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modernmatilda's review against another edition
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
sa_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
I picked A Far Wilder Magic for my first read of the year because I though it would be easy — a cute fantasy romance. But it was so much more.
I don’t know if I can describe how much I adored this story. It was such a cozy and comforting read, even during the tense moments.
Saft has done such an incredible job with both character and world building. Within the first couple of pages, everything she writes comes to life and absorbs you into the story. While I’m neither Jewish or Irish-Catholic, the way she has incorporated religions inspired by them, and how Wes and Margaret deal with being different and ‘other’ in a world that wants to push them out was something I deeply related to as a Muslim.
I also loved the relationship between Maggie and Wes! It was so soft, so intimate. Though it is a slow burn, it was purposeful — not dragging it out for the sake of it but going at the characters’ pace. I also love how she explored different familial relationships, especially between Margaret and her mother. It filled me with rage and sorrow, and you truly feel for Maggie and want all the best for her.
While I do wish there was more focus on the actual hunt rather than just the build up, I am still very happy with this incredible book. I highly recommend it and I am definitely reading more of Allison Saft’s books in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.0
A far wilder magic is a story about finding your worth and accepting that family can be found in different places. The book is a fantasy standalone that seems to fit in autumn. I really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Sexism
neni's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
3.25
The thing I liked the most about this book was the writing and the imagery. The autumn woods and mysterious sea side town vibes were great, and the writing was quite beautiful and evocative, especially when the author described environments. The character's were okay, I didn't love them, but I didn't hate them, they were a bit cliché in their tropes, but I enjoyed the development of the main character's response to her family trauma, namely in the way she finally recognized her toxic relationship with her mother. Wes was very sweet as a love interest.
I loved Trouble the hound, especially because my own dear dog is of the same breed so I kept picturing her in the book :)
The pacing was a bit all over the place. The first third of the book felt slow and like nothing was happening, the middle was satisfying in that we finally had some progress in both the plot and the relationship between the main character's, but then the ending, while entertaining, was a bit rushed and left quite a few issues that had been brought up either unresolved or fixed so quickly it didn't feel believable.
I must say as well: the fact that the whole character's main thing was being a huntress and loving it, didn't sit quite well with me as I don't agree with hunting for sport. The descriptions of fox killing as a sport (both the magical/mythical type and the plain normal animal) bothered me.
Overall, this was an okay read, especially vibesy for autumn and with some good romance and pining in the middle but not particularly strong either in plot or character complexity.
I loved Trouble the hound, especially because my own dear dog is of the same breed so I kept picturing her in the book :)
The pacing was a bit all over the place. The first third of the book felt slow and like nothing was happening, the middle was satisfying in that we finally had some progress in both the plot and the relationship between the main character's, but then the ending, while entertaining, was a bit rushed and left quite a few issues that had been brought up either unresolved or fixed so quickly it didn't feel believable.
I must say as well: the fact that the whole character's main thing was being a huntress and loving it, didn't sit quite well with me as I don't agree with hunting for sport. The descriptions of fox killing as a sport (both the magical/mythical type and the plain normal animal) bothered me.
Overall, this was an okay read, especially vibesy for autumn and with some good romance and pining in the middle but not particularly strong either in plot or character complexity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Grief, Racism, Death, Abandonment, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Body horror, Child abuse, and Violence
relearning2read's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I loved this book so much I stayed up to 3 in the morning to finish it. It made me cry, it was beautiful and sweet and I loved the dynamic between the two main characters. I can really believe they bring out the best in each other
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Child death
halfelfschollar's review against another edition
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
5.0
This book made me feel a lot of things. I was in love with the characters from the get go. Something about them really draws you in. The more I read the more I became invested and the more I found myself feeling angry at the world around them. By the end of it I was prepared to fight someone to ensure they got a happy ending.
The setting is atmospheric and the Hala is fascinating, despite not being the greatest obstacle for the protagonists.
The setting is atmospheric and the Hala is fascinating, despite not being the greatest obstacle for the protagonists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Gore
Moderate: Child death
neera_duke's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
Reading this book was like watching a flower bloom, but the video is speedup so that every moment brings a new change and you can't afford to look away. The video so high-def you'd swear you could smell it.
Don't usually go for fantasy, let alone a YA fantasy, but I highly recommend this book to everyone. It's long, but no event or detail is unnecessary and the author approaches the plot with an almost reverent touch. Also, the slow-burn/yearning is top notch!
Don't usually go for fantasy, let alone a YA fantasy, but I highly recommend this book to everyone. It's long, but no event or detail is unnecessary and the author approaches the plot with an almost reverent touch. Also, the slow-burn/yearning is top notch!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Animal death
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent
aivilo611's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Child abuse and Death
nanacai's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Hate crime, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
parental neglectannierose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.25
I'm surprised at how much I liked this little book. Going into it, I thought it would just be another YA fantasy and in a way it is – the main focus is the budding romance between the two protagonists, Margaret and Weston, and in places I found myself wishing some of the world building and magic system (or alchemy, in this case) would be a tad bit more detailed. Especially placing the book in a certain period felt a little difficult for me. Even though this is a fictional world I got a little confused when I discovered there were things like cars, radios, iceboxes, and condoms etc. in a setting I'd assumed to be Victorian-ish at first, but then, there was no mention of TVs and cellphones... so I'm still a little unclear in this aspect.
However, the slowburn, the pining and the playful banter hit the right spot for me and I found myself turning the pages, eager for more interactions between the two leads. Maggie and Wes do feel like real people with their desires and dreams and anxieties, so it's easy to get invested in their blooming relationships and their vastly different family dynamics. And despite the story including some more mature themes like xenophobia, religious bigotry, emotional abuse, and child abandonment that have the characters going through complex emotions, the sweet romance at the centre of it makes the story feel light-hearted and addictive to read. And sometimes that's all you need from a book.
However, the slowburn, the pining and the playful banter hit the right spot for me and I found myself turning the pages, eager for more interactions between the two leads. Maggie and Wes do feel like real people with their desires and dreams and anxieties, so it's easy to get invested in their blooming relationships and their vastly different family dynamics. And despite the story including some more mature themes like xenophobia, religious bigotry, emotional abuse, and child abandonment that have the characters going through complex emotions, the sweet romance at the centre of it makes the story feel light-hearted and addictive to read. And sometimes that's all you need from a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual content