This fantasy is not for beginners or the faint of heart. There is a lot going on in this book. Malevolent sentient forests with creepy inhabitants, flying skyrafts, giant trees and mushrooms, prophecies, chosen ones, elusive and mystical magic, old and forgotten gods, and plenty of political and religious strife. Most authors would struggle to bring all of this together, but Barker does so beautifully. This is my first book of his, but I will absolutely be purchasing his Bone Ships trilogy after reading this. Also, I need Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki to adapt this.

Ohhhhh yes, a spooky woods with mystical creatures?! Yes please! I loved the atmosphere and setting in this. I could see everything clearly that the author was describing. I’ll be reading more by this author.

Ab absolutely wonderful book from the genius mind of RJ Barker. A much darker world than he has previously written about, but fantastic nonetheless.

Gods of the Wyrdwood is the first book in the Forsaken trilogy by RJ Barker. It is a dark fantasy novel set in a world where gods are real and they are not to be trusted. The story follows Cahan du Nahare, a former warrior who has been exiled to the Deepforest, a dangerous and mysterious place. Cahan must find a way to survive in the Deepforest and to stop the gods from destroying the world.

Gods of the Wyrdwood is a well-written and engaging novel. Barker's world-building is excellent, and he creates a vivid and believable setting. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns. The novel also explores themes of redemption, forgiveness, and hope.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about Gods of the Wyrdwood is the way that Barker explores the nature of gods. In many fantasy novels, gods are portrayed as benevolent and wise. However, in Gods of the Wyrdwood, the gods are shown to be flawed and corrupt. They are motivated by their own desires and ambitions, and they are not above using their power to manipulate and deceive humans.

Another thing that I appreciated about Gods of the Wyrdwood is the way that Barker handles the theme of redemption. Cahan is a former warrior who has made many mistakes. He is exiled to the Deepforest as punishment for his sins. However, Cahan is given a chance to redeem himself by helping to stop the gods.

Overall, I highly recommend Gods of the Wyrdwood to anyone who enjoys dark fantasy, complex characters, and thought-provoking stories. It is a well-written and engaging novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Here are some additional thoughts on the book:

The writing is strong and evocative. Barker does a great job of bringing the world of Gods of the Wyrdwood to life.
The characters are well-developed and relatable. I found myself rooting for Cahan and the other characters.
The plot is exciting and suspenseful. I couldn't put the book down!
The themes of the book are important and thought-provoking. Gods of the Wyrdwood is a story about redemption, forgiveness, and hope.
If you're looking for a great dark fantasy novel with complex characters and thought-provoking themes, then I highly recommend Gods of the Wyrdwood. It's a book that you won't soon forget.

RJ Barker has a thing for ineffable, dangerous natural environments. In his first trilogy, The Wounded Kingdom, the setting — the Tired Lands — is blighted by magic, which has stolen life from the land and left a blasted waste in its wake. In his second trilogy, The Tide Child, he invents a deliciously toxic nautical world, where the land hides horrifying perils, while ships built from the very bones of massive sea beasts poison the sailors who crew them. In his most recent novel, the first book of his newest trilogy, he has decided to take a different approach. In Gods of the Wyrdwood, Barker has created a vibrant, magical forest, featuring incomprehensibly (and, to be honest, incoherently — more on that later) vast trees, and inhabited by an excellent array of creatures. Yet this time, these creatures are not malevolent. They can be deadly, yes, but there is a difference between danger and malice. This world is constructed of a web of magical connections; if you respect the web, you can live in harmony with it. If you blunder through it in ignorance of all but your own goals, you’re in for a rough (and shortened) life. The ecology of the titular Wyldwood shows all of Barker's characteristic inventiveness in worldbuilding, and is the best part of this book.

Outside the forest, all is not well with the world. The seasons have been set askew, replacing the warmth of summer with an unforgiving coldness; toxic bluevein poisons the fields at the edge of the forest; and the wide variety of small religions, each dedicated to one of the previously recognized infinity of gods, have been brutally suppressed in favor of the one Tarl-an-Gig. This would-be monodeity is served by priests, the Rai, whose powers come from a semi-sentient entity — a cowl — that endows them with strength, longevity, and magical powers by feeding on the life force around them. Naturally there’s a certain degree of human sacrifice that goes along with such a governmental system, which is not ideal, but — oddly — there doesn’t seem to be much murmuring or popular uprising. People seem pretty happy to just go along with their new overlords.

In this world we have two plot threads. The first centers around Cahan, an exile who was bought up in one of the mini-priesthoods, and endowed with a cowl of his own. He lost everything, though, when Tarl-an-Gig took over, and now lives on the edge of the wood, in an uneasy alliance with the neighboring town of Harn. The second thread centers around Venn, the child of Kivrin, the secular leader of the main city of Harnspire. Venn is a trion — a third gender in this world, using 'they' pronouns — and of particular interest because there is a prophecy concerning what will happen when a trion takes a cowl. The problem is the process of becoming encowled is not always successful, and when failure entails an unpleasant death full of screaming Nevertheless, the benefits of fufilling the prophecy are so enticing that Venn’s mother, in an act of extraordinary heartlessness, has been kidnapping and forcing every trion in her power — including Venn — to try to take a cowl. Cahan's and Venn's plot threads intersect, and what follows quickly organizes itself into a fairly standard process of self-discovery, family-finding, and conflict between the evil overlords and the virtuous nature-respectors, with the fate of the world at stake.

The problem, unfortunately, is that none of these elements are done particular well, at any level of narrative. You can read the rest of my thoughts at Nerds of a Feather: http://www.nerds-feather.com/2023/08/microreview-gods-of-wyrdwood-by-rj.html
(link goes live 18 August)

Barker’s writing is a little wordy. I honestly think that a good third of Gods of Wyrdwood could be shaved off and it would actually improve the book. The essence of Cahan’s story is an interesting story. Cahan, Udinny, Venn, and Furin are all compelling characters and the supporting characters beyond these four are interesting as well. But sometimes their tale gets a little bogged down by Barker’s wordiness. But by the end of the book RJ Barker gets into a better rhythm and loses a lot of those extra words. Happily it’s in time for a very exciting and enjoyable climax.

So if you decide to read Gods of the Wyrdwood know that you’re in for a long haul. Not only is Gods of the Wyrdwood a huge novel, but it’s the first of a trilogy. Barker does give a satisfying ending to the battle for the people of Harn but there is a bigger conflict coming that he sets up at the end. So be ready for a lot of reading, but enjoyable reading.

***4.0 Stars***

Overall,
I am a big fan of RJ Barkers other trilogy and I was excited when I got my hands on an ARC of this new book. Gods of the Wyrdwood is pretty different from the Boneships series. It is a bit slower, but the world building is fantastic. Once about half way through I could not put the book down. I look forward to the rest of this series!

Recommendation,
If you are a fan of fantasy with some darker elements I would recommend this book to you.

*** Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book early.***

Gods of the Wrydwood by R.J. Barker is incredible and immerses you into an enchanting world filled with magic, mystery, and memorable characters. From the very first page, I was captivated by the author's masterful storytelling and the richly imagined setting of Wrydwood. Barker's world-building is simply exceptional. The detailed descriptions painted such a vivid picture that it was easy to lose myself in this world. The characters are the heart and soul of this novel. They are flawed, relatable, and have significant development throughout the story. Gods of the Wrydwood kept me guessing until the very end, with unexpected twists and turns that I never saw coming. One of my favorite aspects was the underlying theme of the consequences of power and the gray areas between good and evil. Barker tackles complex moral dilemmas exceptionally, making you question your preconceived opinions of right and wrong. My only minor gripe is that there were a few instances where the narrative felt slightly convoluted, making it challenging to follow certain plot threads. However, this did not detract significantly from my overall enjoyment of the book. I cannot wait to explore more of the Wrydwood realm in future installments. I highly recommended it to all fantasy enthusiasts!

RJ Barker's Tide Child trilogy is my favorite fantasy series of all time. So when I saw he had a new series coming out this year I was both very excited to pick up this new one. And I found that this was a very solid first book in a new series! It also really showed Barker's versatility because it is so very different from reading Tide Child.

One of the most intriguing things about this book is the world of the Wyrdwood that Barker has created. The title is aptly named because the woods are indeed very weird. The way Barker describes the woods and how much he has put into building out the woods and the creatures made the woods feel like it was its own character in a way. Beyond the woods itself, I really liked the world Barker created overall. He also does not hold you hand with it at all. You are plopped right in with terms and how things work in this society and he never explicitly explains these things with glossaries or info dumps. However, Barker writes so well that as the reader once you get into the story you are able to figure out everything from context so I never felt like I was just sitting there overly confused to the point where it was a negative like I have experienced in other books who grossly under explain their world.

This book is told in multiple POVs and I actually don't think I could choose a favorite one as I enjoyed what each of them was offering the story. Cahan is clearly the main character and thus has the most POV chapters and really liked his story. Venn was also a character that I found myself liking more and more as the story continued and I loved the way their decisions and story unfolded.

The one thing that held this back from being a 5 star for me was I found the first half of the book to be a little too meandering of a plot for my taste and I found myself kind of unsure what direction the plot was even going for a bit. I am generally a plot focused reader and this was almost too slow to keep me interested, and I was largely pushed on by my trust in Barker based on previous experiences with his books. However, I am definitely glad I held on because I found the second half to be much more engaging and and am eagerly anticipating the continuation of this series to see where things go for the characters and the world

This is a brand new fantasy from the author who wrote The Tide Child trilogy but instead of being on the high seas with dragons, we are in the dark forest with very strange creatures that are almost alien. The book begins with a really interesting prologue, a ton of names and terms are thrown at you because theres thousands of gods in this universe. It’s a lot to grasp, just your typical fantasy world building but I’d actually categorize it as complex.

We see a village being visited by monks and the monks realize this village is clanless which is not a good thing but one of the leaders sees power in one of the village boys and invites him to be taught the knowledge and magic then chapter 1 begins many years later when this young boy is now a man and is facing obstacles that involve his past. He also has a pet companion Segur but I couldn’t actually picture what he was supposed to be. It sounded like some type of slithery snake worm thing. I’m unsure. So you have this scary dangerous forest called Woodedge where anything can kill you, there are forest outlaws basically bandits that lurk in the forest, This just had everything I love but foresty themed, and lovecraftian themed as well because there are a lot of tentacles. Like I’ve always mentioned I want a good in depth adult forest fantasy and I got that here in fact the first half of the book I would consider purely set up, I think book 2 is going to be even better because of that. It is not character driven, not even really plot driven. it is world driven, history driven. Terminology driven is that I thing because even some family structure was strange, theres like firstmothers, secondmothers, firsthusbands, thirdhusbands, I don’t know what any of that means except maybe this was referring to poly relationships so, very inclusive if that was the case.

Oh I do want to mention there seems to be like a running joke or a theme in this book that you’re old as fuck if you’re 30. Like ancient. As someone who is 30 I take great offense to that.

So other than some minor problems I had with the plot taking a backseat for quite a while, I still really enjoyed it. Like I said, I do think book 2 will be even better. I loved the emphasis on nature, and how weird it is. It hit that right on the head. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars, Maybe a 3.5 if I was being really nitpicky but I enjoyed it and look forward to its sequel.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this ARC!

Gods of the Wyrdwood follows Cahan Du-Nahere, who was taken as a child to become a cowl-rai for a god that is no longer allowed to be worshiped by the time he is an adult. He lives near the Wyrdwood, a magical forest with numerous creatures that are the thing of dreams... and nightmares.

Gods of the Wyrdwood is a work with an incredibly beautiful and mystical world that I was immediately drawn to. I read this book immersively (read the ebook while listening to the audiobook) and I was completely entranced by this story.

RJ Barker does not hold your hand while world-building, but he doesn't write in a way that leaves the reader annoyed and confused. As a self-proclaimed "intermediate fantasy reader," I very much appreciated his ability to teach me about an incredibly complex world without making me feel like I had no reading comprehension skills. I was able to be confused while still understanding the basics of what was going on.

Barker's writing feels, to me, like a story being *told* rather than written. It is full of sentence fragments and comma splices that frustrate some, but I really felt it added to the story. I felt like a child sitting around the fire hearing the tales of times before.

My only issue with this was that some of the world-building felt too indirect. There were a lot of terms in the world that I had a basic understanding of, but I couldn't explain it in detail if I tried. I enjoyed that Barker didn't hold my hand, but I wanted there to be a little more direct explanation so I could fully comprehend the complexities of the world.

The author demonstrates great skill in crafting a vivid and intricate world, particularly in the descriptions of creatures and the magic system. The reader is left to discover and piece together the elements of the world, which adds depth and intrigue to the story.

However, despite the rich world-building, I struggled to connect with the characters. I found it difficult to become fully invested in their journeys. Additionally, the events of the story often felt disconnected, lacking a cohesive flow that hindered my engagement with the plot. The story takes time to fully reveal itself, and it wasn't until the later stages of the book that the plot gained momentum.

There were also instances where it was challenging to discern who was speaking during dialogue scenes, which created some confusion while reading. It is possible that this is a stylistic choice by the author, but it impacted my reading experience.

While Gods of the Wyrdwood showcases impressive world-building and a unique setting, the slow start and disconnected plot may not appeal to all readers. It is possible that the writing style of the author may not resonate with everyone. However, for those who appreciate immersive world-building and are willing to invest in a slower-paced narrative, this book may offer a rewarding reading experience.

Thank you to Orbit books and Netgalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

Gods of the Wyrdwood is the first book I have read by R J Barker and it will certainly not be the last!
Set in a highly original world full of religion and politics, its imaginative worldbuilding draws you in immediately. Certain people have a "cowl" beneath their skin giving them strength and unusual powers. The cowl must be fed by killing in order to gain its power, but this makes the person crueller and more heartless the more it is fed. The main character, Cahan, an outcast, has a cowl, but no longer wishes to feed it, preferring a peaceful life as a farmer and forester, venturing deep into the woods where most villagers are too terrified to go. The forest is filled with ancient, terrifying creatures, and even gods.
I really enjoyed the character of Udinny the monk. Her playfulness acted as a breath of fresh air when compared to the more serious Cahan.
Cahan's past is gradually revealed to the reader in flashbacks written in the second-person perspective,
There are themes of fear of "the other" and we see how quickly a village can turn against someone who has helped them and turn into an angry mob willing to sacrifice others to save themselves.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story that is different and original.

Gods of the Wyrdwood follows Cahan Du-Nahere, the Forester, through snippets of his childhood and into his adult life, where he's just trying to tend to his farm and live life under the radar with his pet garaur, Segur. He's had enough fighting for his entire life, but it hasn't had enough of him. In a sweeping character epic, the plot of this book IS Cahan. His trials and tribulations. His decisions that will shape the people and the world around him. His choices and how they lead to finally accepting all the parts of himself that scare him.

I REALLY wanted to like this book. The plot sounded vague but interesting, the worldbuilding promised to be top-notch, and the cover is amazing! I so wanted to like this book, especially because I've heard such good things about (and own but haven't read yet) R.J. Barker's Bone Ships trilogy. But unfortunately, this story fell really flat for me. There were parts that I really liked, and man, the epilogue drew me in... but that was the main problem for me. I pretty much had to wait for the epilogue for anything of much interest to happen.

That said, let's talk about the worldbuilding. Holy crap, this author has an imagination! The scope of this world is vast. From floatvines to gasmaws, skyrafts and rootlings, with descriptions you can't even wrap your mind around, this world is huge and immersive. There definitely need to be some illustrations to truly do the flora and fauna of this world justice. Honestly I can kind of understand why this book needed to be so long, to truly immerse the reader in this alien world. The forest scenes were my absolute favorite, where Cahan and Udinny travel through the Wyrdwood forest to find a lost boy. The vibes of this sort of side-quest in the main plot were immaculate; a misty, foggy forest with all manner of strange beasts, communing with nature and tapping into the forest itself to learn its secrets...loved. R.J. Barker truly knows how to paint a picture with his words. The one thing I had a hard time with was how little is laid out for you. You are truly thrown into this world with no one holding your hand or teaching you the ropes. There is no glossary, so you just have to infer what certain fantasy words and titles mean and hope you're right until they're maybe defined in a later chapter or described in some subtle way. I have to say I was quite confused, in a new-fantasy-world kind of way, for about the first 30% of the book.

The worldbuilding was the main thing I liked in this book. The rest I had a hard time with, unfortunately. This book is intensely character driven with not much plot...which I tend to struggle with. I also had a really hard time becoming invested in the characters, despite how much time was spent with them, especially Cahan. By the end of it, I definitely felt like there had been development in his character and really appreciate how that development will lead into the next book, but his interactions with others and even himself really fell flat for me. For most of the book, I couldn't really figure out what his motivations were for doing what he was doing. The glimpses into his childhood were too few and far between, so I ultimately felt confused about why he was the way he was for most of the book.

The plot of this book was really slow to start. As I said before, this being a mainly character-driven story with major worldbuilding going on in preparation for the next book, I felt like there wasn't much main plot until about the 70% mark. Which, in my opinion, is just much too far into a book to get into the meat of the overarching story. There were about three subplots that happened before the main plotline started, along with an alternate POV that felt like it was only there to give a bit more worldbuilding info as well as very short chapters that delved into Cahan's past in very cryptic language that was difficult to get used to. The main plotline was very short-lived in this book, ultimately leading into book 2 with an epilogue that was very intriguing (even for someone who didn't much like book 1).

In addition to everything above, one of the hardest things about this book, for me, was the seeming lack of copyediting... Of course, I did read an ARC copy, being an uncorrected proof, so I can't say for sure how many of these problems will be fixed in the final copy. But unfortunately, the lack of editing really put me off during reading. Sentences didn't make sense sometimes, and punctuation was really all over the place. This ARC seemed like it needed a lot of work still. I really do hope these issues were worked out in the final copy, as that really would have made my reading experience a lot better.

Unfortunately, I also think I just didn't quite vibe with R.J. Barker's writing style. I can't say if his other books are similar as I haven't read any others, but my guess is that if you like the writing style in his other books, you'll probably like it in this one too, so give it a try!

This trilogy has a really intriguing plot (eventually) and immersive worldbuilding that seriously took a whole book to put into place. The epilogue really peaked my interest, so I am interested in what the second and third books do, but I unfortunately don't think I will be continuing with this series as the writing style wasn't for me and I'm not sure I'm as invested in the main characters as I want to be. If you like R.J. Barker's other books and if you like character-driven epic fantasies with absolutely crazy worldbuilding, I would still recommend giving this book a try!

*I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4.5/5

This is the beginning of something epic. It is true to the style of RJ Barker, being dropped into a world and allowing the reader to figure it out as they go. It is a dark world that has a beautiful setting with Gods that are worshipped in a way that is different than typical. It leads to wars and a magic that is pretty hot to handle. I continually found myself drawn to know more and could not get enough as the reader is pulled into the world of the chosen one, Cahan Du Nahere, who is no longer the chosen one. It proceeds to give us an insight into his life as he has moved on.

The strength of the novel is most definitely the world. From the exotic animals that are described brilliantly and make it so that there are even more exotic ways of travel and everyday life. Each page had subtle or exciting new ways to show us the beauty of this world. The forest is something from a dream, easy to picture and imagine, as well as being something truly foreboding that even the reader would be uneasy to venture into alone. The pacing of the novel is something that might discourage some readers. It is a slower pace compared to some of his previous novels, but upon reflection it is something that is absolutely necessary in order for the reader to understand the overall scope of the novel and where it leads. I can not say more because of spoilers, but this is a novel that can be reread and have lots of discoveries each time.

With this novel, RJ Barker cemented himself in my autobuy list. It is so engrossing and enjoyable, leaving me thinking about the wonders of the story and the world for weeks after I have finished. It has taken me time and I know that this review does not do it justice, but I feel as if every little thing was meticulously placed in the novel, just hinting at what is to come. I eagerly look forward to what the rest of the trilogy has in store for us. It is a story that many will talk about for much time to come.

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy off of Netgalley.

This is the first novel I have read by RJ Barker. My biggest disappointment is that I didn't discover this author sooner. If this is the quality I can expect of this author's works, I am excited to find the time in my reading schedule to read some of this author's finished trilogies in the near future. Granted it may mean fewer ARC reviews the rest of the year, but life is short and reading is about enjoyment. I am appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher Orbit for this ARC. Here is my honest review.

This review is my first impression after just finishing this novel, but I wanted to get this review out at soon as I finished because I so much believe after my many years of reading in the fantasy genre, I have discovered an author that deserves higher praise and a larger readership that is found with the best in the genre.

This novel is the start of a new trilogy, so I guess my one disappointment is that I cannot read the next novel to see where the author takes us next in the journey. The first novel of this trilogy, like many provides us the foundation of the bigger story to come. We are introduced to the characters that we will go on a journey with and the magical word the author has created.

Good and great fantasy is always about the characters. The author has created some wonderful characters in these pages. It is impressive how the author also has many developed minor characters that you can identify with and clearly understand their desires and motivations, which brings depth to the story. Here are just a few of my favorite characters.

We have the Forester, Cahan Du-Nahere. He was once a boy living on a farm that was discovered one day by a monk with her procession. He and his family are considered clanless, low class and thought of being less than others that live in villages. The monk, Sardis, sees something in Cahan, and with his sister, offers a better life, where they will be educated and learn about power and become a Cowl-Rai. But power doesn't always lead to contentment, and sometimes with too much power it leads to wanting to escape this responsibility and return to a simpler life. In this case, Cahan returns to being a simple farmer who wants to be left alone.. But for our Forester, a simple life is not in the future for someone that has learned to be Cowl-Rai, an individual who has bonded with one of the old gods of Wyrdwood. In this case, it is Zorir, a god of destruction who is always hungry for death and destruction and wants to be constantly fed.

We also have Kirven and her son Venn. Kirven is a ruler of another land. She has power, but with that power comes those that want to take that power for themselves. But she has been given a gift, her son, who like our Forester, has been bonded with the god Tarl-an-Gig. He is powerful, but for him to release this god and the magic this god will gift him, he must kill for the god to be released. Venn, though, has made a vow not to kill to release his god and become truly Cowl-Rai. Kervin just wants her son to exceed in life, but knows how difficult it will be to protect him from others under her if doesn't kill and take what he is destined to be.

Here will have a magical floral world that feels familiar but also different than other books in the fantasy genre. The author does a terrific job of creating this word. I am in awe of all of the magical creatures you will discover. I don't want to spoil those that want to take this journey, but I have a special place for the rootlings, small tree like creature, and Forester's trusty, brave companion a garaur, a creature that likes to nuzzle around its friends' necks that has sharp teeth. The author's imagination is astounding. My only complaint is the use of the pronoun "they" that is used with Venn, as he is literally more than one person with the god that is also embodied in him, which took some time to get use to. But this is very minor, but for a traditionalist it can cause some confusion with some of the prose as it is read.

The battles are exciting and as mentioned because so many characters are well developed that their plights have weight where we care if they live or die. For those that enjoy bloody violence, this book is for you.

I could go on much longer of what I liked about this novel, but I want to end with that the author is extremely talented with how he organizes sentences, especially at the end of chapters. It is so impressive how his prose at times can read like poetry. I have bookmarked so many pages that were memorable for just how he creates emotion through his word choice, sentence structure and how he arranges those sentences. It made be smile from time to time as I would be reading where I couldn't help myself from saying to myself multiple time: "This guy is good."

If you are true fan of this genre, you need to give this author a try. I am certainly glad that I did.

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

Gods of the Wyrdwood is a high fantasy novel with an intricate and amazing world. The concepts and gradual world and character building is done so well. I am usually not a big fan of authors forcing readers to be confused as they read, but this was executed very well.

While it is a beautiful world and story, Gods of the Wyrdwood is very slow paced. This is something I wasn’t a huge fan of.

Overall, I would give this 3.5 stars. Would recommend to anyone who loves fantasy with intricate characters and world.

Review copy (eARC) provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (which I held from my earlier read to drop around the release date).

I've heard a lot of good things about the Bone Ship trilogy, and was excited about the opportunity to jump into a new series by Mr. Barker (who, by the way, is a very, very nice person based on my limited electronic interaction).

The book is a dense, but enjoyable, sci-fi/fantasy blend. It's a slow burn/dense read, at least for me, so give it time to grow on you, but well worth the time.

4/5 stars.

RJ Barker builds an immersive and intricate world in Gods of the Wyrdwood that is full of hardship yet equally full of natural wonder. Gods of the Wyrdwood follows the story of Cahan du-Nahare, our protagonist, also known as “The Forester,” at his farm. Between flashbacks interspersed throughout the story and the present storyline following Cahan and one of the other main characters, Udinny, an intricate and deeply immersive world is built full of religious/theocratic political systems and intrigue. RJ Barker creates a world that is teeming full of interesting and unique animal and plant life which play critical roles within this world and story, but it can be a bit jarring and confusing at first to fully imagine what these animals are as the reader is thrown in the deep end. This is most prominent at the beginning such as understanding what "garaurs", "gasmaws", and "marants" look like, but, as the story progresses, it becomes easier to imagine and understand what these creatures look like. Despite this, Barker provides amazing detail in the beautiful plant life and plant-like creatures that make up this immense forest and within the Wyrdwood. One of my favorite aspects of this world and story is the unique magical system which is central and features a parasitic yet symbiotic relationship with magic users who are called Rai. Together, the religious and political systems, the natural world, and the magical system create an incredible story and protagonist that takes the immense hardships within the world Barker has built into a story about loneliness, hardship, found friends, adventure, natural wonder, coming to terms with one’s past, and meeting their destiny head on. I very much enjoyed this book and I look forward to the rest of the trilogy!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book!