This book was a struggle to really sink my teeth into at first. I felt like the story line finally picked up a third into the book, and the story line became more suspenseful and compelling the further I got into the book. Unfortunately this just wasn’t a read that really captivated me. I was so intrigued with the synopsis listed but disappointed at the outcome.

"A romantic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Erin A. Craig and Margaret Rogerson, about two people who find themselves competing for glory - and each other's hearts - in a magical fox hunt.

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist - yet. He's been fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, and his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret. She begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, they soon find themselves drawn to each other. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt - if they survive that long.

In A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric, rich fantasy world that will sweep you away."

This book might just win my favorite book cover of 2022 award.

I loved the atmosphere. The cobblestone streets, the frosted window panes, and the crumbling fall leaves. Alison Shaft has a knack for creating wonderfully vivid scenes. I was filled with such wanderlust.

Plus I loved Margaret. I am such a sucker for an underdog. Especially someone as deserving as her.

However, I felt like the plot was fairly predictable. I guessed the ending almost right away. I felt like I had read a very long rendition of a fable. While the takeaway was heartfelt and the moral was commendable, I admit this book isn’t exactly what I was expecting.

A Far Wilder Magic is a great book and I enjoyed it after skipping the first chapter (it sounded like a checklist to me, and was not doing Margaret any favors).
Wes is my favourite character because while he might be selfish in his dreams he will also bend over backward to help the ones he loves. I liked the alchemy aspect of the book.
The only two things that are preventing me from giving this five stars are the religions are way too close to earth's religions which made it hard to figure out of we were on earth or not, and the fact the book spent so little time on the actual Hunt.
For my full review, you can check it out here https://bookgirlreviewsbooks.blogspot.com/2022/01/a-far-wilder-magic-by-allison-saft.html

4 out of 5 stars.

This is a beautiful follow up to Saft’s debut Down Comes the Night. Lots of angst, a lot of young adult self discovery, and even some joy. The setting was an unknown time and place, with elements both modern and antiquated, and I think it only added to the books allure. I look forward to move from the author in the future.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book surprised me, and ultimately for very good reasons. I went into it knowing that it wasn’t the type of book that I would normally pick up, and that feeling continued for the first portion of the book. That’s not to say the first part wasn’t good, just that it wasn’t the kind of book for me. What surprised me was how much I ended up enjoying A FAR WILDER MAGIC. Allison Saft has created an extremely intriguing world with strong religious and historical ties to our own (although the book never explicitly says so), with absolutely immersive character development that made it hard to put down.

Combining a fantastical world with a somewhat historical setting, though not technically one that actually existed in history, it hinges on urban fantasy. At first, the classic hero’s journey with a magical fox called a hala to kill, though as the book progresses it’s easy to see that the real journey is happening internally for our main characters, Margaret and Wes, while still giving this slightly magical world the chance to shine through.

I could talk about how much I enjoyed the character journey’s in this book for paragraphs, but it really can be summed up by saying that they felt highly realistic and like people that I wanted to get to know more about and root for. Both have their own journey of opening up, digging deeper into themself, and finding out about the other in turn. The ending was satisfying and complete, but Margaret and Wes feel like they live on.

Though it’s not explicit, I did appreciate the way this book looked at bigotry and prejudice both regarding ethnicity and religion, making some clear reference to real world prejudice and bigotry, and ultimately how the characters live and react to this. It’s an incredibly rich world once the reader is truly immersed in it. I do think it struggles to showcase that a bit at first, but the more it progresses the better it gets. And hey, you even get an eventual love story out of it!

A FAR WILDER MAGIC hits shelves on March 8, 2022 and is one of the most deeply touching and poignant books I can remember reading. It touches on religious/ethnic outcasts, family burdens, loneliness and longing, and the consequences of Magic not just on the caster… but on everyone around them, which makes for such rich worldbuilding. It also has a grumpy-and-sunshine romance that made my cold jaded heart skip a beat. Fans of The Scorpio Races and Sorcery of Thorns will love this one.

Allison Saft's A Far Wilder Magic is a cute romance. It was not my cup of tea, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I found this story to be really intriguing. The world building was particularly interesting to me, with the mix of alchemy and fantasy with an early 1900s setting (I can’t recall the author gave any specific dates, but the aesthetics reminded me of the 1920s).
The tone was well balanced between the somber family drama Maggie is experiencing, the dark, supernatural element of hunting the demiurge, and the lighthearted charm that Wes brought. I felt like it was really well balanced and it felt natural to see how these unique characters handle the challenges that faced them.
I find so many YA fantasies to be fairly derivative and A Far Wilder Magic was a refreshing change of pace. I definitely look forward to future books from Saft.

A Far Wilder Magic
By Allison Saft
⚡️ I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
🌟: 5 / 5
📚: When the legendary Hala, the last of the legendary creatures alive, is spotted, the Halfmoon Hunt is set to follow. Competed in by teams of two, the Halfmoon Hunt promises fame and wealth for whoever is able to finally capture and kill the Hala. For Margaret Welty, it promises to get the attention of her mother. For Weston Winters, winning the Hunt promises his last chance to pursue an education as an alchemist with a teacher who will take him, on despite his learning disabilities. When the two meet, they begrudgingly work together to prove themselves as more than just outsiders in a dangerous competition.
💭: A Far Wilder Magic is, among many things, both tough and so tender— characters striving to prove themselves in all aspects, while still bearing their deepest fears and hopes. It’s gorgeously written, engaging, and so endearing. Margaret and Wes are written in a way that so perfectly captures the cusp between being a teenager and a real adult, filled with big emotions and questions that hide behind their shy and self-assured (respectively) personas. The growth that they show from their introductions to the end is almost above and beyond the coming-of-age story that I assumed would happen, so much so that I can’t believe it was encapsulated in a single book.

I was repeatedly impressed with Saft’s ability to craft such a complex setting in a way that felt both fantastical and new while still parallelling a 1920s American country town. She goes above and beyond the standard “small town that wishes to see our heroes fail” trope by illustrating just how deep tensions lie in the greater worldbuilding of her story. Through Wes and Margaret, we get to see a glimpse into the prejudices that immigrants (Irish-coded and poor in Wes’s case) and religious minorities (in Jewish-coded Margaret and Catholic-coded Wes) face from the white, Protestant majority that seems to control every aspect of the greater setting of the book— from business owners and small biases in their town to lawmakers with immigration quotas and national sports— that wish to see them fail. Everything that the characters do is underscored by the knowledge that they’re carrying the expectations that come from their core identities and pushes the story from one about two underdogs trying to win a hunting competition into a much more mature and important plot altogether.

A Far Wilder Magic is truly a gorgeous book that balances tender young love with powerful determination in the face of prejudice. I highly recommend it.

I liked the premise of this story, which was about a hunt to capture and kill this mythical creature. Margaret and Weston partner up to hunt it together. The execution of this was so slow for me. The hunt was an interesting concept, but it doesn't happen until the very end, and it's such a short payoff for so much build up. I would have loved to have this focused on more. I enjoyed the relationship between Margaret and Weston, but they were the only characters I liked. I did enjoy the ending, but it seemed to all happen too fast.

First, the positive aspects. The writing is lucid and clear. The story is action-packed and well-executed. Now for the not-so-good aspects. The book really didn’t work for me as I could not relate to the characters. I found it unrealistic. Hence, I would categorize the book as an average read.

The hunt is coming to Wickdon. And along with it, a charismatic young man trying to find a place at Margaret’s mother’s side as her apprentice. Margaret and Wesley must work together to win the hunt. And in the process, win each other’s hearts.

Unfortunately this book was long for what it was. The culminating event was the hunt and it doesn’t happen until about 90% through the book and takes about 3 pages. When the romance comes into the story it is just kinda plopped on the table like a fat tome.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me this book for review!

TW: Parental neglect, panic attacks, Animal death, animal injury, Antisemitism

This was a fun, unique story about a wild magical fox hunt. The atmosphere and the overall vibes of the story was fantastic. I love how immersive it was to feel like you’re in a 1920s sea coastal town starring off at the ocean.

It was pretty interesting to see religion explored in a very mundane way. Both Wes and Margaret are both religious in differing degrees and seeing how it had affected their normal lives. I did notice that there some fantasy racism towards both Wes and Margaret, more so on Wes. I love the idea of a fantasy fox wild hunt competition. It sound really cool but I think that the whole hunt should have been focused on more. The romance did somehow overpowered it without really giving much.

The romance on the other hand was kind of boring for me. Although, I love a slow burn here and there but this was a little too slow. I felt the side plot with Wes to flirt with another girl to avoid his feeling for Margaret was kinda pointless at times and dragged on for a little too long. Overall, this was a excellent read.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of A FAR WILDER MAGIC by Allison Saft. I loved Saft's debut, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, so I was excited for the chance to read this one. It was a lovely, atmospheric story in both its 20s British-ish island setting and the magic—a mixture of alchemy and a mysterious, dangerous god-fox creature. The romance was so sweet, but what hit the strongest was the MC's abusive relationship with her mother and how she broke free. It had powerful themes of recognizing and accepting real love, of going after impossible dreams, and of finding true power in the relationships around you. I also just adore the way Saft writes and I look forward to her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was stunning and original. The characters were complex and well written, and the romance was sweet and beautiful. The worldbuilding was so well done and absolutely beautiful! The family relationships were also stunning, and showed how it can be complicated to live in a big family, or how it can feel to live mostly alone at a young age. It did feel like it was a bit slow at times, but other than that, the pace was well done. Allison Saft's sophomore novel is definitely a keeper! I reccomend if you enjoy slow-burn and fantasy romance. 4.7/5 stars from me.

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft follows Margaret Welty and Weston Winters as they team up to enter the Halfmoon Hunt in order to capture the Hala, the last living mythical creature, Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. Both Margaret and Weston have their own reasons for wanting to win but as the hunt continues the two main characters become more invested in helping one another achieve their goals.

I really enjoy standalone fantasy books and wish there were more. However I wish the book focused more around the hunt itself and the alchemy in this world rather than small side characters. I liked the bond between the two main characters but didn't really feel attached to any of the other characters. Overall, it took me a while to get into the book and then I felt that the ending was resolved very quickly.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

𝘈 𝘍𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 by Allison Saft not only has a gorgeous cover, but the book itself was so good. I was hooked from the premise alone, and I was so happy to discover that the story absolutely delivers. Alchemy, mythical and magical creatures, a well done and heartfelt slow burn romance with fiery chemistry, a wild and mortally dangerous hunt that puts literally everything on the line, grief, trauma and survival, the meaning of love and self worth, bigotry and hate, toxic obsession, breaking points, following and finding dreams, atmospheric settings…𝘈 𝘍𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 had it all. It was a well-woven tale that was thrilling, fun, suspenseful, engaging, frustrating, relatable, a little heartbreaking, and very emotionally satisfying, with a hint of sweep-you-off-your-feet for good measure. This book was a journey, and I was absorbed from beginning to end. Don’t hesitate with this one; read 𝘈 𝘍𝘢𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 the minute you can!

𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙒𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 (𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠-𝙮𝙤𝙪!). 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣.

I've been a fan of Allison Saft since her amazing debut Down Comes the Night. So it's a bit of an understatement when I say I was excited for her next novel.
A Far Wilder Magic is very different from DCtN. This is a deep and heavy book in disguise: it discusses difficult themes of racism, prejudice, politics and religion. There is also parental abandonment and isolation. It also asks the very important question: Are we worthy of love, and what makes us so?
Saft brings us characters we cannot help but root for. Margaret and Wes, who have more in common than they originally realize. Despite themselves they are drawn to each other and decide to form a partnership to capture the most elusive prize of all : the hala. Will they overcome all the challenges they face and triumph? And in doing so, will they win more than what they expect?

This was an atmospheric, slow-moving fantasy--in a good way. Saft has a knack for romance and worldbuilding and it shows. This is her second book and I'm excited to read more from her!