Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - A Far Wilder Magic

A FAR WILDER MAGIC is a deliciously slow burn fantasy romance, getting well past the halfway point before the first longing touch; full of indecision, regret, and hope. Maggie needs Wes's help in order to enter the Halfmoon Hunt and bring down the hala, an immortal creature that some religions say is part of god, and others say is a gift from the divine.

The narration is split between Wes and Maggie, and the balance is good. I like them both as narrators. This is definitely a place where the audiobook shines, as the audiobook narrator gives them distinct voices which fit the way their tone is described by the text.

Maggie's relationship with her (currently absent) mother looms large. The reasons for her mother's absence and obsession with alchemy is gradually unfurled as Maggie gets to know Wes and begins to fall for him. Wes's relationships with his sisters and mother are also very important to the story, but as a mostly positive influence. I like Wes's family, they're pretty great and I enjoyed his rapport with them. Maggie's mother is an excellent character and a pretty frustrating person. It takes Maggie a very long time to be able to recognize her mother's treatment of her as neglect and emotional abuse, with Wes calling it out long before Maggie is ready to deal with it on those terms.

The romance is a very slow burn. I've read slower, but only in books longer than this one. Maggie and Wes are great together, but first they have to get out of their own way about a lot of things. Maggie's anxiety felt realistic, and the romance isn't treated as a cure for it.

The worldbuilding is gradual in terms of character backgrounds, but pretty immediate for the town of Wickdon and the manor where Maggie lives. Maggie's background is definitely meant to be that she's this universe's version of half-Jewish, something that's more shown through the particularities of the bigotry against her more than its shown through any cultural or religious practices that I picked up on. She mentions a few things about her father, and most of the cultural touchstones I could recognize happened when she's thinking about him or talking about something he taught her. Wes is some version of Catholic, as best as I can tell, and the bigotry against him echoes the bits of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry that I'm aware of as someone who isn't Irish, Catholic, nor Jewish. A major part of Wes's storyline is about figuring out how to navigate the sea of local bigotry which Maggie has grown up in, informed by how he's used to handling it back home. It's very much about him and Maggie figuring out to exist together and what to do about their feelings for each other, but having to deal with bigots is a huge part of the narrative. I'm not in a position to say whether it was done well on a larger level, but I like how it worked in the story and I'm very pleased with how things turn out.

The narration is chock-full of metaphors, usually but not always similes. I didn't mind it, but by the end I was wondering if the characters were going to run out of ways that the color of each other's eyes could be like an entirely different substance, usually a pleasing food or drink. It's done well, I think, but I was starting to notice it each time as I got closer to finishing the story.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pacing. It's several weeks before the hunt begins, and the hunt itself plays out over several weeks because of various ceremonial and preparatory stages. I like the plot and I love the ending.

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lillianreadsalot's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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luckykosmos's review

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emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

romance is real...............

My main qualm is that the fantastic parallels for Judaism and Irish Catholicism felt underwhelming. At times, it felt like the names for regions and religions could have stayed as their real-world counterparts and nothing would have change, since the translation was so on the nose.

That being said, the way the dynamic between Margaret and Wes grew was delicious. Them slowly opening up to each other, in terms of general personality as well as being each other's main source of support in the face of bigotry. They balanced each other beautifully, and the romance between them felt so tender because of it. i die !

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i_am_selinam's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny 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

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taynicole2698's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Allison Saft has yet to disappoint. If you want beautuful imagery and characters you can see yourself in, her books are for you. A Far Wilder Magic had me wrapt from page one. The dual pov was one of the best-executed that I’ve ever read. Not to mention the immaculate slow burn. She toes the line between riveting and cozy perfectly.

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bookishflower's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

“Besides, dreams don’t always have to be practical. That’s why they’re dreams. And now ours live and die together.”

“It’s you and me against the world, Margaret.”

Firstly, it needs to be said that that cover is so incredibly beautiful and captures the atmosphere of this book perfectly! (The perfect autumnal book to read with a blanket and cup of tea!)

A Far Wilder Magic follows the life-weary, headstrong Margaret and the flirtatiously optimistic Wes in their quest to win the mythical half-moon hunt as begrudgingly allies for her to win the favour of her mother and for him to gain the magical training he needs to make a difference in the world.

This ya stand-alone fantasy romance is such an effortless intricately crafted book from it’s gorgeous writing style and bewitching world building.

The scientific-based magic system, Jewish and Irish myth influence, and alternative 1920s America setting of this book is one that feels fresh and unique, a flawless blend of dark academia, whimsy and heart that I haven’t felt since Sorcery of Thorns.

The slow-burn grumpy x sunshine romance won me over straight away, the pining, character development and I-definitely-still-hate-your-face-even-if-I’m-staring vibes! Ahhh!

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ertisa's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

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themoonlightarchive's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft follows Margaret Welty who has been living in the rotting, isolated home of her family on the outskirts of town, longing for her mother to return. One evening, she spots the legendary Hala, the last living mythical creature, regarding her from the woods with it’s eerie eyes and white fur. The Halfmoon Hunt is sure to follow and whoever wins by killing the Hala will receive it’s power, the knowledge that comes from it and riches beyond belief. Margaret thinks winning the hunt is exactly what she needs to bring her mother home for good. The problem is that only teams of two can enter - one hunter and one alchemist.

When Weston Winters appears on her doorstep, desperate for an apprenticeship from her mother, Margaret soon realizes that Wes is exactly what she needs. They are an unlikely duo. Margaret is a lonely outcast and excellent sharpshooter, enduring all that life has dealt her until it hardens her through and through. Wes, while the biggest flirt Margaret has ever encountered, is uneducated and has his mother and sister’s to take care of. What will happen when these two pair up to take on a centuries old fox?

What I loved:

• The magic system was truly intriguing. I loved the all around vibes of it. I loved the incorporation of alchemy and science, the existence of mythical creatures, the use of religion paired with some of the different aspects of magic. It was brilliant!

• The dual POVs with distinctive voices for each main character. This is something that I really struggle with as a writer and seeing it play out so well is inspiring.

• I’m a sucker for well done world building, especially when it isn’t a massive info dump all at once. Saft did an excellent job of peppering information throughout the story in a way that wasn’t overwhelming. I truly adored the historical aspects of everything even though that isn’t something I typically enjoy.

• The characters were well-rounded and written beautifully. Even the side characters were intriguing and played their roles. Of course, my favourite characters were Margaret and Wes. Their depths, their growth, their journey together - all of it was wonderful!

• The themes of religious persecution and reverence, loneliness, finding a sense of belonging, found family, and the many facets of love.

What I wish were different:

• The hunt was clearly something that played a big part in society, in each culture and in the story in general. The hala too as both are directly connected. It seemed like these parts were glossed over or rushed. The hunt was crammed into the last part of the book with preparation for it taking up more time. I believe Saft could have done a better job with it.

• I loved the relationship between Margaret and Wes and truly enjoyed witnessing it unfold (hello, slow burn!). However, I wish there had been more scenes with them getting to know one another and spending time together. It would have made everything all the more believable.

Overall, A Far Wilder Magic is a must read! It was beautifully written, captivating and heart-pounding. If you enjoy slow burn relationships, found family, magical fox hunts and alchemy, this book is definitely for you.

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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