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sabrinz 's review for:
The Wolf and the Woodsman
by Ava Reid
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's not really easy to say what I though about this book.
I loved the premise and the beginning where we meet Evike and her village, where most women and girls can perform some sort of magic (forging, healing or clairvoyance). But every few years, the Woodsmen come and take one girl with them to the capital and to the king.
This year, the king wants a seer, but the village can't spare one - so they send Evike who has no magic of her own.
As I said - the premise is amazing. Add to that old fairy tales and it should have been one of my new favourite books.
For me, unfortunately, the story did not deliver completely in that regard. Large parts of the story feel like the reader is just being dragged along from one point to the other. However, those stops along the story line do make sense at the end when everything comes full circle. Still, some of the characters are a bit flat (unfortunatley, I really wanted to love Gaspar (or his fellow Woodsmen we meet at first - until their untimely demise) or hate the king but also see that he's not just evil). While that came through in the story, it was more like an offhand remark rather than consuming me and the story.
Still, a very well-written story (I do like the style!) as a first book. It just did not grab me all the way.
I loved the premise and the beginning where we meet Evike and her village, where most women and girls can perform some sort of magic (forging, healing or clairvoyance). But every few years, the Woodsmen come and take one girl with them to the capital and to the king.
This year, the king wants a seer, but the village can't spare one - so they send Evike who has no magic of her own.
As I said - the premise is amazing. Add to that old fairy tales and it should have been one of my new favourite books.
For me, unfortunately, the story did not deliver completely in that regard. Large parts of the story feel like the reader is just being dragged along from one point to the other. However, those stops along the story line do make sense at the end when everything comes full circle. Still, some of the characters are a bit flat (unfortunatley, I really wanted to love Gaspar (or his fellow Woodsmen we meet at first - until their untimely demise) or hate the king but also see that he's not just evil). While that came through in the story, it was more like an offhand remark rather than consuming me and the story.
Still, a very well-written story (I do like the style!) as a first book. It just did not grab me all the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Racism, Xenophobia
Minor: Physical abuse