With their trip into the Forest, Clara and Axel have helped slow and partially reverse the curse of the Forest Grimm. However, evil still lurks and the Forest demands that the one who initiated the curse be brought to justice. With Clara’s grandmother ailing and the town council seeking to blame someone for their lingering problems, she and Axel must once again venture into the mysterious Forest Grimm to seek answers to save the ones they love.

This was a good conclusion to the duology. It picks up right where the previous ended and dives right into the need to complete the task of the Forest. Once again the author does a fair job of mixing classic fairytales with a new twist. There is a lot more personal growth seen in Clara this time too. At times the pacing did seem forced or a bit contrived, but ultimately a good read. 3 stars.

Based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!
This is book 2 in the YA fantasy duology, The Forest Grimm.
In this book we meet new takes on more Grimm's fairy tale characters, such as, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, and Princess and the Frog, as we follow Clara and Axel as they try to locate the missing page of Sortes Fortunae and the person responsible for the curse.
This was a really fun read, I especially enjoyed the returning tarot cards and watching Clara learn to navigate her newly found magic. I found this book to be a great wrap up to this story.

"In this spellbinding sequel to Kathryn Purdie's bestselling dark fairy tale, Clara and Axel must return to the forest - and its monsters - if they have any hope of finally breaking the curse on their village.

Emerging from the shadows of the Forest Grimm, Clara and Axel return to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest's border. But when the woods begin luring villagers into the forest, it becomes clear that the darkness they battled was merely a whisper of the true horror lurking there.

Burdened by unsettling visions and bound by a love as perilous as the cursed woods that call to them, Clara and Axel must once again enter the forest to unearth the sinister secret at its heart. As they fight murderous woodsmen wielding riddles sharp as blades, spectral maidens who threaten to drag them into an eternal dance, and phantoms able to use the very essence of the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't break the curse once and for all, they may not have a home to return to..."

Yeah, don't go back into the forest. Flee!

DNF at 32%. Would possibly have enjoyed this more if the first book was fresher in my mind. But even so, this was slow and unengaging, and became a chore to pick up.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a rare case where I enjoyed the sequel far more than the 1st book! I felt like Purdie had the foundation she needed from The Forest Grimm to really see a lot of payoff in The Deathly Grimm, and I am super impressed with how she pulled it together into a fantastic story. There was a lot of maturation in her writing and story telling as well, which was great to see.

As with the first book, I love the way she took well known (and some lesser known) stories and put interesting twists on them. It leans very heavily into the original versions by the Grimm Brothers (which makes sense based on the title) but still manages to find points of warmth and redemption. The thing I appreciated most, actually, was how deeply it goes into the dark and creepy of the Grimm Fairytales while still maintaining the integrity of the stories. What I find so often in dark retellings is they go way too far, or it's just underwhelming - Purdie strikes a good balance in both books.

I think the best parts of this book were the improvements in pacing and character development - both felt like they had come a long way from the choppiness in book 1. I never truly knew how this was going to end up but I left the story feeling satisfied, if a bit disturbed (which I believe was intended).

Definitely a YA duology worth checking out!

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

3.5 stars

while i actually enjoyed the second book more than the first, i do still feel that this duology was lacking something in the storytelling. the author included waaaay too many different fairytales/folklore characters, thus the plot felt too rushed and mashed together.

as for the narrator, she did a fantastic job!

i didn't get a chance to read the first book in the duology, but i still found this one pretty good! i loved the vibes and the magic concepts were pretty clear. the characters also had a good sense of identity. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you Wednesday Books @wednesdaybooks and Kathryn Purdie @kathrynpurdie for this free book!
“The Deathly Grimm” (Forest Grimm #2) by Kathryn Purdie⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: YA Dark Fantasy. Location: Where fairy tales come to life with deadly twists.
THE SERIES: Grimm Hollow villagers whisper desires to Sortes Fortunae (Book of Fortunes), and its magic reveals how to obtain them. But no one who goes into the Forest Grimm returns-they become the Lost. Clara’s mother entered the Forest Grimm to find her husband, and became the 1st of the Lost. Dark-haired, green-eyed Clara Thurn (17) and golden-haired, blue-eyed Axel Furst (19) must enter the deadly forest full of grim, twisted fairytale characters. Author Purdie twists Grimm’s fairy tales into her own enchanted stories: There’s Clara with her red rampion cape and Grandmère/Grimm Wolf, poisoner Cinderella, feral Rapunzel, cannabalistic Hansel and Gretel, vampiric Briar Rose, and more.

THIS BOOK: Clara and Axel return to the village from the Forest Grimm, bringing some of the Lost with them. Grandmère lies ill from injuries received when she was the Grimm Wolf. The villagers mistrust the returned and blame Clara and friends for the village curse. When 6 of the Sommers girls are lured into the forest, Clara and Axel realize they must reenter the forest to save the village. They meet a murderous, riddling Raggedy Man, moving trees, eternally dancing maidens, a frog boy, and others.

Book 1 was about adventuring through the Forest Grimm. This sequel is more about Clara’s visions. Author Purdie’s prose is still beautiful and evocative: (“He’s like a painting of a shipwrecked prince, beautiful and disheveled…”) (“I listen to the crunch of brittle autumn grass.”) Her story flows well, the characters are vivid, and tension escalates toward a dramatic fight to break or keep the curse. You’ll meet twisted versions of Rumplestiltskin, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Frog Prince, the 12 Dancing Princesses, and more. With a brave, determined heroine, an enchanted forest, life-changing choices, it’s a wonderful book for lovers of fairytales, and it’s 5 enchanted stars from me👩🏼‍🦳

I forgot that I read the first book and didn't care for it. I also overlooked the fact that this novel is part of a duology. And although I vaguely remembered events from the first book, it wasn't enough for me to grasp the events occurring in the second book.

Some parts of the novel were interesting. But there were a lot of missing pieces that made for a confusing read. That being said, you really need to read and enjoy the first book to truly appreciate the second. One star DNF for me.

I was invited to read a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

“The Deathly Grimm" by Kathryn Purdie is a spellbinding conclusion to “The Forest Grimm" duology. “The Forest Grimm" was one of my top books of 2024. The sequel exceeded the high expectations I already had going into this book. "The Deathly Grimm” is a continuation of the first book, so I highly recommend reading them in order. This book is a mashup of many fairy tales, with its own unique story that has a folktale/fairytale feel to it. Some of the fairy tales mentioned are “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “The Little Red Riding Hood,” “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Snow White.” There is a good summary and catch up from the first book in case you have forgotten some of what happened in “The Forest Grimm.” I love that the main character, Clara, deals with a disability (scoliosis) and chronic pain. The romance is so sweet, and I just love Clara and Axel. Some parts get a little weird and scary but did not cross the line into horror (in my opinion). If you are okay with the first book, I think you will be fine with this one. The author explores the question of fate and taking control of one’s own story. The book was hard to put down and things kept happening to surprise and shock me. I appreciate that the author kept the book closed door and portrayed the message of the couple wanting to respect one another by waiting. There is a great mystery that keeps the reader on their toes and my jaw dropped at a certain reveal. I did not see that coming! I love this series, and I am sad that it is over. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Purdie comes out with next!

Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content: a character is a seer and fortune teller and a character tries to channel missing people; mention of illegitimate children and a couple were lovers; a character was physically abused in his past; mention of a drunkard and alcohol; children were cannibals in the past; a character curses, but the words aren’t actually written; the words “da*n” and “hell” are used; a woman does something like a spell; there are some ghosts; a character possibly hallucinates.
TW: past physical abuse
Spice: There is one scene where a couple makes out and contemplates going all the way but decides not to because they want to respect each other.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this!

What a great finish to this duology!!!!! I was so amazed and enjoyed this so much!!!!

The Deathly Grimm, written by Kathryn Purdie, is a captivating fairytale that shines brightly, sharp as teeth, and brimming with heart. The clever intertwining of classic stories like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood lays a strong groundwork for romance, while also incorporating chilling elements inspired by the Grimm Brothers' tales.

3.5 ⭐️

I liked this book much more of the first! I think for the duology overall, the retold fairytales felt too forced. The mystery that was being solved in the second book was so much more interesting and captivating to me.

I still wasn’t super impressed by the romance, maybe it’s just bc friends to lovers rarely entices me, I don’t know 😅 the intro of the love triangle trope grated on me too though 😕But! When we got to that twist, I was definitely having a lot more fun!

I think this story just would’ve worked so much better as a single book, with just the magical deadly forest and the mystery as the main plot, and then less focus on finding ways to reinvent the classic fairytales 🤷‍♀️

I love the fantasy world that Kathryn Purdie created for this book (and for the first book, The Grimm Forest). She does a great job of creating a fantasy world and integrating some of those fairy tails we know so well into it in their own unique way. I love hearing the story unfold further and kept wanting to know what was going to happen as I was reading. I felt like the book had different twist and turns along the way to keep you guessing what was going to happen. I highly recommend this set of books!

Well this was loads better than the first book. A high 3.5 stars

The pros:
-Enjoyable to see how the author incorporated new fairytales into the book
-I enjoyed the story more this time around. It felt less rushed and less sprawling.
-Characters felt more multi-dimesional. Especially our hero and heroine. I liked watching them try to work through conflict.
-Satisfying end to the duology

The cons:
-Twists were predictable. Though perhaps for younger readers this won't be such an issue.
-We were told in the first book we would get the history of Grimm Woods-especially the great war. And yet that never materialized.
-Felt like there was some retrograde rewriting to make certain plot points in this story work
-Romance scenes felt strangely sanitized. To the point it almost read like middle grade fiction.

First Thank you!

The story picks up right where The Forest Grimm leaves off, Clara and Axel complete their story in this book.
There were so many layers, plots, and twists, that I found myself almost enjoying it more than the first one. I am glad I requested this book because I was unsure if it was going to fall into the dreaded second book paradox.

I was happy with the book, happy with the outcome, and I felt so bad for Ollie goodness.

Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't get into it. The issue might stem from my lack of connection with the first book, which I didn’t love. As a result, I found myself struggling to engage with the characters and the storyline in this sequel.

a sequel, wasn't advertised as such though, loosely based on grimm fairy tales and plot line clearly stolen from the Grimm Brothers movie plot, this was gorey, supernatural thriller with some nudge nudge wink wink humor
clara and axel return to their childhood village after the events of the 1st novel? after claras mother is missing
the woods near their village have started to lure people to their deaths or turn them into supernatural beings(ghosts, zombies, undead)
clara uses her family magic of past and future visions to uncover the mystery and save the missing villagers
grimm characters: hansel & gretel, cinderella, red riding hood (clara), sleeping beauty/briar rose, rapunzel, jack & the beanstalk, snow white, 7 dancing princesses, deadly hunstman, wicked queen/ magical entity book that grants wishes to grimm character villagers? this books plot line is messy

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

3.5 Stars

The Deathly Grimm is a dark fantasy sequel to The Forest Grimm with more mystery, more dark fairy tale characters, and more intrigue as Clara and her friends race to save their village--and the forest--from an even darker fate.

I really love how Kathryn Purdie twists the original fairy tales into something even darker. The way she ties the different stories together was even better in this book than the first one. I still wish there was a little more internal logic for why certain characters became a fairy tale counterpart (like they call Clara Snow White but there isn’t any specific reason why other than to let the reader know this part is a twist on Snow White, which should be obvious anyway), but for the most part, I liked how Kathryn used the original elements to further the plot of the book.

The murder mystery plot was also compelling. The way Clara and her friends discover who was the murderer and how they set the curse into motion was fascinating. It also was cool to see Clara learn more about her memory ability.

I do wish that some of what they discovered in book two would have been set up better in book one because from what I recall most of the “new” characters who take the stage alongside Clara and Axel weren’t even mentioned in book one. But it was super interesting to see how everything actually unfolded and the ending is a pretty good “happily ever after” for the characters.