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A review by lutherihardlyknowher
Song of the Dark Wood by Sheila Masterson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment