Book Review – The Wolf And The Woodsman by Ava Reid

Pages: 409
Published: 8th June 2021
Genre: Fantasy
Content warnings: Misogyny, anti-Semitism, Animal death, injury detail

In her forest-veiled pagan village, Évike is the only woman without power, making her an outcast clearly abandoned by the gods. The villagers blame her corrupted bloodline—her father was a Yehuli man, one of the much-loathed servants of the fanatical king. When soldiers arrive from the Holy Order of Woodsmen to claim a pagan girl for the king’s blood sacrifice, Évike is betrayed by her fellow villagers and surrendered.

But when monsters attack the Woodsmen and their captive en route, slaughtering everyone but Évike and the cold, one-eyed captain, they have no choice but to rely on each other. Except he’s no ordinary Woodsman—he’s the disgraced prince, Gáspár Bárány, whose father needs pagan magic to consolidate his power. Gáspár fears that his cruelly zealous brother plans to seize the throne and instigate a violent reign that would damn the pagans and the Yehuli alike. As the son of a reviled foreign queen, Gáspár understands what it’s like to be an outcast, and he and Évike make a tenuous pact to stop his brother.

As their mission takes them from the bitter northern tundra to the smog-choked capital, their mutual loathing slowly turns to affection, bound by a shared history of alienation and oppression. However, trust can easily turn to betrayal, and as Évike reconnects with her estranged father and discovers her own hidden magic, she and Gáspár need to decide whose side they’re on, and what they’re willing to give up for a nation that never cared for them at all.

There are some stories which, no matter how atmospheric or evocative they might be, just never quite manage to hold your interest – and this is definitely one of them. Despite possessing many unique elements including a highly detailed fantasy setting, the combination of a desperately slow pace and a dense, unengaging writing style made the whole thing just a bit of a drag.

It definitively falls into the realm of high concept fantasy, which means a lot of concentration is needed to grasp the intricacies of the world, but that is undermined by a less than exciting plot. On the positive side, top marks have to be handed out for the Hungarian inspired folklore, which at least provided some originality and was clearly the subject of intensive research by the author.

Another main strength is the dynamic between the two main characters. There is a highly charged connection between them that builds steadily from the outset and creates some emotional depth, mainly as a result of Evike’s fiery ability to stand up for herself and the frequency with which she calls out Gaspar on his personal weaknesses. The romantic attraction that follows is a little too predictable and some of their dialogue does hold the story up, but they are a fairly compelling double act.

Indeed, the main issue lies with the pacing. It is much too pedestrian and stops the plot from gathering any real momentum. Even in a narrative that is primarily character-driven, there is no real need for the book to be so long – over 400 pages with a below average font size. There is some great writing in there, including clever metaphoric descriptions and multi-dimensional characterisation, but a lot of it gets lost underneath the sluggishness of everything else.

It is also worth noting that some of the action scenes are surprisingly violent, with a few sections that were a little unsettling to read. The mystical atmosphere is there throughout and the hints of paganism are well realised, although certain settings such as the capital and all the politics that came with Gaspar’s ruling family could have been better communicated.

Overall, this was a book that promised much in terms of concepts and does in fairness showcase some impressive character development, but it disappoints with a plot that fails to captivate. The slow pace is a major contributing factor, rendering most of the meaningful moments too fleeting to really make a longstanding impression.

Still only 28 years of age, Ava Reid has already had three novels published. The Wolf And The Woodsman is her debut and was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in 2021. That has been followed by Juniper And Thorn and the bestselling A Study In Drowning in 2023, which has a dark academia theme.

With a degree in political science, Reid’s next book will be a feminist retelling centred around Lady MacBeth. Originally from New York City, she now lives in California.

I liked several of the concepts in this book, but I did struggle with the pacing. Also, I must admit that after finishing I forgot quite a lot of the story, which is unusual for me. However, it has not put me off from reading Ava Reid’s other books.

My rating: ⭐⭐