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tori_hurst's review
5.0
Got this book through Kindle Unlimited in the hopes of getting out of a reading slump.
It wasn’t at all what I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same. A delightful book about 2 realms. The human (mortal) realm and a realm of monsters (mystings).
I was grateful to have access to the audio as well as the kindle edition. It definitely helped with pronunciations.
This book was enchanting, a little dark, and it definitely was thought-provoking!
It wasn’t at all what I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same. A delightful book about 2 realms. The human (mortal) realm and a realm of monsters (mystings).
I was grateful to have access to the audio as well as the kindle edition. It definitely helped with pronunciations.
This book was enchanting, a little dark, and it definitely was thought-provoking!
tracyksmith_reads's review against another edition
5.0
What a great story! I was transported into an enchanting world in which I observed a story about a girl and a monster who become one, piece by piece. The girl must find a way to save them both before they run out of time and end up meeting their demise.
This book has a lot of suspense and romance. It captivated me from the beginning to the end. I rarely reread books but I could read this one again and again.
This book has a lot of suspense and romance. It captivated me from the beginning to the end. I rarely reread books but I could read this one again and again.
nadichocoladi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Quick and cute stand alone. Loved the characters but did feel like it was missing something.
mels_booknook's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
eramey16's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
themanfromdelmonte's review against another edition
3.0
This author is one of my most variable. When she's good, she's very good (The Whimbrel House trilogy) and when she's not, she's quite poor (Smoke & Summons, for example)
This sits somewhere in the middle.
The young woman encounters a mystling that is to all intents and purposes a faun. He feeds on the souls of mortals, stealing via a kiss.
Soon the pair are tied together as the owner of the artifact comes looking for it. To keep Mr Tumnus healthy they have to keep kissing as staying in the mortal realm is harmful for his kind. She's different in that only part of her soul is taken each time. This has the effect of gradually humanising him emotionally and physically while draining her.
Inevitably she falls in love with him in a Beauty and the Beast kind of way.
At the end, the mystlings are vanquished and after a bit of a separation, the lovers are reunited. Happy ending. Although I was never quite sure how her father was reconciled to the idea of his daughter hitching up with a creature from the netherworld.
I understand the author got the idea wholesale from a dream and there are fantastical elements to it but there's nothing very unusual. It read very much like a retelling and at the end I was left with a bit of a 'so what?' feeling.
This sits somewhere in the middle.
Spoiler
A young woman lives in a forest that is occasionally host to mystlings, creatures from the netherworld. Said young woman lives with her father who fought in a war against the mystlings and has retrieved an item of great power at the cost of some of his cognitive faculties. So far so standard fairy tale.The young woman encounters a mystling that is to all intents and purposes a faun. He feeds on the souls of mortals, stealing via a kiss.
Soon the pair are tied together as the owner of the artifact comes looking for it. To keep Mr Tumnus healthy they have to keep kissing as staying in the mortal realm is harmful for his kind. She's different in that only part of her soul is taken each time. This has the effect of gradually humanising him emotionally and physically while draining her.
Inevitably she falls in love with him in a Beauty and the Beast kind of way.
At the end, the mystlings are vanquished and after a bit of a separation, the lovers are reunited. Happy ending. Although I was never quite sure how her father was reconciled to the idea of his daughter hitching up with a creature from the netherworld.
I understand the author got the idea wholesale from a dream and there are fantastical elements to it but there's nothing very unusual. It read very much like a retelling and at the end I was left with a bit of a 'so what?' feeling.
ominouslilraven's review against another edition
4.0
This was so darn cute! I loved this so damn much!
newlybookish24's review against another edition
5.0
Who would have thought that Charlie Holmberg could single-handedly convert me into a massive fan of "monster" tropes within the realm of romance? With "The Will and the Wilds,"she has continued to do just that. From the very first page of this book, Charlie draws readers into a mesmerizing tapestry of enchantment, danger, and heart-pounding romance. Through her expert storytelling, she breathes life into characters that are both mythical and achingly human, weaving a narrative that is as compelling as it is unconventional. It's a love story that defies expectations and challenges the boundaries of what it means to truly connect with another being. But it's not just the romance that shines. As in each of her other books, Holmberg's world-building is equally impressive, transporting readers to a vividly imagined realm filled with magic, intrigue, and untold secrets. Truthfully, I left this book wanting more stories from each of these characters. Definitely worth a spot on any fantasy/romance reader’s TBR!
Spice Level: Closed Door
Spice Level: Closed Door