Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book!

I loved this book and I’m not sure where to start explaining why. The premise of a mythical creature hunt with alchemy immediately drew my interest. The execution of the plot and world-building was incredible. The setting in a remote sleepy town was so comforting and well done that it was easy to feel immersed in the story and the investment I had in these characters is embarrassing. I wanted to yell (in a good way) about halfway through at these two blind fools, but the progression and development of their relationship was so amazing to read that I’ll let it slide.

The religious and political tones of this book were a layer I wasn’t expecting and while I can’t comment on the Jewish and Catholic coding of the characters and the representation it offers, I can say I really enjoyed that aspect of the book and I thought it added dimension to the story. I adored Margaret as a main character and I was so proud of her development throughout the story, especially at the end when she’s confronted with her mother.

This was my first book by Allison Saft and it definitely will not be my last. 4.5 stars.

4.5/5 Stars

Margaret Welty is an outcast, awaiting her alchemist mother's return to their manor. One day, she spots the Hala, a legendary beast with great powers. Spotting the Hala means that the Halfmoon Hunt will commence, a competition to kill off the last remaining mythical being. In the hopes of making her mother return from her quest to find the Hala, Margaret wishes to join in the hunt as a sharp shooter. Unfortunately, only teams can enter, and one must be an alchemist. Her dreams are answered when Weston Winters shows up on her doorstep, requesting an apprenticeship with her mother. Both enter for different reasons, but are determined to win.

Although a pretty slow paced book, I thoroughly enjoyed this character-driven story. The setting of this book was so atmospheric, it felt like the 1920's, but with magic and alchemy thrown in. I found learning about the Halfmoon Hunt so interesting, even tough the actual hunt didn't take place until closer to the end of the book. I loved the slow burn romance between Wes and Margaret, I loved watching them butt heads in the beginning, but grow closer together as the story progressed. I was also a big fan of the complex family dynamics, not only between Margaret and her mother, but Wes and his big family as well. The Winters sister's were all wonderfully written, and I loved getting to know each of them. I definitely think this would be considered the grumpy x sunshine trope, which I always end up adoring. I listened to this on audio, and personally think the narrator did an amazing job with both of these characters. I love how we got dual POVs from both Wes and Magie, I think it really enhanced the story telling and emotions explored. Wes was definitely my favourite character, such a precious cinnamon roll full of charm. I really loved how Wes had dyslexia, and how sweet Margaret was when she found out. I loved how strong she became in the end, and how she spent a vast majority of the book learning her own self-worth. I loved the exploration of her mother's abuse and neglect, and how far she came by the end of the book. Also, big fan of Trouble, Maggie's hound, and her horse Shimmer I do love me some animal companions.

I really hope that we get another book featuring these characters one day, because I truly love them.

This book did not really click for me. It was enjoyable but not really remarkable in any way. I do think I am also not the target audience for this anymore and that may attribute to my overall dissatisfaction.

I think I would still recommend this for readers looking for a sweet romance with nice writing; however, I personally did not find it to be anything special.

A cool book with a very cool premise! I look forward to seeing what Allison Saft does next and reading it!
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

This one was super sweet. I really enjoyed the characters, the magic and the relationships in this book. My only complaint was that is a little too teen angsty for me, but I am not the target demographic here. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you for the ARC!

Review: A Far Wilder Magic 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫(4.5/5)⬇️
Spice : YA, fade to back, minimal.

Short review: This is a cozy coming of age story with a grumpy FMC and a sunshine MMC that fight the odds of the world to take the first step in their dreams.

Plot/Pace: This is where I subtracted the half star. The synopsis is incorrect about some plot points specifically about : why Margaret allows Weston to stay, the “discovering of dark magic”, the focus on the “deadly hunt”. The plot was more so about two characters coming to age and acting on their dreams together. If you want something Hunger Games - esque, this is not it. If you want a coming of age story about accepting who you are, processing past trauma, and stepping into your confidence/power, then this is the book for you. The pace for this reason lacked. I kept waiting for the Hunt to happen thinking the book was about the Hunt.

Characters: This is a grumpy/sunshine - the FMC is grumpy, the MMC is sunshine.
Margaret, the FMC, has the bigger character arc in this book. She faces a lot of difficult decisions. I really enjoyed reading about her.
Weston, MMC, is a little bit more of an “established” character compared to the FMC. From the beginning of the story, we know what he wants and why. He’s very lovable and at times slightly reminded me of Flynn Ryder from Tangled!
Both MCs are minorities in the book and I really enjoyed how that is also shown in their character development.

Setting: The setting of this world is important because it affects the plot so much. And actually I think this is where the synopsis should have focused on more. The reason we don’t get to the Hunt until the last 50 pages is because of the circumstances of the world. Both MCs are minorities and face many difficulties in even registering for the Hunt. A lot of important societal topics are touched upon. This may be a standalone but it could have a sequel that further shows how the MCs continue their journey in this setting.

Thank you NETGALLEY for the ARC.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was fun. Was a little sad the MC didn't seem to be queer but oh well. The religious diversity was really well done in this. I also loved that Wes was an immigrant!

I don't want to put antisemitism as a CW because there are not Jewish characters in this, but the impression I got from the treatment of Sumic people closely resembles the treatment of Jewish people.

Rep: white half Yu'adir cishet female MC, Banvish immigrant dyslexic Sumic cishet male MC (also likely ADHD), Banvish immigrant sapphic Sumic female side character, side MLM pairing.

CWs: parental neglect, emotional abuse, bullying, religious bigotry, violence, gun violence, animal death, blood, xenophobia, panic attack, toxic relationship, grief, past death of parent, abandonment, injury/injury detail. Moderate: gore, sexual content, ableism, racial/religious slurs, hate crime.

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Far Wilder Magic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
This is the second book I have read that decided to throw historical fiction and modern day elements together without any thought of how that could affect the reader. Like me. I swear, I felt my brain get all hot as I was trying to figure out when this story is suppose to take place.

Seriously, my desire to shout “When are we?” followed by “Where are we?” was very strong.

I’m not sure if this is a new thing when writing “historical” fantasy to just throw everything at the wall and see what sticks, but it’s not working.

The Details
From the book blurb, I was under the impression that A Far Wilder Magic is suppose to be a historical fantasy story. You know, maybe set during Victorian times or Medieval times.

Nope, in chapter two the reader gets introduced to a character that travels in a taxi. But alchemy is still practiced. I’m so confused.

Let’s backtrack for a bit and discuss the characters. I’m afraid this review is a little chaotic, just like the story.

Margaret, the protagonist, is kind of a flat character. The first chapter introduces her and I did not get much from her. Truth be told, she couldn’t capture my interest at all and I almost forget she is part of the story. This is bad, because she is the protagonist!

Also, I find that one description of the interaction between her and her dog rather unsettling. She likes “tormenting” the poor thing. Like seriously?

Weston, the second protagonist, if you want to call him that, is just as blah.

I don’t even know what to say about the plot. I am aware that I sound extremely dismissive, I think I’m just kind of disappointed. Was the plot supposed to be about a hunt of some mythical creature? Because that didn’t really happen until very far into the story.

Speaking of this mythical creature: it is called three different names. Is it a hala? A fox? Or a demiurge? What is going on?

There are words thrown around that are not explained and are supposed to help create this world, even though the author is just replacing one term for another. For example “Katharists” instead of “Catholics”.

I need to stop.

The Verdict
Overall, it’s a pass for me. My head hurts from all the questions I have. I’m agitated and need to move on.

A Far Wilder Magic suffered from too much of a slow burn. I loved the action packed into the hunt aspect of the story. I just wish it wasn’t so brief.

As for the romance, Wes was not kind to Maggie, often commenting on her appearance and going out with other girls. I was not rooting for Maggie and Wes because of this so then the romance fell flat.

The idea of alchemy sounded very interesting but I was left with questions around how successful Wes was with the alchemy when he was kicked out of every school.

While there were aspects of this book I enjoyed, I ultimately needed more action and fleshing out of plot points for it to come together.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

A Far Wilder Magic packs ALL THE FEELS. It's lyrical, and magical and sweep-you-off-your-feet good with the sweetest, most slowburn romance. The mutual pining will have you screaming and clutching fistfuls of hair in frustration... in a good way.

I love Margaret and I love just how much I can relate to her in so many ways. Her vulnerability, her flaws... everything that makes her her is just so... *clutches heart*

Wes, I didn't immediately like. But it wasn't hard to empathize with him. He constantly feels the need to hide who he really is. Slowly getting to know him, it was impossible not to fall for his well-hidden soft, tender soul. I ADORE these two so much!

A story that packs an emotion punch, with sweeping writing and perfectly flawed characters you would root for-- A Far Wilder Magic is not to be missed!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher to read and review.

I would honestly die for Wes and Maggie. The progression of their relationship was so lovely to read and the world itself totally drew me in. Allison Saft's writing was beautiful and really made the story that much better. The breathtaking prose combined with a truly sweet story made for a really excellent read.

Did I think it was possible to top her debut? No. Did she do it? And then some. Must read, everyone must read.

This book's prose is good and the characters make you want to live in this world. I lost a little bit of stamina by the end, mostly because reading has become hard on my end, but I think the story delivered on all the promises it made. I can't wait to read more of Saft's books.

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft is a standalone young adult fantasy novel with a lot of romance in the story. The story in A Far Wilder Magic is told by changing the point of view between the characters to show all sides.

Margaret Welty has been living alone waiting for her alchemist mother to return from her latest adventure when spots the legendary hala. Margaret knows that seeing this creature means the Halfmoon Hunt will be beginning soon and the winner will be blessed with fame and riches.

Weston Winters wants nothing more than to become an alchemist but his chances of realizing his dream are dwindling. Weston figures his last shot is Master Welty taking him on as an apprentice but when he arrives at her home there is only her surly daughter. Margaret agrees to let Weston stay and wait if he would only join the hunt with her with both looking to please her mother.

A Far Wilder Magic is the second book written by Allison Saft and the second book of hers that I’ve read. I really enjoyed her debut novel so I was expecting to find myself really engaged and enjoying this one too but that didn’t happen as much this time. The story in here had so much more potential in my eyes than what I found as it really became one that crawled along at such a slow pace until the very end. This wasn’t a bad story but when finished the pacing and the feeling of just wanting more that I found for me had this one turning into a just so-so read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I'm a little conflicted overall how I feel about this one. At first I was really in to it, but I feel like the middle dragged a bit and then the end almost felt too rushed with so much lead up to the infamous hunt and only a very small portion dedicated to the ACTUAL hunt. I also felt like I never really understood the alchemy which definitely led to a disconnect with the world building.

I did love both Wes and Margaret and the whole sunshine/grumpy romance they had. And I of course loved her dog Trouble. But overall, I felt a little let down when I finished because I never fully connected to the setting and the magic.

I still plan to check out Down Comes the Night and any further work from Saft, but this one was just okay for me!

A Far Wilder Magic was a beautifully written story, unfortunately it fell short for me.

After reading the description of this book, I was hooked instantly. This book sounded like a beautiful and magical world that had a scientific background. Also lets not forget that beautiful cover. Unfortunately as soon as I started reading it, I could tell that I had made a mistake.

The two main characters are for sure unique and complex, and ones that I would normally find interesting. However, for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to love them, they just fell flat. There is also the case of the main romance, it seemed really forced like these characters don't truly belong together but are being forced to be with one another by the author. Truthfully I didn't like the characters at all, or their romance.

The plot of this story is also very slow, throughout the whole novel we talk about the hunt for the legendary Hala, but its not until the actual 10% that the hunt starts... Of course I understand that the characters have to come together and plan & prepare for the hunt itself... but I sincerely thought we would get a lot more of actual hunting for the creature & lots of woodland scenery.. but the story fell short there as well.

The reason for my 3 star rating was that last 10%. Even though I thought about ditching this book many times, I'm glad I stuck through to the end. The last 10% was actually quite interesting and well written.. I just wish that this part was stretched out a little bit, while we could have cut out some of the early story.

(ENGLISH REVIEW BELOW)

De manière générale, j'aime beaucoup les mises en place de compétition dans un roman de fantasy. Là particulièrement, l'autrice m'a captivée avec son roman en mettant en scène une grande chasse, du survivalisme et une vraie course contre la montre.
¤
J'ai beaucoup aimé cette lecture dans laquelle la tension était à son comble. Si le début est assez lent et introductif car nous prenons le temps de connaître les protagoniste et le contexte de l'histoire, l'autrice accélère rapidement son récit en instaurant une ambiance électrique et un sentiment d'urgence.
Ce roman suit les aventures de Margaret Welty, une bonne tireuse d'élite, qui attend désespérément le retour de sa mère, une alchimiste, partie en voyage mais jamais revenue. Malgré la solitude, elle a l'infime espoir que sa mère reviendra et essaye tout de même d'essayer de vivre sa vie. Également, nous apprenons à connaître Weston Winters, un apprenti alchimiste, qui a à cœur d'atteindre ses objectifs et qui recherche justement la mère de Margaret pour aller sous sa tutelle.
La rencontre entre nos 2 personnages est improbable. Ils ne partagent pas du tout les mêmes aspirations : Margaret veut gagner la Chasse de la Demi-Lune et a besoin d'un partenaire et Weston veut finir son apprentissage en alchimie. Pourtant, même si leur duo n'a pas eu un bon départ, ils vont faire équipe durant la chasse.
J'ai bien apprécié la manière dont l'autrice a construit la relation entre les 2 protagonistes. Le fait de faire équipe n'est qu'un marché, un compromis temporaire et ce n'est pas une chose qui a été à 100% consenti. Cela dit, au fil de leurs interactions et de leurs expériences de vie, Margaret et Weston vont apprendre à se connaître, à s'apprivoiser. Moi qui ne m'attendais pas à un soupçon de romance, j'ai été surprise de suivre les pensées de Margaret à propos du jeune homme. Cela dit, tout est fait de manière lente et progressive que j'ai adhéré à l'attirance naturelle de la jeune femme pour Weston.
Weston est un personnage chouchou que j'ai beaucoup aimé par sa personnalité cassante, sa détermination mais aussi sa sensibilité. Finalement, même si j'ai trouvé le duo improbable -et je pense que c'était voulu de la part de l'autrice-, ce duo se complétait bien.
La Chasse était intéressante à suivre. Comme je l'ai dit plus haut, l'autrice fait monter la tension au fil du récit et je dois dire que mon cœur palpitait tout le long des événements décrits. J'ai beaucoup aimé les descriptions dynamiques de l'autrice. J'avais l'impression de vivre cette chasse avec les personnages et c'était intéressant d'en apprendre plus sur le légendaire Hala.
C'est une lecture qui se lit vite et je suis un peu triste de quitter ce bel univers aussi tôt.

------------
ENGLISH REVIEW

In general, I really like competitive settings in a fantasy booj. There particularly, the author captivated me with her story by staging a great hunt, survivalism and a real race against time.
¤
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. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. 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. Fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.
Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it's like to be an outsider. 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.
¤
I really enjoyed this reading in which the tension was at its peak. If the beginning is quite slow and introductory because we take the time to get to know the protagonists and the context of the story, the author quickly accelerates her story by creating an electric atmosphere and a feeling of urgency.
We follow the adventures of Margaret Welty, a good sniper, who desperately awaits the return of her mother, an alchemist, who left on a trip but never returned. Despite the loneliness, she has the remotest hope that her mother will return and still tries to try to live her life. Also, we get to know Weston Winters, an apprentice alchemist, who is committed to achieving his goals and who is precisely looking for Margaret's mother to go under her tutelage.
The meeting between our 2 characters is unlikely. They don't share the same aspirations at all: Margaret wants to win the HalfMoon Hunt and needs a partner and Weston wants to finish his apprenticeship in alchemy. However, even if their duo didn't have a good start, they will team up during the hunt.
I really appreciated the way the author built the relationship between the 2 protagonists. Teaming up is just a deal, a temporary compromise and it's not something that was 100% agreed upon. That said, over the course of their interactions and their life experiences, Margaret and Weston will learn to know each other, to tame each other. I, who hadn't expected a hint of romance, was surprised to follow Margaret's thoughts about the young man. That said, everything is done in a slow and gradual way that I bought into the young woman's natural attraction to Weston.
Weston is a favorite character that I really liked for his brittle personality, his determination but also his sensitivity. Finally, even if I found the duo improbable - and I think it was intended by the author -, this duo complemented each other well.
The Hunt was interesting to follow. As I said above, the author increases the tension over the story and I must say that my heart throbbed throughout the events described. I really liked the dynamic descriptions of the author. I felt like I was living this hunt with the characters and it was interesting to learn more about the legendary Hala.
It's a quick read and I'm a little sad to leave this beautiful universe so soon.

This fantasy read was so compelling and I really enjoyed it!! The characters were interesting and their background stories were really unique and their journeys had topics like trauma, mental health, emotional abuse, prejudice, abandonment, and poverty inter-woven in such an intentional and powerful way, it was just really well done. I loved how strong and resilient Margaret’s character was and Wes’s passionate and charming personality, they really played well off one another. The different family dynamics for the characters also brought a lot to the story and their characterization. I was rooting for these characters so hard and I loved their growth throughout! Secondary characters were utilized well in this one and I was so enthralled to learn more about Margaret’s backstory and the aspect of the hunt. The story is a bit slower paced and picks up at the end, which worked well in my opinion. My only complaints were that I wish there would have been more information about the hunt/Hala and the different religions mentioned. By the end I felt I still had many questions regarding why it needed to be killed and how the Hala was inter-woven into beliefs and mythology.

Really enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to checking out the author’s debut novel that many readers have raved about! Thank you to Wednesday Books and Allison Saft for the opportunity to read this novel. I unfortunately missed posting about this novel’s publication day in March.. but that means it’s available to read now and ready for you to get lost in this awesome urban fantasy tale!

I ended up really liking this book. I was very confused at the beginning with the world building and the time the story takes place. The story comes together in a really satisfying way. Well plotted and the characters were fun to get to know.

A Far Wilder Magic is a story of two outcasts of the society came together to hunt a magical creature and defy the injustice society put on them.

This kind of story is hardly original, but it did have interesting aspects of blending alchemy and magic. However, the story didn’t really have much explanations behind the alchemy theories nor any background in the world building and the makeup of the society. There was a lot of confusion and guesswork in the first half, and it was also slowwwww.

Margaret and Wes are not your typical fantasy hero/heroine, while there’s definitely character development towards the end of the book, they’re just not that exciting for me to care about them.

3 ⭐️/ 5

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for the free ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.