The Wolf and the Woodsman follows Évike, a pagan girl with magic, who is chosen to be sacrificed to save her village. Only Évike doesn’t actually have any magical powers. As Évike and the Woodsman journey through a dangerous forest, an unlikely alliance is struck. It soon becomes clear they have a mutual enemy. Évike and Gáspár, secretly the disgraced prince, must fight to stop Gáspár’s brother from violently seizing the throne. As Évike searches for her estranged father and magic that she can wield, both Évike and Gáspár must make difficult choices about what to do with their power.

The Wolf and the Woodsman was a lyrical and dark journey. Ava Reid creates a gripping story filled with lush details. Inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology, the careful details and references woven into the larger tale shine. The magic system is complex and magic always demands a price. Évike is such a strong and fierce character who relentlessly fights for her goals. The writing is rich and descriptive, absolutely beautiful. If you enjoy reading about twisted politics, dark magic, and captivating romance then you need to read The Wolf and the Woodsman! The Wolf and the Woodsman releases June 8, 2021. Thank you so much to Ava Reid, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one. It had all the right ingredients to make me want to immerse myself in this world and left me wanting more, which is always a win in my book. Reid captures a dark atmosphere, but many of the struggles have echoes in reality that gave it real grit. The characters were flawed, but I still had no trouble rooting for them the entire way through. I love me an outcast, whatever that says about me. It is pretty brutal at times, but they live in a rough and pitiless world so it works perfectly in the story. It is a longer book, but it didn’t feel long whatsoever to me as I sat completely absorbed, wrapped up in every word. It will capture your attention, surprise you, and make you wish for more at the end.

The Wolf and the Woodsman is the adult fantasy that I have been waiting for. The author weaves together a story filled with dark magic, a journey fraught with tension and underlying prejudice, and one young woman's conflicted yearning for belonging and community.
Évike is the only woman in her pagan village without magic, she is also half Yehuli (Jewish). The other women in her village treat her as an outcast and believe that the gods rejected her for wielding magic due to her parentage. After monsters attack her village in the woods, Èvike is taken captive by the Woodsman, a holy order in service to their king. Their captain, Gáspár is their disgraced prince and is tasked with returning to his father with Évike in tow.
This book explores themes of religious and cultural tension, identity, and how far one is willing to help those that abuse them. Èvike has been the constant victim of antisemitism and abuse, which rightfully leaves her angry at the world. She is also incredibly empathetic and brave.
The part of this book that truly captured me was Évike's and Gáspár's relationship. The tension is truly glorious and made even more scorching by their conflicting faith's and views on religion. Their's is a slow burn, but the most glorious kind.
The setting is atmospheric and richly written. From dark and bitterly cold forests to the busy and harsh Capitol, you truly feel like you're there.
The Wolf and the Woodsman is a dark and rich adult fantasy that is perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale and Uprooted.

This was actually my last read of 2020. I finished it on New Year's Eve and it left me with an over feeling of hope for 2021. I have been sitting on this review, not only so that it would come out a little closer to the release date, but also because I need the final cover for my blog post. However, I got tired of waiting for the cover, so I'll do my Goodreads review before the full review on my blog.

This book immediately swept me up into it's world of magic and politics. It's dark and complicated, but the building of a real nation is also like that. Some of the magic works off of body horror, which lends itself to mutilation, gore, and some torture. Watching the clash of the somewhat different magic systems was interesting, but left me with questions about how it worked. Were the different abilities unique to the faith and the gods? This seems to be the most likely answer. The Patrifaith responds to body mutilation, as does the god of the dead for the pagans, for its magic. The Yehuli use writing for magic to shape and create things. However, the pagans magic is not as clear. Perhaps, it is to represent how diverse pagan beliefs can be even within one country. Watching different characters wield these different sorts of magic gave each of them their own unique flair.

I have one main problem with the plot that kept this from being a five star book. I'm going to try not to reveal too much, but if you are worried just skip to the next paragraph. Early in the book both Gáspár and Évike decide that they need to go hunting for something specific, but then they ultimately give up and have to go back to the capital, only to go after it again later. I feel like the author wrote herself into a corner and created a side loop to fix it. There were other ways she could have built the relationship between the two of them without making the plot have this loop in it. It just annoyed me when they abandoned it in the first place and then annoyed me even more when they went back for it towards the end of the book.

Also, something that should be noted about this book is that it is not a Y.A. novel, the author has even stated it. There is a magic system based on body horror so there is a certain level of gore and body mutilation in here. However, I wouldn't say that it goes full on grimdark for those who may be interested in that.

Overall, I would recommend it for fans of winter reads with morally grey characters, a dash of violence, and fantasy elements. Happy Reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an eARC of this book, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I started reading this book without any background info, and I panicked when I noticed that there was a race, the Yehuli, coded as Jewish. Because the fantasy genre has a terrible history of anti-semitic characterizations, I thought OH NO not another one! But then I found out the author was basing this book in Jewish folklore and specifically addressing nation-building. What a concept! I feel like Ava Reid told this story well.

The first half of the novel, we meet Évike who is a member of a pagan tribe in the woods, and Gáspár, a woodsman. Actually, I don't want to recount the plot too much because it is detailed and I don't want to give it away. The first half of the novel is a quest with mostly just the two main characters, and the second half is set in a city and is focused on political machinations. Some themes here are belonging, justice, and sacrifice. There is magic, revenge, love, and forgiveness.

I really enjoyed the first half, the quest. I love a quest! I did enjoy the second half because of where it goes with the Yehuli people, but the political machinations were in slow motion in a way that felt very prolonged (which, after the events of the last few months in America, is maybe just right for how it feels to have your country be in suspense). And we are only in Évike's head, though we see glimpses of Gáspár, we don't see things through his point of view and we kind of lose sight of him during the second half. The book is also very serious, there are not many moments of levity (there are a few, but not many) to make up for the gore.

I really loved Évike, who is half Yehuli and half pagan, raised in a matriarchal tribe of wolf-girls. She is imperfect, unsure of herself, and definitely not an all-powerful savior of the kingdom, at least not in the way that we are seeing in a lot of SFF right now. Her character arc is well-done, the most touching part being her feeling of belonging with her Yehuli father and people. Jewish folklore recounted here includes the golum of Prague, Esther, and there is a Purim celebration. The affection for the Yehuli people in the book is tangible. I can definitely see some parallels in the story with Esther. The comparisons to Spinning Silver and The Winternight Trilogy are apt, not because of the retelling aspect (those are fairy tale retellings), but because the female MCs in those stories do not compromise their integrity. Though they find love and belonging, they are smart, imperfect, and determined heroines who have earned every ounce of respect given to them.

The book is written in first person present tense.
CWs for body horror, self-harm, torture, animal death, and general gore. Lotta gore.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC free of charge. My opinions are my own.

With The Bear and the Nightingale being one of my favorite books, how could I not request this?!
This dark and sometimes gory title delivers a lush fairy tale setting. It draws the reader in with evocative and lyrical writing, the descriptions are so well written, you can almost hear the footsteps in the snow. I love the tug and pull of the two main characters, both so damaged and scarred. Definitely purchasing for our collection.

A great debut novel! Full of insightful comments on the modern world. The protagonist isn't nearly perfect but is likeable for all her flaws.

There aren't words for how much I loved The Wolf and the Woodsman. With hints of another book I loved, Spinning Silver, I hated for it to end. This is a long book, but I could hardly put it down. We get to know the wolf-girl, Evike, and the Woodsman, Gaspar after the Woodsman take Evike hoping to offer a magical pagan to the King. But Evike is the only girl in her village who has no magical power. She is betrayed by the other villagers. The writing is stunning and breathtaking and heart wrenching, as we get to know Evike. She feels abandoned and unloved and unworthy. She has built up a prickly protective layer after years of being tormented by the wolf-girls who have magic and after years of being alone after her mother was taken by Woodsman years earlier. Reid doesn't rush as we get to know both Evike and Gaspar and all the hurt they've been hiding for years. This isn't a quick - to - fall in love relationship. Evike's village has hated and feared the Woodsman for years, and Evike is not quick to forget that. It's lovely to watch their relationship evolve as they slowly open up to each other and begin to trust each other.

There's lots of trauma and pain and abuse and hatred in this book, but there's also love and acceptance and hope and redemption. So good.

When this book was marketed for fans of Spinning Silver and The Bear and the Nightingale (two of my favorite books), I was sold. The Wolf and the Woodsman did not disappoint.

Évike is an outcast in her pagan village -- she's an orphaned, magic-less girl surrounded by women who have been blessed by the gods with power. So when a group of Woodsmen -- the king's zealous soldiers -- come to claim a girl from her village as a sacrifice, Évike is turned over. As she begins the long and treacherous journey to the capital, she learns that the mysterious captain of the Woodsmen, Gáspár, is no ordinary Woodsman.

This was a beautifully written story with vivid imagery -- it transported me deep into snow-covered forests where ancient myths are still very much alive. The first two-thirds of the book had me hooked. Gáspár and Évike were raised to hate everything about each other. But on their journey to find the mystical turul, they realize that even though they grew up world's apart, they understand each other in profound ways because of the losses and hardships they've grown up with. I loved seeing their relationship develop despite their resistance to it.

The last third of the book lost me. So much time was spent on their journey to find the turul -- so when they finally reached their destination only to abruptly turn back to the capital, it felt very anticlimactic. This event that we've been building up to doesn't come to fruition and it's unclear what the new goal is. When Évike and Gáspár finally reached the capital, the story further deteriorated for me. Everything moves too fast -- it didn't leave enough time or space for plot or character development. Nandor, Gáspár's plotting stepbrother, started out as one of the most intriguing characters, but he ultimately disappoints. We're led to believe he's super powerful and cunning -- his powers literally prevent him from dying and the people believe he's divine. And yet, when we finally meet Nandor his actions just seem sloppy and he's not very charming.

Then things start moving really fast. Évike and Gáspár are suddenly back on their quest for the turul -- Évike loses her newfound powers when she kills it -- the king goes mad after he dines on it's eyes -- Nandor kills him -- the pagans show up for battle -- Évike kills Nandor so Gáspár can become king. All of that happens in less than 100 pages and it's too rushed. While I love a good standalone novel, I do think this may have benefited from being spread out over at least 2 books so we could've gotten richer characters and plot lines in the second part of the story. 

Overall, The Wolf and the Woodsman was a beautifully written story and great for fans of fairytale retellings!

One of the previous reviews said that you have to sip and not gulp this book, and I could not agree more. I kept wanting to go back to the world of the story but I took my time and dipped in and out over a few days. It is a beautiful, multi-layered story with very human characters. The descriptions are beautiful, and while it does sometimes become gory, I stayed engaged the whole time. I especially appreciated that it features Hungarian folklore, which I'm not familiar with- it was so refreshing to read new elements of fantasy, instead of the ones that seem to be used again and again. I loved the explorations of Yehuli/Jewish identity and the way they influenced Evike's choices and the plot. Highly recommend for fans of female protagonist fantasy novels with creative worldbuilding.

First, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, let's be honest, I wasn't NOT going to pick this up as soon as you say it's similar to Bear & the Nightingale and Spinning Silver. But also, don't get my expectations THAT high because the Winternight Trilogy is one of my all-time favs and will probably never be topped.

That being said, I really enjoyed this story. I definitely see the similarities in those 2 stories, but it was also a fresh tale for me with elements that I was not previously familiar with once you layered in the Hungarian folklore. There is definitely a father Konstantin figure, a Miryem figure, magic, monsters (both human and not), a journey (or several), a quest, a battle, self-discovery, enemies-to-lovers, familial love, and more. The magical system could definitely make people uncomfortable as there are elements of self-harm/mutilation involved. There are other content warnings people should heed as well for anti-Semitism, genocide, abuse, and gore to name some.

The story was well done, the characters' journeys were believable, and the world-building was strong (I personally love when the myths and cultural stories are layered into the larger story).

4.5 stars and would recommend

I'm unsure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I was completely smitten by the first half of the novel. I couldn't help it—I'm a complete suckered for enemies in close proximity, when feelings of hate slowly begin turning into something *more*. But when the second half hit, I found I wasn't as invested as I used to be. Granted, it did take a different turn—slightly more political, world-wise, and further developed the main characger's, Évike, uh, character. But at that point it just made me realize how much of a child she tended to be, just lashing out with harsh words. It was difficult for me to be able to tell whether she should do that. But all I came up with was that it didn't make me like her that much.
I think that may have the point—and I admired that! Évike was definitely a refreshing character in that sense, so despite me being iffy about her, I did admire her somewhat.
I was also enamored with the world. It feels as if Reid went above and beyond making this world as intricate as possible. Countless stories, countless truths, countless nuances that made it come to life. I loved that the most of this book!
Overall, I think I'm giving this 3 stars. It wasn't for *me* but I can see others enjoying this!

The Wolf and the Woodsman is a masterfully crafted novel filled with raw touching moments and the harsh reality of religious persecution and ethnic cleansing for the sake of nation expansion. Reid captivates her readers with her fierce main character Evike and the lone, disgraced Prince Gaspar. Their slow burn of enemies to lovers is one steeped in reclaiming identity and reckoning with the doctrines you have been taught all your life.

Reid's beautiful writing leaves you breathless, hurt, but still hopeful. I enjoyed this book so much. I saw myself in it and others. The faces of those forgotten in history's oppressive tellings.

A book that will be sure to leave imprints on many, many hearts. I can't wait to see this novel reach critical acclaim. This book deserves it, Reid deserves it.

Wow. Just wow. Ava Reid has written an absolutely incredible fantasy story, one that everyone should read. Her characters are diverse and interesting, and I was so invested in not only their survival, but also their happiness. The enemies to lovers romance was incredibly well done, with a amazing chemistry between the two leads. The plot itself is what I would consider a standard fantasy plot, but the world building and characters really make it stand out. The world that Reid is incredibly rich and diverse, and the way she incorporated Jewish stories was amazing, and really cool to see.

The Wolf and the Woodsman is an incredible fantasy book, one I wish I could read for the first time over and over again.

Sometimes you read a book and feel as though you just don't have the words to adequately describe the ache of emotion it's left within you and the brand it's blazed across your soul. This is one of those books for me.

First, I want explain just why I chose to pick this book up. It wasn't just that it's been likened to two of my personal favorites: The Bear and the Nightingale and The Witcher. Those comparisons surely fit. It wasn't just that it has a dark, woodsy fantasy setting, with a wild girl and a lost prince whose lives crash into each other and become irrevocably bound.

No, it's because it tells the story of characters caught between the worlds they are tied to. This story is inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish folklore. I am the daughter of divorced parents, with a father whose family immigrated from Hungary several decades ago. I was raised in recognition of this, and to celebrate it, but never actually knew my father or the Hungarian side of my family. And for that, I ache, because despite having traditionally Hungarian names on my birth certificate, I know practically nothing about the culture or my family's history.

In The Wolf and the Woodsman — with its rich and evocative fantasy setting — I found a connection to the fragments that compile Évike's soul and related so deeply to her journey of finding her worth and identity. Évike herself is half-pagan, half-Yehuli, caught in the grasp of a kingdom that feels no love for either of her peoples. Despite her pagan upbringing, she is barren of magic and shunned within her own village, where magic is coveted and revered.

While I am not Jewish myself, I was enchanted by the weaving of Jewish folklore throughout this story. Seeing the Jewish representation through the Yehuli people was so powerful. These stories are severely underrepresented in literature, particularly genre fiction such as this, and I hope publishers will take note of how enriching it is to see these stories on the page.

When the King's Woodsman come to take another girl for her magic, Évike is surrendered by her village with a lie, and she must pretend to be exactly what she's always desired to be. Except, amongst her captors she finds the disgraced, but true-born prince Gáspár, another soul caught between the worlds of his parents, and seeking redemption in the eyes of his people. Between each other, they develop a tenuous bargain that will prevent the shattering of their worlds and hope to bring peace to Régország. Of course, along they way they come to recognize the kindred pieces of their beings have become twined and their bargain grows into something much deeper and. The burn is slow and oh is it good, folks. *wink*

From page to page, it is clear how personal the telling of this story is for Reid and she captures it with her expressive and lyrical writing. Through her atmospheric storytelling, the reader is enfolding into a world where nothing is given without first taking, where even the trees themselves feel on the cusp of giving chase, and where the worst monsters live behind city walls and whisper prayers with reverent fervor.

It should be noted that this story is squarely adult, with references to and depictions of gore, genocide and sex. The world Reid has crafted is as wild and vicious as it is magical and hauntingly beautiful.

Hands down, this is one to savor as you read and one I won't soon forget. I look forward to reading more from Reid in the future and seeing this story in the hands of readers.

THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN is a stunning, immersive, and deeply engrossing debut fantasy. A perfect intersection of lore, storytelling, and heart. This is a story about stories, and about the way that stories shape nations, cultures, and societies. TWATW is bloody and heart-wrenching, gorgeous and horrifying all at once. I spent much of the book with my shoulders tensed up to my ears, afraid to read the next page.

Reid's prose is so lyrical it swallows you whole. The world building is complex, rich with lore and stories and hard-to-swallow dynamics of oppression and hate. Évike is a perfect protagonist to see this world through - outcast and instrumental all at once.

I can't wait for others to dive headfirst into gruesome, magical, blood-thirsty world, and I can't wait to read all of Reid's future books. If they're anywhere near as incredible as her debut, I know I'll be amazed.

I was thrilled to receive an e-arc of Ava Reid’s debut novel, 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙣. I may have screamed and pumped my fist in the air when I was notified. As a friend of mine once said: 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙. And Reid did not disappoint. Her story is an epic, gritty, and bittersweet adventure from start to finish. I adored our outcast duo, Évike and Gáspár, who are so wonderfully human in their desires, imperfections, and acts of heroism. Reid masterfully balances fast-paced and unpredictable plot with rich and complex world-building. If you’ve been searching for a book that blends mythical magic, enemies-to-lovers romance, and violent political schemes, this story is for you. But be forewarned: body horror is part of the magical system, so there are graphic, though not gratuitous, depictions of gore.

𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀:
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙣 opens in a pagan village where our strong-willed protagonist, Évike, is surrendered to a group of Woodsmen, a holy order that serves a corrupt and oppressive ruler and his nation. She is thrust onto a perilous journey with Gáspár, a brooding woodsman who isn’t quite what he seems. Despite their best efforts to loathe one another, they are inevitably drawn together as they brave monstrous creatures and harsh environments to save the very people who have made them outcasts.

𝗠𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
☀︎︎ real, relatable and complex characters
☀︎︎ moody imagery that snarls and devours
☀︎︎ detailed mythologies that are woven into the fabric of the story through memories and conversations
☀︎︎ timely themes on othering and engendering ethnic hate and violence for political gain

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
This novel releases on 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟴𝘁𝗵, so do yourself a favor and pre-order now. I’ve already ordered the hardcover and cannot wait to add it to my personal library.

This absolutely deserves the comparisons to Uprooted - not just because of the forests that play large roles in both books, but because Reid's prose is every bit as poetic and beautiful as Novik's. I don't know anything about the mythology Reid drew from, and that was immensely refreshing and fun; I'm so tired of seeing the same mythologies played with over and over. With something new, it meant I recognised nothing and couldn't predict what was coming, and I LOVED that!

This is a gorgeous book, and if there's any justice in the world, it's going to be an enormous hit!

Wow! This was beautifully written and BRUTAL! The author took it where I thought she wouldn't several times! I love that this world was brutal yet the people persevere. This was so The bear and the Nightingale + The Witcher. I was captivated start to finish and really loved the characters. One of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a while

A warm, thick stew on a winter day: Be careful to sip and not gulp. I would have liked to race through this one, desperate to know what was to come, but it's far too lush for big bites.