This book was SO GOOD!! I literally never do this, but I literally genuinely stayed up all night reading it, I just could not stop, I have not been able to do that in 10 years, but I could not put this book down, it wasn’t even a case of ‘oh just one more chapter’ I knew from about the second chapter that I was in this for the long haul.
The story was SO interesting too, the Lord Of The Manor was so interesting to me, I wish we got more back story for him because his life sounds EVENTFUL to say the least. I was also so interested in The Redwood Man, he is obviously such a bad person but towards the end you start to think ‘oh maybe he’s just trapped and trying to get out of a bad situation’ but then BOOM nope he is actually just a massive evil idiot horrible person thing. I literally would not mind if this book was two times longer, I need MORE, I need more background on what causes The Redwood Men (people? things?) was there an original one? how did they / he / she figure everything out? I would also like more on the other two sisters, especially at the end, and the beginning, maybe before their dads third marriage.
I don’t mean I need more in a bad way either, I just mean the book is so good I want more, like maybe a prequel, and / or a sequel.
The romance was also BEAUTIFUL, it didn’t feel like a slowburn, it felt at the right pace, not too fast, not too slow, it was perfect. The whole thing, every scene between the two felt perfect, they truly made me smile each time, I loved how they had little looks and glances when they weren’t able to communicate with speech. I also love how it was kind of forbidden but it didn’t seem like anyone cared about that much.
The side characters were also so good, their stories were so sad and heartbreaking but they were SO GOOD, I loved the second half of the book where we got to see them together for a while, and see them all bond and grow and heal together.
Overall obviously I loved this book, something about Markelles writing is just so magical to me, her stories aren’t necessarily fairytales but they come across so fairytale like and magical and like literal magic? Like there is no princess trapped in a tower needing saving by a prince or anything, but it is that vibe.
Also, looking at the cover once I finished the book? CREEPYYY, the redwood man in the back?? the branches around Katrien?? the necklace??? ooooh it’s so good, I didn’t even notice the redwood man in the background at first.

First of all thanks so much to the folks at Netgalley for this ARC!
4.5 Stars
Ahhhh! This was incredible! I went into this knowing very little about the plot and I’m so glad I did because this was such a gem. Although this book includes things that most readers are probably familiar with (sentient woods, manor politics, and folkloric bargains), The Redwood Bargain felt so fresh and unique. Everything about it was well written from a purely technical standpoint which translated into a genuinely insightful and engaging read. I feel like the brilliance of this book lies in how the author allows her characters to make choices while never pretending that those choices are free. This book has a full cast of morally grey characters who make difficult, and often horrible, decisions without ever falling into villainous cartoonishness or tired archetypes. They are actively characterized by those choices. Despite being marketed as YA, this novel felt mature and grounded in how it approached topics like social class, moral compromise, coercion, and constrained agency. My only critique is that I wish the final third was more built out. The story went from being a period drama with mild fantasy elements, to much darker folklore vibes (with some body horror). If you are looking for a book with real stakes, tight pacing, and a layered narrative that tackles the complexity of class, gender, and racial dynamics in a Downton Abbey-esque setting, I highly highly recommend this book!

Setting
This reads like a late 19th or early 20th century period drama with supernatural and fairytale elements. For most of the novel the Redwood man looms in the background, acting as an existential threat while Lord Barras and the politics of his manor take narrative precedence (especially early on). I feel like lots of social hierarchies in YA fantasy books can feel decorative rather than meaningful. This was not the case in this book. The manor operates like a microcosm of power. There is the gendered relationship between Lord Barras and his daughters, the social relationship of the Barras family’s to the staff, and the relationship between the staff who have tenancy and those who are indentured. Even people who fall lower down in the social hierarchy still take advantage of what little power they *do* have to hurt those below them.

Pacing
I usually don’t mention the pacing in books because I think that if it’s good you don’t really notice it but in this book you could feel the flow of the story, if that makes sense. Every chapter felt purposeful in pushing the narrative forward and deepening character relationships. The pace is consistently pleasant without ever feeling like the story is being rushed or stagnating.

Characters
Katrien: Stubborn, loyal, deeply recognizable as the older sister who bears too much, Katrien’s willingness to make decisions for others (even without their knowledge or consent) was both compelling and troubling. Her choices feel emotionally sincere, even when morally questionable and by the end of the novel we see real growth in her.

Helsa: Helsa plays a minor role in the first 2/3rds of this book but we get to see a whole lot more of her by the end. She starts off the book in a bad place physically and emotionally and grows immensely over the course of the novel. A large portion of her story is dealing with her alcoholism. I can’t speak on that experience personally but I thought it was handled respectfully. I also liked how wholesome her friendship (and later romance) with Henrik was.

Avery: The eldest Barras daughter, in another book she could have easily been reduced to a cold, utilitarian mastermind (the type of person to believe that ‘the end justifies the means’). Instead she is framed as a mirror to Katrien, willing to withhold information, lie, and sacrifice others in an attempt to keep her sisters safe. I wish we could have seen more of her, especially in the last 3rd when she all but disappears.
Mariette: While initially framed as cruel or callous (which she is) the author complicates Mariette by showing her deep insecurity and perceived outsider status among the sisters. The book never redeems her but it contextualizes her behavior. Like Avery, I wish we got to seem more of her in the 3rd portion of the book.

Zaviera: When she is introduced she is depicted as the “good” sister but the narrative goes on to interrogate whether her remorse is enough to justify her complicity in the sacrifice of servant girls to the Redwood Man. Is she morally superior to someone like Avery, who recognizes the horror but accepts it as a necessary loss? I liked that her relationship with Katrien didn’t simply overshadow all of the surrounding circumstances. Katrien, as a kitchen maid, was still considered her social inferior– a fact that they are both painfully aware of (Katrien, understandably, more than Zaviera). Overall their relationship felt intimate and slow burn.

I also liked how the antagonists (The Redwood man, Lucca, etc..) aren’t acting villainous just to be spiteful (with the exception of Lord Barras) but have genuine reasons for acting out of self interest. The narrative never justifies their actions but they are also not flattened as characters.