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A review by wdallas126
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It took me entirely too long to read this book that I really enjoyed. I definitely started out thinking that this would be a 5 stars, but it had some pacing issues that dropped it down just a little.
The main character was one whose liveliness was inspiring, and the development she goes through is really fascinating as she figures out where she fits in within this conflicting world. There were some moments in the latter half of the book where she seemed to stall or didn't act as much on her agency as I wanted, but I still really enjoyed her being at the center of this story. I also really liked the male lead and how the two complemented each other. Their relationship was very compelling as the world and their beliefs made them both a perfect match and ill-fated.
The lore of this world is so lush and tied strongly to historical religions that carry throughout our world. I loved getting to hear about the religious lore for all the different groups and how they created ethno-political conflicts for them. But, I almost always preferred the moments when we were focusing on the magical aspects of these differences versus the main political plotline that dominates the second half of this book.
I can truly say that there is a lot of plot in this - in the sense that many things happen to the characters and that where we end up at the 75% mark is almost inconceivable based on where we started. In some ways, I wish it would have deviated slightly from where it ended up but it was still very good. I think the pacing was a bit unbalanced at times. The second quarter of the book got a bit repetitive (like monster-of-the-chapter vibes) but i liked the emotional development then the most, and the second half was stronger in terms of plot advancement, but seemed like such a different pace from the rest of the book. This, combined with the political emphasis is what dropped it from 5 to 4 stars.
Ava Reid is an incredibly strong writer and I annotated this book to no end. Lush descriptions, powerful emotions and dynamics, horrifying imagery at time, there is no doubt (especially with her recent books + announcements) that she has a long and illustrious career ahead of herself. Certainly the highlight of the book and the reason I hope to reread it one day.
The main character was one whose liveliness was inspiring, and the development she goes through is really fascinating as she figures out where she fits in within this conflicting world. There were some moments in the latter half of the book where she seemed to stall or didn't act as much on her agency as I wanted, but I still really enjoyed her being at the center of this story. I also really liked the male lead and how the two complemented each other. Their relationship was very compelling as the world and their beliefs made them both a perfect match and ill-fated.
The lore of this world is so lush and tied strongly to historical religions that carry throughout our world. I loved getting to hear about the religious lore for all the different groups and how they created ethno-political conflicts for them. But, I almost always preferred the moments when we were focusing on the magical aspects of these differences versus the main political plotline that dominates the second half of this book.
I can truly say that there is a lot of plot in this - in the sense that many things happen to the characters and that where we end up at the 75% mark is almost inconceivable based on where we started. In some ways, I wish it would have deviated slightly from where it ended up but it was still very good. I think the pacing was a bit unbalanced at times. The second quarter of the book got a bit repetitive (like monster-of-the-chapter vibes) but i liked the emotional development then the most, and the second half was stronger in terms of plot advancement, but seemed like such a different pace from the rest of the book. This, combined with the political emphasis is what dropped it from 5 to 4 stars.
Ava Reid is an incredibly strong writer and I annotated this book to no end. Lush descriptions, powerful emotions and dynamics, horrifying imagery at time, there is no doubt (especially with her recent books + announcements) that she has a long and illustrious career ahead of herself. Certainly the highlight of the book and the reason I hope to reread it one day.