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riskugel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, War, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
wolfinthestars's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Self harm, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Genocide, Bullying, Colonisation, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
onceuponabookcase's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid is a book I've been looking forward to for quite a while. A high fantasy inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology, it sounded right up my street. But while I enjoyed it for the most part, I didn't really love it.
The premise of the story is fascinating, and I enjoyed getting to learn about the world, and Évike and Gáspár. I really liked both characters; they're layered, complicated and flawed, and really believable. They're both conflicted in their own way; As a Patritian, Gáspár has been brought up to hate the Pagans, with their demon gods and atrocious magic, but Évike has knowledge that Gáspár needs in order to try and defeat his zealot, power-hungry half-brother Nandor - he needs her help. Similarly, Évike has always feared Patritians, and the Woodsmen specifically, for their hatred of their kind, and the fact that every few years, they take a woman from her village to the King of Régország, and ultimately to her death, but if Nandor becomes too powerful, he will exterminate the Pagans and the Yehuli. Neither of them have a choice; the King might be terrible, but he's the lesser of two evils.
I absolutely loved seeing both Évike and Gáspár grow as they spent more time together, and learnt more about each other, their lives and their faiths. What Reid has to say about faith and religion in The Wolf and the Woodsmen is really fascinating. It looks at personal faith versus religion. While the organised religion might seem absolutely disgusting, an individual's personal faith and how it guides them isn't necessarily bad. Gáspár's faith is true and genuine; despite what he's been taught to believe and think, it's not about judging and looking down on the Pagans. His faith is strong and is his moral compass. There is right and there is wrong. What struck me was not what he considered wrong, but what he considered right, and the moral standard he measures himself against. I didn't agree with all his views or the decisions he made, but at his heart he was a decent guy - despite the obvious heinous aspects of his religion, as seen through Évike's eyes.
But they both begin to question everything they've been told, brought up to believe and expect about the other. Évike learns about Gáspár's faith, and Gáspár learns about Évike's life and beliefs and stories. They get to know each other as individual people, and it turns their worlds upside down. There are definite questions over some of the darker sides of each, but neither is as bad as the other expects, and they become even more conflicted. The Patritians and the Pagans are not monoliths, and not everything they've been told is true - at least not of everyone. Similarly, it's a look at the beliefs about others you've been taught versus experience of those very people.
And it's this that sparks the romance, but to be honest, there isn't much in the way of sparks. I really liked both characters, but I just didn't feel or believe the romance. I could believe them discovering the other wasn't who they expected, and those barriers coming down lead to an acceptance that eased their alliance somewhat (though only somewhat), and maybe even camaraderie, and eventually friends, but not the romance. While I really enjoyed how this added a further dimension to the internal conflict each of them felt about betraying their own, I just didn't see when or how they fell in love; I don't think this aspect of the story was developed enough.
And it's probably to do with my bigger issue with the story. I was unaware that The Wolf and the Woodsman was a standalone novel. Historically, I do not tend to get on with standalone fantasies. The first half of the book was very stop/start, which was really frustrating. Despite being 418 pages, I feel the story should have been longer, or split into a duology maybe, so more time could be spent on the events that "halt" the story. While Gáspár and Évike are on their journey, they stop a few times, meet new people, have to deal with something, and then carry on. I'm not a fan of books that stop/start stop/start, I feel it stops the story flowing. But rather feeling like these events were unnecessary and shouldn't have taken place, I feel they were too brief; it made them feel pointless, but they really weren't. They were important moments in the development of the relationship between Évike and Gáspár; they allow for the two to learn certain things about the other, or saw a different side to them. But they went by too quickly, and then they were off traveling again. I also feel it was somewhat unfair to us to meet some really interesting characters, to then leave them so quickly.
But once we're past the halfway mark, and the two reach Király Szek, home of Gáspár and the King, things really start to pick up, and we get to see more strongly the horrors of this world, and of the Patritians specifically. The hate they have for people not like themselves is appalling, and the way they treat them is shocking. The King is despicable - treating those who aren't "pure" Régország Patritians terribly - but his son Nandor is horrifying - who would kill them all. Neither are good for all the people of Régország - the Pagans and the Yehuli, as well as the Patritians - but the King is the lesser of the two evils. Gáspár is trying to save a father who abused him in order to save the people he has been raised to hate.
The second half is truly epic; action and danger, with a much faster pace and raised tensions. The story really shone here, and Reid's skill really comes into it's own. However, once the story ends, there were certain things that disappointed me. I have questions around world building, Patritian magic specfically, and how and why it works for a particular person, and there was a whole subplot that actually came to nothing in the end. Just a few niggles that had me asking why. But I did enjoy the book as a whole, and I will be reading Reid's next novel, Juniper & Thorn, but I do feel The Wolf and the Woodsman left a lot to be desired. A lot of people loved this book, though, so do read other reviews before deciding whether or not to read it.
The premise of the story is fascinating, and I enjoyed getting to learn about the world, and Évike and Gáspár. I really liked both characters; they're layered, complicated and flawed, and really believable. They're both conflicted in their own way; As a Patritian, Gáspár has been brought up to hate the Pagans, with their demon gods and atrocious magic, but Évike has knowledge that Gáspár needs in order to try and defeat his zealot, power-hungry half-brother Nandor - he needs her help. Similarly, Évike has always feared Patritians, and the Woodsmen specifically, for their hatred of their kind, and the fact that every few years, they take a woman from her village to the King of Régország, and ultimately to her death, but if Nandor becomes too powerful, he will exterminate the Pagans and the Yehuli. Neither of them have a choice; the King might be terrible, but he's the lesser of two evils.
I absolutely loved seeing both Évike and Gáspár grow as they spent more time together, and learnt more about each other, their lives and their faiths. What Reid has to say about faith and religion in The Wolf and the Woodsmen is really fascinating. It looks at personal faith versus religion. While the organised religion might seem absolutely disgusting, an individual's personal faith and how it guides them isn't necessarily bad. Gáspár's faith is true and genuine; despite what he's been taught to believe and think, it's not about judging and looking down on the Pagans. His faith is strong and is his moral compass. There is right and there is wrong. What struck me was not what he considered wrong, but what he considered right, and the moral standard he measures himself against. I didn't agree with all his views or the decisions he made, but at his heart he was a decent guy - despite the obvious heinous aspects of his religion, as seen through Évike's eyes.
But they both begin to question everything they've been told, brought up to believe and expect about the other. Évike learns about Gáspár's faith, and Gáspár learns about Évike's life and beliefs and stories. They get to know each other as individual people, and it turns their worlds upside down. There are definite questions over some of the darker sides of each, but neither is as bad as the other expects, and they become even more conflicted. The Patritians and the Pagans are not monoliths, and not everything they've been told is true - at least not of everyone. Similarly, it's a look at the beliefs about others you've been taught versus experience of those very people.
And it's this that sparks the romance, but to be honest, there isn't much in the way of sparks. I really liked both characters, but I just didn't feel or believe the romance. I could believe them discovering the other wasn't who they expected, and those barriers coming down lead to an acceptance that eased their alliance somewhat (though only somewhat), and maybe even camaraderie, and eventually friends, but not the romance. While I really enjoyed how this added a further dimension to the internal conflict each of them felt about betraying their own, I just didn't see when or how they fell in love; I don't think this aspect of the story was developed enough.
And it's probably to do with my bigger issue with the story. I was unaware that The Wolf and the Woodsman was a standalone novel. Historically, I do not tend to get on with standalone fantasies. The first half of the book was very stop/start, which was really frustrating. Despite being 418 pages, I feel the story should have been longer, or split into a duology maybe, so more time could be spent on the events that "halt" the story. While Gáspár and Évike are on their journey, they stop a few times, meet new people, have to deal with something, and then carry on. I'm not a fan of books that stop/start stop/start, I feel it stops the story flowing. But rather feeling like these events were unnecessary and shouldn't have taken place, I feel they were too brief; it made them feel pointless, but they really weren't. They were important moments in the development of the relationship between Évike and Gáspár; they allow for the two to learn certain things about the other, or saw a different side to them. But they went by too quickly, and then they were off traveling again. I also feel it was somewhat unfair to us to meet some really interesting characters, to then leave them so quickly.
But once we're past the halfway mark, and the two reach Király Szek, home of Gáspár and the King, things really start to pick up, and we get to see more strongly the horrors of this world, and of the Patritians specifically. The hate they have for people not like themselves is appalling, and the way they treat them is shocking. The King is despicable - treating those who aren't "pure" Régország Patritians terribly - but his son Nandor is horrifying - who would kill them all. Neither are good for all the people of Régország - the Pagans and the Yehuli, as well as the Patritians - but the King is the lesser of the two evils. Gáspár is trying to save a father who abused him in order to save the people he has been raised to hate.
The second half is truly epic; action and danger, with a much faster pace and raised tensions. The story really shone here, and Reid's skill really comes into it's own. However, once the story ends, there were certain things that disappointed me. I have questions around world building, Patritian magic specfically, and how and why it works for a particular person, and there was a whole subplot that actually came to nothing in the end. Just a few niggles that had me asking why. But I did enjoy the book as a whole, and I will be reading Reid's next novel, Juniper & Thorn, but I do feel The Wolf and the Woodsman left a lot to be desired. A lot of people loved this book, though, so do read other reviews before deciding whether or not to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Racism, Self harm, and Torture
Minor: Sexual assault and Vomit
This book also contains violent, visceral descriptions; violence against women; mutilation; and self-mutilation.gabberjaws's review against another edition
It was super duper ballsy of the marketing team to compare this book to The Bear and The Nightingale and Spinning Silver. Incredibly brave! Awe-inspiringly gutsy! Do I commend them for their tenacity? Yes? Do I hate them because they fucking led me on? Also, yes.
I kind of understand why they did it. I do. This book is trying so hard to be like both those other books, that it’s kind of embarrassing. It tries to match TBaTN’s sweeping, lyrical prose. It tries to match Spinning Silver’s competent, engaging self-contained storytelling. But it falls short on both accounts – so the writing is purple prose-y in a way that’s not very pleasant (it reminded me of Roshani Chokshi’s writing circa Star-Touched Queen) and the structure of the story was extremely choppy and clumsy.
The first two chapters weren’t too bad, but it becomes very clear very fast that this book really only cared about two things: 1) The romance and b) All the lore that the author wrote up for this story and loved so much that she simply had to shoehorn. all of it. in.
Like, listen. We all write too much lore and backstory for our characters and their worlds. Some of us just have the good sense to know that not everything needs to make it into the finished product. You can’t just have your main characters stop what they’re doing to tell a random-ass story every other paragraph. You can’t. Stop it.
I think I wouldn’t have been so harsh with this book if it had been YA – because I’m doing a thing, you see, where I acknowledge that I’m not the target audience and some things that work for YA audiences might not work for me, an adult woman. This book felt like it was written as a YA book – a babied down watery YA book, sure, but a YA book all the same – but was switched to an adult book at the last minute because the author wanted to shove some seggs in there.
I could go on about how much I disliked this book and how much of a chore it was to read. But much like I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up anymore, I can’t bring myself to talk about it anymore. I just can’t stop being mad about this thing being compared to The Bear and The Nightingale and Spinning Silver. It is, quite frankly, insulting.
I kind of understand why they did it. I do. This book is trying so hard to be like both those other books, that it’s kind of embarrassing. It tries to match TBaTN’s sweeping, lyrical prose. It tries to match Spinning Silver’s competent, engaging self-contained storytelling. But it falls short on both accounts – so the writing is purple prose-y in a way that’s not very pleasant (it reminded me of Roshani Chokshi’s writing circa Star-Touched Queen) and the structure of the story was extremely choppy and clumsy.
The first two chapters weren’t too bad, but it becomes very clear very fast that this book really only cared about two things: 1) The romance and b) All the lore that the author wrote up for this story and loved so much that she simply had to shoehorn. all of it. in.
Like, listen. We all write too much lore and backstory for our characters and their worlds. Some of us just have the good sense to know that not everything needs to make it into the finished product. You can’t just have your main characters stop what they’re doing to tell a random-ass story every other paragraph. You can’t. Stop it.
I think I wouldn’t have been so harsh with this book if it had been YA – because I’m doing a thing, you see, where I acknowledge that I’m not the target audience and some things that work for YA audiences might not work for me, an adult woman. This book felt like it was written as a YA book – a babied down watery YA book, sure, but a YA book all the same – but was switched to an adult book at the last minute because the author wanted to shove some seggs in there.
I could go on about how much I disliked this book and how much of a chore it was to read. But much like I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up anymore, I can’t bring myself to talk about it anymore. I just can’t stop being mad about this thing being compared to The Bear and The Nightingale and Spinning Silver. It is, quite frankly, insulting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Gore, Violence, and Self harm
Moderate: Animal death and Antisemitism
internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, and War
ok7a's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Gore
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Torture, and Antisemitism
Minor: Genocide
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: Abandonment, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Racism, and Bullying
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: Violence, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Torture, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
challenging
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? It's complicated
5.0
Lyrical prose, high-stakes, and compelling characters with all the facets of real people make this dark folklore fantasy unputdownable. If you need a whole book of the enemies-to-lovers dynamic of Nina and Matthias, TWATW has that. If you want gender-norm-defying protagonists and relevant racial dynamics, TWATW has that too. An instant fantasy classic that belongs in collegiate literary discussions and on favorite novel shelves alike.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Racism
Minor: Sexual content
camillou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Gore, Racism, Violence, and Self harm
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and War