A Far Wilder Magic

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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.” 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. This book is more than its world and magic, it's inherently a story about characters and their relationships, and damn does it excel at that. First, the romance. It's so cute and precious and I can't talk about it without squealing. But what I really want to talk about is the family dynamics. You have one character with a loud, chaotic, but over-all supportive family, but due to the recent loss of his father, he feels he needs to be strong for them. Then you have our other main character, who is neglected by her frequently-gone mother. She also suffers from trauma that occured because of her mothers obsession with alchemy. I really loved how this aspect of the story was handled. I personally have PTSD and loved how it was presented in this book.

Other than that, I was pretty easily swept away by the story and characters. I liked the mythical, magical hunt, though I think I kept waiting for something else to happen with the hala, for it to turn out to be not what they expected. And I guess in some ways it wasn’t, but not in the ways I thought it might. Plus, though Wes definitely helps Maggie in her journey, her struggles weren’t romanticized at all. It wasn’t like he came into her life and everything was okay, but she really had to learn. She had to learn how to accept love after what she’d been through, and especially learn that she deserved it. 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. The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life. The fact that the religious contexts and discourse in the book didn’t take me out of the story proves to me that Saft’s writing is clear and balanced between world building, plot, and character development. The basis of alchemy in this book is spiritual, and I do want to note that the religions discussed in this world might not be the most original, but it didn’t make a difference to me because they helped to explain the prejudices that our beloved characters faced and the issues in the world.Once Evelyn finishes her research, things will be different. They’ll be together, and they’ll be happy again. That is something worth putting her life on hold for. So she hefts her maul and splits the log again. As she bends over to collect the kindling, a chill slithers down her collar. As you can imagine, when two young people living, and working, together under the same roof, sparks are most likely going to fly. It's not immediate and certainly not discussed between them, but as Margaret and Wes learn more about each other, they discover they may be more alike than they initially thought. A consuming character-driven read, A Far Wilder Magic is an enchanting YA fantasy romance about family, finding yourself, and falling in love. Highly recommend for fans of Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves and The White Stag.” —YA Books Central

Allison Saft’s writing drips with color and paints a world so real you feel like you can touch it. A thrilling adventure full of magic and danger reminiscent of Fullmetal Alchemist, A Far Wilder Magic is a story you won’t put down.” — Marielle Orff, Towne Book Center & Café, for the Indie Next List I realise that this book might not be perfect, or a 5-star read for everyone, but I also think this book deserves so much love. This story gave me more than I was expecting or even knew I needed at the time of reading. It’s wholesome, clever, and beautifully written. I will read everything Allison Saft writes. 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. Let’s just say reading this on the bus wasn’t the greatest idea because 1) I was freaking out because Wes + Maggie <3 2) there were tears in my eyes and 3) I needed to catch another bus right when I reached a little cliffhanger so I was STRESSED. Meanwhile, a hunting competition for a centuries-old fox will be starting soon. Margaret plans to enter with Wes as her alchemist so they both can achieve what they’ve always wanted.

Please know that what I’m about to say, I don’t say often: A Far Wilder Magic felt so original, and it was so good to read. Reading this was like breaking open freshly baked bread—both comforting and complex at the same time. Allison Saft has crafted a romantic fantasy with a genuinely swoon-worthy male lead, and the enemies to begrudging partners to lovers storyline is based on mutual respect and a real connection. It’s about family and belonging, loneliness, and finding ones own path. And it’s just a delight through and through." — Tor.com, "The 30 Most Anticipated SFF Books of 2022" The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtimeacademic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest. An utterly transportive read, unfolding into a world of crumbling manors and ancient forests. Allison Saft crafts a deliberate, intricate romance that will have you as unmoored as the characters." —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights Margaret: my lovely and lonely girl, is a little rough around the edges, likes being alone, and can come across as unfriendly to anyone who isn’t her dog. However, it’s easy to understand why and forgive her bluntness once we see how she has been hurt, ostracised, and abandoned. however, the narrative commits one of my biggest pet peeves and it just kinda ruined my reading experience. this story has no idea what time period or place it is set in and the world-building is in absolute shambles because of it. theres a map at the beginning of the book that displays a made up land, which is great for fantasy. however, this is an urban fantasy. it takes place in the modern word with cars and phones, so how can it be a made up fantasy land? if there are cars and phones, then this cant be any earlier than the late 1880s. the clothing mentioned, societal norms, and the fact they say 25¢ is enough to buy groceries, also makes me think this is late 1880s to early 1900s. BUT! then we get mention of paramedics (thats what they call them) which isnt a term that is used until the 1950s. then it mentions a modern metallic condom wrapper, which design wasnt used until the late 1990s. so the setting is all over the place and it bugged the crap out of me. as you can tell. lol.