This book has a seemingly simple premise: a woman tasked with rescuing two children who have disappeared into an enchanted forest. However, it is not a simple tale by any measure. The depth of the story is built with atmospheric prose and a main character who is absolutely captivating.

Veris is someone who we as readers are slowly drawn in by. Her experience and perception is unveiled with each step of her journey. Her compassion and self-sacrifice is the result of a past which is hidden for most of the book, but has such impact when known. I didn't even realize how connected I felt to her until the end, when the emotional impact of the story truly hit me.

I really enjoy dark fantasy tales because of what they reveal of our world and ourselves. This book went above and beyond all my expectations as it embraced the horror that fairytales represent. The tension and terror is built throughout with small details of the forest and its inhabitants. We are shown that fear is protective, that mistakes have a cost, that lies have unforseen consequences, and that the real world can be far more terrifying than the imagined.

I will be thinking of this book and its ending for some time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.