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A Far Wilder Magic

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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. Wes’ honest talk about his family situation warms her heart and she finally let him wait for her mother’s return but as soon as she realizes he has enough talent to help her join the hunt, she finally asks for his help.

This character-driven story alternates between Margaret and Wes’ POV. It’s an easy fantasy to immerse oneself in. There’s a bit of info-dumping in the beginning, but after that, it’s fairly straightforward. Both Margaret and Wes had experienced outward discrimination and hostilities towards them based upon who they were and where they came from. Eventually, they were able to talk about and bond over these shared experiences.

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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. 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.

Drama abounds as the event nears and I had no idea where it was going or what was going to happen. I was completely head over heels for this team by that point though, I was ready to cut down the competition myself! As the taxi lurches out of a divot in the road, the sputter of its engine sounds suspiciously like laughter. He swears under his breath, rubbing away the ache blooming in his skull—and then, with the very edge of his sleeve, dabs gingerly at the drool gathered in the corner of his mouth.

amyjanealice

Wes and Margaret's unfolding romance is subtle and satisfying, and Saft's prose is vivid and dryly humorous. Fans of Leigh Bardugo's original Shadow & Bone trilogy will likely enjoy this honest, evocative romance." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books This novel works as a standalone, but I really hope that this isn’t the last I’ll see of these characters. trigger/content warnings: animal death and injury, antisemitism, nationalism and xenophobia, PTSD, neglect and emotional abuse by a parent, mentions of parental death, mentions of death of a child, graphic descriptions of blood and wounds.

i think the concept of this story is cool. alchemy is always interesting and i think the different religions and how they play into the tradition of the hunt is done well. the characters are also great. both maggie and wes are strong, solid leads who have good characterisation and development. I liked the development of the relationship between Wes and Maggie. Maggie has a hard exterior and comes across unapproachable and at times abrasive. Wes comes across overly confident and charming while hiding all of his insecurities underneath it all. Maggie has a way of seeing Wes for who he really is and all of his posturing. Wes sees how Maggie is truly hurting and how alone she has been all this time. As the two of them work together to win the hunt, they are also slowly healing themselves and recognizing who they are and what they want. Maggie and Wes make an unlikely team – a charismatic but troubled boy, and a girl who has endured life on the outskirts of a town that never welcomed her. But as the hunt takes over, the pair are drawn together as they uncover a darker magic that may put everything they hold dear in peril…I always feel like such a shit when I get an ARC of a book and don't like it. Especially if it's a hard copy. I know a lot of money goes into producing those copies and dispersing them, so I really try to only ask for books I think I'm going to like. And I totally thought I was going to like this. That cover! That premise! No, don't take me on a coffee date, I want to hunt mythical monsters through a moonlit wood. That was my first impression and I totally stand by it. Undoubtedly, this is a 10/10 read for me. Sometimes, the most captivating reads aren’t the ones that have grand battle scenes and come clad in armour. Sometimes, they’re the ones wrapped in tweed, and surrounded by forests and autumnal wind. Admittedly, I’ve never been great with science, and with Wes being an alchemist and the hunt relying on this quite heavily, it was a major theme of the novel. But, though I can’t say I understood every instance, it definitely didn’t draw me out of the story. In fact, I probably would have liked to read more of it, along with learning more about the hala and the lore surrounding the hunt. “Whatever you want, I swear I’ll make it happen. I swear I’ll make you happy”

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