User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
this was the young roy and riza fanfic of my dreams, i LOVED it ♥️
Rating: really liked it
Allison Saft is quickly becoming one of my all-favorite authors.
This books is beautiful. From the writing to the characters, it's stunning. I was captivated from the start, immediately falling in love with our two protagonists and their journey. I also especially loved the world-building. A Far Wilder Magic place in a fantasy world similar to the 1920's, but with alchemy and magical creatures like the hala. What I loved most was the political and religious themes in this book. Margaret is a Jewish-coded character, and Wes is Irish Catholic-coded, and both of them live in a primarily (fantasy version of) Christian society that frowns on both of their religions and the Banvish (this book's version of Irish people).
I can't speak to the Jewish rep, but as someone from an Irish Catholic family that immigrated to the US in the 20's, I can say it was spot on from the stories I would hear from my grandparents. YA fantasy has played with Irish folklore and culture before, but I can't put into words how excited I was when reading Allison Saft's interpretation.
This book is more than its world and magic, it's inherently a story about characters and their relationships, and damn does it excel at that. First, the romance. It's so cute and precious and I can't talk about it without squealing. But what I really want to talk about is the family dynamics. You have one character with a loud, chaotic, but over-all supportive family, but due to the recent loss of his father, he feels he needs to be strong for them. Then you have our other main character, who is neglected by her frequently-gone mother. She also suffers from trauma that occured because of her mothers obsession with alchemy. I really loved how this aspect of the story was handled. I personally have PTSD and loved how it was presented in this book.
I genuinely can't recommend A Far Wilder Magic enough. It an incredible novel that now holds a special place in my heart.
TWs: animal death, abuse, violence, hate crimes, antisemitism, death
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC to review
Rating: really liked it
ohhhh, i so desperately wanted to love this.
i think the concept of this story is cool. alchemy is always interesting and i think the different religions and how they play into the tradition of the hunt is done well. the characters are also great. both maggie and wes are strong, solid leads who have good characterisation and development.
however, the narrative commits one of my biggest pet peeves and it just kinda ruined my reading experience. this story has no idea what time period or place it is set in and the world-building is in absolute shambles because of it. theres a map at the beginning of the book that displays a made up land, which is great for fantasy. however, this is an urban fantasy. it takes place in the modern word with cars and phones, so how can it be a made up fantasy land? if there are cars and phones, then this cant be any earlier than the late 1880s. the clothing mentioned, societal norms, and the fact they say 25¢ is enough to buy groceries, also makes me think this is late 1880s to early 1900s. BUT! then we get mention of paramedics (thats what they call them) which isnt a term that is used until the 1950s. then it mentions a modern metallic condom wrapper, which design wasnt used until the late 1990s. so the setting is all over the place and it bugged the crap out of me. as you can tell. lol.
rant aside, i do think this story is a good bit of fun. readers who arent as sensitive as i am when it comes to continuity issues should enjoy this.
↠ 3 stars
Rating: really liked it
Heart bounding, vicious hunt of one of the most dangerous, legendary, mystical creature with magical alchemy touches and slow burn- sweet romance between reserved, tough, neglected heroine and sweet, chevalier, good hearted, talented hero! I’m sold! Actually I was already sold when I saw Allison Saft’s name and this vivid cover which is definition of pure magic! Isn’t it so fabulous?
Margaret Welty is lone fighter, outcast of town, mostly spending her time alone in Welty Manor located in Wickdon. She already lost her father, brother and her mother dedicated herself to her researches, spending most of her time out of town, leaving her daughter by herself in the manor full of ghosts, trembling in cold, befriending her bloodhound Trouble, compelling living conditions for her own age.
Every child on Wickdon raised on legends of the hala. As Katharist church painted it as a demon, Margaret’s father has second thoughts. That’s the first time she realized her family’s different approach against church’s doctrines. She’s daughter of Yu ‘adir and they believe the Hala is sacred creature, carrier of divine knowledge.
As soon as she meets the legendary creature in front of her house when she is all alone, trying to protect herself along with her bloodhound she’s responsible of, she realizes Halfmoon Hunt will follow sooner. Killing the hala means earning high reputation, fame and it also means to unlock an ancient magical secret.
Margaret can join the hunt with her excellent shooting skills but she cannot get too far with an accomplice who must be an alchemist!
But luckily her prayers are already answered. Young Weston Winters appears in front of the mansion door, requesting to be apprentice of her mother after being fired each apprenticeship he’s landed lately. He has to take care of his mother and his sister. Working with Margaret’s mother is his last chance. Wes knows he possesses some innate magic.
He has a quiet powerful effect on people. When he speaks people always listen. He’s not alchemist yet. He doesn’t come from wealthy family and he’s undereducated but he is talented enough to fight for his last chance even though Margaret is too stubborn let him pass the mansion’s threshold.
Wes’ honest talk about his family situation warms her heart and she finally let him wait for her mother’s return but as soon as she realizes he has enough talent to help her join the hunt, she finally asks for his help.
They’re definitely unlikely team: Margaret is quiet fighter, survivor who endured to live in the outskirts for a long time. Wes already impressed by her bravery. And even though Margaret was quiet anxious to spend more time with him at the same place, she finds herself drawn into his kindness, genuineness.
But the high tension, dangerous hunt in the woods may result with unleashing dark magic! Whether they survive from the merciless conditions of nature, could they defeat the dangerous effects of dark magic which will risk their lives?
It’s action packed, exciting, well executed survival- enchanted alchemy story with sweet romance vibes! I truly enjoyed it! I’m looking forward to read next works of Ms. Saft!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Rating: really liked it
**4.5-stars rounded up**When Weston Winters shows up on her doorstop, Margaret Welty is home alone and has been for quite some time.
Margaret's mother, a famous alchemist, is traveling for work and Margaret, essentially abandoned, has no idea when she will return.
Wes is an aspiring alchemist seeking apprenticeship with Margaret's mom, hence his sudden and previously unannounced arrival. Although Margaret is annoyed by his mere presence, he is able to break down some of her walls and she agrees to let him stay until her mother returns.
Margaret may have ulterior motives. The Halfmoon Hunt approaches and she is desperate to participate. The winner of the hunt, the one who is able to slay the legendary Hala, the last living mythical creature, will win fame and a large sum of money.
The catch is only teams of two are allowed to sign up. Margaret is the best shot in town, but she needs an alchemist for a partner. Perhaps Wes can serve a purpose after all.
As you can imagine, with two young people living and working together under the same roof, sparks begin to fly. It's not immediate and certainly not discussed between them, but as Margaret and Wes learn more about each other, they discover they may be more alike than they initially thought.
I was swept away with this story. Saft is a master at creating lush and fully-consuming atmospheres. I loved the world she created here; it felt very greater-Boston area, maybe mid-to-late 1920s, but with magic.
Additionally, I was impressed with the different layers woven into this story. For example, there was quite a bit of commentary on discrimination against ethnic minorities and immigrants. It never felt forced, which I appreciated. It felt like a completely natural aspect of this story.
Both Margaret and Wes had experienced outward discrimination and hostilities towards them based upon who they were and where they came from. Eventually, they were able to talk about and bond over these shared experiences.
I was moved by both of their stories and how they learned to stand strong in the face of aggression; how they both sought to make changes for the better for all.
That is just a minor part though, for me, the highlight of this book is the Halfmoon Hunt. I loved learning about it, the lore, history, dangers and watching Margaret and Wes prep for the big day. Of course it doesn't go entirely smoothly.
Drama abounds as the event nears and I had no idea where it was going or what was going to happen. I was completely head over heels for this team by that point though, I was ready to cut down the competition myself!
While Margaret and Wes have their ups and downs over the course of the story, one thing that never waned was their growing feelings for one another.
This is a YA Fantasy Romance after all and I thought the romance was splendid; so natural and satisfying to watch evolve. From the early neurotic days of pining and questioning, all the way through to the end, I was invested.
There were no eye-roll moments for me, no wishing for it to be over, it was organic and fun.
I really enjoyed Saft's 2020-release,
Down Comes the Night. It was an impressive Romantic Fantasy debut. In
A Far Wilder Magic, I feel like Saft's writing has really blossomed. This is a complex story and it was so well executed.
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to for Allison Saft's next book. I look forward to following her career for a long time to come!!
Rating: really liked it
This book is beautifully written but I think the expectation that comes with it is what makes A Far Wilder Magic fell short.
I'm so torn to give this thousand stars or cocoon with my disappointment for what it promised me but never delivered. Well, I guess, I'm going to give this a sit and think through.
RTC
Rating: really liked it
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DNF @ p.53I always feel like such a shit when I get an ARC of a book and don't like it. Especially if it's a hard copy. I know a lot of money goes into producing those copies and dispersing them, so I
really try to only ask for books I think I'm going to like. And I totally thought I was going to like this. That cover! That premise! No, don't take me on a coffee date, I want to hunt mythical monsters through a moonlit wood. That was my first impression and I totally stand by it.
Sadly, this book didn't really do it for me. The writing is clear and very pretty but the characters just felt really bland. Especially Wes. I didn't really get what his deal was. It felt like the author was trying to make him seem quirky but he just kind of seemed like a dick. The author does something I personally really don't like, where she writes what is basically historical fantasy but changes all the names around. So the "Irish" become the Banvish (with signs that say "Banvish need not apply" on New York-- I mean, "New Albion"-- shops), and Katharists (Catholics?) with fancy churches who seem to hate the Celtic-inspired religions. These stand-ins feel like a short-cut for world-building but taken out of context from their real-world counterparts, they don't really have the same significance. So I wish authors would either set a book in our world and make it actual historical fantasy or bite the world-building bullet and go the extra mile in crafting their own settings. The "wild hunt" angle which hooked me in also didn't feature in the 50+ pages I read. It was more of a Victorian-esque steampunk setting, and if I had known that, I probably wouldn't have requested a copy of this, either, because I'm not really a fan of steampunk.
I think if you like authors like Maggie Stiefvater and Emily Duncan, you'll enjoy this book. I don't particularly care for either of them, unfortunately. I know some people really like their characters and writing style but I don't. For teens who really vibe with steampunk and like those deliberately "quirky" characters that seem to be vogue among the YA set these days, you'll probably love this. I wish I had too, but I just found myself setting this book down every time I picked it up and eventually I just gave up. Thanks so much to my friend Heather for reading this with me (sorry I bailed!).
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!1.5 to 2 stars
Rating: really liked it
A Far Wilder Magic is a YA fantasy novel teeming with teen angst and ancient magic.
Alone in a crumbling manor, Margaret Welty survives day by day, waiting for her mother to return from extended research trips. Her mother is a well-established alchemist who often leaves Margaret alone for months at a time. Due to her religious background, Margaret is an outsider to many in her community.
Then there is Wes Winters. Wes desperately wants to complete an alchemy apprenticeship in order to become a politician and raise his family out of their current struggles. He’s failed out of countless apprenticeships thus far and is nailing his hopes on securing one with Evelyn Welty, Margaret’s mother. When he arrives unannounced at the Welty’s manor, he is stunned to find that Evelyn is away on one of her trips. Margaret is uncertain when she will return. After much persuasion, Margaret agrees to let him stay and wait for Evelyn’s return.
Meanwhile, a hunting competition for a centuries-old fox will be starting soon. Margaret plans to enter with Wes as her alchemist so they both can achieve what they’ve always wanted.
This character-driven story alternates between Margaret and Wes’ POV. It’s an easy fantasy to immerse oneself in. There’s a bit of info-dumping in the beginning, but after that, it’s fairly straightforward.
It has themes on religious persecution, belonging, and the many facets of love.
Since the book’s synopsis emphasizes the hunt, I thought it would take up more pages than it did. Alas, the hunt only started in the last 50 (ebook) pages. I was expecting something more in the vein of Hunger Games or the like. But it didn’t take long for me to become invested in Wes and Margaret’s shenanigans. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and evolve.
This novel works as a standalone, but I really hope that this isn’t the last I’ll see of these characters.
YA Fantasy is hit-or-miss for me, but this one worked so well. I think Adult Fantasy readers may enjoy this book too. Readers who want to dip their toes in Fantasy might find this a good place to start as well.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for an arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
Rating: really liked it
DNF. I'm so sad, as I loved the author's debut novel, Down Comes the Night, but I just cannot connect with the characters, the setting, or the writing in this one. If you enjoy historical fantasy with a slow burning plot, give this one a try for yourself.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Rating: really liked it
Let’s just say reading this on the bus wasn’t the greatest idea because 1) I was freaking out because Wes + Maggie <3 2) there were tears in my eyes and 3) I needed to catch another bus right when I reached a little cliffhanger so I was STRESSED.
r a t i n g - o v e r v i e w :
characters: 5/5
writing: 5/5
vibes: 5/5
plot: 4/5
enjoyment: 5/5
OVERALL: 5/5
representation: Jewish and dyslexic main characters, gay and sapphic side characters.
trigger/content warnings: animal death and injury, antisemitism, nationalism and xenophobia, PTSD, neglect and emotional abuse by a parent, mentions of parental death, mentions of death of a child, graphic descriptions of blood and wounds.I don’t know whether Allison Saft is an angel or the devil herself, but what I do know is that she’s, without a doubt, one of my favourite storytellers. Whether we’re talking about the characters she crafts that steal my heart or her words that literally make me drown in the atmosphere she created, or perhaps about everything she hides between the lines; I adore it.
A Far Wilder Magic completely lived up to my expectations, which says… quite a lot, given it was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and I, well, cried when I got the arc.
Wes and Maggie’s story is one that is definitely heavily focused on romance, but for me, above all, it’s a story of these two characters and the internal conflict they have to work through. Their emotional journey and growth is the heart of this book and though it’s definitely character-driven, too, it’s undeniably emotionally driven as well.
As for the external plot… I’ll warn you that not much really happens. It will definitely be something some readers will have a problem with, but for others (me included) it will be greatly appreciated since this makes the focus on the internal plot (aka the emotional journey) more powerful.
Here I am, once again wanting to analyze this entire story because there’s so much to it, but I want to let you discover it yourself. All I’ll say is that it’s incredibly strong.
"What is there for her, beyond the looming wall of her mother's return. Who is she without the ache of her absence and the fear of losing her again?"
What I also really loved about A Far Wilder Magic is the themes it explores. It talks about religion which was really interesting, but it also deals with parental neglect and emotional abuse in a way I haven’t really seen in fantasy before. Maggie’s journey is one of learning to see your worth and who you are beyond your pain. It was written with so much care and definitely made me tear up because it hit.
Plus, though Wes definitely helps Maggie in her journey, her struggles weren’t romanticized at all. It wasn’t like he came into her life and everything was okay, but she really had to learn. She had to learn how to accept love after what she’d been through, and especially learn that she deserved it.
I definitely saw my own insecurities in her and I’m sure more people will find hope in her journey, as I did.
Now, enough of my whole psychological stuff, let’s talk about who Maggie and Wes are beyond their pain! Just thinking of them makes me emotional because I—I adore them. Allison Saft has crafted very realistically flawed yet lovable characters. Wes is such a caring himbo and (definitely) the sunshine to Maggie’s grump.
As I said, this book focuses heavily on romance and I’m RUINED. Their love for each other is so big and I was just full-on crying on the bus (well, for multiple reasons BUT OKAY). It just made me feel so much and… I can’t believe Allison Saft invented romance, y’all.
"All her life, love has been a scarce and precious resource, something earned or denied, something she starved for every day. But with Wes, love is different. It is reckless and inexhaustible. It is freely given. It simply is."
Allison Saft’s sophomore novel is one with so much love and hope in it. I adored everything from the themes it explores, to the characters and their beautiful romance, to, of course, the amazing writing and atmosphere! It’s a book I can see myself returning to for comfort since I already read it twice before its release (and I wanna read it a third time…).
I fell deeply in love and cried a lot of tears on the bus, but it was all worth it. A Far Wilder Magic is not to be missed and I will already be looking forward to Allison Saft’s next masterpiece.
b o o k - o v e r v i e w :
One-sentence pitch: When Wes goes to Welty Manor in hopes of getting an apprenticeship so he can become an alchemist, he finds nothing but a girl his age named Margaret who takes care of the house on her own, waiting for her mother to return home, and before they know, Wes and Maggie have no one to depend on except for each other in a magical hunt.
Definitely read it if: you are a sucker for grumpy x sunshine relationships, you like fantasy books that heavily focus on romance, you love atmospheric fantasy, you’re interested in reading about themes like parental neglect, self-isolation, and religion in fantasy.
Maybe skip it if: you tend to like (external) plot-driven books more, you don’t like flowery writing.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review! This did not affect my opinions in any way.All quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication.
Rating: really liked it
On my blog. Rep: Jewish-coded mc, dyslexic mc, gay side character, sapphic side characters
CWs: antisemitism, animal injury, animal death, gore, parental neglect, panic attacks
Galley provided by publisherA Far Wilder Magic is a must-read for fantasy romance fans, a book that utterly consumes you, that you finish reading and find it’s thrown you straight into a reading slump. On some level, I’ve been thinking about this book for every minute of every day since I read it.
The story follows Wes Winters and Maggie Welty, two outsiders and polar opposites, who team up, each for their own reason, to capture a mythic creature and achieve what they most want. And, of course, they end up falling in love along the way.
I loved
Down Comes the Night when I read it and, like a fool, thought that that couldn’t be topped. And then Allison Saft goes and proves me wrong. I’m not sure I can find the words to explain just how much I adored this book. From the writing to the world to the characters in it, I loved every aspect so much. Every time I’ve attempted to review this book, all I’ve ended up with is some kind of nonsensical babbling about how much I love it. I can’t guarantee that this review won’t just go the same way.
Let me start at what first struck me about the book, and that’s Maggie and Wes. Two POV characters who I loved from the first instant I met them? Thank you very much! Give me a relationship between characters who are complete opposites but who, somewhat begrudgingly at first, find comfort in one another and I will simply burst into tears. This is perhaps partly the reason I can’t review this book very well. I just start crying whenever I think about Maggie and Wes.
The worldbuilding and writing tie together for me. The writing is gorgeous and evokes the world so well, you feel like you could be right there with Maggie and Wes. I mean, I knew this would be the case from
Down Comes the Night, but do you ever read a book where you know something’s gonna be how it is, and still find yourself in complete awe of the writer’s craft? That’s how I felt reading
A Far Wilder Magic.
In all, I would rank this book as perhaps one of the best I’ve read this year and, if not that, then definitely one of my absolute favourites. This is a book I would say you really really don’t want to miss out on in 2022.
Rating: really liked it
More articulate thoughts to come, but I absolutely
loved this book. Rarely have I rooted for a couple as passionately as I did for Margaret and Wes.
Rating: really liked it
DNF 10%
insta love + Not Like Other Girls = i'm out of here
Rating: really liked it
What a cute lil magical story! This was a pretty character driven romance, with a solid magic system backing it up. The hunt did end up taking a small portion of the novel, which I think made the pacing feel a little off as it was very built up. But if you like grumpy/ray of sunshine tropes (which apparently I do), definitely give this one a try!
Click here for the full review on my blog!
Rating: really liked it
A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft is a standalone young adult fantasy novel with a lot of romance in the story. The story in A Far Wilder Magic is told by changing the point of view between the characters to show all sides.
Margaret Welty has been living alone waiting for her alchemist mother to return from her latest adventure when spots the legendary hala. Margaret knows that seeing this creature means the Halfmoon Hunt will be beginning soon and the winner will be blessed with fame and riches.
Weston Winters wants nothing more than to become an alchemist but his chances of realizing his dream are dwindling. Weston figures his last shot is Master Welty taking him on as an apprentice but when he arrives at her home there is only her surly daughter. Margaret agrees to let Weston stay and wait if he would only join the hunt with her with both looking to please her mother.
A Far Wilder Magic is the second book written by Allison Saft and the second book of hers that I’ve read. I really enjoyed her debut novel so I was expecting to find myself really engaged and enjoying this one too but that didn’t happen as much this time. The story in here had so much more potential in my eyes than what I found as it really became one that crawled along at such a slow pace until the very end. This wasn’t a bad story but when finished the pacing and the feeling of just wanting more that I found for me had this one turning into a just so-so read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
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