Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2021
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 437
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
SYNOPSIS
For the first time in centuries, a Second Daughter is born. Redarys, with a secret and dangerous power, is fated to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wilderwood.
The Order of the Five Kings hopes that her sacrifice will be enough for their gods, who were long ago captured by the Wolf, to be returned to them.
But Red soon learns that these legends told aren’t all truth.
The monsters that once plagued the land are locked away in the Shadowlands through the magic of the Wilderwood.
But the Wilderwood is dying. Red must learn to control her power to keep the world and her family safe.
REVIEW
The first time I picked up this book I made it about 100 pages in and didn’t finish. I just couldn’t get into it. But after the publisher gifted me a copy, I decided to give it another try.
This book is marketed as adult, most likely due to some of the content warnings (you can read them here), but it felt very young adult to me. The protagonist is 20, so I would call it new adult. Here are my honest thoughts after reading it:
⭐⭐⭐Plot:
This story is like a mash-up of Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood. The inspiration is clear and all-in-all I think it is a great retelling.
I like the two simultaneous plots that ultimately converge. It creates dramatic intrigue, mystery, and suspense.
The twists are exciting and I enjoyed how things started to slowly get revealed and pieced together as we learn more about the backstory, behind the scenes, and character motivations.
I really wanted some kind of spark to capture my attention in the beginning, and it didn’t achieve that for me. I just didn’t quite feel moved or pulled along with the story at first.
It was quite slow until the last third of the book, where I was finally hooked to keep turning the pages. I needed more action and sense of urgency from the start.
But the climax and resolution, once we finally got there, were thrilling and left me wondering what happens next in the story.
⭐⭐Characters:
I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I wanted to. I really wanted to relate to them but this aspect of the story felt a little bland to me.
They weren’t multi-faceted enough, and they’re character arcs weren’t prominent enough for me to feel for them. I would have liked more time spent understanding the two main characters better and focusing more on their development.
I think the most interesting character is actually Red’s sister, Neve, and I think the reason for that is how much we see her transform throughout the story.
The romance also fell flat for me. Although I did appreciate that it was realistic (and not cliché) in its slow-burn as the characters got to know one another, like the plot there’s just no spark for me.
But by the end I was rooting for them and wanted things to work.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐World-building:
This aspect of the story is the most captivating. I felt like I was surrounded by nature the entire journey.
The gothic atmosphere has a dark, enchanting feel to it.
I love the lore of the story world and was intrigued while learning about the history and the magic system.
The seductively dangerous forest comes alive in vivid detail.
The gothic undertones of blood and shadows shine through in the descriptive language that transports you into the Wilderwood.
At times, certain things did feel repetitive and monotonous. But overall, it was intricately crafted in a way that I could truly picture everything as it was happening.
Overall, I do think this is a great debut novel and I look forward to seeing this author progress and seeing what she creates in the future.
I think the next book in the series will be a little more fast-paced considering the way this one ended and I’m hoping to see more depth in the characters as well.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for gifting me a copy of this book!
Recommended to readers who…
- love a rich, detailed atmosphere that draws you into the story world,
- are intrigued by unique magic systems and world lore
- don’t mind a slow-building plot with a satisfying conclusion
- like fairytales reimagined
- feel more connected to world-building than characters
Thank you to Netgalley and for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.
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