Without doubt, this was one of the best dark re-telling I've ever read. The Shrike & The Shadows is story with incredible atmosphere, great (and a little predictable) plot and not so bad characters.

Main characters of this book are Greta and Hans, twins, who lost their entirely family, except for themselves. And their life isn't easy. They live in a cursed village. Everybody fears Shrike, also known as witch from woods, who kills man a takes their hearts. But one day, everything changes. Hans and Greta have no choice but to leave their home and try to survive in dark, deep woods.

Personalities of main characters are... well, bad. I can't say that I was fond of them. I hated Hans, his moods and how he treated his sister, but I also didn't like Greta's naive character.

Writing was good, and to be honest, I enjoyed almost every page in this story. I especially loved all those dark, chilly and creepy scenes with Shrike.

So, if you're looking for a really good and dark re-telling, The Shrike & The Shadows should be definitely on your TBR list!

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for sending me this ARC!

This was a perfectly okay book. I love dark and twisty adult fairy tales so this book is right up my alley. I just found it a little bland/flat, there was nothing that really grabbed me, no spark to really make the book stand out. I think if you have not read a lot of adult fairytale retellings you will enjoy this more.

The story was compelling and I loved how there was an evil woods with an evil witch. The imagery was vivid and I could picture everything clearly. Towards the middle of the story I found that Hans was annoying and I didn’t like him very much. He was too much of a player and took away the only friend that Greta had in their village and told lies to his lovers about her that made her even more of an outcast than the other villagers thought at first. He never thought about the consequences of his actions and I wasn’t sorry that he was taken by the Shrike. Greta I found to be too emotional and needed to grow a back bone. She cared too much about what other people thought of her, which made her close off to the world. I think her time in the forest made her grow a little as a person especially after meeting Barin. I did think Hans and Greta’s relationship was too codependent on each other. Barin was the only character that I liked.

Thankyou Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange of an honest review.

First of all I would like to warn you it's an adult book..It has lots of sexual assault..

I love fairytale re-tellings and that's the only reason I requested this book as it's a retelling of Hansel and Gretel.. That's one of fairytale which my mom used to tell me in my childhood..and when I saw this is a retelling I jumped to request for this book. Although the cover is so beautiful but to be honest this book was a disappointment to me.. It was very slow paced and I was getting disconnected at several parts.. There are several retellings of Hansel and Gretel and this one is really different from the others..

Hans and his twin sister Greta were orphaned when they were young and they have been stuck in a small village, Krume which is plagued by a witch commonly known as Shrike. Shrike takes men and boys (night time) for herself and leaves their hearts at the doorsteps..(I don't know why she leave heart though).. She always wanted to take Hans..But Greta loves her brother so much that she always saved him.(Why ..?? Why..?? Do you think Hans a good man Greta😡😡) To be honest I hate Hans .. Shrike doesn't let Hans go and so she tries to do whatever she can .. As she attacked Krume the villagers thought it was Greta and so they lash out and accuse Greta for whatever happened to them and Hans, Greta and their friend had to go into forest leaving the village.

I was expecting a dark fantasy with witchcraft and magic filled, a dark forest with lots of problems they gonna face.. But it was a disappointment to me.. And there's an instant love affair which I didn't understand why..?? Okay some may have enjoyed it but I felt it as not my cup of tea .. And I have problems with the writing too..Some phrases used.. Feeling like that wasn't the correct word to use.. Anyway there are lot many things that was frustrating for me ..I was planning to dnf this but somehow I finished..I am pretty sure I am not gonna pick the next book of this series.. This is my honest opinion..And if you ask me I wouldn't recommend this book unless if you are okay to read some sexual assault..

I am rating ⭐⭐🌠

Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

I had a feeling this book would be right up my alley, and it was!

My first impression as I dove into it was that it gave off the vibe of the show Salem... but crossed with the tale of Hansel and Gretel.
Except this story was nothing like the traditional tale, it was definitely its own creation.

Hansel and Gretel have had to manage life on their own since the death of their father. Hansel spends much of his time in the village bar or in the company of females, while Gretel has taken on the responsibilities.

The village of Krume isn’t a safe place for families. For many years it’s been tormented by evil. There is a danger that emerges from the woods, a Shrike, sent out to hunt by the witch of the woods.
(According to the intro; a Shrike is a type of bird with a strong, hooked and toothed bill that impale their prey on thorns or suspend it from branches to tear it apart more easily, and are said to kill more than is necessary to eat.)

Nobody knows when it will strike, but there’s no doubt who its prey is: males. The shrike is kind enough to leave a token of appreciation on the doorstep for the family of its victims to find: the victim’s heart.

When the witch sets her sights on Hansel and Gretel interrupts the attempt, the witch sets her wrath on the village. When the reverend sees Hansel spared during the attack, he declares Gretel to be the witch behind it all and they are left with no choice but to flee into the very woods where the witch presides, also the woods that took their mother’s life-violently.
If they can make it through the woods, they might find solace in the next village over.

That’s a big IF.
The witch is tricky and manipulative, she will stop at nothing to get what she wants: Hansel.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the atmosphere, and I especially appreciated that the form of writing FELT like an old fairytale throughout.

I do have to say that I think it has a lull in the middle to end that seems to slow it down a bit in pacing, and I personally felt that some of the scenes at the end were more distracting than anything, (personal opinion!) but I loved all the tricks the witch threw at them, and the ending was GREAT!

I will definitely be recommending this one, and I hope there will be more installments to be read in the future, too!!

I will be featuring this on my platforms within the next few days!

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Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy to review!

4.5 rounded up to 5.

Dark fantasy retelling of Hansel & Gretel, lots of adult content so this is not a YA book!

My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit too sudden for me and that there isn't really a resolution. Yeah it is a series, but I would have liked even a minor resolution and not have it so open ended.

For a book with a monster that kills men when they're alone, Hans really does go off by himself A LOT and then wonder how he got in those situations. He's a lustful and easily aggravated 19 year old, which is pretty accurate for most 19 year old men.

I don't have tons to say just because I did just enjoy everything I read. It was a good experience and I need the second book like right now. I basically was rushing to read the last 20% just because I needed to know what was going to happen, so I was definitely sucked into the story. I love the worldbuilding and I like the use of POVs.

Going into this book I was expecting a lusciously dark retelling of Hansel and Gretel. I wanted magic, a scary witch hunting them and to feel the terror of being chased through the strange forest. Instead I got a barely present antagonist, a form of insta-love and the two blandest main characters ever. This book was sadly a huge disappointment.

The thing I wanted the most of out this book was the dark, eerie atmosphere of a witch stealing away men and returning their hearts afterwards. The promise of a strange forest that would be terrifying, both to the twins and to me as a reader. The sad thing is that I got none of this. The antagonist, this scary witch, was barely present in the story at least. Characters kept talking about the witch, there were a million references to her and what she could do, or what she might be doing, but she was never properly present to actually spread terror and darkness. After a while, hearing about her became a bore. I just knew she would never actually show up. It was like the book was making sure I knew this witch was of little consequence, she wouldn’t have much say.

The next thing is that the romance in the book was cringe-worthy and annoying. There was no reason for this insta-love to happen, and I kept being put off by the way they acted around each other and how they kept saying that they were the same and understood each other like nobody ever had understood them before. Like, spare me. You’ve known each other for less than a week.

I did really enjoy this book for the first ~40%, before the romance had been introduced and when the witch was still a looming threat. I love fairytale re-tellings and I initially loved this take on Hansel and Gretel. But sadly I have to give this book a 2-star rating. I was just too put off by the romance and the lack of drive in the plot to be interested in the story. If I had been the person to DNF books, this would have been an easy DNF. I will not be reading the sequel.

This is a very dark retelling of Hansel & Gretal! Even though I believe it’s marketed as a Young Adult book, I would say it’s more New Adult or Adult. The content covered within is very somber in spite of the genre.

Hans and his twin sister Greta were orphaned when young and have stuck by one another in their small village. Through flashbacks (that can be a little confusing) the author tells the tale of their mother being killed in the forest, their father dying and the way that the village has come to think of the two of them as “unusual”.

When Hans breaks off his relationship with a lover, she begins to talk about how Greta is a witch and is controlling Hans. The rumors have appeared at the same time as the Shrike has begun killing locals men again! Hearts left on doorsteps are the calling card of the creature that lives in the forest and takes only men from the village. You can see where this is head! It’s a collision course for Greta with the villagers!

There are some truly disturbing images/moments in this story so kudos to the author for such frightening writing. The novel could use some editing, but as I read an ARC I’m not sure if it’s in its final format.

4 out of 5 stars.

It took me a minute to get into this book, but when I did, I was completely hooked.

Hans and Greta are twins who live in the woods. Their mother died a violent death, and their father recently passed away. Rumors surround them. Hans is no help, bedding the local girls and whispering falsities in their ears while Greta remains a near recluse.

The woods are also a-swirl with rumors and legends, tales of the Shrike - a witch who murders males and steals their hearts.

When the Shrike comes for Hans, Greta does what she can to save her brother, but in doing so makes the Shrike angry.

This was an amazing book, but I feel it could have been so much better. The ending felt like the author got tired of trying to figure out a suitable ending and just wrote one real quick. Even if it had been elaborated, it would have been better. But there was an abrupt change, and then a short epilogue, and I kind of feel cheated.

I overall enjoyed this book. It was an enjoyable read, but wasn't one that I found myself thinking about often when I wasn't reading it, which made me not pick it up as frequently. The story itself was enjoyable as were the characters but nothing struck me as particularly unique about this read for the genre.

It's difficult to explain my opinions on this book which is why it got three stars. It wasn't a book I was excited about when I wasn't reading it. When reading it I enjoyed it, for the most part, and I would say that the last 6th of the book was really good. The characters and plot were interesting and a new take on an old fairytale which I love. However, even though the plot had a lot going on it felt monotone. and I can't explain why which is frustrating!

If you like fairy tale retellings you should definitely give this book a go and if you do I would like to know if you ended up feeling the same as me and perhaps can describe my confusion of what was missing. All in all, I don't think I'll be picking up the next installment of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A more grown up telling of the story of Hansel and Gretel, with a dash of Red Riding Hood mixed in. I really enjoyed the more adult theme of the book, the Shrike is much scarier with a tree of death than a witch with a house of candy! I also appreciated how evil she truly is for no real rhyme or reason, just because she can and wants to. On the flipside of that I wish that there had been a better explanation as to where the evil itself came from, as we learn more about her history its obvious that she wasn't always evil, she was overtaken by something in the woods that we never really get an explanation of. The ending was also very unsatisfactory to me,much too abrupt. Perhaps there is sequel planned? I liked this book but it didn't enthrall me the way I expected it to.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I very much enjoyed The Shrike & The Shadows.

I am all for a good retelling, especially when that retelling is darker and more complex than its original, which this book accomplishes in spades. These stories are not for the faint of heart. From the writing style to the settings, I felt immersed in this world and really enjoyed the deep, dark angle that the author chose to take with the story. It had some lulls, but overall it was a truly enjoyable read and I'll be reccomending this to others for sure.

This book is an adult themed retelling of multiple Grimm fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel is the main fairy tale (The main characters are Hans and Greta) but there are hints of others, like red riding hood and beauty and the beast. There is sex and violent death in this book, don't assume its for children.

I very much enjoyed this story. Hans is the perfect level of unlikable to make him a realistic character. Trigger warnings for sexual assault. Greta is sympothetic because her brother is such an asshole but she loves him anyway because hes her brother. This has the right mix of horror, death, violence, and sex to make it a good novel, I didn't want to put it down.

Highly recommend when it comes out next year.

I'm half and half on this book. It was an interesting story overall, but I often found myself spacing out because it would wind down and lose my interest. I really liked Barin, but HATED Hans. Greta wasn't relatable and I felt nothing for her. The setting was cool, eerie, and a bit creepy. The wording sometimes got weird to me. I think it would make a kickass movie honestly. I'm just not sure about the book overall. I didn't take a star off for this, but it definitely needs a good edit. I got it as an ARC so i'm sure more editing will be done. If you like fairy tale retellings for adults, this is a cool one for you.

"Hans and Greta, two outcast orphans, find themselves facing accusations of witchcraft and are met with an ultimatum: burn at the stake, or leave the village forever. "

Dark and mysterious, religious fanatics, and old world magic make this a delightful read.

This was a very interesting retelling of the classic tale Hansel and Gretal. In this version the siblings are orphans in their late teens. Greta has unfortunately caught the attention if a "holy man" named Emory. When she turns him down he decides to convince the village that she is a witch. This forces the siblings into the forest where they know some magical being known as The Shrike may be living. The Shrike has power over males, entrances them ( reminded me of a siren), and then returns their hearts to their loved ones. This story was very interesting and I enjoyed it!

An atmospheric tale that captures the heart of the original fairy tale while shedding a new light on the story. Chantal Gadoury and A.M. Wright's different writing styles combine effortlessly in this retelling of the original Hansel and Gretel story. This story takes a dark story and turns it darker while staying close to what the Brother's Grimm originally transcribed. Definitely worth the read.

Thank you to netgalley and The Parliament House for an e-arc to review!

The Shrike and the Shadows is a dark and spooky retelling of the Hansel and Gretel story. We enter the village of Krum, which is plagued by a witch (The Shrike) who steals away men and boys in the night and brings back their bloody hearts in the morning. The town lives in fear of the Shrike and the haunted woods. Hans and Greta, outcast orphan twins, live in Krum. Their mother was killed in the woods when they were young, and their father died of sickness some years later. They try their best to make a life in Krum, but face lots of rejection and fear from the townspeople. Some believe they are cursed due to the way their parents died. The town's priest, Father Emory, fuels the suspicion and scrutiny around them.

While the Shrike is our main villain, Father Emory is quite the villain himself. I won't elaborate much due to possible spoilers, but I hated him from the beginning. He eventually declares Greta a witch, and leaves the twins the choice of leaving the village or being burned at the stake. Hans and Greta must flee into the woods, where they find many terrors and trials.

Hans really is not a likeable character to me. He's a bit of a womanizer and he also takes advantage of Greta. The plot revolves a lot around Greta trying to save Hans, but honestly, at many points I wished she would just stop trying and let him deal with the consequences of his own stupidity. Greta was a decently likeable main character. I wanted her to succeed and also get away from Hans and just live her own life. She starts off pretty weepy and a bit weak; but she definitely gets stronger throughout the story; but there's still a lot of reliance on the men of the story to save her. In the next book, I hope we see more growth for Greta! I love her story with Barin though, and he might be my favorite character in this book! He's far more likeable than our two MCs.

The plot is a bit slow to start with, and a touch confusing in some parts. I want more info on the Shrike and why she does what she's doing. Why does she return the hearts? Why does she only take men? Maybe we'll get more next book. Overall, it was a good book! I got hooked pretty quickly and wanted to know more. I loved Barin, he's honestly my favorite character. I'm definitely going to read book two, because I do want to know more! If you like darker, adult retellings, or just want a quick, spooky read, I would say check this one out!

An adult retelling of Hansel and Gretel which also incorporates elements of other fairy tales.

Hans and Greta are 19 year old twins evicted from their village. They are forced to go into the woods where the evil witch, the Strike lives. They attempt to go through the forest to seek another town.

The premise was interesting. However, I didn't care for the main characters. Hans was selfish and whiny. Greta was more relatable but I found her dependence on males for rescue annoying. Despite being told by other characters that she is strong nonetheless Greta does not rely on her own inner strength. She is naive and unsure throughout. She stutters her way through her first sexual experience with Barrin in a way that was mid annoying than endearing.

There were some attention grabbing horror story moments but on the whole I found that the plot dragged.

I was given an advance copy of this book. I am leaving my honest review.