If you’re feeling for a spooky book, I’d recommend reading this to satisfy your craving. It has a creepy forest, a tricky devil, bird women, blood magic, and a MFM polyamorous relationship. While it is admittedly rather slow-paced, it was also quite enjoyable. I had fun traipsing through the story along with Mairwen, Rhen, and Arthur. I’d recommend reading this paranormal story around Halloween. It’d be perfect!

Oh, wow, this book was just fantastic! I picked this book to fill a prompt in a reading challenge, which was to read a book that you heard good things about. And yeah, this book lived up to that, I really enjoyed it!

This world with a bargain with the devil, a sacrifice every 7 years to ensure the town has health and prosperity, it's so interesting to read! And I really enjoyed being in these 3 characters heads-they all had a reason to go into the woods. Ans I loved how this story was told, in days before, and days after, the Slaughter Moon. It was really fantastic!

One big plot this book has is that the characters learned something-and then forgot it, and has to discover what it was that they forgot. And it's kinda important, because whatever they did, it wasn't a long lasting bargain. So they're on a bit of a time crunch to remember what they forgot.

Of course, the details of the bargain aren't quite what they have been taught. And there were a few really big reveals, and it as just so interesting to read, and when it all came together, man, it just made for excellent reading! I just couldn't put this book down!

Loved reading this book, it was just fantastic and wonderful!

Initially, this novel started off quite slow, which worried me because I wanted something with a ton of action. But after a few chapters, the story started to shine and I was hooked.

I actually really liked the plot of this story. The entire premise of a place where people could live a peaceful life in exchange for a sacrifice once every 7 years was very interesting, and the mentality of the people about this was both bizarre and understandable at the same time. I think the author set up the story very well and there was a lot of depth and darkness to the plot; this is in no way a light and happy read. The author took a unique approach in that she did not make the events in the forest the main part of the story; instead, the story could be divided into before entering the forest, and after entering the forest. Most authors would have tried to capitalize on the experience in the forest itself, making it the entire plot of the story. I actually enjoyed this new approach because it added more intrigue to the story. What happened in the forest? How did it change the various characters? What is the big secret?

I did think that the two major reveals in this story weren't that hard to guess. Well, okay, let me be more fair. I think the first reveal that occurs right after the forest wasn't really explained well enough to give me that shock factor. When that truth came out, I thought ... wait, isn't that how it was supposed to be? There was a question raised from that secret (sorry for being so cryptic in my explanation but I really don't want to spoil anything!) that I don't think was ever properly addressed, so that was a bit of a bummer. Nevertheless, I did like the way things came to a climax and the final conclusion of the story. It was well-rounded and tied up all loose ends.

My one issue with this novel was with the main characters, specifically Mairwen and Arthur. I just couldn't get my head around their personalities. Arthur has a very abrasive personality, and while the author tried to justify it, I felt it was a bit too abrasive for me to connect with him. I couldn't really empathize with a character that was constantly attacking people and sneering at those who cared for him. And that brings me to Mairwen's character. She supposedly cared for Arthur but I never really felt that? Perhaps the author was trying to portray a love-hate relationship that was complex, but it felt quite forced for me, with no real tenderness to it. I also didn't really get a sense of Mairwen's personality. All I knew was that she kept getting "called" or drawn to the forest. Apart from that (and her confusing feelings for the other characters), there really didn't seem much to her. She kept being called weird but I didn't really see what was so weird about her? It was all a bit strange and I think this aspect of the novel could have been strengthened.

This novel started off slow, but as the darker elements of the story began to unfold, I was drawn into it and could not wait to see how things would end. However, the characters were not developed as well as I would have liked, which affected my ability to fully connect with this story. For those reasons, I'm giving it a 3/5 stars!

This is one of the most conflicting reviews/ratings I've given lately. Strange Grace is dark, creepy and just the right amount of gory for me. So you'd think it would hit the mark for a teen fantasy read. And it mostly does. However there are moments and times where I feel like something was missing or a connective tissue wasn't quite there. Also refreshing is that it's a stand-alone!!

Foreshadowing
When you write a book that focuses on tidbits of information dropped like easter eggs throughout the narrative you need to be very confident that you've given enough context for the reader to have an 'ah-ha' moment when that tidbit becomes relevant. This was the biggest missing piece for me with Tessa Gratton's dark novel. It felt like the 'ah-ha' moments were dulled or just not even there. The one key moment, where you go 'OMG', I did have a reaction to; but even that felt a little muffled by the attempt to stay up on what I'd been told to date. I'm not quite sure how else to describe what was missing except to say that a good mystery or thriller author could likely solve this issue quickly as I believe it would be obvious where the links are not meeting.

Flashbacks
Ever since I read LOTR at age 12 I have been vehemently against flashbacks. I abhor being told what happened for key moments if the flashback isn't in a journal entry, orally being told story, or really, really interesting. Luckily for Gratton she fits into the really interesting category. It's a very risky thing to tell 90% of your compelling story in flashbacks; and yet that is exactly how Strange Grace is set-up. This format allows for bits and pieces of the story, from different characters POV, to be told in a jumbled up way which could work but in this case I'm not sure it was as effective as it could be (see foreshadowing above).

Endings & Romance
The absolute best endings to me have a few things in common. They don't please everyone, not everyone survives (if applicable) and everyone leaves changed. Without a doubt Gratton meets my ending criteria.
It also helps that the romance in Strange Grace is fairly well done. It's a typical confused and conflicted teen romance (between three people); but I really loved the way Gratton incorporated the pan sexuality into the complex trio's lives. I genuinely believed that a three-person relationship would be possible in certain scenarios here. And not because the characters were trying to all be happy but because it just made sense for these characters. It's difficult to handle a unique teen romance, in a vicious, fairly bloodthirsty book without having the trauma become 99% of the focus. But somehow Gratton manages to give us three independent and unique characters who all need each other and not just because of the horrors they may (or may not) have witnessed; but instead because their souls feel entwined. I realize this may sound lame... (or maybe it's because I have a hard time with romance) but I felt like this was a teen romance that I could understand and support.

Overall
The darkness and romance of Strange Grace certainly pushed me into 3-4 star territory (there is also a really good moral dilemma); but the missing 'ah-ha' moments and lack of lines to tug on brought it down. I feel if Gratton paired up with a couple great mystery editors or writers for comments, reviews and edits that this could be a stellar book. I will certainly read Gratton's books in the future as I believe her and I have something in common. A dark place in our souls that we don't quite know what to do with sometimes. Strange Grace touched that deep place (that all of us have to some degree) and gave it a life (that is less horrific and more gothic) for a short period of time.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I've been wanting to get into Tessa Gratton's writing for a while now thanks to her good friend and fellow author, Maggie Stiefvater. I read The Queens of Innis Lear earlier this summer and was disappointed in it, but saw Gratton's writing chops in it, so figured I'd give this one a go. And I'm really glad I did!

This was such a gorgeous, sumptuous read! This was one of those books where the back cover blurb didn't do it justice, but it still left me wanting to pick it up. The blurb makes it sound like a passionate romance featuring a girl and the devil. And it's only slightly that. In a way I'm really glad the blurb is so misleading because the actual plot was a genuine surprise I was delighted to be immersed in.

The setting is it's own exceptionally dark character, which I always love when authors can make that happen. Gratton built the tension surrounding what was in the forest so well, I was chomping at the bit, waiting for those kids to go in. The constant ominous thread of foreboding was consistent throughout and gave me actual chills. Each of the characters are very real and have very real, intense motivations for entering the forest, despite the extreme threat of danger to themselves and their village. I love the concept of the town being beholden to this mysterious forest and no one really questioning the tradition, despite the fact it's incredibly messed up to sacrifice their boys to the cause.

I read a review of this book when I was about three quarters of the way through that the narrative was an anti-war allegory against conscription, which I hadn't read into it at all, but am just floored in hindsight at that insight from Gratton. You can tell she put a lot of thought into every aspect of this book. It's just very carefully crafted and beautifully done.

The only thing that let me down was the end got a little too messy and convoluted for me. I was waiting for an insane plot twist for the reason behind the sacrificial traditions, and when it came, it kind of happened in a lot of exposition that felt like a long walk that the reader really had to work to comprehend. The only other thing that bothered me was the flashbacks woven throughout the novel. I'm more willing to let this aspect go, because it's made clear why it's written that way by the end. The interweaving of flashbacks of what each of the three characters experienced in the woods was jarring at first, but did its job by the end.

I do want to give kudos to Gratton for making the bold decision to feature an unconventional romance in a YA novel. There are some brave choices made in this novel that I really appreciate and this is one of them. There are no love triangles, and no fighting over the main female character, but there's something else, which I think is worth teasing, but I won't put into words because it's that much better when the reader can get to it themselves. I'm glad I didn't go into it knowing what this romance was, because I'm not so sure I would've read it otherwise.

So just go into this novel knowing nothing about it and enjoy how everything is so carefully crafted and beautifully written. I loved this novel a lot and it undoubtedly will be one of the standouts of my reading year.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters in this novel. I also thought it was really interesting how the author was able to portray the many different kinds of love and how deep those relationships can go. I definitely felt the love between Ruhn, Mairwen, and Arthur. The mythical characters in the forest and the Bone Tree itself set the stage for a creepy, fantastical novel. I just found it took a bit long to get to the point sometimes; it went around in circles.
Overall though, I enjoyed it and I'd recommend

Strange Grace, is, well, strange. I had a hard time getting into the novel, as the author switched between past tense and present tense quickly and very often.
The story was very exciting, however, and I think people should give it a shot before being deterred by the beginning.

I received an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow I was so disappointed with this. It took me WAY too long to read and I was forcing myself to finish this.

I have to say that the premise has a lot of potential but it just wasn't met in my opinion.

If you loved this book then that's great!! But for me it was boring, very slow paced and at times confusing.

Sadly this was not for me.

The real surprise with this book was the fact that this book is third person present-tense and I didn't automatically drop it after the first sentence. It usually feels forced and uncomfortable for me to read from that particular narrative viewpoint, but it really worked here! It made things a little bit creepy and frantic which suited really well.


One of the strongest parts of this book for me was the atmosphere. Creepy little towns! I'm always here for creepy little towns. (Seriously, it's a weakness. If I deliberately move to a house that's cursed and then get eaten by the trees or something, you will know exactly at which threshold to lay the blame. Mine. Which will be the threshold of the cursed and sinister house.) And this was an A+ creepy little town. It's got shades of The Lottery in that most of those living there have accepted that every seven years, someone may have to die in order to preserve the supernatural good fortune they experience. To be sainted, to go into the woods to fight the devil that lives in the forest is an honour-while not everyone in the town fully believes this, most do- enough to make anyone who doesn't something of an outcast.


Which brings us to the main characters! One of whom is very much an outcast, one of whom is very much NOT an outcast, and one of whom is very much both at the same time. (Which is fitting given that this is kind of a dominant theme of the story... belonging and not belonging.) Rhun is going to be the saint, and everyone knows it. He can make anyone smile, he's good with people, he's happy in his place, and any part of him that might not fit that role is kept very much a secret. Mairwen is sure of her place in the town- daughter of the Grace witch, soon to be a fully fledged witch in her own right, ignoring the constant call of the forest. Arthur has been on the outside for a long time, prickly and unfriendly, trying to fit himself into a role that is the opposite of the one he was raised in.


While all three went through engaging journeys (both separately and together), I personally found Arthur's the most engaging, partly because it isn't one that I've seen all that often. While to a degree all of the arcs in this book are grounded in identity, I think it's most notable in Arthur's arc- going from being raised as a girl (because his mother was one of the few who did not believe sainthood to be an honour, and only boys could be saints)' to making himself harsh and miserable rejecting all of that once the town found out, forcing himself into a hypermasculine mold; to eventually finding a place that works for him which is ultimately a lot more true that now he's been forcing himself to be (and much less bounded by the binarily defined roles for either gender within the story). I think there's a lot of be said about this character through the scope of how societies construct gender, both broadly and for individuals, and I really liked how that played into his character arc. (I think your mileage may vary with this one- I really liked it but it might depend on your personal relationship with and experiences with gender essentialism. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this!)


All three of the main characters are all working through their relationships with themselves, and with each other, as well as with other people. Watching their triad shift and change throughout the book as all three of them went through some pretty significant development as individuals.


The plot itself is unusual in that it's a pretty straight-forward plot in the broadstrokes, masked by the fact that, partway though, the half of the story is told in flashback, horror movie style. (I think. I don't generally watch horror movies.) It's a little messy and really compelling for the design of the story itself. This is one of those books that's really pulled along by the characters, with multiple points of view: all three main characters, and then several snapshots from others (Mairwen's best friend gets enough point of view chapters to maybe be considered a forth main character, really.) It's kind of organised chaos, with lots of characters and actually a pretty straightforward plot, and lots of points of view, and everyone is kissing each other (um. I wish there was more asking first in some of the kisses...)


Long story short this book did make me think. It creates a vivid, dark, and unusual world that's just a little bit (okay maybe a bit more than a little bit...) creepy. It isn't so much a coming-of-age story as a story of becoming, and the story layout suits both the tone and the plot really well (much to my third-person-present-tense loathing surprise and delight). The characters were unique and I'm glad I got a chance to experience their journeys.

What makes Strange Grace awesome:
- the setting was delightfully creepy
- the characters were very distinct (3 main POVs)
- the plot was unique
- polyamorous relationship
- the writing was haunting

What I didn't like:
- the pacing was a little slow at times
- I feel like the polyamorous relationship could have been better? Like don't tell me these people love each other, SHOW ME

Why I recommend this book:
- perfect autumn read
- creepy read, set in small town

This one is going to be tricky to review because I absolutely adored it, but it still had a couple flaws. I have such strong feelings about this one that expressing those thoughts is just going to be a mess. We’re doing this though, so I hope you all can follow this disaster of a review.

First we’ll talk about what I loved, which is pretty much everything. The atmosphere of this book is just so incredibly well done and it leaves you feeling so unsettled that it’s impossible to put it down. The village that the story takes place in is bordered by a forest, and the forest itself is just a terrifying and fascinating presence. I don’t know how else to describe it, it’s such a massive part of the story and it is so well done. This book is beyond creepy but in the best way possible, you aren’t sure why it’s so unsettling but it is and that’s all you need to keep reading. The storyline itself is also just so horrifying but in the best way, the sacrifice alone is super creepy but then you add in the calm acceptance from the village and it just makes you question everything and everyone.

Without a doubt the best part of this story was the characters. I loved Mariwen, Rhun and Arthur so much. I just wanted them all to get what they deserved and for them all to be happy! And the love that the three of them felt for each other, I can’t even handle how perfect it was and how well it was done. I can honestly say that I have never read a polyamorous relationship before but it was one of the best dynamics I’ve read in quite a while. All the side characters were just as amazing too, they weren’t the most fleshed out but they still had their place and helped move the story along.

The only thing that I didn’t love about this one was the pacing, I felt like it took a while for anything to really happen, even with the growing sense of dread and unease, but it did eventually kick off and from that point I couldn’t put it down.

Honestly I just loved this book, it was creepy and a bit gory and had some amazing characters and an interesting story and ugh just so much. I’m sick right now so I’m blaming that on what a mess this is but guys, read this book, please read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an review. I really was hoping to connect with this book more. I wanted to be so invested in the characters and the story but it didn’t mesh together for me. I just ended up not caring. I think there is a definitely people who will absolutely love this story, I’m sorry I wasn’t one of them

Quick Summary:

Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil to ensure their prosperity and now every time the Slaughter Moon rises the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest. Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early. Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town and their hearts inside out.

My Thoughts:

We follow three main characters who have been close friends since childhood. The romance between the three of them was wonderful, but Im still not sure why they love each other. There just wasnt enough emotion there. I would have liked a bit more inner monologue to get to know the characters better. Rhun was almost too happy and too kind while Arthur is abrasive and very conflicted. I felt like the two boys had the more personality and the more character development than Mairwen. I loved who they became by the end of the book. I also loved the female friendship between Mairwen and Haf.

This was a difficult book to rate and review. I found the dark and eerie atmosphere mixed with a touch of whimsy enchanting, but the writing didnt really work for me. Dont get me wrong the writing wasnt bad its just felt kind of choppy at times. I did get use to it the more I read though. The first half of the book was pretty slow and the pacing in general just felt off throughout. I was disappointed we didnt get to see what fully happened in the forest, but I understand why the author decided to reveal what happened in the woods in little snippets. It added a compelling air of mystery to the plot.

On top of their awesome little polyamory group, most of the people in the little village they live in are darker skin. Theres a specific line that says Bree is more rosy than brown which is evidence of three generations of Lewises having lived and married in their village. Arthur was also raised as a girl for a good portion of his childhood. I found the magic and the whole deal with the devil interesting, but some of it was a little predictable. I liked the creepy woods and the different creatures that lived within. I also enjoyed how the author weaved in the themes of family, friendship, love, lies, and sacrifice. Overall this was a diverse, witchy, atmospheric standalone fantasy.

Strange Grace is haunting, moving and magical. It's a story of bargains and sacrifice, of love and fate, of a tree and a forest and the heart that lives there. It's a story of place and self and destiny and an overwhelming, earthly magic.

Mairwen is a witch, a Grace witch like her mother and the women in their family before them, descended from the Grace sisters the town was named after. As a Grace witch, she can never go into the forest, but she can hear it calling her name. Waiting for her. But she has a part to play as a Grace witch when the Slaughter Moon comes every seven years. But now, when it comes early, she's worried because of who will most likely be the next saint. Rhun is the apparent best of all the young boys and men looking to do their part to keep the town protected for another seven years. He has the strength and the skill to, hopefully, survive a night in the Devil's Forest. But he is afraid of dying like so many before him and leaving behind those he cares about. Like Mairwen. Like Arthur. Arthur is sharp and brash, fueled by anger and disgust and a hatred for the early days of his childhood. He's an outcast in a town he's lived in his entire life because he doesn't understand who he is. When the Slaughter Moon comes early, all three of them know what will happen, and all three of their hearts race toward something they never expected they'd uncover.

This completely satisfied me when I knew I'd be reading another Tessa Gratton book. There were moments that took me back to some of her previous books, ones like Blood Magic and The Blood Keeper. Magic all around people, in the earth and trees and everything else. Secrets that stretch back through time. Love leading characters through danger and despair, through near-death experiences. Characters joined together in more ways than one, in love and blood and the beating of their hearts. It's atmospheric and haunting. This is a dark and twisted tale of magic and love that I'm sure to read again before the year is out. I'd definitely recommend this to those looking for dark tales of destiny and witches, something similar to Peternelle van Arsdale's The Beast Is an Animal.

I was provided with and ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was absolutely amazing!! It was dark and twisted and just spectacular. I found myself gasping at parts, closing the book and putting it down to take a breather. Strange Grace consumed me and my day and made my internal Book Dragon come alive. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this book!

Strange Grace is an eerie, beautiful novel about witches, devils, and, more importantly, the love between three friends. I went in with no expectations and found myself racing through the page to the end. It's slower-paced than most fantasy novels I read, but focused on character development and a slow-burning romance.

I am so conflicted about this book. After reading the first 50% I was ready to call Strange Grace one of the best books I've read this year and the title of the review, "Dark Fantasy At Its Finest." I was utterly blown away. Then I read through last half of the story, and I flipped the last page feeling...less enthusiastic. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great story--but I feel like it could have been a brilliant one (from start to finish) and it ended up missing that mark by a couple of notches. And that just kills me.

Let's get to the positives first (and there are a lot!):

Strange Grace is a dark, sensual story (never thought I'd say that about a YA) that explores love and passion and the idea that to live is to make sacrifices. The story is set in a secluded valley (called "Three Graces") that's surrounded with a mysterious forest. And in this forest lives a devil. Now, a long, long time ago, this devil had made a bargain with the founders of the valley: every seven years, the villagers will send a boy--their best boy--into the forest and have him survive its terrors. Survive, or die. For this sacrifice, the devil blesses the valley with magic--crops flourish, no one dies early, and wounds heal abnormally fast.

The prose is wonderfully rich. Dreamy and atmospheric, it reads very much like a fairy tale, except not the pleasant variety. This one has claws and fangs and blood dripping from its pores. It's like those ancient stories told over the flickering of an open fire--the ones that say, "My child, the world hides beautiful, terrifying secrets." It creeps through you like the tendrils of a song and leaves you entranced and gasping for more.

And like many fairy tales, the worldbuilding is hazy. We get the history of Three Graces and a couple of tidbits here and there about the cities beyond, but that's about it. Some people might find it frustrating; I found it perfect. Because the worldbuilding isn't the focal point of the story--that would be the characters.

At the heart of the story are Mairwen, Ruhen, and Arthur, and their love for one another. Yes, this book explores polyamory, and it's done beautifully.

Mairwen is a witch and a descendant of the original Grace witch who had made the bargain. Her love for Rhun runs deep and her feelings about Arthur range from irritation to gruff affection.

Rhun is the next likely saint (or so everyone thinks). He's kind-hearted, gentle, and so full of love for everyone and everything. The perfect saint candidate.

Except that he's secretly in love with a boy.

Arthur has been raised as a girl until the age of six because his mother couldn't bear the thought of losing him to the forest. So he's spent the next decade or so trying to prove to every men in the valley that he's just as strong and capable and male as they are. He's molded himself into a moody, sharp-edged thing--prone to pick fights and dole out sneers.

Arthur was, unsurprisingly (to me, at least), my favourite of the trio. I loved his fire and his determination to take Rhun's place as the sacrifice, not only because he wants to save him, but also to prove that he's just as capable as the other boy. His heart is a turmoil of selfishness and selflessness, which I found that absolutely fascinating. I also really appreciated the way Gratton uses the character to explore societal expectations on gender roles.

Now for the criticisms.

Character Development: While I quite liked Arthur's character progression, I feel like Mairwen and Rhun's progression just...stagnated after the first half. We also don't see much interaction between Mairwen and Arthur, which is a shame because they're so prickly with each other and I would have loved to see them work out their differences. Overall, I just felt a lot more disconnected from the characters in the latter part of the story.

The Kissing: This is very much a kissing book. The main characters kiss. The side characters kiss. The main characters kiss the side characters. There's just a whole lot of smooching going on and, this may be a weird thing to say, I actually really like reading about kissing in stories--especially if it's between friends. But I have to admit, there are times in this book when it gets a bit too much.

Pacing and Tension: This is probably my biggest complaint, aside from the character development. The pacing is weirdly sporadic in the second half of the story. The characters spend a whole lot of time seemingly doing nothing and then all of a sudden there's a flurry of activities. Also, the tension that's so evident and gripping in the first half dissipates in the second (at least for me). And the funny thing is that the dark horror stuff really ramps up in the latter sections, but I found myself less fearful for these characters than I was in the first half.

Despite my complaints, I still highly recommend this book, especially to those who loved the atmosphere of Uprooted and how the forest was kind of its own character. It's written beautifully, it brims with love of all shades, and I very much look forward to seeing which dark corner of her imagination Tessa Gratton will take us into next.

This book is great! I'm about halfway through and I will absolutely be buying a copy when it comes out. I can already tell it's 4.5 stars! The writing flows nicely and the pacing is great. I love the main character because she's stubborn

The perfect October read!! I loved the premise and the world building! The characters were surprisingly diverse and complex and the story itself really challenged gender/sexuality norms and expectations. The narration hops between protagonists and timelines, which I felt really added to the story! This creepy read really makes you feel the “The Clock Is Ticking” vibes as you read, and I couldn’t wait to get to the end. Strange Grace feels a lot like a dark fairytale and I definitely suggest this to anyone looking for a spooky Halloween book this fall. I will certainly be getting my hands on the finished copy when it is published, so that I can reread this closer to Halloween.

Do you ever read a book where the whole time your mouth kind of gapes open and your eyes are a little bigger than they should be because what dafuq did I just read? Tessa Gratton's Strange Grace is the definition of dark fantasy and a book that surprised me over and over again.

This novel is an intense story wrapped up in just a whole lot of f**kery. The first half is a little slow, a little drawn out, building and building to the main event: the saint's run into the Devil's Forest. In this time, the backstories of each character are laid out, the history of the village and woods delightfully teased and embellished, and the emotions swirling around that big night bared on all levels. We get three POVs that give very different perspectives. Throughout this, I was riveted, reading on and on, unable to wait for that moment where we finally enter the cursed forests. It finally happens at about the halfway mark, and Gratton turns that sh*t on it's head. Not only do we NOT get to see the woods, but we are left with a huge helping of WHAT IS GOING ON as everyone else tries to figure out what happened. The events are slowly revealed through dark, twisted flashbacks that made this book a perfect five-star.

I've been dying to read Tessa Gratton since I got to read a little bit of The Queens of Innis Lear, and I was so excited to get a copy of this (from Netgalley AND Edelweiss, thank you very much!) Simply put, Gratton's writing is awe-inspiring. It's beautiful, lush, vivid, lyrical, decadent ... I could go on and on and still not put my finger on the right word. The setting in this is so unbelievably haunting and atmospheric, the woods in particular. I'm currently plotting my own fantasy that centres on a forbidden forest, and I will be drawing a lot from this for inspiration. The vibe of these woods is incredible and almost tangible. One point in this book that stuck out so starkly to me is when we meet the devil. The way he is described, shape-shifting and deadly, is utterly gorgeous. I'll stop there. This is really just turning into a paragraph where I cram in as many adjectives as I can.

And of course, I can't end without dipping into representation. There is a clear representation of LGBTQ in this novel. One character spent his formative years thinking he was a girl, so there is a lot of anger and baggage to unpack for him. Another is clearly into another boy, but can't do much as it's behaviour highly frowned upon in the village. I usually don't read books where the main characters are labelled as LGBTQ, only because it's not representation I'm looking for personally. I choose not to read that particular content, just like I'm not keen on contemporary novels or proper faerie stories. That said, I try to change my mind every once in a while and this was very well done. I found myself rooting for the characters in question to get their happy ending and booing those getting all up in their business, because it's certainly none of theirs.

For the record, it took me five days to come up enough coherent thoughts to put together review. This book left me so stunned and speechless and I cannot express enough how much of a surprise this was. Nor can I wait to get my hands on more of Gratton's work.