Author:Ava Reid

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A dark, evocative and unforgettable fantasy debut steeped in Hungarian history and Jewish mythology, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden.
'Rooted in history and myth, The Wolf and the Woodsman is a stunning debut . . . It will twine like a dark forest around your heart.' Samantha Shannon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
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A spirited outcast. A disgraced prince.
A world where monsters roam free.
In her forest-veiled pagan village, Évike is the only woman without power. So when soldiers from the Holy Order of Woodsmen arrive to claim a girl for their king's blood sacrifice, the villagers only have one person to offer up.
But when they are attacked en-route to the capital, and everyone but Évike and a lone Woodsman are slaughtered, 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.
As they travel from the bitter northern tundra to the smog-choked capital, they form a tenuous pact that slowly turns their loathing turns to affection. But trust is easily betrayed, and as Évike discovers her own hidden magic, she and Gaspar must decide where their loyalties really lie . . .
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'Entertaining, appealing, and strikingly imagined' Tor.com
'An intricate, gut-wrenching fantasy that will set the bar for dark historical fantasy for years to come.' The Book Report
'Gorgeously written and grimly real' Alix Harrow
'A grown-up, complicated, angsty, sexy, dark book' Cultured Vulture
'Richly imagined, densely textured, and endlessly delightful' Katherine Addison
'A powerful feminist story about acceptance, The Wolf and the Woodsman is perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden' British Fantasy Society
Rooted in history and myth, The Wolf and the Woodsman is a stunning debut - a powerful and haunting tale of a young woman's will to live, of love flowering in defiance of tyranny. It will twine like a dark forest around your heart.
—— Samantha Shannon, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange TreeWritten with a timelessness of spirit, a magical world that knows no bounds, and characters who will make your heart pound and your eyes well up, The Wolf and the Woodsman is an intricate, gut-wrenching fantasy that will set the bar for dark historical fantasy for years to come.
—— The Book ReportA thought-provoking, thrilling magical twist on the history of religion and politics that I couldn't put down . . . stunningly rendered
—— S.A. Chakraborty, bestselling author of The Empire of GoldA striking debut . . . Entertaining, appealing, and strikingly imagined
—— Tor.comGorgeously written and grimly real, The Wolf and the Woodsman is a bloody fable about two people caught in the jaws of history. It quite literally took my breath away.
—— Alix E. Harrow, Hugo-award winning author of The Ten Thousand Doors of JanuaryA seriously impressive debut novel . . . grown-up, complicated, angsty, sexy, dark book - and one that I will be recommending far and wide
—— Cultured VultureBeautiful and gut wrenching . . . It's a fundamentally Jewish tale that gripped me from beginning to end. A riveting debut that will keep you up all night, desperately chasing the heart-pounding conclusion.
—— Victoria Lee, author of The Fever KingA richly imagined exploration of faith and folklore . . . lushly written and thoroughly evocative
—— CulturessThe Wolf and the Woodsman, beautifully written and expertly told, is a darkly magical tale from beginning to end. I was equal parts terrified and delighted, somehow swept away and grounded in a world as beautiful as it is deadly.
—— Isabel Ibañez, author of Woven in MoonlightCompelling, complicated, and worthwhile
—— KirkusÉvike may be the only one in her village without 'powers,' but that doesn't stop her from being an in-your-face heroine who stands up for the things she believes in and never backs down. Reid has crafted a story that is not only relevant for our times, but has timelessness about it that truly makes it shine. The Wolf and the Woodsman is not a book I will soon forget.
Examines religious freedom through the lens of myth and magic . . . The convincing enemies-to-lovers romance, fascinating religion-based magic system, and thoughtful examination of zealotry make this a notable debut.
—— Publishers WeeklyCombining religion, magic, and evocative language, Ava Reid has created a daring fantasy world full of imagination and fierce heroics.
—— Luanne G. Smith, bestselling author of The Vine WitchRich with vivid description, fantastical monsters, and magic unmatched by most other books for its pure physicality, this story may be strongly influenced by Jewish folklore, but the voice is original, perhaps as it's refreshingly female.
—— The Jewish Book CouncilI enjoyed The Wolf and the Woodsman very much. Évike is a memorable protagonist, deeply flawed but trying, almost despite herself, to do the right thing. The writing is assured and compelling throughout, and the worldbuilding is richly imagined, densely textured, and endlessly delightful.
—— Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin EmperorAva Reid has boldly announced herself as a literary force with The Wolf and the Woodsman. The novel is impressive in its beauty, characters, and uncompromising nature and is all the more impressive for being Reid's debut novel.
—— SFF WorldThe Wolf and The Woodsman is one hell of a ride. Évike is an unlikely heroine, torn by warring duties and identities but despite it all, she discovers a power that could save a nation from itself. But only if she lives. I couldn't put it down.
—— Greta Kelly, author of The Frozen CrownA powerful feminist story about acceptance, The Wolf and the Woodsman is perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden and John Gwynne's The Shadow of the Gods.
—— British Fantasy SocietyOne of the best books I've read this year. From page one, I could tell that I was in expert hands . . . Juniper & Thorn is out there waiting for you to read it and be seen in a way you've been aching for. Please go and read it.
—— Tor.comIndian author Pankaj Mishra has dedicated his career to analyzing the psychology of Asia's rising masses, particularly its young men. His latest work, a novel, Run and Hide, is his most searing look at the subject yet
—— The InterceptA beautifully written novel that captures the complexities and challenges of growing up in India and the simultaneous struggle to find meaning and a way forward in life
—— BooklistA well-written and engaging tale
—— Publishers AssociationThere is more than a whiff of The Great Gatsby . . . Mishra's satire recalls Tom Wolfe or Bret Easton Ellis
—— ProspectWhether writing about a Himalayan village or cosmopolitan London, Pankaj Mishra combines a powerful historical understanding of the contemporary world with psychological insight and a deep feeling for landscape. In Run and Hide, he has created an absolutely new kind of immigrant story-one in which achieving your wildest dreams might mean giving up everything, even once you return home
—— Nell FreudenbergerThere is an arresting contrast in style between the political writings on which [Mishra's] reputation is chiefly built and the more introspective mode on display in his memoir and fiction. Those weaned on the gripping velocity and adamantine syntax of Mishra's essays may be surprised by the assiduous lucidity and serene poise of his new novel Run and Hide
—— The New StatesmanMishra is a masterful eyewitness to the modern world, equally unafraid of nuance, earnestness and absurdity. [Run and Hide] is a slow, careful book about a fast and reckless world. This is not a destination novel; it is a journey novel. One well worth taking
—— San Francisco ChronicleMishra has a bit of Balzac in him-for instance, his belief that character reveals itself through surface detail, if that detail is observed ruthlessly enough . . . Run and Hide is a novel of modern India that takes some of the big-picture phenomena from Age of Anger and-as good social novels have always done-gets us to engage on the level of feeling by returning those abstractions to human scale
—— The New York Times Book ReviewMishra is a superb journalist, and the sensory vitality of his second novel is a reminder that fiction is the ultimate information compressor. Unleashed in the realm of human feeling, Mishra's keen observational powers are spectacularly alive
—— Jennifer EganChan's high-concept novel may toy with dystopia but it remains chillingly plausible, a portrait of our fanatical culture of judgement against women, and mothers in particular, taken to a grotesquely logical extreme
—— MetroA nail-biting explosive story exploring the pressures of 'perfect' parenting
—— Woman's Own MagazineThe writing is at times hilarious and scalpel sharp
—— Independent (Ireland)Part science fiction, part incarceration narrative and part Cultural Revolution memoir, it is as gripping as it is terrifying - and for mothers struggling to 'do the right thing', all too believable
—— Spiked OnlinePropulsive and provocative
—— Daily ExpressThe School For Good Mothers is a perceptive, prescient and daring debut that presents a dystopia that doesn't feel as far away as we'd like it to
—— CultureflyAn unforgettable an haunting story about the thoughts, opinions and choices you make
—— Woman's WeeklyReminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, this eerie page-turner is a captivating depiction of a dystopian world that feels entirely possible. It's not only the gripping story of Frida's personal struggle, but also a thought-provoking work of commentary on American motherhood
—— TIMEI was fascinated and intrigued by this feminist dystopian novel
—— Daily MailSo brilliant and haunting and ahead of its time... the only book that has ever stopped me from sleeping
—— Jessie CaveA wonderful immersive experience
—— Daily MailA beautiful read - a real pageturner
—— Women's Hour, BBC Radio 4A delight to read, each page of Black Cake is more interesting than the last. Wilkerson weaves social history into the backbone of the story, in a way that's nothing short of masterful.
—— HeraldA resonant story of identity, family and the meaning of home
—— Mail on SundayA delight to read, each page of Black Cake is more interesting than the last. Wilkerson masterfully weaves social history into the backbone of the story
—— Press AssociationPrepare to be hooked
—— The HandbookImpressive
—— Evening StandardA rich story around immigration and identity ... the novel beautifully captures the struggles of family and identity and the liberation that comes from those struggles
—— Irish TImesEngrossing . . . Wilkerson's brilliant descriptions are positively sumptuous for the mind's eye
—— HeromagAn incredible family saga spanning 60 years, jumping across continents and time, forming a multi-layered book about secrets and inheritance
—— Guardian.comA delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents, turning everything the siblings think they know about themselves and their family on its head'
—— Jyoti Patel, GuardianLovable, funny. Doesn't disappoint
—— Sunday LifeKeyes at the peak of her powers
—— ScotsmanPraise for Marian Keyes
—— :Messy, tangled complex humans who reminded me that few of us ever really sort out our lives at all
—— Jojo MoyesA novel that is warm and witty but never afraid to tackle the big stuff
—— Elizabeth Day , Mail on SundayMagnificently messy lives, brilliantly untangled. Funny, tender and completely absorbing!
—— Graham NortonKeyes knows how to make serious issues relatable - and get a few grownup laughs, too
—— GuardianThere should be a word to describe the sadness and satisfaction you feel when you read the last page of a Marian Keyes novel: the ending is perfect but you still want more, more, more
—— Liane MoriartyCharming, funny and poignant. But also profound, heartbreaking
—— Nina StibbeKeyes at her best: capturing everyday voices with humour and empathy with writing that you'll devour in a weekend. Just pure and simple joy
—— StylistFunny, thought-provoking and will get you right in the feels
—— RedSensitive, funny, wonderful, immensely touching
—— Nigella LawsonMarian Keyes's gift for storytelling is utterly magnificent
—— Liz NugentRachel Walsh is back with a bang. Wickedly shrewd and fun
—— RTE Guide, 'Top 10 Fiction of 2022'






