A review by kylieayn
The Phantom Forest, Volume 1 by Liz Kerin

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This cinematic story is full of violent twists and thoughtful turns. Kerin smoothly delivers action and dialogue in comprehensively paced and highly visual scenes that lead readers through the narrative. The art of scene writing is well-mastered here, providing a movie-like ease of movement between plot points and character introductions. Not once did I feel confused by the revolving door of characters, as I am personally sometimes prone to with large casts and fast-paced stories. Neither was I unconvinced of the character arcs as the book went on, as each established trait was strengthened and growth earned with their challenges, losses, and hard-fought triumphs.

Fans of high-excitement action-fantasy stories will find characters to love and love-to-hate in The Phantom Forest. Seycia sometimes made me think of Elizabeth from Pirates of the Caribbean (Walt Disney Pictures) for her leading-lady spunk, and often of Makenna from Hilari Bell’s The Goblin Wood (Eos, 2003) for her calculated aggression and emotional empowerment. Miko’s growth as survivor and revolutionary echoed many of the heroes in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series (Scholastic Press). I found General Simeon, Emperor Caius, the unsettling and sadistic leader of the Coalition, and Caius’ younger decoy all reminiscent of most of the devious leaders in Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011-2019) and The Boys (Amazon Prime, 2019-present). The three sister goddesses I thought were interesting takes on the mythic three Fates, with nods to the White Queen in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney Pictures), Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies (New Line Cinema / WingNut Films), and the myth of Persephone.

One of the central interrogations of The Phantom Forest is the different human behaviors in the face of their concept of the afterlife (or lack thereof). Multiple points of view on the matter are explored: uncaring pessimism in believing there’s nothing beyond life, motivating relief of the concept there’s nothing beyond, both rigid and lenient self-governance from believing there is either reward or punishment at the end, and the raging of war with no meaningful end over who’s belief is right. These core perspectives are one of the key drivers for most if not all of the characters on their journey throughout the book, and are well-integrated into the in-universe history and sociopolitical climate. It both breezily reflects and poignantly calls out one of the most impactful debates in our real human history, and offers outlooks of hope and moral stability no matter what the eternal consequences may or may not be.

Overall, The Phantom Forest is a quick but full read. I can only imagine how excited Booktok girlies and commercial lit readers will be to read (or reread) this book now that it’s in its final, truest form. If Kerin doesn’t already have a sequel or series planned for this world, she’s about to get a lot more requests.

*Review of complimentary ARC from the marketing street team for The Phantom Forest.