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joisaddler's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Abandonment
literarypenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A Far Wilder Magic is about Margaret and Weston, two young adults who meet each other after Wes comes to study Alchemy under Margaret’s mother's tutelage. When Wes finds out her mother is gone and won’t be back for an undetermined amount of time Wes begs Margaret to let him stay with her. Margaret is very reluctant at first but when she finds out about the traditional Hunt set to begin in her town, she comes up with a plan for both her and Wes to get what they want. Soon though that plan may have a hitch when sparks begin to fly between the two. I found this book on a whim and loved the plot and the cover of this book. I wanted to give this book a try and was very excited that I did! I felt satisfied and happy by the end of this book! My expectations were high for this book considering how much praise was behind this book. I would consider this book a Romance mixed with a bit of Fantasy and Historical Fiction sprinkled in there. I think was makes this book stand out is the characters and the setting. It was just so unique and interesting and I adored it so much!
The writing was very good and I loved how the author described the sights and sounds of the different locations. How Margaret’s hometown was vastly different from the city Weston grew up in. The pacing was good as well and it took its time building up The Hunt and the romance between Wes and Margaret. It kept itself consistent and things happened that made sense to the story and its characters. I really liked the buildup of the Hunt and the action-packed writing and tension the Hunt gave. It felt tense and felt like the stakes were high at this part of the book.
This book was about Margaret and Weston and their journey in getting ready for the Hunt and learning to trust each other and themselves during this Hunt. I felt like the story was very interesting and as you go further in the book you learn more about the Hunt and its true significance begins to unravel. What I liked the most about the story was Weston and Margaret's both learning more about themselves and bonding over some shared experiences they both have had. The Alchemy was very interesting to me and learning how it worked and what it took to use this kind of magic. Its strength was in its characters and the bond between Margaret and Weston. The Hunt and people hunting this mythical creature were also very interesting and thought-provoking. It made you think if hunting this creature was truly right or was it wrong.
The two main characters were Margaret and Weston, Margaret is an independent and hardworking young woman with a famous Alchemist mother who is constantly leaving her home alone by herself with her dog. She also has some past trauma with her mother that has grown into severe PTSD and trust issues with people. She also has a Jewish heritage that makes people untrusting of her and her family which isolates her in her small town. Weston is an Irish Catholic young man with a big family who tries very hard to support and care for his family but has failed numerous times to become an Alchemist. He doesn’t give up though and won’t give up. The representation is excellent in this book and this is the first book I have seen in a while with Jewish representation! The development was excellent, especially with Margaret. Weston was my favorite character by far because of his love for his family and his determination to achieve his dream of becoming an Alchemist. I loved the romance between Weston and Margaret it was so beautiful and organic. It felt natural and the bond between them felt real. They bonded between their shared discrimination and hardships they have dealt with in their life. I also loved the bond between Wes and his sisters. They felt like such interesting and great characters just on their own as well!
The book is set in what I think is the 1920s in two different places one in the city and another in a small rural town. The world is definitely another favorite part of the book for me because the era this book takes place in is perfect for this book and for the themes it presents to us. Each place is different and unique on its own, the character’s in these places all fit into the location and were very interesting background characters. I think this world is very important to the story and the magic actually fits in very well with it. The use of Alchemy in this world is great and explained well but also with a bit of resistance from certain people at this time.
The themes they explored in this book were parental abuse because of how Margaret’s mother treated her and how Margaret felt she had to impress her mother in order for her mother to love her or pay attention to her. After trying so hard to impress her mother she still wouldn’t get that no matter how hard she tried. I felt so bad for her in these moments and understood her trauma and felt the idea of PTSD was portrayed extremely well! I loved Weston and the portrayal of learning disabilities and the struggle people who have them face every single day. The feeling of being a failure and never succeeding hits hard for all of us. The subtlety of the theme of discrimination and prejudice against different races was portrayed very well and didn’t feel forced or take over the story.
I loved this book and it has become one of my favorite romances I hope that people give this book a chance! I feel like it worked perfectly for a standalone and I think it is worth a read if not just for the cover but the lovely characters and the beautiful stories and themes that it tells!
The writing was very good and I loved how the author described the sights and sounds of the different locations. How Margaret’s hometown was vastly different from the city Weston grew up in. The pacing was good as well and it took its time building up The Hunt and the romance between Wes and Margaret. It kept itself consistent and things happened that made sense to the story and its characters. I really liked the buildup of the Hunt and the action-packed writing and tension the Hunt gave. It felt tense and felt like the stakes were high at this part of the book.
This book was about Margaret and Weston and their journey in getting ready for the Hunt and learning to trust each other and themselves during this Hunt. I felt like the story was very interesting and as you go further in the book you learn more about the Hunt and its true significance begins to unravel. What I liked the most about the story was Weston and Margaret's both learning more about themselves and bonding over some shared experiences they both have had. The Alchemy was very interesting to me and learning how it worked and what it took to use this kind of magic. Its strength was in its characters and the bond between Margaret and Weston. The Hunt and people hunting this mythical creature were also very interesting and thought-provoking. It made you think if hunting this creature was truly right or was it wrong.
The two main characters were Margaret and Weston, Margaret is an independent and hardworking young woman with a famous Alchemist mother who is constantly leaving her home alone by herself with her dog. She also has some past trauma with her mother that has grown into severe PTSD and trust issues with people. She also has a Jewish heritage that makes people untrusting of her and her family which isolates her in her small town. Weston is an Irish Catholic young man with a big family who tries very hard to support and care for his family but has failed numerous times to become an Alchemist. He doesn’t give up though and won’t give up. The representation is excellent in this book and this is the first book I have seen in a while with Jewish representation! The development was excellent, especially with Margaret. Weston was my favorite character by far because of his love for his family and his determination to achieve his dream of becoming an Alchemist. I loved the romance between Weston and Margaret it was so beautiful and organic. It felt natural and the bond between them felt real. They bonded between their shared discrimination and hardships they have dealt with in their life. I also loved the bond between Wes and his sisters. They felt like such interesting and great characters just on their own as well!
The book is set in what I think is the 1920s in two different places one in the city and another in a small rural town. The world is definitely another favorite part of the book for me because the era this book takes place in is perfect for this book and for the themes it presents to us. Each place is different and unique on its own, the character’s in these places all fit into the location and were very interesting background characters. I think this world is very important to the story and the magic actually fits in very well with it. The use of Alchemy in this world is great and explained well but also with a bit of resistance from certain people at this time.
The themes they explored in this book were parental abuse because of how Margaret’s mother treated her and how Margaret felt she had to impress her mother in order for her mother to love her or pay attention to her. After trying so hard to impress her mother she still wouldn’t get that no matter how hard she tried. I felt so bad for her in these moments and understood her trauma and felt the idea of PTSD was portrayed extremely well! I loved Weston and the portrayal of learning disabilities and the struggle people who have them face every single day. The feeling of being a failure and never succeeding hits hard for all of us. The subtlety of the theme of discrimination and prejudice against different races was portrayed very well and didn’t feel forced or take over the story.
I loved this book and it has become one of my favorite romances I hope that people give this book a chance! I feel like it worked perfectly for a standalone and I think it is worth a read if not just for the cover but the lovely characters and the beautiful stories and themes that it tells!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Blood
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Death of parent and Child abuse
booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A FAR WILDER MAGIC is a deliciously slow burn fantasy romance, getting well past the halfway point before the first longing touch; full of indecision, regret, and hope. Maggie needs Wes's help in order to enter the Halfmoon Hunt and bring down the hala, an immortal creature that some religions say is part of god, and others say is a gift from the divine.
The narration is split between Wes and Maggie, and the balance is good. I like them both as narrators. This is definitely a place where the audiobook shines, as the audiobook narrator gives them distinct voices which fit the way their tone is described by the text.
Maggie's relationship with her (currently absent) mother looms large. The reasons for her mother's absence and obsession with alchemy is gradually unfurled as Maggie gets to know Wes and begins to fall for him. Wes's relationships with his sisters and mother are also very important to the story, but as a mostly positive influence. I like Wes's family, they're pretty great and I enjoyed his rapport with them. Maggie's mother is an excellent character and a pretty frustrating person. It takes Maggie a very long time to be able to recognize her mother's treatment of her as neglect and emotional abuse, with Wes calling it out long before Maggie is ready to deal with it on those terms.
The romance is a very slow burn. I've read slower, but only in books longer than this one. Maggie and Wes are great together, but first they have to get out of their own way about a lot of things. Maggie's anxiety felt realistic, and the romance isn't treated as a cure for it.
The worldbuilding is gradual in terms of character backgrounds, but pretty immediate for the town of Wickdon and the manor where Maggie lives. Maggie's background is definitely meant to be that she's this universe's version of half-Jewish, something that's more shown through the particularities of the bigotry against her more than its shown through any cultural or religious practices that I picked up on. She mentions a few things about her father, and most of the cultural touchstones I could recognize happened when she's thinking about him or talking about something he taught her. Wes is some version of Catholic, as best as I can tell, and the bigotry against him echoes the bits of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry that I'm aware of as someone who isn't Irish, Catholic, nor Jewish. A major part of Wes's storyline is about figuring out how to navigate the sea of local bigotry which Maggie has grown up in, informed by how he's used to handling it back home. It's very much about him and Maggie figuring out to exist together and what to do about their feelings for each other, but having to deal with bigots is a huge part of the narrative. I'm not in a position to say whether it was done well on a larger level, but I like how it worked in the story and I'm very pleased with how things turn out.
The narration is chock-full of metaphors, usually but not always similes. I didn't mind it, but by the end I was wondering if the characters were going to run out of ways that the color of each other's eyes could be like an entirely different substance, usually a pleasing food or drink. It's done well, I think, but I was starting to notice it each time as I got closer to finishing the story.
I was pleasantly surprised by the pacing. It's several weeks before the hunt begins, and the hunt itself plays out over several weeks because of various ceremonial and preparatory stages. I like the plot and I love the ending.
The narration is split between Wes and Maggie, and the balance is good. I like them both as narrators. This is definitely a place where the audiobook shines, as the audiobook narrator gives them distinct voices which fit the way their tone is described by the text.
Maggie's relationship with her (currently absent) mother looms large. The reasons for her mother's absence and obsession with alchemy is gradually unfurled as Maggie gets to know Wes and begins to fall for him. Wes's relationships with his sisters and mother are also very important to the story, but as a mostly positive influence. I like Wes's family, they're pretty great and I enjoyed his rapport with them. Maggie's mother is an excellent character and a pretty frustrating person. It takes Maggie a very long time to be able to recognize her mother's treatment of her as neglect and emotional abuse, with Wes calling it out long before Maggie is ready to deal with it on those terms.
The romance is a very slow burn. I've read slower, but only in books longer than this one. Maggie and Wes are great together, but first they have to get out of their own way about a lot of things. Maggie's anxiety felt realistic, and the romance isn't treated as a cure for it.
The worldbuilding is gradual in terms of character backgrounds, but pretty immediate for the town of Wickdon and the manor where Maggie lives. Maggie's background is definitely meant to be that she's this universe's version of half-Jewish, something that's more shown through the particularities of the bigotry against her more than its shown through any cultural or religious practices that I picked up on. She mentions a few things about her father, and most of the cultural touchstones I could recognize happened when she's thinking about him or talking about something he taught her. Wes is some version of Catholic, as best as I can tell, and the bigotry against him echoes the bits of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry that I'm aware of as someone who isn't Irish, Catholic, nor Jewish. A major part of Wes's storyline is about figuring out how to navigate the sea of local bigotry which Maggie has grown up in, informed by how he's used to handling it back home. It's very much about him and Maggie figuring out to exist together and what to do about their feelings for each other, but having to deal with bigots is a huge part of the narrative. I'm not in a position to say whether it was done well on a larger level, but I like how it worked in the story and I'm very pleased with how things turn out.
The narration is chock-full of metaphors, usually but not always similes. I didn't mind it, but by the end I was wondering if the characters were going to run out of ways that the color of each other's eyes could be like an entirely different substance, usually a pleasing food or drink. It's done well, I think, but I was starting to notice it each time as I got closer to finishing the story.
I was pleasantly surprised by the pacing. It's several weeks before the hunt begins, and the hunt itself plays out over several weeks because of various ceremonial and preparatory stages. I like the plot and I love the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Animal death, Antisemitism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, Death, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
luckykosmos's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
romance is real...............
My main qualm is that the fantastic parallels for Judaism and Irish Catholicism felt underwhelming. At times, it felt like the names for regions and religions could have stayed as their real-world counterparts and nothing would have change, since the translation was so on the nose.
That being said, the way the dynamic between Margaret and Wes grew was delicious. Them slowly opening up to each other, in terms of general personality as well as being each other's main source of support in the face of bigotry. They balanced each other beautifully, and the romance between them felt so tender because of it. i die !
My main qualm is that the fantastic parallels for Judaism and Irish Catholicism felt underwhelming. At times, it felt like the names for regions and religions could have stayed as their real-world counterparts and nothing would have change, since the translation was so on the nose.
That being said, the way the dynamic between Margaret and Wes grew was delicious. Them slowly opening up to each other, in terms of general personality as well as being each other's main source of support in the face of bigotry. They balanced each other beautifully, and the romance between them felt so tender because of it. i die !
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, and Animal death
Moderate: Gore and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
pvbobrien's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Antisemitism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
bookishflower's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Besides, dreams don’t always have to be practical. That’s why they’re dreams. And now ours live and die together.”
“It’s you and me against the world, Margaret.”
Firstly, it needs to be said that that cover is so incredibly beautiful and captures the atmosphere of this book perfectly! (The perfect autumnal book to read with a blanket and cup of tea!)
A Far Wilder Magic follows the life-weary, headstrong Margaret and the flirtatiously optimistic Wes in their quest to win the mythical half-moon hunt as begrudgingly allies for her to win the favour of her mother and for him to gain the magical training he needs to make a difference in the world.
This ya stand-alone fantasy romance is such an effortless intricately crafted book from it’s gorgeous writing style and bewitching world building.
The scientific-based magic system, Jewish and Irish myth influence, and alternative 1920s America setting of this book is one that feels fresh and unique, a flawless blend of dark academia, whimsy and heart that I haven’t felt since Sorcery of Thorns.
The slow-burn grumpy x sunshine romance won me over straight away, the pining, character development and I-definitely-still-hate-your-face-even-if-I’m-staring vibes! Ahhh!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Antisemitism, Bullying, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Grief, and Hate crime
Moderate: Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC of this book.
Maggie wants nothing more than to live a safe and simple life with her alchemist mother--who is never home. Wes dreams of becoming an alchemist politician to make the world a better place, and to do that, he needs to become Maggie's mother's apprentice. But since her mother isn't home, Maggie and Wes concoct a plan to catch a magical creature during the Halfmoon Hunt to impress Evelyn.
This book is a little bit The Scorpio Races, a little bit Shadow & Bone. I really liked the plot and found the world building and magic systems very interesting. I was not a big fan of the characters or relationship. I had issues with some of the things that happened in the romance between Maggie and Wes. Nothing so bad it would ruin the book but definitely knocked it down a peg in my mind. Characters are really important to me in a story, so even though I loved this plot, the lack-luster character building hurt this for my rating.
Maggie wants nothing more than to live a safe and simple life with her alchemist mother--who is never home. Wes dreams of becoming an alchemist politician to make the world a better place, and to do that, he needs to become Maggie's mother's apprentice. But since her mother isn't home, Maggie and Wes concoct a plan to catch a magical creature during the Halfmoon Hunt to impress Evelyn.
This book is a little bit The Scorpio Races, a little bit Shadow & Bone. I really liked the plot and found the world building and magic systems very interesting. I was not a big fan of the characters or relationship. I had issues with some of the things that happened in the romance between Maggie and Wes. Nothing so bad it would ruin the book but definitely knocked it down a peg in my mind. Characters are really important to me in a story, so even though I loved this plot, the lack-luster character building hurt this for my rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content
beforeviolets's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
CW: animal death, death of father (past), death of brother (past), parental abandonment, sexual content (onscreen, not graphic), blood, trauma, emotionally abusive parent, religious bigotry, PTSD, alcohol consumption, hate crime, anti-semitism, death, gore
Thank you to Wednesday books for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Built upon a rich tapestry of religiopolitical metaphor, and steeped in a charged atmosphere that will fill your senses, A Far Wilder Magic paints a romance between two characters that you just can't help but fall for.
Allison's Saft's writing is nothing less than golden.
If you like:
-slow burn
-grumpy girl/sunshine boy
-dorks helplessly in love
-casual queer side characters
-bigots getting punched in the face
-jewish rep
then you should get your hands on this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Antisemitism, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Gore
Minor: Death of parent
hownovelofher's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5
I’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.
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 clumsily 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!
I’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.
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 clumsily 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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you Wednesday Books for an eARC for an honest review.
Wow, 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.
Wow, 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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent and Child death