After partially breaking the curse in "The Forest Grimm," Clara Thurn returns to finish what she started and break the curse over Grimm's Hollow completely. But in order to do that, she must solve a years-old murder and face the very real possibility of losing the one boy she cannot live without, and the last living member of her family. In addition, the Lost Ones she faces in the forest will be far more dangerous and treacherous that any she faced last time. Can Clara break the curse, or will she fail to even make it out of the forest alive?

This sequel hits the ground running, with very little backstory, assuming you've already read the first book if you're reading this one. There are hints here and there, but you do need to remember at least parts of the first book for this one to make sense. I actually don't mind when books do this, but I know some like to be caught up since it can be a while between books in a trilogy or even a duology. Fair warning you won't get a recap here.

Clara and Axel have a believable relationship curve thrown at them - since they've decided to be together, now what? They're very young, and marriage might not be a feasible next step. Their choices and their struggles feel real when viewed from the standpoint of their youth.

The new main side characters added were more enjoyable than Henni in book one, and figuring out the mystery with Clara was also quite intriguing. On the other hand, this sequel leans a lot more heavily into the supernatural than the first book. There are less of the fortune telling cards mentioned in the first book, but they do still play a role, and ghosts appear more heavily than in the first book and are more involved in the plot. I'm not a fan of these elements, just like I wasn't a fan in the first book. I do like that Clara can see the past, and her grandmother is bonded with a wolf whose body she can take over, and I feel like the story would have been enough without the added elements of ghosts and tarot cards. I feel like they weren't and aren't necessary.

That said, I did feel like the ending was a satisfactory conclusion to the duology, and most loose ends were tied up. I give it a 3-3.5 out of 5 stars. I would be interested to see Ms. Purdie's work again. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this final installment in the Forest Grimm duology. I did feel like it was slower than I was anticipating it was going to be which did reduce my rating down a bit.

Clara and her friends have returned to their village with a partially lifted curse and hope for restoring things to how they were. However, people are soon lured into the Forest again, and to fully break the curse the missing page of the Book of Fortunes must be found along with the murderer of Bren Zimmer. Clara and Axel enter the Forest Grimm once again and find new dangers and companions.

This strange world was fun to enter again, I still love the meshing of well-known fairy tales into something dark and unique. The Grimm Wolf is back again and we get a bit more backstory into her, which was great. It was interesting this book to see her relationship with Axel tested to the limits. My favorite aspect was seeing Clara learn how to use her power of visions and come into her own. I really enjoyed the murder-mystery aspect of this book and how there are so many potential suspects throughout the narrative, it keeps you guessing right until the end. There's a lot of heart in this story, especially around Clara's relationship with her grandmother, and Axel's family. I think overall it was a good conclusion to the duology.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy fairy tales and adventures through the woods. It is a well-written YA book that still holds up for adults as well. I would definitely start with book one in the duology, it would be very confusing to jump in at book two. I look forward to reading the next series from Purdie! I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley for my opinions.

This story has everything I love- romance, danger, and a world that feels as alive and dangerous as the characters themselves. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to keep turning pages long after the story ends. I loved this series.

I fell for the first in this duology, and dare I say the second was even better!

More of the Forest Grimm being crazy and dangerous— and showing us our childhood fairytales in nightmarish ways.

More romance, friendship, and family holding to one another tightly.

The story picks up where we left off - Clara and her friends made it out of the forest… but the town has questions.

And Clara has a killer to find.

With a not-so-fun card reading (poor Clara, they never seen to go well for her) and fear for her friends, not to mention new villagers being lured into the forest— Clara and Axel now have to go back.

Their relationship is tested as well as their wits. They have a curse to break, after all!

I couldn’t get enough of this, truly. The plot is sharp as a tack while the writing is lovely and descriptive— even when the visual is a bit macabre.

At a fast clip that will keep even the most ADHD among us (hi, it’s me) tuned in, we start to pick up breadcrumbs like Hansel and Gretel to solve this mystery, and I loved every moment!

This was well balanced with the romance, which always gives me the warm fuzzies.

Axel and Clara are young and flawed, but that’s why their loyalty to each other is so meaningful. I am so here for these two and their relationship!

If you want a YA fantasy romance that has all the fairytale retellings and can absolutely cross over into adult fiction for those inclined, this is for you!

I’m willing to bet this will surprise you in the best way, just like it did for me!

This is a fine follow-up to the first book. I think my biggest problem with this book is the fact that the first book would have been better as a stand-a-lone. There just wasn't really material for a second book. This felt very similar to the first book so it had a hard time keeping my attention throughout. All of the characters don't really change much throughout the book and I didn't find the mystery to be compelling. I think the duology was a good idea, but it could have and should have been condensed down to a singular book.

Firstly, this is the sequel for a duology. The first book is The Forrest Grimm. If you haven't read it, you definitely should!!

I loved this duology. I had such a fun time with the Grimm fairytale elements that were twisted in such a way as to become new to me again. The idea of a magical forest which turns people into the Grimm fairytales was so clever to me!

My one issue (which admittedly is a big one), is that a magical book/forest that curses the whole town due to the whims of one individual doesn't seem right to me. This may be the teacher in me talking, but group punishment just makes the good kiddos feel alienated. This felt the same way to me (especially since a lot of people died!! Not a spoiler if you've read the first book already).

But the friendships of the characters in this book is beyond amazing so I can look past my one complaint in this case. 😅 I'm a sucker for an adorable relationship/friendship.

Thanks @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

4.75 ⭐️s rounded up for Goodreads.
I was lucky enough to get an eARC and audiobook to read in tandem, via NetGalley.
This was such a fun fairytale mash-up Duology. Emphasis on "mash-up" because these tales don't always follow the originals, which I enjoyed. It felt original, regardless of enlisting well known characters and stories.
In The Deathly Grimm, we meet new characters and find our MCs in the middle of more mysteries/adventures that weave seemlessly within the overall plot of The Forest Grimm. Clara and Axel's relationship is expanded on throughout another bout of drama, AND we get to see some favorites from TFG.
The audiobook, narrated by Sarah Ovens, is perfection. Her voice lends to the whimsy of the tales, setting, and is my preferred medium of consumption.
My one criticism is that Purdie used "my S-curve" toooo many times. Like 12 times! 🙈 I don't recall this being such a distracting substitute for back (part of a back) in the first book? Anyhoo, thats legitimately why TDG wasnt a full 5 star read for me. Still loved it and will be adding to my shelf.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the advanced audiobook!

My favorite part of this was that the romance wasn't really there and instead focused more on Clara's relationship with her grandmother. The first book pushed Clara and Axel too much and it felt forced and awkward. There was a bit of jealousy and some manipulation, but it was hardly there.

The pacing is slow and a lot of the plot felt like filler to me. I think the two books could have easily just been one standalone that I might have enjoyed more. It also seems like these should have been middle-grade instead of YA, as they read super young and the characters can be too childish even for sixteen year-olds.

Maybe the next Purdie book will land better for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

4.5/5
Absolutely loved the conclusion of the series. It built on Axels and Clara relationship. I do wish that her friends were in it more but the 2 of them are so sweet. The mystery of the forest and the book. The inclusion of so many fairy tales into one story was splendid. It made for an epic conclusion that kept you guessing on why the forest was the way to was. The magic and world are amazing and great ending.
I received an E-arc and thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review.

The Deathly Grimm is just as atmospheric as its predecessor! I love when an author can execute a setting - it really immerses you in the plot and gives you a connection to the story. While I love the style and elements (especially folklore twists!) in this writing, the plot itself felt slow, and I found myself skipping ahead. Meanwhile the last 10% of the book felt like it held the majority of the content and plot heavy moments.
A good conclusion to this duology, and a solid read if you enjoyed The Forest Grimm!

I really enjoyed the conclusion to this duology! I enjoyed this book more than the first one, I thought the charcaters were more developed in this one and the conclusion felt satisfying for this story. I also really love the spooky fairytale atmosphere that this book had. I did feel like the pacing was a bit off for me throughout the book, but overall a fun read that ended an enjoyable duology well!

I will say out of the two books, I felt like this one was better compared to the first. I did mention in the review of the first book I felt like there were some plot holes and I was hoping that they'd be fulfilled in this one I feel like some were still left unfinished. The stories pacing was also all over the place, and at some points it'd be super slow then all of the sudden fast. I was right on the fact we got more Grimm fairytales and I enjoyed this selection of them this time around.
I am wondering though if the ending of this book potentially set it up for another story? I know this is supposed to be the sequel but it's starting to make me wonder if there is more.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of fun with this book and thought it wrapped up the duology really nicely. It brought back the characters and stories it had already begun in the first book while also introducing even more twisted fairy tales.

There was a good amount of action and more tension in the romance this time around, although at times I found their disagreement a little frustrating.

Overall this duology is a lot of fun, and perfect for fans of fairy tale retellings.

Thanks to the publisher for the copy.

The Deathly Grimm is a great conclusion to this duology!
We are back with Clara and Axel starting where the previous book left off. They survived the forest, but there is more left to do. Including going back into the forest and trying not only to save as many lost ones as they can, but also to find the missing page and the killer that caused the curse.

There is so much to love and enjoy about this book. The fairy tales were completely reimagined and came across fresh and new. Clara and Axel are working together to break the curse for good, and falling even deeper for each other, even when events conspire against them. I loved the riddles, and the vibes of the forest are eerie and perfectly portrayed.
This is a great duology and one I'll reread again and again.

Thank you Net gallery for the copy of this book. The story is a follow up mash up of various fairy tales into an original story. There were some resolutions to the stories of the first book as well as new characters, both good and bad. I enjoyed the sequel and would recommend.

I had high hopes for this conclusion to the Grimm duology and it unfortunately did fall a little flat. The story seemed to drag on, and they were pages of descriptions and events that just seemed unnecessary and were added just to pull in more stories. There were a lot of of Different characters from the Grimm fairytales and I did like how the author incorporated them into the villagers as people. I kept on because I felt committed to Clara and needed to see her put everything to rest and find happiness. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I can’t imagine going through an epic adventure to break a curse…only to find it didn’t fully break. Clara and her friends are back in the forest to finally discover the truth. Using her visions and other characters who have been lost, new challenges arise.

I loved discovering all the new characters and how they relate to fairy tales, but it’s the beautiful growth that Clara endures that makes this story legendary. This tale is woven together in such a clever way and I adored the unexpected twists through this concluding journey in the Forest Grimm.

Wonderful characters, an exhilarating journey, perilous situations, and dangers galore, this is such a fun ride in the fantasy world.

Content: mild romance; mild+ perilous situations/violence

Conclusion to the Forest Grimm twisted fairytale duology!

Clara and Axel follow a group of sisters in a trance as they’re being called into the cursed forest. Clara and Axel want to save the sisters from the curse which will cause them to go mad or die. As they follow them, Clara meets Harlan, an enchanted frog, and she frees him with a kiss that turns him back into his human form. Harlan helps Clara have visions which give her clues to the person who murdered a Grimm Hollow villager, causing the curse. Clara and Axel sift through the clues to discover the murderer, which will ultimately break the curse on their village and they need all the help they can get. Harlan seems to be helpful but can he be trusted?

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed how the author incorporated fairytales into the story and how she twisted them a bit. I liked unraveling the mystery behind the curse and how the author used Clara’s incomplete visions to create uncertainty about the suspects. Axel is still so kind and caring but he also shows insecurities and frustration.
Mature content: PG-13 for kissing.
Language: PG for 2 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody violence.
Ethnicity: Clara and Henni have pale skin and Axel has tawny skin. Lila has bronze skin.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. The first book was just okay for me, and so was this one. I love fairytale retelling, but I just didn't care for this one as much as I wanted to. Some stories grab you in and you can't put them down, while others, like this one, drag.