A FAR WILDER MAGIC BY ALLISON SAFT // spoiler-free book review: long time no post, allow me to screech about this beautiful YA romantic-fantasy

insert meme: hey… hey… how ya’ll doing?

Welcome to the unofficial series where Ruby tries to remember books she read a year ago and must now write a review. I have serious regrets.

But please give me like 5 minutes of your time to shove this wonderful book in your face, that is beautiful both inside and out.

Title: A Far Wilder Magic
Author: Allison Saft
Page count: 400
Date published: 8 March 2022
Genre: Young Adult urban fantasy

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Synopsis:

When Margaret Welty spots the legendary hala, the last living mythical creature, she knows the Halfmoon Hunt will soon follow. Whoever is able to kill the hala will earn fame and riches, and unlock an ancient magical secret. While Margaret is the best sharpshooter in town, only teams of two can register, and she needs an alchemist.

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.

Although they make an unlikely team, they soon find themselves drawn to each other. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt—if they survive that long.

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STAR RATING: (4.5 out of 5 stars)

This book is truly… transportive is the only word I want to describe it with. Everything about this book takes you out of your body into this godforsaken town, and it’s wonderful.

From the beautiful writing, to this weird setting that is so me and (yes, I want to move to a misty forest), to the electric romance, I have nothing but good things to say.

The writing is,,, okay I am slightly speechless for reasons related to ‘it’s been a while,’ but I swear the writing punched me in the gut and that’s the best kind, right? Made me want to get out my laptop and write my own book (she says writing on her laptop, but you get what I mean). Okay but to be serious for a moment, ~I~ wish I had written this book. Like Allison really scratched an itch in my brain and I can’t tell if I’m jealous or thankful? Maybe both?

Here’s a visual representation of me:

In a similar vein, the setting um hello? Are you kidding me? There’s a beach AND a forest?!?!? I think I’ve discovered where I want to build my dream home. Would be a plus to find a boy there too right? Life update: Ruby is feeling very single recently,,,

Anyways, back to this forest which made my mouth drool for very real and non-weird reasons. Tell me you understand where I’m coming from with this?! I wish to move here permanently please and thank you.

Okay now the best part about this book: THE FREAKING ROMANCE OMG!!! Wes and Margaret are literally E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.  Do yourself a favour and read the quotes I put at the bottom of this post because you may want to weep.

Margaret’s mother is certainly not everything, and I do indeed hate her. Like frfr she’s the worst and I will be throwing hands. It will be ON SITE ft Wes bc we’ll be fighting her together.

I do want to take a minute to talk about Margaret aka my baby child, gosh I love her to bits. She’s such a wholly unique character and a lot different to most YA heroines which I loved. Mans literally describes her as plain and boring (ha just you wait!!!), and though she’s fierce, she’s also timid at heart. And OOF her character arc is absolutely glorious and I will be clapping my hands dramatically about it.

Will be dramatically clapping for this book whole book tbh. Like tell me why you’re still here when you should be reading this book? Actually for legal reasons that’s a joke because I do want you to stick around *wink wink*

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This book is fused with mythology and romance and everything eerie, and you simply MUST read it right now. Like, go away and be in awe with me PLEASE

 “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.”

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“How many times will she watch someone leave this place and never look back, while she is left here like a ghost to haunt it?”

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“Then he will give her something solid to hold on to. If he can convince her of one thing in his life, let it be this: A life beyond that house, beyond all the ghosts that haunt it, is a dream worth believing in. One worth trying for.”

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“There are punishments far worse than being struck. To be forsaken and unloved – that is the worst fate of all.”

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“It’s only now that he has her attention that he realizes how badly he wanted it. He wants so many things from her right now. More than anything, he wants to see her smile.”

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“The day he met her, streaked in dirt and despising him, he never imagined she could do this to him. How could Margaret ever think he’d lose himself to alchemy when he has already hopelessly lost himself to her?”

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“In the dim porchlight, she looks like something out of a poem he read in school before he dropped out.”

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“When she looks like this, flushed and hazy and haloed by the moon, he truly can believe God exists, and her name is Margaret Welty.”

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HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU RATE IT? WHO WAS YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER? HAVE YOU READ ANYTHING BY THIS AUTHOR? I’D LOVE TO KNOW!