Allison Saft’s Softmore novel, A Far Wilder Magic, is a 2022 standout. At its core a story about outcasts finding a home in one another, this historical fantasy is soft, deliberate, and welcoming, and is certain to leave you feeling charmed and cozy by the end.
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. 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.
Alternative timelines are gorgeous if done right, and boy did Allison Saft do this one right. Set in a 1920s colonialist New Albion, A Far Wilder Magic explores xenophobia, the wealth gap, and healing from trauma, all alongside diving deep into the science and magic of alchemy. It’s not uncommon to see magical realism or urban fantasies that allegorize magic with privilege, but Saft’s ability to weave it into the central themes of the story was refreshing. Paired with the lovely, quiet narration and loud, earnest characters, this book is a soft reclamation of the YA fantasy genre that’s so crowded with dark and gritty stories.
I loved Wes’ character—he’s given more depth than I initially expected, and seeing his own fears and shortcomings explored with such kindness was wonderful. His grassroots, change-oriented mindset is a great foil to Margaret, who prefers to keep her head down, despite being snappy, sarcastic, and fully capable. Their relationship was endearing—finally, a sunshine and grumpy trope done right! Historical romances just have something in them that makes the relationship ten times more potent. Just a couple of glances between Wes and Margaret and I was ready to yell, “get married already!”
I did struggle a bit at first following the setting and worldbuilding of this book—it wasn’t until about a hundred pages in that everything started to click. We don’t really see any explanation of countries outside of New Albion, despite Wes being from an immigrant family, and it’s impossible to situate the countries in relation to each other geographically. Additionally, New Albion is explained to be colonialist, but we don’t get any information about the indigenous population or where the colonizers are from. It’s still possible to follow the story and feel for the characters without this information, but it felt less immersive and a little more trope-y without that background.
Regardless of that, the book still holds its own. There’s an atmosphere to A Far Wilder Magic that I rarely see in other magical realism works. Aside from the moments where I struggled to draw conclusions to the set-up of the physical world, there wasn’t a time when the setting, writing, and events didn’t feel right. This book is certainly a new comfort read!
Allison Saft is the author of eerie and critically acclaimed romantic fantasies, Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic. After receiving her MA in English Literature from Tulane University, she moved from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast, where she spends her time hiking the redwoods and practicing aerial silks.
You can find more on Saft at her website, https://www.allisonsaft.com/.
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