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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
If you are a person who loves folklore, you’ve got to read this book. It’s the sweetest story with characters you just want to sit with in front of a fire in a cozy living room. It’s the first in a duology about a wild wood and the wild man who keeps it. His name is Tobias, and he spends his days tending to the rugged wilderness in solitude. And he’s content to do so until ever-curious Henry Silver stumbles his way into Tobias’s cottage. Together, the face the evil buried beneath the oak.
What a delight. It’s so cozy and warm, and you can absolutely read it in one sitting. This book ticked all of my “read something that makes me happy” boxes, and if you’re looking for something to read on a rainy day in a bookstore, this book would be my first recommendation.
What a delight. It’s so cozy and warm, and you can absolutely read it in one sitting. This book ticked all of my “read something that makes me happy” boxes, and if you’re looking for something to read on a rainy day in a bookstore, this book would be my first recommendation.
I stumbled across this book in the Chelsea Market Posman Books bookstore while I was visiting New York. One look at the cover and I knew I had to read the story! A quick read (it took me almost exactly one hour), this story is engaging and wonderful. The ending was both perfect and not enough. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found out that there is a sequel! Pardon me while I run out to get it.
This made me want to frolic in the woods all day, lay down and let the moss consume me. I would recommend listening to Hozier's latest album while reading this. Absolutely fantastic!
The vibes in this book were immaculate! If you have ever dreamt of running away to live in a cottage in the forest, then this book is for you.
This follows Tobias, the gruff, four hundred year old keeper of the wood, and Henry, the enthusiastic scholar, who comes to investigate the myth of the green man. The relationship between Tobias and Henry is at the core of this story, and it is so sweet. It starts slow as the two of them become friends, and even though this book is short, Tesh does a great job of forming their connection. We see how they take care of each other and enjoy the little things about being in each others company, and I just thought it was all so sweet. I also really liked Henry's mother, she was a smart, fiesty woman, and I loved seeing her take charge of the situation.
The plot unravelled slowly, but it gave us time to really connect with the characters. There was definitely good tension and some creepy moments that I really liked. There were also some twists that were fun to read.
I also loved the world building. Obviously, it's nature based, but the magic of the forest really jumps off the page. I liked the forest creatures, especially Bramble and her relationship with Tobias. Tesh did a great job of building the atmosphere of the forest and the magic within it, it felt so deep and rich.
I just loved this!
This follows Tobias, the gruff, four hundred year old keeper of the wood, and Henry, the enthusiastic scholar, who comes to investigate the myth of the green man. The relationship between Tobias and Henry is at the core of this story, and it is so sweet. It starts slow as the two of them become friends, and even though this book is short, Tesh does a great job of forming their connection. We see how they take care of each other and enjoy the little things about being in each others company, and I just thought it was all so sweet. I also really liked Henry's mother, she was a smart, fiesty woman, and I loved seeing her take charge of the situation.
The plot unravelled slowly, but it gave us time to really connect with the characters. There was definitely good tension and some creepy moments that I really liked. There were also some twists that were fun to read.
I also loved the world building. Obviously, it's nature based, but the magic of the forest really jumps off the page. I liked the forest creatures, especially Bramble and her relationship with Tobias. Tesh did a great job of building the atmosphere of the forest and the magic within it, it felt so deep and rich.
I just loved this!
do not understand the hype. this one completely missed for me and even though there were interesting moments I don't think I would recommend this book. reading the second one because I have it but I don't have high hopes tbh.
Tobias felt the absence of the wood as an itch in his heart, but there was nothing real to it. He didn't belong to the wood anymore, nor it to him.
I wish the relationship had more time to develop, but the woods were magical - a place I definitely want to revisit. Highly recommend the audio. British narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies has the perfect voice for storytelling.
This was a mystifying, solemn novella. I could've read it within an hour, but I really wanted to savour it. The story, the characters, the mossy, overgrown heart of it. My only complaint is in the fact that it is a novella. Even though Tesh does really well in developing Tobias within only about 10 pages, I felt both in love and left wanting with his world. I kept having to stop myself from reading too quickly lest the story end before I could really get pulled in. Anyhow, the reveal and backstory of the book really took the breath out of me. It was very sad and I wish there were more to this book so I could properly indulge in the utter, estranged sorrow of it. But I do have to admire it for its disquieting conciseness. It's the kind of story I've been desperately been seeking for, a niche within a niche. I highly recommend it as a contemplative sylvan little story with charming mystical creatures dotted here and there in its woods, as well as a very original premise with a properly good queer romantic side-plot that feels completely natural even in the heart of fantasy folklore. This is one of the few books that I wish to re-read as soon as possible.
