The Wolf and the Woodsman

The Wolf and the Woodsman – Ava Reid
Standalone Novel
Genre: Dark Fantasy • Folklore/Mythology Fantasy • Historical-Inspired Fantasy
 
Tropes:
Enemies-to-allies (slow-burn bond)
Outcast heroine with hidden power
Dangerous journey / political rebellion
 
Summary:
Évike is the only woman in her pagan village without magic—an outcast blamed for her mixed blood and treated as evidence of the gods’ disfavor. When the feared Woodsmen arrive to claim a girl for the king’s blood sacrifice, the villagers betray her and hand her over.
The journey is shattered by a monstrous attack that leaves only Évike and the cold, one-eyed captain alive. But he is not what he seems. Gáspár Bárány is a disgraced prince whose father seeks to use pagan magic to strengthen his rule, while his fanatical brother plots a violent rise to power that threatens pagans and Yehuli alike.
Forced into a reluctant alliance, Évike and Gáspár trek from frozen wilderness to the oppressive capital, uncovering shared wounds from lives shaped by prejudice, abandonment, and fear. As their animosity softens into understanding—and something deeper—Évike begins to unlock the magic she never knew she possessed.
With loyalties shifting and rebellion brewing, both must decide what they’ll sacrifice for a kingdom that has never protected them… and whether their fragile bond can survive the cost.