A Far Wilder Magic - Allison Saft

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. (link)

Review: 4/5

I adored this book! I think it was so sweet, and very different from a lot of romance fantasy I’ve read. It did a great job highlighting the injustices that still can occur in a fantasy world, and tying in realism of what happens with racism in our real world.

This book gave me harrrrd steampunk vibes, and let me clarify; I LOVED IT. I loved the idea of a vintage style fox hunt and the clothing descriptions took me to an older time, while bringing in new world technology like cars and phones, but then added magic. I really think this might be a close first favorite (to Fourth Wing) of fantasy favorites I’ve read. Also, can we hear some commotion for the cover? Real art right there! It felt very appropriate for the vibe of the book.

I think I mostly loved it because it was so different from any fantasy I’ve read. For the first thing, the style of writing and the whole timeline was very incomparable to any other fantasy book I’ve read. I loved the concept of adversity the two main characters had to bond over, even if they weren't fully honest about it (eeeek… slow burn!)

An aloof, mommy issues, blonde hair/green eyed, hunting girl-boss character and a buoyant, confident, seductive, immature, curly black haired/dark eyed guy… A black cat/golden retriever duo; a sun and moon duo; yin and yang pairing? SIGN ME UP! I’m a sucker for this specific trope, especially when it’s gender-bent like it was in this book. As someone who read Tumblr dark romance stories from the ages of 12-17, I was accustomed to the dark, brooding male lead with the bimbo, innocent, and younger girl. This was a nice twist on that specific trope, and I couldn’t have appreciated it more.

Was there a third act break-up/plot twist? Of course. But, with the impending issue outside of that plot-twist, it didn’t feel forced or like it took away from the main hunt. I don’t know how Saft did it, but I find myself wanting to be in this world she created.

This book was *chef’s kiss* and so is this playlist. Think: Steampunk, fox hunt, slow burn, old money. You got it!

Spotify: LINK