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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Shiela Masterson continues to prove her talent as a writer and a storyteller with her first novel (a stand-alone) following the conclusion of The Lost God series. As someone who experienced religious betrayal and a transition of faith, I appreciated the depth brought to a fantasy romance novel with impacts of religion, patriarchy, & the importance of informed consent as part of the plot.
Also loved the Lost God easter eggs!
Also loved the Lost God easter eggs!
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes
Song of the Dark Wood is a fun twist on Little Red Riding Hood with a Hades x Persephone feel.
Rowan and Conor's story was full of mysterious magic with delicious forbidden romance vibes. There was a lot of Hate to Love You and desperate attempts to save a village from itself.
Rowan is a maiden that will eventually have to give herself up to The Wolf (the god of death) in order to keep him happy, the village protected, and keep the balance with their god, the Mother. Her responsibility is to guide the dead souls to their final place with Conor, The Wolf. She quickly learns that Conor is not what he seems, and he refuses to take her. A blight is moving into the village, and the Mother has convinced Rowan that she has to kill Conor in order to end the blight and replace him with someone else. Rowan has to work to seduce him to get close enough to do what she needs to do...and keep her heart out of it at the same time.
I really enjoyed the mystery behind the characters and trying to figure out what exactly is going on in this world. The tension was great, and the magic was really interesting.
Tropes:
Hades x Persephone Retell
Little Red Riding Hood Retell
Enemies to Lovers
Hate to Love You
Touch Her and 💀
🌶🌶.5
Thank you, Shelia, for having me on your ARC team!
Rowan and Conor's story was full of mysterious magic with delicious forbidden romance vibes. There was a lot of Hate to Love You and desperate attempts to save a village from itself.
Rowan is a maiden that will eventually have to give herself up to The Wolf (the god of death) in order to keep him happy, the village protected, and keep the balance with their god, the Mother. Her responsibility is to guide the dead souls to their final place with Conor, The Wolf. She quickly learns that Conor is not what he seems, and he refuses to take her. A blight is moving into the village, and the Mother has convinced Rowan that she has to kill Conor in order to end the blight and replace him with someone else. Rowan has to work to seduce him to get close enough to do what she needs to do...and keep her heart out of it at the same time.
I really enjoyed the mystery behind the characters and trying to figure out what exactly is going on in this world. The tension was great, and the magic was really interesting.
Tropes:
Hades x Persephone Retell
Little Red Riding Hood Retell
Enemies to Lovers
Hate to Love You
Touch Her and 💀
🌶🌶.5
Thank you, Shelia, for having me on your ARC team!
I absolutely adored Song of the Dark Wood! This was such a brilliant Red Riding Hood retelling with a little Hades and Persephone twist. I had such a great time reading it. One might even say I devoured it as though I was the Wolf…
I love a good bit of feminine rage, and let me tell you, Rowan was full of it. She’s angry with her village, the elders, the gods, and just the world in general, and she has every right to be. I was rooting for her every step of the way. I also really loved the Wolf. I love the complexity of his character and his struggles with his own inner turmoil.
I thought the world was really interesting, and I loved the music based magic system. I don’t know how to describe it other than that it was absolutely perfect for the story. The magic system just worked really well for both the Red Riding Hood and the Hades/Persephone aspects.
If you’re looking for a good spooky season/autumn read, I would highly recommend Song of the Dark Wood. The vibes are just immaculate for this time of year.
Thank you so much to Sheila Masterson for the early copy of Song of the Dark Wood. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
Some little red riding hood with strong Hades and Persephone vibes. I can say I despised most of the characters in this book. There's only 4 likable characters and 2 questionable characters. I feel like a lot of the book was secret even to us until the last few chapters. I do think there are some untied strings at the end. I still have a couple questions. That being said, I really liked the story overall. It was nice reading a standalone fantasy book. I feel like we don't have many of those.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Thanks to The Realm Archive for an ARC copy of this book (though life got in the way and delayed my written review!)
I really enjoyed this riff on the little red riding hood, and the strong FMC. The wolf wasn’t bad either ;)
This is a fantastic late fall/early winter read, perfect for spooky season!
I really enjoyed this riff on the little red riding hood, and the strong FMC. The wolf wasn’t bad either ;)
This is a fantastic late fall/early winter read, perfect for spooky season!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Song of the Dark Wood is a clever twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood. I repeatedly had a-ha moments of how things tied to the original story. It points out the dangers of strict patriarchal societies and how power can be twisted and used for personal gain and lack of accountability. Consent was discussed in such an interesting way. I loved Connor and Rowan and can't wait to see what happens with other characters in this world. I am obsessed!
Thanks to Sheila for an eARC of this book for an honest review.
~~~~~
The audiobook is dual narrator. Both narrators have wonderful accents that fit the story so well. Even though the accents are not what it ear is used to, I was still able to speed it up to 2x+ without issue (a definite win). This audio version is perfect!
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook for an honest review.
Thanks to Sheila for an eARC of this book for an honest review.
~~~~~
The audiobook is dual narrator. Both narrators have wonderful accents that fit the story so well. Even though the accents are not what it ear is used to, I was still able to speed it up to 2x+ without issue (a definite win). This audio version is perfect!
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook for an honest review.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Wow, just wow! This dark red riding hood/Hades/Persephone retelling, with fare I say hints of beauty and the beast in there, was so well done. It was its own story with just nods to the myth/fairytales. Rowan is our fierce sheltered FMC with enough empathy to spare and a beautiful talent. Then you have our reserved/cold MMC Conor who is carrying the weight of his world on his shoulders whilst trying to resist our dear Rowan. Not to mentioned you spend this stand alone trying to figure out a couple of mysterious instances. I was hooked from the first time Rowan is sent into the Dark Woods. From the unique magic system, to the mystery that slowly developed and the connection Rowan had not only with Conor but with the Wolf’s Keep itself. You are in for a treat when you pick this beauty up.