Peasreads: Hunt the Ever Wild by S.E. Kiser

I was surprised by this debut novel. It is magical; the forest is untamed, dangerous, alive, and full of whimsy. The description made it seem like a real magical living thing. I love this kind of fantasy world. The kind that makes you want to visit.

The main characters are Sy and Anya. Sy is a Wizard. He is the male main character. He is indentured to the crown. The king is not a good man, but Sy?  He's so good. He does what good he can, and he still sees the beauty around him. To free him from the king's service, he has to find the phoenix. Anya is the FMC who is capable, smart, and strong. She has survived on her own in the Lichtenwald forest. She is cursed by a witch; there is only one way to break the curse. The witch wants the phoenix. Both Anya and Sy have good reason to hunt the phoenix. Neither can stand to lose. 

It was such an adventure getting through the forest. I loved these two characters; it was hard to side with one or the other since they both so badly needed a win. I was also sad for the phoenix who was being hunted. A must read for fantasy fans. 

HUNT THE EVER WILD, a gothic journey into the heart of an untamed forest

❤️ slow burn rivals-to-lovers ❤️
🌲 wizards, witches, and mystical creatures 🌲
🏹 a competition where everything is at stake 🏹

Description

A gothic standalone combining the gaslamp fantasy of C. L. Polk’s Witchmark with the slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance of Isa Agajanian's Modern Divination and the whimsy of Howl's Moving Castle.

When the king calls a hunt for the Lichtenwald forest’s elusive phoenix, wizard Sy jumps at the chance. Years ago, he indentured himself to the crown to pay for his magical education, and an unbreakable spell binds him to carry out the king’s every wicked whim, or face certain death. The prize is enough to pay off his debt, but he can’t survive the forest alone. Seeking help, he finds Anya, a skilled huntress living on the Lichtenwald’s edge, and lies about splitting the prize.

But Anya’s lying too. Cursed by a witch after killing her familiar, Anya must find the phoenix and bind it to the witch by the summer solstice, or else suffer a gruesome transformation. With the curse worsening and the Lichtenwald swarming with wizards, she needs Sy on her side – for now.

Neither of them can split the prize, nor win alone. And despite the growing attraction between them, betrayal remains their only option.

But anything is possible in the forest.

And the forest is hungry.

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Thank you Angry Robot Books for this galley. I was under no obligation to leave a review. All opinions are my own.