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A review by carolibrary
The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg
3.0
This was the first ebook I read in years after I won it from a Goodreads giveaway that I entered on a whim, so I went into the story without expectations. The Will and the Wilds is is a quasi-Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it is not the epic fantasy adventure I thought it might be. The story is told on a much smaller scale than most popular YA fantasies on the market. While this book does not cover a lot of ground (literally), it instead focuses on developing the characters and unique magic system.
Enna is a typical YA heroine. She does not fit in. She lives on the outskirts of town with her struggling father and longs to be a scholar of mystings (demons), which is unheard of for a young woman. I admired her determination, compassion, and constant quest for understanding.
After a mysting attacks her, Enna summons the mysting Maekallus for protection, but when their deal goes wrong, Enna must give a soul-transferring kiss to save both their lives. This story is mostly about their changing relationship as she sacrifices pieces of her soul and Maekallus gains them. Maekallus becomes more and more human with each kiss, while Enna withers away. Really interesting perspective about what it means to be human.
I wanted more from the climax of the story. While I enjoyed reading about Enna’s mysting research and the slow building romance, I expected a final epic battle, but the story delivered an underwhelming showdown. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, but I wanted a little more action.
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Enna is a typical YA heroine. She does not fit in. She lives on the outskirts of town with her struggling father and longs to be a scholar of mystings (demons), which is unheard of for a young woman. I admired her determination, compassion, and constant quest for understanding.
After a mysting attacks her, Enna summons the mysting Maekallus for protection, but when their deal goes wrong, Enna must give a soul-transferring kiss to save both their lives. This story is mostly about their changing relationship as she sacrifices pieces of her soul and Maekallus gains them. Maekallus becomes more and more human with each kiss, while Enna withers away. Really interesting perspective about what it means to be human.
I wanted more from the climax of the story. While I enjoyed reading about Enna’s mysting research and the slow building romance, I expected a final epic battle, but the story delivered an underwhelming showdown. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, but I wanted a little more action.
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