I picked this book up based on the cover, description, and author bio. Unfortunately I found this book to not be for me as I am not the target audience. The writing is fine, world and creatures were definitely a positive. The foggy world really sets up a world that has a lot of potential. I just found myself needing something deeper and darker for the world than what I was getting. I may try this again at some point, but for now it is a DNF at the 43% mark. The author does do a good job of narrating, fairly dynamic and differentiation of the voices. Definitely a book for early tween readers.

The Promised Neverland meets Maze Runner! Fog & Fireflies by T.H. Lehnen was a fun read, but it definitely felt more as a middle grade read, rather than YA. Though the story has some dark themes and atmosphere, I feel as though the target demographic for this would match more with the age range that the characters are in. There is something very nostalgic about this book in a refreshing way. I don’t feel like it was another retelling of a story that has been rehashed multiple times. Instead, it felt like something that I’ve seen and enjoyed, whilst staying true and unique to itself. You have elements of The Promised Neverland, Maze Runner, Shadow and Bone, Ghibli films, The Neverending Story, and so much more! It was a rich story, with amazing prose that had me enjoying myself.

The characters are perfectly innocent and aware at the same time. I felt like I was reading a colorful group of children interacting with one another. Lehnen does a great job injecting a youthfulness in the characters, as well as keeping each of them individual to themselves.

I do believe the story did drag a bit in the middle, and had me waning in interest from time to time. I think a tighter edit would help this read so much better.

If you're looking for something that has more innocent characters interacting with a rich and dark world, you'll love this! Lehnen also narrates the audiobook, and did a fantastic job with the production! You have a filter on his voice when the character is speaking in their heads, which helped a lot to distinguish thought from spoke word. A great job there as well!

Thank you NetGalley, and T.H. Lehnen for the audiobook!

This was such a fun read and I can't wait to recommend it to my nieces. I really enjoyed the audiobook narrator as well.

I want to thank NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to review this audiobook.


The fog is deadly to adults so children guard the wall in their village. This story shows you true courage between the characters and strong bonds with trying to stay young but growing older. Ogma watches as the fog has come to kidnap the children, Ogma gets lost in the fog and must find the courage and strength in her friends to keep going. The audiobook was a good way to get into the story, the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. Rich world building, I would say the story leans more towards young adults but a very good story to settle down with and listen with your children. I over all enjoyed this book and would gladly recommend to others to listen

I was granted a copy of the audio version of fog and fireflies. By TH Lehnen through net gallery full review I received new compensation for this review in any way whatsoever. All thoughts and opinions written here are my own.

I just finished listening to an audio copy of fog and fireflies by written and narrated by T.H.Lehnen. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. In fact, I even slowed down listening to it simply to prolong the experience. This story is a unique blend of childlike fantasy and innocence mixed with the darkness and fears of becoming older as older people are trapped by a mysterious fog, which I wonder if it wasn't metaphorical for something, but yet the adults of the town are all very fearful people. A little bit of the opposite of what you'd find in our reality today mixed with a whole other cast of unique characters. The caravaners who traveled the fog and don't seem to be phased by it at all though you never know where the f*** might drop you or even what time . Past, present or future. I really sincerely hope that T.H Lehnen Will choose to continue this story with a sequel so that we can continue to find out what happens to this band of unconventional friends also, I love the fact that the author himself narrated this book. I always find that is best when an author can narrate their own books when they go to audio format. They know just where to put the emphasis. Or just how they want names pronounced etc

Thank you so much for this experience for allowing me to review this book. Please let me know if you decide to write a sequel. I eagerly await it

I had difficulty enjoying the book due to the narration. There was nothing wrong with the narrator when he was doing the POV of the oldest child and making the oldest talk, but a grown man imitating a young child's voice was too much for me. However, the writing style was great and the story was interesting

OMG this was such a great story!!!! 😍

I became interested in reading this story after reading a description that said it was similar to Hayao Miyazaki. This was not an exaggeration at all!! This story had amazing world building that was intricatly woven together. It was very well done.

I also really liked the main character, Ogma, she was both brave and caring. I loved how the other children obviously looked up to her but it didn't make her arrogant or annoying. She was a wonderfully written MC that I think most people will relate to.

I would categorize this book more for high elementary age readers.....I think middle grade, rather than YA. Although as an adult myself I VERY much enjoyed this story I think a younger reader may appreciate it more. I will definitely recommend it to any teachers I know to add to their class library.

I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narration. It was very well done!!!

I posted my review on Goodreads and Fable 😉

A Haunting and Beautiful Read

Fog and Fireflies by T. H. Lehnen is a wonderfully atmospheric novel that pulls you into its misty, dreamlike world from the very first page. Lehnen’s writing style is both lyrical and evocative, making the setting feel like a character in itself. The story weaves themes of memory, loss, and discovery in a way that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable.

The characters are thoughtfully crafted, with enough depth to keep you emotionally invested. I especially appreciated the slow build of tension and the subtle mysteries that kept me turning the pages. While some sections moved a little slower than I would have liked, and a few minor plot threads felt slightly underdeveloped, the emotional payoff at the end made the journey well worth it.

Overall, Fog and Fireflies is a captivating read that balances melancholy and hope beautifully. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys atmospheric storytelling and character-driven narratives.

This was a fascinating book. I love how original it was. The vocal was a wonderful Value. With a variety of accents.

The writing in this book is probably some of the most beautifully written I have ever read. The world building is vivid and unique, and the characters were captivating.
I will say the only issue I had was at times I was a bit confused and had to replay certain parts a couple times to completely grasp what the author was trying to completely grasp what was happening in the story.
The cover is what drew me in, it was mesmerizing and so unique. It reminded me a lot of Bridge to Terabithia.
I truly enjoyed this beautifully written story.

I really enjoyed this book, good world building and character development. The mystery and intrigue keeps you invested through the whole book. The only downside is that I wish there was more. Hopefully the author revisits this universe as there were a few story lines left unfinished that I wish they would have gone back to. The book was also marketed as YA but I felt that it fit better into the teen age group due to the writing style

The fog swirls around the town and adults have no defences from it, only children can protect the town. When it backs up the people can come out to find wood and ore, and at times meet others usually trapped by the fog.

A very well written novel and well narrated by the author (I listened to the audiobook). Excellent characters in this well paced fantasy novel. Ogma’s town is attacked and she gets lost in the fog. Can she find help and will she have courage to find and save her friends? Very enjoyable, enjoy.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This started off well and seemed interesting but lost me about halfway. After that it just didn't quite keep my attention, and I wanted to like it more than I did. I think it would be a hit for many, just not for me at this time.

This one comes under ‘I was seduced by a beautiful cover’. I liked the premise of the book but the execution did not work for me. The author did not write a believable female lead and the structure of the story wobbled. It also read like it was for a much younger – possibly juvenile – audience. Just not for me.

This was a wonderful audio book. It has a great blend of adventure, fantasy and drama in it. The narrator did an amazing job with the characters, and differentiated their voices wonderfully. The mystery in the story really drew me in and it was hard to turn off when I need to do other things.

I couldn't help but love the characters as they went about their journey. The ending was amazing and heart wrenching. I would recommend it for anyone that loves a good fantasy novel that is not focused on romance!

The best part of the audiobook is the narration: the author uses different voices to really distinguish characters. It's especially effective when extra effects are added to make it sound buzzing or hollowed for the beasts. It creates its own kind of haunting atmosphere.

I liked the concept of a sentient fog that distorts time and place, and monsters that only target adults. It presents fear as a learned concept, instead of something inherent.

Unfortunately the story dragged on in parts and I found my mind wandering, so I feel I may have missed out on some key plot points. I feel like things jumped around and weren't explained fully.

This leaned more toward middle grade, but I would still recommend this to anyone looking for a hopeful, tense, coming of age story.

The Alice in Wonderland vibes are strong here. I loved the whimsical, Tim burton-esque feel of the world the author created. Many of the characters Ogma (MC) encounters are strange and spooky. Their uniqueness and complexity is intoxicatingly enchanting. I enjoyed the thought provoking theme of growing older and the confusion it can bring. It’s relatable and real. The plot was simple, yet satisfying with a heart-breaking twist ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook arc. I thoroughly enjoyed listening. The narrator’s voice and pace was fitting and easy to listen to.

This is a fantasy tale where communities are isolated by a dangerous magical fog. Only children and teens are safe (ish) from it. Author Lehnen spins his yarn with that as the premise. Our protagonist is an interesting character and the sidekick (?) is too.

I love stories where the characters are interesting, and this book has them. I also like a plot that can be followed, which this one has as well. What it doesn’t have is a cohesive, logical magic system. There are a couple of irritating “must-haves” for YA books it also contains, so minus points for them. ~ Authors, young adults are more intelligent and compassionate than you give them credit for, so stop preaching. ~

Overall a 3.5 star book for me. I found the story interesting but it didn’t drive me. The author did a decent job narrating. A good debut novel; I would read book two, if ever there is one. My thanks to Aspen and Thorn Press.

"A fabulous YA introduction into the world of high fantasy.

I just finished reading Fog & Fireflies a Fantasy book written by T.H. Lehnen. I read the AudioBook published by Aspen & Thorn Press. NetGalley gave me a copy of this book. I listened to this book on NetGalley. It is a stand alone book.

This book is a must read if you like: YA high fantasy, Tolkien, and unique villians

""Why do we get more scared when we get older?” he asked quietly. ""We know better”, Ogma said.

The plot of this book twists and turns like the fog it features. It follows Ogma, a girl trying to survive in her dangerous world. She meets scary demons and heartwarming friends.

This book has a dark feel, but it is written for YA so it isn’t extremely dark.

I don't have the attention span for much high fantasy, but the YA made this very approachable. I took it in small chunks and it took longer than i usually take to listen.

I thought this book had very unique takes on time travel, old gods, and different species.

I really like the part where you start to realize the fog can do more than just move and hide things.

It moved a bit slow sometimes.

I thought the narrator worked fine. Sometimes I wished they had gotten a female narrator.

Overall, I really liked the book and I'm grateful I got an opportunity to read it.

Content Warnings: Descriptions of war injuries, tense situations.

This is a debut novel, and has some struggles. It struggles quite a bit around the halfway mark. It was an interesting beginning, but there is a huge drop in pacing at the halfway mark. The magic and the world expand at an exponential rate which does not give the reader the time to adapt and it truly didn't feel like the author gave me enough information. He knows his world, but I didn't.

For me, there was an issue with the sound, it would suddenly jump in volume randomly. There was also background sound that did not support the narration.

All in all it was an interesting read, but a tad younger than young adult.