“Dark Woods, Deep Water” is a story told by three narrators: Ida, a clever young rogue trying to escape a hard life; Telani, a faithful old soldier turned secretary to a tired warrior prince, and Elisya, a naïve young lady who believes her life will be a fairy tale.

It takes a few chapters to meet all the characters and for their stories to get going, but they’re all interesting and have very distinct voices. Once they pull you in, the book becomes unputdownable.

Basically, I think this is a story about bad choices. Elisya, the most frustrating and silly of the three, constantly makes them, each worse than the previous one. She falls in love with the wrong man, makes stupid plans, makes enemies of people who have power over her and generally ruins everything she touches. She is like a YA character who has stumbled into a very dark fantasy – and that’s why it’s so hard to hate her. She’s foolish and cowardly, but she’s not evil.

Ida is her perfect opposite: intelligent, resourceful and just immoral enough to be interesting. She’s the easiest character to root for, the most fun to spend time with, and she deserves every good thing that comes her way. She makes mistakes, but she doesn’t expect anyone to save her. If you’re looking for a strong female lead, she’s perfect.

Telani is trickier to figure out, because he comes as a unit with his master, the prince. Their act is somewhere between a hero and his sidekick and two old veterans bickering about life. His story was the most heartbreaking for me because he was neither foolish, like Elisya, not calculating, like Ida. He is one of those people who see the disaster unravelling but are unable to stop it.

The three stories meet in a very surprising, twisted finale in a cursed castle. The pieces of the plot fall into their slots like a puzzle, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere of dread. The castle itself is almost like a character in the story – alive, malevolent and inhabited by monsters. It gives off a deliciously eerie gothic vibe with some Slavic folklore thrown in.

It’s hard to say more without revealing too much of the plot, but this book is perfect for people who like very dark stories with clever twists and strong-voiced narrators.

“I abhorred turning real people into legends & heroes. It glossed over the pain & loss.”

“We do not have to fear the dead, but those who use them.”

NetGalley ARC:
Dark Woods, Deep Water was an impressive gothic fantasy read. I loved the atmosphere & world building. It was so unsettling how I constantly felt like I was being watched & had a very uneasy feeling throughout the book.

The beginning of the book was a little slow and rough to get through but once I got over the hump I couldn’t put this book down. The characters were enjoyable and interesting.

Multiple POV’s from very different backgrounds which I loved seeing them all cross paths. The attention to detail in the clothing, personality & aesthetic of each character was definitely something I don’t see regularly in books and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The darkness in the book was really enjoyable and I look forward to Dunato’s future works!

****I’ve already posted to Goodreads but will be posting on my instagram @bradiesbookshelf tomorrow (6/9/23)

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, and one that I really enjoyed getting the chance to read. The plot was definitely the main appeal, with a mystery that stretched over 40 years, just waiting to be pieced together. When it eventually came to fruition about halfway through the book, it was satisfying, logical, and entertaining.
Although I felt that this took slightly too long to get going, that's my only criticism of the text. It was made up for in an impressive second half, which moved at a fast pace and was utterly unputdownable.
These characters were all delightful, especially Ida, who was practical to a fault and just immoral enough to be worth the time. She knew what she wanted and how to get it, and I can respect that hustle. Elisya was a great foil to her, with her innocence and somewhat frustrating insistence on treating the world like a story. I think my favourite was Telani though, because I'm a sucker for a guy and his Lord, and for secretaries who definitely aren't kept around for their letter writing ability.
Truly a great book, and I'm looking forward to more from the author- maybe even more from this world because that last chapter left me with so many questions!