Early Review – Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke (4.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: April 28, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-0374307097
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
“On the heels of a devastating plague, Torvi’s sister, Morgunn is stolen from the family farm by Uther, a flame-loving Fremish wolf-priest who leads a pack of ragged, starving girls. Torvi leaves the only home she’s ever known, and joins a shaven-skulled druid and a band of roaming Elsh artists known as the Butcher Bards. They set out on a quest to rescue Torvi’s sister, and find a mythical sword.
On their travels, Torvi and her companions will encounter magical night wilds and mystical Drakes who trade in young men. They will sing rowdy Elshland ballads in a tree-town tavern, and find a mysterious black tower in an Endless Forest. They will fight alongside famous Vorseland archers and barter with Fremish wizards.
They will feast with rogue Jade Fell children in a Skal Mountain cave, and seek the help of a Pig Witch. They will face wild, dangerous magic that leads to love, joy, tragedy, and death.
Torvi sets out to rescue a sister, but she may find it’s merely the first step toward a life that is grander and more glorious than anything she could have imagined.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book set in the same world as “The Boneless Mercies”. I got an eGalley from NetGalley to review.
Story (4/5): I really loved this retelling of the King Arthur tale. It had a heavy Norse/Viking feel to it and takes place in the same world as the Boneless Mercies. It does start out a bit wandering and slow, but then picks up pace. The classic fantasy questing structure of the story really drew me in.
Characters (5/5): I loved Torvi and her traveling companions. There is just something so honest and visceral about all of these characters. They all fall into their quests whole heartedly and are engaging and endearing.
Setting (5/5): I also loved the magical setting of the Endless Forests, it’s such a mystical and amazing setting. You just never who or what you are going to stumble into next.
Writing Style (5/5): This has a very classic fantasy questing feel to it which I really enjoyed. The writing style is very beautiful and descriptive making the sensations the characters feel and your surroundings really come alive. Tucholke has a very distinctive writing style that is a bit dreamy and this book was similar to her previous books.
Summary (4.5/5): Overall, despite the slow start, I really enjoyed this. There is just such a magical and mysterious feel to the story and the characters are so raw and heartfelt they just draw you in. If you enjoyed “The Boneless Mercies” you will enjoy this as well. If you hated the style of “The Boneless Mercies” I would steer clear of this book because it’s very similar in style. I loved this magical fantasy adventure and will definitely be picking up future books by Tucholke.
