A lovely werewolf story indeed. More feminist than I was expecting too! I have to admit though, it took a bit of time to grow on me. The prose is... somewhat slow. Like, I guess I would have expected more to happen, more thrilling scenes, or whatever. But it's clear it's not that kind of story. What started as a intriguing werewolf plot became more of a quiet introspection on what it means to live in a backwards village and still care for the people in it. This is at the same time as Abel's reveal (which I totally called from the minute I first saw Abel btw). At first, it seemed like the story would be simple. Run away with the hot werewolf and live a wolfy life. But I'm glad it wasn't that, mostly for Birdie's sake. I guess it takes more maturity and inner peace to stay and try to live a double life anyways, just so you can still be close to those you care for. The whole werewolf and witch folklore thing was executed really well here too, as it wasn't just an offhand mention or a retelling, but rather an exploration of what they represent. Werewolves being the "other". Queer men that don't fit into society. And witches representing the idea of female empowerment. Both would seem scary to a backwards society, but none of the characters Mitch meets seem to fear them. Thus, the characters embody this metaphor well. I enjoyed this tale a lot, and I also really liked the visuals. I'm already accustomed to the "crusty" watercolor look from Solstice Eve and it fits this kind of story really well too. Made the town feel real.