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beforeviolets's review against another edition
- 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
CW: animal death, death of father (past), death of brother (past), parental abandonment, sexual content (onscreen, not graphic), blood, trauma, emotionally abusive parent, religious bigotry, PTSD, alcohol consumption, hate crime, anti-semitism, death, gore
Thank you to Wednesday books for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Built upon a rich tapestry of religiopolitical metaphor, and steeped in a charged atmosphere that will fill your senses, A Far Wilder Magic paints a romance between two characters that you just can't help but fall for.
Allison's Saft's writing is nothing less than golden.
If you like:
-slow burn
-grumpy girl/sunshine boy
-dorks helplessly in love
-casual queer side characters
-bigots getting punched in the face
-jewish rep
then you should get your hands on this book.
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
katiemack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a lovely book filled with darkness, longing, and--of course--magic. If you love an alchemy-based system of mysticism and magic, this YA fantasy is for you. As an added bonus, the love and tension between Wes and Margaret is palpable (and unexpectedly funny at times)--so, if the "will they, won't they" trope isn't your thing, or if you can't handle angst, don't pick this one up. The romance enchanted me, though the plotline with, you know, the actual hala doesn't have as much depth or description as I was expecting.
Moderate: Gun violence and Blood
themoonlightarchive's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
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.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual content
hownovelofher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’d like to start by saying how torn I have been on rating this. I quarreled with myself back and forth on whether to rate it higher or lower but finally settled on 3.5 being fair. While I absolutely loved the atmosphere of this book, it fell short in enough ways that I couldn’t ignore the pang of dissatisfaction I had when it came to its conclusion.
Margaret Welty lives alone in a decaying countryside manor on the edge of the town of Wickdon. Abandoned by her mother after the loss of her brother, and the fleeing of her father, she lives a quiet and sheltered life…much preferring the company of her hound Trouble to the company of…well, anyone else.
When the arrival of the much feared, and equally exalted hala throws the town into a frenzy, Margaret is even more aghast when a prospective alchemical apprentice shows up at her door in search of her mother’s tutelage. Enter Weston Winters.
Together, Margaret and Weston make an unlikely pair, and eventually team up in hopes of slaying the powerful and destructive hala in hopes of winning something they each need desperately. For Weston, this is money and notoriety; for Margaret, her mother’s approval and love.
The time period seems to settle around the 1920s-1940s and leans heavily on elements of magical realism and religious reverence.
Speaking of, the religious elements are part of what drove me to rate this book lower than I initially thought I would. Throughout the book we are constantly reminded about both Margaret and Wes’s heritage/religion and how most of New Albian is both xenophobic and religiously bigoted.
I used context clues to assume what real-world religions and ethnic backgrounds Saft was drawing inspiration from but, truly it wasn’t hard. She makes it painfully obvious what she’s borrowed from. I had the keen feeling that perhaps she just couldn’t commit to calling a real-world religion by its name so as not to offend…but it would have been better, in my opinion, if she had done so…or simply created her own religion from scratch.
Instead, we’re left with clumsily monikered substitutes such as Katharist peoples (interpreted as Christian, to me) + Wes and his Banvish (Irish) heritage and Sumic (Catholic) religion. Meanwhile, Margaret is Yu’adir (Jewish). There are many a reference to real-world religious practices that help you draw these conclusions. At one point the author even uses the term Shabbos for an assumed Yu’adir (Jewish) religious observance. For those who don’t know, Shabbat is an actual Jewish observance.
In short, it was off-putting and distracting from the plot of the story. I could have done with a less intensely religious overtone, along with less frequent reminders of their inferiority in the eyes of others.
Parental neglect also has a very large and very bright spotlight on it in this book. It’s a theme that is repeated through the book over and over and truthfully was a bit of a bummer. Not to say that books can’t be sad and difficult to read, it’s just not what I was expecting. And when coupled with the other harsh elements of the book, made it heavier than its description promised.
Aside from that, I had a lot of unanswered questions towards the end, and a few frustrations with the characters. Some of the issues were resolved too easily and some not easily enough. For instance, the Halfmoon Hunt was a major plot point, but literally lasted like less than 20 pages which was a really big wtf moment in terms of built-up anticipation.
But let me end on a good note: I saw some people saying that Wes is obnoxious/sleazy and Maggie is unlikeable…and I’ll agree that they aren’t a likable pair at first…but they did grow on me. I enjoyed the contrast of a sunshine boy and a grumpy girl instead of the other way around which is sort of the norm in lit these days. They both had a decent amount of character development, and it wasn’t like they were suddenly perfect…they were just subtly a little bit freer than before. A little less broken.
The slow, torturous burn of their love for each other and their sweetness once it fully bloomed was pleasantly unexpected. It felt a bit more realistic because Maggie’s love truly had to be earned by Wes, and she made a besotted man out of him, which is always cute. I love that she scared him shitless and he loved her the more for it.
Mental illness and vulnerability were also two unexpected elements that I appreciated. As someone who suffers from panic attacks, it was comforting to see them portrayed in a way that wasn’t stigmatized, but honest and fair.
All in all, I did actually enjoy this book very much. Yes, I had my qualms with it, but at the end of the day I see what the author was trying to do, and I admire her writing and her approach to a great many difficult subjects. I think maybe she pulled too many into one single book, but I’m still very much glad I decided to read A Far Wilder Magic.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Wow, this book was so much more than I was expecting. It was a story about a girl who learned that she was able to have dreams, and that she was capable of being loved. It was a book about a boy who loves his family so much that he faces hatred and failure but still dreams of making a change. This book was amazing.
I did struggle a little bit with the writing style in the beginning, but once I got farther into it it felt easier to read. I was fully wrapped up in this story, and I was so drawn into the world that the author created. It was pretty slow-burn in terms of the plot and the romance. Most of the book is the build up to the hunt itself, but we get to meet the characters, learn about them, watch their relationship grow and change, and also watch them prepare for the hunt and face obstacles before they even get to the hunt itself. I didn’t mind the slow pace, and I still felt captured by the book and the story. And I really liked seeing the relationship between Margaret and Wes change. It felt realistic, and I was completely rooting for them.
Margaret was such an intriguing character. At her core she wanted her mom to notice and love her, and it was heartbreaking at times to see her character growth backtrack because of this. It felt very realistic, and I thought Margaret’s emotions came through really well. Wes was a very interesting character as well. He had so many layers and depths, that I liked seeing all the new sides to him uncovered during the book. I thought both characters were fantastic, and I really liked reading about them.
Overall this book was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it, and I think the slower pace worked well to give me a chance to really get to know the characters and there were still exciting moments throughout.
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- 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
This was fun. Was a little sad the MC didn't seem to be queer but oh well. The religious diversity was really well done in this. I also loved that Wes was an immigrant!
I don't want to put antisemitism as a CW because there are not Jewish characters in this, but the impression I got from the treatment of Sumic people closely resembles the treatment of Jewish people.
Rep: white half Yu'adir cishet female MC, Banvish immigrant dyslexic Sumic cishet male MC (also likely ADHD), Banvish immigrant sapphic Sumic female side character, side MLM pairing.
CWs: parental neglect, emotional abuse, bullying, religious bigotry, violence, gun violence, animal death, blood, xenophobia, panic attack, toxic relationship, grief, past death of parent, abandonment, injury/injury detail. Moderate: gore, sexual content, ableism, racial/religious slurs, hate crime.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Sexual content
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Xenophobia, Blood, and Antisemitism
Minor: Child death and Injury/Injury detail
thesatellitecafe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Blood, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Death of parent
sheafandink's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Blood
Minor: Animal death, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Abandonment