Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It took me a minute to get into this book. It started off slow for me, but it took off.

I will say that I ended up liling the book, but mainly because of the relationship between the two main characters. The slow build/burn of their relationship as they learned to trust each other really made the stor for me!
And of course, fantasy and magic.

beautifully written.

There were many aspects to love about A Far Wilder Magic. The characters were enjoyable, there was a magical fox hunt, the setting was gorgeous, and the critique of bigotry, classism, and racism was important. The writing and the intrigue of the hunt captivated me. However, the second half of the book became much more about relationships and while I expected some romance (have you seen that beautiful cover?!), but I went into the book expecting beaucoup magic, and that is not what this book is about. This book delivered on what it is: a social critique, with an emphasis on romance, and a pinch of magic. And that is perfectly fine! It's my own fault for expecting something else.

The story starts off with our strong protagonist, Margaret, who has been left home alone by her alchemist mother, Evelyn. Margaret is used to being alone, except Evelyn does not return when she is supposed to. Instead, an alchemical student, Wes, shows up at Margaret's door hoping to be Evelyn's student and train in the alchemical arts. I absolutely love Margaret's behavior toward Wes--she's prickly and rude and throws him out. However, she eventually, begrudgingly, let's him wait for Evelyn's return. Margaret and Wes decide to enter the hunt for the hala (magical fox) because it's Margaret's siren call to her mother and it's Wes' chance at a better life for his mother and sisters (who are amazing!). Throughout the story, Margaret and Wes deal with discrimination from blatant bigots and those who try to stay blind to discrimination and racism, which I thought Saft did a excellent job demonstrating the range of discrimination.

I enjoyed this, but it was not what I expected. I've waited to write my review because I did not want my expectations to affect my rating. If this was meant to be a romance novel, I will gladly rate it as a romance novel. However, upon rereading the book synopsis, it implies a heavy fantasy angle, and while there was magic and mythical creatures, that was not the focus of the book. Additionally, the end of the book did not resolve who or what the hala was. I would have liked to have a dramatic ending and an explanation when the hala meets its end.

The writing was good, I enjoyed the setting and characters, loved that there was unique representation (e. g. dyslexic, gay, and lesbian characters), the critique on religious discrimination was good (Protestantism v. Judaism and Catholicism). What made me rate this as a 3/5 is that it is not what it seems and there were too many loose ends. This is a long-ish book and there were dropped themes that should have been resolved (e. g. Jaimie's friend who apologizes to Margaret, Evelyn, and the hala). For all the build up to the hunt, it is the last few chapters, making the second half of the book drag a bit.

Trigger warnings: abandonment, parental abuse toward child, discrimination, mention of parent and child death, some violence, mauling of human, death and injury of animals (not Trouble! He lives!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

The cover of A Far Wilder Magic just gets right to the core of my fairy / woodland / magical-loving heart & the book itself—with its mix of whimsy & fright, possibility & heartache—is something to appreciate.

Margaret is an outcast in her small town & she’s frequently abandoned by her alchemist mother, who’s obsessed with her research. Her family is gone & her day to day is keeping things together in the hopes of pleasing her mother. Changing her.

Then hopeful-alchemist & charmer Weston Winters—who makes use of that flighty, irresistible charm to get what he wants—appears on Margaret’s doorstep, wanting to serve as her mother’s alchemy apprentice.

She tells him her mother should be home soon, a lie told with some positive intention & some selfish, because she’s decided to join the notorious, often deadly hunt for the hala, a mythical beast who is actually terrorizing their community, & she needs an alchemist like Weston.

Forced proximity, opposites attract with some deep baggage thrown in? What could possibly go wrong…or right?

This YA fantasy with romantic elements will be emotionally resonant for many, I think. It’s a story about two people who are often treated as outsiders bc of where their families are from & the faith they practiced/practice. It’s a story about imperfect people carrying around a lot of pain who aren’t “fixed” by their growing feelings for the other. Their pain isn’t totally erased & they still have uncertainty for the future. But there’s a lot of hope.

I really enjoyed this one.

4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 03/08


CWs: xenophobia that ultimately turns violent; gory story.

[ID: an ebook copy rests on a long, mint green textured dress. All items are on a dark brown floor.]

Ok, this is officially a new favorite of mine. I recently read Saft's first novel and I liked it but this one I LOVED. The setting, the story, THE CHARACTERS. Margaret and Wes are both strong on their own but they're even stronger together and I loved watching their relationship play out. I couldn't put this book down because I just had to know how things were going to play out. This was an amazing standalone fantasy that I would recommend to everyone.

A fantastical YA story that will leave you dwelling on it afterward. An unlikely pair and competitive drive surely make this a romance novel that anyone can enjoy.

I am a big fan of Allison Saft's writing, starting with her previous book, Down Comes the Night. A Far Wilder Magic delivers more of the same atmospheric writing, contributing to a sort of gothic revival that makes this teacher happy because as much as I love Wuthering Heights and its fellows, it is great to have other examples of this genre to give students, particularly classics-averse reluctant readers, so that they can experience the genre. The connections between the characters and the romantic chemistry between the two leads is authentic and compelling, and the plot is well paced.

The cover art is also outstanding!

A far wilder magic had an element of fantasy and magic that I was not expecting at all!!

margaret and wes were amazing characters, and so were their stories. wes wanted to LIVE not just exist, but he also wanted to help out his family. and margaret wanted her happy
family back. both the characters were so well created and i just adored them!

AFAR WILDER MAGIC is just that: magic. It's transportive and haunting, and absolutely captivating. You will not just read this story, but feel it.

Love is at the core of this book, and where the more subtle kind of magic comes from. Love not just in the romantic sense, but in a familial way, in friendships. It's the craving for it, the desperation to hold onto the scraps that are available to survive. It shows love that is fractured, love that builds, love that hurts, and love that shines.

Again I have already found another favorite and it is only January of this year.

This book is achingly beautiful. The prose is immaculate. The romance was supreme. The magic is subtle and lends a beauty to the story that you just don't see enough of in books. I would highly recommend this to fans of The Wolf and The Woodsman, similar in that both have awoodsy atmosphere, slow burn romance full of yearning, beautiful prose, and similar portrayal of our main character being half Jewish. in TWATW the Yehuli are coded as Jewish and in this book, the Yu'adir are coded as Jewish.

The romance in this book is so beautiful, it actually broke my heart hearing Wes describe himself falling in love with Margaret. But what truly broke my heart was the portrayal of emotional abuse from a parent. Margaret's mother wields love like a weapon and was such a well written and accurately described emotionally abusive parent. Anyone who struggles with wanting love from an emotionally abusive parent, who abandons their child until it is convenient for them, will see themselves in Margaret and her journey. Your heart will break for her. Your heart will break for Wes. This book is so dear to my heart and i love it.

This book combined so many things that I love in ways that felt fresh and that kept me completely invested in what would happen next.

I like the charming, scholarly boy with the wild, brave girl trope; I love the setting (redwoods and the ocean are my favorite!); I like the inclusion of a mythical, terrifying creature; and I loved all the alchemy! As a huge Fullmetal Alchemist fan, I loved all the similar ideas and themes I saw here. This was like FMA combined with a fairytale combined with the early 20th century and I loved the combination!

I also appreciated that the book doesn't shy away from hard topics like racism, inequality, religious persecution, and toxic relationships. These are all things that need to be discussed and addressed, and I liked how this book afforded the ability to look at them through such a clear lens.

Margaret and Wes felt so real and I loved them both! The author did an amazing job of making their fears, hopes, pain, doubts, and dreams feel so real and relatable. Every decision they made, made sense for where they were at in their emotional arc. I never questioned why a character chose to do what they did. I appreciated that things never felt rushed or irrational.

Also, I thought this book was written beautifully. The words paint beautiful--or sometimes horrifying--images without feeling flowery or over-dramatic.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read that held my attention from the start and kept me thinking about it even when I was doing other things.

I really loved this book. Saft tells an amazing story of two young people who had to grow up too early, and who each coped with it in different ways. The ease and patience that Margaret and Wes's trauma is handled in this story is magnificent. I love when you are not frustrated with a character, because just want them to keep doing better. Instead, you are so easily able to put yourself in both characters shoes, and just hope that things go well for them. In this ,Saft is weaving not only a story of magic and first love, she is doing so while also tackling very hard topics. Grief, racism, classism, emotional abuse from parents, are all topics that are handled with so much grace in this story. I loved the world that was built in this novel as well. A modern fantasy that lets us see the harshest sides of Margaret and Wes, and love them all the more for it. I really can't wait for my friends to read this book, it's truly beautiful.
*Note, I am not sure I would consider this book YA & I am not mad about it.
Review to be posted on instagram at @kamslittlelibrary

A Far Wilder Magic was absolutely beautiful. I loved the writing style and of course the plot. I will definitely read anything Allison Saft publishes in the future. A Far Wilder Magic has a unique magical story. Margaret and Weston were amazing characters and I loved their beautiful friendship. I will definitely recommend this book to my students. I’m sure they will love it as much as I did. I will definitely purchase two physical copies. One for my personal library and the other copy for my classroom library. Thank you so much Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book.

5 Stars for A Far Wilder Magic! Some books you devour, some books you savor, and some books feel like coming home. This book felt like all three at once!! Definitely a future comfort read, and one I will reread a lot, especially in the fall for the amazing prose and setting.

The premise: Margaret Welty is just trying to survive her lonely day to day life in her small town in New Albion when she stumbles upon the dangerous hala fox of legends. This means the HalfMoon hunt will be coming to her town of Wickdon, and she can't deny her dreams of competing in the hunt anymore. But to join the hunt, it requires a sharpshooter (which she is) and an alchemist. Her mother has been gone for months when Weston Winters, an alchemist in training, shows up on Margaret's porch asking for her mother's apprenticeship position. Wes has his own family to take care of and dreams of being a progressive politician in their country when they reluctantly team up to catch the hala together.

My Thoughts: I adored this book, and it's definitely going to be a comfort read for me. It was a slow burn because the characters had a lot of time to interact with one another and become a team before the hunt took place, and their relationship felt very strong because of this. Both Margaret and Wes are considered outsiders in their own country and Saft depicted them dealing with this xenophobic/nationalistic negativity in different ways, but they both continue to persevere in light of this. I love the endearing banter between Margaret and Wes, and laughed out loud many times over their antics. I felt like Saft also did a great job of almost personifying the Welty Manor and what a home should really be.

I really didn't want to leave this world and Saft gave us a brilliant tale with a lot of resilience built in. Can't wait to hold a physical copy in my hands. I've been really loving Wednesday Books' lineup lately and this is no exception. Highly recommend this one!

Contains: a magical fox hunt, alchemy, a trusty hound named Trouble, a well developed slow burn, grumpy/sunshine, a look at healthy and toxic relationships, great banter, and realistic depictions of handling xenophobic situations (w/ parallels to modern events), and it's set in a 1920s fantasy world.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! This did not affect my opinions in any way.

"Mm. Still thinking of me, Maggie?" She rolls her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself." "Well, I'm still thinking of you." He does his best to sound wounded."

One marksman. One alchemist. The dream of a better world. Two teens compete in a mythical fox hunt! A Far Wilder Magic is oh, so romantic and oh, so magical. I am here for Wes' charm! And whooooboy! Margaret is a BA with that rifle. Take note...I WILL read anything and everything that Allison writes. Saft's sophomore novel is perfect for fans of Mary E. Pearson and Margret Rogerson.

"He grins at her, "It's you and me against the world, Margaret."

THINGS and STUFF:
-a coonhound named Trouble
-reverse grumpy x sunshine
-rags to riches
-political intrigue
-1920's inspired
-sea side small town setting
-Jewish rep
-sLoWbUrn with mutual pining
-#IsThisAKissingBook: 16+ "burning hotter than an alchemical reaction."

Thank you Wednesday Books for an advanced copy!

Song: For Me, It's You by Lo Moon

I loved this magical story. The atmosphere is so perfect, haunting but picturesque and so unique. I will definitely be recommending this!

Oh wow I absolutely loved this magical tale.

A girl just trying to survive and lonely as can be.

A boy trying to prove himself worthy, who only wants to help his family.

Put them together and add some magic and what a story. My heart was captivated by this fairy tale. I was rooting so hard for these characters. My heart just wrenched for Margaret and everything she went through. And poor Wes whose charm could only get hims so far. Oh these characters really connected with me. I felt their every emotion.

This story will capture your heart and look forward to more from this author!

3.5 star-This was a well written book. I enjoyed it and thought that Wes and Margret were very well done characters. It was a little slow for me, but overall an enjoyable book.

A Far Wilder Magic is the perfect book to get lost in. It’s magical, it’s captivating, it’s so full of longing: for life to be full of meaning, for a world that treats everyone equally, for daring to dream again.

Margaret Welty and Wes Winters—this story’s protagonists—couldn’t be more different from each other if they tried. Margaret grew up lonely after a tragedy tore her family apart. Since then, her mother has been more interested in her work as a renowned alchemist than in her, which left its traces. Margaret is a sharpshooter, practically-minded and efficient. She holds her hopes close to her heart and doesn’t even dare to dream. But what kind of life is this, an existence that is focused entirely on someone who doesn’t even see who you truly are? Enter Wes, an idealist if the world has ever seen one, and an alchemist at that. He comes from a big family, but he knows loss, too—for him, this means he has to work so much harder to make his dreams come true, become a politician, and make the world a better place.

When Margaret and Wes meet, they don’t get along particularly well, at least at first. But fate seems to have brought them together for a reason, and soon they realise that maybe—just maybe—the key in turning dreams into reality lies in them working together. They enter a magical foxhunt, make both friends and enemies along the way, come to some life-changing conclusions, and realise they might not be as different from each other as they previously thought.

A central theme in A Far Wilder Magic is the bigotry both Margaret and Wes are confronted with every single day. The country they live in, New Albion, is made up of mostly members of the Katharist church. But the two protagonists belong to religious minorities—Margaret’s father is Yu’adir, and Wes is the son of Banvish immigrants—and an alarming number of people around them seem determined to view them as outsiders, to believe in every single stereotype they’ve ever heard. The way Allison Saft mirrors real-life issues and conflicts in her work is both heartbreaking and eye-opening, but the message she sends is ultimately hopeful: it’s going to take time and a lot of hard work, but there is a real possibility that things might change.

Set in a 1920s-inspired world, with a romance that might remind readers of a certain alchemist-and-sharpshooter duo from the popular anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, this book easily found a place in my heart. I adore FMA:B more than words can say, and I would’ve loved A Far Wilder Magic just for how much it shone through that the author cares about these characters. But even aside from that, this is such a touching story, and so unique in its execution.

(On a side note: for those of us who enjoy their books more on the romantic side: do not fear! There’s the sunshine one / grumpy one trope (but the girl is the grumpy one, which I loved!), there’s a truly tremendous amount of pining, and even a drunken proposal of marriage!)

Back to a more serious topic: another thing I appreciated about A Far Wilder Magic was how thoughtfully the issue of parental neglect was handled. Margaret's whole life revolves around her mother: gaining her approval, finding a way to make her into the person she was before their family was hit with a tragedy, trying to not only make her every wish come true, but also simply find out what her wishes even are in the first place. But Evelyn—Margaret’s mother—isn’t even present for most of the book, only through flashbacks. And yet it’s clear how Margaret almost… worships her. It broke my heart in so many different ways, especially since this portrayal is so reminiscent to how children feel and act under these circumstances in the real world. For this reason, I was especially interested in Margaret’s character arc—and found myself satisfied with where she ended up.

Overall, A Far Wilder Magic is a captivating, enchanting story that pulls the reader in with its unique plot—a magical foxhunt!—and complex characters, but also doesn’t shy away from exploring real-life issues, such as bigotry and parental neglect. I truly loved this book so much, and considering I also adored Allison Saft’s debut, Down Comes the Night, I can confidently say that I will be picking up whatever she's planned next!

I found the story to be a slog.

It was slow moving. For me books are an escape and if it's slow AND involves politics similar to the hot mess we have in real life I just can't.

Not for me.

A Far Wilder Magic is a wistfully intoxicating slow burn in every sense, the story and the romance, that draws you into its haunting current with a beautifully detailed world and achingly human characters.

Maggie’s reclusive, skittishness to protect herself from the possibility of pain…Wes’s blustery, faux charm to hide his gentle, hopeful heart…these are clear from the start but the details of the heart wrenching events in their lives that shaped them into these people are hinted at and slowly unraveled throughout the story. The actual event of the Half Moon Hunt in the story is brief because what we’re really here for is the journey that Maggie and Wes are on towards accepting themselves and each other as they reluctantly decide to join the hunt and then prepare for it. Their love unfolds slowly in hesitant starts and spurts as they both grapple with their own emotional trauma but there is such a sweet innocence to their romance that you can’t help absolutely adoring and rooting for them.

I found the heavily featured religious content in the first half of the story slightly distracting, partly because they were not exactly real-world religions (unless I’m just not familiar with the terms/names used) but had a lot of similarities (the Sumic religion seemed Irish Catholic to me, while Yu’adir made me think of Hebrew/Jewish). But it becomes a bit less prominent/distracting in the second half of the story as things start to pickup and it focuses more on their growing relationship and gets closer to the actual hunt. Overall a beautiful, gothic-esque story with a lot of human depth in its exploration of a range of socio-political themes.

Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for providing me with this eARC!

OH MY GOSH. This book is utterly magical. The prose reads like the beauty of literary fiction, and is mixed with the wondrous world of fantasy. Though this book is marketed as YA, I think it really could be for all ages, especially with how beautiful this book is. I mean, the words are lyrical like in The Night Circus, the story as complex and fascinating as Addie LaRue.

I loved Margaret and Wes with a passion, but Margaret's the character I connected to the most. She also happened to be coded as Jewish, and sharing that identity with her meant the world to me. The talks of tikkun olam in the beginning and the small threads throughout were just enough to make me cry because, well, it's nice to identify with a character in this way.

Wes was charming, lovable, and truly exuded golden retriever energy. In fact, Margaret and Wes were truly bi gf and golden retriever bf. And the romance was just...incredible. I loved the way Allison Saft wove this story, and she's absolutely an author to watch out for.