Book Review | A Far Wilder Magic

Every autumn, the legendary hala appears and wreaks havoc. Some view the hala as sacred, others view it as a nuisance, and some believe it could be the key ingredient for crafting the Philosopher’s Stone.

For Margaret Welty, she believes it could be the key to convince her alchemist mother to finally return home from her research, so determined, she wants to enter the Halfmoon Hunt in an attempt to slay the mythical creature.

Problem is, she only knows how to shoot a gun and not the actual alchemy required to kill the hala. She needs an alchemist for that.

Fortunately, Weston Winters is an alchemist-in-training who shows up at Margaret’s doorstep in the hopes of becoming her mother’s apprentice. She promises to introduce him to her mother … in exchange for teaming up with her in the Halfmoon Hunt.

Reluctantly, he agrees, and as the two prepare for the hunt, they face rivalry from other alchemists as well as the conflicted feelings of love that begins to blossom between the two of them.

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft deftly blends alchemy and romance in a new gunpowder fantasy inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist.

I know I’m biased because of my love for FMA, but I thought it was really refreshing to see an alchemy-based magic system set in the early 1900s within a fantasy novel. It’s a nice departure from all the medieval fantasy I’ve read.

However, I think what I enjoyed most about this story was the chemistry (pun intended) between Margaret and Weston. Saft truly excels as creating compelling leads who complement each other and you can’t help but root for.

While this is a very character-driven novel, I found some of the action to be lacking. The hunt portion itself is extremely short and takes place at very the end. With all the buildup, I wish the hunt hadn’t felt so rushed.

Overall though, A Far Wilder Magic paints an enchanting, richly-imagined world with a satisfying slowburn romance.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : March 8, 2022

Publisher : ‎ Wednesday Books

ISBN : ‎1250623650

Pages : 384

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