Such an excellent conclusion to this fairy tale retelling duology, which I will absolutely be adding to my bookshelves! The teenage angst was a little much in places but I’m thirty-seven so keep that in perspective. This is a fun, interesting, and age-appropriate YA novel that I would feel comfortable recommending, so high marks to Ms. Purdie for “The Deathly Grimm.”

Thank you @wednesdaybooks #partner for the gifted copy of this eARC!

Yesterday I posted my review of The Forest Grimm and The Deathly Grimm is the second book in this duology! In this book, we are back in the mysterious and enchanting world of The Forest Grimm where Clara and Axel thought they had tamed the beast however discover that really there is more work to be done to balance what’s wrong in their world. This time, they need to explore the Forest to find the murderer who started it all. Their journey is anything but easy as they encounter riddles, women that will pull them into a never ending dance, and ghosts! Clara and Axel must survive the trials, solve the mystery and escape the eerie and terrifying forest that will restore peace.

This was a satisfying conclusion to The Forest Grimm duology. As with the first book the setting and mysterious and dark elements are my favorite part! I loved the different and creative adventures Clara and Axel had to overcome. Once again, Kathryn blends The Grimm Fairy tales into this story and truly it has made me want to go read more of them. This book is very imaginative, creepy, and had a perfect blend of feeling familiar but different vibe because of the fairytales expertly woven in! If you are a fan off immersive magical storytelling with twists, a touch of romance and darkness then this duology would be perfect for you!

The story of The Forest Grimm continues in this thrilling sequel where Clara and Axel must return to the forest to once and for all find what they need to cure the village and the forest. Clara must use her visions, wits, and strength to navigate her way not only through the forest, but the past. Can she and Axel survive the forest and its challenges and finally put an end to it all?

I definitely enjoyed this sequel. There wasn’t a dull moment to be had once they made their way back into the forest. I enjoyed the riddles, the songs and the twist of each fairy tale that surfaced in the story. It was well done and I loved how each fairy tale popped into my head before it was named.

Clara remained a strong character, even through her hiccups. She was truly determined and I loved how resilient she was along with Axel, despite everything they’d been through and were going through.

If you enjoyed the first book, definitely don’t miss this one! If you enjoy fairy tales, magical forests, mysteries and murder, I recommend giving this duology a try!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for the chance to read the arc to this awesome book.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

This book was a nice completion of a duology with an interesting story weaving the characters of traditional Grimm tales into a new tale and a giving them a different life. The twists and turns as Clara and Axel fight to figure out a murder and finally break the curse keep you guessing until the shock of learning who did it. Like book one it can be a bit confusing at times to follow and I had to read something a second time to make sure I understood. Also, I still don’t understand why they constantly mention Clara’s scoliosis, it never plays any significant part so it is weirdly forced when it is constantly mentioned.

This wasn't anything that I was expecting at all! This is such a good thriller and kept you to the edge of your seat!

While I did not like this as much as the first one it was still really good! I love the world and atmosphere of this story!

Kathryn Purdie takes readers back into the dark Forest Grimm in “The Deathly Grimm,” the sequel to “The Forest Grimm.”

Filled with more eerie retellings of the Brothers Grimm’s fairytales, the stakes are somehow higher for the main characters as they realize that it’s time to break the curse on the Forest Grimm and Grimm Hollow once and for all. Along the way, Clara must learn how to wield her powers and distinguish what is real and what isn’t. But that is easier said than done in the Forest Grimm…

“The Deathly Grimm” is an excellent follow up to “The Forest Grimm” and serves as a great conclusion to the duology. Purdie cleverly twisted several more classic Grimm fairytales to suit the needs for her plot. She also filled the story with twists and turns to leave a reader guessing what will happen next. Some twists are definitely a little predictable, but that doesn’t make them any less fun.

If you’ve ever watched “Once Upon a Time” and wished it was just a little darker (and have a less confusing family tree), then “The Forest Grimm” duology is definitely a series you should check out!

I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“It sneaks, skulks, stalks. I see a tail, a snout, peaked ears.
My heart kicks a heavy beat.
The Grimm wolf.”

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

While The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie isn’t my usual genre, I really enjoyed the spooky vibes of the forest and the fairy-tale-inspired story. This second book in the duology follows Clara and Axel as they venture back into the cursed forest after villagers mysteriously disappear.

The YA story hits all the expected beats: love, drama, and a perilous adventure. While the pacing dragged at times, the conclusion was satisfying and tied the story together nicely. Fans of YA or darker fairy tales will feel right at home with this eerie and atmospheric tale.

This book is whimsical and enchanting with a touch of horror. It has the feel of little red riding hood, if Red was in Caraval. I liked the romance, the characters, are the magic but it fell short in the ending.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This book picks up where the first leaves off! Clara and Axel have returned from the Forest Grimm, however, their peace doesn’t last long. The forest continues to beckon more villagers to it’s depths, making Clara and Axel realize that part of the curse is still alive.

They return to the forest, resolved to find who it was that caused the curse and destroy it once and for all. Along the way, as in the first book, they encounter various ghosts, usually villagers or characters based off of fairy tales.

Overall the story is well done but it feels a bit long. I was very invested for the first half of the book and then the slow pace started to catch up with me. I thought this was a decent conclusion overall to the duology and everything is wrapped up at the end of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Deathly Grimm, the sequel to The Forest Grimm, Clara and Axel have finally made it safely back to the village. But when more villagers go missing they discover that though they defeated the Wolf they did not end the curse. They are not out of the woods yet. Clara and Axel must return to the forest to find the murderer and lift the curse once and for all.

I really enjoyed Kathryn Purdie's first book in this duology, The Forest Grimm. It was very enjoyable to slip back into the story, knowing more about the forest and the worldbuilding. I really liked how Rumpelstiltskin and the Frog Prince were woven into this book. That said, the last half became very clunky with confusing storylines, and loose ends that were tied up quickly at the end. I thought the character of Ollie was dragged out, and after all the buildup, the solution was a bit too easily fixed.

I think the idea is a good one, and I will read more by this author, but the first book was certainly more satisfying.

In a sequel just as dark and twisty as it's predecessor, Purdie has woven a unique set of fairytale retelling, creating a dark and atmospheric series that blew me away. Pick up if you love a fantasy with bite!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a review copy

honestly after reading the first one and being mostly bored with all of the walking around the characters do, I didn’t think i’d be interested in the sequel. BUT given the cliffhanger ending and my curiosity I decided to give it a try

let’s start with this: I completely understand that this is a YA book intended for YA (13-18) audiences. HOWEVER, this book and writing is so unbelievably juvenile it felt like I was reading middle grade. The author would mention things that happened in the previous chapter as if we the audience had already forgotten? do we really think teens are incapable of holding a plot in their heads?

okay now the actual story itself: similarly to the first book, lots of walking around the forest and lots of nothing. and then the story takes off towards a sprint to the end as if distracting you from the rest of the mess of the book you will only remember the finale and feel satisfied. it’s equally dull and repetitive while being completely predictable.

if you loved the first one, awesome, great news for you. you will probably love this.

if not, then save your time and effort

as always thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of the book for my honest review

I had not realized this was book #2 of a series. I personally always want to read them in order, however, I still enjoyed “The Deathly Grimm”.

Clara and the villagers are panicking since people were gone missing in the forest. It seems what Clara and Axel did in the first book wasn’t enough. So determined to end the curse, Clara heads back into the forest with Axel. But they face deadly situations, one after the other.

This is a dark fairy tale retelling with tense moments and romance. It’s a grabbing read most of the way. I want to say that this wasn’t fast-paced but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

4/5 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. The Deathly Grimm is book two in The Forest Grimm duology. This is book is releasing March 25, 2025. Thank you to Kathryn Purdue and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I've loved this duology. The Forest is still holding on to it's magic as Clara and Axel work to find the tokens of those who are Lost. Clara can try to see parts of their past and find information about the future by having visions, but she doesn't have control over it. Yet.

As they venture into the forest to save their friends and break the curse, they find and befriend a frog who used to be a villager. But soon they will find out what kind of friend he will be. Bringing more of the original Grimm fairy tales to life, Clara and Axel race time to break a curse and save them all.

This solid sequel to (second half of) the Forest Grimm sees Clara and Axel continuing to work to untangle the curse around their village. Even though a few of the villagers have been reclaimed from the forest, most are still missing and the curse still holds most of the forest in its grasp. They need to untangle the mystery of who stole the book in the first place to finally get their Happily Ever After.

The worldbuilding and characters remain solid and the plot is both nicely twisty and at times personal to the main characters. The fairy tales themselves remain familiar but in a dark, deadly way that echoes back to the origin of fairy tales rather than the sanitized versions we tel today. All in all, a great book.