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A review by johnsnowwasright
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Ava Reid is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. I absolutely loved this book as I've loved all of Reid's other works.
I love Reid's dark, twisted but ethereal settings that read like a Florence and the Machine song.
Evike was such a complicated and flawed character. I would say she's an ugly character at times who is hard to like but we need more characters like her.
Reid managed to explore how trauma can shape who we are and how we treat people in such a poignant way. I liked that we saw Evike grow beyond her trauma responses and realize that she can't treat people however she wants because she is hurting. That it is our choice to break the cycle of trauma and abuse.
I also enjoyed the discussion of religious fundamentalism and the hypocrisy inherent in that fundamentalism. I found it hilarious that the 'Godfather of Life' was every bit as capricious as the pagan gods but the followers completely missed that in their devotion.
I do wish that Reid had given more definition to how these gods interacted with each other and how all their magic could coexist. (Also if there is a godfather of life that's the Christian God then is the Yehuli God the same as Godfather Life but worshiped differently? That's something I wish she had expanded upon.)
But all in all, Reid is such a unique voice and I cannot wait for her next book.
I love Reid's dark, twisted but ethereal settings that read like a Florence and the Machine song.
Evike was such a complicated and flawed character. I would say she's an ugly character at times who is hard to like but we need more characters like her.
Reid managed to explore how trauma can shape who we are and how we treat people in such a poignant way. I liked that we saw Evike grow beyond her trauma responses and realize that she can't treat people however she wants because she is hurting. That it is our choice to break the cycle of trauma and abuse.
I also enjoyed the discussion of religious fundamentalism and the hypocrisy inherent in that fundamentalism. I found it hilarious that the 'Godfather of Life' was every bit as capricious as the pagan gods but the followers completely missed that in their devotion.
I do wish that Reid had given more definition to how these gods interacted with each other and how all their magic could coexist. (Also if there is a godfather of life that's the Christian God then is the Yehuli God the same as Godfather Life but worshiped differently? That's something I wish she had expanded upon.)
But all in all, Reid is such a unique voice and I cannot wait for her next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, and Body horror