A Far Wilder Magic

By: Allison Saft

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky

Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

"Narrator Jesse Vilinsky offers mesmerizing performances of two odd young folks who are proving their worth to the world and each other" -- AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award Winner)

"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

A romantic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Erin A. Craig and Margaret Rogerson, about two people who find themselves competing for glory—and each other's hearts—in a magical fox hunt.

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.

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.

"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." —Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books.

©2022 Allison Saft (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

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

Fantasy meets the Great Depression

Wonderful story of two marginalize young adults who team up for "The Hunt" for a chance at a better life for themselves and their families. It was sent more in a great depression type setting with city boy and a country girl type main characters. Similar in feel to Divine Rivals, Over the Garden Wall, and A Study in Drowning. Romance with a little spice, audio narrator was great.

🌶🌶/5

Absolutely Charming

This was such a magical little story. I really enjoyed it and the narration is excellent. The voice changes are great. The characters are charming too with their strength and their flaws. I also might be a bit biased because the redwoods is one one of my favorite places to be.

Great Story

Good story, kept things interesting and definitely magical! love the narration! Definitely worth a listen!

Fun read but..

The story while predictable it was an enjoyable book. Wes and Margaret were likable MC but all the side characters fell flat - especially Wes's family. I have read Allison's other book too and I much preferred it to this one.

Beautiful and atmospheric

I absolutely loved this book, it’s moody and atmospheric with beautiful writing and layered characters. Definitely more character driven then plot. The narrator is absolutely magnificent! She made the book so engaging it was perfect.

More than a romance

Saft shows more understanding of alchemy than 95% of authors who like to drop that trendy word into their narrative. Of course, she infuses it with magic and a modern-ish setting, otherwise the story would feel too historical. Saft used "alchemy" as a replacement for "wands and spells", to the point of excess. My impression is that history does drive this story, with thinly-veiled references to American anti-(insert religion) and anti-immigrant bias. The fox-hunt seems more east-Atlantic and the western religious garb adorns eastern metaphysics (just speaking in vague terms here). The story artistry could use more subtlety, less narrator-based world-building and adjectival heavy handedness in the opening chapters, and less obvious story-arcs in the latter chapters.
But the important thing is that even this non-YA reader felt drawn into the story.

Good story

I liked the love story and the plot of this book but my issue was with the fact that the world and its religions were not explained well. Also the fact that $75 is supposed to be enough to live off of for a long time didn’t make sense to me. I get that in this world it’s a lot of money but it just made no sense to me. I couldn’t get over it.

Good Romance book, but fantasy? So so

**possible spoilers!**







Pretty good overall! I found myself getting frustrated with the characters but in a good way. They were relatable in their human nature to go back and forth on their internal reflection of their emotions and their external representation of them.
The antagonist of the book was such a fantastic representation of consuming hate and how it blossoms into something dangerous even when no one thinks otherwise and how others get roped into the hateful orbit. I appreciated that not everyone in the story was so cut and dry, the gray areas of these characters are what made them a bit more real.
Reading the description I figured that this would be much more of a fantasy type book, but really that seems to play a pretty small role as most of the story is primarily about the characters' relationships to each other and less about their hunt, but that's just my perception.
If you're looking for a fantasy book that is more on the fantasy side of things and story and world building, this probably isn't for you. If you're looking for a romance book that builds on the complexities of human emotions with a little bit of fantasy pizazz thrown in, this is probably more your speed.

Best of the Best

Brimming with incredible banter, wildly realistic and endearing characters, and tender moments, A Far Wilder Magic is something special. It's becoming increasingly clear I have a soft spot for unabashedly flawed, prickly heroines who keep the world at an arm's length, and heroes who hide behind a charming smile, and Allison Saft does it /so well/ here. I fell completely for Margaret and Wes as they fell for each other, and I challenge even the most jaded reader not to. This also cemented Jesse Vilinsky as one of my favorite narrators - her city slicker accent was a huge highlight <3

Enchanting story, A++++ Narration

I love Allison Saft, I already have this title on my kindle as well as a physical copy, but I needed to listen to something at work. Why not one of my fav books? I didn't think that I could love this story more, but the narration blew me away. It's like Jesse Vilinsky becomes the characters. I've never enjoyed an audiobook as much as this one.