This book reminded me of Fullmetal Alchemist, with all the alchemy and especially what haunted Margaret about her mother. I think it is cool that she got to be the one that is the hunter and it was Weston that dealt with the alchemy.

That being said, I enjoyed the alchemy bits and wanted to know way more about the Hala and the other magical creatures that had been hunted down for the fame and magical uses. The political/religious aspects were interesting too. The romantic bits between Margaret and Wes on the other hand were kind of annoying. I am tired of the "I hate you but I need to work with you to achieve our goals" that turns into "I can't live without you and who cares about our goals."

Not bad for a second book but I think I liked her first one better.

Gorgeously written, incredibly romantic, magical - holy crap, I loved this book so much. From the 1920s-esque setting to Wes and his gaggle of sisters and Margaret and her desperation for her mother's love, A Far Wilder Magic is just an excellent story. It's all about love, people! And a magic fox hunt, sure, but mostly love! Stop everything and read this book, you won't regret it (also the audiobook is fantastic).

A Far Wilder Magic is a unique, epic young adult fantasy with a splash of romance.
The world that Allison Saft has created is unique and intricately crafted. As a somewhat casual fantasy reader, the level of depth of the worldbuilding was at times overwhelming. The beginning of the book had quite a bit of information for me to consume and interpret before the action begins. Once I pushed through that part, the book became compelling enough that I wouldn’t have been able to stop reading if you’d paid me.
The novel’s world is full of magic and mystery, and the writing style reflects this original approach. The book feels like it could be set in a present day world where magic reigns. There’s mention of modern technology, but the book has a bit of a medieval fantasy edge to the plot, setting, and language used. The author’s writing style, while antiquated, has quite a bit of dry humor and hilarious lines interspersed in the descriptive language.
Margaret and Wes don’t get along when they first meet, and this novel rapidly evolves from a fantasy epic into an enemies-to-lovers romance. Saft nicely blends these two genres, and those who aren’t fans of romance can still get lost in the book’s immersive world and the thrill of the hala hunt.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy captivating, description-laden epic fantasy novels with romantic subplots.

A Far Wilder Magic is an ambitious story that takes on a tad more than it probably should. I absolutely love the concept of the story, the characters, and their journeys so it is still worthy of a read - but it tended to often get bogged down in complicated backstory or side plots that ultimately distracted from creating a compelling and propulsive read.

Religious origins and family history, a romance, and desires of acceptance and belonging - are large themes that are intriguing and overall explored well throughout this story. It is a slow burn plot (which is not a negative per se for me) but coupled with the complicated details that ultimately were not necessary it fell a little flatter for me.

Deep in the pines, up a muddy dirt road stretched five long miles from town, sits Welty Manor. In it, Margaret Welty is barely alive. Sure, she’s breathing and taking care of the bare necessities for existence, but she isn’t living. Every day that her mother is gone, Margaret worries if this is the time Evelyn decides not to come back. Evelyn’s a renowned, though reclusive, Alchemist and her single-minded determination to succeed in her research has driven a wedge through Margaret’s very soul.

Weston Winters is an Alchemist… or he will be one day, if he can make it through an apprenticeship without being asked to leave. After the death of his father, he’s got four sisters and his mother to provide for. Very aware of his failures, Wes holds it all together under bright smiles and a cool tongue that has a talent for bending most to his will. His last hope is an apprenticeship with Alchemist Evelyn Welty. She hasn’t replied to his letters, but when he leaves the big city of Dunway and shows up at desolate Welty Manor, he’s convinced he’ll be able to talk Evelyn into taking him on. Of course, when smooth-talking Wes arrives on the doorstep to a house only occupied by the jagged-edged Margaret, he finds her a tough nut to crack.

Allison Saft’s sophomore novel, A Far Wilder Magic, is a haunting and atmospheric read set in Wickdon, a small rural town surrounded by the roaring surf of the coastline and in the shadow of the eerie pines. In it, Saft weaves delicate prose that conjure magic through the science of alchemy. The novel’s entire plot revolves around the Halfmoon Hunt, a fox hunt with a prize that promises to make all of Wes and Margaret’s dreams come true. They are at every disadvantage, including fundamentally misunderstanding each other. However, if Maggie and Wes can learn to work together and trust each other, they might just have a shot at killing the mythically lethal Hala fox that stalks the woods, finally fulfilling their deepest desires.

Underneath the fascinating plot involving the Halfmoon Hunt, Saft deftly constructs a world that mirrors our own, in ways that are often hard to read. Both Wes and Maggie are not members of the mainstream religion of their community, a community who boldly hold true to their bigoted views and openly demonize what they call an influx of immigrants. While neither Wes or Maggie are remotely devout, it does nothing to absolve their sins of simply existing from families who worship differently than the rest of the community. They are sabotaged and targeted at every turn, but together they become twin blades forged in fire, Wes more determined than ever to change the hate of their neighbors through a heroic win in the Halfmoon Hunt.

One of the most successful and satisfying aspects of A Far Wilder Magic is the fragile love that blossoms between Wes and Maggie. The character development happening in this novel is a slow burn that steadily intensifies. No insta-love here, just hard-won understanding through tough conversations and a methodical stripping of layer after layer of protective facades, erected to mask the mutual pain they both live with every day. Readers may find themselves poised on a knife’s edge, or looking down the double-barrel of a shot gun, as they devour chapter after chapter to see if Maggie and Wes will continue to choose each other or fall prey to the traumas of their past. As the full moon draws near, and the Hala’s mischief brings the entire town to a fever pitch, Maggie and Wes face more than just discrimination and insults, as the Hala and bigots threaten their very lives.

As a reader, I found A Far Wilder Magic to be an exciting page-turner that celebrated the small moments where characters overcame their personal faults. I often feel like novels are either placed in the category of “plot-driven” or “character-driven.” To me, this book lives firmly in the sweet spot of both. Saft’s dialogue between Maggie and Wes was vividly effective. It was easy to imagine Maggie’s annoyance with Wes’s antics and often easier to see through Wes’s false mask to the soft heart hiding behind it. A Far Wilder Magic is a fantasy novel I feel most would enjoy, though one that feels closer to reality than many would care to admit.

DNF @ 43%

While the premise was intriguing, the execution fell short. Unfortunately, Saft’s use of religious sects similar to that of the real world but with different names made it seem unoriginal. Furthermore, the use of alchemy as a magic system felt lackluster. I truly wanted to love this one, as Saft's previous novel, Down Comes the Night, was incredibly captivating. That being said, I did appreciate the themes of mental health and religious discrimination, as they are both incredibly prevalent and part of our history. I want to extend my thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a different and unique story full of fantasy elements mixed with a grittiness that highlights its gothic undertones. What I’m basically saying is that this book had just a little bit of everything that you would want from YA.

The setting is probably the most impactful element in this story. It really enhances the plot and the characters are simply mirrors reflecting the desperation and gloom that surrounds them. There is a constant fog and mist that seems to hover over Wickdon. The constant attention paid to the description of the environment plays right into the challenges the characters face. The storms that roll in, the colors of the sky at dawn and dusk, the chill in the air, the water lapping at the beach, and unforgiveness of the 5 miles of forest that separates the Welty manor from the town.

Saft uses the powerful imagery to create the environment where her characters will thrive. Margaret Welty, abandoned by her mother to fend for herself, has lived a very secluded and private life having learned how to provide for herself and how to trust no one. She has been judged and treated poorly for the beliefs that are associated with where her family is from and to top it off she has seen only the negative sides of alchemy at the hands of her mother.

Enter Weston Winters, a determined young man who only wants one last chance to try to achieve his dreams of becoming an alchemist so that he can make changes in the world; however, he comes from the wrong side of the tracks per se and suffers the judgements and prejudices of being an immigrant. He is viewed as less than those native to the country and who follow the beliefs of the majority, the Katharist Church.

I loved these characters.They have been beat down and have seen the hardships and challenges of being judged and mistreated and poor. But, through it all they are also overlooked and for that, they are able to come from seemingly nowhere and challenge the status quo. They thrust themselves into the limelight as the Halfmoon Hunt comes to Wickdon.

The magical aspects of this book center around the alchemy but also around this mythical white fox called the Hala. For longer than the characters have been alive the Halfmoon Hunt comes long only when the Hala shows itself in the weeks leading up to the halfmoon. The Hala can only be killed on the half moon through weapons enhanced with alchemy. People enter the hunt in pairs and pay an entrance fee, but the reward money is enough to change lives. Wes sees the money as a way to save his family - his mother and sister, Margaret sees it as a way to try to win her mother’s love.

What I loved:
- World Building
- Slow Bur*n Romance
- Multiple POVs (Wes and Margaret)
- Strong female lead*
- Beautiful and warm writing style (even though there is a constant coldness, the writing makes you feel like you are wrapped up in a cozy blanket)

I loved this book! I think that it was the perfect mix of fantasy and young adult fiction. The themes are clear and powerful and relatable to everyone. Once again, we have a story with an animal that I absolutely love - Trouble, Margaret’s hunting dog. He too is an underdog in the hunt, being older than many of the others. The magical aspects were subtle as this wasn’t a story of witches or fae. That subtlety spread throughout the entire book which created a world, an event that I really didn’t want to end. The only negative thing for me was that there was so much build up to the hunt, that once it started it was over in just a couple pages. I wish that it was just a little more drawn out and built just a little more tension and suspense.

Overall, I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Far Wilder Magic pairs a daughter of a famous and eccentric alchemist with a desperate alchemist-in-training who wants to train with her mother. Problem is, the mom has been missing for some time, so the two concoct a plan to convince the alchemist mom to stay by winning a local hunt--the prey, a magical hala fox thing that kills everything it sees. It's not a bad plan until they start to develop feelings for each other in the process.

Oh man, I could not take the slow pacing. Like, the concept of the book is cool enough but it sounds so dangerous to let this fox nature spirit run around killing the land and its people for a month before anyone's allowed to go and try to kill it. Like what? Tradition demands that y'all take weeks laying around while the fox is gallavanting killing trees & animals? Okay. Okay.

Soooo this book is actually more of a romance than an adventure/fantasy book. It's really just 99% romance with some background plot that doesn't really matter. I wanted more magic in a book about, well, magic. So I was disappointed on that front. I also didn't really like how slow-paced it all was...

This YA novel far exceeded expectations in its genre for me. There aren't high stakes (in the scope of not having a kingdom hang in the balance, but rather just the futures of our two protagonists) and focused on tenuous family bonds and helping each other work past personal trauma. For someone whose initial interest in this title was because I was a fan of the artist who did the cover illustration, A Far Wilder Magic was a wonderful surprise that didn't let me down.

Margaret Welty and Weston Winters each have their own reasons for joining the Halfmoon Hunt and wanting to slay the legendary divine fox known as the hala. Margaret hopes that the alchemical value of the hala will draw her absentee alchemist mother home for good. Wes, on the other hand, needs the prize money from winning the hunt to save his family from destitution.

They have to enter together-- one sharpshooter and one alchemist-- in order to qualify. Their relationship grows and changes as they both learn about the walls they've put up to protect themselves and the people they love from a harsh and prejudiced world.

Saft gives you just enough of what you need in regards to world building, character growth, magic, and representation, without info-dumping or hitting you over the head with a lesson or concept. The pace is slow to medium, but the pay off is well worth the wait.

This was a beautiful, nuanced tale about love, neglect, healing and family, as well as one about coping with racial and religious prejudice.

Allison Saft is just so good. She writes books that swallow the reader whole, wrings them dry, and spits them out, eternally grateful for the experience. This is such a beautiful story.
Full review to come on YouTube.

After finishing this book, it really gave me the vibes of The Scorpio Races. The sort of somber tone with the inhabitants doing their best to make life work in their town with a final culmination to something worth everything. Unlike that book which focused on the characters' attachment with the wild horses from the sea, this one is on the magic of alchemy and the interaction between individuals.

There's a lot of character build up and development in here. So much so that the characters I weren't particularly fond of became more tolerable by the end of it. (Well, except you know, the obvious one). I wish there had been more events in the plot to break up the gradual climb to the finish because most of the scenes focused on their day to day things. Or more of a focus on the hunt aspect since that was where things got really interesting.

I didn't really understand the religious aspect of it and the parallels the story was drawing from as I don't follow any of the ones referenced. So the conflicts both overt and subtle didn't click for me. However, the placement of the book did help shape the world the author created.

The writing is lovely with excellent descriptions. The alchemy bits were my favorite and who doesn't love a dog named Trouble?

I absolutely ADORED Allison Saft's first novel and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. It did not disappoint.

The atmosphere reminds me of Maggie Stiefvater's style a lot, while the characters felt more whimsical and grounded. They were light in the way Dianne Wynne Jones writes.

The story manages to establish a lot of world building without overwhelming the reader. There is a bit of thinking that has to happen to keep the different religions straight but I really enjoy seeing religion in fantasy settings and thought it was done very well.

The conclusion had heart and power. Would highly recommend.

This one was a quite the ride. I adore how it manages to incorporate magic into the real world. The author writes about this new world so easily that it can almost feel natural. Added to this magnificent characteristic, the characters are spectacular.
The two main characters have their very own personality, and act according to it, in a ver real way. They were also charming, in their unique ways, making them likable to the audience. Since they were relatable to the reader, it was so much easier to care about them, to care about their struggles, and wishes. Therefore, the reader cares much more about the story and keeps wanting to continue reading the story.
There were twists indeed, but not such that misbalance the story completely. I felt like they were more like subtitle changes that made the story much more interesting.
I would recommend this one to young adults that enjoy romance, and magic.

Generally a good book, kept my attention. The story was great, characters well thought out, and the pacing was good. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read more by this author!! Thank you so much for the ARC!

This is a book you have to be in the mood for.

Rating: ✨✨✨ 3.4

Perhaps life sucks at the moment, maybe exams are piling up and the possibility of having a heart attack is really apparent. And to clear your mind, you do what? Talk to someone, pfft. NOPE. Read a book.

Not that that is the healthiest way of coping with messes in real situations, but I've never willingly done anything considered healthy, so why start with stressful factors?

And you see... you choose this book. Thinking it'll be a thriller, quick, Hunger Games- esque, death everywhere- you know, the usual thing you would hide from the FBI. Sometimes this book worked for me, cogs turning in sync, movement erratic and deliciously rapid, however then the car would give up halfway. LEAVING YOU HOMELESS AND IN AGONY.

How did cogs turn to failing car and then to homelessness, I don't know. I never claimed my brain functioned properly🙂
(why is that face so passive aggressive and accepted as an emoji, but when I do it, I get the cops called on me. I was holding a knife, but helloooo discrimination, the knife was color neutral)

Anyhow, I wasn't into this book as much as I needed--nay--WAS DYING to be. The literal chemistry moments failed to entertain me, something that normally would have me staring in awe but this time, I was just not feeling it.

The romance, for instance, was sad. And pitiful. And I want it a hug with warm cocoa, because it needed a break. The break was indeed taken, for half of the book. Now, can you explain to me how the dude was a total brat and still ended up with the girl? The girl whose heart was made of stone, who yearned for something other than rude hateful glances and vitriol. THE GIRL WHO WAS SMART. Fell for this guy? Pffft.

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought it was a joke.
YOU ARE A NICE HUMAN BOOKSY, ACT LIKE IT-

And okay, there were moments where it was alright? The glances, those two seconds they made eye contact 300 pages into the book. *sigh* That one was felt and appreciated. But in all sincerity, not all the romance was dead. It was just in a very long, very precise, very messy coma. On a good note, there was a kiss that I liked, one where I was holding my breath in anticipation AND KABAM LABAM, interrupted.
I. will. murder. that. person.

And yes, I'm all for slow burn romance, it's torture, but the kind we like- yet there wasn't the palpable tension between the characters that you would think would be present in this book.

Yes, I did throw tantrums.
Yes, my eyes were burning.
Also yes, I swooned when the Blob (as I've dubbed the main guy) said some nice things. *mumbling* I can see planned ish when I see it, but it was sweet. Heheh

And you know what? I think I didn't like the romance that much because of the double POV. In this case, I didn't want to know what was going through Blob's head. With Dual POVS it's sort of like a 'Will this suck-', scenario that my mind automatically goes down in and that's totally on me. So I go into it hoping against fate that neither of the characters are whiny, playas in Spanish.

But the Blob?????? I had wishes for him. He was an alchemist for goodness’s sake, one that was supposed to be familiar with chemistry reactions and yada yada, not one that I wanted to hit because he made so. so. so. many bad decisions.
Not even good bad decisions.
But like, get drink from stranger- almost destroy your entire work because of it- decision.

Also, on top of that, he had A LOT OF CHAPTERS LIKE YOO.

However, I'll give him some slack because his family was awesome.
That was kind of hypocritical, anyways-

WAIT A SECOND THOUGH- don't think I didn't see the gender roles twist, where the guy in this book was more soft handed and caring, the girl was rough and critical of everyone. That's a bonus star from me!

And you know what I liked? How the MC was portrayed. Yes, she was strong and fearless and this force of nature, but she also was broken and yearning for human love. They both were, and for that reason, I cannot give this book less than 3 stars. Her issues were so valid and real, so much so that I found myself empathizing with her pain. Even when I hadn't felt anything close to what she was experiencing, before.

The Blob wasn't all bad either (ignore the ranting up above, Booksy was not coherent enough so she's trying to fix it), he had these uh- the thingy- *snaps fingers*- these moments when he didn't tempt me to drown him. Si, those.

After taking a few steps back (more like a few weeks) after reading, I can tell that this book was one I could've loved if I had been in the right space of mind. The plot was interesting enough, though I still believe the ending came out of NOWHERE. Like I was in the middle and then the end was all 'Hellooooo *giggle gigle* I'M HERE WITCHES-' and it was over. I wasn't given the proper opportunity to get used to the world and magic systems.

On a closing note, I did rant a lot, but it's not because the book was bad per se, it was just because the book wasn't for me. I crave fast passionate paragraphs, flirty glances, tension galore, agony moments whereas this book was distance love, slow-fast-slow-end type of pace and the odd sprinkle of family drama that we so amazingly enjoy.

(this was a mess-)
(like me-)
(OooOO, we match😏)

~👑Special thanks to Netgalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!👑~

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Am I a little mad at this book? Yes, yes I am. This is a slow-burn urban fantasy (despite what the cover shows) that had moments and ideas I truly enjoyed, but ultimately left me frustrated and even, well, mad like I said. I can't even say why I am mad because *spoilers* but just prepare yourself before you read this book and, to be honest, the ending might not bother you as much as it bothered me.

This is really a 2 1/2 star book that I rounded up to 3 because, as stated, it starts off strong. The characters it introduces are intriguing, the alchemy aspect is also intriguing, and I ultimately wanted to know what was going to happen. Where this fell flat for me was the pacing. I enjoy character-driven, slow burns, but this was repetitive in its character building with the characters thinking the same thoughts over and over again. It stalls the pace and, if you are excited about the hunt is promises, it does not start until 90% in the book! So, again, prepare yourself. The ending too made me mad and sad, in the words of Gilmore Girl's Sookie, "I'm smad!"

*sigh* There is so much here that I wished was written just a little differently because otherwise I think this absolutely would have landed with me. That said, pacing and plot endings just made this ok only for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this read in exchange for an honest review.

I was a HUGE fan of Allison Saft's debut novel Down Comes The Night and was unsure how Saft would top it. Let me introduce the very novel that proved me wrong in every single way. A Far Wilder Magic is a wonderfully told story of two outcasts reluctantly allying themselves with one another and the many things that change because of their relationship.

Margaret is such an endearing point of view character. She is flawed and healing from trauma, but she has the biggest heart and it comes through beautifully. Weston is a smart-talking, charm of a man who is quick with a smile that hides so much depth. Their dynamic is fragile and every look carries so much weight, they genuinely had me swooning. The pacing of their relationship was done so well, which was a fantastic thing to experience. I was rooting for them from page one!

The plot doesn't overshadow the characters, nor vice versa. They truly bolster one another and once I sank into the story, the pages flew by. Saft was already an instant buy author for me, but this further proved it. I cannot wait to own a physical copy!

A Far Wilder Magic is such a beautiful story. The writings flowing really well in it's pace and theme. Now speaking of the romance. Honestly, I am not to attached to attached to the romance. As its own character, the heroine and hero are good, but the romances are just there for me; exist but not too memorable. I am just following the book and not easily swoon or rooting for their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, and Allison Saft for an e-arc of A Far Wilder Magic.

When the last living mythical creature is spotted, Margaret Welty knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow, and with it, a chance to be reunited with her mother. The only problem is that only teams of two, a sharpshooter and an alchemist, can enter the hunt. When Weston Winters shows up at her door to study under Margaret’s absent mother, it’s almost like fate has delivered exactly what Margaret needs. The unlikely duo soon find themselves drawn to one another. As the hunt draws closer, the pair uncover a dark, dangerous magic that could be their key to winning the hunt.

This was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. The setting is an atmospheric 1920s, with a perfect blend of realistic and fantastical. The characters are full of flaws and struggles, but it was so nice to watch them grow and overcome their personal demons. I loved how they slowly came together to realize their dreams.

A Far Wilder Magic was truly magic from start to finish.