From Goodreads:
In the vein of Naomi Novik’s New York Times bestseller Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden’s national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale, this unforgettable debut— inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology—follows a young pagan woman with hidden powers and a one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen as they form an unlikely alliance to thwart a tyrant.
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.
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
I just know it's a good book when I'm trying really hard to read slowly so I could savor it. Unfortunately, as much as I didn't want it to end, it did. *cries myself to sleep*
I honestly can't decide what I love most about TWATW- the author's evocative and lyrical writing, Évike's strength and character growth, the simmering slow-burn romantic tension of a doomed love or the lush storytelling inspired by Jewish folklore and Hungarian history. I am so utterly in awe of this beautiful, atmospheric, brilliant book.
I don't know what to tell you. From the first moment I heard about TWATW, I just knew I had to read it. This is one of my most anticipated 2021 releases and I'm so happy to say it's pretty effin' BRILLIANT.
I loved being immersed in this brutal, haunting and enchanting world. Ava Reid weaved a story so addictive and captivating in its honesty and rawness. Her heart and passion in telling this story shone through the pages. She created a cast of complex characters that are impossible not to root for. Witnessing Évike go through her journey of finding her identity, self worth and place in the world was nothing short of fascinating. My heart ached for Évike. And Gáspár? This prince with a broken, tortured soul also has my heart.
Needless to say, TWATW is one of the most memorable books I've read this year! Will definitely read this again!
"I am one small star in a huge and brilliant constellation."
"You can’t hoard stories the way you hoard gold, despite what Virág would say. There’s nothing to stop anyone from taking the bits they like, and changing or erasing the rest, like a finger smudging over ink. Like shouts drowning out the sound of a vicious minister’s name."
"This sudden fearlessness is like a song that begs for singing, the words and the melody bubbling up in me boldly, loudly."
I received an ARC to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.
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