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marylu412 's review for:

3.5
dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This hooked me with its vibe. A haunted woods where lighting a fire or *spilling blood* summons unkillable shades? Genius. And Silence, the no-nonsense innkeeper? Loved her. She’s the kind of morally-gray survivor I’d want on my team during the apocalypse.  

But here’s where I side-eye: This story left me craving *more*. The novella’s length means we sprint through the horror and lore without ever really sinking into it. The worldbuilding (a ghost economy?! The Forests’ history?!) is *so cool*, but it’s sketched, not painted. Silence’s relationship with her daughter? Felt like bullet points, not bonds. And that ending? Abrupt doesn’t even cover it—it’s like Sanderson realized he hit the word count and yeeted us out.