Category: Fantasy

A River of Golden Bones

The Golden Court Book 1

By AK Mulford. Pub Date 12/5/2023

4*s. Best enjoyed when you want some adventure, self discovery, and romance.

Publisher’s Synopsis

“Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow . . . the backup plan.

No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court.

Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try?”

REVIEW

This was my first introduction to AK Mulford in any capacity and I’m going to say this right now, on record: worth the hype.

A big part of this book is self-discovery and breaking from a traditional structure that no longer fits the vision for your life, a thing I feel a lot of people can empathize with these days. That makes this somewhat harder to judge as the change seemed minimal, but it’s also a huge thing that people go through every single day. This helped me understand a little more coming from a voice unlike my own but also honestly the same. The bravery that it takes to live your truth is nothing to joke about, especially when breaking away from a regimented structure as Calla and Grae do here.

The villains were villainous, and the love felt very real. The adventure and experiences of the characters along with the changing internal and external beliefs held therein kept the pace of this. Do I think the acceptance of ones own identity should have happened quicker? Sure. But these things happen when they happen.

Also I LOVED the travelling musicians. The entire feeling of family and home and acceptance was very much THERE—Mulford’s writing made them feel like real people, a real found family. It was such a warm feeling for me as a reader. I loved every moment of it. This book is absolutely packed with feeling, adventure, and beautiful scenery. Villainous villains, brave heroes inside and out, and true desire for change and sanctuary, and a people willing to fight to make those a reality for all.

Thank you to Netgalley, AK Mulford, and Avon Harper Voyager for the advanced copy in exchange for this review.

Adventure Fantasy Romance Survival

The Forest Grimm

by Kathryn Purdie. Pub Date 9/19/23

4.5*s. Best enjoyed when you want a dark fantasy with a slightly flawed heroine and a very mysterious narrative.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“”Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die.”

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book—Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes—with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose—to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel—who is fated never to be with her—have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest—alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales—has a mind of its own.“

Review:

First of all, super excited that this will be a duology. The epilogue left me wanting more, and I’m glad that Purdie is planning to give that to us.

I wouldn’t say that The Forest Grimm is necessarily a fairytale retelling, it’s more of a dark original version mash up. It has all of the same ingredients that a normal fairytale would have. It has magic, conflict, an evil force that is wreaking havoc, a rescue of sorts, and love (chivalric, familial, or romantic—this has all three). If mainstream fairytales were a birthday cake, this one is far more of a black forest. A deep decadent chocolate with tart bursts of cherry. If you find that mouth watering, sink your teeth into this one.

Fate and magic are woven deeply into the village of Grimm’s Hallow, a cursed place that was once full of light and magic…until someone took advantage of that magic to kill. Now, the forest surrounding Grimm’s Hallow has pulled back the roots of its magic that once nourished it, sometimes stealing villagers in the night and killing or maiming those who try to enter it to find the Lost. Every few months, there is a lottery that determines the next person who may try to enter the forest to save the lost villagers and find the magic book that was once used as a weapon, and reverse the curse.

Clara’s mother was the first to be Lost three years before. Her grandmother, a seer, has already foreseen Clara’s early death in her cards. She’s prepared to die if it means she can get into the forest and trade her life for her mother’s. When she tries to cheat at the next lottery and her friend, Axel, is chosen instead, Clara is determined to go with him into the forest. But the forest is forbidding and foreboding, and Clara only finds a way into it through happenstance. Axel and Clara steal into the forest to find both Clara’s mother and Axel’s Lost fiancée, Ella. When they are joined by Clara’s best friend and Ella’s sister, Henni, the three travel deeper into the vicious woods protected only thinly by a loophole in the forest’s magic in the shape of a red rampion flower.

As they travel through, they find that the very forest moves in the night when they are asleep, and the Lost have become much more than just Lost—the magic has had a very profound affect over their bodies and minds, dangerous shadows of who they once were. They have been twisted into dark versions of the fairytales that we as the audience know well (Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, a bit of Little Red Riding Hood), becoming people and creatures that make you look sideways at some of the Disney movies or fairytale books we grew up with.

What’s more, there are secrets amongst the group that will have a profound effect on the outcome of their journey. The heavy hint here is romance, but whether that romance will manifest or is doomed from the beginning is yet to seen—to you, because you haven’t read it. But also to me, because I can see this story completely changing with a second book on the way.

Overall, I thought this book was a fantastic dark survival fantasy, which I’m all about. Have you even READ my reviews before? If not, hint: survival thrillers/fantasy are my jam. I can’t wait to see what Purdie has in store for us in the second book. I’ll need a special edition of this one on my shelf.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kathryn Purdie for the advanced copy in exchange for this early and honest review.

Adventure Fantasy Survival

Brittle

by Beth Overmyer, Pub Date 8/15/23

3.5*s. Best Enjoyed when you need a break from reality.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“After the murder of her father – which no one but her believes happened – Verve just wants to hold her family together and take on the role of provider. Unfortunately, a cruel fae lord believes she knows the location of an ancient magical weapon and steals her away to Letorheas, realm of the fairies. The fae lord seems to want something from Verve that goes beyond the weapon, something that many doubt she can provide. Verve must find a way to navigate the strangeness of Letorheas and embrace a destiny more intertwined with the fae than she would like to believe.”

Review:

Brittle was a surprising novel. I’m not sure if there will be another installment, but I enjoyed reading it and finished it in a few short days.

Verve has always tried to be the responsible middle child, and has also always been close to her father, who is away at war. However, when he returns in the middle of the night to talk to her and tells her that there is a secret hidden war being fought and not to trust anyone, not even those she knows without verifying who they are, she’s a little stunned. He tells her he will explain and to meet her at a neighboring farm. When she follows his instructions, she finds herself face to face with her father’s dead body in the barn, which disappears before she can bring anyone else to the spot.

Soon, strange events begin to happen, and neighbors and family become…something else. And when Verve is taken far from home and into another realm entirely, it appears that the secrets that her father imparted upon her may reveal a dangerous, fae-killing weapon at the center of a tremendous power struggle.

As she works out a way to escape this strange land and strange, ever changing mansion she finds herself in, she realizes that her captor may be interesting in more than just the secrets that Verve is hiding. Fae fall in love quickly, and it seems he is no exception. But he’s not the only one interested in her and what she’s hiding, and she soon finds herself stuck between warring factions.

She may be the key to victory for either side, but her survival and family mean far more to her. She must keep her head in the game and her heart far away if she’s going to come out on top…but that may be harder than she thought.

This was a totally different fae romantasy than I am used to. The romance was not the prominent theme, and it was far more on the lore and the fight than it was on matters of the heart. There’s actually a bit of a coerced marriage scenario stuffed in here that is thankfully mutually beneficial. For that reason, this one’s not super high on my romance scale, but for a dark fantasy story, it’s very well done!

Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for the advanced copy of Brittle in exchange for this fair and honest review.

After Dark Fantasy Romance

Mountains Made of Glass

By Scarlet St. Clair. Pub Date: 3/7/23

5 (very smutty)*s. Best enjoyed when…you have some ‘me’ time.

This is not your average fairy tale retelling. This is super new-adult. Lots of anatomy, lots of heat, and lots of seggsual content. Reader discretion advised.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“I wanted to answer, to whisper yes into the space between us, but I was afraid.

All Gesela’s life, her home village of Elk has been cursed. And it isn’t a single curse—it is one after another, each to be broken by a villager, each with devastating consequences. When Elk’s well goes dry, it is Gesela’s turn to save her town by killing the toad that lives at the bottom. Except…the toad is not a toad at all. He is an Elven prince under a curse of his own, and upon his death, his brothers come for Gesela, seeking retribution.

As punishment, the princes banish Gesela to live with their seventh brother, the one they call the beast. Gesela expects to be the prisoner of a hideous monster, but the beast turns out to be exquisitely beautiful, and rather than lock her in a cell, he offers Gesela a deal. If she can guess his true name in seven days, she can go free. Gesela agrees, but there is a hidden catch—she must speak his name with love in order to free him, too.

But can either of them learn to love in time?“

Review:

This is definitely an NSFW book. I have no problem with heavily erotic novels—I’ve ready Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty amongst others—but I wanted to preface this with that little caveat. That said, this is some hot hot heat.

Basic Plot ,Beauty and the Beast retelling: Elven king is cursed, the only way to break the curse is for someone to guess his name and say it out of love. Woman is trapped in a situation she doesn’t want to be in, accidentally kills another elven king (oops) while trying to break a curse, gets taken by the brothers of the dead and cursed elven kings, and they make her the prisoner of the cursed one. Presumably so she can break the curse, but also because they are assholes and want to torture their brother, possibly.

That’s the basic plot. Obviously our heroine wants to make her way home. She has trauma. She is part fae, which isn’t great when you live amongst humans, but may be worse if you hate fae because that means you kind of hate yourself. At the same time, there’s an undeniable sexual attraction between the Thorn King and our Geselda, the heroine. Like, major heat. A million Scoville. And it doesn’t help that everyone seems super horny all the time around the palace, and those who aren’t are either tiny pixie jerks or are spreading around magic lust dust to make everyone else feel hot and heavy in all the right places.

Now, given the above, this could go incredibly wrong and super corny/gratuitous, or it could go very well. Luckily for us, we’re talking about St. Clair, here. Author of Adrian x Isolde (King of Battle & Blood). She knows how to handle a hot scene, and she writes the shit out of it in this book. Like, woah. I honestly dug the whole thing. Had to drop my kindle a few times to keep from getting my fingerprints burned off. Honestly, can’t wait for the next one. Really hope theirs a next one. This was well worth the super sleepless night, and my spouse would agree.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest (too honest?) review. I had already purchased it, but I was still grateful for the chance to review it more formally for NG 😉

Adventure Fantasy Romance

Queen of Roses

Blood of a Fae #1

By Briar Boleyn, Pub date 4/15/23

5*s. Best enjoyed when you need an adventure with some enemies to lovers slow burn.

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“A doomed love, a dangerous mission, and a kingdom on the brink of war…
A cast-off princess…

Born into a life of duty and sacrifice, Morgan Pendragon’s destiny has never been her own. Rumored to carry the tainted blood of the fae in her veins, her birthright is stolen from her when she is a mere child. Growing up in the shadow of her brother the king, she has been promised to the goddesses when she comes of age. So, when her brother commands that she seek out a fae weapon of legendary power, Morgan seizes the chance to break free from the chains of her fate.

A dangerous temptation…

As she travels, Morgan finds herself drawn into a strange group of outcasts, led by a dark and enigmatic warrior whose sharp wit and fierce beauty set her heart ablaze. But while Morgan struggles to reconcile her desires with her duty, she and her new comrades discover dangers that await them beyond anything in their wildest nightmares.

A slumbering kingdom awoken by blood…

Believed to have vanished generations ago, a fae kingdom dreaded by mortals is ascending once more, bound to reclaim what was lost by violence and bloodshed. As the fae world, with its intricate web of lies and mysteries, is slowly revealed to Morgan, she is led to the terrible realization that the secrets she carries in her blood make her a greater threat than she could ever have imagined.”

Review:

I need to preface this review by revealing that this is a darker take on Arthurian legends, and I am NOT usually a fan of the tales that spring from the mythical Camelot. I usually find them excessively boring and unoriginal. I really struggle with them. However, Queen of Roses was an absolute DELIGHT. There are quite a few trigger warnings for it and some dark material here, so you need to be prepared for that, but it really sets the tone of this darker version of Arthur and his kingdom.

Often, Morgan (Morganna in some instances), Arthur’s half sister, is painted in a negative light by authors or put in a position where she is the villain. This story flips that on its head.

Morgan watched her father kill her fae-blooded mother. And then had to live with that fact. Now, Morgan lives in a very human kingdom where anyone with fae blood is heavily persecuted and sometimes killed. The only thing that really saves Morgan is that she is King Arthur’s sister. As a child and because she is part fae, she was passed up for the throne. She is to be sent to the temple when she turns 21 to study under the High Priestess Merlin, a fate she’s not exactly thrilled with, but one she must accept. After all, it would get her away from Lord Florian, the son of Arthur’s most trusted advisor, who terrorizes her at every turn.

However, it also becomes a matter of survival. Any resistance on her part could mean trouble for those she cares about most like her friends Galahad and Lancelet, and Kaye, her youngest brother, who means everything to her and is the one person in her life that loves her for exactly who she is.

What she’s not expecting is for Arthur to come to her with an important task, one that could save the kingdom. She is threatened with dire consequences should she resist or fail, and is sent with the bare minimum in the way of supplies and protection. One of her protectors is the handsome but infuriating and always grumpy new head of the Royal Guard, Kairos Draven, whose rumored past is one of terror and violence.

As their journey progresses, Draven and Morgan find themselves relying on one another more and more, and Morgan begins to suspect that there is more to Draven then what she was told. But before she can find her way into the cracks she finds in his armor and into the spaces that reveal a far kinder heart, the two are joined by a third party, one that makes Morgan question if her heart and body really belong locked away in a temple, and one that Draven is suspect of, not because he’s competition, but because his motives are suspect, and he may be posing more of a danger to Morgan than just heartbreak.

The major vibes throughout this one were: enemies to lovers, a little love triangle, duty bound, deep secrets revealed, betrayal, interesting magic, and surviving/escaping abuse.

I truly loved this story and I’ve already preordered the next installment!

Thank you to Netgalley and Starwater Press for an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review. Opinions herein are my own.

Fantasy Mystery Romance Uncategorized

Belladonna

by Adalyn Grace. Pub Date August 23, 2022

5*s. Best Enjoyed when you need an eerie, well-written story of a girl and death.

Synopsis:

Ever since her mother died when she was only an infant, Signa Farrow has been passed from guardian to guardian, each progressively worse and only interested in her eventual fortune. Death has been a frequent companion in her life and somewhat of a rival. After all, what kind of cruel force would continue to eliminate her guardians and leave her alone again and again? Yet, she has her own secret and strange relationship with it as she has approached it many times but has never succumbed. Not only can Signa see spirits, but she’s broken her neck falling down the stairs, has ingested the poisonous fruits from the belladonna plant, and has had accidents she should not have come back from, but she remains alive, healing quickly each time. To Death, Signa herself is intriguing, especially when she begins to exhibit powers that only he shares.

Signa doesn’t want these strange abilities, however. Her only goal is to be the socialite her mother was with hopes for good marriage prospects that would allow her a husband she loved and a life of parties and companionship.

At the death of her latest guardian, Signa is sent to live with her wealthy relatives, the Hawthornes. When Signa arrives to Thorn Grove manor, she finds grief and chaos running rampant. Her mother’s cousin, Lillian, recently died of a mysterious illness, leaving behind a deeply grieving husband, a solemn son, and her daughter, Blythe, who is now suffering the same illness that killed her mother. However, Signa knows these symptoms and also the taste of the ‘medicine’ that is in her cousin’s tea. This is not a regular illness. Someone slowly and methodically poisoned Lillian to death and she can only assume that the same person is responsible for Blythe’s current condition.

When Death approaches her cousin, Signa begs him to spare Blythe for a time while she tries to find the killer. As she races against the clock to find who did this, Signa enlists the help of the handsome and brooding stable boy, Sylas Thorley, her cousin Percy, and even Death himself. As they race against the clock to find the person responsible, she finds herself wanting things she never knew she desired. Then again, Death has an incredible ability to change your perception on what you crave most in life, and Signa finds herself learning that lesson all too well.

Review:

Carey Mansion
https://www.discovernewport.org/blog/post/haunted-spots/

Belladonna is one of those books that has an absolutely incredible cover and you just hope the book inside is just as beautiful. Spoiler alert? It is. I loved Thorn Grove and its inhabitants, and the plot was actually two interwoven, one a mystery and the other a romance. The romance I was somewhat expecting and, if I’m honest, hoping for. The murder plot? Never. Not in the way it was presented.

The book was dark, but not as dark as I had expected at first. I also LOVE Signa. And Death. And Sylas. And Blythe’s fiery and independent spirit. I even enjoyed Elijah, the husband lost in grief. The spirits that featured were also very interesting and the concepts for life beyond were something I’d never really thought about, and I think about death a lot (I’m delightfully morbid).

There are a lot of books coming out with the same concept of death or Hades as an option for romance, but Grace’s Belladonna stands out. I am very excited for Foxglove to come out next year as the twist ending in the Epilogue left me practically salivating. Please add this to your “To Read” pile if you love historical paranormal mystery/fantasy/romance stories. This one is going to be worth the wait, and I cannot wait to fangirl with you all!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown books for the advanced copy in exchange for this fair and honest review!

Fantasy

Six Crimson Cranes

By Elizabeth Lim, Pub date

5 stars. Best Enjoyed when you’re in a reading slump, because this will get you out of it really quick.

Before I begin the normal cadence of one of my reviews, let me first say that as soon as I finished this, I immediately moved forward and devoured the first in her Blood of Stars series, Spin the Dawn. I absolutely adored both and I am sitting on my hands waiting for the sequel to this one.

Shiori’anma of Kiata is preparing for her betrothal to Lord Takkan, who lives far in the north within a land of barbarians. She is not looking forward to any of it. However, on the day of her betrothal ceremony, she escapes from the palace and retreats to a nearby pond, into which she falls only to be rescued by a dragon. Of course, no one believes her. Magic was banned in Kiata a long time ago and no one has seen dragons for longer than that. However, Shiori knows magic exists. She has some of it herself, some that she has hidden to the best of her ability since she was a young girl. However, when the dragon returns and begins to teach her magic, she unwittingly learns that she is not the only one in the palace with secrets. Her stepmother, Riakama, has magic of her own.

When Shiori tries to expose Raikama, she finds herself at the center of a curse involving her and her brothers, who are turned into cranes and sent far from the palace. Shiori is banished far away, a magic bowl is stuck to her head and covers her eyes, and is told not to utter a word or for every sound that escapes her lips, one of her six brothers will die.

Shiori, silenced and alone, must fight her way to her brothers as best as she can and find some way to break their curse and return home before the kingdom is plunged into war. However, Shiori finds that the world is not as it seems, and there are underlying plots that are taking place she never could have imagined. She must find the resilience and strength necessary to not only save her brothers and herself, but also everyone and everything else she loves.

This was an absolutely magical retelling of the Six Swans fairy tale mixed with a heaping helping of the Goose Girl. I honestly had the hardest time sleeping while reading this as it invaded all of my thoughts. This was my first introduction to Elizabeth Lim and I can honestly say that it has made me a fan for life. The heartbreak in her stories caused tears, the triumphs lead to audible sighs of relief, and the twists to gasps and held breathes.

Every character came to life on the pages. It was like the ink leaped from my e-reader to paint gorgeous shadow shows full of dragons, forests, jewels, and far away castles. I was so absorbed that I felt like I was there at times. I also kind of feel like I am waiting for the rest of my life to start. I am so psyched to read the next one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for a copy of this incredible story in exchanged for this fair review. I loved it.

Fantasy Romance

Edgewood

By Kristen Ciccarelli. Pub Date 03/01/2022

3.5 stars. Best enjoyed when you want a contemporary fae love story laced with a little heartbreak.

TW: amnesia/dementia/Alzheimers

Emeline Lark’s passion lies in her music, even as her voice seems to summon echos of vines and roots from folklore-laden woods where she grew up. Her biggest dream is to see her name in marquee lights. However, when the perfect opportunity shows itself and she gets the chance to tour with her favorite band, she is learns that her grandfather, the man you raised her, has disappeared from his assisted living home. When she goes to investigate, she learns that he has tithed himself to the Wood King, an ancient being that is said to keep the wood and its villagers alive.

Emeline travels to the kingdom at the center of the dangerous wood in order to find her grandfather with the help of Hawthorne, the King’s tithe collector. She trades herself as the King’s new singer in exchange for her Pa. The King accepts Emeline’s trade…with a stipulation. She must find and perform all of his former Song Mage’s songs or forfeit her life. As Emeline sets out on this dangerous path, she learns not only the source of the corruption that has been slowly taking the woods around the kingdom, but also stumbles across the secrets of her own past and her connection to the very wood that would rather eat her alive than let her save it.

Edgewood was a great story once I got into it. However, I do need to admit that for me personally it exploited some very real fears and traumas I have related to amnesia, forgetting, and Alzheimer’s. As long as you are prepared for that, this emotional journey will take you places. There were definite twists and turns that I never saw coming, a magnetic pull between our two MCs, and well kept secrets I would have never expected even half way through the book. The story was largely about love, loss, and determination.

*Spoiler* The ending was very sad to me and broke my heart thoroughly. It was by far the most traumatic ending to a book I have experienced lately. That said, the book was still worth it and I did enjoy the journey.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kristen Ciccarelli for the advanced copy in exchange for this review.

Fantasy Horror Romance

LAKE’S EDGE

BY LYNDALL CLIPSTONE. PUB DATE SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

3.5*, Best enjoyed on a dark and windy fall day.

Violetta has protected her brother, Aerin, since the death of their parents during a plague when she was only six. Since that point, Aerin has experienced night terrors which manifest a dark shadowy power, and Violetta has stood in defense of him against their abusive adoptive mother. That is until the day of Tithe, when Aerin’s powers reveal themselves in front of the Lord of the land, Rowan Sylvanan. Rowan—known by the locals as the Monster—shows up at their small cottage later that night and threatens Violetta and Aerin into coming with him to his estate, Lake’s Edge. He needs Aerin’s power to help break a curse brought upon him by the Lord Under. However, Rowan doesn’t explain what started the curse nor what this will entail. However, the threats are enough and Aerin agrees, as long as Violetta is allowed to accompany them.

Unbeknownst to all around her, Violetta is familiar with the cruel Lord Under in ways she is reluctant to reveal.

When they arrive at Lake’s Edge, the estate—and Rowan—are not as the rumors have told. As Aerin works to help end the curse with the instruction of Clover, an Alchemist, Violetta and Rowan grow closer. Rowan has been afflicted by the Corruption that threatens the land and each day more and more of this Corruption begins to take him. Will Aerin and Clover be able to stop the Corruption from taking all they have grown to love, including their new-found family? Or will Violetta have to make another deal with a dark entity that held her hand so long ago?

The book was pretty good, although I would have liked more description. At times it felt very vague, like I wasn’t getting a good picture of what was going on and I’d have to re-read parts to understand what I was reading. I think it could have used another edit and some fleshing out, but I was still pleased by the story itself. Hopefully this will be done before the book is released in November.

This also ends on a decent cliff hanger that really makes me wonder where this is heading. It is slated to be a series and I’m very curious as to what the next book will reveal about all of the characters and what will happen to Violetta—spoiler, mayhaps? Although it was a little lacking, the story really is good enough that I want to hear what happens next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an impartial and honest review.

Fantasy Romance

SMALL FAVORS

BY ERIN CRAIG, PUB DATE JULY 27, 2021

5*****. Best Enjoyed when you need a slow burn mystery-thriller!

There are things in the woods that mean the people of Amity Falls harm. At least, that’s the superstition. The edges of the forest are lined with bells and are meant to ward off these beings from town. However, it has been many years since their small village has seen any sign of the creatures that exist in the dark beyond the pines, and the stories have been slowly edging toward superstition. That is until the winter supply run goes terribly awry and the only thing left of the group is a terrified horse in the town square sporting large, claw-like gouges from a huge, unknown animal.

Ellerie Downing, the beekeeper’s daughter, questions what could possibly have made this happen and the town is divided. Is it really just large, ferocious wolves that peer out of the woods at night with silver eyes? Or is it the creatures? And who is this mysterious boy that showed up one day and refuses to give her his name? Why are people suddenly beginning to show up in their isolated village?

However, The most pressing question on everyone’s minds is how are they going to survive the winter when every attempt at survival seems to be thwarted?

Suspicions soar as something sinister overtakes the town. Are basic instinct and long held grudges causing the townspeople to sabotage their neighbors or is something more sinister occurring? And can Ellerie convince the town to start taking the old tales seriously before it’s too late?

Craig is an amazing author. This book is the kind I love. Is something supernatural going on or is there a logical explanation as to what is happening? Plus the small town suspicions, mystery, and survival aspects are everything I want in a book. The only thing I had a tough time with was the ending, but it’s because it feels very abrupt. Otherwise, everything else is fantastic and I absolutely swallowed up every last honey-sweet bite.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!