miss__laris's review against another edition

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4.0

A few months ago, @astrid.v.j_author_official, who has teamed up with nine other fantasy authors to produce a charity anthology supporting rainforest conservation, kindly reached out to me, sent me a free e-book advanced review copy of the fully illustrated anthology, and gave me the opportunity to review it!

Enchanted is a series of charity anthologies to support environmental conservation. The book that I got to read, Enchanted Forests, is a collection of ten short illustrated fantasy stories about magical forests and the creatures living in them. All profits from this anthology will be donated to Rainforest Foundation who supports support indigenous and traditional peoples of the world’s rainforests in their efforts to protect their environment and fulfill their rights!

romance_matcha_andpaperbacks's review against another edition

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5.0

***(This review is only for Willow Daughter by author Astrid V.J.)***

Willow Daughter by Astrid V.J. is one of 10 stories in the Enchanted Forest anthology. It's about an old man who is recounting the story of a lifetime adventure he had when he was younger and foolish. How he ended up venturing deep into the magical forest and meeting a beautiful maiden sitting in a tall willow tree. The events that unravel after meeting her are magical and full of power. It ends with a small cliffhanger (which I very much liked by the way). I guess we will have to wait and see if the story continues in another short story.

It's a very lovely fantasy short story that I really enjoyed and most likely anyone who reads it will too. Much different from anything I've ever read this year and I'm very curious to know if the beautuful maiden will make a comeback. If this was great, I can only imagine the other 9 stories that are included in this book collection.

Thank you to Ms. Astrid V.J. for providing me with an ARC of her short story.

canderson's review

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4.0

What a fun adventure through the woods with this collection of short stories. Each fantasy story takes place in or near a fantastical forest—and I loved the diversity of the stories. We had some that featured fae, dragons, fairytale retellings, and each one set us on a grand adventure. For the most part, the stories were standalones. A few were precursors to novels that the authors are working on or spinoffs of secondary characters in their novels. I loved the story of the boy and his tortoise and the fairy-deal gone wrong. I was entertained and I loved the mission behind this collection as well to help preserve the rainforests. Willow Daughter was definitely my favorite short story; beautifully written and I was immediately sucked in.

If you're looking for a pleasant way to spend a few hours by the pool, where you can start and stop a novel — this is a solid choice. I'm looking forward to their next installment, as well as checking out their first edition, Enchanted Waters.

bookishbeanbag's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a fantastic book! Considering that all the stories are written by different authors, each with their own writing style and storyline, each story was great! I love that all proceeds go to charity!

pandarina42's review against another edition

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4.0

This collection is amazing. It has several short stories, some are complete and others lead to other stories. I truly enjoyed the anthology, some of them took me a while to get into, but became more engaging as I read. It definitely offered a lot of styles, not all of them were for me while others I truly enjoyed. All of the stories are so unique. My favorite was a young queen trying to save her grandmother who got turned into a unicorn. I also enjoyed the dwarves and fae kiss the frog story. I highly recommend this collection of stores if you enjoy fantasy. It is definitely a good way to find new authors. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

theliterarywayfarer's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I received an eARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Enchanted Forests is a magical anthology of ten short stories, written by some very talented authors. This is my first time reading a fantasy book, and this was a perfect book to get into this genre ☺️ I’m ecstatic to say that I enjoyed every minute of it! 

While I liked some stories more than the others, I didn’t find a single one that I disliked. The characters were so unique, fun (Gems of Fae and Foolery 😻) and sassy, that I ended up adoring them! It was an easy page turner, and the whole time, it made me nostalgic for the fairytales I grew up reading! ☺️ 

Overall, a stunning, refreshing piece of collaborative work! I haven’t read Enchanted Waters but after having read this one, I’m going to dive into it to keep the magic going ✨ 

This one was special to me for another reason: All proceeds of this book will go to the Rainforest Foundation to support their work in the conservation of rainforests! How amazing is that!? 😻 If you love magical creatures, and want to dive into amazing, fun-filled adventures with them in the most beautiful setting ever, I really think you should give this one a read! 🌳✨ (Now available on Amazon) 

Also, did I mention how gorgeous the cover is? 🤭

amicarlton's review

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5.0

Whether you're a long-time fantasy lover or you were drawn here by the chance to help the rainforest, you're in the right place. Deep fantasy isn't really my thing - I grew up on Harry Potter and Ella Enchanted - but I was still excited to be asked by one of the authors if I'd like to be on the review team. And boy am I glad I accepted!

This is a fantastic book. I'll admit, the first story was a little bit of a slow start, but after a few pages, I was hooked and couldn't put it down.

With fae, talking animals, dwarves, and all sorts of other creatures, there's plenty for the fantasy-lover. And the sometimes heavy-handed political and social commentary, strong character development, and fantastic storylines bring something for those who maybe don't love fantasy as much as the next person.

The stories are phenomenal!! And they offer a chance at helping save the rainforest, something we can all agree is a great idea in this undeniable time of climate change.

Great stories and a chance to help the rainforest, I just don't think you can ask for anything better!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book, but you can pick it up now exclusively on Amazon! And if you're a Kindle Unlimited member you can even read it for free!

kari_f's review against another edition

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3.5

This was a fun collection of short stories for an excellent cause, with all proceeds from the book being donated to the Rainforest Foundation!

The anthology contains a variety of authors, some established and some up-and-coming, and a variety of genres. There is a range of fantasy that includes fae shenanigans, dystopian speculative fiction, and fairy-tale reimagining.

My favorite short story was Apple and the Dead Forest!

Thanks to the authors for the digital advanced readers copy!

talislibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

Enchanted Forests is a wonderful anthology of 10 short stories, all centred in the forest. From goblins to dragons, to unicorns, the authors all have their unique writing styles, whilst working fantastically together.

This collection is truly beautifully written, and magical. Each one takes you on a new adventure that you don't want to end. It's rare that each story is one you enjoy, but Enchanted Forests does this with ease.

⭐ It also has beautiful illustrations!!

All profits of this book will be donated to the Rainforest Foundation which supports indigenous, and traditional peoples of the world's rainforests. So picking up a copy (Ebook or Physical) benefits those who are trying to protect and preserve their environments.

👉 There will be a full review coming to Talis Library blog on Sunday for Indie Sunday.

(I was given an EARC copy of this book)

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sucharita's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0