" There's nothing for them to tell each other that they don't already know. He sees it in her eyes. He's tasted it on her lips. She writes it on his skin every time she touches him. But in all his mother's legends, there is binding power in words, and Wes doesn't want to die without his soul entwined with hers."

AFWM follows two individuals. One a poor boy from the city, ready to master alchemy and save his family from poverty, and a girl sealed away in a manor as she works to keep everything the way it should be, anything that will bring back her renowned alchemist of a mother.

Two souls lost in their own stories and hiding from their fear of failure, only one thing can earn them all that they want and desire, to participate in the great hunt.

This book took me by surprise with it's beautiful writing style (similar to stalking Jack the Ripper). Lyrical, dark and enchanting, Allison does an incredible job helping you see, smell, hear, and feel every detail she writes.

What I loved:
-slow burn romance that burned 🔥
-heartfelt MC backstories
-topics of racism while towards ficitional races, reflected truth
-the magic ⭐️
-the HEA

What I missed:
Based on the synopsis, I thought the hunt would be a more direct experience throughout the book, when really it was very minimal (maybe 2%).
The beginning felt like Crimson Peak with a haunted dark manor in the middle of nowhere, but the manor felt... well... not haunted.
The premise of the story gave me Redhood vibes with a hunt for a dangerous beast, but it felt anticlimactic.

My favorite part was the characters and their friendship turned romance as it blossomed and bloomed. Honestly, Wes and Maggie deserve each other and a happy ending.

Overall I did enjoy it and think many will love it. For me as a Fantasy reader there were a few opportunities for this gem to be 4k gold and fell a little short.

Rating:
story-⭐️⭐️⭐️
character-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
steam- NA level but with class

Song- Michigan by The Milk Carton Kids

Thank you to pub and author for my gifted copy.

This was an incredibly beautiful read, and I am in awe of the world that Allison Saft has made. The characters were lovely to read. It touched my heart to read of their hardships, their inner struggles, and even their struggled to accept that they deserve to be loved and their acceptance of their self-worth. The story itself was captivating, and I could read this story for hours (which is exactly what I did). The reveal of Evelyn's real nature took me for a spin, but it was something that really contributed to the story and just felt right. And of course, we all love a little romance with our fantasy books.

A Far Wilder Magic is a wonderful YA story of magic, a hunt, slow-burn romance, and learning that love isn't something you earn, and family isn't always blood. By the end of the book, I was so proud of Margaret and Wes for all they had accomplished and what they brought out in each other.

I was not sure I'd enjoy a book about the hunting of a magical creature, but the way it was done was so well thought-out, complete with the characters feeling conflicted as well. I enjoyed this one a lot!

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the e-ARC!

I'm sad to say that I had to DNF this at 30% - it has taken me weeks to get to this point and I'm just struggling with the story. I was looking forward to Magic and more, and I feel like the story is moving quite slow and the characters are remaining quite flat to me. There is also a lot of talk of religions with different names and no explanation. This was one of my most anticipated reads, so I'm sad I just get in to it more! I have another book by this author so I'm going to give her another shot!

I absolutely loved A Far Wilder Magic. Saft’s writing style - the compelling characters, an atmosphere you won’t find in other YA books and interesting takes on magic systems - has swiftly become a favorite of mine. There’s something incredibly soft and intimate about this book. It’s a tale of learning to let go and let people in, of growing up and believing in yourself, romance and suspense all in one truly magic story.
I really liked that the magic system is based around alchemy which isn’t the usual in todays YA field. The setting chosen was done so well - a familiar time period (to us) to set the tone in an unknown land.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book - enough that I read it in three hours and stayed in incredibly way too late. Trust me - between Saft’s first book - Down Comes the Night which was a favorite of mine last year - and now A Far Wilder Magic I can easily say that I am already anxiously awaiting her future work.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the opportunity to read an early copy of this!

5/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: fantasy, magic, dual POVs, tragic characters, competition, small towns, LGBTQ+ side characters, dyslexic representation

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 2/9, Instagram as of 2/10, and my personal book blog as of 2/16.

First, I think the worldbuilding was very well done. A Far Wilder Magic is set in a fantasy 1920s country that resembles the US (but isn't called the US). I liked the connection between real-world issues from the early 1900s and the ones that were present in the book. Saft did a good job creating mirrors of the real world in her fantasy world--Yu'adir = Jews, Banvishmen = Irish Catholics, Katharists = Protestants, etc.--without strictly mapping things 1-to-1 between the 'real' and 'fantasy' worlds. While there were clear similarities, Saft wrote about them differently enough that it didn't feel like an exact copy, plus most of the emphasis was on the hunt for the hala.

While the characters are dealing with their own issues, as well as preparing for the Halfmoon Hunt, they also have to deal with the prejudices that come from being non-Katharist in a small town (and country) that prefers Katharists. There are clear implications behind the things that other characters say. Jaime Harrington most malevolently reflects the idea that New Albia was created by and for Katharists and everyone else is 'pushing out' the true settlers of the land and thus doesn't deserve to be there. Then there's Annette Wallace, who never actually says anything bad...but she also doesn't defend the people Harrington and others harass and talk bad about.

The hala was an interesting storyline. It's one of the last (or perhaps the last) demiurges around, so naturally it's the target of a yearly hunt to try and kill it. Like with everything, people have different ideas of what it is and what it means, but everyone seems to agree that it's dangerous. I would've liked to know a bit more about the demiurge, perhaps from Wes' or Evelyn' (Margaret's mom) research, though I figure that's also kind of impractical considering 1) it tends to kill stuff, and 2) it's the last of its kind.

Margaret is used to being alone. In fact, she's so used to it that she gets extremely fed up with Wes simply for using the house (understandable, but still). She's created this buffer around her to protect her and has managed to convince herself that if she just does enough her mom will come home and stay. Poor Margaret's been through so much but she's managed to stay strong through it all. I'm quite partial to the gun-toting, take-care-of-myself nature she has and I liked that she kept that up throughout the book, even as she started opening up more. Margaret definitely has a lot to process during the course of this book, but her arc is really focused on her healing and understanding that love doesn't actually look like what she thought it did.

A large part of Margaret's story is her family: dead brother, 'missing' father, and workaholic, neglectful mother. Margaret is very convinced that she can make her mother love her again by winning the hunt and giving her mother the missing piece of her research. Evelyn is gone for a majority of the book, but good god when she's present she's a fairly awful person. Saft does a good job writing the manipulative and neglectful nature of Evelyn, who only ever seems to be angry, unless she's wielding false victimhood. Despite Evelyn's nature, family is a major part of this book, so its easy to see why Margaret has such a hard time pulling away from the situation.

Wes is just about the complete opposite of Margaret. He's used to living in an apartment with his numerous sisters and his mother, and while his home is full of love, he's also used to seeing the disappointment on his family's faces after he flunks out of yet another alchemist apprenticeship. He tries quite hard to convince himself that his sister, Mad, is wrong about him and that he's not selfish, but her words get under his skin anyway and his multiple failures have left their mark on him. Wes is someone who uses charm and flirtation to keep people at arm's length while simultaneously letting them think they're getting close. Wes deals with a lot of conflict over dreams vs. duty and struggles to decide which to follow.

There was a darker undercurrent so some of the alchemical research Wes was undertaking. Margaret has seen firsthand what alchemy can do, particularly when it involves demiurges. The subplot unravels slowly until close to the end of the book, and I definitely had a few ideas of how things went down. I ended up not being right about either of my predictions, and while they would've made the subplot more interesting, the reality is far more heartbreaking.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought the magic and hala hunt was interesting. Margaret and Wes are both foils and mirrors to one another, which I think works well. I liked the world that Saft created and was delighted by the historical Easter eggs I found in the book. The world is similar to ours, but still different enough that it felt new and fresh.

Beautiful! Kept me reading from the opening pages -- I thought the whole concept was very original and incredibly well-executed, and the characters were so engaging. Great read, would definitely recommend!

I gave this book 3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this slow burn book, but it definitely took a little for me to get into the storyline. I really loves Margaret and how strong willed she is despite what she has suffered through in her life. Wes was a charismatic, smart and passionate character who really helped Margaret break down her walls and really live again. I did enjoy their chemistry when they finally gave into it! The author did a great job including important themes such as racism and loss. I wish had a little more insight to the world and how the magic of Alchemy works. Overall I enjoyed this story and the ending was satisfying!

Keyword descriptors: dramatic, family oriented, magical.

This book was not as engrossing as I was hoping it would be based on description. I was not prepared for the majority of the book to be focused on the MC having to overcome years of emotional abuse at the hands of her mother, or the other MC having to face his own commitment issues stemming from losing his father and having to grow up sooner than other children.

I think the depth of the characters is truly the main focus of the story, with both struggling to overcome their own hang-ups and emotional blocks in order to embrace a better life, to choose themselves over the ones they've been struggling to hold up. Now, I think this is done well, but I think that most readers entering this book not expecting this will be disappointed. The book is billed as a mysterious, adventurous, magical hunt to take down a god-like creature. This takes up probably only 10% of the actual story.

There are characters coded as Jewish and Irish immigrant, the Christianity/Catholic system is also revamped into something fantasy-esque. It feels very much like a 1920s-30s period, just with fantasy elements, mostly the use of alchemy. I do think there could have been more worldbuilding, especially when it comes to how alchemy is used in day-to-day life. I don't mind that I could trace real-world elements underneath the fantasy ones, but maybe I'm just not generally ruffled by that kind of thing.

I would recommend the book, though it would have to be to readers who don't mind a slower pace, character-driven plots, and deeply emotional introspection.

I LOVED this book! After reading Down Comes The Night, I fell in love with Allison Saft's writing. You see her style continue flawlessly into this new story that was a joy to read from start to end. I think this book is perfect for people who love atmospheric reads with incredible world-building.

4.5/5

Love Love Loved this book so much!! I know I will not give it any justice in my review my thoughts are so scattered! When I saw the cover of this I was immediately drawn in. It looked like a spin on a classic and to say the cover didn't highly influence me would be a lie! I rarely remember what the synopsis says after I read it so I go into most books kind of blind. From what I remembered some hunt was going on, alchemy was involved, I was in! When I first met Maggie I was like ok this will be one of those books they go through this event together and right at the end the romance will happen but it will be mostly focused on the alchemy and the hunt, so glad I was wrong!! I didn't expect the romance to play as big a part as it did but no complaints I loved it. It was one of those books where I fully ship the main characters together and it was so frustrating waiting for things to happen. The words Pinning and Slow Burn come to mind. There was a lot of trying not to fangirl while reading in public during this whole book. Now onto the setting I absolutely love the 1920s vibes like some technology exist but very little. Some of language and town by the sea just gave me those old classic novel feels. The author created such a unique and atmospheric setting with the magical sciencey alchemy and hunt of this magic beast. This book was so beautifully written and
has earned its spot as one of my favorite YA reads. I will definitely be buying anything that comes out by this author in the future. I so highly recommend giving this book a read!! If I could give more than 5 stars I would!!

You know when you read and love a book, but have a hard time describing your experience? That's what's going on with me and A Far Wilder Magic. Let me try to show you how much I enjoyed this book.

It has plenty of hooks for me: alchemy, woods, a lonely manor house, mysteries, a sort of enemies-to-lovers romance thing going on. I got to experience each of these pretty in depth. The exploration of alchemy was interesting and fresh to me, certainly with familiar themes like equivalent exchange, a sense of magic, and the potential for big danger. The way it was woven into everyday life for the inhabitants of this world made it come alive for me as a reader. Something I didn't expect from this book was the sense of prejudice, racism, and bigotry that the townspeople expressed toward Margaret and Wes. This added another layer to their characters and made me love them even more -- and built my anger/frustration/exhausted irritation with the townspeople. It was beautiful to discover the genuine goodness inside the hearts of our two main characters, and how that caused so much strife for them (relatable). The romance between Margaret and Wes? Loved it. Of course we get moments of tension and frustration, and moments when someone made a bad decision, but it never felt over-the-top, and by the end it was so satisfying.

I don't think I'm doing a good job of expressing myself here. My experience with A Far Wilder Magic was soft and full of wonder, painful but satisfying, curious and contemplative. Like sitting around a campfire at night, listening to fantastical stories, drinking cozy beverages, and seeing magic in the sky above.

"A Far Wilder Magic" is a book about fitting in to a world that despises you, and making your mark in societal traditions that might not wish to include you. Anyone who has been discriminated against or dismissed will likely find enjoyment in Maggie and Wes's story. Taking place in an early 20th century sort of fantasy world, Maggie and Wes are desperately trying to prove themselves in a world that discriminates against them due to their religion and/or immigrant status. Wes is angry, ambitious, yearning to become a politician. Maggie just wants her missing mother to return. Both enter a hunting competition to kill a folkloric fox, yearning for prize money and public recognition.

First of all - this book is all about the preparation. The competition itself takes place in the last 10% of the novel. The story is about Maggie and Wes's growing respect for one another, with a love story weaved throughout. I loved the lush, thoughtful atmosphere of "A Far Wilder Magic", as well as how it mirrored some aspects of early Americana (resentment against immigrants, anti-Semitism) and ignored others (no homophobia in this world). Maggie and Wes were powerhouses of character, which was vital given that we were spending time with both of them almost exclusively. Because they're so interesting, I didn't mind the slower pace of this book, and indeed was able to forgive its (few) flaws. This story was utterly engaging and transported me to its unique world. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes strong, stubborn heroines and charming boys with two faces. Fans of Schwab should definitely check this one out - it's eerie, sad, and heartfelt.

A thoughtful YA fantasy that throws together two young people who find each other through their shared trauma. Here the setting combines early 20th Century western civilization (phones, cars, rifles, trains) with recognizable stand-ins for Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, and Judaism. Margaret and Wes are members of different minority religious groups, and face discrimination and violence because of it. Overlaid on the setting is a system of alchemy, a combo of science and magic that is viewed differently by each religious group.

Margaret is the daughter of a celebrated alchemist. Wes shows up at her door one day to apprentice himself to her mother. He's absorbed the democratic ideals of his country, even though he is persecuted for his family's beliefs, and his goal in becoming an alchemist is to eventually join the political ruling class to effect change for the downtrodden. Margaret, on the other hand, is distrustful of alchemy because of her mother's past actions. Eventually Margaret and Wes team up to hunt a "demiurge," an immortal magical being.

The book starts off a little slow. It's written in 3rd person present tense with alternating perspectives. By around the halfway mark, both the plot and the romantic relationship pick up. Both Wes and Margaret are fully-formed characters. Neither one is perfect, but their growing trust in one another and their ambiguous but complementary reasons for participating in the hunt make them easy to root for. In the end, the book takes on religious discrimination and generational trauma in a sensitive, nuanced way. Recommended for any YA fantasy lover!

Allison Saft’s sophomore novel, A Far Wilder Magic, does not disappoint. I was eager to get my hands on an ARC of Saft’s newest work, after having devoured her debut, Down Comes The Night, in one sitting. Once again, Saft has managed to fill my heart with both pain and happiness as I fell in love with her protagonists, Wes and Maggie.

AFWM focuses heavily on traumas, varying from that caused by abandonment, abuse, racism, religion and more. These traumas are woven into her characters in a heart- wrenching, and refreshingly realistic way.

By writing such dynamic and relatable main characters, Saft allows the readers to find themselves in these two unexpected lovers. In
some ways, this book made me feel as though I had just finished a therapy session - for I found myself confronting my fears, wounds, and hopes through the eyes of Maggie and Wes.

I gave this book 4/5 stars, because while there were moments where I found myself wishing for more action, I was overall very entertained by the plot line and characters. I found myself thinking about this book for days after finishing it, which is how I judge the impact that a novel had on me.

I would recommend A Far Wilder Magic to those who are looking for a wholesome read. This book was not as thrilling or exciting as DCTN, but I don’t believe it was intended to be. This is a slow-burn, reluctant allies-to-lovers romance, that will win over your heart in the end. It is a tale of coming home, of mending broken hearts, and finding light when you didn’t even realize you were in darkness.

Diving into this book, I didn’t know what to expect. A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft is one of those sneaky novels. The kind that you have little to no expectations about, but even with the bar set so low, it impresses you beyond belief. This is a fantasy novel that reads like a historical and criticizes like a satire, all the while giving you hope, humor, and love.
In terms of readability, this is a very light fantasy. It feels more like a 1920s historical with fantasy elements, even though the fantasy elements do take up a large chunk of the world. If I were to attempt to explain it, I would say that there is an ease about Saft’s world building that although it is complex and well thought out, it never feels heavy.
It is very clear that the bigotry and unfounded allegations of marketplace manipulation that the Yu’adir people face are meant to reflect the experiences of the Jewish people—similarly, Sumic is close to Catholicism and Katharism is Protestant. Now, you don’t need to know or recognize these parallels. Basically the narrative will fill in all the relevant information if you’re not into theology, but it is still interesting to see this type of mirroring and criticism in a modern YA fantasy title.
I definitely enjoyed this, and I would recommend it, especially if you know someone who might be new to fantasy or might have trouble absorbing a lot of world building. If only for the simple fact that A Far Wilder Magic is so easy to read and be engaged by.

I read another book by Allison Saft and did not love it, but “A Far Wilder Magic” blew my mind to say the least. I love how she spun fantasy with hints of folklore. I also admired her use of suspense throughout the novel: I was on the edge of my seat! Thank you Netgalley and Allison Saft.

This was a surprisingly sweet story, with both characters being very lovable.

Maggie was the stoic, jaded girl from the country with a fondness for romance novels. And Wes was like the flirty, clueless sweetheart.

I especially loved Wes and his family and wanted everything for him.

They're both really lonely people, who have some unfortunate life circumstances. But they're really different from one another, and help one another grow. Watching them fall in love was really sweet.

This was a very character driven story, and it definitely felt like the plot was second to the character development.

I was confused by what it meant to be Yu’adir, Banvish/Sumic or Katharist. Some more background could have been helpful. Like why did they move to new Albion, what does the rest of the world look like. I also wish we could have gotten more of an explanation on the prejudice the Katharist have against everyone else. It kind of just seemed surface level.

I was also confused by the setting. I think it takes place in some alternative world/history, because there’s estates, and cars and trains and alchemy. But I could not recognize any of the cities/countries or religions. But like they use dollars as currency and apparently 75 dollars is a lot, a lot of money.

The alchemy thing was cool and I would have wanted to learn more about it and see it be used more.

I also wish there was more of the resolution between Maggie and Evelyn.

But overall, I really liked the ending.

A student of alchemy and a huntress are brought together to join in on a prestigiously magical fox hunt. The stakes are high and the reward so great, they risk everything for the chase.

steampunky-young adulty novel, set in the 20’s

Is this book as good as Allison Saft’s first novel? No, but two things to remember. Her first novel was incredible, and when you set the bar high on your first try, it might take a while to reach that height again. Judged on its own, it is a book that I recommend readers not miss.

The author builds the world of Weston Winters, a young man who has experienced doors shutting in his face and is now facing his biggest challenge, and one that will decide his entire future. Much of the book is set in the village of Wickton, this year’s host of the hunt for the magical hala. Winters hopes to take on an apprenticeship with alchemist Evelyn Welty, who is currently away on a research trip. Initially rebuffed by her daughter, Margaret, Weston sets his sights on securing the apprenticeship by gaining Margaret’s trust.

Romantic sparks soon begin to fly, and Ms. Saft handles the individual encounters with a surgeon’s care. She does not allow the telling to be melodramatic, nor drop into the sappiness one finds in many novels. The author allows us to look deeply into the minds of the two characters, allowing readers to cheer or cringe as the smallest remark can be a huge obstacle in the elusive love between Weston and Margaret.

The hunt is a large part of the story, and this is where Ms. Saft builds a world that contains both science and magic. Cars and telephones exist alongside alchemy, a science taken seriously and one that offers everything to those with the talent to embrace and conquer it. The characters are interesting, with some being courteous and helpful while others contain an intolerance for those who are different due to their birth or religion. (Ms. Saft only exposes these traits while not trying to solve the evils of the world, and in her book they offer motives that affect the characters). As in her first novel, the author paints colorful descriptions: “…the cold has made itself comfortable at Welty Manor. It waits for her out there in the night, and it waits for her inside, leering from a hearth full of white ashes.” While not as plentiful as the first book, they do enter the writing from time to time and enliven whatever is happening at the moment.

The power of the first novel, “Down Comes the Night,” will certainly entice fans to also read this book. Although it can easily be grouped in the YA category, I would encourage other readers not to let that scare them away. This is a solid tale written by a talented author and should not be left on the shelf. Four-and-a-half stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.