The Will and the Wilds

Written by Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrated by Angela Dawe

A spellbinding story of truce and trickery from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician series.

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jan 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781799749660

Charlie N. Holmberg

Charlie N. Holmberg is the award-winning author of the Numina series, The Fifth Doll, and many other books. Her Wall Street Journal bestselling Paper Magician series has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Charlie’s stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

Reviews for The Will and the Wilds

[Dixiane Hallaj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A gripping story made even better by a great narrator! I loved the world and the characters. Kudos for a wonderful book.

[spiritedstardust · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a delightful read. The magic/world was a take I haven’t encountered before although the scope of action was a bit limited. It was somewhat light on the romance but at least there was some.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enna has a problem that someone from the hidden world of monsters an fix - she thinks. The bargain she makes with Mekaellus ends up tying them both up in ways they hadn't anticipated. I found the push and pull between the two interesting - how each was changed by their interactions.

[kiaya40 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thanks so much to NetGalley and 47North Publishing for letting me read and review this awesome eARC. I discovered Charlie N. Holmberg through Deep Magic e-zine a few years or so back now and I love her writing. This book reminded me of how much I love her writing and the story here in The Will and the Wilds also reminded me a bit of her earlier book, Followed by Frost. I also feel like there are some similarities to Beauty and the Beast as well, but it's also its very own unique, amazing and magical story.
This story is heartbreaking, beautiful and soul-wrenching and I love it so much. I think it's a definite must-read especially if you like kissing books and romance although it's not only for that part that it is awesome, it's also for the adventure, the magic and the journey from within each of these two characters.
This story is about a girl who lives with her father, just the two of them by the edge of the wildwood and one day she's outside and a mysting from within the wildwood comes after her to get the magic stone she has on her wrist. Enna decides when this mysting comes after her to fight back so she gets another mysting to help her and his name is Maekallus. He wants her to pay him for his help with a kiss, which gives him the power to steal her soul, but the kiss has to be given willingly by Enna. The deal ends up getting Maekallus stuck in the mortal realm where he starts to get eaten alive. They become bound together through the bargain and share in each other's suffering because Maekallus feels for the first time with part of Enna's soul in him.
Enna is the only thing saving him by having kissed him and given him part of her soul to save him from dying so they have to break the deal that has bound him to the mortal realm to save them both.
It's a wonderful and moving story that I would give more than 5 stars if I could because of what you take away from it. If you don't have this one on your list, then put it on your list, preorder it and get ready for an amazing and beautiful magical mystical tale to sweep you away.