A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft

  

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Strong language; not sure what else since I only read just over 30 percent, but there is rumored to be masturbation and possibly other sexual situations.

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. If Margaret wins the hunt, it may finally bring her mother home. 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. Fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it's like to be an outsider. 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. In A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft has written an achingly tender love story set against a deadly hunt in an atmospheric, rich fantasy world that will sweep you away.

 

I really liked Down Comes the Night by this author, so I was hoping I would like this one just as much. After reading over 30 percent of this book, I've come to the decision to set it aside. Unfortunately, the story just hasn't caught my interest, and as much as I wanted to, I haven't made a connection with the characters. Overall, the story feels gloomy, and the parts about alchemy are not interesting to me. 

I can't really tell what time period this is set in. It seems like a historic setting in our world. I think maybe the early 1900s, but there are some modern terms and sentiments thrown in there that I don't really appreciate in a historical fantasy setting. That made the decision to set it aside even easier.

The blurb for this book promised an achingly tender romance, which is one reason I wanted to read it in the first place, but I haven't even seen of hint of that yet. I know that maybe if I read on, I'll get to that, but I just don't like enough about the characters, or the book in general, to care. 

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.