Book Review: The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg

Disclaimer: I received this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Truthfully, I have seen her previous work, The Paper Magician, all over the internet but I have not read it yet. But, after reading The Will and the Wilds, I really think I am going to have to check it out. I mainly picked this book because I thought the summary sounded interesting, and, I will not lie to you all, I really liked the cover. I am not ashamed to admit that I may have been influenced by the beautiful illustration.

All that aside, I want to jump right into what this book is about and my thoughts.

Summary

Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.

Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It’s a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.

Enna shares Maekallus’s suffering, but her small sacrifice won’t last long. If she and Maekallus can’t break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely—and Enna’s soul with him.

The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg

My Review

Truthfully, when I started reading this book, I was a bit taken aback by the writing. I have never read anything written like this, the way the author tells her story is dated, but from a time you can’t quite recall. The writing in and of itself feels like world-building and I am not sure that makes much sense until you read it but I found it amazing. Essentially, it feels like otherworldly historical fiction in a sense but isn’t written like historical fiction in the way that the author forces clunky words, instead it just gives off the vibe of a different era.

I think the world-building of this novel is absolutely fantastic and I really loved it. I have nothing but good things to say about this novel and it was another one of those that when you get really into it, you binge it incredibly quickly.

This book is unlike a lot of things I’ve read. The author mentions that this book idea came from a dream and it’s just wild enough that I believe her. Truly, I can’t wait to check out more of this author’s works because I feel that her writing style is incredibly unique.

I did happen to notice that the publishing house, 47 North, is the same publishing company of The Vine Witch, which I also loved and I thought was incredibly unique, so I think I’ll have to see if I can get my hands on more of these books. If you want to check out my review of The Vine Witch, please click here.

Also, if you would like to grab a copy of The Will and the Wilds, click here to get it on Amazon. It comes out on January 21st so you have plenty of time to pre-order it!

This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info