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emily_liggett's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Abandonment
theespressoedition's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Talk about an absolutely breathtaking book. The writing alone was enough to make me fall in love - and then you add a brilliant plot and swoon-worthy characters and it’s everything I could possibly ask for in a fantasy novel.
I was fascinated by the Beauty and the Beast-esque retelling that morphed into something entirely its own as the story went on. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect next and I loved every second of it. It was unpredictable and gripping!
The magic system was phenomenally creative. I mean, blood magic isn’t uncommon in fantasy - but blood and earth magic combined into something dark and vicious but also beautiful??? Now that is incredible!
I was absolutely shocked and pleasantly surprised to read a BatB retelling that didn't have a manipulative, possessive, or even abusive "beast" character. Eammon was a consent king and I appreciated every minute of it.
It got to the point where even when I would wind up slightly confused by what was happening, I still absolutely had to know what came next. It had me on the edge of my seat.
Now, I’m desperate to know what kind of wood and shadow will follow Red, Eammon, Neve, and the rest of the cast into the next book.
I was fascinated by the Beauty and the Beast-esque retelling that morphed into something entirely its own as the story went on. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect next and I loved every second of it. It was unpredictable and gripping!
The magic system was phenomenally creative. I mean, blood magic isn’t uncommon in fantasy - but blood and earth magic combined into something dark and vicious but also beautiful??? Now that is incredible!
I was absolutely shocked and pleasantly surprised to read a BatB retelling that didn't have a manipulative, possessive, or even abusive "beast" character. Eammon was a consent king and I appreciated every minute of it.
It got to the point where even when I would wind up slightly confused by what was happening, I still absolutely had to know what came next. It had me on the edge of my seat.
Now, I’m desperate to know what kind of wood and shadow will follow Red, Eammon, Neve, and the rest of the cast into the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Self harm
Moderate: Death of parent and Torture
Minor: Cursing and Sexual content
dernhelms_bag's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
forthesanityof1's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
The only thing I kept thinking about while reading this was how much I could see it made into a movie by Studio Ghibli. The author knows how to take her time in all the right places and draw out the pocket of the story in a way that felt effortless, hence the Ghibli vibes. This book is a beautiful, wonderful mix of dark fantasy, fairy tales, and political intrigue. I want to gush about so many things I loved about it. The world building is fantastic, I loved the whole idea of the Wilderwood and the Wolf. The Wolf himself was so different than what I was expecting that I adored him from the get go for the subversion. The narrator, Red, feels like a breath of fresh air. I loved her attitude towards everything, her fear and her contempt and her curiosity. Her reflective nature helped make this story what it is. I think my favorite thing about this book, though, was the writing style; it's utterly captivating to me, cutting in just the right way to make the reader feel the impact of certain lines and really experience the storytelling and the uniquely terrifying setting of the Wilderwood. Holy crap, do I recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, and Self harm
Minor: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Violence
The self-harm trigger is in reference to characterslibrarianlex's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Sexual content
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