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A review by niftynaturalist
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book had me in its grips from start to finish. It is a captivating read, with a rich setting and dynamic characters that each have a lot of depth to them. The story plot is summed up well in the book's description: Évike, a pagan wolf-girl, and Gáspár, the outcast heir to the throne, are forced to work together to try and save the kingdom in which they both live. The whole story is steeped in folklore, magic, spirituality, and religion in ways that both illuminate and underpin the plot. If you are a fan of the Winternight trilogy (by Katherine Arden), you will very likely fall in love with this book. The ending is a bit open for interpretation, but there is a short epilogue that has been made available by the author for those interested in the romance piece.
The main character, Évike, is fiery and spirited and everything I could have hoped for in a wild wolf-girl protagonist. Gáspár, too, has a great deal of depth and character development, and I really enjoyed watching both of their journeys as the story progressed. Each side character you meet has their own tale to tell as well, and I truly felt that there were very few characters in this book that did NOT have an exceptional amount of depth and development. The one exception may be Nándor, the villain, but I think his rather one-track-mindedness plays into his character in a way that is believable and feeds the story.
There is a lot of religious tension in this book, mainly intolerance and violence from the Patritians (who are a parallel for Christians/Catholics I believe) towards the Yehuli (Jewish people) and the pagans of the country, so if you are not interested in reading that you may have a tough time. But the story itself is one of power and its abuse, of love and family and heritage, and of belief, its meaning, and the power it gives. I have added an antisemitism content warning, which I will expand upon here for those who are concerned: there is a strong antisemitic sentiment among the Patritian zealots, and at one point a Yehuli man is made to stand on a pig's corpse and is handled roughly by his captors.
On a personal note, I am a huge fan of the relationships, particularly the romantic relationship, in this book and how they play out. Minor spoiler here, but if you are a sucker for the enemies to lovers or the man on his knees before his beloved trope, you will very much enjoy the romance in this book. The exploration of family and belonging here is excellent, both heartbreaking and hopeful in turn.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of folklore and mythology retellings, as well as those who enjoy fantasy or just like to read about semi-feral female protagonists. I loved every minute of it and I hope you do too!
The main character, Évike, is fiery and spirited and everything I could have hoped for in a wild wolf-girl protagonist. Gáspár, too, has a great deal of depth and character development, and I really enjoyed watching both of their journeys as the story progressed. Each side character you meet has their own tale to tell as well, and I truly felt that there were very few characters in this book that did NOT have an exceptional amount of depth and development. The one exception may be Nándor, the villain, but I think his rather one-track-mindedness plays into his character in a way that is believable and feeds the story.
There is a lot of religious tension in this book, mainly intolerance and violence from the Patritians (who are a parallel for Christians/Catholics I believe) towards the Yehuli (Jewish people) and the pagans of the country, so if you are not interested in reading that you may have a tough time. But the story itself is one of power and its abuse, of love and family and heritage, and of belief, its meaning, and the power it gives. I have added an antisemitism content warning, which I will expand upon here for those who are concerned:
On a personal note, I am a huge fan of the relationships, particularly the romantic relationship, in this book and how they play out. Minor spoiler here, but if you are a sucker for the
Overall, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of folklore and mythology retellings, as well as those who enjoy fantasy or just like to read about semi-feral female protagonists. I loved every minute of it and I hope you do too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, and Antisemitism
There is a fair bit of religious self-mutilation, but only a few instances where it is described very graphically. There is also a strong antisemitic sentiment among the Patritian zealots, and at one point a Yehuli man is made to stand on a pig's corpse and is handled roughly by his captors.