Cover Image: The Phantom Forest

The Phantom Forest

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Member Reviews

Unfortunately, that was not for me. I felt that the book was full of cliches and it feel a ripoff of  “The 100” and so many others. I even started to try to guess what would happen next and I was right 100% of the times, until the game became boring and I just decided to leave the book. I did not finish reading. Maybe it's get better, who knows.

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So, I've decided to DNF this book at about 30%. The writing is strong enough, and I think it's got a great premise, but I just can't.

The problem I'm having is the use of "The Savage" to describe Haben's evil alter-ego, or whatever it is, he's possessed by. I suppose other readers won't have this issue, but as a Cree (Indigenous) reader, I just can't do it anymore. It's a slur and I've just decided that despite the strengths of the book, there's no reason to expose myself further to language that has been used to dehumanize me and my people. Other native readers, be aware.

As for other readers, I saw on the Goodreads page that there is a list of content warnings that that author posted, you'd do well to consult that list.

Thanks anyway for the chance to view an eARC of this book. Since, I can't not rate the book, I'm giving it three stars based on what I saw otherwise.

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The Phantom Forest is a chilling book with an interesting plotline and intriguing world. Be prepared for an adventure, torture and a lot of death.

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The Phantom Forest was a darker fantasy read than I anticipated, and I loved it.

In short, there's a forest that exists in the Underworld. Each tree is a soul. Some souls are good and some are bad, and it just depends on what choices they made.

The story is told in alternating points of view, between Seycia, her little brother Miko and Haben, who is a demon. Seycia and Miko's lives are hard. They're poor and can only rely on each other for support, as their parents were killed.

Per their culture, there is a ritual the village performs where they throw a human sacrifice to the demon to keep him sated. It was really barbaric and almost hard to read. Haben is the demon who consumes the human sacrifice and we do get to read through his point of view which was an interesting perspective.

Seycia ends up becoming the next human sacrifice, except she doesn't die when she goes into the Underworld.

As characters, quite honestly I liked all 3 of the characters whose perspective we get to read from, because they all had likable qualities. Yes, even Haben. Seycia is strong-willed and determined and so is Miko, even though it's easy at first to write him off as being a young child.

And Haben's story was probably the most interesting for me. I'd love more backstory on him. A prequel maybe?

The way the book ends, it's clear we still have things unresolved and need more answers. Originally, when I looked on Goodreads it appears as though this book is a standalone, but I'm nosy and started picking through discussions and discovered that this book is indeed written to be the first in a trilogy. So I'm legit crossing my fingers there's another one because I definitely want to read more and have more of a resolution.

Fantasy reads are totally my jam and this book definitely delivered some really cool elements for me. Yes, it's a darker type fantasy but that's what makes it a good read.

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I was given a digital ARC of this book by Net Galley (thank you!).

Since the first chapter of this book I was "in love" with Haben and this strange forest.
The Phantom Forest (or Forest of Laida) is situated in the Underworld and is where souls go when they die on the Earth and wait for their next life.
Here we find Haben, a demon who's "haunted" by the misterious Savage.
We are aware that the two are actually the same person.

On Earth, after a war, we find the siblings Seycia and Miko. They lost their parents when the Coalition - more specifically by hand of General Simeon, which has been attacked by Seycia's father with a special fang. Since then the two had to live hidden from the Coalition. These last one have the tradition of doing sacrifice for the Savage, in honor of the god of the Underworld Dohv.
Unfortunately Simeon want Seycia as the next meal of the Savage and capturing her brother, setting a trap for her.

During the sacrifice Seycia fell in the Underworld and Miko is saved by a mysterious girl.

From now on, Seycia will take part in a mission together with Haben to get revenge on Simeon and to go against the not-so-godly Dohv. They will go for the whole underworld in search of the Forest of Laida to find the tree of Simeon's soul.

On the other hand, Miko take part in the rebellion against the Coalition. He has a great courage and is part of a strange prophecy.

The book have multiple POV, mostly of Seycia and Haben's view. I found that the style is intriguing and animated, the story is easy to read and there are a lot of plot-twist.

I love the world building: the Underworld is a very dark and fearful place but at the same time intriguing. The monsters that populate it seem to come out of a nightmare.

The finals chapters are amazing! The reader never lose interest and the cliffhanger in the last pages make me excited. (For a moment I feared the worst)

I can't wait for the sequel, and hope that it'll be amazing like this first book

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The Phantom Forest features the kind of imaginative, otherworldly writing that always gripped me as a young reader — and still does as an adult.

Liz Kerin has written a book I would gladly share with young readers, and one that I am sure would capture their interest.

Vivid, mind-grabbing, end-of-the-world entertainment.

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I got about 30% in before I had to DNF it. The writing and pacing were good and theoretically, I enjoyed the subject. However, the characters did nothing for me and I found my attention drifting while I read and couldn't really follow whatever was going on.

I think this was an unfortunate case of this being a good book just not for me. I really respect authors and all the hard work that goes into books so I hope that this doesn't dissuade anyone from trying this book.

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Wow! Wow! Wow! I could not put this down. This book most definitely falls into the fantasy category, but with a little of a dystopian twist. The religion of Kronasa has been “abolished” by those who won the war. There is no one who believes in the Great Forest or worships Dhov, so the government thinks. The world building in this story is perfection. Part of the story takes place in the world and part takes place in the underworld and both are fully fleshed out. The struggle between good and evil as well as emotions is very real throughout the book. I cannot write more about this book without giving a million spoilers. Suffice to say, this one will be going on my purchase list and I can’t wait to put it on the shelf. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. #netgalley #yareads #yafantasy

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Ahhhhh I tried so hard to get into this one and I actually feel really bad for not getting into it because from what I can tell, the author seems like a lovely person, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s not really the book’s fault at all, but more about personal preference. When I saw this on Netgalley, I decided to download it at the recommendations of friends despite sounding a little outside of my tastes. Plus, I was so intrigued by all the underworld stuff! In the end though, this story was very fantasy dystopia which isn’t really a genre I’m into.

The story was actually really interesting and I love the way Kerin handled the plot because it’s so unlike anything I’ve read. So hats off for that! The characters, however, seemed to lean a little on the 2-dimensional side and I couldn’t help wanting more from them. I was dying to know more about their life before General Simeon like how they grew up and what their parents were like. And I think I just wanted a little more emotion to connect with as a reader. I didn’t really perk up until we heard from General Simeon’s point of view because he’s so vile, but yet interesting at the same time—complex and layered. I also wanted to know more about the world Seycia and Miko live in. But we don’t get to see much of the world before the story shifts towards the Underworld and I was dying to know more about the universe.

Overall, this was such an interesting story but it fell a little flat for me and was outside of my tastes as a reader.

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I was given a digital ARC of this book by Net Galley.

Phantom Forest is a journey to the future where civilization as we know it has ceased to exist due to mans discovery of the underworld. No longer a place of myths and stories, the people of this time live in a world that is now fully aware of its existence. This book tells the story of a girl named Seycia and her younger brother, Miko, who lost their parents to the war- now they live a guarded and secluded life in their village Khronasa under the rule of evil tyrants.

The forest of Laida is where Seycia and Miko’s father told them souls go to regenerate when we die-I imagine it to be their version of heaven. They find solace in knowing that their loved ones souls return to the trees of the forest to regenerate into someone else never truly leaving us.
Even though the people of this time are fully aware of the underworld they are still restricted from praising and worshipping any gods in Khronasa, however, Simeon, the emperor’s general still sacrifices the villagers to The Savage so that Dohv will answer his prayers.
Unfortunately for Seycia and Miko, Simeon seeks revenge against their family for a grievance he had with their father. And because of this, they keep to themselves, until one day their luck runs out and Seycia is chosen as Simeon’s sacrifice. She is thrust into the underworld to fight not only for her life, but also she is still fighting to save her brother, even though he is still in our world. This is when she actually meets The Savage, the one who Simeon summoned to kill her, and her journey truly begins.

This story is paced perfectly. The author uses the perfect words and dialogue to paint the picture for the reader while advancing the story. Nothing is worse in fantasy books than all of the words used to describe settings, characters, and scenery. I also LOVE that the character’s physiology, for me, seemed ambiguous. I read the first few chapters assuming that this book was written by an African author or author of African decent because of the names and the world. Amber skin and black hair, to me, can be interpreted many ways. I loved that I was able to imagine the characters on my own without the author having to describe every single detail. In my opinion, the ability for readers to be able to see themselves, or whomever, in a story or character is important. I read so many books that the authors need to flesh out the characters appearance sometimes takes away from the story for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I truly did not know what to expect at first because of the mention of demons and the underworld, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I look forward to reading more from Liz Kerin!

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Not really my style. I had the pleasure of not knowing whether we were in the past or present during flashbacks. Also, the words seemed to run together. I would have liked a more action-packed beginning to start the story off with a bang.

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I just honestly couldn't get into it. It was confusing, boring and I didn't care for the writing. The concept is interesting - probably a good fit for someone else. DNF 30%

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The book is well written and the world building is amazing but unfortunately I couldn't connect to the characters.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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First I want to say I absolutely love this cover it is eye catching. The novel
world was brilliantly built. The characters were strong and enjoyable. I love a great dystopian novel. Though I did feel parts of the story were rushed, the romance. Overall it was quite enjoyable and I would love to see a sequel or other novels from this author. Thank you Netgally for the arc

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Friends, I loved reading this debut fantasy novel so much! The Phantom Forest has all the ingredients that I live for in a good story: rich worldbuilding with an emphasis on religion and lyrical writing that sucked me in on the first page. This is a dark, gruesome, and bloody story that won’t be for everyone so please do check the content warnings at the bottom of the review.
“In this place meant for the dead, she finally felt the weight of life, of connection, of eternity. Nothing was ever lost.”

I had so many questions while reading this book, but not in a bad way if that makes sense. The world the Kerin crafted for us is so intricately disturbing that it is like a car wreck that we cannot look away from. Who are these people? What are they being punished for? The worldbuilding is both slow and all at once as the reader is thrust into the deep end of the world but never given too much at any given time. I was hungry for more much like the Savage hungers.

The Phantom Forest is told mostly in the three alternating third-person perspectives of Seycia, Miko, and Haben, with the addition of a couple chapters from General Simeon’s perspective.

✨ Seycia is a brave and selfless nineteen year old who’s seen her fair share of heartache over the last seven years. With both her parents killed by General Simeon during the initial occupation, she’s been taking care of her brother as best as she can. The love that she feels for Miko is palpable and I appreciate how so much of this story centers on their sibling love and willingness to sacrifice themselves for the other.

✨ Miko is full of the naivete and rigid belief of right prevailing that one can expect from a twelve year old. He’s a child who’s lost everything and everyone, who wants to take matters into his own hands. While headstrong characters who do whatever they want without thinking first typically drive me bonkers, these characteristics really endeared Miko to me and I was rooting for him. But I was also glad that he wasn’t an instant sharpshooter.

✨ Haben is a demon known as The Savage, Dhov’s messenger whose purpose is to scare humans so they continue to fear the Underworld. The book opens with his perspective and I was honestly drawn to him right away; he hasn’t retained much of his humanity since taking Dhov’s curse and his character arc is by far my favorite. I love Haben and he must be protected at all costs.

We all know that I struggle a bit with multiple POV narratives and I will admit that it took a bit of time for me to adjust. The first 20% of the book was solely told from Seycia’s and Haben’s perspectives as their paths inevitably converge, after which we have two storylines: one in the Underworld and following the family that Seycia left behind (Miko). By this point I was fully invested in Seycia and her story, so it did take some time for me to warm up to Miko’s own journey but once I did I was hooked and finished the rest of the book in one sitting.

This is an action-packed story and there is so much within its 300 pages. I felt most connected with Haben and his character development; I feel like Miko and Seycia’s arcs and stories are just getting started in comparison. I still adore them both and am incredibly invested in what happens next for them.
“Discovery of the afterlife had had irreparable consequences, so the Coalition abolished the notion of gods, fate, and prayer, worldwide. And yet, people worshiped the emperor now. Their proverb promoted the very thing they had destroyed: blind faith.”

The Phantom Forest is definitely a philosophical exploration into the afterlife, but it also explores the power dynamics of an oppressive conquering regime, the erosion of cultural practices, and the glimmer of hope at the sight of rebellion. The book takes place seven years after The Coalition came into power and religious practices were outlawed… expect in Khronasa where General Simeon kept up the annual sacrifice to the Savage ritual going as a means of control. But Simeon’s control is weakening.

But this is also a story about love and sacrifice, about good and evil, about redemption. A thread in much of the story is whether or not a soul starts life with a tabula rasa or and if a bad soul can atone in the next life. Who becomes worthy of second chances and who gets to make those decisions?
“She glanced over the edge of the boat at the misty river and swallowed a shriek as she watched a translucent hand emerge from the water to nudge the boat along.”

I really connected with Kerin’s writing style, her descriptions are so detailed and vivid that I was able to picture everything without it feeling too cumbersome. You can definitely tell that she is a storyteller and I look forward to watching her continue to hone her craft. People who struggle with purple prose and heavy imagery may have a tough time with this book, but it really worked for me.

I was left wanting to know a bit more about how the sacrifices were chosen by Simeon, his motives, and his history. We got a couple of chapters from his perspective but I didn’t find that they really added to the story in a meaningful way for me. (Although we got some crucial information by one of these chapters that explains a lot but also leaves me with some questions.) His villainy never really felt fully realized to me.

Overall, The Phantom Forest delivered on what I was expecting and I really enjoyed my time reading it (barring those rough couple of chapters)! I love stories that explore concepts of the afterlife and encourage me to wax poetic, this book weaves its own mythology so vast that it’s impressive it’s all packed into 300 pages. If you like epic adventures, redemption arcs, mythology, and vivid imagery then I encourage you to give this book a try!

CONTENT WARNINGS: (from author’s website) ritual human sacrifice, suicidal ideation, metaphors about disordered eating, brief threat of sexual violence, cannibalism, child abduction, genocide, dead parents, gun violence

Many thanks to Inkshares for sending me an ARC for my honest review! Quotes are taken from an unfinished ARC and may not match final publication.

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Unfortunately DNF at 25%.

The writing style & chapters are not jivving at all with me. I really wanted to love it because of the Greek mythology twist, but like other reviewers here, I am just unable to get emotionally invested.

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You should never judge a book by its cover but I couldn’t not in this case. The cover was what made me read The Phantom Forest in the first place. And than I started reading it and after the very first sentence I was enthralled.

Seycia and her brother Miko are orphans. They live in Khronasa. Once it was a world just like ours. But than something happened. And that led to this post-apocalyptic world people live in. This world is tied to the Underworld in a very disturbing way. After the head of the local government sacrifices Seycia to the Savage - the other lead character -, she ends up in the Underworld where the Forest of Laida is located. The trees there houses a soul of every people. Seycia has to go there in order to destroy the tree of the man who killed her. To do that she has to team up with the same demon she was sacrificed to. His name is Haben and their journey begins…

The world-building is something amazing, it really is extraordinary. The way Liz Kerin mixed Khronasa with its past - our world - is just exceptional. I enjoyed finding out everything about this strange place. And after Seycia ended up in the Underworld well that was even better.

Writing style...let’s see...the story wasn’t too complicated, it was easy to read, easy to follow. The story is told from the main characters’ points of view, from 4 differents perspectives and that made sense, it didn’t bother me at all.

And the fact that I liked the characters also helped. If I had to chose a favourite I think it is Haben. He is the most mysterious, the most interesting one.

I can hardly wait for the sequel to this book or maybe a prequel about Haben’s past, how he did what he did.

Thanks to NetGalley, Inkshares and Liz Kerin for my copy. All opinions are my own.

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This YA fantasy is unlike anything I’ve read before. Set in a distant future where society has collapsed because of the revelation that all religions had gotten VERY little right, a young woman and her younger brother survive on the edges of their village. Ruled by a military state “government,” life is bleak. When one of the siblings is chosen as a human sacrifice to the demon known as The Savage, all *hell* breaks loose. Wonderfully dark and subversive, I couldn’t put this book down.

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DNF at 35%.

Although the premise and worldbuilding are terrific, I'm really not a fan of the writing style or any of the characters. Obviously characters don't have to be likable to be well-written, but in this case I just can't get emotionally invested in what's going on, so I'm just going to move on. (Though I may ask friends to give me a SparkNotes version once they've finished, because I'm curious about the rest of the story — just not enough to read it myself.)

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Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for an eARC in exchange for a review..

‘The Phantom Forest’ really captured my attention right from the very first page. The premise was intriguing and I was really excited about this book. A post-apocalyptic Earth tied together with the Underworld? How could I not be excited! The synopsis promised a really interesting read, and thankfully, it really delivered.

The worldbuilding was really interesting and I enjoyed the little nods to our current earth; a MacBook found in the dirt, technology and materials that were familiar, and the fact that these gave a sense that despite all the differences, the world had been ours. Now it was a Hunter-Gatherer wasteland controlled by an evil coalition and filled with starving villagers and ritual sacrifice. This setting brought up questions and made me want to keep reading to find out why and how this happened. The appearance of The Savage and the mythos behind him was the point at which this book really caught me though. I really enjoyed the way that punishment, transformation and control were used here, and that they really became themes within the book. The Savage/Haben is a really interesting character, and his constant struggle and battle with his past, body and mind was really engaging. Though Seycia was the main character and took centre stage for most of the novel, it was Haben I connected with most. He was afraid, tormented and selfish, but despite everything that he had been through, some humanity still remains. Seycia on the other hand, was a fighter and wanted to do the right thing. Even though her character was still really interesting and enjoyable to read, I was never worried that she was anything but a hero.

I really enjoyed the writing style in ‘The Phantom Forest’ because it carried with it a sense of urgency. Even in the slower moments, I wanted to know what was happening, and didn’t want to stop reading. The story was fun and engaging, and though I wasn’t a fan of all of the characters (mainly Miko), I cared about what happened to them because of how that would affect the other characters I HAD grown to care about. The plot seemed to start as fairly standard ‘hero rises up to help their downtrodden people’ but it wasn’t done quite the way I had expected. It still brought something new and interesting to the table, and made for a really fun read. Though I had a few tiny issues with the book (e.g. ’instalove’ is a trope I really don’t enjoy) they didn’t really detract from the story much and were easy to skip over or ignore, meaning that this was a pretty solid 4 star read for me and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic worlds or mythology.

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