I liked a lot of aspects of this book. I liked the use of alchemy throughout the book and how different belief systems had different views of magic. I liked how Wes was shown to have difficulty learning before labels existed as descriptors.

However, I found that the worldbuilding could have been elaborated on. The reader does not get to see much of the magic and is not fully told the extent that magic plays in their world, instead, the reader only is told that magic is useful, especially to those in power. Additionally, the setting of the book maps clearly onto one in our history, but it does not fully decide if it wants to be in our world or in a completely fictional one. For instance, each ethnic and religious group has different names than our own, but other terms within each ethnicity/religion were directly taken from our world. For instance, the term Yu’adir was the stand-in for Judaism, but the term Tikkun Olam was used, a real concept in Judaism.

Content Warning: Death of Animals, Prejudice, Discrimination, Parental Neglect

This was a very interesting book and one that I didn’t think I was going to like but it actually grew on me!

Now I usually start off with what I liked but with this one, I’ll do the opposite. I couldn’t get into the beginning of this story for some reason. We meet Wes who wants badly to be an alchemist, to then become a politician. I didn’t understand why he needed to be an alchemist to be a politician – and then we meet Margaret who is the daughter of the woman he’s trying to apprentice for.

Stories with alchemy are a hit of miss for me. I am either interested in the concept of alchemy or not. In this case…I was not interested in it at all. The world this story is set in is very different though. This story is set in what seems like the early 1900’s maybe, and in this town there is a mythical fox creature, the hala, which is on the loose and killing livestock and hurting people. There is a hunting event taking place to hunt the hala, in order to join you need an alchemist and a sharpshooter. Religion is prevalent in the story, it seems like the Wes is Sumic and Sumic people are similar to Catholics and Margaret is Yu’adir which is similar to being Jewish. So there are issues of discrimination, anti-immigration and anti-semitism that Margaret and Wes face in the story.

Wes is an alchemist or trying to be a good one but he needs to train. He wants to train with Margaret’s mom who is basically not around. Instead he gets chosen to be Margaret’s partner in the hunt. Margaret is left alone to fend for herself while her mother does research for alchemy – all her mom is interested in is alchemy. All Margaret wants is her mother’s love. Wes and Margaret don’t start off on the right foot. Margaret is closed off and independent and sees through Wes and his charming self. Wes is a flirt and does so every chance he gets but eventually Margaret gets under his skin and something grows between them.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was Margaret and Wes’ personal journeys. Margaret comes to the realization that her mom really isn’t a good mom. But Margaret had to come to that conclusion on her own. As for Wes, he has his own problems to deal with – he is ambitious but has a big family relying on him. I love how though he has his problems with his family, there is so much love and support there. I thought they made a good couple, she’s strong and he’s open and charming. They are both pretty determined people. I thought their romance story was sweet and that’s what really got me into the story.

The story of hunting the hala was interesting because it’s a mythical creature and we get to see how alchemy is used and we also get to see how Wes and Margaret are treated in this town. Overall, I don’t know if the magical realism totally worked for me, I think I wanted more details in the world-building.

FINAL THOUGHTS::
Why you should read it:
*you enjoy magical realism
*there is a love story
&there is alchemy and a mythical creature

Why you might not want to read it:
*not into alchemy or magical realism

My Thoughts:

Best thing about this story for me was the romance and the personal growth for both Margaret and Wes. If you love stories with alchemy and magical realism then you will definitely enjoy this one. If you are not then you might have some trouble getting into this story like I did in the beginning.

I am someone who likes to space out my reading, reading about 100 pages per night, but I found myself trying to finish this as fast as I could, and not for a good reason.

This is Allison Saft's second novel, and also the second book I have read by her. While I thought that her debut novel, Down Comes the Night, was partially a good story, nothing about this one worked for me.

The story felt unoriginal, the pacing was off, and the characters, relationships, plot and world-building were all lacking development and clarity. This story also just didn't deliver what the synopsis said it would.

I was considering giving this an extra half star but, thinking back on what I just read, there was nothing I liked about this story and couldn't justify giving it a rating higher than a 2.

Now, let's get into the details.


WRITING:

The writing was fine enough to keep me going. I did have some issues as there were some lines of dialogue in this that made me cringe because of how cheesy they were.

The only other complaint I really have, although minor, would be the language used in this. Because the use of alchemy is so prominent in this story, there are terms used in this that don't particularly roll of the tongue and make me pause my reading to figure out how to pronounce it.


PLOT:

I had numerous issues about the plot of this book, so I am just going to dive right in, starting with the overall plot and why it didn't work for me.

This story logically doesn't make much sense, to me at least. Following the sighting of a mythical creature, a grand hunt is orchestrated in order to capture and kill it for reward. My question though is why? Why do the people of this town let a creature wreak havoc while they take the time to set up this hunt? Not getting why the main plot point occurred is a huge hindrance as a reader.

The story also felt very forced to me. At the core of the story, there are a lot of discussions around xenophobia and anti-immigration. While they are very real topics of discussion, it didn't really work in this book. It was like the author wanted the story to seem deep and was like, 'aha, how about this?', and just slapped it in there with very little finesse. It could have made sense and allowed for interesting discussions and storylines, but it just didn't end up benefiting the story in any way.

While this story heavily focused on xenophobia and alchemy, there is also a lot of romance and drama in this, more than anything else really, which isn't something I particularly wanted. I didn't need a romance in the first place really, but there would be moments that were so cheesy that I would die a bit on the inside because they were cringey and didn't fit the overall tone of the book.

Moving on, the pacing of the story was off. For one, this does not feel like a standalone novel, it felt like the first book in a series that only serves to set up the rest of the series. Even then though, it is still lacking the development that a set-up book would have. Secondly, it took an excruciatingly long time to go somewhere. There was just too much build-up and unnecessary plot, and when it finally got to where it needed to be, it ended way quicker than it should have.

By the time I got to the end of the book, things started to unravel more. Events were added just for dramatic flair, and I simply thought that there would be more to the story than what I got. So, overall, this story went in all the wrong directions.


WORLD-BUILDING:

The world-building in this met the bare minimum and went no further than that. While alchemy is explored a lot, there were a lot of minor details that I thought would be imperative to the world and the story that were just cast aside and never explained. Even with the depth this going into with the alchemical aspects, this book somehow made it boring.

There were a bunch of different cultures and faiths in this world but, again, they weren't fleshed out as much as they could have been. There is also set in a very vague time period as there were mentions of industrialization. Personally, I think this story would have made more sense if it took place in an earlier time period.


CHARACTERS:

We follow Margaret and Wes, neither of whom were very interesting to read about. Wes described Maggie as mysterious but, rather, she just had no personality. She was very wooden, for a lack of a better word. Wes was an okay character, but his suaveness and playboy attitude felt a bit forced.

This is also a romance, so we get to see Maggie and Wes' relationship develop. The issue here is that they had zero chemistry between them, none. There was also a love triangle which isn't my favourite trope in the first place, but it was just unnecessary in this as it created drama that wasn't needed.

As for the side characters, they were only there to add drama and didn't add anything meaningful to the story. To be honest, the best character in this was Trouble the dog.


CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

This just fell very flat for me in all aspects of storytelling. The plot, the world and the characters needed more development.

If you want a story about alchemy, I would recommend Fullmetal Alchemist instead. Both the manga and the anime (Brotherhood not the original) are fantastic stories that have characters you are going to love and hate.

As a final note, I would issue a trigger warning for animal death if that is something that bothers you.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for giving me the opportunity to review this book in advance.

I really wanted to like this book, but I felt like it fell a bit short for me. I think it has a lot of potential, but, to me, I just thought that there were a lot of subjects that weren't fully fleshed out, and that needed a bit more explanation. What is the difference between being Sumic and being Banvishman? Why are the Yu'adir discriminated against in this universe? These topics were pretty major in the book, but they also didn't seem to be fully explained, which could be frustrating. I felt like not much happened throughout the book, and the buildup between Wes and Maggie's relationship fell a bit flat. Overall, I don't think this book was for me, but I can also see the intrigue. I do like the idea of an underdog story about a sharpshooter and alchemist banding together to accomplish something, but it just needed a bit more development overall.

The more dangerous the monster, the more glorious the hero who slays it.


Where do I even begin this review? I literally, from the moment I started, fell in love. There are just some books, ya know, that feel right when you start them, like they were made for you at this exact moment in your life-this is one of them. And from that final page, all I’ve thought about-day and night-is getting to this review. So many thoughts. So many emotions. So much gratitude. I request arcs, sure, but when I sent out my request with this one, my heart went with it.

“Besides, dreams don’t always have to be practical. That’s why they’re dreams. And now ours live and die together.”
“Together.” It’s such a foreign concept.
He grins at her. “It’s you and me against the world, Margaret.”



It began with the cover-that beautiful, unique cover-I saw it and just had to know more. Upon further inspection, I just knew it was a book I was going to devour, to love, to cherish-it did not, at any juncture, disappoint. My heart leapt into my throat the minute I saw it in my inbox and I plotted for days to make time for it. I’m a simple girl-give me a steady, slow-build fantasy with a slow-burn romance…I’m sold.

She pauses, drawing in a shaky breath when her throat begins to burn. She will not cry—not in front of him. “I’m asking you again, Mr. Winters. I won’t ask again after this. Please stay. There’s no one else I can ask.”
“God,” he says softly. “Please don’t look at me like that.”


I don’t ask for much, so when a book delivers just that-my simple tastes-it better be well-written and deliver in spades. Don’t worry, it did its job splendidly. And here I am, days after finishing and DYING to write this review, and I am, of course, sick [again] and not saying things how I had planned on saying them due to my foggy mind-I apologize to this beautiful, amazing, mesmerizing book, because it deserves so much better, but I also cannot wait another moment to spill my fresh thoughts onto the page, so bear with me.

The day he met her, streaked in dirt and despising him, he never imagined she could do this to him. How could Margaret ever think he’d lose himself to alchemy when he has already hopelessly lost himself to her?


Maggie and Wes were two characters that made my heart soar simply because they were written into existence. The flip and play on grumpy/sunshine (can I call Wes sunshine? I don’t know. And can I call Maggie Grumpy? No…she’s just steadfast, serious, and unsure, but...) where the female wasn’t bubbles and sunshine was refreshing.

Girls like her don’t get to dream. Girls like her get to survive. Most days, that’s enough. Today, she doesn’t think it is.


And I really enjoyed Wes being the goofy, playing-at-being-light-hearted while undoubtedly tortured underneath hero.

Misfortune has hardened them both. It’s roughened her, but it’s polished him to a sheen. If he lets the world believe he is all surface, then there is nothing to expose. Beneath her implacable stare, however, he is utterly naked.


It was nice to see that, while he put up a good front, he had inner demons, too. Wes felt he couldn’t show them, so it made his character far more complex than what the heroine could see.

He’s survived this long by letting everyone believe he’s selfish and shallow. It’s better that way. No one knows how to hurt you if you always play the fool. No one can truly be disappointed in you if they don’t expect any better.


The depth of these two characters pulled at my heartstrings so brutally, sneaking slowly into my bloodstream and pumping into my heart resolutely and without invitation. They were embedded in my DNA far before I even realized it, and that is truly the sum of my favorite kinds of stories. The stories where nothing big is happening at all, just small moments building up into a storm of wants, needs, and desires, of heart and soul being woven into every page, fracturing your heart in tiny fissures until you are a part of the book as much as it is a part of you. You live and die as these characters breathe and fight and mourn for one another-you are them and they are you, and there is nothing you can do about it but hope it doesn’t end in heartbreak. Dramatic, yes, but no less true.

Love is not the sharp-edged thing she’s always believed it to be. It’s not like the sea, liable to slip through her fingers if she holds on too tight. It’s not a currency, something to be earned or denied or bartered for. Love can be steadfast. It can be certain and safe, or as wild as an open flame. It’s a slice of buttered bread at a dinner table. It’s a grudge born of worry. It’s broken skin pulled over swelling knuckles.
It’s not enough anymore to do this for Evelyn. Maybe it’s for Wes, too.


I can’t even begin to explain how hard it is for me to connect to a book-truly connect-to the point of not caring what happens so much as the ride is worth the while. Does that make sense? Maybe not every moment plays out as you’d hope (though, I could argue that almost everything I could possibly wish for comes to fruition), but every moment stays with you, builds up to something, makes you feel. At a certain point I realized I didn’t even know what the hunt was, just that I was ecstatic it was there and we were living in it.

As she watches him walk away, the answering squeeze of her heart is as distressing as it is painfully familiar. How many times will she watch someone leave this place and never look back, while she is left here like a ghost to haunt it?


I think that is partially what scares me about my precious book-that maybe others, like me, won’t understand that this isn’t a days long hunt (where did I even get this from? I was straight up imagining a Hunger Games situation??) even though, honestly, I should have known better. Most of this book is literally a crescendo of happenings leading up to the hunt-the hunt does not last long, and I only say this in forewarning for those who might not know and might expect more. If you want MORE hunt, LESS build-up/preparing/small town hatred and bias, this simply is not for you. Me? I’d say my rating is fairly on the nose, but my heart is not so obvious.

If she must be seen tonight, she will be incandescent.



I like both scenarios, if it’s not clear in literally every other fantasy review known to man I’ve written or in the earlier part of this review-I both LOVE books where we have more buildup, characterization, less action based but a wonderful payoff of heart and depth in the end, and books that are more about getting deeper into the grit of the moment that the book was aptly named for. I like both. But there is, now that I am a more seasoned reader and more self aware as to what works for me, a common key that makes or breaks a story for me: character depth and character interactions.

As hours became days became weeks, she realized that if her mind could protect her from remembering Evelyn’s failed experiment, it could protect her from this pain, too. She could learn how to make the sting of abandonment fade into numbness. She could learn to detach until it felt like she wasn’t real at all.



That’s right-you can have the most romantic and perilous beast of a book but it doesn’t mean squat to me if you haven’t built up a relationship between our main characters or fleshed out their thoughts, desires, and inner selves thus making them into actual relatable people. I may be picky…but I think anyone who doesn’t value character development can’t possibly have lasting love for a book or series. If your love for the main characters fizzles out, what do you even remember about said book or series? How can any tension or high action moments make your heart palpitate to the point you can't breathe if characters' actions and justifications weren't built on what all you knew the characters struggled through and grew from to get to that point? Just my opinion, though. There is no lack for character love here, at least on my part.

Today, one of them could die. There’s nothing for them to tell each other that they don’t already know. He sees it in her eyes. He’s tasted it on her lips. She writes it on his skin every time she touches him. But in all his mother’s legends, there is binding power in words, and Wes doesn’t want to die without his soul entwined with hers.


And, to really-truly-end it with a final thought, this novel also heavily touches base on religion as a means for being outcasts of society. While I may not have wholly grasped every concept, I loved the way the author made me connect to the characters because they were outsiders. That may be the loosest way we were meant to connect, but I fell hard for our two outcasts, their struggles, the way they felt a kinship to one another and never judged the other for who they were or where they came from. Cast aside and bullied, this made for some very amazing scenes that became favorite moments.

This is nothing more than they’ve already exchanged. A sacrifice for a sacrifice, a dream for a dream. Their bargain is its own kind of alchemy.


I still feel so honored to have received this novel early from the publisher and count my blessings that one of my most anticipated releases became a quick instant favorite. I don’t know that this will be for everyone, my closest friends included, but it was for me, and that’s really all that matters. The depth, the pusle-pounding, the slow-burn of so many things (romance notwithstanding), and the creepy vibes the hala emitted…I’d say this book ticked all my favorite boxes. I hope that so many more people agree with me, because I can’t wait to gush about it over and over as people around me discover this wonderful gift of a book.

I enjoyed this! There was a little too much science for me - I am a word person and while interested in and respectful of science, I am not science-minded - but I liked the addition of alchemy. It was interesting, even though there were info dumps at time. Margaret was a very good main character, and Wes was just... Okay. He wasn't my favourite; his personality is not one I generally gravitate towards, though I did warm up to him by the end. I liked the ending and am glad it's a standalone! Not everything has to be a series or a duology, so I'm glad this was wrapped up nicely.


Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Down Comes the Night by this author, so I was hoping I would like this one just as much. After reading over 30 percent of this book, I've come to the decision to set it aside. Unfortunately, the story just hasn't caught my interest, and as much as I wanted to, I haven't made a connection with the characters. Overall, the story feels gloomy, and the parts about alchemy are not interesting to me.

I can't really tell what time period this is set in. It seems like a historic setting in our world. I think maybe the early 1900s, but there are some modern terms and sentiments thrown in there that I don't really appreciate in a historical fantasy setting. That made the decision to set it aside even easier.

The blurb for this book promised an achingly tender romance, which is one reason I wanted to read it in the first place, but I haven't even seen of hint of that yet. I know that maybe if I read on, I'll get to that, but I just don't like enough about the characters, or the book in general, to care.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I absolutely loved A Far Wilder Magic! It is a delightful combination of suspense, magic, myth and romance. Saft has created dynamic characters and a slow building romance that is absolutely swoon-worthy. The writing is immersive and atmospheric, transporting readers into an eerie, autumnal, gothic setting. I cannot wait to recommend this to readers at the library. It will be popular with YA readers and adults!!

I dnf this book. I couldn't get into the dialog and characters. Interesting concept, but I can't get into it.

This story of Weston and Maggie has all of the elements for a great YA fantasy romance. I think the premise of the hunt is so compelling and puts the pair of them in just close enough proximity to create the best tension. However, the set up of the book took so much effort that it held the story and connection between the characters back for me. I rooted for them, but not until the last 20% of the book. It felt a little slow and I wanted so much more from this fantastic concept.

I loved And Down Comes the Night and I was thrilled for something new from Allison Saft! I'm honestly just not entirely sure how I'm left feeling about A Far Wilder Magic.

Did I enjoy it?
Yes, for the most part just not in the way I was expecting.

Was magic an element in it from beginning to end?
Yes...and while it was an interesting magical system I almost felt as if it was never fully formed. I'm not quite sure why all politicians ended up being alchemists, the hala in general was a complete mystery, and the hunt of the hala that was built up from the beginning was over pretty quickly and ended up feeling rather anticlimactic. I would have loved to get a closer look at the alchemy, learning alongside Wes. I feel like it was more magic talked about than actually practiced and that was disappointing to me.

There was a high focus on the characters and I suppose I liked them fine enough but Margaret was a tough nut to crack. She was very closed off for most of the book (with good reason) but it made it harder to connect with her. Wes I'm also torn on. Again, I understood his swarmy facade hiding his heart of gold shtick but some of his antics were kinda lame in my opinion and at times they felt pretty far fetched from the sweet guy underneath. This read more to me as a VERY slow burn romance and while I was satisfied with the ending in ways it also felt like it just fell short of being remarkable in each facet. I didn't feel fully swept away in the romance or the magic of it all. I think there was a lot of areas of promise here for something GREAT and in the end it just settled at GOOD ENOUGH to me.

A Far Wilder Magic is a wholly original magical story that will fit inside your heart for days after reading. A slow burn enemies to lovers romance, Margaret Welty and Weston Winters are both outcasts living on the fringes of society. Both strong in determination and grit, they are each others catalyst for healing deep internal wounds. The novel is transportive, haunting, at times tender, heartbreakingly intimate, and eerily atmospheric. The setting, the house haunted by sorrow, the hunt, could have easily become oppressive if not for the spirit of the characters, the lovely writing style, and endearing characters sprinkled in with Margaret's dog named Trouble and a horse named Shimmer.

This is a book I'll be gifting forever.

This book has a very intriguing world, with unique customs and traditions that were fascinating to read about. But as smart as the book's world was, this was a character driven read for me. And what complex, painfully real and human characters they are! This fantasy is lush and romantic, emotional and magical. I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this arc.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I adored this story so much. I loved how Maggie grew as a person, and loved seeing her and Wes fall in love. I really enjoyed how the main focus of this book was not based on the romance alone, it was the perfect balance!

This book was such a fun read. Definitely recommend!

Absolutely adored this book! Saft's writing is engaging, her characters fascinating, and the story lovely!

Maggie Welty has lived alone in the creepy manor behind a mysterious wood
With her trusty sidekick- a hound named Trouble & her house named shimmer, Maggie is outcasted in her small town
Furthermore, Maggie’s mother- Evelyn- is a very powerful and brilliant alchemist on the hunt for some dangerous information
Maggie is determined to live alone & wait for her mother- which seems to work until the infuriating yet clever boy- Wes- shows up at her doorstep & refuses to leave
Wes is an alchemist in search of a mentee
After having failed out of every mentorship opportunity, Evelyn becomes his only hope.
Wes is determined to to become her apprentice but Maggie refuses to let him stay
With a dangerous magical creature on the loose & the Hunt on the wisp of starting, Maggie and Wes must set aside their differences and work together to kill the creature & win the competition

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- Saft has some of the most vivid descriptions and beautiful writing. I could seriously get lost in her sentences. I really enjoyed the banter and sunshine/grumpy dynamic between Maggie & Wes- it was super sweet. I also really loved Wes’s family- they were so funny and some of his sisters were gayyyy which I love 🥺
There’s also a very clever immigration intolerance narrative that I really appreciated
I will say, this book just wasn’t for me
I didn’t particularly enjoy or fully understand the alchemy magic and Maggie as a protagonist was a little bland and hard to like at times
It was also a very slow read- which I feel many people will appreciate (it just sadly didn’t work for me)
Overall, this was a tender & sweet story with atmospheric and beautiful writing!
3 stars from me

For all of its atmospheric wonder, I found the pacing of the book incredibly slow and the storyline lacking. This book took me several weeks to work my way through because it didn’t hold my attention and I was left with more questions about the plot than the resolutions. The characters felt underdeveloped and one dimensional and for a promised slow burn romance, I just wasn’t enamored with the buildup of their feelings or their relationship as a whole.

I feel so lucky to have been given an arc for this book. It genuinely was on my list for most anticipated reads of 2022, so it's a dream to have the opportunity to read it ahead of its release. I have already preordered a hardcover copy to add to this arc edition through Kepler's!

Everything in this story just clicked so, so well. From plot, to tone, to atmosphere, to individual arcs...to that beautiful slow burn romance. So many emotions were drawn from me as I immersed myself within this narrative.

I adored Maggie. I adored Wes. Equally, individually, and together. I loved them. They were each well rounded individuals with both flaws and virtues; they weren’t perfect characters but their triumph is in their perseverance and acceptance of growth. They were absolutely the heart of this story and carried the plot forward beautifully. I love a slow burn romance– there is no instant attraction, rather we get to know each character just as they get to know each other, and slowly– through a gain of confidence, trust, and camaraderie– something more is born. Their chemistry is electrifying and ever so satisfying. Something else I appreciated is how well balanced their relationship is, with neither holding more power over the other. They stand on equal ground.

The plot is also another example of a good balance. The romance doesn’t overtake the plot, nor does the plot hide the romance. There’s the right amount of each. The author has an excellent grasp in knowing just that right amount of each to give.

In terms of non-romance plot, there were some heavy topics at hand, the most explored being the religious prejudice against a Jewish coded character. While other names and terms are used, the religious prejudice explored is a clear mirror to anti-semitism that exists in our world. In this narrative we see how prejudice can poison and blind one to the extent of hurting others--marginalizing and demonizing them. I thought it was a topic handled quite respectfully throughout the entire book. It wasn’t glossed over, but rather highlighted when it needed to be, emphasizing the cost and consequence of hate. It was all so very well done.

Allison Saft set the tone brilliantly in every facet of this story. I 100% recommend you all check this title out when it’s released this Spring.

You won’t regret it.

First and foremost the slow burn! I much prefer a slow burn romance over an insta love romance. I throughly enjoyed watching Margaret and Wes’s love grow through the pages.

I definitely think this was a bit better than Down Comes the Night. I enjoy watching authors grow as they get more and more comfortable with their writing style. Saft is finding her place in the book world with a bang. You’d never guess this was her second book because her writing and story telling is right there with the best of authors. I can not wait to see what else she puts out!

I’ll be honest: as excited as I was to read this book, I was also intimidated. I felt like there was so much to the world Saft built and what if I found it overwhelming or couldn’t get into the story because I was constantly having to keep track of creatures and names and places in this mythical world? But that’s just it—the worldbuilding just worked and what I found instead was a beautiful love story I wanted to crawl into and just, you know, witness firsthand. This has so much to love: mystery, slow burn, well-rounded characters—I love Margaret and Wes, and a love a story that ends, unpredictably, in such a hopeful way. (Don’t worry—that’s not even close to a spoiler!) I’d reread it—absolutely! Thank you to the publisher for my NetGalley ARC!!!