The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Beautiful imagery of fantastical and sometimes unforgiving landscapes along with terrifying descriptions of horrific creatures will draw the reader into a world that in many ways parallels our own, but in so many more ways, is starkly different. While the pictures are eloquently painted on the pages, sometimes it can become a bit busy with a proliferation of similes and euphemisms, the same being used again and again, with very little variation in the text. The first half of this story was difficult for me to get through, the story and characters wandering aimless, searching for something that isn’t found and then wandering back, meeting various conflicts along the way, all with little point or direction.

About three-quarters of the way, it begins to pick up, and I really enjoyed when Evike began to learn how to write and to take part in the traditions from her Yehuli ancestry. From then on, though, it’s another slapdash attempt at a climax that again drags with stops and starts only to lead to unresolved conclusion.

Many elements to this story held promise and could have been something spectacular but in the end, I came away feeling dissatisfied and unimpressed.

An advanced copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. The opinions are my own.

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