A Far Wilder Magic: Allison Saft

Product Information

As for the external plot… I’ll warn you that not much really happens. It will definitely be something some readers will have a problem with, but for others (me included) it will be greatly appreciated since this makes the focus on the internal plot (aka the emotional journey) more powerful. Once Evelyn finishes her research, things will be different. They’ll be together, and they’ll be happy again. That is something worth putting her life on hold for. So she hefts her maul and splits the log again. As she bends over to collect the kindling, a chill slithers down her collar. As the taxi lurches out of a divot in the road, the sputter of its engine sounds suspiciously like laughter. He swears under his breath, rubbing away the ache blooming in his skull—and then, with the very edge of his sleeve, dabs gingerly at the drool gathered in the corner of his mouth. Before she leaves for a trip, she always says the same thing: As soon as I get what I need for my research, we’ll be a family again. There’s no sweeter promise in the world. Their family will never truly be whole again, but Margaret cherishes those memories from before more than anything. Before her brother died and her father left and alchemy burned up all her mother’s tenderness. She holds them close like worry stones, turning them over and over in her mind until they’re worn smooth and warm and familiar.

Girls like her don’t get to dream. Girls like her get to survive. Most days, that’s enough. Today, she doesn’t think it is.” Allison Saft ( Down Comes the Night) conjures a fascinating new fantasy milieu filled with ghosts, mythical creatures, and a bloodhound named Trouble.” —Goodreads, “March 2022’s Most Anticipated” Allison Saft’s writing drips with color and paints a world so real you feel like you can touch it. A thrilling adventure full of magic and danger reminiscent of Fullmetal Alchemist, A Far Wilder Magic is a story you won’t put down.” — Marielle Orff, Towne Book Center & Café, for the Indie Next List I can't speak to the Jewish rep, but as someone from an Irish Catholic family that immigrated to the US in the 20's, I can say it was spot on from the stories I would hear from my grandparents. YA fantasy has played with Irish folklore and culture before, but I can't put into words how excited I was when reading Allison Saft's interpretation. I genuinely can't recommend A Far Wilder Magic enough. It an incredible novel that now holds a special place in my heart.

About Kasey

But the high tension, dangerous hunt in the woods may result with unleashing dark magic! Whether they survive from the merciless conditions of nature, could they defeat the dangerous effects of dark magic which will risk their lives? The Katharist church considers any attempt to distill the prima materia heretical, so hardly any New Albian alchemists but Evelyn conduct research on it. Creating the stone is her singular, solitary ambition. She’s spent years hunting down the few manuscripts that explain how to do it, and three months ago, she left the country to pursue another lead. But now the hala—one of the last missing pieces of her research—is here. Probably the thing that I struggled with most– which is totally a me issue– is that the book is written in third person, present tense. I don’t know why I tripped over that so much, but I know it slowed me down in my reading because I kept translating it to past tense in my head and then confusing myself. It took a long time for my brain to get with the program on that one, unfortunately. Every autumn, the hala emerges somewhere in the coastal wood. And there it stays for five weeks, terrorizing its chosen territory until it vanishes again on the morning after the Cold Moon. No one knows exactly why it lingers, or where it goes, or why its power grows stronger with the waxing of the moon, but the wealthiest people of New Albion have made a national sport of its appearance.

rant aside, i do think this story is a good bit of fun. readers who arent as sensitive as i am when it comes to continuity issues should enjoy this. I loved her debut, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT last year. But if DCTN was "gothic winter" embodied, then A FAR WILDER MAGIC is a dream of "dark fantasy autumn." It has a more historical tone than its predecessor, with a setting that reminded me of the 1920's or 30's ... minus the alchemy and hunt for a magical monster, of course. I liked the development of the relationship between Wes and Maggie. Maggie has a hard exterior and comes across unapproachable and at times abrasive. Wes comes across overly confident and charming while hiding all of his insecurities underneath it all. Maggie has a way of seeing Wes for who he really is and all of his posturing. Wes sees how Maggie is truly hurting and how alone she has been all this time. As the two of them work together to win the hunt, they are also slowly healing themselves and recognizing who they are and what they want. Innovative, romantic, and intoxicating. A Far Wilder Magic is a diamond of the YA fantasy genre, with a fresh and artfully layered world and extraordinary characters to match." —Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades Wes’ honest talk about his family situation warms her heart and she finally let him wait for her mother’s return but as soon as she realizes he has enough talent to help her join the hunt, she finally asks for his help.Other than that, I was pretty easily swept away by the story and characters. I liked the mythical, magical hunt, though I think I kept waiting for something else to happen with the hala, for it to turn out to be not what they expected. And I guess in some ways it wasn’t, but not in the ways I thought it might. But the rules state that only teams of two can join the hunt, and while Maggie is known as the best sharpshooter in town, she needs an alchemist.

Innovative, romantic, and intoxicating. A Far Wilder Magic is a diamond of the YA fantasy genre, with a fresh and artfully layered world and extraordinary characters to match. This is dual narrative at its finest." —Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades Maggie and Wes make an unlikely team - a charismatic but troubled boy, and a girl who has endured life on the outskirts of a town that never welcomed her. But as the hunt takes over, the pair are drawn together as they uncover a darker magic that may put everything they hold dear in peril... Please know that what I’m about to say, I don’t say often: A Far Wilder Magic felt so original. Reading this was like breaking open freshly baked bread—both comforting and complex at the same time. Allison Saft has crafted a romantic fantasy with a genuinely swoon-worthy male lead, and the enemies to begrudging partners to lovers storyline is based on mutual respect and a real connection. It’s about family and belonging, loneliness, and finding ones own path. A delight through and through.” — Tor.com The catch is only teams of two are allowed. Margaret is the best shot in town, but she needs an alchemist for a partner. Perhaps Wes can serve a purpose after all. Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist—yet. He's been fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, and his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret. She begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.An utterly transportive read, unfolding into a world of crumbling manors and ancient forests. Allison Saft crafts a deliberate, intricate romance that will have you as unmoored as the characters." —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights I meant it when I said there's a life for us-a good one. A country where we don't have to be afraid. A house in the countryside. A whole library full of smutty books and a huge kitchen and seven kids- or no kids- and five hounds just like Trouble. Whatever you want. I swear I'll make it happen. I swear I'll make you happy."😭 Margaret Welty is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, and he is completely and hopelessly in love with her" ONE OF 2022'S MOST ANTICIPATED READS: * BUZZFEED * EPIC READS * GOODREADS * THE NERD DAILY * UNITED BY POP * Wes and Margaret’s unfolding romance is subtle and satisfying, and Saft’s prose is vivid and dryly humorous. Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s original Shadow & Bone trilogy will likely enjoy this honest, evocative romance.” — Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books