I had the pleasure of ARC reading this book when it debuted, and listening to the audio of this was like a whole new experience! I really enjoyed the depth and emotion the narrators brought to this book. It was so well done, the accents were amazing. The feminine rage hit so hard and the heartbreak was brought to life. I had a great time listening to this ALC! Thanks to Sheila and Dreamscape for the opportunity to listen!

Song of the Dark Wood offers an atmospheric journey through a world of folklore and quiet magic. Sheila Masterson’s prose is lyrical and immersive, with a strong focus on mood and introspection. While the pacing may be slower for some readers, those who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of the mystical will find much to appreciate here.

2.5⭐ rounded up to 3. I hate giving unfavourable reviews, but then I have to remind myself that this is a review account---rather than a recs account---and that I said I’d always be honest. So, unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. The blurb piqued my interest, but there were too many irritants for me to enjoy it. If it wasn’t an ARC, I would have DNF’ed.

Don’t let the cutesy cover fool you! This is not a children’s fairytale: there are difficult themes and lots of sexual content. That being said, if you enjoy standalones (this one is part of a series, but can be read on its own), dark fairytale retellings (think the Little Red Riding Hood meets Hades and Persephone, plus some Handmaid Tale’s vibes), and books that are “more slow burn than plot,” you might enjoy this one. I enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the worldbuilding and lore, and liked how the forest felt like a sentient being. The male voice actor also had a pretty swoonworthy voice. But unfortunately, the flat characters and lack of chemistry / development coupled with the faux-feminist narrative ruined this book for me. It’s marketed as a coming-of-age story that’s full of female rage, and yet there’s… no strong female character. I said this before, and I’ll say it again: being confrontational does not make a female character strong. Nor does dropping a few women’s empowerment quotes or being angry at the patriarchy but not doing anything about it. Basically, the FMC is meek and vulnerable for most of the book, and always saved by an external agency (i.e. a man/male or some magical power) rather than her own wit or courage or strength. This makes me sad, because it only proves how strong the influence of men is.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Pace: Medium
Focus: Romance
Tropes to expect: virgin sacrifices, not evil just misunderstood, not like the other girls, miscommunication, The Ingenue, hate to lust, sentient forest.

❤️ Male narrator
❤️ Some of the side characters
❤️ Atmosphere
❤️ Worldbuilding and lore
❌ Overdramatic female narrator
❌ Flat and inconsistent characters
❌ Hard-to-ship main couple
❌ Faux-feminist narrative
❌ Predictable plot twists

Trigger warnings: sexual harassment and assault, attempted rape, murder and death (including of a child), abandonment, sexism and misogyny, physical and emotional abuse, grief, injury and injury detail, torture, confinement, homophobia, blood and gore.

⭐️3 Stars⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Song Of The Dark Wood! I really enjoyed the narrators of this audiobook, but if I could change one thing it would be I wish they had the same accent. One moment the characters were Irish (I think that’s the accent I was hearing) and then the next they would have an American accent because the two narrators they chose to play the love interests both had different accents. I really liked the concept of this story but I think what made me give this book 3 stars was because it didn’t make sense on why everyone was so fixated on the maiden needing to have sex with the wolf to “please” the wolf when the wolf didn’t want to have sex with the maiden. Eventually they start to catching feelings for each other and the wolf decides he does want to take that next step with her but was worried he would kill her like he’s done to the other maiden’s before her when he has had sex with them but she ends up living because she did something the other maidens didn’t which was giving consent. This book kinda felt like a lesson on what happens when you give consent but didn’t really explain why there was such a fixation throughout this whole book on sex and having sex specifically with the wolf. I enjoyed the main characters friends in the book and the beginning of the book had me really interested but as the story went on it was just kinda confusing. If you’re into romantasy, clever retellings and magic then maybe you’ll like this book! Thank you again to NetGalley📚💕

3.5 ⭐️

I loved the audio of this! The narrators were fantastic and the accents made the story more authentic and made it easier to picture the setting.

As far as fairytale retellings go, this was good! I loved the differences and the way it felt like Red Riding Hood without being too similar. This also gave Handmaid's Tale vibes and the feminine rage was raging by the end.

Some points were a bit slow, but I really enjoyed Connor and Rowan's relationship. The burn was medium as there was insta-attraction, but Connor denying his very obvious feelings was DELICIOUS. He's pure "touch her and die" vibes manifested and had me giddy at so many spots.

While I did enjoy this, I didn't love it. Something was off for me and I can't put my finger on it. I would still recommend this to lovers of darker fantasy retellings though because it is GOOD!

🐺𝔸𝕃ℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨🐺

🎧: Song of the Dark Wood by @sheilareadsandwrites
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️{5}
🌶️🌶️🫑{2.5}
KU ✅ (not audio)

This is a standalone, red riding hood meets Hades x Persephone, retelling! It is fullll of feminine rage and morally grey character and you will fall in love with them!! Plus, I can guarantee Conor will be your next book bf 🫡😮‍💨🐺 and his voice on this audio?! SHEESH!! 😮‍💨🥵 I love love loved this audio and the way the narrators brought these characters to life! This was one of my favorites from last year and I was so excited to do a reread and this audio did not disappoint in the slightest!

This one follows Rowan (the Red Maiden) and Conor (aka The Wolf aka the God of Death). Since Rowan was young, she’s known she would be a sacrifice to the Wolf to be devoured once her time came as the acting Red Maiden. Now, her time has come and there is a blight in Dark Wood that her town and the Elders are pressuring her to fix. Will she survive her 5 year service to the Wolf? Not many do..

While this 𝙄𝙎 a standalone, I will for sure recommend reading Sheila’s Lost God series first! PLUS, it is a completed series.. and all of the audiobooks are also now available!!

𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮:
🐺He falls first
🩸He can make me worse > I can fix him
🐺Girls who see ghosts
🩸Feminine Rage: The Fairy Tale
🐺Haunted Forest
🩸Wound Tending
🐺Touch her and ☠️
🩸Music based magic system
🐺A grumpy god of death

𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼:

“𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘞𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨.”

“𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦.”

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.”

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭!”

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵”

Song of the Dark Wood follows the newest Red Maiden, Rowan, as she begins her time shuttling souls from her world through the Dark Wood and tending to the Wolf. Inspired by Little Red Riding Hood, this is a dark fantasy romance with corrupt elders and dueling gods.

This was a really interesting concept, but I really struggled with how frequently sexual assault and the threats of rape infused the character arcs throughout. I understood that this was designed as criticism of the power associated with organized religion, and I am definitely on that train. All that being said, it made it tough for me to get into the story and especially the love story side when the FMC was being consistently threatened with assault if she didn't follow through on her duties to the Wolf.

This is a dual narration audiobook - and while I thought the male narrator did a good job, I struggled with the female narrator and felt her narration in intimate scenes just lacked the right tone and almost felt too chipper rather than more seductive.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and to Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy.

Ick!

I kept reading the book thinking this would get better but it's all about a corrupt religion taking young girls from their families and grooming them to be sexy virgins and sacrificing them to a death god. Would not recommend!

The narrators were good, but story was gross!

This is, perhaps, the best Little Red Riding Hood retelling I have ever read.

For fans of:
- After the Forest
- From Blood and Ash

Rowan is one of the cursed chosen. Groomed from childhood, it is her duty to serve the death god - known as "the Wolf" - in order to help protect the delicate balance between life and death. Her life is suffocating, stifling. She is imprisoned by her duty and complete inability to control anything in her life.

This book includes:
- sacrificial virgins
- Little Red Riding Hood retelling
- dark woods
- invisible bffs
- ferrying the soul of departed
- the God of Death
- conversations on coercion
- forced proximity

I really enjoyed this book. Rowan is stifled in her life, but she is still strong willed and has a strong sense of justice that I can relate to. I enjoyed the clashing of good and evil, and the drama with Finn. The plot was a bit predictable, but I am okay with that because I felt that it was well written. I suppose my only complaint then is that I wish we had a little more time to watch the relationship develop between Rowan and [redacted]. All in all, I recommend this book and felt that the audiobook was well produced and added a bit of razzle dazzle to the story.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Sheila Masterson and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted across my socials under the username @tinynightingales, check out my GoodReads profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863
my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/
and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

The narrator did a good job bringing life to the characters, and the story itself was interesting in its own way. I did not get to a point where there was any spice so I cannot comment on that.

I ended up DNFing the book because I just wasn’t vibing with the story, as a mood reader sometimes the book is just not what you’re in the mood for.

I would recommend the story though from the part that I did read, there was pretty decent world building and the characters were pretty interesting.

Spellbound and Intriguing
I fell in love with this book the moment I saw its beautiful cover. The description drew me in, and the story did not disappoint. What I thought would be a spin on Little Red Riding Hood turned out to be a magical tale of female rage, power, and sacrifice—or love, if you're feeling romantic. I received the audiobook from Dreamscape Media through NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
"Nothing was more threatening to a man than a woman who wanted nothing to do with him."

While it had some Beauty and the Beast elements that I adored, this book is very much its own thing. I was captivated by the magic system, the eerie woods, the sacrificial maidens, and the Wolf. I didn’t expect gods and demons to play a role, which was a nice surprise.

The story unfolds in Ballybrine, where a bargain between two gods has condemned the town’s girls to a life of servitude, ferrying souls of the dead into the Wolf’s lair. Every five years, a girl is born with magic in her veins, destined to live without family or a name until it’s her turn to serve. The town is content to let one girl bear their punishment—until we meet Rowan, a maiden with the will of fire.
"Rowan was a stranger to temperance. She only knew how to burn. Her life was a constant struggle to remain composed while she knew herself to be incendiary."

I liked Rowan. She starts off weak and naive, but watching her grow into a force to be reckoned with was immensely satisfying. Connor, the Wolf, is a tortured soul—tired of being the villain but bound by his nature to darkness. Their romance had its moments. While it didn’t completely blow me away, I appreciated the way it balanced power and vulnerability, making their connection feel believable.

The climax was everything. Rowan becomes a total BAMF, finally claiming what was rightfully hers through her own power. I was rooting for her the whole time, and she ate!

That said, there were a few things I wish had been handled better. Cade, the demon friend, had the potential to be an incredible side character, but I was disappointed at how underdeveloped his role was. There was also mention of a missing maiden, which I thought would lead to a big reveal—maybe even a villain arc—but it was left there hanging. The story drags a little around the halfway mark, where the romance gets stuck in a repetitive will-they-won’t-they loop. I was tempted to skim a few pages, but once the pace picks up again, it doesn’t let go until the satisfying ending.

Overall, Song of the Dark Wood is an excellent tale of small-town magic, sinister woods, and the viciousness of a woman slighted. If you can, get the audiobook—the narrator’s accent makes you feel like you're living in Ballybrine, with the Dark Wood just beyond your doorstep.

I feel like I'm picking at things here but these things gave me icks and I just could not enjoy the book.

As for the narrator I could not get pass the Irish accent for the FMC. I would have been fine if it was the same for the other characters but it was only her and others had no accents even though they are from the same village. It just didn't make sense.

The fact that wolf calls her las. Nope, thank you. Instant turn off. Oh and the fact that he would be attracted to each of the maidens that were sent to him was also a deal breaker. For me it didn't make sense and diminished the attraction between the characters even though it was barely there to begin with.

I love this book so much! The audio is amazing and so are the Irish accents.

This dark Red Riding Hood meets Hades/Persephone retelling will have you hooked from the first chapter. The musical intruige and feminine rage were added bonuses.

Song of the dark wood is a little red riding hood retelling and I was getting one dark window vibes.

Did this hook me?….. at some points yes mainly the first portion then after it seemed to lose my interest a bit.
Could be because I had the arc for the audio book, the narrator wasn’t great to the point where it annoyed me a little. I do think this would have been better if I had physically read this or a different narrator.

I did feel the FMC was meant to be angry and ragey but I didn’t really get that feel. She could have been such a great character but I think she got lost 50% the way through.

As for the romance it was very forced and rushed it didn’t feel right.
But the plot was there the characters was there it just needed tweaking.

I gave 3 stars because it was ok. Maybe a different narrator and I would of liked it and felt completely different about it

Thank netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have read this book previously and loved it! But listening to it was a completely new experience! It is such a beautiful story, and these narrators brought it to life in so many ways! I can't say enough good things about this audiobook! 🩷

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

First, narration on the audiobook was great. It is a Dual POV book with dual narration. The cover is gorgeous and reminds me so much of the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland.

I wasn’t sure if I would get into a dark Romantasy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, but I enjoyed this! 🐺Sometimes my gripe with fantasy is that the world building is so complex that I get bored, but I felt like this book had good pacing for the world building and romance. I was fully engaged in this storyline the entire time.

What you will find in this book:

🐺Dark Romantasy /Retelling
🐺World with many gods/human sacrifice to gods
🐺Political corruption and ongoing forest blight to be resolved
🐺Rowan the “Little Red Riding Hood” FMC
🐺Conor “the Wolf” MMC (also god of death)
🐺Open door & spicy 🌶️🌶️ 🌶️

Rowan was sold as a child to be a red maiden, a sacrifice to the Wolf, but when her time actually comes she is unsure what this really means for her. She is prepared by the towns people and sent into the dark wood, but she has a secret magic and a demon by her side to help her.
The Wolf is the his of death and made a deal with the Mother to keep a balance between life and death. This bargain means the red maidens will be sent to him for him to devour. However, he is cautious of this balance and is surprised by the new maiden and how different she is.
A retelling of little red riding hood melded with mythology.

While the romance and the tropes were pretty predictable, I enjoyed the story over all. The mix of fairy tale and myth was done in a nice way and I enjoyed the characters.

The narrators did a great job. The pacing and accents were perfect. The only complaint I had was the voice for the Mother was a little too revealing to what was going to happen in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC!

3.75 stars!

Song of the Dark Wood was a fun Red Riding Hood meets Hades/Persephone mashup! I really appreciated the growth of the main character, Rowan, and her self-discovery throughout the story. The writing was engaging and I enjoyed listening the whole way through. The story didn't fall short at the end like many books I've read lately, nor did it feel rushed.

The narrators, Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis did a great job with the variety of voices, making it clear who was speaking while not being distracting. Their accents also made the story come alive!

Song of the Dark Woods has an intriguing plot and a strong start, sadly it lost my attention at the midway point.

Readers follow Rowan Cleary , chosen at youth to be raised as a maiden that will serve the Wolf, keeper of the dead world. It's a dangerous and important role, one that another maiden has never survived. As Rowan learns the inner working of The Wolf and his dominion she quickly learns not all is what it seems and she embarks on a plan to seduce the wolf and change the future.

While I found myself engaged fairly quickly with Rowans story and task, I also found that the character dynamics, once we enter the bones of the story fell a bit flat. The Characters felt underdeveloped and the story itself became predictable and drawn out. I felt like I had read it before in a more successful package.

I did really enjoy the narration of this story. The narrator brought the characters to life and kept me engaged throughout.

A dark and atmospheric Red Riding Hood reimagining where the Wolf is death himself, and Red is bound to him as a Ferrier of the dead. This gothic romantasy blends fairytale magic with themes of patriarchal and spiritual control, creating a story as thought-provoking as it is enchanting.

Rowan Cleary has spent her life preparing to guide souls from the living realm to the afterlife, serving as the next Red Maiden in a ritual that has claimed the lives of all who came before her. When a deadly blight spreads through the Dark Wood and the current Maiden is murdered, Rowan sees a rare chance to change her fate. But making a bargain with death is never simple, and the more she learns about the Wolf, the more dangerous—and tempting—he becomes.

The audiobook is a standout, featuring dual narration that perfectly captures the depth and emotion of the story. The Irish accents add an immersive layer, making this an absolute treat for audio lovers.

The world-building is rich, though the pacing is slow in the beginning. Once the story gains momentum, it weaves a gripping tale of tension, mystery, and romance. The chemistry between Rowan and Conner is undeniable, but the story itself holds strong, balancing the romance with high stakes and a well-crafted plot.

Verdict: A gothic, seductive fairytale with real bite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy.