Monday 12 August 2019

Book Review: The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg (YA/Fantasy)

Title: The Will and the Wilds
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Publisher:
47North

Publication Date: 21 January 2020
Pages:
267
Format:
eBook - PDF
Genre:
Fantasy/YA
Source:
ARC via NetGalley

 


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.


There were many things I loved about The Will and the Wilds, most notably the relationship between Enna and Maekallus. I enjoyed the fact it wasn't instalove but developed slowly. I was quite in love with Maekallus myself, which was a definite draw to keep me reading. On the negative side, I felt the 'opposing forces' were a little underdeveloped. The main bad guy, Scroud, barely appeared, and since he was the principal opponent, I would have liked to have spent more time with him, to get to know him and to add more menace to their encounters. As things stood, he felt more like a vague side plot set against the tale of Enna and Maekallus, and with a couple of subtle tweaks, the story could have worked without him. But the Enna and Maekallus tale was captivating enough that I could get past the cons and still enjoy the story. Therefore, I am giving this book 3.5 stars, which I will round up to four.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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