This book was so much fun! I can’t wait for the sequel!

“Do not go into the Darkwood, children. It’s a cursed place, and so big and so dangerous that once you go in you’ll never come out again. You’ll become just another lost creature, aimlessly wandering amongst those black and twisted trees forever. Even the dead aren’t safe in the Darkwood. Nobody is safe.”

Gretel lives in Nearby Village with her twin, Hansel, and their stepparents. Unfortunately for Gretel, she’s female so she must be very careful how she behaves, lest she be branded as a witch. Worse still, she’s smart, using maths, physics and engineering to design marvellous defences that protect Nearby from the scary monsters who live across the river in the Darkwood. Yep, she’s got to be a witch if she knows maths!

Accused of the abomination of witchcraft by Huntsmen, Gretel winds up in the Darkwood, where she’s faced with the terrifying creatures she’s been warned about her entire life. Witches like Buttercup, who can turn inanimate objects into baked goods with her touch; sometimes even on purpose! People like Jack, who can make plants grow at will. There’s also a magical talking spider called Trevor, who is a master of disguise. They’re not exactly the villains she thought they were. Then there’s the White Knight who, well, can be kind of abrasive, actually.

It’s up to Gretel and this diverse bunch of magical outcasts to find a way to protect both the Darkwood and Nearby Village from the ruling Huntsmen, who may well be the true villains in this story.

With action, humour and some magical mayhem, Gabby Hutchinson Crouch reimagines some well known fairy tale characters and places them in situations where they need to use their combined talents, inventiveness and wit to challenge the roles they’ve been cast in by those in power.

The characters were well rounded, a wonderful blend of scared and courageous, damaged and determined, flawed and resilient. This wasn’t a tale with just one shining star; everyone was interesting in their own way, although I admit I was quite partial to Trevor, the talking spider. I mean, come on, he wears sunglasses as one of his disguises! How adorable is that?!

On the surface this is a highly entertaining tale that makes you want to cheer on the underdogs. Scratch the surface though and you’ll learn (or be reminded of) some valuable lessons in what it means to be human. Despite tackling themes of how we dehumanise those we categorise as ‘other’ and the corruption that can grow unchecked when those in power are not held accountable, I never felt I was being preached at.

There’s so much of the Darkwood and its surrounding towns and villages still to explore. I can’t wait to get to know the Swamp Mermaids more, finally meet the bear and wolf witches of the north, and visit the eastern woods.

‘What’s in the eastern woods?’
‘You don’t want to know.’

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Farrago, an imprint of Prelude Books, for the opportunity to read this book. Oh, and a final word of warning: if you follow these characters into the Darkwood, make sure you adhere to the usual Bin Night precautions!

Darkwood is a fun, quirky and occasionally laugh out loud book. A great take on old fables. I will certainly encourage the younger folk in my life to read this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC of this book.

Darkwood is a sort of retelling of various fairytales, but it's also a somewhat satirical look at fairytales in general. With names like Darkwood and Nearby Village, how can we think otherwise. We are taken to a land controlled by the Citadel and the Huntsmen, a world extremely focused on rooting out witchcraft. To be fair, witches are real in this story and so are wyverns, fairies, unicorns and numerous other mythical creatures. But for the most part the witches aren't that evil, and the witch hunting that happens is very much like what happened in real life some centuries ago. Everything is witchcraft, particularly if it is done by a woman or girl. Even knowing 1+1 can get you in trouble for being a witch.

My favourite part of this book is actually Nearby Village. Of course it has it's issues and problems, like any town would, like any group of people would, but that doesn't change the fact that the people of this village are fiercely loyal to each other, even if witchcraft does pop up for real. They obey the edicts of the Citadel but they do it in their own way, dunkings are more like fun baths in the river for the girls and some purposefully get dunked every week or two. When a Hunstman comes for our protagonist, Gretel Mudd, the villagers do everything in their power to distract him so she can run. They never actually turn against her, they might be defeated for a while every now and then and so can't help her, but they never truly turn against her. I wonder if any villages or towns in the real world ever tried to protect its citizens like the people in this book did... I loved Nearby Village and its crazy people.

The writing in this book is great. It's set in the present tense, "She walks to the stream" instead of past, "She walked to the stream" which can be a bit jarring sometimes if you are not used to it. But it wasn't bad, just something to note. It makes good use of sarcasm and at times I actually wondered if the book was me, using very specific phrases I use regularly. It's not all sarcasm though, the book makes good use of other forms of satire and humour. Unicorns are amusing that's for sure. Trevor and his numerous disguises is hilarious. I spent much of this book smiling, and I laughed quite a lot - so I think the humour was on point.

The characters were fun, though I suppose they weren't super deep or anything. I don't expect satirical characters to have too much depth or character growth or anything though, so the fact that they did have that to some degree is a plus for sure. Jacks backstory is an interesting one, I like how that was put together. At the same time I love the almost completely missing backstory for the Head Huntsman. Sometimes in life we will not know the true story or motivations of our "antagonists" and that has to be true for fiction as well. Our villains can't always have a backstory, they can't all have great meaning to their life, they can't all have something that makes us sympathise with them. Darkwood is right in how they flesh out our villain by not fleshing him out at all.

I could go on and on about how much I love this book and why. It might be easier and quicker then to focus on what I didn't like, which is.... nothing. I loved this book. I really loved it, I gave it 5 stars after all. I really look forward to the future sequel and will read it ASAP when it's released. I might even read this to or with my kids, or at least buy them a copy. Seems like the right thing to do.

The Darkwood by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis:

Magic is forbidden in Myrsina, along with various other abominations, such as girls doing maths. This is bad news for Gretel Mudd, who doesn't perform magic, but does know a lot of maths. When the sinister masked Huntsmen accuse Gretel of witchcraft, she is forced to flee into the neighbouring Darkwood, where witches and monsters dwell. There, she happens upon Buttercup, a witch who can't help turning things into gingerbread, Jack Trott, who can make plants grow at will, the White Knight with her band of dwarves and a talking spider called Trevor. These aren't the terrifying villains she's been warned about all her life. They're actually quite nice. Well... most of them. With the Huntsmen on the warpath, Gretel must act fast to save both the Darkwood and her home village, while unravelling the rhetoric and lies that have demonised magical beings for far too long.

My Thoughts:

Take a journey into the Darkwood in this modern fairy tale that will bewitch adults and younger readers alike!! A magical mix up of Fairytale characters that we all know and love!! Thats right there is Snow White, Jack for Jack and the Beanstalk, and our MC Gretel from Hansel and Gretel!!! And so so many more. Your gauranteed to fall in love with this comedy writers first novel in a series!! The characters are witty and the banter is hilarious!! Very adventurous and fun to read all the way through!!! Dont miss the release June 13th 2019!!

I LOVED Darkwood! I'm always a fan of middle grade books. I like to pepper them in between any serious nonfiction to lift my mood, and this did not disappoint. I'm always excited for a fun retelling, too so Darkwood was something I was really looking forward to reading. It was really funny and I highly recommend it to anyone!

This book was both humorous and pointedly satirical of current, rather dangerous, views and movements. I appreciated the unique magic system and the overall world building.

A decent reversal of traditional fairy tales. In the world of the Darkwood, the government's Inquisitor-like Huntsmen use a magic mirror to hunt down witches--people with magic powers. But the witches are often helpful and sometimes fairly useless in their powers--one turns everything she touches into baked goods, for example. When Gretel--who does math, something no girl in this world does--is branded a witch, she flees to the Darkwood, where she quickly finds comrades to help her fight back against the Huntsmen, who are intent on destroying her village, family, and friends. It's a cute read, although the constant use of "trousers!" as a swear word is grating after a few pages. Good for elementary school-age kids and family to read together.

Darkwood is a light-hearted story centered around this land wherein magic is forbidden. There we encounter our main character Gretel who lives in the town of Nearby that neighbours the Darkwood, the place where witches, creatures and all sorts of unpleasantness lives. You shouldn't go into the Darkwood, but when Gretel is forced to flee she discovers not everything is as it seems.
Darkwood is a light-hearted, comedy filled novel, its storyline is full of fairy-tale tropes that are twisted and used in a very fun, clever and quirky way. The writing is marvelous and witty, all the little references to other stories had me giggling. This was a delightful novel to read and i'm looking forward to the next.

This book was adorable! The characters were very enjoyable, and I really liked the story. Gretel was the character I liked the most. Perhaps it was not meant this way but I took it as a bit of a comment on society that a smart girl who was good at inventing things must, of course, be a witch. I loved that the characters worked together and also how accepting the village people were.

This book is great for middle grade readers, and I would certainly recommend it

4.5/5 stars

**this was sent to me by the publishers through netgalley, all thoughts are my own**

omfg guys this was amazing.

this is a middle grade fairytale retelling of hansel & gretal, snow white, and others as witches who have been banished by the power-hungry huntsmen and it was everything I could ever ask for.

this gives me ALL the monty python and shrek vibes and it SO DAMN GOOD.

the humor, the characters, the story, the MESSAGE of corruption and perceptions of truth was breathtaking. ((also I totally think there’s a slow burn sapphic romance in the works))

I am beyond thrilled with this book and I am fully invested in this series. if y’all don’t have this on your tbr’s by now you’re missing out. I can’t say enough good things about this. READ IT.

I don’t know why middle grade books get such a bad rep, I absolutely adored this humorous spin on fairytale lore.

I found myself laughing aloud a few times throughout this book and would definitely recommend this to anyone that needs some fun in their lives.

First off, as always, a big thank you to Netgalley and Farrago for allowing me to be the first to read this delightful book before it hits the shelves in mid June of this year.

The first in the Darkwood series, the story follows Hansel and Gretel in a village where witchcraft and maths are forbidden and a misunderstanding forces Gretel to flee into the feared Darkwood. There she meets a gang of colorful characters and together, they’ll save her village from those who foster fear and resentment towards the misunderstood creatures that dwell in the wood.

It’s a book aimed at middle school aged kids and it’s written as such. By that I mean there’s a lot of exposition and explanation in the dialogue, especially during the climax. But that’s all well and good since, like I said, it’s aimed at a younger age group than yours truly. It’s got a great cast of characters and is very relatable, especially in this day and age. It touches upon authoritarianism and intolerance and shows us what can be if we keep an open mind and heart.

I recommend this book when it’s released next month!

#Darkwood #NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-arc copy of Darkwood.
What a fun and quirky fantasy novel for middle grade! I loved it. I think that this is a book that will appeal to all ages of people. The fantasy is unique and imaginative. Who doesn't love witches, beasties, and a little magic!

I'm a fan of Terry Pratchett and couldn't help loving this book.
I loved the mix of humour and fantasy, the tongue in cheek style of writing and the quirky characters.
I read as fast as I could and laughed out loud more than one.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

THis is a great middle grade novel. It’s kinda scary but super witty. I enjoy those types of books so if you do too then pick this up when it comes out!

I always try to sell alternative realities, fractured fairy tales, dystopian adventures and I have to say this will be one I recommend. The mash up of both Hansel & Gretel with the likes of a feral Snow White is ingenious. I don't want to give any spoilers away for people yet to read this, but if you love fairytales, try this out for size. I cannot wait for the next installment!

This is an excellent and humorous riff on common fairy tale lore. Gretel and her brother Hansel live with their stepmother and stepfather (yes, both are "step," no-one knows why) at the edge of cursed forest (it's dangerous, but the housing prices cannot be beat!) and within the confines of a kingdom under the sway of the Huntsmen who outlaw nearly everything they find personally offensive like witches, magic, and girls knowing math. Gretel can't quite contain her cleverness however and she soon catches the attention of the Huntsman. Accused of witchcraft (how else to you explain engineering prowess?), Gretel must flee to the woods herself where she finds (among legitimate dangers, including the dreaded bin men) a coven of "witches" and fellow escapees. But safety in the unsafe woods proves elusive when the Huntsmen are no longer content to drive off those they dislike with accusations of witchcraft and instead decide to take both the forest and Gretel's home village.

This is the first book in what looks to be a crackerjack series. I'd recommend it to fans of fantasy and humor, but am perplexed by the number of readers who seem to be categorizing this book as "middle grade." Neither the content or vocabulary indicate this work is intended for children, the press is not a children's press, and NetGalley cross lists it as humor and sci fi/fantasy. I'm worried that this book might be falling to unfortunate trend of assuming female authors automatically equate YA audience. This particular series would be best categorized as humor/satire and fantasy.

ARC via NetGalley

A fun, exciting, action-packed story that once I started reading I couldn't put down. Full of fairytale creatures but with a twist. The story is about oppression and persecution of those who are different and don't confirm to "nature's law". With very engaging characters and plenty of clever plot twists, you can't help but love it. The humour works well and is reminiscent of the Discworld series. This is the first book in a new series and I'm very much looking forward to reading the next in the series.

**I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

This book felt like a one of Tiffany Aching books, maybe with a little worse prose, but Terry Pratchett is Terry Pratchett. There was a lot of humor and witty dialogues and not a page was boring. I really liked the story about characters we know so well from fairytales. They were desrcipted in unique and interesting way and the whole novel was pretty fun to read.

I didn't know it;s a middle grade book, but I liked description enough to request for it and I'm glad I did. If you need something short and light with a lot of fantastic creatures, I recommend you this book.

Magic is forbidden in the land of Myrsina, along with other abominations such as girls doing math and science. This doesn't bode well for Gretel Mudd, who isn't technically a witch, but does do a lot of math. When her inventions catch the attention of the sinister Huntsmen who want to try her for witchcraft, she has no choice but to flee her town into the Darkwood, the terrifying forest where all sorts of evil and beasties live. While fleeing for her life, she crosses path with a rag tag group of witches: Buttercup, who can't help but turn the things she touches into pastries; Jack Trott, who can make plants grow with a lift of his hand; The White Knight and her band of Dwarves, and a talking spider named Trevor. Gretel comes to learn these aren't the scary villains she's been taught to fear her whole life, and they all have a common enemy: the Huntsmen. The merry band of outcasts join together in order to not only save Gretel's village from the Head Huntsmen's wrath, but also to show people that the Darkwood isn't as terrifying as it seems.

I knew I was going to like this based off the synopsis, but I wasn't expecting just how much. It's a smart, funny, witty take on the fairy tale trope, and was so entertaining. It gave me such Monty Python vibes with the humor and banter which hooked me right from the start. I really loved the characters, especially Trevor, their interaction as a group was a major highlight for me. It's a quick read, and a really solid start to this series, and I can't wait to see what's next.