Margaret Welty has lived a lonely life since the death of her brother, and her father left. Only having the company of her distant mother, who would disappear for weeks on end, she is a rather solitary and shy girl. But one day a man shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her mothers new apprentice. Margaret knows this to be a lie, and initially turns him away, but he is nothing if not persistent, and before long Margaret will come to realise that letting this man through her front door has far more consequences than she could have imagined. Weston Winters knows that apprenticing with Margaret's mother is his last chance of changing his families fortunes, so when he arrives at the house only to learn she is away on a trip, he is disappointed to say the least. More so when he realises that Margaret isn't the sort to fall for his easy charms, not that he wants her too. When Margaret asks him to be her partner in the Halfmoon Hunt, the prize money is too much for his to pass up, but neither of them know the danger that lies in store for them. or the things that will come to light the more time they spend together.

This was a book that I loved and disliked almost in equal measure, so lets start with the good stuff! Margaret and Wes are incredibly well written characters, each carrying their own hurt and trauma, though dealing with it in drastically different ways. Since the loss of her brother and father, Margaret has spent her life looking after her distant mother, keeping away from other people, and because of this she is shy and naive, but she's also incredibly strong willed. Thanks to her heritage, she is used to being looked down on, bullied by people from the town, but she never lets them see how much it gets to her, putting on a brave face and simply turning the other cheek.

Wes is slightly more of a character. The loss of his father hit him hard and he has tried everything to provide for his family, some of whom see his goal of becoming an Alchemist as nothing more than a time waste. He is quick to flirt with an equally quick temper, and unlike Margaret, loves being in the thick of it. There are a bunch of side characters from Wes multiple sisters (who I loved) to the townspeople, as well as Margaret's mother. They all play a part in telling Margaret and Wes' stories, and help you to bond and empathise with our two MC's. I wasn't the biggest fan of Margaret's mothers arc in the story and felt it seemed a little rushed, but it only plays a small part, so didn't take away from my overall enjoyment.

I enjoyed the religious aspect of the story, the three main religions of yu'adir, sumic and katharists are versions of Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism respectively. Saft does a fantastic job in showing the differences between these religions, not just through how certain people are treated, but also through the Hunt for the Hala. Certain religions revile these magical creatures, where as others looks on them as a plight, creatures from a time past that need to be killed. The magic system was unique and science based, which is something incredibly rare for fantasy novels, but I truly enjoyed reading about it. We get a bit of a deep dive with Wes getting ready for the hunt, but it was well developed and I never felt in over my head.

Saft's writing style is lyrical and I felt completely transported into the story, the only thing that let it down were the addition of some overly modern language that I felt just took me out of the story for a minute. From the fashions I would expect this book to be set around the 1920's, even if not in this world, but some of the mannerisms and language used was far too modern and seemed out of place in the story and setting.

Now for the bits I didn't love... The pacing of the story was massively off. I feel like it could have been significantly shorter and I would have enjoyed it a lot more. We spend a lot of time setting up for this dangerous hunt, something people have died in, and it was over in a matter of pages. The romance was also a little too jumpy for me. They spend a good portion of the book talking about how much they dislike each other, and not in the fun enemies to lovers romance kinda way, and then, when they do get together, it's kind of an insta love situation, and I really struggled to get invested in it.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, I just didn't love it. But if you like your fantasies romance heavy, filled with lovable characters & an intriguing magic system then look no further.

Margaret - Maggie - has been so alone for so long that pushing people away comes like a second nature. Until Wes come crash landing on her doorstep with all his wits and charms his way through all her high walls. When the celestial White Fox - Hala - appears in her town to haunt and tear it down, they’re bound to a bit more than just bad luck and they must unite forces to hunt the beast down. Fears must be put aside and trust must blossom between them if they want to survive the hunt of the decade. A slow burn love story replete with hope, growth and something a little more than magic - alchemy!

Maggie is our outcast heroine. She’s independent, lonely and guards her heart with seven locks - no surprise, she has been hurt far more times that we can count! All she wants is to give her a mum a permanent reason to stay and maybe, just maybe, a reason to love her again.
I absolutely love her! She’s this amazing kind girl hiding in the shadows of her own full potential because she has been hurt by the people she loved the most and to see her opening up to Wes and be part of the journey of her character growth to say enough is enough is amazing. You just want her to be victorious and get all the things you know she deserves!

Wes is this caring boy that hides his fears of being a disappointment with his overconfidence. He desperately needs this last chance of an alchemy apprenticeship to finally be able to help his family. He can get anything with a charming smile and granting this apprenticeship won’t be different. But nothing is as it seems and our boy has a few fears and dreams of his own and he’ll do anything to achieve it!

The world Allison created was rich in intelectual and shows the struggles of today’s society and both Maggie and Wes are there to prove that you don’t need to fall onto what society expects of you and that you can grab the opportunities if you want them too!

This stand-alone romance fantasy filled with alchemy/magic, society defiance and personal growth will teach you that there is indeed something far wilder than magic in the world!

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

I am very anti-foxhunting, so I should have known I wouldn’t like that aspect of the book. Although the hunt is of a magical creature and not actually a fox, there are scenes of fox hunting in the book and the final big hunt of the Hala reads exactly like a fox hunt, with the hala basically being a magical fox. I found it all pretty grim and I nearly didn’t finish because of that.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the magic system and the descriptions of alchemy, and I felt the representation of dyslexia in Wes was well done.

Trigger warnings for religious persecution and childhood emotional abuse, as well as what I’ve already covered about the hunting.

Overall a decent story, but not really for me due to a very slow start and the main premise that went against the grain for me.

Unfortunately this book was a real struggle for me to get through, normally when a story doesn't capture my attention, like I hoped, I try to see if the writing is at least good enough to keep me reading, for me personally this book didn't achieve either of these elements.

I couldn't connect to the characters, nor the plot, and the magic system had me continuously daydreaming mid-sentence (not good). I hope that the teenage audience enjoys this more then I did

If you're looking for a book about an alchemy demon fox hunt.

You might be disappointed.

The writing is beautiful but the hunt is not the main part of the novel or even the middle or the last third. (It is in the last ten percent)

3/5 Cups of coffee from me, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Full RTC

I got lured in by the synopsis, which promises:
* an achingly tender love story
* set against a deadly hunt
* in an atmospheric, rich fantasy world

So let's address each of these, because I have something to say about all of them.

The love story
A romance only works for me if I am invested in the characters as individuals, as well as the chemistry between them, and Margaret and Wes just didn't work for me on any level. Wes always tries to be charming, but is really hiding a ton of insecurity underneath. Margaret doesn't trust anyone, and is stubbornly sticking to the idea that, if she gets her mother the one thing she's missing to finish what she's attempting to achieve, she will have a happy family again. This is very much the wishful thinking of someone much younger than Margaret is supposed to be. Both of them tend to get stuck in the same mental monologues about how they'll never amount to anything (Wes) or how she has to keep her secrets to herself because nobody will understand her anyway, and nobody can be trusted (Margaret). And after reading that a couple of times, it got really tedious.

As far as the romance goes, I'm honestly not sure what the basis for it is. I didn't totally hate it, but I also wouldn't say it made my heart ache with how tender it was. The problem is, with all of the trust issues that Margaret is constantly telling us about, the romance didn't feel believable, because none of that really gets resolved.

The hunt
If you're interested in this book because of the hunt aspect, that doesn't actually come into play until you're about 90% in. We do get a lot of preparation for the hunt, with Wes trying to imbue weapons with alchemy, and two competitions where each of them participates in order to secure a good starting time. And in between, we get a whole lot of repetitive nothingness, where the bully of the story gets to treat both our main characters horribly because they're different, or where Wes and Margaret can angst over each other. In short, this book is way too long for the story it's trying to tell, and has terrible pacing.

There were a couple of places where the characters seem to hint at something more going on, something that would make the world more interesting, or at least make the hunt more dangerous, but unfortunately, none of this ever pans out or gets explained.

The world
Despite the promise of a rich and atmospheric fantasy world, I would honestly call this urban fantasy. Sure, you can slap a new name on an existing thing, and I guess that makes it a fantasy world. But it's neither rich nor atmospheric if it's all based on our own world.

The world in the book has technology, like cars, phones and zeppelins, but Margaret's village feels a bit more old-fashioned. There are also religions that are clearly based on Judaism (there are Hebrew words/phrases in the book), and either Roman Catholicism or just Irish culture (again, Irish words in the book). The dominant religion, which is called Katharist, is harder to place, but this might just be Christianity. The Katharists are prejudiced against the Sumic and Yu'adir, making both of your characters outsiders from marginalized groups. Sectarianism is deeply woven into this story, which isn't surprising considering the historical bias against Jews and Irish, but again, this is hardly new or original, and just because you call them something different doesn't make them so.

What predominately makes this a fantasy world, is the presence of alchemy and the hala, and I definitely wanted to hear more about the latter. The author does go through some of the myths surrounding the hala, but at the end of the book I felt let down by the route the author decided to take. I was hoping to learn something new and surprising about these creatures, but that wasn't the case.

The alchemy was interesting, but I did feel like some of it was inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist, as was the story of Margaret's mother, and the incident that first fueled Margaret's distaste for alchemy.

I really enjoyed this YA fantasy, and read it all in one sitting. There's magic and politics and family trauma/drama, but mostly this is a love story, and sometimes that's how books should be!

I liked a lot of things about this book - Margaret. Wes. The commentary on bigotry. Wes’s sisters. That it seemed to be a fantasy world influenced by the early 1900s. Trouble the hound. (The dog survives, folks!)
What I liked less - The pacing was erratic. Some of the worldbuilding also felt scattered; it missed that something extra that would give it full 1920s/1930s flavor. I never got a good enough feel for the town where Margaret lives, or the city where Wes is from. Lastly, the magic system didn’t interest me all that much.

Fans of Frances Hardinge and Katherine Arden will love this new YA fantasy coming-of-age story by Allison Saft, featuring: an intoxicating slow-burn romance, even more intoxicating character growth, and a hunt for a bloodthirsty creature from legend that is terrorising the town.

Maggie is an interesting character. Initially very closed off, literally isolated in a house in the middle of nowhere, she gains more courage throughout the novel in letting people in and allowing them to care for her. She’s very fierce and forthright, which I loved. Wes is also interesting; he first appears to be all charm and confidence but soon reveals hidden vulnerabilities. I also liked how honest he was with himself, which prevented him from making some bad mistakes (it’s almost like he could hear me yelling at the book…)

I love a good enemies-to-lovers plotline (who doesn’t?) and the central romance in this story between Maggie and Wes more than lived up to my expectations. Through showing us both of the main characters’ perspectives, we get to see both of their feelings developing in tandem as they slowly get to know each other after a rather rocky start. Both Maggie and Wes have their share of insecurities and past traumas, which make it difficult for them to show their true selves to other people. They are both outsiders in society and have experienced discrimination, although their responses to their past experiences have been quite different. What I liked most about the portrayal of their relationship was the moments of communication and honesty between them, often coaxed out by the other party. Maggie can see straight through Wes’ charming exterior and pushes him to speak honestly to her, and Wes openly expresses his care for her, as well as pointing out hard truths and urging her to put herself first. There are some hilarious moments early on when Wes catches himself thinking about Maggie, and how beautiful she looks with her long golden hair, before catching himself and saying, but of course, he’s not attracted to her. Sure, Wes. We all believe you.

The setting of the novel is interesting: sort of a cross between a fantasy village and an alternate universe with a modern setting. Characters travel around by car but also ride horses, dress in wellies and old-fashioned dresses, and hunt a mythical fox creature with ordinary rifles, albeit enhanced with alchemical magic. I just realised: it sounds like I’m describing the British countryside (with added magic). Maggie’s house has a gothic feel, particularly her mother’s creepy alchemy lab, haunted by past tragedies, and Wes’s family with his five sisters feels like it’s from a Victorian novel. I liked this mix of old and new feeling, which adds to the fairy tale-like atmosphere of the novel.

The novel is definitely more character-focused than plot-focused, as the story focuses on the developing relationship between the main characters and their individual growth. Some questions – where did the hala come from? – are left unanswered, though I didn’t mind too much. I would recommend this book to fans of slow-burn romance and contemporary fantasy looking for an engaging and magical read that will stay in your heart for days afterward.

This is actually more like a 4.5 star rating for me, because I really did love this book! The costal small town setting set the novel off on a great foot in terms of the atmosphere, and was upheld by some really great fantasy elements. The book follows Margaret and Wes as they form an unlikely alliance to meet their goals - Margaret wants to win the hunt to bring her mom home, Wes hopes it’ll give him the means to become a full alchemist. Together they discover there are much darker forces of magic at play, and the plot did not disappoint at all. The story felt totally immersive, and the descriptions helped a lot with world building. I also liked the commentary on religion and immigration and how both Margaret and Wes had to face and overcome these. The slow burn romance was fantastic, I loved all of the tension and I’m a sucker for the grumpy and sunshine trope. This book is perfect for any fantasy fan and I can’t wait to see what’s next from Allison Saft!!

I loved Down Comes the Night and Saft has absolutely blown me out of the water with this magical tale of loneliness and belonging. Mythical creatures, a suspenseful plot, the push pull of wanting to escape or conversely fit in balanced against what you know to be wrong and a sweet, slow burn romance. This had everything. Poignant, beautifully written and a tint bit bittersweet.

I really loved Allison Saft’s debut novel which is why I was really excited to read A Far Wilder Magic. I found myself loving this one too. This is just as beautiful and stunningly written as DCTN, if not more. AFWM reads like the most wonderful, cozy fantasy. The world building is nothing too complex and is done in a way which is very easy to understand. Saft’s writing is utterly gorgeous and I found myself loving the way things were described. The small town setting, the alchemy and the science behind it.

Our main characters, Wes and Margaret were both so determined in their own way. I also felt that these two were two sides of the same coin; Wes wants to help his family in anyway he can. Margaret wants to put her family together again. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow, from them becoming reluctant partners and then slowly falling in love. The pacing was also just perfect and the ending….it was perfect.

All in all, I highly recommend A Far Wilder Magic and hope that more people fall in love with this wonderful story!

Captivatingly haunting and visually atmospheric, Allison Saft’s A Far Wilder Magic is a beautifully immersive and evocative exploration of acceptance & loneliness with a spellbindingly sweet, slow burn romance that I literally couldn’t get enough of.

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever kills the hala will earn fame and riches—and unlock an ancient magical secret. Even as the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register and Margaret doesn’t have an alchemist.

Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist— yet. Having been fired from every apprenticeship, Master Welty is his last chance at making his dreams a reality. But when Wes arrives at Welty manor, he finds only Margaret. She allows him to stay on one condition: he join the hunt with her.

At first they make an unlikely team, but soon find themselves drawn to each other. But as tensions rise and the hint looms ever closer the pair uncover dark magic which could be the key to winning the hunt—if they survive long enough, that is.

I honestly loved just how delicately crafted and exquisitely woven every element of this story was, first we have the vividly detailed setting which gave off gothic, autumnal 1920s vibes which I found utterly transportive—the crumbling, Manor House left languishing outside of town was also instrumental in building up that haunting ambience that I loved soo much. In fact the lore surrounding alchemy and the Hala was also helpful in bringing the richly detailed and atmospheric world to life.

Margaret was such an incredibly fascinating character, she comes across and standoffish at first but, her independent and reclusive nature are really just her way of coping with her crushing loneliness amidst the towns prejudices against her—waiting for her mother to return and be a family again. Her quiet determination to succeed despite her status as an outsider was also one of the reasons I loved her soo much.

Wes is the complete opposite to Margaret personality-wise; he’s outgoing and at first glance appears to be nothing but a flirt who takes nothing seriously, but beyond his easy going exterior we’re treated to the smart, hardworking and loyal boy beneath. As the son of immigrants he’s also (like Margaret) felt his fair share of prejudice something that marks him as an outcast too.

I loved Wes and Margaret together, they were the epitome of the sunshine grump trope (he being the sunny one and she the grump) and the heartwarmingly slowburn relationship was utter perfection—It felt organic and level of detail (including heated, longing looks and expert level pining) was just beautiful. I do however wish we’d spent more time within the hunt itself as, it did feel a tiny bit anticlimactic after all that buildup.

Overall this was a exquisitely written and beautifully compelling story that I absolutely fell in love with, I especially loved the inclusion of Dyslexia rep of an MC (Wes). If you loved the sweepingly magical prose of Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns then definitely have to read this!

Also thanks to Orion Childrens Books and Netgalley for the e-arc.

After seeing people talking about the book on Twitter, and getting a glimpse of the beautiful cover, I was eager to read A Far Wilder Magic. This book has an absolutely beautiful setting, and I was drawn in by the concept set out by the magical / fantasy elements of the story quickly. Unfortunately, for me, the book was a little gritty for my liking which meant I wasn't able to connect with it in the way I would have liked to, and it therefore took me a bit longer to finish, but I believe it is a book that would be perfect for many other people due to the atmospheric writing and excellent romance.

I enjoyed this but was a little disappointed that the hunt didn't really feature until much later in the book. The characters were great and paired really well together along with the world building being interesting. I especially loved the mythical animals. Something kept me from being fully invested though so while I liked it, it didn't blow me away like I had hoped.

This book was absolutely beautiful. Allison Saft wove such an incredible atmosphere, that I truly felt like I was in the world.

This book had a really complex world, especially for a standalone, but it was incredibly well explained without feeling like too much. I felt the author did a really solid job of handling the discrimination both of our main characters experienced and, moreover, did an excellent job of exploring the different ways in which people react to such discrimination.

Both Margaret and Wes’s strained family relationships were really well explored, and I appreciated the realistic outcome. Watching both of them grow as characters was beautiful, but especially Margaret.

The plot itself was super intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat. It was super dark and gritty and I was going back and forth on how I expected things to end right up to the conclusion.

The romance was super well done. It felt very organic, with Margaret and Wes learning to love each others’ flaws before anything else. I was also really excited by sex positive this book was. I don’t think I’ve ever read a young adult book that is so upfront about things masturbation, oral sex, and contraception and it’s was really refreshing to see them written in such a positive way.

I immediately ordered a physical copy of this book upon finishing the arc, and will be rushing to pick up Allison Saft’s backlist, as well as any future releases.

A Far Wilder Magic is one of those books that just captures your entire mind and casts a spell over you.

This was just such an interesting story. Saft has crafted this delicately beautiful and gorgeous story, complete with such an original magic system and mythology. I loved the way she wove in elements of the real world into this immersive and well-crafted world. It’s such a rich and creative story. I just got lost in this imaginative, immersive world. For a little while, Saft took me away to this Gothic tinged world to tell me a softly wonderful love story hidden in a world of shadows and monsters.

Here, the true monsters are unequivocally in human form. The discussion around racism, immigration and anti-Semitism was woven in really well, showcasing the ugliness and abhorrent nature of these attitudes and how they carried over into actions. It provokes some dark moments that are thought-provoking and horrendous to read at times. However, ultimately this is such a visceral and emotional tale, full of tenderness and love. The intimacy and pure magic in Saft’s words bring this heartfelt story of loneliness and family to live with such vivacity and warmth.

Both Margaret and Wes need to find somewhere and someone with whom they truly belong and can be themselves. I really loved both of our protagonists and their drive to obtain their desires, though these are complicated by their personal and familial relationships. Margaret is someone brought to hold an icy shell over themselves from the sheer hatred she’s encountered from the wider community and her own mother. Her story and growth is wondrous to watch over the course of the book. Wes is so loyal to his family and though his impulsiveness lands them in some tricky spots, it comes from a place of love and wanting to protect those around him.

A Far Wilder Magic is an achingly emotive and romantic story, entwined with a Gothic narrative of family and monstrous beings.

Beautifully isolated location - Welty Manor, a manor falling apart in the wake of family tension and abandonment.
Magical setting, in an isolated village that is hosting a hunt for a magical fox (one that is a deity of sorts, and causes destruction where it goes during a certain moon).
Brilliant discussion and approach to emotional and familial abuse - Evelyn is a manipulative mother to Margaret, but Wes helps her grow and move on, to face her mother. Yet, he does not force her to confront her mother. Very interesting dynamic, and gentle but firm approach to facing the abuse. Evelyn has her own demons, but in the meantime has neglected Margaret.
Interesting look at magical obsession - Alchemists hunting for power (I.E. the Philosopher's Stone) and losing themselves into chasing power.
The romance between the characters is gorgeous. Wes is a bit of a player, but mostly as a defence mechanism. Margaret is a recluse, sharp and stubborn, and quiet. They are opposites, but they learn to blend and live together. Wes is a simp. He's so brilliantly written as a man letting the woman make the first steps, and Margaret's development into being more confident and taking the sexual lead is brilliant. (While sex is in this book, it is not described too graphically, and includes a condom - love safe sex representation in books). I love how they sort out communication and trust issues by actually addressing them as they come up. Understandably, Margaret has a lot of trust issues from an abusive mother, and her father leaving, but she learns to trust Wes, and I can see this couple thriving beyond the book's end. This is a brilliantly written romance in this sense, and Wes is so comforting in his support of Margaret, and stands behind her while she faces her mother. Of all the book romances I've read, I've never read one with such a dynamic in relation to an abusive parent, and I think it's a brilliant example of a supportive and healthy relationship built on mutual trust and affection, in the face of adversity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
"A sacrifice for a sacrifice, a dream for a dream. Their bargain is its own kind of alchemy."
A Far Wilder Magic follows our two main characters Wes and Margaret through the trials and tribulations of a famed hunt, in search of the mysterious Halla, a creature that is intrinsically linked with the religion of this world. Besides it being a fantasy romance and an atmospheric adventure there are key themes of nationalism, antisemitism and parental trauma/ptsd that are all overcome. I would say to look up more in-depth trigger warnings as parts were definitely difficult to read about.
You could clearly see how our two main characters had been shaped by their past experiences and how that effects their own relationships. It is kind of grumpy x sunshine romance but in a more nuanced way.
I can definitely see how this author is praised for her atmospheric writing, and just the quality of their writing in general however I was left a bit confused in this book. The heavy atmosphere had a definite fantasy feel too it but the technology and actual world seemed relevant to the first half of the twentieth century and honestly I am not sure how well they went together. It definitely drew me out of the story a couple of times because I was confused or taken aback. That being said I definitely will be bumping up the authors debut book up on my tbr, as I think her type of writing and that storyline will mesh a bit better for me.
I think this was perfect as a standalone and didn't need to be two books but I did feel as though the pacing was slightly off for me, not sure if we needed an extra 50 pages or just a different style of editing but nothing bad enough for me not to recommend it.
Rated: 3.5 Stars

A very unique setting and very unique magic. Lots of alchemy involved in the story too which is not something I see often.
I liked that the book discussed some important themes such as immigration and racial/religious prejudice. Also i'd say TW for that.

The book is generally slow, it focuses on both plot and characters and there's some character growth. The romance was adorable and I rooted for both characters, which are clearly flawed but also very loveable in their own way.

The setting in the book is also quite vivid and aesthetically pleasing, it painted a sort of 20s inspired with a bit of steam punk and alchemy heavy world.

Lastly, I wouldn't exactly call this a YA book, I'd say more like NA or just very upper scale YA.