A Far Wilder Magic was a book about Wes and Maggie. Maggie was abandoned more or less by her mother who ran off to discover the secrets of alchemy. Meanwhile, the handsome Wes knocks on the manor's door seeking an alchemy internship with Evelyn (Maggie's mother) and Maggie is charmed into allowing Wes to stay. What unfolds is a slow burn crackling YA slow friends to slow romance as the two become partners in the magical hunt for the legendary hala,,a fox-like creature.

When I type out that seemingly long-winded description, its because the book was extremely long-winded to describe the not very magical YA romance, not very magical fantasy hunt for the hala which is what the summary pitches the book to be about. What kept me reading? The writing was great! I did want to know how things would turn out and how the story lines would play out and the hala hunt would resolve. I just wanted more magic and less wishy washy.

An absolute masterpiece! Allison Saft has quickly cemented herself as one of the best writers of this generation, and I adored getting to revisit her immaculate characterization in AFWM after reading DCTN (her debut). The political and religious themes were expertly explored, and I am so excited to see what she comes out with next!

The first thing to capture my attention was the beautiful cover. Then I was spell-bound by the characters. Never have I ever rooted for a fictional relationship such as this. Highly recommend for those who are interested in a little adventure, magic, and unlikely heroes.

Beautiful cover & dreamy descriptions 🕯

I wanted to love this, but unfortunately for me it dragged on & felt way too long. I enjoyed the well written duel POV (Maggie, Wes) & the author’s magic system. I would even say the lush descriptions throughout kept me reading. However, Maggie & Wes weren’t the most interesting characters & the time frame in the novel was confusing / distracting. The romance was kind of flat 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think a lot of fantasy of readers will love this, but wasn’t for me ! 3 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC 🖤

The first half of this book was a little slow for me, but once it started picking up, I couldn't put this book down! I enjoyed the alchemy element, plus the 1920's feel was so fun! I loved Wes and Margaret, they were so interesting and I found myself excited to read both perspectives. The romance was slow burn and wonderfully written! Overall this book was very character driven but had just enough plot to keep it moving, especially in the second half. I'll definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys slow burn romance and/or alchemy in their books.

Another interesting take on magic by Allison Saft. Her, the magic is next best thing to science. It is even called Alchemy. I liked learning about it and about this interesting world. There is a season where there is a hunt - because what lurks in the woods is destorying nature and hurting people as it gets stronger. It must be destroyed.

There are 2 POV, 2 MC's - Maggie (or Margaret) and Wes. They are both a little on their own and making the best of their situation. Wes has family that loves him but he is constantly leaving to apprentice with alchemy mentors and getting dismissed. He's got one more shot - with Evenlyn, Maggie's mom. Maggie has been living in alone in her house for so long she can hardly remember having it full of family. Her mother is off doing alchemy research and Maggie has cut herself off from the small town around her.

It's an interesting time and place to meet these characters and I enjoyed getting to know them. I didn't mind the love triangles because the drama wasn't over the top or distracting. I feel like the plot was a bit predictable but I did enjoy some of the twists I didn't see coming.

I would say that the odd mentions of God and faith and what it all means were a bit odd and distracting and I could have done without it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

A Far Wilder Magic was refreshingly unique, with a slow burning romance that consumes you past the pages. The combination between a world whose politics parallel to ours, and a distinct magic system based in alchemy. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to discover one of my favorite new reads.

There was something nice about reading this book while holed up in a cabin in the middle of the Hocking Hills. Disconnected from the digital world and surrounded by nature, where I read this book really helped to heighten the reading experience for me. This was another book that I read rather quickly, in just a few hours. It was a nice time.

I didn’t feel as drawn in and compelled to keep reading with this second novel by Saft. I was pretty much obsessed with Saft’s first novel, but both books have a different vibe to them. The first book was a bit spooky, a bit mysterious. This one felt more pastoral, more rustic, and simpler. Not that it didn’t have its complexities. It just felt a bit simpler, a bit smaller in scale than the other book.

But I still really enjoyed it. Would I have liked to have delved deeper into the alchemical nature of the world, and learn more about the mechanics and steps of alchemy, but it was still interesting.

This book also dealt with bullying and in essence hate crimes. Both Margaret and Weston were from minority cultures within the world, although Margaret definitely had to deal with a lot more of the vile words and deeds than Wes did.

And this book was a romantic one, although I wouldn’t say that was the main focus. It happened slowly, with both characters growing closer while holding themselves apart and longing for most of the book. I do enjoy that extended longing and slow burn. It makes it more rewarding when the couple does finally get together.

Overall though, I liked this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Allison Saft writes next.

This book has been added to our library collection! Beautiful cover and a good addition to the library.

This book was amazing. I coudn't put it down. It was magical. Higly recommended! The characters, the plots, the writting: wonderful and perfect.

I really liked this book. I've read a previous title by the author and I really enjoy how they meld the romantic pairs in their books. The spiciness is definitely there, but It's tastefully handled, in my opinion. My only complaint is I wish the created heritage for the MCs we're more fleshed out. I kept getting them confused and I was a bit confused why the racism for them existed. A little more world building would've been nice, but still a nice read if you enjoy romance and a bit of alchemic fantasy.

Rating: 4/5

A Far Wilder Magic was a surprisingly soft, atmospheric read, and I was surprised by how much I fell in love with this book. The prose was direct and captivating, the worldbuilding was nuanced and fascinating to follow, and the characters were ultimately its heart.

The book follows Margaret and Weston, two outsiders who join the Halfmoon Hunt to kill the last surviving hala, a mythical creature. Despite this tournament plot, the story is less action-filled and more character-driven, exploring Margaret and Wes’s isolation in a world that looks down on them. Both were interesting characters that held up on their own from the moment they were introduced as we see them coping and navigating their respective ostracism. The way the characters move towards not just surviving but thriving was incredibly touching and well done.

The development of Wes and Maggie’s relationship was also amazing. It was sweet and entertaining, while full of depth as they gave each other a sense of belonging and pushed each other. I loved the sense of it being them against the world, and the overall protectiveness and compassion they grow to have for each other.

Worldbuilding was also done with a lot of care. It was complex yet did not shy away from this complexity. It was definitely inspired by early-1900s U.S. history, considering the immigration patterns and religious groups and their interactions, and the author did a wonderful job of capturing those tensions. I think the one place where the book fell short, though, is that it presented this settler-colonial state, but the indigenous population was not present at all. The settler colonialism was emphasized, yet this was not really examined. I get that it might have been outside the scope of the book considering which conflicts it was focused on, but I still wonder if that could have been incorporated somehow.

Overall, A Far Wilder Magic was a beautiful journey about discovering your worth in a hostile world, and I would definitely recommend it for those of you who love atmospheric fantasy and a soft romance.

This book was magical, and compelling, and completely fascinating. The story was captivating from start to finish.

A Far Wilder Magic follows Margaret and Wes, who must learn to work together to hunt a mythical creature. Margaret is a great sharpshooter and her mother is a famous alchemist, one who Wes hoped to learn from until he learns she's off traveling. Margaret allows Wes to stay and wait for her mother's return, but Wes must agree to help Margaret catch the creature in return.

Overall this was a good book, but it wasn't what I expected. It was slow and dragged a little at times, and the hunt was barely a part of the story. I expected more of the hunt but it only happened at the very end and was over very quickly. Instead the book is more about Margaret and Wes, and their growing feelings for each other. I did like how their relationship progressed, but I had expected more action. The world building was good, and it was interesting to see how the world was similar to ours in certain ways but with magic. The writing was very good and I will definitely read more from Allison Saft.

I really enjoyed this book! It captivated me from the very beginning. Maggie and this whole book will absolutely hold a special place in my heart for years to come, and I’ve already bought a couple copies as gifts for friends!

I loved Allison Saft's debut, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, and was hoping this would be just as good. Fortunately, it was, and I adored absolutely everything about this book.

Saft wove together so many different elements in this book, and they all worked so well together. Like her other book, this one has a romance between two outcasts at the heart of it, with a setting that could be its own character, and high stakes driving the plot forward. But it also grapples with topics like religion, xenophobia, and abuse. None of the aforementioned elements detracted from the others, or felt unnecessary; it all blended together very effectively to tell a complete story.

And speaking of our main characters, they each had their own traumas to work through, and helped each other while maintaining their independence. I also appreciated Wes for his excellent neurodivergent representation -- he read as having ADHD, and maybe dyslexia. As someone with ADHD, I felt it was handled very authentically, and my heart ached for him because I've gone through many of the emotions (failure, inadequacy, etc.) that he did.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn’t read anything by Allison Saft, but the cover and title had me intrigued so I gave A Far Wilder Magic a try. It’s beautifully written and engaging, and by the second chapter I was hooked. Maggie is strong, capable, deeply flawed and incredibly lovable. Wes is charming, passionate, and full of improbable dreams. If you enjoy character driven stories with some fantasy and slow-burn romance, I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review.

I absolutely loved this. Between this book and Down Comes the Night I have determined that Allison Saft is just really, really great at setting tense and gothic feeling scenes. Margaret is a very strong main character. She lives alone in the middle of the woods in a quiet town by the sea. Her mother has pretty much abandoned her in her quest to create the philosophers stone. Enter Wes, my lovely sarcastic cinnamon roll. His greatest dream is to become an alchemist, get into politics and change the very bigoted country they live in. To achieve this he needs to apprentice with Margaret's mother, this is not what happens. I don't want to spoil anything but the rest is magical and tension, so much tension.

I think what I loved most about this book is the relationship between Wes and Margaret. They really helped each heal and grow throughout the story. Also that slow burn just about killed me! The pacing of the story was perfect, and nothing felt unnecessary to the story. Allison Saft has definitely become a favorite author for me.

I’d like to express my enormous thanks to the publisher, Wednesday Books, as well as NetGalley and author Allison Saft for the electronic ARC I received of A Far Wilder Magic. Below is my honest review!

The story follows Margaret and Wes, each with their own heavy burdens and desperate desires to change not only their own lives, but the lives of their families. The key to achieving their goals: succeed in hunting a magical creature, the last of its kind, and one no one has managed to kill. Both outcasts in their own ways, they are begrudgingly forced to rely on each other in order to enter the hunt. Much stands in their way, and they are faced with working through distrust, resentment, and hurt as it becomes clear they are all each other have.

In short, I absolutely adored this book. The prose is exquisite and imaginative, perfectly crafting both scenes and characters in vivid detail. The plight of both Margaret and Wes are incredibly compelling; it’s very interesting too to see how their individual goals both diverge and intersect throughout the story, and how things shift as they grow closer to each other. I was struck by the raw vulnerability and tenderness of the eventual romance as well. In true slow-burn fashion, the buildup of chemistry was intentional and authentic, making the relationship one that grips your heart and makes you root for them above everything else. Another thing I really appreciated was the depiction of Margaret’s trauma and her journey of healing. These aspects of the story and the romance stood out to me; it was heart achingly beautiful to watch Wes want to take care of Margaret and show her what love can actually be like.

The complexity of the hunt itself was phenomenal, particularly the emotions and implications tied up in it for both Wes and Margaret. The hunt is more than killing a beast; the mere decision to pursue this goal exacts a heavy toll from them. From preparation of skills and materials to the hunt itself, the journey is exhilarating, moving, and satisfying.

I highly recommend this book, having already begged several friends and family members to read it! This was the first book I read by Allison Saft, and she is now definitely on my list of authors to take note of when they have new books coming out.

This is the first book I've read from Allison Saft and I'm definitely going to be reading more of her works after this one. The premise of this one is what initially drew me to it...I mean, a hunt for a mythical fox? I'm in. And this did not disappoint. This book was beautifully written and the prose just added to the story. I adored Margaret and Wes as main characters. Their journeys, their struggles, their effort in this hunt...amazing. This book wrapped up so well and even though I'd love more, it was beautiful how it ended.