The Will and the Wilds

"I was looking for books that fit a fairytale/folktale theme for March, and after reading the synopsis, I knew The Will and the Wilds sounded intriguing and fit the theme. I didn’t have high hopes for this book but it ended up being fantastic. I felt like both of the main characters had the right amount of depth and growth for the storyline and I loved the romance. The world building with the wildwoods and mistings had the right atmosphere and never felt like info dumping. The author even composed a little song for the main character and it’s lovely! My only complaint is Maekallus’s character design as a narval was a bit strange and took some time to get used too. Great read!"

"Thanks so much to NetGalley and 47North Publishing for letting me read and review this awesome eARC. I discovered Charlie N. Holmberg through Deep Magic e-zine a few years or so back now and I love her writing. This book reminded me of how much I love her writing and the story here in The Will and the Wilds also reminded me a bit of her earlier book, Followed by Frost. I also feel like there are some similarities to Beauty and the Beast as well, but it's also its very own unique, amazing and magical story.<br/>This story is heartbreaking, beautiful and soul-wrenching and I love it so much. I think it's a definite must-read especially if you like kissing books and romance although it's not only for that part that it is awesome, it's also for the adventure, the magic and the journey from within each of these two characters.<br/>This story is about a girl who lives with her father, just the two of them by the edge of the wildwood and one day she's outside and a mysting from within the wildwood comes after her to get the magic stone she has on her wrist. Enna decides when this mysting comes after her to fight back so she gets another mysting to help her and his name is Maekallus. He wants her to pay him for his help with a kiss, which gives him the power to steal her soul, but the kiss has to be given willingly by Enna. The deal ends up getting Maekallus stuck in the mortal realm where he starts to get eaten alive. They become bound together through the bargain and share in each other's suffering because Maekallus feels for the first time with part of Enna's soul in him. <br/>Enna is the only thing saving him by having kissed him and given him part of her soul to save him from dying so they have to break the deal that has bound him to the mortal realm to save them both.<br/>It's a wonderful and moving story that I would give more than 5 stars if I could because of what you take away from it. If you don't have this one on your list, then put it on your list, preorder it and get ready for an amazing and beautiful magical mystical tale to sweep you away."