Quick Synopsis – Everybody knows about the faerie market that borders the crumbling edges of the mortal world. It is a place where almost anything can be bought . . . by those willing to pay terrible prices. Skills, memories, years of your life—even the freedom of one’s own mind are the currency of choice.

Declan Bonfeld, the only son of a noble house, has never encountered a price he cannot afford to pay. Until the day he attempts to bargain with a ruthless potion merchant for the impossible: a way to bring back someone he loves. When Declan dares to steal from the tyrant’s shelves with the help of the merchant’s captive daughter, Calla, the two discover a horrifying truth. Once a stolen potion is consumed, the thief pays the price, no matter who drinks it.

With Declan’s mind and body unravelling piece by piece, Calla must help him outwit her father, the man she has spent a lifetime fearing, before Declan is stripped of everything he is, and she loses the only person who has ever truly seen her.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Only Exception by Paramore

Publication Date – Nov. 17, 2026

Bookshop Link – This Wild Wanting by Sophie Gonzales
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Content Notes – This book features the death of a loved one and death of a parent off page. There is also violence, blood, torture, and imprisonment. There is also child abuse both physical and emotional.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐.5 out of 5

Review – I liked this book, I did think some parts of it were a little gruesome for YA fantasy though. The story has a lot about overcoming preconceived notions. Both Calla and Declan have a lot of negative stereotypes that they hold. Declan thinks that all Fae are tricky evil doers and Calla thinks all humans are backstabbing liars. It’s kind of fun to watch them banter and overcome the stereotypes they were brought up with. The crux of the story is that Declan crosses the Haze to make a bargain with a fairy to bring a loved one back from the dead. He meets Calla in her father’s potion shop and defends her from an unruly costumer. From there they are truly saving each other from mishaps the whole book.

The book is told from dual POVs and is pretty rapid paced. I thought the relationship that builds between Calla and Declan was very sweet and naive. It was more fitting for Calla because she is basically a servant to her father and has little to no interaction with people outside of the potions business. For Declan, I thought it was odd he was so naive because he had so much more worldly exposure. It seemed like he should have been a little more knowing. Also, I thought Declan was too much of a white knight. He was self-sacrificing to a fault.

Other than our main characters being a little too naive for me, I thought this was a fun book. I liked the punishments for taking the potions and found the story to be intriguing if a little bit sad sometimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books for the gifted advanced copy, all opinions are my own.