Musings:

A lot of the time I read books at the right time for me to read them. This book is one of those times. I am in a place in my life where everything is chaotic and uncertain. I feel like things have only gotten harder and I feel very discouraged. This is much the place Maggie is in mentally and physically. Her mom leaves her alone to fend for herself for months on end. Everyone in the village for the most part gives her hate except for a select few good people. The hate she is given is based off of the religion she was born into.

I needed this book because in spite of it all Wes shows Maggie how to stand up for herself. She learns not to absorb every insult and to finally choose herself and take up space in the world of her own right. Even though she is scared and things are uncertain they move forward.

This helped me to see life isn’t supposed to be certain and it’s not going to do any good for me to try and control it so all I can do is live my best and watch life unfold as it will.

The other part of this book I loved was the romance. While at the beginning I was very unsure if there was even a spark between them, as the story went on, I was proven wrong. Maggie and Wes remind me a lot of the relationship I have with my boyfriend. In the beginning it took us time to truly trust each other, but the attraction we have together is undeniable. Wes is a representation of hope for Maggie that she isn’t so sure she can take because of the trust issues she has due to her mother.

God was the attraction there once they truly saw each other. The way they are magnetized to each other and just look at each other and feel so much makes me feel the way I feel for my boyfriend. Especially the way Wes wants to take care of Maggie and ease the weight off her shoulders while still encouraging her and is in awe of her strength reminds me of how my boyfriend sees and treats me. Her reaction to being seen and wanting to deny it and say he can’t love her that much is also a similar feeling for me, but eventually like Maggie I learned to accept it.

This novel is such a fun read on top of the complex relationships there’s alchemy and danger and a hunt that will keep you on edge. I highly recommend ‘A Far Wilder Magic’.

I love the way Allison weaves romance and fantasy together into a pitch-perfect, breezy, heart warming read. Can't wait to read more from her!

I wanted this to be betterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ugh

Like, I liked it. And the audio was *chef's kiss* but at the same time this fell short in so many ways and I am SAD about it and BUMMED and UGH.

What I loved: Maggie, Wes, Maggie and Wes, Trouble, the entire idea behind the book and the plot, Shimmer, the creepy moments, the character growth

What didn't work for me: the pacing, the lack of world building, the confusing religions that never were quite explained???? Wtf half of the things pertaining to alchemy were????

So like, I liked it. The idea was there and SO CLOSE but I wasn't 1890328190% invested until the last like, 20% and that was such a bummer to me because I WANTED TO LIKE THIS SO BAD.

10/10 will read another book by Allison Saft though because I want to try again.

I absolutely adored this fantasy novel. I love any story with unique religions and god systems, especially when there are mythological beasts. Also, The Hunt was such a fun plot point to read about. We have varied family dynamics which instills a multitude of emotions within the reader and adds variety to the story and characters. I highly recommend this book!

After months of trying to get through this book, I have finally given up. This particular book wasn't for me I felt like it dragged on and completely lost interest in both the characters and the plot.

I have recommended this book to multiple a high school students in my area. Anything with alchemy will always draw me in. Adding in the hunt of Hala and the religious undertones, paired with two people having to work together for different reason- you have a nice concoction for magic and love. This novel is so atmospheric and lyrical. Margaret and Wes are two of my favorite characters and I look forward to anything else Allison decides to write.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book is fascinating to me - I don't know if I can adequately explain what this book is about or any of the layers that this book contains. It follows two young adults as they work together to join the hunt to kill the last mythical beast in existence using alchemy. I knew that there was Jewish mythology in this book, and that it overlayed some of the commentary in this book (along with Catholic commentary), and I was so excited once it clicked enough for me to pick up on. As a Jewish person, with a partner who was raised Catholic, I could pick up on some of the comments and be able to relate them to our life/what we have experienced. However, some of it also was just a bit....confusing. This book seemed to exist outside time or space, like I couldn't clearly determine where or when this was, and it brought me out of the story at times. This is definitively a darker book - not a lighthearted romance here if that is what you are looking for. I struggled to read this book but in a weird way - I couldn't get myself to pick it up to read because it felt so difficult to read at times, but then I couldn't put it down once I did start reading it (as long as I wasn't interrupted because then the cycle would start again). I am excited to read more from Allison, because this was a very unique book and it was good, but it was also hard to read for me, but I am thinking that is more the writing style than anything else. Definitely check it out but know it isn't for the faint of heart.

I like Alison Saft's books a lot and primarily because they are such a welcome respite from the fantasy YA novels that make up what feels like 10000% of the market these days. It's nice to read something that's sweeter, gentler, and just more into the fantasy everything working out but in a way that just feels like a hug. These types of books are needed for readers, and it's so nice to have them!

What a gorgeous fantasy novel! The writing, the descriptions...it was all incredibly atmospheric. Can't wait for Allison Saft's next release!

Thank you so much for this arc!

Heart bounding and a sweet slow burn romance that painted such a vivid colour. Descriptive yet, very cozy low stakes fantasy.

I adore how atmospheric the novel was, but I did find the pacing a little wonky here and there.

First of all, I adore Allison Saft's writing, so I was thrilled as soon as this book was announced. Her way of building characters makes me deeply care about about them almost instantly and her plots sweep me away into a new world.

A Far Wilder Magic brings together the small town huntress who has been abandoned by her mother and withstood hatred and bigotry from her fellow townsfolk with the charming want-to-be-alchemist city boy who has dealt with his own fair share of bullying, poverty, and hardship. They must work together despite not thinking very highly of one another (to say the least).

A fun, easy read. Somehow even though a very different storyline and themes from her first book, still gives you the same vibes, and I recommend both of them.

I really enjoyed A Far Wilder magic, I would recommend this to anyone wanting a low fantasy with a bit of romance.

A very well thought out and excited story. The characters keep you intrigued and the plot is very original so you won’t get bored. The cover is a 10/10 I think it’s a great fall read. I hope more books will come out of this story universe.

The world-building and characters in tis novel was done really well. The romance was also done well and had good pacing. I feel like at this point there are so many review that were done well so I don't need to go into a ton of details. Bottom line is would recommend this book.

Amazing. Wonderful. Fantastic! Saft is a weaver of words and worlds. I loved it and would highly recommend!

I was very excited to receive an early copy of A Far Wilder Magic since I LOVED the author’s debut novel. This one is fairly different - it’s told from the perspective of both the heroine and the hero - but it features the same beautiful and descriptive settings, slow burn romance, and strong female protagonist that I loved so much in Down Comes the Night.

I really admire the main character Margaret. She’s incredibly self-sufficient and independent as a result of her mother abandoning her in favor of her work. Her closest companions are her dog Trouble and her horse. She’s great with a gun (for hunting and pointing at boys she’s wary will break their promises) and she loves romance novels. When she meets Wes, she doesn’t understand his optimism because she believes she’s destined to forever be alone in a big house and that her life will be loveless. They begin to work together in preparation for the hala hunt for different reasons: Wes because he needs the prize money and Margaret because she thinks it will bring her mother back. As they spend time together, they understand each other more and start crushing on one another. Wes can’t believe he thought Margaret was all work no play, and Margaret pretends to hate Wes’s constant chattering.

I love the way the romantic relationship between Margaret and Wes developed. Wes doesn’t have much to offer her. He’s like one of six kids or something in a low-income family, but he has big dreams of becoming a politician to make things better for families like his. He shows Margaret that it’s okay to want a better life and dream of a brighter future. But Margaret needs a lot of convincing since it’s in her DNA essentially to believe she doesn’t deserve good things. I’m so glad that by the end of the book, they’re on their way to happiness.

There was a scene between a secondary character, a young woman that Wes was briefly interested in, that I think was just fantastic. Wes and Margaret are discriminated against throughout the novel for the religions that their families practice. In one scene, this girl says she doesn’t think they deserve the hate but that she can’t do anything about it. Wes calls her out, basically saying she’s an active participant in the hate and discrimination because she doesn’t do anything about it. Really great messaging about being brutally honest with your racist friends tbh.

Finally, the way things ended between Margaret and her mother was really validating for young people (like me) who have had to cut out toxic and abusive family members.

Overall, such a special book - I will continue to read and love Allison Saft’s work.

This was written in a way that has still stuck with me. A very good and interesting read! A magical setting.

I definitely liked this book more than the author’s debut, Down Comes the Night (but I did enjoy that one as well). There was something I liked about these characters more than the other book’s characters. This story is atmospheric and I loved the writing but I found the romance to be a bit lacking. I loved the grumpy / sunshine element but the grumpy character came around on the sunshine one almost too easily? And the transition of those feeling was really fast. One chapter she basically thinks he’s useless and the next, they’re in love and she’s not grumpy anymore. But, I liked the magic, the lore, and the story in this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5-4*

A Far Wilder Magic really gripped me from the blurb, but I found that it was a slower burning book than I anticipated. I have always loved the idea of alchemy and I think that Saft played very well with the magical world she built. She also builds strong characters that are diverse and relatable in Maggie and Wes.

Perhaps the reason I struggled so much with the book was that it couldn't quite commit to a time/place and this left it unmoored. With a bit more conscious effort to ground the novel into an identifiable era would have made it a far more enjoyable read.

I would still recommend this to anyone looking for a twist on the fantasy genre.