⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Far Wilder Magic
Allison Saft
384 pages | Published by Wednesday Books
Margaret is an outcast in her town, and even in her own home. Her mother is a alchemist who is consumed with her research, leaving Margaret alone for months at a time. Wes arrives at her door, hoping to become her mother's apprentice as his last hope for changing the lives of his family. When the hala - a fox, and a mythical and magical creature - is seen in the woods, the Halfmoon Hunt begins. Honor, fame, fortune, and potentially alchemical breakthroughs all are on the line for the winner of the hunt, whichever team can kill the hala. Margaret and Wes enter the legendary fox hunt to hopefully change both of their lives.
A potential spoiler but one I wished I had to put my mind at ease: the dog doesn't die!! I was constantly nervous about Margaret's hound, Trouble, and I hope you're glad to know that the goodest boy makes it through the book.
First off, have you ever seen a more beautiful cover? SO. PRETTY. I had to find out the artist and follow her on Instagram - @rudebeetle for anyone interested.
This one took me a minute to get into, partly because of my own reading mood, but once I hit about 25% I did NOT want to stop! I ended up putting the ebook down and listening to it - which is new for me, I'm not typically an audiobook reader but lately it's what holds my attention best. I will say that I didn't like the narrator much - I wasn't crazy about her accents for Wes and his family, and her narration seemed frantic sometimes which was odd.
This was such a cool combination of YA historical romance and magical realism. The world felt so unique while alluding to the religious tensions of the early 20th century in the US. I loved the mix of alchemy and magic and would love to read more about its use in the political landscape of this world.
The growing trust between Margaret and Wes was EVERYTHING! When we first meet Margaret she is withdrawn and unrelenting in her routines, while Wes puts on a smiling face in every possible situation. This had that amazing grumpy/sunshine dynamic that I love, but went deeper than just a typical romance. They both were dealing with different types of grief and loss, and were able to bring out in each other just what they needed to grow and chase the lives they wanted.
While I wished the actual hunt portion of the book lasted a bit longer after all of the buildup, it turned much more sinister than I had anticipated which made up for it. While listening, I couldn't do anything else - I just sat and listened to the hunt and all its action.
Comments