Summary: This story follows Evike, a half Jewish, half pagan girl who grows up in a pagan village which thrives due to the magical abilities the girls in the village are able to wield, given to them by their gods. This village exists deep in the forest within a nation that appears radically monotheistic (this monotheistic faith called the Patrifaith seems to resemble Christianity and the rigor with which it is enforced draws strongly from historical events such as the inquisition). Every year the woodsmen, members of a holy order which worships the Prinkepatrios and serves the King, arrive at the village to take one girl with strong magical abilities away to the king for slaughter. This year, they have come for a seer but instead the matriarch of the village gives them Evike, despite the fact that she has never displayed magical abilities of any kind. Evike soon finds that the woodsman who took her isn't what he seems to be and that there is far more going on than she was led to believe.

Review: I'm not sure I can find the right words to explain how I felt while reading this book. I guess I'll start with the simplest ones. I felt seen. I've been reading young adult literature for about 10 years now and I've never come across a single book that has depicted my culture in any meaningful way. This book does that and more. Ava Reid describes the historic oppression of Jewish people but she also spends a great deal of time talking about their resiliency and beauty. Even in the face of imminent harm, the Jews of the city celebrate their holidays and tell the story of Esther's bravery.

Although the society in which Evike lives is one in which people who claim to represent Christianity use their religion to oppress those of the Jewish and pagan faiths, each ideology is given proper respect. There is no one magic system or one set of gods that grant true power. Every god grants power in their own right to those who believe and hold fast to their culture. When she leaves her village, Evike finds that each faith draws on the other. The stories she grew up on are not so different from those told to the children of the Patrifaith. Each one may have many interpretations but that doesn't have to mean one is more correct than another. Evike finds that she does not have to choose between her mother's gods or her fathers. By trusting in the stories of her village she finds her way to her pagan magic and by learning the language of her father and the power words hold she finds her way to Jewish magic as well. It is both parts of herself that help her save the kingdom and the people she loves.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you so much to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

The Wolf and the Woodsman has been one of my much anticipated releases for 2021 and I’m so thankful and excited to report it stood up to every expectation–and then some–that I had for it. A dark, woodsy adult fantasy filled to the brim with atmospheric writing, angsty enemies-to-lovers romance, and Jewish folklore.

The writing in this book is absolutely spectacular. This is Ava Reid’s debut novel and it is very obvious how talented of a writer she is. Vivid descriptions. flesh out characters, and faultless pacing come together to create the perfect story. Her words effortlessly conjure an atmospheric setting and easily captivate the reader’s attention.

The enemies-to-lovers romance is the stuff of dreams. I could not have asked for the relationship between Évike and Gáspár to be written any better. The angst, the yearning, the tension; all of it was brilliantly constructed.

The Wolf and the Woodsman also focuses on important issues as well. The themes of oppression, ethnic cleansing, and genocide are explored throughout the book. The story borrows heavily from Jewish folklore and Hungarian history. I was compelled by Évike’s journey of survival and identity.

Given the title of the book (I’ll read anything that has the word “wolf” in the title) and the synopsis, there was no much convincing needed to add this to my TBR. The Wolf and the Woodsman bewitched me from beginning to end. The atmospheric setting, phenomenal writing, and angsty slow-burn romance provided a lethal combination that had me flying through the chapters. I highly recommend checking out this dark, woodsy adult fantasy and I look forward to more stories from Ava Reid in the future!

I really wanted to love this book. I do think that the author shows a lot of talent and promise, but there were issues with this book that I had a hard time overlooking. I think the author was strongest in creating atmosphere - writing about the landscape, surroundings, overall feeling, etc. I also think that some of the strongest parts of the book were in the stories that Evike told from her pagan heritage. I think that the pagan belief system was really well designed and described. The author had some really striking and beautiful turns of phrase. Where I think the author struggled was with dialogue, characterization, and motivating characters. Unfortunately most of these characters are pretty flat - they don't grow or change that much throughout the whole course of the book, and "bad" people like Nandor are just unequivocally evil and not particularly nuanced. I know we're supposed to believe that Gaspar and Evike have changed so much because they learn to love each other, but honestly I don't think that they actually grow much throughout the book. I was frequently frustrated by Evike's inability to adapt to her situation in a meaningful way. And I find it hard to believe that they would basically never see or speak to each other after they arrive at the palace, but then when they escape to hunt the turul again, they are suddenly declaring love. I had a hard time buying the romance. I also felt that many of the character motivations were a bit confusing or lacking. I think the author did a great job in creating this world and the magic systems, belief systems, and political climate. But I think it was overall a bit muddy and confused. Also, the pacing felt a bit off to me - the first half of the book dragged a bit, and then the back half tried to fit in so much. I think this author has a lot of promise but this could have used more editing.

I LOVED this book. It's beautiful and harsh, sensitive and gritty - and everything I want out of a great Fantasy Read (its also one of those crossovers that will appeal to lots of readers who don't typically read fantasy). From the first line "The trees have to be tied down by sunset. When the Woodsmen come, they always try to run." I was taken in, and basically lost myself in this world...bye bye saturday plans, I couldn't put this down.
Action, magic, monsters, political intrigue, complicated relationships, betrayal, mythology, romance, its all there. Her writing and storytelling is spellbinding. She harnesses a wild, intense, and often gritty plot with the most beautiful metaphors and language. I had all the angst and all the feels. I want more!

This was a perfect 5 Star read all across the board: Great multi-layered complex characters? Check. Incredible World Building and "feel the frost on your fingertips" settings and descriptions? Check. Well balanced and gripping plot? Check. Incredible writing? Check. All the feels? Double Check.

Obviously I'm a huge fan: Technically this book doesn't go on sale until tomorrow, so I couldn't hand-sell it today, but I did "handsell" all 5 copies we got onto "customer holds" for tomorrow.

There is a lot to love about this story. First, you an adult retelling. What isn't to love about that? Then you have the intricate cultures established within the story itself. It was spectacular and so fun and interesting to read. The story and premise were incredibly promising. Then you have a love interest who isn't your typical "super hot and flawless" guy. He's got flaws. Your main character ends up saving him a few times. However, the story fell short for me when I noticed that there isn't much growth or development between the characters. They are either arguing or flirting and not speaking for days. I don't think there is a clear point when they begin to develop feelings, they just suddenly do and then don't again. It was fun, but has quite a few issues that were sometimes a bit irritating to read. They are also supposed to be 25, but I feel they read more YA.

I heard a lot of chatter about this book, so it isn’t surprising that I jumped this book to the front of my TBR. Also, I wanted to include this in my Jewish American Heritage Month reading, and I have absolutely no regrets about it. Even if my NetGalley deadlines are suffering a little for this. It was worth it.

The story was a little slow moving at first. I liked Évike’s character from the start, especially since there’s something about an underdog that I can’t help but love. She’s an outcast with no magic in a village that basically worships magic, relies on it for survival. My heart broke for her right away, but she’s clearly a tough character, which is something that I love.

Gáspár was a character that took me a little more time to warm up to. He’s a lot more closed off and hard to read, but since the story is told from Évike’s POV, we don’t really find out what’s going on in his head until he says it out loud (or shows it). He did grow on me over the course of the book, morphing from a brutal, cold Woodsman to an actual human with his own struggles and goals, and we get to see the lengths that he’s willing to go to create positive changes in the kingdom that he loves.

The writing was absolutely stunning. For a good portion of the beginning of the book, the two characters are traveling through sparsely populated areas of the country. The way that the surroundings, and especially sunsets are described are so incredibly vivid. I’ve never really seen writing that was this evocative and enchanting, making me feel as if I was right there with the characters, experiencing every single thing with them. While the traveling could have gotten boring, the writing, action scenes, and tension between the characters kept me interested throughout the book.

Jewish culture and traditions are depicted throughout the story, which was very welcomed. I loved seeing how some things haven’t changed at all — how we celebrate holidays, our focus on education, and the welcoming nature of my people. However, it broke my heart to see how antisemitism continues to persist. The pressure to exert faith-based control hit very close to home — the Patrifaith’s desire to stamp out paganism and the Yehuli is a mirror of Christianity through the ages, but with a fantasy spin.

Overall, I loved how the story unfolded. The action, the romance, the magic system, and the complex bonds that develop between the characters definitely pushed this story right to the top of my list of books I’ve fallen in love with this year. Beware though, this story has a lot of gore, including self-mutilation. It’s a great read, but it can be a little tough at times. If you can handle the content warnings, it’s definitely worth it.

Born without magic, Évike is an outcast of her pagan village, so when Woodsmen arrive demanding they give up a precious Seer—a wolf girl—for their king, they disguise Évike as a Seer and send her instead. However, on their way to take her to the king, their party is attacked by monsters, leaving only Évike and the one-eyed captain named as the survivors. Now, in order to survive, the two of them form a reluctant alliance.

Steeped in Jewish mythology and Hungarian history, The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid is an utterly enchanting and richly-woven fantasy. It’s incredible how well-crafted and well-throughout the story’s worldbuilding and lore are. The author delicately navigates the clashing of cultures and both explores the power of myth as well as how myths can intersect across cultures.

I guess it’s only fitting that a story so rooted in myths also reads like an old epic poem itself. The writing is earthy and unflinchingly gruesome and, at times, also beautifully tender. In the acknowledgements, the author lists Hozier and Florence and the Machine (my two favorite artists) as part of her writing playlist, and I can feel that.

Lastly, I have to talk about the relationship dynamic of the two main characters, which I absolutely adored. Évike is a fierce and stubborn huntress and Gáspár is a pious man dedicated to his faith. They’re like fire and ice. On top of that, they’re also mortal enemies. However, I enjoyed watching the tension between the two and seeing Gáspár slowly let his guard down and seeing the two of them gradually grow a mutual respect for each other.

Complete with multi-faceted characters and intricate lore, this book helped me remember what it’s like to truly sink into a good fantasy book again. This is a stunningly gorgeous and emotionally compelling debut, and I’m excited to see what other books Ava Reid has in store in the future.

Ava Reid has created a world in The Wolf and the Woodsman that is compelling and atmospheric and full of intrigue. The role of women in this book is strong and full of a fierceness that's not only traditional, but incredibly empowering. The romance between the main characters is just the right amount of tension but is also so natural that you almost don't see it coming. It adds depth to an already captivating story. The story of a wolf-girl being captured by woodsmen as a sacrifice for her community and their journey to battling a strong oppressor and his following kept me turning pages well into the night. It reminded me in places of Game of Thrones in its unexpected, twists and turns way but also in a way that showcased faith as both a pillar and as a source of conflict.

What a great historical fantasy epic! I haven’t read a fantastical tale like this in a long time, and I was very swept away by it all. Loved, loved, loved the enemies-to-lovers storyline.
I would recommend that the pronunciation guide be moved to the beginning, as it would make a good introduction to a lot of the names and characters. Also, a note explaining the historical and mythological aspects of the story would be awesome and help to make the world a little more relatable.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Wolf and the Woodsman first drew my attention due to comparisons made to The Bear and the Nightingale, and my curiosity was further piqued when I heard about this book’s influences in Hungarian history and Jewish folklore. The result is a darkly beautiful story with allegories for relevant historical and socio-political issues such as antisemitism and ethnic cleansing.

While I’m neither Hungarian nor Jewish, I found the way these elements colored both the world building and Évike’s identity very compelling. She is half-pagan, half-Yehul, and her kingdom is hostile to both identities. And in spite of being pagan, she doesn’t have magic, which is deeply valued.

A betrayal leads to her being offered as the sacrifice to the Woodsmen, and through a series of misfortunes, ultimately, it’s just her and disgraced Crown Prince Gáspar who form an alliance against his half-brother. While romance isn’t at the forefront, it is a fairly well-executed enemies-to-lovers subplot, as they grapple with their mutual mistrust and religious differences, the latter of which is explored sensitively.

I enjoyed this book a lot, from the immersive descriptions of the woods to the characters, plot, and politics. It has something that will appeal to pretty much every fantasy reader, and especially those who loved The Bear and the Nightingale.

The Wolf and the Woodsman is a dark fairytale more in line with the original Grimm tales than the whimsical ones of today. It is medieval fantasy with witchcraft, pagans, religious oppression and altered layers of history. There are elements of Jewish and perhaps Russian folklore. The plot is well paced and much of the book was not predictable; propelling me forward and keeping me curious throughout. The world building is so richly developed I can see why fans are likening it to novels such as Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale. The relationships are real and messy and raw. There is no insta-love or insta-forgiveness. 



Évike is the only girl born in her village without any magic. As a outcast life is bitter and often heart wrenching for her. When the Woodsmen arrive to take their human girl tax of the year they choose Évike thinking she is a seer to bring to their king. The path to the kingdom is treacherous in more ways than one. Harsh weather, betrayal, and monster-like creatures somewhere in between threaten their path.



Gáspár understands what it’s like to be an outcast. He is the true-born heir to the throne. Rejected by his father he now wears the Woodsman clothes and axe. As their journey takes them toward the palace both of them must decide what side they are truly on and what they are willing to do to make sure their worlds do not crumble.



This book is written so well and there is not much about it I would change. However, there is a part around 70-80% that gets a bit, boring? That quickly fades; but I do think it would benefit from a bit of editing out to just tighten the story up.

This ended up being a DNF at the 15% mark. While I really wanted to enjoy the story, I found that the pacing made it difficult to get through. While I may give this book another read at some point, this initial reading left me a bit disappointed. However, the prose is well-written, and I can see myself giving this book another try at some point because I have seen many stellar reviews.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book was a great take on a tale we all know. The setting and feel of this book is amazingly successful. The author does a wonderful job of making the reader feel they are actually there in the cold, dark, woodsy environment.

The characters for me did not grab and hold my attention. I was not drawn in by them nor was I rooting for them. I felt there were a little one dimensional— perhaps because we only get one point of view. The romance Also fell flat for me. There is however a strong dose of violence, torture, and physical abuse. Because of that this is definitely a book for adults even though I have seen it compared to some novels for younger readers.

2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for allowing me to review this book in advance. I wanted to love this book, but I found it too disturbing. Ritual animal sacrifice/ animal death is a huge no.

I appreciated the intelligent writing, lots of words I had to look up though. It did beef up my vocabulary! I liked the folklore and the overall message rallying against religious zealotry, genocide and ethnic cleansing.

The plot line and the two MC’s meander around through the deadly plains and woods on some very high risk/low reward adventures. Obviously it’s meant to throw our two MC’s together and cement them into an enemies to lovers situation because of the forced proximity. I just didn’t get the chemistry between them. Gaspar is so flat and I feel like Evike uses him more than cares about him, I didn’t see much romance, at least not the kind people would kill and die for.

Overall, it just wasn’t for me.

It’s hard for me to even put into words how much I enjoyed this book. The world building was wonderful and dark and twisted. While I am not Jewish I was captivated with the Jewish folklore that was woven into this story. The story itself reads like a horror story with the strange wicked creatures and the hatred inspired by real antisemitic history in Hungary. I really enjoyed the slow burn romance that was also included in the story. It was a wonderful addition to the heavy topics of oppression and ethnic cleansing. Évike and Gáspár has such a beautiful romance it never felt forced and I felt that it was an honest and believably beautifully formed relationship. They were each other’s match and Gáspár kneeling after their love brought him to his knees was swoon worthy. I highly recommend this book.

The Wolf and the Woodsman is a fabulous debut fantasy. Full of everything I love when I’m seeking out a new epic adventure. There is such depth to this world-building and the plot arc is complex- full of sacrifice, past abuse, talk of cultural identity, and scenes of persecution and oppression. I don’t know if I’ll do a good job of it, but I’ll try to hammer out some words in a workable review.

Evike is the only woman in her village who has no power and therefore is the one who is sacrificed when the Woodsmen come to take a seer back to the king. She is angry and indignant and determined to escape. The journey is hellish and full of monsters. It doesn’t take long for Evike to realize that the leader of the group is none other than the dishonored prince, Gaspar Barany. When everyone but the two of them ends up slaughtered, they must carry on with their journey toward the capital city, despite their distrust and outright hatred for each other. But that hatred slowly turns to something like friendship, and trust starts to build until a true affection and devotion is all that’s left.

When the two reach finally reach their destination that’s when readers realize the horror of what the king is actually doing to the women taken from the pagan villages and the details of his extensive plans to consolidate power.

I wish I could dive deep into this plot, but as I mentioned above there is so much going on. And readers really should experience the plot arc unfolding for themselves without any spoilers. This is a story about abuse of power, prejudice, nation-building, and ethnic cleansing. It’s also a book about sacrifice and love and forgiveness. There is a love story amidst all the violence and hatred between two very different, yet connected people. Both Evike and Gaspar are fractured and stuck in survival mode, but they are also both smart, resourceful warriors who see the wrongness of what the kingdom is doing to what it considers its lesser residents and want to do something about it.

This is not an easy read by any means, most epic fantasy isn’t. But it is a compelling, fantastical adventure that will stay with its readers long after they’ve read the last word. It does leave off in a hopeful place, but I would have liked a little more closure in regards to Evike and Gaspar’s relationship. In the end, I was at peace with how this book wrapped up.

I really enjoyed this book. The world building was great and the characters were complex and interesting. I had seen a lot of hype before requesting this on netgalley, and the hype was deserved. It was good.

However I do need to say something. If your book needs a pronunciation guide, PLEASE put it at the beginning. This book had a multiple-page guide at the end, where I learned that I’d been pronouncing nearly everything wrong for the entire time. That was frustrating.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I was hoping for more of a fantasy romance, and there's just not a lot of ROMANCE in the romance plotline - despite a large chunk of the book being Evike and Gaspar traveling together. I wanted an epic enemies to lovers love and it just sort of... fell flat for me.

Also, ALL THE CONTENT WARNINGS. I can't even. Ava Reid says, in a Goodreads review comment of her book, that this has a "'magic system based on body horror,' which is I think apt - and so, naturally, there are a lot of graphic, on-the-page depictions of gore." She also notes that "Religious persecution, cultural genocide, and ethnic cleansing are at the core of this book."

I don't know, I was expecting more romance and more fairy tale, and instead got pages and pages of Evike hating everything and lashing out in pain and hatred because that's all she's known for so long. This was just... really hard to read. I did feel some sympathy for her by the end of the book, and found myself pushing to finish it because I needed to know how it ended, as for much of it Evike is town between her two heritages and her growing love for the enemy. It's like being between a rock and a hard place and a pit full of spikes. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it - it was an okay and often thought-provoking read with the occasional really great moment, but also a lot of slogging through the muck. I don't think I'll be reading anything else by Ava Reid in the near future.

I just know it's a good book when I'm trying really hard to read slowly so I could savor it. Unfortunately, as much as I didn't want it to end, it did. *cries myself to sleep*

I honestly can't decide what I love most about TWATW- the author's evocative and lyrical writing, Évike's strength and character growth, the simmering slow-burn romantic tension of a doomed love or the lush storytelling inspired by Jewish folklore and Hungarian history. I am so utterly in awe of this beautiful, atmospheric, brilliant book.

I don't know what to tell you. From the first moment I heard about TWATW, I just knew I had to read it. This is one of my most anticipated 2021 releases and I'm so happy to say it's pretty effin' BRILLIANT.

I loved being immersed in this brutal, haunting and enchanting world. Ava Reid weaved a story so addictive and captivating in its honesty and rawness. Her heart and passion in telling this story shone through the pages. She created a cast of complex characters that are impossible not to root for. Witnessing Évike go through her journey of finding her identity, self worth and place in the world was nothing short of fascinating. My heart ached for Évike. And Gáspár? This prince with a broken, tortured soul also has my heart.

Needless to say, TWATW is one of the most memorable books I've read this year! Will definitely read this again!

"I am one small star in a huge and brilliant constellation."

"You can’t hoard stories the way you hoard gold, despite what Virág would say. There’s nothing to stop anyone from taking the bits they like, and changing or erasing the rest, like a finger smudging over ink. Like shouts drowning out the sound of a vicious minister’s name."

"This sudden fearlessness is like a song that begs for singing, the words and the melody bubbling up in me boldly, loudly."

I received an ARC to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an electronic advanced reader copy. Everything here is my own opinion.

This book had a lot of fun aspects. I loved the stories and lore that were woven within the story. Our main characters, Évike who is "wolf girl" and Gáspár who is a "woodsman," share lore and stories back and forth; and that is about the extent of their similarities. When Gáspár needs the help of a wolf-girl to save his kingdom and Évike offered up as a sacrifice, things get a little complicated. Both have strong feelings about the other's culture and religion and are not afraid to say it.

What I absolutely loved about this book was the lore woven in, the tension between not only the main characters but some side characters, and just the atmosphere of this book. I feel as if this one would make a great mini-TV show series.

This book was a little slow for me. Not only that, but sometimes I felt the lore woven in, which I adored on its own, took away from the main story being told. The first half of the book I felt like nothing was happening, but I was still interested to see what would happen in the end. It was good for a standalone, but it left me wanting more and feeling as if something was missing.