A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

9781250623652

400 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: March 8, 2022

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult, Magic, Alchemy

Margaret (Maggie) Welty has been living alone since her mother, Evelyn, left her three months or so ago. Her mother, a famous alchemist, has been losing touch with reality after the death of Maggie’s brother which drove away Maggie’s father. She is used to being by herself but one evening she sees silver eyes in the forest and knows it means the mythical Hala has returned for the Wild Hunt.

Weston (Wes) Winters is a young man with aspirations of becoming an alchemist. His father died leaving his mother the sole provider for him and his sisters. He has failed several alchemists already, so Mrs. Welty is his last hope. He writes to her to inquire about studying under her but doesn’t know she is not home. He arrives at the house completely unannounced, and Maggie is unsure what to do.

This book is written as if it was the 19th century. The author writes with a descriptive style, so the reader is immersed in the story. The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in third person point of view. To me, the story felt like an adult fairy tale. I really enjoyed the story and highly recommend it to others.

I really struggled connecting to this book as a whole. The writing style felt very formal and distant, so it wasn't inviting connections from the reader. I enjoyed the overall plot, but was wanting more from the overall world building in the story

Just going to start with how that cover is everything. It left me desperately wanting to check this book out. However, I just could not get into the story. Although well written, I wasn’t a fan of the voice. It was a little too formal and came across stiff. I also had a difficult time figuring out the setting. Maybe if I knew a little more about it then I would understand more of the motivations of both characters. Some things felt a little too convenient. I also thought there would be more fantasy and magic aspects. Clearly I am in the minority as many others seem to enjoy this book so I would still recommend others check it out, but it wasn’t for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I read the author's debut Down Comes the Night last year, and really enjoyed it. So, I was really interested in reading Saft's sophomore A Far Wilder Magic. I must say, I think I liked this book even better than the first! (Also, that cover is absolutely gorgeous!)

A Far Wilder Magic tells the story of Margaret Welty and Weston Winters, two outcasts who must join together to kill the legendary hala and achieve their goals. Margaret wants the hala to win her mother's love, once and for all; Wes hopes to use the hala for an apprenticeship with the legendary Evelyn Welty. They must learn to trust one another if they have any chance at success...

I really liked the 1920s fantasy setting. It definitely fit the tone perfectly.

The magic system was really interesting and unique. I really liked that it was based on science! Although it wasn't described as thoroughly as I would have liked, it was just enough so everything made sense.

This book, at it's core, was a romance between a grump/sunshine pair. It was about finding someone who understands and supports you, giving you room to breathe but also grow, and about not being afraid to take up space and follow your own path in life.

But it was also about being an outsider in society, due to one's differences in religion and ethnicity, and about dealing with bigots who continually try to push you down. It was also about trying to win the love from a toxic parent and learning to set boundaries.

This book was a lot of things that the author wove together into a beautiful story. I can't wait to read what the author writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Allison Saft's previous work, although I thought the plot was a little predictable in Down Comes the Night. However I enjoyed A Far Wilder Magic so much more! Everything had more magic and fantasy elements. I adore the romance as well!

Margaret's mother left her alone 3 months ago, so when she spots the hala, a magical, havoc-wreaking fox, in her town, and Wes, an aspiring alchemist, comes to request an internship with her mother, she decides to let him stay with the hope of working as a team during the impending Halfmoon Hunt for the fox.
Margaret Welty is a sharpshooter, and the author could have very easily given her a stereotypical 'tough girl' personality, but instead her character has real depth, and her decisions ring true for a teenager. Weston Winters hopes to someday be a better politician than those who have lost their touch with the people, but only alchemists are able to be politicians, and he hasn't had good luck with past apprenticeships. These two reminded me of Anne and Gil in the best way possible with their hatred for each other, which is neither deep-seated nor merited, but mostly out of spite.
The dual-perspective between the two MC's was incredibly helpful in understanding all the complexities of their situations, and I really loved that each of them had clear personal goals, so it truly felt like two different people instead of one story tweaked a bit. The plot is perfectly paced throughout the book, and information is given as necessary so as not to feel like an info dump, or cause confusion. The writing was beautiful, and the only negative that comes to mind is how this occasionally caused the chapters to be lengthier than necessary. I will excuse that though, since it contained some of the most gorgeous quotes I have found in books in a while.
"Our dreams live and die together."
Release on March 8, 2022, thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC!

Happy. Extremely happy. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and it did NOT disappoint at all.

The characters in this book are extremely powerful and just as powerful as they are, they are undoubtedly resilient. I loved this book from start to finish.

First of all, the magic system. AMAZING. It’s probably one of the best magic systems I’ve ever read about and I don’t say that without heavy compliment. I think many fantasy books are very dependent on magic systems to keep the plots moving , the magic system and plot in this book were just as good as each other!

I LOVED Margaret. She’s endured many hardships in her life and has struggled for the most part in the outskirts, surviving and being the best that she can, and from the get go, Wes is impressed with her. Wes. Oh Wes. He’s kind, he’s generous and oh is he drawn to Margaret as Margaret is drawn to him. I cannot wait to see where these two go!

This was thrilling and exhilarating, exciting and action packed and I couldn’t wait to turn the page and continue reading. I cannot wait to see what else this author has planned in the future, 5 out of 5 stars!

After reading and absolutely loving Saft's debut novel, Down Comes the Night, I was eager to try this next book and I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed.
A hunt for a magical creatures, alchemy, and romance, this book had me hooked from the very beginning. Told through two different points of view, the story takes themes of religion, anti-Semitism and community and weaves a compelling and thoroughly entertaining story. Another great read from this author !

I wish to thank the publisher, St Martins Press, for providing my with an e-arc through Netgalley!

I loved Allison Saft's first novel Down Comes the Night, and I felt very privileged to be able to read A Far Wilder Magic early. Down comes the night was one of those books that stayed with me. I loved the fact that the main character was a sensitive person and wanted to connect to other people instead of the usual fighting in YA fantasy.

So when I started A Far Wilder Magic, I was hoping for more of this sensitivity. And I found it, too - Saft has a very specific writing style that really makes you understand how a certain scene feels. How the characters feel, whether there's tension, what kind of environment they're in. I loved that! The book starts off great with meeting Margaret, who lives alone in a big house in the forest. There was an atmosphere of not feeling welcome, of loneliness and buried secrets. And then we meet Wes, the boy who keeps trying and does anything to achieve his goal of becoming an alchemist but even so, has some insecurities of his own.

I loved the writing and the characters, and still I've only given it three stars. I had very high expectations and maybe that led to disappointment. I could have done with some more worldbuilding. This is clearly one of those books that focuses on the character development and not the plot, so much, although it is important.
The setting of the book confused me. It was an alternative history America I think. There were fantasy elements, but also trains and a big city. The religions in the book were based on Christianity and Judaism, only with different names. And very little explanation on the differences between these religions and why some were perceived as better than others. Since discrimination was a big theme in this book, I personally needed more background information to truly feel the depth of it.

Also, I was looking forward to the actual Hunt and the magic of it. I wanted to know more about this magical creature, but it turned out the Hunt was more of a setting than an actual important part of the story.

I had different expectations and that may cloud my judgement a little. There is a lot to love about this book and if you like a gothic ya romance with wuthering heights vibes, go read this book! Unfortunately it just wasn't my all time favourite.

Entrancing and compelling; A Far Wilder Magic is a gothic fantasy with a slow burn romance. It follows the dual POV of Margaret and Wes—two young people who have had hard lives and decide to change their fates by entering a dangerous hunt for a mystical creature.

Allison Saft does a wonderful job with her characters in making them rich and complex while making them enjoyable to read about. A YA book for fans of stories like The Hazel Wood or The River Has Teeth.

I'm so in love with Allison Saft's fantasy world building. She's so good at grounding the fantastical with realistic details and magical systems that are very close friends with science. This 1920s inspired fantasy has the most wonderful woodsy, autumnal vibes. The forced proximity turned sexual tension turned romance made it nearly impossible to put down. The magical fox hunt is such a unique premise, especially when it came to the different religions represented in the story and how they all relate to the Hala. I loved every minute of reading this.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Oh my gosh this book blew me away with its magical writing and unforgettable characters.

I fell in love with Allison’s first book, Down Comes the Night, and knew I needed to get my hands on her next one, A Far Wilder Magic ASAP! This story follows Margaret Welty, a town outcast who was left by her mother in their manor while she went off researching alchemy. When Weston Winters appears at the manor, requesting to be an apprentice of Margaret’s mother.

This story has a slow burn romance with an annoyance to tolerance trope? I loved the characters and how they interact with each other. They make an unlikely, but wonderful duo. The story alternates between Wes and Margaret’s perspectives and it provides a great insight and development for both characters. The alchemical system and the world-building is lush. l

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Far Wilder Magic is Allison Saft's follow up to Down Comes the Night and it was a delight to read. It's got a hunt for a magical fox, a high stakes contest, alchemy, a romance that warmed my cold heart, and a very good dog. This story left me with such a wholesome mood and is a great standalone romance adventure.

A Far Wilder Magic offers an intriguing setting, compelling chracters, a slow-burn romance and touches of magic all wrapped up in a gothic-fantasy wildwood of a story! The chemistry between Wes and Margaret was beautiful and delicate and just right. The multiple POVs worked so well! And the setting itself offered an interesting mix of slight Victorian elements but also slightly modern ones in other places. The puzzzle solving/mystery of alchemy was also a lovely aspect to this story. Overall, a beautiful novel!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this digitial ARC in exchange for an honest review!




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Wow! I loved this a lot more than I expected. The premise was enthralling, and the characters were well-developed. Also, Wes is a sweetheart, and he deserves the world. 10/10, so excited for this gem of a book to become available for the world in March 2022!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Everything about this story is just beautiful, from the cover to cover, it is beautiful. I am probably never going to recover from this one.
I was deeply invested into the characters and couldn’t wait to see their relationship grow, it was definitely worth waiting for.

I was drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover, but sadly I had a hard time getting into it. My main issue was trying to figure out the setting of this book. I was expecting a fantasy and got a book set in a Victorian era fantasy America called "New Albion". Other parts of the story where not as fleshed out either, it was mostly a case of the author trying to do to much.

A Far Wilder Magic is a must-read for fantasy romance fans, a book that utterly consumes you, that you finish reading and find it’s thrown you straight into a reading slump. On some level, I’ve been thinking about this book for every minute of every day since I read it.

The story follows Wes Winters and Maggie Welty, two outsiders and polar opposites, who team up, each for their own reason, to capture a mythic creature and achieve what they most want. And, of course, they end up falling in love along the way.

I loved Down Comes the Night when I read it and, like a fool, thought that that couldn’t be topped. And then Allison Saft goes and proves me wrong. I’m not sure I can find the words to explain just how much I adored this book. From the writing to the world to the characters in it, I loved every aspect so much. Every time I’ve attempted to review this book, all I’ve ended up with is some kind of nonsensical babbling about how much I love it. I can’t guarantee that this review won’t just go the same way.

Let me start at what first struck me about the book, and that’s Maggie and Wes. Two POV characters who I loved from the first instant I met them? Thank you very much! Give me a relationship between characters who are complete opposites but who, somewhat begrudgingly at first, find comfort in one another and I will simply burst into tears. This is perhaps partly the reason I can’t review this book very well. I just start crying whenever I think about Maggie and Wes.

The worldbuilding and writing tie together for me. The writing is gorgeous and evokes the world so well, you feel like you could be right there with Maggie and Wes. I mean, I knew this would be the case from Down Comes the Night, but do you ever read a book where you know something’s gonna be how it is, and still find yourself in complete awe of the writer’s craft? That’s how I felt reading A Far Wilder Magic.

In all, I would rank this book as perhaps one of the best I’ve read this year and, if not that, then definitely one of my absolute favourites. This is a book I would say you really really don’t want to miss out on in 2022.

This book as so good, I haven't picked up another since. AFWM was an absolute comfort read, and a breath of fresh air. I remember finishing this book and I felt so satisfied. It checked all the boxes. Suspense, romance, pinning, friendships, family, everything. Allison Saft has made another masterpiece, and this novel satisfied a literature itch I didn't know I had! An absolutely stunning book. 10/10 recommend.