I received an ARC of this book, and my review is based on that copy. The published work may differ from what I read.

This is a debut novel, and I enjoyed reading it immensely! It’s a love letter to classic fantasy. The Tolkien influences are there on the surface. There was one scene that could have been taken directly from the Ent Moot, and there are songs that reminded me of Tolkien’s penchant for poetry. This brought to mind some other media as well (there are two separate scenes that could have been straight out of Princess Mononoke, which is one of my all time favorite Studio Ghibli movies). It’s not a perfectly polished product, but there is a warmth to the writing style and the characters that hit me right in my soft spots. The structure of the plot is old fashioned in all the best ways. It’s a quest, has a reluctant group of characters brought together by necessity, and an animal companion!

The world building is front loaded and also nonspecific, which felt like a lot of information right at the beginning that left a lot of questions. The ideas were creative, and I was drawn in quicker than I expected to be. (Also, a note in the author’s favor: horses are understood, written about correctly, and the terminology surrounding them is accurate. Woo!) Alarie as a protagonist was interesting. She is so young in some ways, younger than she should feel for her age. But that immaturity is purposeful. I felt empathy and compassion for her, and I was invested before I even knew what her story would be.

We don’t get to spend much time with Alarie before the plot kicks in. It makes the transition a little difficult, because we don’t get a clear idea of who she is before she’s suddenly thrown head first into a major undertaking. It’s intentional though. We know as much as Alarie does about the world, and the slow process of her eyes opening to her own naivety is a key piece of the story. Her quest is a strange one, and we don’t know or understand much about it initially. Alarie takes it on faith that the circumstances are what they are supposed to be, but it’s clear to the reader that there is quite a lot more going on that she is blind to. The more time I spent with her, the more I liked and understood her.

Her process of growth is gentle. She is thrown into circumstances well beyond her capabilities, and while she meets them with bravery her character doesn’t just magically transform. It takes time, and experiences, and choices good and bad, for her to grow. There are moments where she handles some situations a little too well. She is too instantly good at a few things. It’s not obvious, and overall a minor quibble, but I was aware of it and it bothered me.

The story was unexplained at times, and that was frustrating. I wanted more details about the how, and why, and what. The world, the Hollowing, the journey she and Taren and Sael are on, the circumstances surrounding her mother and father, etc. There is just enough there to intrigue, but I had so many questions! Information is revealed in bits and pieces throughout the story. The quest that Alarie is on is so vague that it was confusing. She is given next to no information before she’s tossed out the door, and she asks no questions. As we learn those details, the story grows in richness and meaning. The quest she is on is not nearly as straightforward as it initially appears.

The finale is surprising. It went in a direction I wasn’t expecting, and the focus on character growth and self awareness and familial hurt was moving. It’s the culmination of Alarie’s process throughout the book. It’s a little on the nose, but I didn’t mind. It was emotional and meaningful, and I enjoyed it. It hit home for me. The slow and subtle broadening of the world, the way the quest itself becomes increasingly more complex, and the care with which the characters grow and expand, were all impressive. There’s a sweetness and a gentleness to the story that spoke to me. I haven’t enjoyed a debut this much in a long time. I read this on my Kindle because it was an ARC, but I liked this enough that I want to buy a physical copy. That is as high of a compliment as I can give.

Thank you to NetGalley and E. J. for an advanced reader copy of this book!

First I would like to say I loved the atmosphere of this book! I was drawn in by the beautiful writing, and the setting of the Wildwood. Everything was described so vividly and I felt like I was right in the story. There was good action, humour, tension, and I loved the living forest.

Alarie was such a lovely character with such a pure heart. I loved how deeply she cared for strangers and loved seeing her growth in confidence. I also enjoyed Taren as a character and how fierce he was and dedicated to his kingdom, and subsequently to Alarie. Sael was also a lovely addition to this book as an animal companion!

I was a bit confused at the beginning and wished I learned more about the realm, the hollowing, and what exactly the quest entailed (the relics) and where from the beginning. However, as I kept reading, I got more pieces so everything started to click! I think this was a strong start to the series and I’m curious where it will head as the quest goes on!

E. J. crafts such a beautiful world that I cannot wait to return to!