A FAR WILDER MAGIC by ALLISON SAFT
A REVIEW by ALEXA DUNCAN
\You may remember, gentle readers, when I reviewed Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft last year. I loved that book and I also had to preface the review by saying I know Allison personally. Well, here comes another disclaimer: I still know Allison personally and she’s been such a wonderful friend and mentor to me. I also loved this book. A lot.
Inspired by 1920s America, A Far Wilder Magic follows Margaret Welty, the daughter of a renowned (yet absent) alchemist, and Weston Winters, an aspiring alchemist who moves to Welty Manor in hopes of becoming Margaret’s mother’s apprentice. However, when the mystical hala appears in Margaret’s back yard, signaling the beginning of the Halfmoon Hunt, Margaret and Weston must work together to kill the hala and bring Margaret’s mother home. For both their sakes.
A Far Wilder Magic is an absolutely lovely book. As I read it, it reminded me why
I love books in the first place. It’s lush and fantastical, warm while also being a little spooky at times. It’s a favorite sweater of a book, fitting in all the right places. As always, Saft is a wonderful writer. Her prose is immaculate and every description is written with such care, it almost made me jealous that I can’t write as beautifully as she does! Aside from the mechanical aspects of the book, I also really enjoyed the characters. Margaret is half Yu’adir, this world’s version of Jewish, while the people in her small village are all Katharist (Protestant). This creates a lot of ension between Margaret and the rest of the townsfolk, who hate Margaret for simply existing. Weston, meanwhile is Sumic Catholics) and also part of the religious minority. I loved the complex way the book addressed these issues and appreciate Saft’s deftness with them. I also just love both characters–especially Wes, who clearly has undiagnosed ADHD and charm for days.
(As a side note, Martgaret’s dog, Trouble, is a major part of the story and I love him. Three cheers for Trouble).
As much as I loved the characters, I also love the setting and the plot. The historical details Saft weaves throughout the book are lovely–such as these brand new things called automobiles and the payphone in town. One of Weston’s sisters is a flapper, too. I also loved the country setting of Welty Manor and the town of Wickdon. It’s so cozy and perfect for autumn (too bad I read it in April). The plot isn’t break-neck like so many YA novels are these days, but I didn’t mind at all. The introspective pace of the book’s plot is perfect for the book itself, and it gives us more time to spend with Margaret and Weston as characters. This book also deftly deals with issues of parental abuse and abandonment and does so with tenderness and grace. I loved everything about this book, and I think you will too.
You can check out our copy of AFWM at the Argenta library!