“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.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this. There is some mystery, alchemy, romance, and a hunt for a magical creature. I honestly expected the hunt to take up more of the book but most of the book is about Margaret and Weston figuring out they need to work together (and that they really, really like each other).

I think that would be my main complaint about this book, the middle portion was a bit slow and drawn out. We get a bit too much of our characters’ waffling back and forth, running away from each other and then running back.

I loved the alchemy in here and really enjoyed Margaret’s sharpshooting. The story has some more complex themes behind it around child abandonment (Margaret’s mother has been missing for awhile) and religious discrimination (both Margaret and Weston come from groups of people that are hated for their religious practices in the small town).

This was easy to read and engaging. The small town Margaret lives in really comes alive for the reader. The characters, even side characters, were very well done. I enjoyed the characters of Margaret and Weston, even though they were fairly morally gray, they were complex and intriguing. The story itself is a bit dark and didn’t have as much humor or wit as I would have liked.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. The story ends up being more about Margaret and Weston and their lives than about the Halfmoon Hunt and parts are a bit slow. However, I adored the alchemy in here and enjoyed the mystery and politics. I would definitely read more books by Saft, which is good since I just got “A Dark and Drowning Tide” to review. I would recommend it to those interested in a dark, magical, romance of sorts.

Review – A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft (4/5 stars)

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