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cyntismiles's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
I had a fun time reading this book! That may be in part because it was an installment of "sister reads" with my sister and we always have a good time.
A HUGE barrier in reading this for me was the audiobook narrator. The New York accents were...subpar (to be nice). The actual text is not written in an accent but in standard English. It is mentioned that Wes has an accent ~1 time and never specifies what that accent is. A character just recognizes that he's "from the city based on his accent". It's not set in NY (we will get to the setting later) but theoretically could be implied based on some religious/time period references but considering the setting is a whole mess, I don't think it was necessary. On top of the unfavorable New York/East Coast accents, the audiobook narrator gave some other characters other below-average accents. I think it's one thing to be able to do an accent for a bit or a 15-minute routine but this was upwards of 6 hours (assuming Wes speaks about 1/2 of the time) of an accent. I don't think they should have done it! It took me so long to get into the book because I would hear Wes say about 3 things, roll my eyes, and turn it off.
Once I got over that (I pushed through for the sister read!), I enjoyed the story! I think my sister had a much better time since she could just read the story. I thought the hunt would feature more heavily but I ended up enjoying the character-driven plot once we figured out some backstory about the characters. I think the character development was good and I ended up really rooting for them (despite my initial reaction of "come on guys!" to their shenanigans). I especially enjoyed watching Margaret's character be unveiled to the reader and her development throughout the book.
The setting of this book was ambiguous at best. I think if you don't need a deeply rooted setting it's fine. If you do, you may want to skip this. It was uniquely a mish-mash of a ton of stuff, especially time period-wise. Stella and I had a great time tracking all the different things mentioned from different time periods. It feels very pre-industrial union but also features things from the late 1900's so that was wild. The setting felt very PNW with the redwood trees coastal descriptions but implied that it was the East Coast with Irish "Catholic-implied" immigrants. There is definitely a sense of place but of what place, who knows! It's definitely a fantasy setting but the amount of real-world items that are from all around the late 1800's-late 1900's made it feel like a wibbly wobbly time.
The hunt is in the background the whole time but really takes backseat. It reminds me of how in _HP and the Goblet of Fire_, the Triwizard Tournament is important but kind of ebbs and flows out of the narrative. The characters still do other stuff and it isn't shaping every waking moment of their lives. The hunt in this book is definitely less present than that but that's what I'm reminded of vs something like the Hunger Games. In _The Hunger Games_, the Games are constantly shaping the narrative and the character's decisions/ability to survive. The hunt is nowhere near that relevant in _A Far Wilder Magic_.
The romance was fine? I definitely enjoyed them getting to know each other and becoming friends the best but that's an opinion I commonly hold. It was really sweet but sometimes the pacing was weird. It may be the whole teenage relationship thing and I am quite done with that area of life. It definitely wasn't bad though. I did end up rooting for them and wanting them to be together by the end if that's any indication!
Lastly, my favorite part of this whole book was the dog, excuse me, hound, Trouble. Literally any time he was mentioned I was ecstatic! He was truly the best and I love him very much! Also, that is somehow the best name for a dog. Who would not love to call "Trouble?" and have a hound run your way? So many good scenarios to say "I'll bring Trouble" or "I'll give you Trouble". What a genius move!
I would recommend this book if you are looking for:
--A Grumpy/Introvert and Sunshine/Extrovert friendship and romance,
--Commentary of religious prejudices (this book specifically deals with religions meant to represent the conflicts between Catholicism, Judaism, and Protestantism in the US reminiscent of tensions in the early-mid 1900's)
--A character-driven plot and following the story where it goes
I would not recommend this book if:
--Having real-world time markers from all over the place is an issue for you
--You are only interested in the actual hunt
--You would not like to read about the effects of having a neglectful/abusive parent
A HUGE barrier in reading this for me was the audiobook narrator. The New York accents were...subpar (to be nice). The actual text is not written in an accent but in standard English. It is mentioned that Wes has an accent ~1 time and never specifies what that accent is. A character just recognizes that he's "from the city based on his accent". It's not set in NY (we will get to the setting later) but theoretically could be implied based on some religious/time period references but considering the setting is a whole mess, I don't think it was necessary. On top of the unfavorable New York/East Coast accents, the audiobook narrator gave some other characters other below-average accents. I think it's one thing to be able to do an accent for a bit or a 15-minute routine but this was upwards of 6 hours (assuming Wes speaks about 1/2 of the time) of an accent. I don't think they should have done it! It took me so long to get into the book because I would hear Wes say about 3 things, roll my eyes, and turn it off.
Once I got over that (I pushed through for the sister read!), I enjoyed the story! I think my sister had a much better time since she could just read the story. I thought the hunt would feature more heavily but I ended up enjoying the character-driven plot once we figured out some backstory about the characters. I think the character development was good and I ended up really rooting for them (despite my initial reaction of "come on guys!" to their shenanigans). I especially enjoyed watching Margaret's character be unveiled to the reader and her development throughout the book.
The setting of this book was ambiguous at best. I think if you don't need a deeply rooted setting it's fine. If you do, you may want to skip this. It was uniquely a mish-mash of a ton of stuff, especially time period-wise. Stella and I had a great time tracking all the different things mentioned from different time periods. It feels very pre-industrial union but also features things from the late 1900's so that was wild. The setting felt very PNW with the redwood trees coastal descriptions but implied that it was the East Coast with Irish "Catholic-implied" immigrants. There is definitely a sense of place but of what place, who knows! It's definitely a fantasy setting but the amount of real-world items that are from all around the late 1800's-late 1900's made it feel like a wibbly wobbly time.
The hunt is in the background the whole time but really takes backseat. It reminds me of how in _HP and the Goblet of Fire_, the Triwizard Tournament is important but kind of ebbs and flows out of the narrative. The characters still do other stuff and it isn't shaping every waking moment of their lives. The hunt in this book is definitely less present than that but that's what I'm reminded of vs something like the Hunger Games. In _The Hunger Games_, the Games are constantly shaping the narrative and the character's decisions/ability to survive. The hunt is nowhere near that relevant in _A Far Wilder Magic_.
The romance was fine? I definitely enjoyed them getting to know each other and becoming friends the best but that's an opinion I commonly hold. It was really sweet but sometimes the pacing was weird. It may be the whole teenage relationship thing and I am quite done with that area of life. It definitely wasn't bad though. I did end up rooting for them and wanting them to be together by the end if that's any indication!
Lastly, my favorite part of this whole book was the dog, excuse me, hound, Trouble. Literally any time he was mentioned I was ecstatic! He was truly the best and I love him very much! Also, that is somehow the best name for a dog. Who would not love to call "Trouble?" and have a hound run your way? So many good scenarios to say "I'll bring Trouble" or "I'll give you Trouble". What a genius move!
I would recommend this book if you are looking for:
--A Grumpy/Introvert and Sunshine/Extrovert friendship and romance,
--Commentary of religious prejudices (this book specifically deals with religions meant to represent the conflicts between Catholicism, Judaism, and Protestantism in the US reminiscent of tensions in the early-mid 1900's)
--A character-driven plot and following the story where it goes
I would not recommend this book if:
--Having real-world time markers from all over the place is an issue for you
--You are only interested in the actual hunt
--You would not like to read about the effects of having a neglectful/abusive parent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Child abuse and Animal death
k0n0's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
New Albion is a Victorian magical England, the author should have called it England. Race and religion play a huge part in this book and as much as I loved the way the author explored these hard concepts in a YA novel the fantasy names could have been dropped. I think just calling the different religions in the book what they were based off would have been helpful. After reading about halfway through I finally pieced it together Yu'adir=Judaism, Sumic=Catholicism, and Katharism=Protestant. The romance was super cute, supportive, there's some spicy inner monolog and satisfying tidbits towards the end. You really root for Wes and Margaret to be happy, ditch her toxic AF mom and grow together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Self harm
Toxic parent and abandonment of teen child which obviously causes some trauma and a panic disorder. Lots and lots of religious bigotry and racism in this book.akemi_sato's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Gore, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Child death
pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
. . . I still don't know what to even think about this book . . .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Gore, Religious bigotry, Violence, Abandonment, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Child death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Alcohol and Emotional abuse
moonytoast's review
adventurous
emotional
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
atmospheric, full of yearning and magic…. definitely a top tier YA fantasy book ❤️
ALSO FUCK EVELYN WELTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALSO FUCK EVELYN WELTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, and Gore
graycloudsnsuch's review
adventurous
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Animal death, Xenophobia, and Violence
maartabarrales's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Animal death
Minor: Child death
chronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
This was a highly anticipated read for me. I went into it knowing only what I’d heard on Instagram—two neurodivergent protagonists (FMC has PTSD and MMC has ADHD and/or dyslexia), a discussion of antisemitism from the perspective of a Jewish author, and a fox hunt. The premise immediately sold me. (I am ethnically Ashkenazi Jewish on my dad’s side, I have PTSD, ADHD, and dyslexia, and I competed in fox hunts as a teenager—what more could I want in a book?)
I assumed from everything I knew that this book was historical fiction. And as I closed the book, I couldn’t help but wonder why it wasn’t historical fiction.
The world building was needlessly confusing because it was thinly veiled enough for the reader to know that it was thinly veiled portrayals of real religions, ethnicities, and places. But it relied heavily on the reader knowing exactly what the author thinly veiled that anyone who doesn’t have a great grasp on American history will be scrambling to understand what exactly it is that’s happening. I’ll confess I still don’t completely know what time period this book took place in. But I figured out that New Albion is New York, Yu’adir is Jewish faith/people, Katharist is Protestantism/protestants (it took me 100 pages to figure this out; I initially thought it was Catholicism and it threw me for a loop), Sumic is Catholic/catholicism (it was the mention of rosaries and the Catholic prayer that tipped me off 100 pages in; I originally thought Sumic was an ethnicity), and Banvishman was Irish(?) (I’m honestly still not 100% sure about that last one). The first 150 pages had me flailing to translate the world building—and it left me wondering why the author didn’t just write a loose historical fantasy with a secret society. It took me so much longer to understand and find my feet in this book than the average fantasy, and it detracted from my enjoyment and my ability to get into the book.
The plot was slow. I’d expected a days/weeks long fox hunt that took up most of the story. Instead, there are weeks between when the fox shows up in the first chapter and when the hunt begins in the last 50(ish). And the hunt only takes up a measly few chapters at the end of the book. Most of the book was spent with two characters who were hopelessly pining after each other, but too stubborn to admit it while the fox destroys farmland and tries to kill people and no one tries to stop it. It left me wondering why the hunt took so long to commence; if the fox was so destructive, why wait to hunt it?
And if the characters weren’t so easy to love, this probably wouldn’t be a 5 star review. But damnit; I loved every minute of rooting for them to get together. This book is really a romance disguised as a fantasy, and I’m not sad about it. Wes and Margaret came alive on the pages. There was something so real about them and their struggles, their hesitancy to love. I loved the way the dynamics with Wes’s family were written. His sisters reminded me of my own and endeared me all the more to him. And Margaret’s character arc had me sobbing. These two characters, who were beautifully and perfectly written, shine brighter than any issue I took with the plot or the world building. On more than one instance, I felt myself getting teary eyed over both of them.
I personally felt the ADHD/dyslexia and PTSD were handled sensitively. I should also say—the fox hunt portion was well researched; it made my heart happy to read it in a fantasy world.
Was this a great fantasy book? No. But it’s an excellent romance with top tier character development and an ending that will make you shed all the happy tears. I don’t often reread books, but I know I’ll return to the pages of this one time and time again. I will be screaming my praise of this book to strangers in bookstores for many years to come.
I assumed from everything I knew that this book was historical fiction. And as I closed the book, I couldn’t help but wonder why it wasn’t historical fiction.
The world building was needlessly confusing because it was thinly veiled enough for the reader to know that it was thinly veiled portrayals of real religions, ethnicities, and places. But it relied heavily on the reader knowing exactly what the author thinly veiled that anyone who doesn’t have a great grasp on American history will be scrambling to understand what exactly it is that’s happening. I’ll confess I still don’t completely know what time period this book took place in. But I figured out that New Albion is New York, Yu’adir is Jewish faith/people, Katharist is Protestantism/protestants (it took me 100 pages to figure this out; I initially thought it was Catholicism and it threw me for a loop), Sumic is Catholic/catholicism (it was the mention of rosaries and the Catholic prayer that tipped me off 100 pages in; I originally thought Sumic was an ethnicity), and Banvishman was Irish(?) (I’m honestly still not 100% sure about that last one). The first 150 pages had me flailing to translate the world building—and it left me wondering why the author didn’t just write a loose historical fantasy with a secret society. It took me so much longer to understand and find my feet in this book than the average fantasy, and it detracted from my enjoyment and my ability to get into the book.
The plot was slow. I’d expected a days/weeks long fox hunt that took up most of the story. Instead, there are weeks between when the fox shows up in the first chapter and when the hunt begins in the last 50(ish). And the hunt only takes up a measly few chapters at the end of the book. Most of the book was spent with two characters who were hopelessly pining after each other, but too stubborn to admit it while the fox destroys farmland and tries to kill people and no one tries to stop it. It left me wondering why the hunt took so long to commence; if the fox was so destructive, why wait to hunt it?
And if the characters weren’t so easy to love, this probably wouldn’t be a 5 star review. But damnit; I loved every minute of rooting for them to get together. This book is really a romance disguised as a fantasy, and I’m not sad about it. Wes and Margaret came alive on the pages. There was something so real about them and their struggles, their hesitancy to love. I loved the way the dynamics with Wes’s family were written. His sisters reminded me of my own and endeared me all the more to him. And Margaret’s character arc had me sobbing. These two characters, who were beautifully and perfectly written, shine brighter than any issue I took with the plot or the world building. On more than one instance, I felt myself getting teary eyed over both of them.
I personally felt the ADHD/dyslexia and PTSD were handled sensitively. I should also say—the fox hunt portion was well researched; it made my heart happy to read it in a fantasy world.
Was this a great fantasy book? No. But it’s an excellent romance with top tier character development and an ending that will make you shed all the happy tears. I don’t often reread books, but I know I’ll return to the pages of this one time and time again. I will be screaming my praise of this book to strangers in bookstores for many years to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Animal death, and Xenophobia
cam356's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Child death
modernmatilda's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
5.0
Reasons to read this book:
Rapunzel and Flynn Rider romance vibes
Cottagecore vibes for days
Soft fantasy
Audiobook Weston Winters has a Newies-boy accent and my entire heart
An absolutely LOVELY read that I wish I could spent eternity in.
Rapunzel and Flynn Rider romance vibes
Cottagecore vibes for days
Soft fantasy
Audiobook Weston Winters has a Newies-boy accent and my entire heart
An absolutely LOVELY read that I wish I could spent eternity in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Bullying, Animal death, Hate crime, Violence, Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Racial slurs, and Alcohol