01/24/2022
Two white, religious outcasts—an alchemist and a marksman—team up in a divine fox hunt in this vividly written, 1920s-esque fantasy romance and blunt political parable. Months after 17-year-old Jewish-analogue Margaret Welty’s researcher and alchemist mother left her behind in their crumbling New Albion manor, the Halfmoon Hunt comes to her small colonial seaside town, intending to kill the last living demiurge, the hala. And with it arrives working-class Catholic-analogue emigrants’ son Weston Winters, 18, who attempts to charm Maggie into a last-ditch apprenticeship with her mother to save his reformist political ambitions. After Wes’s mother is injured and his hopes further endangered, Wes and Maggie partner up to win the festive—but deadly—hala hunt, save Weston’s starving family, and bring Margaret’s mother home. But as their slow-growing attraction blooms alongside a rivalry with the bigoted mayor’s son, Wes must find a way to crack a puzzle involving Maggie’s mother—and Maggie must choose the future she wants. Saft’s (Down Comes the Night) confident prose organically charts the well-characterized protagonists’ romance, but its allegorized Catholic and Jewish experiences center on stereotype and its magic on rigid formula. Fans of Brandon Sanderson and Libba Bray may nevertheless appreciate this light, fantastical romance. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Friedman and Jessica Mileo, Inkwell Management. (Mar.)
03/01/2022
Gr 7 Up—The Halfmoon Hunt has come to Margaret Welty's village and the redwood forest that surrounds it. Hunters from all over the world come to try to kill the last living hala, a legendary fox whose body parts offer incredible magical properties to alchemists. Wes, an unlicensed alchemist with undiagnosed dyslexia, is in desperate need of a mentor, and Evelyn Welty is the last alchemist left. When Wes ends up at Margaret's door in search of her ever-absent mother, they realize that the Halfmoon Hunt they want no part of could give them exactly what they desire most. For Margaret, that means rare alchemical supplies that would make her mother return home, and for Wes, it means proof that Evelyn would find him a worthy apprentice. Margaret is best described as a cactus with abandonment issues, while Wes works hard for his cheerful optimism as Saft leans into the sunshine/grumpy romance trope. Her sophomore novel has her signature lush prose and evocative settings, with dynamic characters who pull the plot along in its slow moments. The world of New Albion mirrors political-cultural tensions of history, with Wes's family being Banvish and experiencing similar discrimination to what Irish people faced in early 20th-century America, while Maggie is Yu'adir, coded Judaism, and there are discussions of prejudice and Yu'adir facing massacres overseas, akin to the pogroms of that period. Readers should be aware of this version of anti-Semitism, as well as animal death and injury. VERDICT This read-alike to Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races is worth purchasing. While there are heavy topics, this fantasy fills a familiar plot arc with a unique setting, cast, and a lovely romance between two characters who are considered outsiders by society at large.—Emmy Neal
2021-12-24
An aspiring alchemist and a talented sharpshooter team up to hunt an ancient beast.
When the hala appears each autumn, New Albion’s Halfmoon Hunt soon follows. Teams consisting of a marksman and an alchemist hunt the creature in pursuit of fame and fortune. Though the Katharist church condemns the hala as a demon, 17-year-old Margaret Welty has been taught by her Yu’adir father that it is a sacred creation of God. Legend even has it that the hala’s alchemized carcass could be forged into the philosopher’s stone. If Maggie wins the hunt and kills the hala, her alchemist mother, gone for months, may finally return home to stay. Weston Winters, son of Banvish-Sumic immigrants, has been fired from every apprenticeship he’s charmed his way into. Being taken on as Evelyn Welty’s student is his best chance at becoming an alchemist, but when he arrives at Welty Manor, Maggie immediately dislikes him. However, after they ultimately come to understand each other’s personal motives, they rely on one another to achieve their dreams. This atmospheric, emotionally driven story focuses on the slow-burn romance between two outcasts who yearn to belong and who face discrimination for their cultural and religious backgrounds. Characters are cued as White, and New Albion is reminiscent of early-20th-century America: the Banvish-Sumic, Katharist, and Yu’adir people read as fantasy-world corollaries of Irish Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish immigrants, respectively.
Deeply romantic and utterly magical. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)
BUZZFEED, "New Young Adult Books Releasing Winter 2022"
EPIC READS, "Most Anticipated 2022 YA Books"
GOODREADS, "The 68 Most Anticipated YA Novels of 2022"
THE NERD DAILY, "72 Upcoming YA Book Releases To Add To Your TBR"
UNITED BY POP, "60+ Anticipated 2002 YA Releases From January to June"
“Much like Shadow and Bone, A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft features a land consumed by anti-immigration and antisemitic thought. At its core is a tradition: a hunt for a magical beast. For anyone wanting a romantic fantasy storyline, this one is between a sharpshooter and an alchemist.” —Buzzfeed
“If simmering romance between two people with their walls all the way up is your jam, then this book will win your heart…When they eventually let each other in, it’s as satisfying as these things get. …Romantic but not romanticized, A Far Wilder Magic suggests that the true quest isn't hunting the mythical beast, it's finding the truth within yourself.” —NPR.org
"Deeply entrancing. Teeming with magic and alchemy, A Far Wilder Magic is 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
“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”
"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." —Shelf Awareness
“[A] book that will strike a chord with younger fans of aesthetics like dark academia and dark naturalism. This novel filled my mind with images of foggy forests, decrepit Victorian mansions and luminant silver cryptids.... There’s something in this novel for everyone, a must-read for fans of gothic literature, natural fantasy and YA fantasy alike.” —BookTrib
“A consuming character-driven read, A Far Wilder Magic is an enchanting YA fantasy romance about family, finding yourself, and falling in love. Highly recommend for fans of Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves and The White Stag.” —YA Books Central
"Saft skillfully engineers an odd pair that are forced to work together. This standalone will definitely hook readers who like a little enemies-to-friends in their romances." —Booklist
"This atmospheric, emotionally driven story focuses on the slow-burn romance between two outcasts who yearn to belong and who face discrimination for their cultural and religious backgrounds. Deeply romantic and utterly magical." —Kirkus
"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 of the Center for Children's Books
"Please know that what I’m about to say, I don’t say often: A Far Wilder Magic felt so original, and it was so good to read. 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. And it’s just a delight through and through." —Tor.com, "The 30 Most Anticipated SFF Books of 2022"
“Reading A Far Wilder Magic, I smelled the gunpowder and felt the fog creeping between the redwoods as fall brought the Halfmoon Hunt to New Albion. Saft’s second novel is a captivating story of family, alchemy, and love centered around two marginalized characters who dare to compete for their dreams in a world that has never given them a chance. The romance and the hunt kept my heart racing from beginning to end. Absolutely riveting.” —Audrey Coulthurst, author of Of Ice and Shadows
"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
"With its lush 1920s-inspired world and heart-wrenchingly human characters, A FAR WILDER MAGIC will leave readers spellbound as they join Margaret and Wes on the hunt of a lifetime. Saft's detailed alchemical system and rich, lyrical prose bring this dark fantasy to life, crafting a tale of perseverance and passion that will linger with readers long after they reach the final page." —Aden Polydoros, author of The City Beautiful
"Tender, intimate, and atmospheric, yet written with a taut propulsion that bewitches and compels you, A Far Wilder Magic is unlike anything on the YA shelf. Wes and Margaret are by turns charming and infuriating, drawn together by a shared desire to find their home in a bewildering and forbidding world. With devastatingly gorgeous prose, intricate worldbuilding, and an utterly original plot, Saft weaves a love story that will tear you apart and then stitch you whole again." —Ava Reid, author of The Wolf & The Woodsman
“A lovely romance between two characters who are considered outsiders by society at large.” — School Library Journal
Listeners will enjoy narrator Jesse Vilinsky’s intricate performance of this romantic fantasy. Wes begins his apprenticeship in alchemy after many failed attempts at other ventures. He meets Margaret while on a contested hunt for an elusive creature. If she succeeds at the hunt, her mother will return home. So, without any real choice, she teams up with Wes. Vilinsky offers mesmerizing performances of two odd young folks who are proving their worth to the world and each other. Wes, an uncertain dreamer, and Margaret, a gritty loner, begrudgingly become teammates and eventually bring out the best in each other. Vilinsky’s narration ranges from the bitter disputes between the heroes to the tenderness of their developing love. G.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Listeners will enjoy narrator Jesse Vilinsky’s intricate performance of this romantic fantasy. Wes begins his apprenticeship in alchemy after many failed attempts at other ventures. He meets Margaret while on a contested hunt for an elusive creature. If she succeeds at the hunt, her mother will return home. So, without any real choice, she teams up with Wes. Vilinsky offers mesmerizing performances of two odd young folks who are proving their worth to the world and each other. Wes, an uncertain dreamer, and Margaret, a gritty loner, begrudgingly become teammates and eventually bring out the best in each other. Vilinsky’s narration ranges from the bitter disputes between the heroes to the tenderness of their developing love. G.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
