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medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
ALC Review
Release Date: 3/18/2024
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘙𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘯.”
“𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮.”
This was my second journey through the Dark Wood and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. I feel Rowan’s Coming of Rage story in my bones, and hearing it read by Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis was a phenomenal experience. Hearing Conor actually say things like “Good lass” and “I hate kissing you”? Perfection.
Aoife did a wonderful job of portraying both Rowan’s hard edges and soft, gooey center. Rowan is a fierce, vulnerable character and I loved hearing her brought to life.
This book lives rent-free in my head (and Conor lives rent-free in my Lock Screen). I need everyone who didn’t read it in September to read it now, and everyone who read it in September to re-read it immediately. Please and thank yew.
It will keep the Wolf happy, after all🌲🐺👻♥️🎶
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This was such a fun, dark Red Riding Hood retelling! It had such gothic atmospheric vibes. There were meddling gods and demons and reapers and wraiths. There was heartbreak and sadness. And LOTSSS of spice. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. It was so captivating and I didn’t want to stop listening!
Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I have no power over anything in my life. I’ve never asked you for anything. Please, just let me make this choice for myself. Everything else in my life just happens to me, but this is something I could choose.”
✮ 3.5 out of 4 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the free ARC of this audiobook.
Rowan is the Red Maiden next in line to be sacrificed for the Wolf, the God of Death, to devour. None of the previous maidens have survived their five years of servitude, but Rowan is determined to change the bargain with the god and ensure her own survival; and save Aoife who’s to serve after Rowan.
But the God of Death isn’t what Rowan expected, and slowly Rowan learns how to free herself from others’ expectations. With the lurking pressure from the village as a deadly blight spreads and dark forces slowly growing stronger in the forest, time is running out. But with the growing attraction to the god, Rowan must make the hardest choice yet; to protect the village or to choose love.
The Red Riding Hood and Hades x Persephone theme of this book was one I couldn’t say no to. When I started getting into romantasy a few years back, I picked up For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten, because I loved the Red Riding Hood premise for a love story. It unfortunately disappointed me a lot. I knew that Song of the Dark Wood would be the redemption for the red riding hood love story I wanted, and I knew I had to pick it up.
In many regards, Song of the Dark Wood delivers the exact kind of romantasy story I wanted out of a Red Riding Hood romance. The blend with the Hades and Persephone elements makes this story exquisite to experience, and a lot of the groundwork for an amazing romance is laid out strongly from the beginning. Song of the Dark Wood might not be the most original story; a maiden chosen to be the sacrifice to some powerful man, misogynistic village leaders and a magical dark forest are all known elements, but they are delivered nicely packaged in this book, so I cannot complain; especially because it’s all elements I love when they’re present in a book.
When I reached the last 10% of this book, I did wonder how all of the things happening had been squeezed into this book. There was simply too many elements that the story tried to fit in, compared to the length of the book. Polishing the plot a little and removing some of the elements or simplifying them wouldn’t have hurt this book at all. Instead it’s almost drowning in all it’s trying to be, which hurts the enjoyment of the book.
My biggest problem with this story was the sexual assault threats looming around Rowan. In theory I don’t mind when a book presents a nasty older man who’s an absolute unworthy piece of shit as a threat, but the amount of space it took of this book absolutely hurt my enjoyment of it. It didn’t make the bond and trust between Rowan and Connor (the God of Death) seem genuine, and it didn’t feel like a natural progression of their relationship. The book is, however, labeled as dark and I was aware of this when starting this book. This might, however, be someone else’s cup of tea, and if so, this book will deliver.
I did get the audiobook version of this book, so it would feel wrong to not mention the narrators; Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis, both of whom did an amazing job with the narration of this book. They both fit their characters nicely, and made it that much easier to immerse myself in the whole story.
If you love a good romantasy story and wants something that feels very classic romantasy, while also presenting some dark elements, then I think this story might be for you.
✮ 3.5 out of 4 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the free ARC of this audiobook.
Rowan is the Red Maiden next in line to be sacrificed for the Wolf, the God of Death, to devour. None of the previous maidens have survived their five years of servitude, but Rowan is determined to change the bargain with the god and ensure her own survival; and save Aoife who’s to serve after Rowan.
But the God of Death isn’t what Rowan expected, and slowly Rowan learns how to free herself from others’ expectations. With the lurking pressure from the village as a deadly blight spreads and dark forces slowly growing stronger in the forest, time is running out. But with the growing attraction to the god, Rowan must make the hardest choice yet; to protect the village or to choose love.
The Red Riding Hood and Hades x Persephone theme of this book was one I couldn’t say no to. When I started getting into romantasy a few years back, I picked up For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten, because I loved the Red Riding Hood premise for a love story. It unfortunately disappointed me a lot. I knew that Song of the Dark Wood would be the redemption for the red riding hood love story I wanted, and I knew I had to pick it up.
In many regards, Song of the Dark Wood delivers the exact kind of romantasy story I wanted out of a Red Riding Hood romance. The blend with the Hades and Persephone elements makes this story exquisite to experience, and a lot of the groundwork for an amazing romance is laid out strongly from the beginning. Song of the Dark Wood might not be the most original story; a maiden chosen to be the sacrifice to some powerful man, misogynistic village leaders and a magical dark forest are all known elements, but they are delivered nicely packaged in this book, so I cannot complain; especially because it’s all elements I love when they’re present in a book.
When I reached the last 10% of this book, I did wonder how all of the things happening had been squeezed into this book. There was simply too many elements that the story tried to fit in, compared to the length of the book. Polishing the plot a little and removing some of the elements or simplifying them wouldn’t have hurt this book at all. Instead it’s almost drowning in all it’s trying to be, which hurts the enjoyment of the book.
My biggest problem with this story was the sexual assault threats looming around Rowan. In theory I don’t mind when a book presents a nasty older man who’s an absolute unworthy piece of shit as a threat, but the amount of space it took of this book absolutely hurt my enjoyment of it. It didn’t make the bond and trust between Rowan and Connor (the God of Death) seem genuine, and it didn’t feel like a natural progression of their relationship. The book is, however, labeled as dark and I was aware of this when starting this book. This might, however, be someone else’s cup of tea, and if so, this book will deliver.
I did get the audiobook version of this book, so it would feel wrong to not mention the narrators; Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis, both of whom did an amazing job with the narration of this book. They both fit their characters nicely, and made it that much easier to immerse myself in the whole story.
If you love a good romantasy story and wants something that feels very classic romantasy, while also presenting some dark elements, then I think this story might be for you.
Sexual assault threats
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of this book, in return for an honest review.
I can't believe I didn't realise this was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling - it's actually a little embarrassing how long it took me to figure that out, especially considering the girl in a red cloak on the actual cover. So this a fairytale retelling with a darker twist, featuring a strong FMC and a slowburn romance.
I really liked how this was dual POV and I thought that both narrators did a great job in bringing the characters to life. If you have the option to listen to the audiobook, then I'd highly recommend it! (But it's also on kindle unlimited too!)
I saw a review on goodreads that said something about the main character being weak and giving her power to a guy, which honestly, are we even talking about the same book? Rowan, the FMC, is such a strong character - we literally follow her progression from being someone being trodden all over to someone who takes no shit and has so much power. If you also have an issue with men thinking they have power over women and their lives, then you'll feel the same rage that Rowan does and it will make your blood boil. But seeing how they're dealt with makes it all worth it, trust me.
I really enjoyed this, and I definitely want to check out more works by the author because I just loved the writing, the worldbuilding and the characters in this!
The ending was perfect, particularly the epilogue - it felt right and earned after the events of the book.
I can't believe I didn't realise this was a Little Red Riding Hood retelling - it's actually a little embarrassing how long it took me to figure that out, especially considering the girl in a red cloak on the actual cover. So this a fairytale retelling with a darker twist, featuring a strong FMC and a slowburn romance.
I really liked how this was dual POV and I thought that both narrators did a great job in bringing the characters to life. If you have the option to listen to the audiobook, then I'd highly recommend it! (But it's also on kindle unlimited too!)
I saw a review on goodreads that said something about the main character being weak and giving her power to a guy, which honestly, are we even talking about the same book? Rowan, the FMC, is such a strong character - we literally follow her progression from being someone being trodden all over to someone who takes no shit and has so much power. If you also have an issue with men thinking they have power over women and their lives, then you'll feel the same rage that Rowan does and it will make your blood boil. But seeing how they're dealt with makes it all worth it, trust me.
I really enjoyed this, and I definitely want to check out more works by the author because I just loved the writing, the worldbuilding and the characters in this!
The ending was perfect, particularly the epilogue - it felt right and earned after the events of the book.
“You know I would make the whole world dark for you so that you can be the only bright light.”
DNF at 50%
As this is my first NetGalley review, I’m disappointed I had to stop halfway through.
Song of the Dark Wood is a standalone fantasy story that combines Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades & Persophone themes. Rowan’s town uses maidens to guide spirits to the afterlife and to appease the god of death, the Wolf. They blame an evil blight affecting their crops on him, so they want to keep him happy through the maidens. They also deal with demons, crones, reapers, and other monsters.
I think it’s an interesting concept, in theory, but it felt as though the story bit off more than it could chew. There were so many elements that it made the story feel off-kilter. I wish more about their way of life had been explained because a lot of the rules the maidens had to follow felt contradictory to what we previously learned. Also, the magical elements didn’t mesh well with me, and it threw the pacing off. I felt lost for a good bit of it.
The narrators were the main thing that made me want to keep going. Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis bring the characters to life and do a marvelous job of adding to the world-building. I especially enjoyed how much Dermot captured Conor, Charlie, and Rowan’s personalities with minor shifts in this voice. In my opinion, Aoife’s voice for Rowan made her sound much younger than I’m sure was intended, and I had to remind myself that Rowan was 20, not 15. Her voice for Conor sounded more comical than monstrous or mysterious, so it was a challenge to take those dialogues seriously. However, Aoife’s voice set the dark, looming tone well.
One of my favorite characters was Cade, but since I DNFd at 50%, I couldn’t tell you why Rowan’s best friend is a demon. I also liked Charlie. Cade and Charlie provided some lightheartedness that the story needed in those moments.
My main reason for DNF-ing is the content, and I would’ve finished the audiobook for the narrators if the writing was more my style. I take the fall for this, though, because it was all in the book’s summary, and it didn’t register to me what it really meant. Personally, forcing virgins to sexually appease a mysterious god who threatens to murder or r*pe them if they fail just isn’t the kind of story for me.
Although I only listened to 50%, the romance didn’t work for me either. It felt more along the lines of abuse, in my opinion, since she had to seduce him to survive and save her world. It tainted their “romance” scenes and felt more like religious grooming since she’s been training for this since she was 5. I wanted to like Rowan more, but by the time she considered having gumption, those elements were too much for me.
I think the audiobook would’ve benefitted from some content or trigger warnings regarding religious/sexual abuse. If I had those, I wouldn’t have chosen to read this book.
When I read the summary and hear something labeled as “dark,” I assume it’s more about gothic/spooky vibes and monsters. Unfortunately, in this case, the “dark” elements were more about virginity and r*pe threats, and that’s not the kind of book I would seek out.
Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy. All opinions are my own.
As this is my first NetGalley review, I’m disappointed I had to stop halfway through.
Song of the Dark Wood is a standalone fantasy story that combines Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades & Persophone themes. Rowan’s town uses maidens to guide spirits to the afterlife and to appease the god of death, the Wolf. They blame an evil blight affecting their crops on him, so they want to keep him happy through the maidens. They also deal with demons, crones, reapers, and other monsters.
I think it’s an interesting concept, in theory, but it felt as though the story bit off more than it could chew. There were so many elements that it made the story feel off-kilter. I wish more about their way of life had been explained because a lot of the rules the maidens had to follow felt contradictory to what we previously learned. Also, the magical elements didn’t mesh well with me, and it threw the pacing off. I felt lost for a good bit of it.
The narrators were the main thing that made me want to keep going. Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis bring the characters to life and do a marvelous job of adding to the world-building. I especially enjoyed how much Dermot captured Conor, Charlie, and Rowan’s personalities with minor shifts in this voice. In my opinion, Aoife’s voice for Rowan made her sound much younger than I’m sure was intended, and I had to remind myself that Rowan was 20, not 15. Her voice for Conor sounded more comical than monstrous or mysterious, so it was a challenge to take those dialogues seriously. However, Aoife’s voice set the dark, looming tone well.
One of my favorite characters was Cade, but since I DNFd at 50%, I couldn’t tell you why Rowan’s best friend is a demon. I also liked Charlie. Cade and Charlie provided some lightheartedness that the story needed in those moments.
My main reason for DNF-ing is the content, and I would’ve finished the audiobook for the narrators if the writing was more my style. I take the fall for this, though, because it was all in the book’s summary, and it didn’t register to me what it really meant. Personally, forcing virgins to sexually appease a mysterious god who threatens to murder or r*pe them if they fail just isn’t the kind of story for me.
Although I only listened to 50%, the romance didn’t work for me either. It felt more along the lines of abuse, in my opinion, since she had to seduce him to survive and save her world. It tainted their “romance” scenes and felt more like religious grooming since she’s been training for this since she was 5. I wanted to like Rowan more, but by the time she considered having gumption, those elements were too much for me.
I think the audiobook would’ve benefitted from some content or trigger warnings regarding religious/sexual abuse. If I had those, I wouldn’t have chosen to read this book.
When I read the summary and hear something labeled as “dark,” I assume it’s more about gothic/spooky vibes and monsters. Unfortunately, in this case, the “dark” elements were more about virginity and r*pe threats, and that’s not the kind of book I would seek out.
Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy. All opinions are my own.
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
“You know, I would make the whole world dark for you so that you can be the only bright light.”
I loooved the concept of this book! it's giving red riding hood mixed with a handmaid's tale, hades x Persephone, and something else that isn't coming to mind right now. I devoured this book. some parts were a bit frustrating, but it was character building, but overall, I really enjoyed this book, especially the audio. the narrators were phenomenal.
Thank you to netgalley for the advanced audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loooved the concept of this book! it's giving red riding hood mixed with a handmaid's tale, hades x Persephone, and something else that isn't coming to mind right now. I devoured this book. some parts were a bit frustrating, but it was character building, but overall, I really enjoyed this book, especially the audio. the narrators were phenomenal.
Thank you to netgalley for the advanced audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.