This is a fairy tale, but one with more meat on the bones. It contains a brave protagonist, lost children, a cruel ruler, and a dark, dangerous forest. Premee Mohamed weaves a dreamlike narrative from these elements that is exciting, frightening, and very sad, but without becoming hopeless. The prose is lyrical and fits the fairy tale form. I absolutely loved it.

No one leaves the forest alive.

Veris wakes to a summoning from the castle with a message: locate the Tyrant’s children in the Elmever forest, or everyone she loves will die. As the only soul who has rescued someone from Elmever once before, she sets out again into the dark and magical land, knowing she tempts fate with each action.

Veris steps through hauntings, surviving with her keen sight through the forest’s facade. She meditates on keeping grounded as she confronts monsters and dark memories, things that propel her feet forward.

Rich and haunting, Mohamed’s story will stay with you long after the final page. You will race through the pages, frantically seeking what happens to Veris, Eleonor, and Aram as they face each dark foe in their effort to escape. And in the end, you, too, will want to be a little more like Veris.

Thank you to Tor Publishing, Preemee Mohamed and Netgalley for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was very spooky and and interesting read. The MC is brillant, i loved reading about her