Written by Charlie N. Holmberg, The Wills and the Wilds (coming out Feb 2020) follows Enna, a girl who lives in a world with monsters called Mystlings and is the only person (thanks to a stone) that knows when they are near and what they are. As the mystlings start to seek her out for this stone, she summons one of them to protect her in a bargain. Little does she know what the bargain drags her into.
This is SUCH a good novel. Really, so good. It is well written, and while there ends up being some romance, the novel isn’t about the romance. It’s about learning and doing everything you can to live while still keeping secrets.
Our “helper” Maekallus is an interesting and intense character on his own. This is the mystling who makes the bargain with Enna. All he really wants is to eat her soul.
Enna is the kind of character that I want to see more often. Her main motivation is saving herself and keeping her father safe. How the author reveals information is well paced and kept my attention for the entire novel.
This is a book where none of the characters are without flaws. Sometimes, they just don’t have redeeming qualities. But there are a whole variety of characters and interesting foils throughout.
The only thing I wish, is that we got to interact a bit more with some scholars, well one in particular, that Enna ends up meeting.
If you enjoy fantasy, and if you enjoy romances that are of the Beauty and the Beast variety, this is a great choice for you. If you don’t like either of those, but you enjoy some odd creatures and fight scenes, this might still be worth a shot for you.
I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
