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andromeda_1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.75
After receiving the wolf in the woodsman in my illumicrate books I could not wait to read it. That edition is ✨STUNNING✨ But the normal book is gorgeous as well! The story of this book really met all my expectations! So what are the reasons I fell in love with this book:
Characters
Characters are really important to me, I can read a book with a weak plot as long as I love the characters but a book with sloppy characters is something I cannot stand…
These characters were well done, they had multiple layers to them. Faults, good traits, dreams and anxieties. They felt very real, did I like all of them? No, of course not but where they well rounded characters? Hell yess!!!
Worldbuilding
I am a sucker for rich world with a fairytale base especially if the fairytale’s are from Russian mythology. The world was really magical but with a lot of ruff edges. It’s very well done.
Plotbuilding
This is the category where the book lacks a little bit. I felt like Ava Reid wanted to bring to much to the table but it wasn’t possible to fit everything in the books 400 pages. I feel like it could have been better if some of the side plots would have been removed. One of my biggest critics is the lovestory. I shipped the couple but I would have loved more time with them. It feels like we do not get to see the love develop because Ava Reid doesn’t take the time she needs to conclude that part of the story. I would love to have seen more of the relations developments. But keep in mind that this is the only criticism I can deliver for this book.
Recommendations
Like a lot of others I saw the same vibe in this book as in the books of Katharine Arden and in Spinning Silver/ Uprooted by Naomi Novik. It has the same feeling but it doesn’t have the proza/writing flow as those other books. I missed that a little bit in the wolf and the woodsmen. But still I feel like this book could really be something for you if you liked uprooted, spinning silver and the Bear and the nightingale.
Characters
Characters are really important to me, I can read a book with a weak plot as long as I love the characters but a book with sloppy characters is something I cannot stand…
These characters were well done, they had multiple layers to them. Faults, good traits, dreams and anxieties. They felt very real, did I like all of them? No, of course not but where they well rounded characters? Hell yess!!!
Worldbuilding
I am a sucker for rich world with a fairytale base especially if the fairytale’s are from Russian mythology. The world was really magical but with a lot of ruff edges. It’s very well done.
Plotbuilding
This is the category where the book lacks a little bit. I felt like Ava Reid wanted to bring to much to the table but it wasn’t possible to fit everything in the books 400 pages. I feel like it could have been better if some of the side plots would have been removed. One of my biggest critics is the lovestory. I shipped the couple but I would have loved more time with them. It feels like we do not get to see the love develop because Ava Reid doesn’t take the time she needs to conclude that part of the story. I would love to have seen more of the relations developments. But keep in mind that this is the only criticism I can deliver for this book.
Recommendations
Like a lot of others I saw the same vibe in this book as in the books of Katharine Arden and in Spinning Silver/ Uprooted by Naomi Novik. It has the same feeling but it doesn’t have the proza/writing flow as those other books. I missed that a little bit in the wolf and the woodsmen. But still I feel like this book could really be something for you if you liked uprooted, spinning silver and the Bear and the nightingale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racism, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation
becca99's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
fungivibes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content and Fire/Fire injury
unwise_samwise's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Blood, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
liteartha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
ehh. this is a tricky one to rate. from a prose standpoint, this would've been a four star read. i liked the dark folktale atmosphere, found the two leads likeable, and did enjoy the hungarian and jewish cultural aspects very much (though i have it on good authority that the brief line of turkish in this book is some mild bullshit lol)
the frequent weaving in of storytelling drew a lot of focus from the book's plot and politics and the pacing really suffered for it, especially in the latter third. i also really wished there'd been more establishing of how various sorts of power and magic worked within this world and found the relationships difficult to believeparticularly how évike seemed hardly to think of boróka (her one apparent friend) after leaving, the evolution of her relationship with gáspár which at once seemed to have a lot of forced tension and very little real development before they loved each other, and the relationship with her father and the other yehuli that felt thoroughly under-explored
overall, a promising debut novel but not quite all i'd been hoping for
p.s. gáspár is like a soft boi matthias helvar meets prince zuko and i'm not mad about it
the frequent weaving in of storytelling drew a lot of focus from the book's plot and politics and the pacing really suffered for it, especially in the latter third. i also really wished there'd been more establishing of how various sorts of power and magic worked within this world and found the relationships difficult to believe
overall, a promising debut novel but not quite all i'd been hoping for
p.s. gáspár is like a soft boi matthias helvar meets prince zuko and i'm not mad about it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
amber_vw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-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
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts
forthesanityof1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
2.5
I don't know what it is about this book, but I was not able to get into it at all. I was so excited to read it and hears a lot of praising words about it (nothing in detail) for a debut so I picked it up ASAP and started it.
I honestly think it might be me with this one, but I could not bond with the characters at all. That's not usually an issue, but I was so apathetic and downright irritated at some points that it took me well over a month to finish this. The MC was...complicated, the pacing was strange to me, the love interest was not interesting outside of the religious/moral division (which was one part of the book extremely well-done), the plot was not what I expected and at times did not make any sense, and the antagonist needed some developing to really fulfill how terrifying he could have been. There were some plot points that went over my head and sometimes the MC brought up issues at very odd times, especially with Katalin (spelling??). I would like to think this was all intentional, but some of it I think was more a by-product of poor writing and editing. I'll be checking out her other works, but I would not recommend this unless religious divide being central to the story is your thing.
One major positive: the author has a beautiful way with prose! A little too much sometimes (trying to draw a scene into a specific emotion when the actual content doesn't reflect it) but nice nonetheless!
I honestly think it might be me with this one, but I could not bond with the characters at all. That's not usually an issue, but I was so apathetic and downright irritated at some points that it took me well over a month to finish this. The MC was...complicated, the pacing was strange to me, the love interest was not interesting outside of the religious/moral division (which was one part of the book extremely well-done), the plot was not what I expected and at times did not make any sense, and the antagonist needed some developing to really fulfill how terrifying he could have been. There were some plot points that went over my head and sometimes the MC brought up issues at very odd times, especially with Katalin (spelling??). I would like to think this was all intentional, but some of it I think was more a by-product of poor writing and editing. I'll be checking out her other works, but I would not recommend this unless religious divide being central to the story is your thing.
One major positive: the author has a beautiful way with prose! A little too much sometimes (trying to draw a scene into a specific emotion when the actual content doesn't reflect it) but nice nonetheless!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
thehappylittleelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
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
4.75
An entrancing adventure filled with unique lore and desperate internal struggles. If you like the enemies-to-lovers trope with a strong-willed female lead, you'll love this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, and War
oliverreeds's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this book was fine. i don't understand what all of the hype is about around its release because, while the characters and their relationships are well-written, the magic and world-building seemed a little scant. i have no doubt the author spent a ridiculous amount of time building lore and that is evident, but i didn't understand a lot of the lore. it felt like when a super smart professor is explaining a very detailed and advanced concept and just kind of expects you to know it. the history of the the world just didn't make much sense and wasn't explained as well as i wanted it to be. most of the book is spent looking for this creature called the tulur? and maybe i just didn't read super carefully, but i had no idea what the tulur actually meant to the world until it died. and even then nothing seemed to have changed. there was still magic. the trees seemed to still be alive. so why was there such a thing about killing this bird. i didn't understand it . i also didn't understand the way magic works in this story. the wolf-girls are (mostly) all born with magic- all except evike. great. that makes sense. but then evike wants magic so she cuts of her finger as a sacrifice to one of the gods and he just... gives her magic? i didn't understand this. it didn't make any sense. and then without practicing using her magic, evike fully shatters an axe in the royal court without really knowing what the perameters of her magic or the cost of her magic. the rules seemed flimsy. especially when she saves Gaspar after they're attacked by the witch. how did she save him?? she can't heal people?? . i also thought it was interesting that there are so many religions (only three) but they all have their own magic given from their own god which seems to imply that all of the gods actually exist in this universe. this then begs the question: why is there so much hate? the hate the woodsmen feel towards the pagans never is fully explained. i kind of understand the metaphor the author was working with, but in general, it felt forced sometimes. like... why? the pacing of this book was also pretty slow. in the climax moments, i didn't feel like there was much of a climax. like when evike has just been stabbed. i was like oh sh*t! but then she just like gets up? and walks to gaspars room and then she rests for like ten minutes and then she's just like fine. like she's having a full conversation when she was just on the brink of death. this also happens in the pagan battle at the very end. nandor has just pulled out evike's molars (by all means a traumatic and painful experience) and then after the whole gaspar nandor fight, she's just fine? she kisses gaspar but like she just had like buckets of blood in her mouth??? the severity of wounds was definitely something that didn't make much sense to me because a character would be seriously wounded (often to the brink of death) and then like have full on coherent conversations and then get up and walk around. the first part of this book also read a lot like fanficiton (which i honestly didn't have a problem with. it was my favorite part of the book no cap) because it's all about the slow romance between evike and gaspar so evike will like almost freeze to death or pass out or something and then gaspar (shocker) will save her or help her. like the amount of times evike ~almost~ died on the way up to find the tulur the first time was honestly wild. but overall, the characters were interesting and i liked the in depth analysis of how religious bigotry effects people, romance, and governing states. i thought it was a good first book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
hanz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder