove。 Weston just needs an apprenticeship with Margaret’s mother to pursue his dreams， but first he must charm *I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 4。5/5A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft is about Margaret Welty， a country girl whose well-known alchemist mother has gone away to accomplish something to make their family happy again… but to do so leaves Margaret alone and unhappy。 Then comes Weston Winters， a city boy with his own dreams to chase and capabilities to prove。 Weston just needs an apprenticeship with Margaret’s mother to pursue his dreams， but first he must charm Margaret into letting him stay。 If only it were that easy。 Both with their own secrets to hide， can they learn to trust each other and finish a century long tradition once and for all？I found the connection to our world to be really interesting。 It was fun to decipher what religions were what and which countries were which。 I could never tell if this was a future， almost dystopian version of our world。 Or maybe some alternate dimension。 It was intriguing and I kind of like that it was never outright explained。 I loved both the main characters。 They both had their strength and weaknesses and were just so darn cute。 For the most part， pacing was good and the world developing and lore was top-notch。 I loved the depth that we got from both， but Margaret was definitely my favourite in her mannerisms and such。 Can I just say， that initial meeting？ Chefs kiss。 And the romance？ Enemies-to-lovers and grumpy+sunshine gold。 Now the only reason I’m not giving this the full 5 stars is because it took me a little bit at the beginning of the story to care （though that could just be me， honestly I’m so fickle）， and because the ending was a little rushed （which is a nice way of saying “More Please！”）If you’re into magic and deep world lore or the Wild Hunt type lore， then this is the book for you。 I’d be so excited to read more Allison Saft in the future。 Definitely an author I will look out for from now on。 。。。more
Josie
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Thank you Netgalley for the arc！ *4。5 Stars* I loved this one more than Down Comes the Night， which is saying something。Margaret Welty is a sharpshooter who has dealt with a lot of loss in her life。 Her father left her， her brother is dead， and her mother is no where to be found。 All she can do is wait in their home， Welty Manor， with her hunting dog Trouble， until her mother comes back。 While out in the woods one day， she encounters a creature called the Hala。 Most of the people of Wickdon beli Thank you Netgalley for the arc！ *4。5 Stars* I loved this one more than Down Comes the Night， which is saying something。Margaret Welty is a sharpshooter who has dealt with a lot of loss in her life。 Her father left her， her brother is dead， and her mother is no where to be found。 All she can do is wait in their home， Welty Manor， with her hunting dog Trouble， until her mother comes back。 While out in the woods one day， she encounters a creature called the Hala。 Most of the people of Wickdon believe that it is evil， but some people， like Margaret’s father， believe that it is a holy thing。 There is a long standing tradition in the town of Wickdon of the Halfmoon Hunt， which consists of tracking and killing the Hala。 Those who succeed are rewarded with a large sum of money and the honor that comes with being the “hero” that slayed the beast。 Margaret has her own reasons for wanting to join the hunt， but she doesn’t have a partner。 In order to join， she needs an alchemist to pair up with her。 When Weston Winters saunters up to her doorstep looking for her mother to beg for an alchemy apprenticeship， she finds a partner and more。 Saft’s writing sucked me in， and I finished A Far Wilder Magic in one sitting。 I loved the descriptions of the forest， and the quiet magic of Wickdon。 What really stood out to me were the characters- they leaped out of the page， and the chemistry between Wes and Margaret was so fun！ I have a thing for cocky， flirty male leads。 Weston Winters arms himself with his charm， and almost everyone falls underneath his spell。 He is admittedly flawed， but he is ambitious， kind， and wants to change the world for the better。 Unlike Wes， Margaret is tough and hardened after her many years of isolation from the townspeople and her own mother。 Behind her mask of indifference she cares deeply， and all she can hope for is for a safe and quiet life。 She hasn’t even thought of wanting more。Wes and Margaret are able to see the pain within each other。 Both are outcasts in their own worlds， and it is a heady thing for them to feel acceptance from someone。 The romance was tender and touching。 I wish we could’ve learned more about the Hala and alchemy， but all in all， I really enjoyed this one！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Far Wilder Magic
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Far Wilder Magic&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Far Wilder Magic&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0