“A bargain between a Woodsman and a wolf-girl already seems a fragile and terrible thing. Whose god would approve of it?”

Évike is outcasted and hated by her village, as she is the only woman without power. She is abused, ridiculed, and sent to die and be a sacrifice for her village to the Woodsmen. The Woodsmen are soldiers from the kingdom who are sent to claim pagan girls for the king’s blood sacrifice. Évike is disguised as a seer and forced to be sacrificed to the Woodsmen. Along the way everyone in the party dies except for Évike and the captain, or rather the crown prince Gáspár. Both of them must now travel together in search of a mystical power that would help stop Gáspár‘s fanatical and psychopathic brother from claiming the thrown. Both of them must survive harsh winter conditions, monsters, and villagers who have other plans.

I really loved how well the enemies to lovers trope was handled here, it definitely was a brutal enemies to lovers as both of them were constantly at odds with one another. Throwing stabs and wounds, making the other question their morals, and making each other hurt as they are both two people who have endured so much abuse and been outcasted. They were both wonderful characters who had different strengths and their wounds were so deep. Évike was raised in an environment where she was both physically and mentally abused by people, and her scars definitely show. Gáspár is the same, he was physically abused and outcasted by his own father and is now just trying to save the people in the kingdom. Both of them are deeply wounded and just trying to survive. Their tenuous romance is great and their bonding is something that slowly grows.

I really enjoyed reading this book and the romance was amazing. The conditions were brutal and the world was interesting. I definitely sympathized with both characters and overall I really did feel for them. I would highly recommend this read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Evike is a wolf girl. Her clan lives in the dark forest of Ezer Szem, and live under threat of the Woodsman. Once a year the devout King sends the Woodsman to bring one of the Wolf Girls to him so that he can steal their magic and use it to fight the never ending war with Merzan. What the Woodsman don't know is that Evike isn't a normal wolf girl and she doesn't have any magic. What Evike doesn't know is that the Woodsman who is escorting her is no ordinary Woodsman. Gaspar is the crown prince and he wants a different life than the one that has been laid out for him. Gaspar knows that his bastard brother is aiming for the crown, and he knows that he is infintely worse than his father. He needs Evike to stop his brother and his father, but will she willing to help a Woodsman... the very men who drove her clan to the dark woods, keeps them in poverty, and helps the king steal their children?

My only criticism is that the story seems rushed. It doesn't have a whole or comprehensive feeling to it. There are parts that are very disjointed. The first part of the story is difficult because the reader is not told anything. Very little world building is done and the reader is dropped in the middle of things. It is not easy to catch on, and some things are just never explained... The story itself needed more character development.

I would also point out that this story does not shy away from gore/violence. It has it's place in the story line, I only mention it for those who may be sensitive to blood, gore, & violence against animals.

I think there is a lot going on here, and it all happens in a very disjointed way. It might have been better to spread it out into multiple books and then really deep dive the really interesting aspects of this book, such as Evike's childhood, the relationship with her father, Gaspar, his relationship with his father and brother, the history of the countries, the religions which lead to the violence, the world of magic.

All that being said, there is so much I like about this book. The underlying concept, the worldview, the fascinating characters... I loved it. I just wanted a tad bit more.

I've been anticipating this book for a while and it didn't disappoint! The writing is so gorgeous and, even though I was in love with the world from the first page, it was the slow burn of Évike's character that kept me reading. Somewhere between the lyrical prose and top-notch worldbuilding, I became so utterly invested in these two characters who are both broken and healing and caught between two worlds.

It's clear how personal this story is to the author and how much care she's put into this world and these characters. The Jewish folklore shines through and I hope publishing takes note of how wonderful it is to see these stories represented on page in a way that's both authentic and real.

It should be noted that this story is definitely adult, not YA, and contains descriptions and references to gore, genocide, and sex.

The Wolf and The Woodsman by Ava Reid is like being caught in a wolf’s gaping maw, such an awe-full and wild creature. The writing is old and true, every word and sentence on fire and attended with such feeling. This is a book that will coerce you into its grasp and then eat you alive.

Pitched as having a magic system based on body horror and inspired by Hungary’s violent history towards ethnic groups during the 12th century, such as Jewish or Romani people, The Wolf and The Woodsman by Ava Reid draws a timely and aggressive mark on the Fantasy genre. In a genre thin and near bare of Fantasy novels that center on Jewish inspirations and their culture, Reid refuses to pull punches. Her writing is unflinching and truth-telling in the horrors of religious persecution, ethnic cleansing, and cultural genocide against European religious/ethnic groups.

In Keszi, pagan girls are taken by Woodsmen and brought to Kiràly Szek before the king. He yearns for more of the wolf-girls powers to add to his crown of nails, the source of his power. He believes this power will convince his people to fall in line and allow him a way to understand his foreign enemy’s next move in the war.

When the captain of the Woodsmen comes, it is Évike they collect. A long time ago, they took her mother too. The daughter of a pagan and a Yehuli tax collector, Évike is bullied by the other wolf-girls for being Yehuli, whom they see as betrayers of the land. And with her mother taken, her father disappeared from her life too. All that’s left is a coin in her pocket. Évike leaves with the Woodsman, and along their journey, they face betrayals and monsters. And Gáspár, the Captain, reveals himself to be the disgraced prince after they barely escape with their lives.

Through ice and woods, they travel the land and search for a creature that could be the answer to saving lives from the Patricians’ persecution. As they learn from each other, rage against the enemy thaws into smoldering tension. They face witches made of twigs and sea-smoothed pebbles, godly realms, icy lakes, serial killers, skull-crushing monsters, northern bears, power-hungry kings, and antisemitic brothers.

Stories have power, especially when written by as talented an author as Ava Reid.

With a soft and seamless voice, The Wolf and The Woodsman reads much like old folklore, taking that bite deeper and true. Reid’s prose is so earthy and bloody. The way that bodies in pain, ancient trees, and earth dusted with frost is described reminds me what it is to read a good book. Her writing reflects atrocities, hardships, and the beauty found in life. Reid’s prose is sweet, soft, angry, and ferocious. Such vicious and gorgeous prose that what is horrible becomes beautiful and what is beautiful becomes horrible.

The folklore burns as slow and simmering as the romantic relationship. Yehuli can make something from nothing just by writing in their language. One of my favorite things to read in books is the beauty of oral storytelling and traditions. The way the written text can be something built into the world building is something I’d like to read more of.

Power turns bodies and things into horrific realities, destruction, or worse. Prayers that reanimates life from death. The world building does not remind me of anything I’ve read in fantasy. I’d say it reminds me more of horror and that gives this book a welcome difference.

The romantic tension feels precisely like an old-as-earth impact, like when hot water touches the ice. This is a true enemies-to-lovers and slow-burn romance. The rage Évike feels against the king and the oppression she, and others, face fuses with that hatred she feels for a representative of the enemy, Gáspár, who in return sees a responsibility to his father, an enemy, a necessity. They are fire and ice; Évike and Gáspár.

Évike is very possibly going up there with all the other heroines I’d love to date. She’s seductive, holding me with a smile and a knife. What turns from a frustrated enemy to tolerating that sexy bestie transforms into sweet attacks in the form of a kiss. Reid does the unexpected and transforms Évike into the proud seductress, the alpha stealing the purity of the celibate, basically Catholic prince, to the point that she has him on his knees. He is blissfully a fool for her, and I’d do the same for a woman like Évike.

In Gáspár, you’ll find a tightly wound, surly one-eyed man who only ever has that eye gazed upon one person. The legitimate son of the king, Gáspár, suffers at his father’s hand. He is unfavored in his father’s eyes and in his brother’s, who claims saintliness and rallies the people against the pagans and, in particular, the Yehuli.

In the Yehuli, I find such striking and beautiful wrought characters. Honestly, many of the characters are like a love letter to Jewish readers. When Gáspár and Évike arrive in Kiràly Szek, they witness hatred inspired by the antisemitic history in Hungary. A man is in chains to feed off Patrician peasants’ hostility. Évike knows this man. He’s someone from her past. The intimacy, awkward moments, and yearning for lost love in this relationship match up against any romantic relationship. I’m glad to see such a warm relationship.

The Wolf and The Woodsman is the type of book I can see myself re-reading, and I’m sure I’ll be gripping the edges and trying to hold back the tears every time. The prose, the fierce politics, the romantic tension, the relationships, and characterization. This book has everything I want in a good book. Ava Reid has a great future ahead of her. Consider yourself lucky for getting to read each and every book she writes.

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid is a breathtaking, magical debut that I can't stop thinking about. I adored this book. It follows a pagan woman named Évike who is the only woman in her village without powers, and she is looked down upon because of it. When soldiers called Woodsmen arrive to the village to claim a "Wolf-Girl" from the village for the King, the villagers betray Évike and send her with them. On their journey to the capital, monsters slay everyone in the envoy except for Évike and Gáspár, the one-eyed Prince. Évike and Gáspár must face the journey together and attempt to stop Gáspár's brother from seizing the throne and becoming a dangerous tyrant.

The world within this book is rich and full of stories. Filled with Hungarian history and Jewish folklore, the first half of the book is following Évike and Gáspár's journey from the Pagan village to the Capital. The second half is set in the Capital where Évike must try to survive the precarious politics of this world. As a reader who loves books centering on a journey and books centering on the politics of a fantasy world, both halves of this book were incredibly intriguing for me. The development of Évike and Gáspár's relationship was one of my favorite aspects. Reid expertly crafted their development, as Évike and Gáspár learn more about themselves as individuals, they begin to see each other through a different set of eyes. Both Évike and Gáspár are mixed blood, therefore they both understand the trials that come along with that in this world. Less importantly, there is not even a whisper of insta-love in this story which is quite refreshing.

I would have appreciated a deeper look into the relationship between Régország and the kingdom to the west, Volkstadt. The brief mentions of Volkstadt intrigued me and made me want to learn more.

Lastly, this book had the perfect ending. That's all I will say about it. Overall, I highly, highly recommend this book.

A well-drawn story that will engage readers with its universal themes and complex characters. A winner for fantasy fans or those who are only tourists in the genre.

I will never outgrow stories that read like fairy tales, especially those with strong female characters. I selected this title because it was compared to Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver, which I really loved. The Wolf and the Woodsman is darker, but a wonderful story and a very quick read. Thank you so much, NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read the eARC!

Well-written and developed fantasy filled to the brim with politics, religion, and romance. It's complex, multi-layered, and slow burn. Recommended for fans of Katherine Arden and Philip Pullman.

This book weaves stories within stories and a slow burn romance to die for. Something that surprised me about this book, was the gore. I love good body horror, and this book has it in settings that jar you from folkloric storytelling. It’s startling, at first, and nauseating. It makes this book have more depth than I originally expected it to.
Books that seem to focus primarily on the journey from one place to the other tend to drag on. At times, it felt like the book could have simply been shorter. However, these instances did make room for more of the slow burn romance. It’s a double-edged sword. I can’t wait to read more from Ava Reid.

My full review will be posted on May 17th, 2021

What better way to talk about the barriers of our cultural divide than by writing it all down in a fantasy novel with plot twist, intrigue, betrayal and love.

The Wolf and the Woodsman really does have it all. Evike, the main character is from a tainted bloodline according to those of her village. The village where her mother was born or pagan descent and her father a Yehuli man. This unusual relationship is to blame for Evike's lack of magical powers. Deemed useless by her people, when a group of Woodsmen, the King's men come for their pagan sacrifice to keep the King's power going, the village offers them up Evike as a gifted seer.

Betrayed by her village Evike sets out to her death with deceit clouding the mind's of the woodsmen until they are attacked by the monsters that rule the wood and another lie is uncovered. The captian of the woodsman, really the outcast Prince, who much like Evike is outcast because of his tainted blood, is the only one to survive the slaughter of the monsters with Evike. The two make a very unlikely pair and set out to work to together.

The Prince, Gaspar and Evike travel to Kingdom where ultimately Evike will be given to the king as his pagan sacrifice and Gaspar needs to figure out a way to stop his brother from taking over the kingdom and killing off the pagans and the Yehulis for being different from himself.

Evike discovers an unknown power after making a sacrifice and uses this power to thwart the king. In doing so she becomes property of the king and is at his disposal. In this new relationship and environment Evike once again tries to join up with Gaspar to stop his brother from killing off the Kingdom's people. Along the way, Evike meets her estranged father, learns more about the Yehuli ways and their magicks. With this knowledge and the ever changing relationship with Gaspar, Evike must make the ultimate choice as to who's side to be on and what actions she must take.

The Wolf and the Woodsman started off great, the imagery of the trees and the idea of these girls with magic being sacrificed made sense to me. I love the differences between worship. The worldbuilding was great, but around the middle of the book the story lost itself and didn't get itself back.

It went in an entirely different direction and just steam rolled out of control, the ending didn't match what we have learned of the characters and their devotion to each other. There was this battle scene towards the end which also came out of the woodwork and didn't match what we knew of the town that The Wolf came from, they were so eager to hand her over instead of someone else why would they suddenly want to fight for her and why would she agree to go back home with them when she is in love with the prince and they talk of marriage only for that not be a factor?

Once the brother was introduced along with her dad it just veered off course and didn't seem to know what it wanted.

"The Wolf and the Woodsman" follows Évike's treacherous journey with Gáspár, a Woodsman sent to capture her and bring her to the king she's never seen and in the process, we see their ideologies and ways of life clash with one another.

I really liked the first half of the story when it was just Évike & Gáspár but once they got to the city it got a bit dull. It's also a bit difficult to describe the book...dark fantasy/romance, I guess? It's not a typical book, to say the least.

The two major antagonists felt really flat and annoyed the heck out of me, the only thing missing from them was an evil mustache to twirl. I was also a bit uncomfortable with how the villagers constantly referred to Évike as "barren" for not having magic which just felt...weird.

Évike was a very entertaining protagonist, she's one you root for but you also want to yell at her for being ridiculous, ha.

Overall, a decent read, but it's not going to be for everyone. As many have said, it's similar to Naomi Novik's "Uprooted" and I also include the recent release "Serpent & Dove" by Shelby Mahuri as a similar read. Basically, dark fantasy, dark romance, dark everything! Not that it's bad, but if you're looking for a Hallmark romance, this ain't it.

It's a little slow-paced, but never boring. It just has a really good buildup to the climax of the book. There is a lot of character development in that time with the main characters. This book takes place over a relatively short amount of time, but it is packed with character development, great worldbuilding, and an interesting magic system based on physical sacrifice.

Évike is a character who has a lot of personal inner struggles, and her path to self-acceptance was very believable. She learns about the other side of her heritage and their stories, and the stories of the people she was raised to hate and fear, and she starts to see that things aren't as simple as she first assumed.

Gáspár is another well-rounded character. He goes through a similar path of character growth involving self-acceptance. His is just as personal, but the other side of it. Him coming to terms with his father and brother and even the religion he devoted his life to aren't as fallible as he once believed. That their way is hypocritical at best, and fundamentally flawed at worst. And he too had to realize that things aren't as black and white.

The magic system, in a word, gruesome. The Pagan women are born with magic that often comes with some kind of physical mutation and the magic of the Woodsmen involves the physical sacrifice of mutilation. The magic of the Yehuli wasn't as clear to me. And all the magic that can be performed by each group is different, I am unsure how to explain it. It might lean a little into spoilers.

There is a bit of romance, in this book. It's very much a background plotline, and while it does affect character motivations, it doesn't overrule anything else in this book. I felt that this was a much better balance with the other more pressing plotlines than a lot of other fantasy books that have a romance.

I really loved this tale. I described it to a friend as The Witcher meets Serpent and Dove meets Uprooted. There's been a lot of similar trending stories lately, but this one is unique enough to stand on its own.

Really enjoyed it, especially its investigation of nation building and all the methodical bloody planning and tools that go into it— genocide, cultural death, racism. Very human characters and interpersonal dynamics, and tension, but it feels unfinished towards the end. How does the kingdom deal with Nandor’s followers and worst enablers? Do we learn more? That’s messy, and I want to see it. I’d both recommend and buy for my library. Loved the romance, obviously!

Expectations were high for a book compared to Spinning Silver, and those high expectations were very much not met. This felt like more of a YA romance than an adult fantasy, and as YA romance is very much not my genre, I didn't feel compelled enough to finish and see whether the writing and characters matured later on in the book.

I wanted to like this, and I am interested in flawed and angry narrators. The lore was cool and the dark, borderline horror setting was lovingly laid out. But the MC was *so* prickly, being in her head was a drag. And here saying "ooooooh bet you wanna f*ck me so bad" to her LI every five pages was pathetic rather than fun. I guess I should have paid closer attention to the comps, as I was lukewarm on Uprooted and Spinning Silver. DNF @65%. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was so freaking good! Seriously, everyone should read this. If you were a fan of Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver or Katherine Arden's "The Bear and the Nightingale" then this is a must-read!
The story is about a woman named Évike. She has been raised in a village of women who have the power to heal, forge, or see the future. They are known as wolf girls. Even though Évike was born from a woman with a gift, Évike has none and is considered an outcast and bad luck. So when the Woodsmen come for a "wolf girl" to bring to their king, her village betrays her and gives Évike up instead.
Her journey to the city is tragic and all except herself and the handsome one eyed woodsman survive the journey. This turn of events has them depending on one another more and more and their feelings for each other are becoming harder to hide.
Her journey to the city of the king and a hope to find her Jewish father are filled with mythological stories that are beautifully told. I absolutely loved this book. This may be my favorite book of the year so far. :)

I really enjoyed this story! I saw several posts on my twitter timeline lauding it, so I jumped in and requested a copy. I'm glad I did!

There are a couple of really small things that bumped my rating down to a 4, but I'll get into that in a second.

First, I love the enemies-to-lovers trope. LOVE IT! And <i>The Wolf and the Woodsman</i> is all about the EtL. Emphasis on the 'enemies', and not a lot on the 'lovers' side, but it was plenty. It's also awesome to get a hero that doesn't fit into any one category. He's alpha but also not. He's sensitive, but also gruff and grumbly. Noble while having some blemishes in his character. Fully-formed and well-rounded.

And our heroine is the star of the story. She is everything you'd want her to be. I connected to her character right off the bat. Not because I have anything in common with her, but because you see who she is from the start.

The side characters are also great. None of them are black and white, just like the hero and heroine. It makes them seem real.

Now here's my very small nits. I don't mind correlaries to real-world things at all, but I prefer much subtler approaches. This absolutely did not ruin the story for me though. I just like to draw the similarities myself, as a slow dawning of the connections. While it's not a direct hit to the head, it's definitely very obvious.

And while I enjoyed the ending, it's not picture-perfect. I completely understand why it's the way it is, but I kinda wanted something a little different. That is 100% on me.

I highly recommend <i>The Wolf and the Woodsman</i>. Especially if you like fantasy, complex characters, and connections to mythology.

I give it four 'awesome bear' stars.

Two people missing pieces of themselves try to find their place in a world that both values and mistrusts magic.

Evike and Gaspar are both misfit outcasts from their own tribes, thrown together to struggle against a fanatical despot who believes himself divine and wants them both dead. Combining mythology and history, Reid creates a multifaceted world for our antiheroes to navigate.

While sacrifice and grief are major themes throughout the book, it is never overwhelming or without hope.

Trigger warnings: bullying, loss of parent