Hmm. I spent the first 40% being confused, but still intrigued. I spent the last 60% also confused, but utterly bored.

Nothing is explained here. Nobody knows why things are the way they are. It’s just how it is. I found Hyacinth to be really unlikeable. She made poor choices, and other people were killed for it. And then she continued to make bad choices. There was no character development. It was just bad things happening and the same actions causing more bad things to happen. I was expecting much more than what I got from this

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for giving me an ARC of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

3.5/5 stars

I was drawn to the cover of this book and decided to pick it up because I enjoy atmospheric, haunting books from time to time. While I do think this book had some strong points, it ultimately felt a bit lackluster and left me wanting more.

I would describe the overall atmosphere of the book as more unsettling than scary. While there are absolutely gory elements and body horror featured heavily throughout, I never found the book to be genuinely scary (and I am very sensitive to these things!). Instead, I felt vaguely uneasy with the horrors described and simultaneously repulsed while wanting to know more of why it was happening.

L.V. Russell did a great job of creating an eerie world that immediately drew me in. The first few chapters were very strong and made me excited to learn more about the world--specifically, what are the Teeth and why are they there? There was also plenty of vivid imagery and the prose was beautiful and leant to the overall haunting nature of the book without being so dense that it was a slog to get through.

While I was hooked by the first couple of chapters, I was disappointed by the fact that this book ultimately lacked any real plot. After the inciting incident, I was confused as to what the purpose of the story was. It felt very meandering and, while I do enjoy character-driven stories, said characters still need some purpose for the book to be engaging.

I was also left wanting more from the world building. The Teeth and the Deep are fascinating concepts and the driving force behind everything in this world, but nearly no information is given about them, nor is there any real explanation behind the cult that Hyacinth, the main character, has grown up in. The whole time I was reading, I was desperate to learn more about the world.

The relationships between the characters had the potential to be interesting, but the dynamics weren't explored enough to be satisfying. It was easy to predict what the characters around Hyacinth were going to do, and how their relationship to her and each other would develop. I wouldn't have minded this fact if time had been spent examining and fleshing out these relationships, but it was all kept very surface level. We were told that characters loved or disliked each other, but never given any real evidence to believe or feel invested in their dynamics.

There was also a major plot hole in the last part of the book that I'm surprised slipped through during editing, as it is a contradiction of an important detail that ultimately leads to the unravelling of everything at the end of the book (apologies for being vague, but I want to avoid spoilers!). I am unsure of if this is fixed in the final published version, but it was present in the advanced copy I read.

Finally, and perhaps most bizarrely, this book was quite short (under 250 pages) but felt as though it lasted longer than it needed to. Despite this, I also wish it had been longer so that we could have had more details about the world.

Overall, I rated this book 3.5 stars because it was atmospheric and eerie and evocative. If you are looking for something purely based on vibes and aren't concerned about in-depth world building or plot, I think you would probably enjoy this book. I don't regret reading The Bone Drenched Woods, but I'm also left feeling unsatisfied at the end of it.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book!
This story really did transport me into a creepy, eery, and gloomy world filled with constant fear and honestly left me on edge. Set in an oppressive, cult-like society, we follow a girl named Hyacinth who is essentially a bit of an outcast. I LOVED the atmosphere so much! I felt like I was in the village with Hyacinth, feeling eyes from the woods on me, the stares from the Elders, and tasting the salty sea air being drawn in from the Deep. I was definitely fully immersed.

The FMC Hyacinth, I loved. She has a very curious personality and isn’t afraid to question the ‘norm’, which obviously, to everyone else comes across as rebellious, but does Hyacinth care what they think? Nope, and that’s why I loved her. As for the other characters, I didn’t really like any of them… I feel like maybe I ‘should’ve’ at the very least liked Morgan, but no, I just wasn’t interested in them and found Mistress Yarrow very annoying. Although, I will say, Faolan (the dog), his instant connection with Hyacinth was cute and how he sticks by her at all times! I want that!

My only criticism is, I felt as though majority of the action was towards the end. The middle of the story lacked a plot and so I would’ve liked to have seen more earlier on. That being said, the author did an amazing job with this story, it is very immersive, and such a cool and interesting concept! I would definitely recommend!

I picked up this book from the Read Now section purely because of the cover, and I was pleasantly surprised. This book was amazing!

I loved the haunted feel of the book, both with the mysterious forest and the ocean with creatures that will gnaw your flesh off your bones. The creepy atmosphere of this book was amazing, the bloody rituals and sacrifices, carving and carrying bones for survival, not knowing what the teeth and deep actually were and why they were hungry.

Hyacinth was a great FMC. She was fierce, always stayed true to herself and never apologized for who she was. All she wanted was a life (and death) of her choosing, she didn’t want to settle just for a simple life, she wanted to live.

This was very bad. It was kind of The Hunger Games, but witches, and very, very bad. Characters were paper thin, their motivations were insentient and chaotic, but no worse than the rest of this, which was also all very bad. One nice thing: If we want to use to bone metaphor, which, why not, there are the bones of quite a fine novel here; but nothing else: no sinew, no connective tissue, no skin.

The bone drenched woods sucks you in straight from the beginning. With its folklore horror storytelling telling vibes. What lurks in the woods is terrifying, they believe the only way to stay safe is to feed the woods.

Beautifully written gothic horror. I devoured every page, feeling sad when I reached the end. It held me in equal parts fear, horror, pain, loneliness and awe. A stunning novel, and one I will gladly refer to friends consistently. Well done!

Got this arc for review on Netgally.

Dark, short and atmospheric. It's a story that dosent give a lot of answers or explanations, yet pack punches and make you feel. I rarely read a book that feels so atmospheric. Felt like an cold gloomy autumn day even if it was a light spring day.

A young woman loses her love to the deadly forest only to find herself forced to watch her father die and then be forcibly married off to a man she doesn't want and made to move into a village she does not care for... but in her new home the monsters have followed her... and it hungers for her calling to her... and as the villagers become more suspicious of her the closer the monster comes to consuming her. This book was odd, like it had a ton of fantastic horror woods vibes but just didn't know exactly what it wanted to be or to go. Hyacinth's journey throughout the book is muddled. I really just... felt like it was a load of nothing. Like I learned nothing new, Hyacinth got nowhere, and it just ends. The romance was not there and I guess the only thing that really got me was the horror elements from the forest but even that isn't fully explored and I wish it was. Its a weird atmospheric weird but if you like books with not a lot of story but just vibes, I'd give it a go.

Release Date: April 15, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

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I'll be honest, the book cover alone drew me in. And I'm glad I took a chance on this horribly wonderful book!

It is creepy, mysterious and has just the right amount of gore. My only qualm is the FL, i just could not gel with her. But even saying that, I really do recommend this book!

Writing: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Characters: 3/5

Thank you to Netgalley, L.V Russell and Quill and Crow publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.

**Note: this review is also posted on Goodreads**

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This was a difficult review to write. I really wanted to like this book. It has an interesting title and cover, and the description promised mystery, dark secrets, and strife, all with a feminist twist. That being said, and evidenced by my rating, this fell very flat for me.

I’ll start with the good. There are a lot of promising aspects of the setting and themes of this book. A simple and quiet village nestled in the woods contrasted with an insidious religion - and hulking, violent monsters just beyond the tree line that create a sincere need to follow that religion. There’s a lot of visceral imagery that consistently adds to the aspects of horror throughout the book. The idea that the sacrifice of your family and neighbors, and their very bones, can keep you safe is compelling and could drive an interesting and meaningful plot.

Unfortunately, there was more bad than good done with these premises. Character development throughout the story is completely lacking. Even when someone seems to grow or change in some way it never lasts, and they revert back to who they were earlier. If information is revealed that would show them in a different light and reveal more about the world around them, it might happen for a page or two, and then it’s as if it never happened.

There is never a full or satisfying explanation of the setting or events that happen in the story. Even seemingly important (and overt) foreshadowing from the first few chapters is glossed over and unrealized. Stemming from this, and further contributing to it, the plot points feel entirely contrived. If someone needs to be somewhere else, there’s suddenly a cultural practice that means they have to go there. If they need to meet someone, that person appears around the corner.

I found the editing throughout this book to leave much to be desired. There are a number of typos, minor for the most part, but consistent throughout the novel. Timelines don’t match up for parts of the story – something happens at nightfall, and then later that day, something happens all afternoon until evening. There are oft-repeated phrases, words and visuals. Peoples’ noses constantly touch when they’re speaking closely, the sun is always creeping over or through or on the trees, everything drips or seeps. These are frankly mistakes that I do not expect to see in an edited and published book.

My final gripe with this book was the promise of feminist themes. The female protagonist is barely capable of making a meaningful decision or taking any real action throughout the book that isn’t short-sighted and self-serving. Even if she voices an idea, she is happy to stand back and let a man take the lead and see it through. She has little to no respect for other women and their decisions. If this book passes the Bechdel test, it's by a razor thin margin.

Without a consistent setting or any real character arcs, the Bone Drenched Woods heaves itself kicking and screaming by its angsty bootstraps to an unsatisfying conclusion.

Thank you to Quill & Crow Publishing House, NetGalley & L.V. Russell for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5 stars.
Genre(s): horror.

Overall impression: a dark, bleak and gory horror novel with incredible world-building and beautifully lyrical writing. It felt like I was there with the characters, covered in a layer of dirt and blood, watching the horrors of folk legend and sacrificial rituals unfold.

Tropes:
➵ Defiant FMC
➵ Animal companion
➵ Forced marriage
➵ Flawed characters
➵ Female rage
➵ Witch hunt
➵ Whispering villagers
➵ Masked men
➵ Rituals & human sacrifice
➵ Something is in the woods
➵ Sense of dread
➵ No one is safe
➵ Gods & Goddesses
➵ Botanical horror
➵ Isolated village
➵ Secrets & betrayal
➵ Everyone is a sinner
➵ Not everyone survives

⤷ Plot:
The storyline was fairly mundane - following the early days of Hyacinth's forced marriage, exile, and attempt at survival in a small isolated village. She had to navigate her new life and learn to adjust to the whims of the Teeth and the Deep. Despite the simplicity of the overarching plot, the novel was packed with folklore, rituals, sacrifices and gore, which kept me fascinated until the end.

⤷ Characters:
Hyacinth was a very strong FMC that dared to question the oppressive patriarchy in her small village. She rebelled against the brutality of the elders, which had innocent people maimed and slaughtered to appease ancient gods. Whilst she didn't save the world, she took control of her own life and encouraged other women to do the same. In that, she had some character development but not much.

The villagers demonstrated the dark side of human nature. They were sinners to their core and were quick to blame their neighbours for their misfortunes, resulting in witch hunts and murder. A couple of them had some character development and were swayed by Hyacinth but most went through their life only knowing misery and fear of the unknown.

⤷ World-building:
The world-building was so in depth, it felt like I was in the forest experiencing the horrors with the characters. I'm glad I wasn't there IRL because I definitely wouldn't have survived long in such a cold, damp and unforgiving place. The whole village felt creepy and there was a sense of foreboding lingering throughout the entire novel. It kept me positively hooked because I wanted to know if any of the characters made it out alive. I liked that the Teeth and the Deep weren't described in as much detail as the rest of the world. Instead they were these grotesque shadow/animal hybrid creatures that took sinners from their beds in the night. It made my imagination go wild!

⤷ Writing:
The descriptions were all so lyrical and beautiful, which contrasted strongly with the dark content of the story. It wasn't too descriptive to the point that it slowed the reader down, which is good because I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next and binged the book in a couple of days. I would definitely read more of L.V. Russell's work in the future because she did such an amazing job at crafting a beautifully dark and gruesome horror novel, unlike anything I've read before.

'' 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐇𝐲𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡,'' 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. ''𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐚𝐤𝐬, 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐲."

3.5 ⭐ , rounded up to 4 ⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Raw Dog Screaming Press and L. V. Russel for the ARC. 🖤

If you're a fan of folk and botanical horror, you're gonna like this one.
It's a very atmospheric, unsettling read - very reminiscent of "The VVitch" by Robbert Eggers and "Slewfoot" by Brom.

I love Hyacinth and her family as characters, and, of course, I loved Faolan and was so worried by the introduction of a canine companion and what its fate could be in this world.

The concept of the Teeth and the Deep was very interesting to me, and despite popular opinion I enjoyed the mystery of it all. It made it seem Lovecraftian, unknowable, undefeatable, uncomprehensible to the human mind.

I did have a few issues with the end, as it felt rushed, and this is why I couldn't give the book a solid four stars. Every character in the second village felt flat, with little depth, and the whole final boat scene (you'll know it when you get there) seemed pointless given the true ending of the book.

It was still a very good read, but didn't stick the final landing for me.

I'm fully convinced this was a book about a cult & you can't convince me otherwise...the sacrifices, the masks & the rituals I mean come on!

this has so many things that I love in horror. there's witches(or is she), creatures lurking & watching from the woods & the sea, gothic vibes, & even a little bit of female rage.

the writing is lush & really pulls you in quickly. the atmosphere is creepy & the horror bits throughout were tastefully done, not too gory or over the top, making it a perfect read for someone new to the genre.

the writing is lush & really pulls you in quickly. the atmosphere is creepy & the horror bits throughout were tastefully done, not too gory or over the top, making it a perfect read for someone new to the genre

my oooonly issue is I really wish we got more background on the Teeth & The Deep & some more female rage. other than that this is a good, quick read.

I DNF about three chapters in. This was just too dark for me. I was intrigued by the world building and the description. I didn't realize this was also tagged as horror when I picked it up. Other than being the wrong audience, the writing was good and the story was interesting. I think the trigger warnings need to be more detailed, specifically - from those first few chapters- child death and mutilation.

In this bleak atmospheric book, horrors await in the woods, in the sea, and even in the villages themselves.

The world in here is dark. It's a place of cruelty and fear. Not just from the eldritch creatures in the woods and sea but the people themselves have sharp edges, willing to sacrifice family and friends for their own safety or, in some cases, for their own entertainment and stature.

After her father is hanged for a supposed "sin" she committed, Hyacinth is forced to marry a cruel despicable elder within her village. As custom dictates, they must now travel to a distant village to begin their married life, if they can make it through the woods unscathed. Because hungry bloodthirsty creatures do abound and they take what and who they want despite the people sacrificing each other to satisfy their hunger.

In their new village it's even worse. Hyacinth's willful and forthright attitude doesn't sit well and as townfolks start being eaten, they believe her to be a witch, a heathen, a heretic to their beliefs. Can she find a way to save herself from the creatures both unnatural and human alike?

I love that this book is set firmly in the world the author created. There's no "this is actually a dream" or other surprise explanations. This world is bleak, the creatures disturbing and horrifying, and it runs with feminine rage in the form of Hyacinth. This is a place where women are subjugated to men and anything less than compliance is a sin, worthy of sacrifice.

It's bloody and has a lot of fantastic characters whose narratives all make up the bigger story. It's a short novel also but the author used every word to stay on course and create this dread inducing folk horror- ish tale that you'll want to read through as soon as you start. I highly recommend it.
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Folk horror meets gothic horror in this short read. It’s creepy and odd. The FMC at times can be a bit annoying or frustrating, but who isn’t. It does feel more a book of horror for horrors sake at times, however, the writing is captivating. It draws you in. No one can say the writing style is poor, if anything.

This a book of superb fantasy horror atmosphere. If you wanted a book set entirely within the Wood from Naomi Novik's Uprooted, this would be a solid candidate, and that creepy wood is paired with an equally creepy ocean just for good measure. I loved the atmosphere of the town Hyacinth found herself sent to, and the building tension as the townspeople face the ever-growing threat of the Teeth and the Deep and become more and more convinced that Hyacinth is a witch whose sins have brought this (increased) terror upon them.