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carolinetvardy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
I ended my beginning of the year reading slump with this book, and I could not be happier. The Wolf and the Woodsman is a true horror fantasy, enemies to lovers dream, and I loved every second of it. Reid has a knack for writing gorgeous prose and then weaving in horrorific gore without breaking the atmosphere, and it’s as compelling as it is sinister. The characters remain likeable despite their mistakes and flaws , and the enemies to lovers plot line doesn’t feel contrived or too rushed which is hard to come by these days. Overall, The Wolf and the Woodsman is as close to perfection in a book as I have come by recently, and I am so glad to have come upon it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Gore, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Animal death
sarah2438's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This had a promising start but ultimately just didn't work for me. The plot felt very dragged out, and I didn't feel any chemistry between the two main characters. I think this was a great concept and I applaud Reid for her world building and the actual writing, but the plot itself didn't work for me. Also, I don't mind some dark themes, but the gore and pointless slaughter of animals was gratuitous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Animal death, and Bullying
toffishay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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
3.75
A really intense, sweeping epic of war built on history and distrust and racial/ethnic injustice. I appreciated how the author handled this subject matter and some scenes were too real that I wondered if I would be able to keep reading. I love Evike, but I think that I also maybe would have enjoyed Gaspars point of view in a few chapters. Overall, really awesome read though. The recommendation from Samantha Shannon is very apt; if you like Priory of the Orange Tree, you would enjoy this as well, I think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Hate crime, Animal death, War, Physical abuse, Grief, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Self harm, Misogyny, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Murder, Gore, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Body horror, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Child death
niftynaturalist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book had me in its grips from start to finish. It is a captivating read, with a rich setting and dynamic characters that each have a lot of depth to them. The story plot is summed up well in the book's description: Évike, a pagan wolf-girl, and Gáspár, the outcast heir to the throne, are forced to work together to try and save the kingdom in which they both live. The whole story is steeped in folklore, magic, spirituality, and religion in ways that both illuminate and underpin the plot. If you are a fan of the Winternight trilogy (by Katherine Arden), you will very likely fall in love with this book. The ending is a bit open for interpretation, but there is a short epilogue that has been made available by the author for those interested in the romance piece.
The main character, Évike, is fiery and spirited and everything I could have hoped for in a wild wolf-girl protagonist. Gáspár, too, has a great deal of depth and character development, and I really enjoyed watching both of their journeys as the story progressed. Each side character you meet has their own tale to tell as well, and I truly felt that there were very few characters in this book that did NOT have an exceptional amount of depth and development. The one exception may be Nándor, the villain, but I think his rather one-track-mindedness plays into his character in a way that is believable and feeds the story.
There is a lot of religious tension in this book, mainly intolerance and violence from the Patritians (who are a parallel for Christians/Catholics I believe) towards the Yehuli (Jewish people) and the pagans of the country, so if you are not interested in reading that you may have a tough time. But the story itself is one of power and its abuse, of love and family and heritage, and of belief, its meaning, and the power it gives. I have added an antisemitism content warning, which I will expand upon here for those who are concerned: there is a strong antisemitic sentiment among the Patritian zealots, and at one point a Yehuli man is made to stand on a pig's corpse and is handled roughly by his captors.
On a personal note, I am a huge fan of the relationships, particularly the romantic relationship, in this book and how they play out. Minor spoiler here, but if you are a sucker for the enemies to lovers or the man on his knees before his beloved trope, you will very much enjoy the romance in this book. The exploration of family and belonging here is excellent, both heartbreaking and hopeful in turn.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of folklore and mythology retellings, as well as those who enjoy fantasy or just like to read about semi-feral female protagonists. I loved every minute of it and I hope you do too!
The main character, Évike, is fiery and spirited and everything I could have hoped for in a wild wolf-girl protagonist. Gáspár, too, has a great deal of depth and character development, and I really enjoyed watching both of their journeys as the story progressed. Each side character you meet has their own tale to tell as well, and I truly felt that there were very few characters in this book that did NOT have an exceptional amount of depth and development. The one exception may be Nándor, the villain, but I think his rather one-track-mindedness plays into his character in a way that is believable and feeds the story.
There is a lot of religious tension in this book, mainly intolerance and violence from the Patritians (who are a parallel for Christians/Catholics I believe) towards the Yehuli (Jewish people) and the pagans of the country, so if you are not interested in reading that you may have a tough time. But the story itself is one of power and its abuse, of love and family and heritage, and of belief, its meaning, and the power it gives. I have added an antisemitism content warning, which I will expand upon here for those who are concerned:
On a personal note, I am a huge fan of the relationships, particularly the romantic relationship, in this book and how they play out. Minor spoiler here, but if you are a sucker for the
Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of folklore and mythology retellings, as well as those who enjoy fantasy or just like to read about semi-feral female protagonists. I loved every minute of it and I hope you do too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Antisemitism, Self harm, and Sexual content
There is a fair bit of religious self-mutilation, but only a few instances where it is described very graphically. There is also a strong antisemitic sentiment among the Patritian zealots, and at one pointbookleafcrow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
i read this back in september and i really enjoyed it, the ending fell a little flat for me but i loved evike and gaspar individually and together, and the magic system and world-building is stunning
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Blood, Grief, Colonisation, and Body horror
pokepugbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Blood, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Body horror
epsyphus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
The pacing was a bit off but I haven't been able to put my finger on why. It was a very cool premise and I liked the clear Jewish influence, but I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
saurahsaurus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Confinement, Death, Gore, Racism, Violence, Animal death, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Child abuse, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Body horror, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity and War
riththewarluid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Pacing is a bit off, especially in the middle of the book, but remarkable premise and absolutely beautiful writing. Very heavy on descriptions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
r_a_bell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-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
The perfect example of what a stand-alone should be! You get all of the story of a trilogy in one book. The beginning journey did seem a little pointless in the end, and I kind of wish it had been a bit shorter if it wasn’t really going to go anywhere. However, it was still enjoyable to read and didn’t feel unnecessarily drawn out. I love how realistic it was its depiction of social structures and relationships, especially in regard to religion. I also really liked the end! It didn’t wrap everything up in a neat little bow just because that’s what the author thought readers would want. The ending was realistic and true to the story, yet satisfying, and it left that little kernel of hope that everything would end up as a “happily ever after.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Violence, Body horror, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Sexual content, Hate crime, Misogyny, Torture, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Antisemitism