I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

I loved the premise. The character interactions were very realistic.

I had a lot of trouble with the writing style. It can be any character's POV in any given sentence -- sometimes in the same paragraph. A few times, different characters were speaking within the same paragraph. My brain could not keep up, which is a shame as otherwise I think it had a lot of potential to be a great book. I think it needs substantive and line editing.

A career long obsession has led Dr Alice Christopher to Moresby wood to investigate the disappearance of 15 Parlimentarian soldiers in 1643. Centuries old folk stories surround this forest and Alice leads a group to unearth these secrets. Captain Davies, having been ambushed leads his men in to the wood to supposed safety.
The story unravels through the format of dual timelines through the perspectives of Dr Alive, her PhD student Nuria and alternatively Captain Davies and his Sergeant, Harper.
The author creates a tense atmosphere throughout the book and leaves all to the imagination as an ominous but unseen presence looms over the characters in both timelines.
I enjoy dual timeline stories but found that the soldiers' timeline had too many characters which could be confusing at times and stalled the story somewhat.
I didn't enjoy the ending of the story as felt it was rushed and very open ended.

The beginning of this was really slow and confusing as there were many characters to keep a track of.

I loved the atmosphere. It was creepy, unsettling all at the same time. It dragged me in, intrigued me, and left me wanting to dive in.

I will admit I was a bit bored. It felt like the same things kept happening over and over, just in slightly different ways, and it became predictable.

The premise sounded brilliant in theory, but unfortunately for me, it wasn’t executed to its full potential.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read and review this book.

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this book
The book was set in a creepy wood which is one of my favourite settings. There’s just something about a wood that draws my interest, both in real life and I’m books
This novel had dual narrative which is one of my favourite narrative modes. The chapters alternate between an army in the 17th century who, battle weary, found themselves lost in the wood and a modern day academic who is looking into the disappearance of the army. I felt that this narration style provided some foreshadowing and explanation and I thought it was done so well! There were some parallels between the members of the different parties.
Throughout the book there was such a creepy atmosphere of foreboding. I enjoyed the creepy ghost stories that were quoted by each of the parties.
I found this book to be creepy and chilling and I just loved it. I could not see the ending coming and it was such an enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book, it picked me out of a slump that I’d found myself in
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars (rounded up)
The Dark Between the Trees is a standalone gothic thriller novel by author Fiona Barnett. I picked this one up based solely on the enticing blurb and exciting premise. While I enjoyed the creepy and atmospheric setting of the Moresby Wood, it felt like this one never quite reached the scary and tense horror novel I was expecting. The story is told with dual timelines, one in current times following 5 women exploring the woods and a past timeline following a group of soldiers. I really enjoyed the parts about the women but found the soldier's chapters confusing and difficult to work out which character was which. There is minimal back story or focus on character development which I think contributes to not feeling very connected to them. My main interest in the story lay in finding out the mystery of the woods and what the creature was. Much of the horror and supernatural elements are 'off screen' and help to bring the suspense and mystery. I was expecting an epic showdown to end the book which didn't really happen. I'd recommend this book to fans of Adam Neville's The Ritual or Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

"The Dark Between The Trees" by Fiona Barnett is, the story of the Moresby Woods where a group of soldiers enter during the English Civil War and where during Modern Day five women also enter these woods.

I would give "The Dark Between The Trees" by Fiona Barnett a one star review because, 1; it was really confusing when the story splits to tell both time lines 2; there were too many characters to keep up with and it got really confusing and 3; it was really slow at times for me and seemed to drag on.

The Dark Between the Trees is a thrilling, creepy tale about the infamous Moresby woods, where a group of soldiers disappear into during the English Civil War and where five women in the modern day enter to search for them.

This is a slow-burn story that follows two different timelines, that of the soldiers and of the women. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and I think that's why I wasn't very attached to any of them.

I really liked the way the suspense and fear build all throughout. From the first few chapters you're already hit by a sense of foreboding of what might happen. While the atmosphere of dread was well-done across the book, there were some parts that felt boring or slow, and I was itching for something to happen to the characters.

I ended up guessing the way two characters' arc would go and I honestly thought it would be an interesting thing but when it did happen, it didn't really make me gasp or anything. Some reveals also disappointed me. The ending also felt quite bland — it was open-ended but in an awkward way, and there were just too many unanswered questions about a lot of things.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I just found certain parts lacking. Would still recommend it to anyone starting out in the horror genre though.

Suggesting a profound mythology, The Dark Between the Trees never really fulfills its promises in terms of explaining the supernatural phenomena described in its pages.

Author Fiona Barnett presents readers with great hikers-lost-in-haunted-forest fodder, but the action seems to continuously build and then plateau without any actual conflict or progress towards unraveling the mystery. Many of the characters who are attacked and die in the story do so away from the focus of the narrator, or while their companions are asleep, resulting in surreal descriptions that obscure the details of specific events. Other authors like Jeff VanderMeer and Adam Nevill manage these impressionistic sequences in their own work more elegantly, still conveying the meaning of the action while maintaining a dreamy tone. Any resemblance to Long's Descent, Matthew Lyons' Night Will Find Us or Coates' Hunted soon fades as the story draws to a close without so much as substantial speculation about the nature of the phenomena. Personality is established only in a cursory way, with very little emotional investment possible for any character as the focus jumps around and new characters are introduced late in the narrative. For a more satisfying version of the same idea, readers should try Michaelbrent Collings' The Forest.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for the ARC.

Another story that jumps back and forth between timelines, that I unfortunately lost interest in quickly in.

Too many characters to sift through.

However, I did enjoy the anticipatory fear and tension of what was hiding behind the woods.

4/5 Stars!

The Dark Between the Trees is a creeping, atmospheric suspense that takes us through two vastly different timelines and groups of people as they travel through the terrifying Moresby Wood, where both a terrible creature from centuries before man walked the earth is said to stalk the area and the witch who claims it.

This was a slow-burn if I ever saw one. We start with both Dr. Alice Christopher, a historian who has studied the stories, lore, and accounts from those rare few who had entered the Moresby Wood(which is now closed off for supposed military purposes) and managed to come out the other side. She is joined by two guides, a student of her own, and a map surveyor. A group of particular note was the lost men of Captain Davies, a man who lived three hundred years before her. But the Wood itself grabs hold of Alice, and with each strange phenomena, her obsession grows, even as it costs the lives of her companions.

Meanwhile, Captain Davies and his men were attacked by a rogue battalion on the hills next to Moresby Forest. Being forced into the wood, he attempts to guide them all out safely. But between the whispers and fears of his own men, and something horrible lurking in the dark behind them that is seemingly determined to pick them off one by one, Davies finds that getting out might not be as easy as any of them might have suspected.

This was dark in the way that darkness soothes until something shatters the silence and invites your imagination to take root. Each group swaps stories about the history of the wood; the monster that roams there, the witch, the family who disappeared or died overnight. We follow both of these groups through the woods, through mud and blood and blisters, and it is painful in itself. I really enjoyed the writing here, because a format like this is easy to drag along pacing-wise, but FB did a fantastic job switching through the POVs and allowing the natural tension of the situation to push the story along. When I finally sat down to read this book, I finished it in two complete halves—which was fitting in and of itself that the halves seemed to reveal the Before and After of when obsession and fear takes hold of each group.

TDBTT was compared to The Ritual and The Descent, both notable and gory horrors that utilize the ambiguity of unknown nature to get the job done. Because of that, I was expecting more of those elements in this book, and really, I don't think it could have been more different. When we did get to the 'Corrigal', or the creature in the woods, it was almost inconsequential. We are led to believe this is going to be a monster scare, and really, it was more of a Sentient Setting sort of situation. Which, again, was lovely, just not what I expected after the comparison to the two films.

What we got instead was a look inside the human psyche; how our legends affect us, how we, as humans, can be so separated by time and yet not really at all. How obsession and pride can drive us to the ends of the earth and bears the question: What do we do when we get there?

In the end, this was a truly creepy read and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves the kind of slow-moving scares that make you think about it long after it's done.

I can not recommend this book enough! Was absolutely one of the best books I’ve read this year. Completely hair raising and tense. I plan to purchase for all my horror reading friends and family. Can’t wait for more by author. Will definitely be added to my favorite author list.

From the moment I read the description for The Dark Between the Trees, I knew it was my kind of tale. The premise itself is not entirely unfamiliar and you go in knowing it's not going to end well, but the journey getting there was unique and creeping. I have a personal gripe about not getting a glimpse of what's comes after, but any horror fan can surmise it themselves.

The Dark Between The Trees is a great dual timeline thriller about a mysterious woods that people go into but never come out of. I enjoyed the dual timeline and liked that they took the same path it made it really tense. There were a lot of characters but not many I found likable, some of Davies group were ok, but I found the women historians awful. I loved the building suspense and the folk tales of the monster. The end fell really flat for me, I did not care for it, and it left so many unanswered questions.

This book kept me so engrossed. The chapter changes and amalgamation at the end was perfect.

I loved some of the metaphors within the book which really matched with how people feel in real life. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I was looking forward with trepidation the whole way through!

A group of female historians go into the woods to investigate a local legend. A group of seventeenth-century soldiers go into the woods to shelter from battle. Very few of either group will emerge ever again. Ideal for fans of ghostly tales across two timelines.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Dr. Alice Christopher has spent her career trying to unravel the secrets of Moresby Wood and the 15 men who went missing in the woods in 1643. Finally given funding, Dr. Christopher leads a group into the woods, ready to tease out the secrets…or so she thinks.

The Dark Between the Trees is a creepy, atmospheric horror story, with dual mirroring storylines set centuries apart. The setting of the story screams tension and oozes with creepy crawlies. Sadly, a DNF for me

The overall plot and characterization of the book was lacking for me. I loved the dual timelines and the mirroring of the movements each group takes, but it almost made the book feel unoriginal BECAUSE they took the same steps. If that makes sense. It just wasn’t engaging and I struggled though most of the book before I DNF’ed. I mostly just stayed as long as I did for the atmosphere. Likewise, having large groups in dual timelines made it impossible to remember who is who, who thinks what and made it impossible to connect to any single character.

I really wanted to love this one and I’ll try to pick it up again, but I just can’t make myself do it yet.

The Dark Between the Trees follows two parties: a band of Parliamentarian soldiers from 1643 that, upon being ambushed by unknown assailants, flee into the nearby Moresby Forest, foreboding and mysterious, for shelter. Fast forward some 300 years to present day where we meet our second party, a group of five women dedicated to discovering once and for all, what really happened the Parliamentarian soldiers. Together, the five women set out into the intimidating depths of Moresby forest, ready for anything...

Or so they think.

Overall, I was impressed with this read! Enough to give it a 4 star rating. The atmosphere throughout this read was constantly cold and tense; it left me wondering if I should be looking over my shoulder as often as the characters do. I have never read anything by Fiona Barnett so I had no idea what to expect, but I'm glad that I requested this one! The comparison to movies such as 'The Ritual' is what made me request this one. I LOVED that movie for its dread-inducing atmosphere and that's exactly what I got here. I found it to be a little too slowly paced for me, but that's just me.

I think anyone that shares my similar interest in horror movies and creature features should pick this one up.

The one negative that I have to point out, and what ultimately led to me giving this 4 stars, is simply the amount of characters you had to keep tabs on. For me, personally, there were WAY too many, and I found that, because of this, I had a hard time connecting to, and ultimately, caring for any of the characters.

This book comes out on October 11th, 2022.

The Dark Between The Trees weaves two stories together over centuries…two very creepy stories. The subtitle “Getting Lost is Safer than Being Found” is a clue although neither is a good choice.

Dr. Alice Christopher has spent her career studying Moresby Wood and the disappearance there of a group of soldiers in the 1600s. Local legends abound involving a vanished family, a witch, and an entity that may or not assume the shape of an animal. Now Dr. Christopher, relying on old maps and the words of the sole survivor of the expedition, takes four women with cutting edge tech gear into the woods to find the soldiers’ bones and discover why they never left. This will not go well.

Captain Davies was ambushed, lost men in a firefight, and escaped into Moresby Wood in 1643. His experiences are described in alternating chapters with those of the Christopher party. Those experiences begin to be startlingly similar to what Alice and her team see now.

Full of horror and dread, The Dark Between The Trees is a terrifying trip into a dark, imaginary world. In both old and modern times, rational thinking slowly devolves into hallucination. Whether this is caused by ghosts, a witch or Moresby Woods itself, it doesn’t matter. Just don’t read this thriller alone at night and…if you happen to be in a forest, don’t look behind you. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Solaris and Fiona Barnett for this ARC,

This is creepy and tense, and most definitely not a pleasant walk in the woods.

I do like a creepy woods, where all technology stops working two foot in.
I liked how a group of females tried to follow the path of a group of males.
I have to be honest though, beyond two, I couldn't tell who was who with the females.
The book builds up the tension nicely, maybe because the "monster" isn't in your face the whole time.
Enjoyable.