This book tried really hard to be all creepy and mystical and haunting and magical, and stuff. Like The Bear and the Nightingale or Uprooted or something. Unfortunately, it didn't quite make it.

This was such a lovely read. For a supposed fantasy read it was rather short at not even 270 pages. But I think the author did quite a bit for such a little book. The Will and the Wilds follows more of traditional fairy tale atmosphere than a fantasy book. Which plays into the authors favour The Will and the Wilds is more character driven than action. I don't want to give too much away because it is such a short book but if you love retellings and atmospheric reads you will love The Will and the Wilds.

Overall a gem of a book that reminds you of old folk tales being told by the woodfire, highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Will and the Wilds has a strong fairy like feel and it reminded me a lot of Beauty and the Beast. In fact, Enna, the main character who lives with her "mad" father as an outcast, falls in love with a monster after having made a bargain with him.


I really liked the idea of this book but the execution was a little disappointing. For most of the book the pacing was too slow while I felt that the ending was too rushed.

I found the world building extremely interesting and I believe it has a lot of potential. I would have loved to know more about the Deep and the other mystings and I believe that the story was a little bit too focused on Enna, Maekallus and their relationship (which I loved, by the way). In fact the very few secondary characters felt a little bit too flat. I have a lot of questions about Enna's dad, his backstory and Enna's grandmother. I really liked the little notes from her book about mystings at the beginning of each chapter and I would like to know more about how she knew all those things.

"What is a soul if not an extension of the heart?"

The thing I liked the most was seeing the characters' development. Both Enna and Maekallus change a lot throughout the story, Maekallus slowly gains a soul while Enna loses hers. The end was also wonderfully executed.

Overall it was a nice read and I would love to see more of this world of mystings and magic.

"What is a soul if not an extension of the heart?"

I wanted to read fantasy because it had been ages since I picked one. So what's better than a book that is based on a strong, young woman and a guy who sounds like a mixture of dementor and Loki? I am so ecstatic to have picked this up because it turned out to simply heart-touching and BE-AU-TI-FU-LLY written!

I will be using the official description:
Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.
Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It’s temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.
Enna shares Maekallus’s suffering, but her small sacrifice won’t last long. If she and Maekallus can’t break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely—and Enna’s soul with him.

One word: WOW!
Now, who gave Charlie the right to wrench my soul and caress it at the same time? The story is rightly paced, bewitching, tear-jerking and is the kind that will just take time to sink in before you can properly put out your thoughts in words or verbally explain why you loved this book! I just wanted to grab Charlie by the collar and ask her to have mercy on me and the characters! Her writing is almost lyrical and magical just like the story she has woven with them! The main characters are portrayed so exquisitely and even though there is so much more I would love to know about this world, there is a sense of satisfaction with the aptly provided information because mostly, the focus is on Enna and Maekallus. It's not easy for one to pull a feat like this with the ease and perfection Charlie has managed to pull this off with.

And the ending, one word, again: WHY?
Why did she have to make me sob like a baby with joy almost filling the huge void in my chest, that all my senses can feel? It's such a soul-wrenching (no pun intended!) and a charming love story that anyone would love to read in the cosiest corner of the bed, with a nice cuppa in the autumn, after an exhausting day with all the kleenex one can hold on to! It's also a quick read so you don't have to stay awake all night and have yet another exhausting day the next day, but then, IT IS COMPLETELY WORTH IT!

I will be checking out more works by Charlie and pick up her previous ones!

Recommended: Anyone with a sweet tooth for romantic fantasy or just purely romance because of that ending, will enjoy this heart touching read!

Thank you NetGalley and 47North for this e-arc.

· “What is a soul if not an extension of the heart?” ·

Let me just say it’s been a while since I last read a Fantasy YA novel and this one was simply ~A m a z i n g~. The beautiful narrative pulled me right in from the very first line and kept me hooked until the last dot. Having said that, I must also admit that the cover and the blurp were most captivating for me at the time of requesting a review copy. Could a kiss be so dangerous as to stealing your soul? You bet!

In addition to the author’s talented story-telling skills, the world creation and the character development were exceptional. Charlie’s words create the perfectly shady but yet attractive setting where our protagonists meet and interact and as a reader I found myself wondering through the wildwood with Enna or walking down the medieval-like village market feeling the long, hard stares of the villagers.

Also there’s Maekallus, a soulless mysting unable to feel—that is until until he kisses Enna, causing strange things start to come to life inside of him. As the story unfolds, I found myself swooning over Maekallus, a bad boy with a big heart, and enjoying the conversations and arguments between him and Enna.

However, what I loved the most about this book was the ending.

(If you’re not up for spoilers, you should seriously consider stop reading now.)

The thing is, the author remains most loyals to her characters. In this story, love overcomes every obstacle and there’s sacrifice on both parts, of course. But neither Maekallus nor Enna have to quit being who or what they are in order to be together. Without a doubt, that’s the most beautiful message this story has to offer.

Loved it..whimsical fairy tailish story and the cover is.definitely perfect for the story itself.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced.readers copy.

Another wonderful, captivating story from Ms. Holmberg! The Will and the Wilds lives up to Ms Holmberg’s previous novels including The Paper Magician and The Fifth Doll.

The story follows young Enna, a quiet and hard working woman, who lives in isolation with her father who has suffered brain trauma from war. Her world is haunted by demons or mystings from another realm. When two show up to steal something from Enna, she hires a stronger mysting to protect her family. Unfortunately, Maekallus, a soul stealing demon becomes trapped in the mortal realm. His exposure to the world causes him to decay and he enlists Enna’s help in breaking the bond.

Romance is the focal point of this story and Holmberg spends time developing the two characters before letting them fall in love. The threat of death adds an urgency to the plot. Overall this book was well thought out and I never felt that the story was rushed. That being said, I would have loved more details about the Deep. Perhaps in another book we can learn all about the other realm? And why Scroud wanted to invade at all if the mystings can survive on the mortal plane.

Highly recommend this book for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale and Keturah and Lord Death.

Title: The Will and the Wilds
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Publisher: 47North
Release Date: January 21, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy | YA
Rating: 4.5 Stars

The book was a little hard to comprehend at first, but I grew to love it. Once the Enna starts to explore her power and what she can do, the summoning of Maekallus, bring about just the amount of tension and drama I like, Maekallus gives me some major Cardan (Folk of the Air series) vibes. He is sarcastic, funny, and at times caring, Enna is sweet, caring and at times selfish. The tension they bring to the story leaves you wanting more between them but the loss Enna is suffering and her realization that they are not alike leaves you questioning your morals.
Definitely worth the read.

I received a free ARC through Charlie N Holmberg, 47North and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While certainly not my favorite Holmberg book (*cough*FOLLOWED BY FROST*cough*), overall the story was imaginative and enjoyable.
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I really enjoyed Enna's notebook and all the love and research that was passed down from her Grandmother.

It was fun to see the notebook updates as we learned various information about Mystings and their World.

The beast x human love story isn't "my cup of tea," but it made for an interesting read.

I found myself disinterested by the end and struggling to pick back up to finish.

Overall an enjoyable story, but one I probably won't read again. But we'll see.

In The Will and the Wilds, Enna is attacked by a misting, creatures that come from The Deep, and finds herself making a bargain with Maekallus, a misting himself. As a Narval, Maekallus is a soulless being that will do whatever it takes in exchange for a kiss - a kiss that will feed him with a human soul. Bound together, something goes terribly wrong and Enna and Maekallus must work together to save her soul and his life. Entwined together, their adventure begins - a dangerous adventure to save themselves that might end up breaking their hearts.

The Will and the Wilds is an enchanting and marvellous story, which reminded me of a dark and whimsical fairy tale. As a matter of fact, it did remind me of my favourite fairy tale, the Beauty and the Beast - a human and a monster falling in love, the strange girl who loves stories and lives with her father as an outcast. I quite liked that Enna did research on the mistings in hopes of having her investigation being published in an academia ruled by men.

"What is a soul if not an extension of the heart?"

Summary:
Enna lives life on the outside. Of Town and of society. Due to her Mothers gruesome death at the hand of a group of monsters called Mistings, she and her father live alone and on the edge of the forest. When circumstances lead to a life-or-death decision, to enlist the aid of one type of Misting to defeat another, Enna is forced to gamble her most precious gift- her soul. Now Enna is forced to work with Maekallus, a Narval misting, and work together to break the ties that anchor them together before time runs out.

Review:
This book is, in my humble opinion, a fairytale. It's a beautifully simple, romantic fairytale about kindness, survival, and falling in love. When I say fairytale, I mean along the lines of Hans Christian Andersen, not the childproofed Disney renditions. There is a little darkness in this story that I really liked. There isn't a lot of world-building or supporting characters, but I think the way it was handled made this a sweet, charming story.

What I liked:
I LOVE this cover, and it is a perfect depiction of the story and tone.

The eerie setting was done really well. I could almost picture creeping through the forest along with Enna with a layer of fog beneath our feet, watching out for anything to jump out at us.

I liked the studious Enna. Her character was kind and while simple, her interest in Mistings and resourcefulness made her likable and interesting.

Maekallus was wonderful. His appearance was interesting and unique. I like that his character brought up themes about morality and kindness.

All the different mistings were great! I could have spent more time learning about them! Holmberg's imagination and descriptions of these creatures were terrific.

What I didn't like:
Maekallus's backstory seemed a little anti-climactic to me. As he remembered more and more of it, I expected him to have revelations about himself and deep conversations about it with Enna. Maybe that was never the purpose, but I didn't feel like it made that big of an impact on the overall plot. I feel like it could have been a little more nuanced to give him some layers and is a little bit of a missed opportunity for me.

While I really like the fairytale tone the story is going for, sometimes it felt like writing didn't have the lyrical flow needed to properly execute this. It brought me out of the story a couple of times. I don't know how to explain it other than the story didn't flow very smoothly.

I was ridiculously excited to see The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg on Netgalley, and doubly excited when I got approved! I've had The Paper Magician on my TBR for years, after many stellar reviews from friends and coworkers, but I've never found the time to invest in the series. When I saw a standalone novel by the same author I jumped at the chance! Plus I can't say no to a beauty and the beast remake. Unfortunately The Will and the Wilds didn't live up to the hype I surrounded it with. I still enjoyed the novel and am happy I read it but it won't be one I keep coming back to.

The basic storyline is still so intriguing to me, I just found that I personally wasn't invested in it...I sadly was reading just to get to the end. The novel follows Enna who lives in a world where monsters from another dimension roam. In order to survive a close call from one of these monsters Enna makes a "deal with a devil" which has unexpected consquences, tying her humanity to a monster. Altough I enjoyed the idea, slow building romance, and nods to beauty and the beast I never really connected to the characters. And sadly the ending left me a little upset...I felt that it was too rushed and unopened not only for a standalone book, but for a novel that had so much buildup.

So would I recommend this novel? Yes. It might not be my favourite read of 2020, and I may not agree with how everything went down, but in the end I did think it was an interesting story that I hadn't seen before.

Charming and whimsical. Read like a fairytale, short and sweet and deliciously atmospheric.

Enna, a reclusive girl living in the wild woods with her ailing father strikes a bargain with a mystical creature, a brooding devilish prankster named Maekallus, to keep her safe from monsters lurking near their home. The deal goes awry, and their fates are connected, with Maekallus stuck in the mortal plane and forced to keep both of them alive by stealing bits of Enna's soul through kisses (yes, kisses, some girls get all the fun I guess) Unknowingly, with each passing day and kiss exchanged, they end up becoming more and more like the other. Enna starts to become more aloof, cold-hearted, distant from friends and family. Maekallus becomes introspective, dealing with remorse and guilt for his past while trying to understand newfound feelings of love. They must find a way to deliver Maekallus back to the monster realm before they lose themselves entirely.

It's a quick read with an interesting premise that kept me entertained in the one sitting I read it in. The scenery and the auxiliary characters were pretty one-dimensional, and the pacing was quick towards the end. But all in all, still a very satisfying read.

Thank you to netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

How much do I love Charlie N Holmberg’s writing? I would say until about two years ago I hadn’t really read any YA except the biggies (Harry Potter / Hunger Games). And then on a whim while on vacation, I downloaded the Paper Magician on Kindle Unlimited. I absolutely adored the magical world and the characters and the ease with which the story flowed. I was so hooked and that’s where my series binging life began! I also really enjoyed her story The Fifth Doll. So when I had a chance to grab an ARC of The Will and the Wilds on Netgalley, I jumped on it!

This story has the same epic world building and relatable characters of her previous novels. I liked the Beauty and the Beast influences on the story but felt it was so unique that it could totally stand on it's own without that bone in the skeleton. Enna was so engaging and her curiosity about the magical world and impetuousness were well balanced with the fear and stability that humans experience. Maekallus was a great villain who had such depth and complexity. This was a really fun read and one I would recommend to anyone who likes YA fantasy.

I wanted to read this after my friend Nenia read it and mentioned the movie Labyrinth in one of her updates. Naturally, I had to request it from NetGalley, because any comparison to Labyrinth, however minuscule, must not be taken lightly.

I ended up really enjoying it! It was a rather slow-paced novel, and as a result, I took a while to read it. Not for lack of interest, but because the book seemed to demand it.

For such a short book, the characterization and world-building were great. Without saying too much, I really enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Enna and Maekellus. It was flawless. I'm not exactly thrilled with the way the author chose to end things, but I'm not complaining either.

In general, I'm not a big fan of fantasy, but this is exactly the type of fantasy I enjoy. It was quiet, the scale wasn't too large, and it concentrated on just a few characters rather than several. I'm glad I requested it, even though I had so many other books ahead of it in my never-ending TBR.

I would like to thank NetGalley and 47North for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I have never been one to be into Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but if all books in this genre are like Charlie Holmberg's, I should probably give it a chance. I've read The Paper Magician and The Glass Magician, and enjoyed the style of writing. I was pleased that my expectation of enjoying this book did not fall short!

He considers this, "I find you odd, Enna"
"Most do". I pat the grass.

This truly reminded me of a fairytale romance. I read it as if Beauty & The Beast (especially with the "odd" reference) took place in the world where The Legend of Zelda takes place. There were mythical creatures with different powers and a lot of action. I loved the concept of the telling stone. It was such a small, but mighty, detail in the story that really stuck out.

Overall, I felt that there was something happening on every page. At parts, I did get a bit confused about where they were in the story (what world). For that I say 4 stars. However, there was so much action going on, it was a great read that did not stop giving until the very last page.

After Enna’s mother was killed by a mysting near the wildwoods of their home, Enna has understood to fear them. Their presence in the wildwood increases. When one attacks Enna in the home she shares with her father, she knows only one way to stop them and that is to turn them on themselves.

Enna summons Maekallus from the Deep and bargains with him to kill the mysting coming after her. His price: a kiss. Because Maekallus is a narval, a mysting whose kiss will steal the soul from a mortal. After Maekallus seemingly completes the task for Enna, the two find themselves bound together with Maekallus unable to leave the mortal realm—which will invariably lead to his death. With the binding their futures are linked unless Enna can find a way to free them before it’s too late, or before she loses her soul completely.

The Will and the Wilds has all these really interesting pieces. The monster mythology—all the varying types of mystings—which Charlie N. Holmberg handles brilliantly. The presumptions that Enna has always lived by in regards to the mystings and then when confronted with Maekallus beginning to rethink her stance somewhat. And Maekallus himself being so influenced by Enna’s soul taking him on a transformation.

Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like it was executed in the best way. There’s supposed to be an undeniable connection between Maekallus and Enna both figuratively and literally that is only enhanced as her soul gains influence over him. I just didn’t feel the punch of that connection or influence like I believe we’re supposed to.

Also, the pacing started out at a good clip as everything is set up and there were certainly development pops that piqued my interest, but for the most part there was a lot of meandering through the wildwood. The story is told from both Enna and Maekallus’s points of view, which is typically something that I like, but here it just seems to subvert any more of those intriguing moments from taking root because there’s too much that happens that readers know about and we’re left waiting for one or the other narrators to catch up. In that regard it could feel a bit too redundant. It was enough that when I put down the book, I wasn’t too eager to pick it up again.

All of this is unfortunate because I’ve enjoyed Charlie N. Holmberg’s previous books. But it’s a reminder that not all books work for all readers all of the time. For me, I’m always quick to recommend Holmberg’s Paper Magician series and its spinoff The Plastic Magician. And regardless, I’ll still always look for what comes next.

I will read anything that Charlie N. Holmberg writes! Her worlds are so creative and weird with so much wonderful darkness.

Enna is a good character for this story. Though perhaps a couple of years older than I would have imagined her, she is appropriately daring and a brilliant combination of mature and naive given her circumstances. Her family's backstory is just enough to give some footing while still leaving substantial room for mystery and maybe a little reader confusion.

The dual POV approach is interesting at first, but works very well as the story unfolds. The majority of the tale is told from Enna's first person point of view, showing the reader her limitations while a smaller piece of the narrative is a third person view of Maekallus, the mysting to whom Enna has bound herself unwittingly. This second perspective gives just enough information to create increased tension in the narrative and makes the story just that much more interesting.

I loved this story very much, though I will admit that I would have loved for Enna's grandmother to have still been alive. I wanted more of her knowledge of the mystings as I found these pieces of the world incredibly fascinating. Holmberg's writing is just my style and I have yet to find a book of hers that I haven't loved. This was another weird and wonderful read.

I have a hard time deciding whether or not I liked this book. The premise is promising, I'll never tire of magic and monster. But throughout the story, most of the time, I felt distant with the characters. I didn't care about them, I just want to what will happen in the end.

Told from the first POV of the main character, Enna, it has a good start. But after a while, it just goes round and round. I wished things would go a little faster but I was stuck with Enna contemplating her love life. I think those pages would be better used to exploring The Deep or other important things. Because the story has a nice background but it was all for nothing. I was disappointed when the climax turned out to be the biggest turn off of this book.

So why I gave it 3 stars?

Near the end, I was fascinated with Maekallus. As a mysting, he ought to be cold and calculating. But after everything he's been true, he has the most satisfying development. I didn't really care about the romance, but when he said to Enna “He is not me” I BREAK INTO THOUSAND PIECES.

Not everything about this book is a letdown. I liked how the magic work and the mystings. There's a little knowledge about them at the front of every chapter. I found it really helpful to get insight into the world and very interesting. If only those things were getting more exposure, I believe I'd love this book.

Overall, The Will and The Wilds is a fun read. Easy to get into with various magical monsters called mystings and a star-crossed romance, this is perfect for you who enjoys YA fantasy and is looking for a good new release.

I absolutely love when a cover perfectly represents what is inside. This one is so pretty too- I love the colors.

Enna is an endearing character. Her soul is a main source of focus in this story and for good reason. It really does burn brightly and purely. As Enna shares her soul with Maekallus, he begins to feel and realize things long forgotten. I loved the contrast between dark and light in relation to Enna's soul. The relationship develops slowly between Enna and Maekallus as they work through a common problem that binds them.

The story also progressed slowly but picked up a bit about half way though. I just finished reading a fast paced, high intensity book so maybe the contrast between that book and this one made it feel extra slow to me. This book definitely wasn't intense and didn't involve my emotions much. It was however, sweet and gentle with a unique plot and likable heroine. This author does a good job of weaving in the magical to spark imagination. While this wasn't my favorite book by this author, I did enjoy it and would easily recommend it to teenage (and older) fantasy lovers. The ending really was magical. 💜

Content: kissing, mild peril, mild violence

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.