Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Publication Date: 21 January 2020
Publisher: 47North
Page Count: 265
Reading Method: Digital ARC
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
A whimsical and enchanting tale reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. Enna lives at the edge of the wildwood with her father, always on alert for mystings – monsters that enter the human realm to wreak havoc. When Enna gets tangled up with mystings searching for her magic stone, Maekallus enters the scene to help her – but he can’t stay in the human realm for long before it starts to have negative effects.
Enna is courageous, a bit feisty, smart, and so loving towards her father. Her development through the story is a bit backwards, as she loses a bit of her soul with her kiss, but she never loses her determination. It was a little frustrating at times to be trapped in her head. Her thoughts tend to be a bit redundant No matter the challenge, Enna faces it with bravery and compassion.
Maekallus was my favorite character. A mysting with no soul, his development is particularly interesting because with Enna’s kiss, he gains a piece of her soul. The reader is allowed little glimpses into his past as the soul takes root. Whitty and cunning, Maekallus will do anything to break the spell.
There are a number of other, smaller characters we are introduced to throughout the story, but I feel like none of them really got enough backstory. Enna’s father deserves a whole book of his own. I would love to see his backstory – falling in love with Enna’s mother, the war, and how he came in possession of the enchanted stone.. it sounds like an epic tale! This would also give us some much needed backstory about the mysting and human war, and the mysting leader, Scroud.
The writing is what really pulled me into this story. It’s beautifully enchanting, and the way the story unfolds kept me interested – even when there wasn’t quite enough dialogue for my liking. I will say, I was expecting the ending to be different. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it feels like it builds and builds to a point, and then it didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping for. If you’ve read this one, let me know what you thought about the ending! I’d love to discuss!
You can purchase a copy of The Will and the Wilds here
