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The Forest ~ a tale of old magic ~
“I met a man made of leaves with roots for hair, who looked at me with eyes that burnt like fire.”
An impenetrable forest that denies entry to all but a select few. A strange and isolated village, whose residents never leave.
A curse that reappears every generation, leaving death and despair in its wake.
What is lurking at the heart of the Forest? When the White Hind of legend is seen, the villagers know three of its young people will be left dead, victims of a triangle of love, murder and suicide.
This time Sally, Jack and Reuben have been selected, and it’s their turn to be tormented by long-buried jealousies aroused by the dark entity existing within its shadowy glades. Only by confronting the Forest’s secrets, can they hope to break the curse and change their destinies - if they have the courage.
Keeper of secrets. Taker of souls. Defender of innocence.
Existing on the very edge of believing, there is the Forest.
And this is its story…
An impenetrable forest that denies entry to all but a select few. A strange and isolated village, whose residents never leave.
A curse that reappears every generation, leaving death and despair in its wake.
What is lurking at the heart of the Forest? When the White Hind of legend is seen, the villagers know three of its young people will be left dead, victims of a triangle of love, murder and suicide.
This time Sally, Jack and Reuben have been selected, and it’s their turn to be tormented by long-buried jealousies aroused by the dark entity existing within its shadowy glades. Only by confronting the Forest’s secrets, can they hope to break the curse and change their destinies - if they have the courage.
Keeper of secrets. Taker of souls. Defender of innocence.
Existing on the very edge of believing, there is the Forest.
And this is its story…
- GenresFantasy
358 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2018
8 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Julia Blake
19 books176 followersI was born and raised in the beautiful historic market town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, where I live still with my kid, one crazy cat and a succession of even crazier lodgers. I'm a multi-genre author which basically means I write whatever story floats into my head and worry about what genre it fits into afterwards. So far, I have written in contemporary fiction, romantic suspense, YA fantasy, folklore fantasy, sci-fi, short stories, poetry, and even a fabulous steampunk retelling of the Snow White story.
I have been writing stories and poems since I could first pick up a pen, and I promise there are many more books in the pipeline. I write the kind of books that I like to read myself. Books I can escape into and that make me laugh, cry and really connect with the characters. I also like my books to have a very satisfying ending, where all is explained and no string is left untied, well, not unless I'm planning a sequel that is.
www.juliablakeauthor.co.uk
Instagram: juliablakeauthor
YouTube: Julia Blake Author
Facebook: Julia Blake Author
I have been writing stories and poems since I could first pick up a pen, and I promise there are many more books in the pipeline. I write the kind of books that I like to read myself. Books I can escape into and that make me laugh, cry and really connect with the characters. I also like my books to have a very satisfying ending, where all is explained and no string is left untied, well, not unless I'm planning a sequel that is.
www.juliablakeauthor.co.uk
Instagram: juliablakeauthor
YouTube: Julia Blake Author
Facebook: Julia Blake Author
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
October 23, 2018
Authors Review: The Forest ~ a tale of old magic ~
Of all my books, this is perhaps the one I care the most about. Conceived thirteen years ago after a germ of an idea sprouted upon overhearing the most wonderfully quirky name ever at a family party, it quickly grew into the rich, complex and darkly delicious tale of old magic, curses and betrayed love that it is today. Upon completion, I gave it to friends to read and received such negative feedback and bleated complaints that it wasn’t like any of my other books, that it languished in a cupboard and on an old memory stick, almost completely forgotten about.
Years went by, twelve of them to be precise, and The Forest barely intruded on my thoughts at all, until I became a published author and began polishing up my five other novels ready for release, yet still, I hesitated over The Forest – those long-ago criticisms ringing in my ears. Eventually, another friend, not one of the original readers, begged me to exhume it and I reluctantly agreed, lending it to her and another well-read friend. To my surprise, they both loved it and were insistent that The Forest needed to see the light of day. So, I gave it a thorough edit and sent it off to betas. I received mixed feedback from them as well, but it was encouraging enough for me to take on board their suggestions and send it to ARC readers, handpicked to enjoy this genre and style of book.
To my delight, the feedback this time was almost a unanimous vote of approval and a general consensus that this book needed to be released into the big, wide world for others to read and enjoy. And so, here it is, all 129,500 words of it. Yes, it is a big book – and that’s after trimming almost 10,000 words from it – but I’ve been assured it’s an engrossing and fast-paced read. Written in a traditional style, it’s more Frankenstein than Harry Potter, The Forest tells the tale of a mystical, powerful forest lost somewhere in a forgotten corner of Britain. A place steeped in tradition and folklore, none can penetrate beyond its outer reaches except the Lords of the village and the forester and his offspring, yet it’s rumoured others live within its shady glades and shadowy glens. It is a taker of men, this Forest, and if the old legends are to be believed, doesn’t always return those it takes.
A village lies on the edge of the Forest. Lonely and isolated, its inhabitants never seem to leave and life there is insular and peaceful. But every generation or so, the White Hind of myth is seen within the Forest and in her wake trails suspicion and death, with three village youngsters becoming victims of a triangle of murder and suicide. It is the way it has always been, until this time. This time something is different, and Sally, Reuben and Jack have a chance, a real chance, of breaking the curse and its tragic consequences. But to do that they have to be prepared to seek out the secrets of the Forest, to confront the long ago past to understand the origin of the curse, only then do they stand of chance of breaking free.
It’s powerful, dark stuff and although I hesitate to call it fantasy I suppose for want of a better label, that is what it is. However, don’t read it expecting elves and goblins, or trips to other worlds, for you’ll be disappointed. It is a tale of old magic, of natural forces that existed long before man and will still be here long after we’ve gone. It is folklore and legend, tales whispered around the fire at night and passed down from generation to generation.
I really hope you enjoy The Forest, and that once you step within its pages you will find yourself lost within its leafy domain, gripped by the tale you are being told, enthralled until the very last word.
Of all my books, this is perhaps the one I care the most about. Conceived thirteen years ago after a germ of an idea sprouted upon overhearing the most wonderfully quirky name ever at a family party, it quickly grew into the rich, complex and darkly delicious tale of old magic, curses and betrayed love that it is today. Upon completion, I gave it to friends to read and received such negative feedback and bleated complaints that it wasn’t like any of my other books, that it languished in a cupboard and on an old memory stick, almost completely forgotten about.
Years went by, twelve of them to be precise, and The Forest barely intruded on my thoughts at all, until I became a published author and began polishing up my five other novels ready for release, yet still, I hesitated over The Forest – those long-ago criticisms ringing in my ears. Eventually, another friend, not one of the original readers, begged me to exhume it and I reluctantly agreed, lending it to her and another well-read friend. To my surprise, they both loved it and were insistent that The Forest needed to see the light of day. So, I gave it a thorough edit and sent it off to betas. I received mixed feedback from them as well, but it was encouraging enough for me to take on board their suggestions and send it to ARC readers, handpicked to enjoy this genre and style of book.
To my delight, the feedback this time was almost a unanimous vote of approval and a general consensus that this book needed to be released into the big, wide world for others to read and enjoy. And so, here it is, all 129,500 words of it. Yes, it is a big book – and that’s after trimming almost 10,000 words from it – but I’ve been assured it’s an engrossing and fast-paced read. Written in a traditional style, it’s more Frankenstein than Harry Potter, The Forest tells the tale of a mystical, powerful forest lost somewhere in a forgotten corner of Britain. A place steeped in tradition and folklore, none can penetrate beyond its outer reaches except the Lords of the village and the forester and his offspring, yet it’s rumoured others live within its shady glades and shadowy glens. It is a taker of men, this Forest, and if the old legends are to be believed, doesn’t always return those it takes.
A village lies on the edge of the Forest. Lonely and isolated, its inhabitants never seem to leave and life there is insular and peaceful. But every generation or so, the White Hind of myth is seen within the Forest and in her wake trails suspicion and death, with three village youngsters becoming victims of a triangle of murder and suicide. It is the way it has always been, until this time. This time something is different, and Sally, Reuben and Jack have a chance, a real chance, of breaking the curse and its tragic consequences. But to do that they have to be prepared to seek out the secrets of the Forest, to confront the long ago past to understand the origin of the curse, only then do they stand of chance of breaking free.
It’s powerful, dark stuff and although I hesitate to call it fantasy I suppose for want of a better label, that is what it is. However, don’t read it expecting elves and goblins, or trips to other worlds, for you’ll be disappointed. It is a tale of old magic, of natural forces that existed long before man and will still be here long after we’ve gone. It is folklore and legend, tales whispered around the fire at night and passed down from generation to generation.
I really hope you enjoy The Forest, and that once you step within its pages you will find yourself lost within its leafy domain, gripped by the tale you are being told, enthralled until the very last word.
May 26, 2019
Magical...
Poetically written, haunting and captivating. I love the flow of the narrative as we're drawn into this little village, the lives of its inhabitants, and... the forest.
The intensity builds and builds, ominous, foreboding, creeping up on us until we're flying through the pages, desperate to know how this tangle of love, friendship, heartache and betrayal will resolve.
And let me tell you, it resolves perfectly. Fantastic read.
Poetically written, haunting and captivating. I love the flow of the narrative as we're drawn into this little village, the lives of its inhabitants, and... the forest.
The intensity builds and builds, ominous, foreboding, creeping up on us until we're flying through the pages, desperate to know how this tangle of love, friendship, heartache and betrayal will resolve.
And let me tell you, it resolves perfectly. Fantastic read.
January 16, 2019
Written in the vein of classic stories, The Forest, tells a tale of a small town touched by a curse that stretches across generations. It's a good sized-read, split into five parts, which are flagged by illustrated title pages and beautiful quotes. These sectioned parts cover the past, present, and future, giving the reader a chance to experience the backstory of the town's characters, how the curse was created, and how it comes to a head for the current group caught in its clutches. We meet Reuben, Jack, and Sally as children and follow them through young adulthood, to adulthood, all while learning about the forest that surrounds the town and the dark entity that dwells within it. For me, the story really took off in part four, where all the hints, backstory, and clues expertly laid out by the skilled author in parts one to three came together to create an action-packed finale. If you love witches, curses, love stories featuring heartbreak and triumph, time being played with, and characters to love and hate, The Forest has them all, weaved throughout pages filled with fairytale-like myths and darkness, making it an entertaining read worth picking up.
October 30, 2022
The Forest is, indeed, a tale of very old and almost forgotten ancient magic. As I took my first steps past the hidden boundary in the Forest, I began to feel myself being gently pulled into this magical place allowing it to engulf me. Believe me, it did not take much persuasion to dare to step further in! The more I read the more it felt like I was actually being told the story. I could hear the storyteller’s voice. It was strange at first and a bit disconcerting; yet I continued to venture fourth, unaware what would await me. Like every tale there are threads of truths mixed in with embellishments of times long gone which the author very adeptly revealed only so much while mixing the rest of it well into the story.
What I found intriguing were the characters and not just the main characters...Sally, Jack and Ruben; but those of the village. l love Miss Violet who finally grew into her own person. I knew these townspeople...Granny Mole, Wally Twitchett, Dorcus, Miss Iris, John Blacksmith, the mystical and elusive Sylvie and so many others. This was a most enjoyable and engrossing read. I felt I was a part of Wykenwode...walking amongst all of these colorful characters. Ahhh, the familiarity of a small village! There is one character, however, who stands out over all of them.
Parental Note: I would recommend this book for perhaps 14 and up.
What I found intriguing were the characters and not just the main characters...Sally, Jack and Ruben; but those of the village. l love Miss Violet who finally grew into her own person. I knew these townspeople...Granny Mole, Wally Twitchett, Dorcus, Miss Iris, John Blacksmith, the mystical and elusive Sylvie and so many others. This was a most enjoyable and engrossing read. I felt I was a part of Wykenwode...walking amongst all of these colorful characters. Ahhh, the familiarity of a small village! There is one character, however, who stands out over all of them.
Parental Note: I would recommend this book for perhaps 14 and up.
December 18, 2018
This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com - the author provided a free copy in return for a review
‘The Forest’ is many things - a romance, a coming of age story, a collection of folklore tales and a supernatural thriller. Impressively it manages to wrap all those elements together into a whole that is satisfying and rich, without one element ever dominating. It’s also pleasantly different from a lot of modern horror fiction. If I were to compare it to anything it would be Phil Rickman’s work. Julia Blake’s book has a similar mix of the occult and a kind of pastoral fantasy, as well as an evident love of the British countryside. I’m also happy to report that it’s just as good as Rickman, in other words very good indeed.
It’s set in a single place, the weird village of Wyckenwode, but across multiple points in time. The story crosses centuries and generations, the result being a wonderful picture of rural English village life. Of course it’s not just that, it’s also an effective, complex story filled with magic and mystery. It focuses on three young friends who live in the village- Jack, Reuben and Sally. There’s an inevitable love triangle, and the relationship between the three works well. Around the trio, Blake creates a believable cast of characters to populate the village and Wickenwode really comes to life on the page. Despite its weirdness, it’s a very real feeling place full of gossip, jealousy, joy and sadness.
The forest that sits beside the village is a character in its own right. Folklore about the area abounds in the village and these tales are relayed in detail in the book. The story begins with the sighting of a mysterious white deer of legend which the villagers believe will bring disaster and misery with it. As the book progresses it becomes clear that the supernatural events of folklore are still ongoing and the three friends are their focus.
The story jumps around a lot as the tension mounts, with events taking place in the present, as well as the immediate and distant past. The effect is fairy tale like at times and reminded me a little of Angela Carter’s retellings of folk tales. There is a strong plot running through the book though, and apparently unconnected events gradually come together into a satisfying conclusion. Throughout it is infused with magic and a timeless, dreamlike quality that’s hard to pull off but Blake does well. The book is scary, moving, amusing and covers universal themes - love, friendship, parenthood and family. All that makes for a rich and satisfying read.
Blake’s prose is elaborate and at times has an old-fashioned ring to it that suits the timeless feel. I’m becoming increasingly used to punchy prose with short sentences and novels with chapters only a few pages long. ‘The Forest’ has neither, sentences can run over three or four lines and chapters tend to be long. That’s not a criticism, because Blake writes well and the book is readable and gripping. Be aware going into it, though, that this is a book that demands and rewards its readers investing time and attention in it. It’s clever and intricate and at times that meant my brain failed to keep up with it when I tried to read it in short bursts.
For readers who are after something a little different, I’d heartily recommend this beguiling and entertaining book. It’s not always an easy read in the way so many modern books are, but it is a very rewarding one.
‘The Forest’ is many things - a romance, a coming of age story, a collection of folklore tales and a supernatural thriller. Impressively it manages to wrap all those elements together into a whole that is satisfying and rich, without one element ever dominating. It’s also pleasantly different from a lot of modern horror fiction. If I were to compare it to anything it would be Phil Rickman’s work. Julia Blake’s book has a similar mix of the occult and a kind of pastoral fantasy, as well as an evident love of the British countryside. I’m also happy to report that it’s just as good as Rickman, in other words very good indeed.
It’s set in a single place, the weird village of Wyckenwode, but across multiple points in time. The story crosses centuries and generations, the result being a wonderful picture of rural English village life. Of course it’s not just that, it’s also an effective, complex story filled with magic and mystery. It focuses on three young friends who live in the village- Jack, Reuben and Sally. There’s an inevitable love triangle, and the relationship between the three works well. Around the trio, Blake creates a believable cast of characters to populate the village and Wickenwode really comes to life on the page. Despite its weirdness, it’s a very real feeling place full of gossip, jealousy, joy and sadness.
The forest that sits beside the village is a character in its own right. Folklore about the area abounds in the village and these tales are relayed in detail in the book. The story begins with the sighting of a mysterious white deer of legend which the villagers believe will bring disaster and misery with it. As the book progresses it becomes clear that the supernatural events of folklore are still ongoing and the three friends are their focus.
The story jumps around a lot as the tension mounts, with events taking place in the present, as well as the immediate and distant past. The effect is fairy tale like at times and reminded me a little of Angela Carter’s retellings of folk tales. There is a strong plot running through the book though, and apparently unconnected events gradually come together into a satisfying conclusion. Throughout it is infused with magic and a timeless, dreamlike quality that’s hard to pull off but Blake does well. The book is scary, moving, amusing and covers universal themes - love, friendship, parenthood and family. All that makes for a rich and satisfying read.
Blake’s prose is elaborate and at times has an old-fashioned ring to it that suits the timeless feel. I’m becoming increasingly used to punchy prose with short sentences and novels with chapters only a few pages long. ‘The Forest’ has neither, sentences can run over three or four lines and chapters tend to be long. That’s not a criticism, because Blake writes well and the book is readable and gripping. Be aware going into it, though, that this is a book that demands and rewards its readers investing time and attention in it. It’s clever and intricate and at times that meant my brain failed to keep up with it when I tried to read it in short bursts.
For readers who are after something a little different, I’d heartily recommend this beguiling and entertaining book. It’s not always an easy read in the way so many modern books are, but it is a very rewarding one.
December 30, 2018
A modern tale spun like days of old…
While I found enjoyment from books at an early age, my love for literature was cultivated in college, specifically through works from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. There was something in the way those writers and poets spun their tales, the care they took with each line, the beauty of their styles that called to me.
When I first started reading The Forest, I immediately felt at home within its pages. I was sucked in from page one and felt, instead of reading a newly released novel, I was reading something from long ago just recently discovered. More than once, I found myself stopping and re-reading a line. Not because I didn’t understand it, but just to admire how beautifully it was written.
And yet, as I moved further into the book, it still flowed like a modern novel. As a matter-of-fact, for most of the novel, I wasn’t really sure what time period it took place in. Sometimes it felt like modern times. Other times it felt like days of old. And to me, that is the magic of the book. The characters were written in a way that made you care about them, root for them, your heart soar and your heart break. You wanted to keep turning the pages. Wanted to know what happens next. Blake’s descriptions were such that you could see in your mind the world she’d built, but not written in a way you were distracted from the story. I would love to discuss more in-depth but I don’t want to give anything away.
If there really is some imaginary line a work must cross to be considered literature, Blake’s The Forest has come the closest to that line of any book I’ve read in recent years. It is definitely one that will have a permanent place on my bookshelf and be revisited in the future.
From the back of the book:
An impenetrable forest that denies entry to all but a select few. A strange and isolated village, whose residents never leave. A curse that reappears every generation, leaving death and despair in its wake.
What is lurking at the heart of the Forest? When the White Hind of legend is seen, the villagers know three of its young people will be left dead, victims of a triangle of love, murder and suicide.
This time Sally, Jack and Reuben have been selected, and it’s their turn to be tormented by long-buried jealousies aroused by the dark entity existing within its shadowy glades. Only by confronting the Forest’s secrets, can they hope to break the curse and change their destinies – if they have the courage.
Keeper of secrets. Taker of souls. Defender of innocence.
Existing on the very edge of believing, there is the Forest.
And this is its story…
While I found enjoyment from books at an early age, my love for literature was cultivated in college, specifically through works from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. There was something in the way those writers and poets spun their tales, the care they took with each line, the beauty of their styles that called to me.
When I first started reading The Forest, I immediately felt at home within its pages. I was sucked in from page one and felt, instead of reading a newly released novel, I was reading something from long ago just recently discovered. More than once, I found myself stopping and re-reading a line. Not because I didn’t understand it, but just to admire how beautifully it was written.
And yet, as I moved further into the book, it still flowed like a modern novel. As a matter-of-fact, for most of the novel, I wasn’t really sure what time period it took place in. Sometimes it felt like modern times. Other times it felt like days of old. And to me, that is the magic of the book. The characters were written in a way that made you care about them, root for them, your heart soar and your heart break. You wanted to keep turning the pages. Wanted to know what happens next. Blake’s descriptions were such that you could see in your mind the world she’d built, but not written in a way you were distracted from the story. I would love to discuss more in-depth but I don’t want to give anything away.
If there really is some imaginary line a work must cross to be considered literature, Blake’s The Forest has come the closest to that line of any book I’ve read in recent years. It is definitely one that will have a permanent place on my bookshelf and be revisited in the future.
From the back of the book:
An impenetrable forest that denies entry to all but a select few. A strange and isolated village, whose residents never leave. A curse that reappears every generation, leaving death and despair in its wake.
What is lurking at the heart of the Forest? When the White Hind of legend is seen, the villagers know three of its young people will be left dead, victims of a triangle of love, murder and suicide.
This time Sally, Jack and Reuben have been selected, and it’s their turn to be tormented by long-buried jealousies aroused by the dark entity existing within its shadowy glades. Only by confronting the Forest’s secrets, can they hope to break the curse and change their destinies – if they have the courage.
Keeper of secrets. Taker of souls. Defender of innocence.
Existing on the very edge of believing, there is the Forest.
And this is its story…
January 25, 2019
The Forest is the kind of story you’d expect to find in a dusty old tome if you wandered into a magical bookshop in an old English village. It’s a timeless epic tale full of mystery, love, magic, folklore, and the complex interweaving of human hearts across the eras.
The story centers on a rural village called Wykenwode, perched at the edge of an ancient and mysterious forest, which is guarded by an unseen barrier that only a predestined few can pass beyond. Those who can enter the heart of the forest often feel they are not alone, that something lurks in the shadows, watching and waiting–but for what?
Generation after generation, the villagers of Wykenwode are tormented by an ancient curse of unknown origin. When the White Hind appears, love will turn bitter, and jealousy will turn to murderous rage. Three young people will die, and nothing can be done to stop it.
We’re led through this fascinating tale by three childhood friends: the farmer’s daughter, Sally; the blacksmith’s son, Jack; and the forester’s son, Reuben–three well-developed characters whose fates are deeply entwined, with each other and with the forest itself. The question is whether their love for each other will help them survive the Wykenwode curse, or will they’ll be its next victims?
Julia Blake is one of the best, most imaginative indie authors I’ve yet encountered, and this story is a genuine triumph of storytelling. It’s a little bit historical fiction, and a little bit fantasy. There’s mystery and suspense, magic and supernatural. And there’s love–beautiful, heartbreaking, complicated, dangerous love. And I think that’s one of the things I liked best about this story: it’s deeply, wonderfully, and heartbreakingly human. Friendship, family, first love, later-in-life love, loss and grief, coming of age and all that comes with it, and all of the complicated things that go hand-in-hand with human relationships are woven through the fabric of this timeless tale.
This story was beautifully written and so much fun to read. I quite literally couldn’t put it down by the time I reached the middle. It’s the kind of story you know will stay with you long after you read it, and since I’m a slow reader, I don’t re-read a lot of books, but I will absolutely be reading this one again!
The story centers on a rural village called Wykenwode, perched at the edge of an ancient and mysterious forest, which is guarded by an unseen barrier that only a predestined few can pass beyond. Those who can enter the heart of the forest often feel they are not alone, that something lurks in the shadows, watching and waiting–but for what?
Generation after generation, the villagers of Wykenwode are tormented by an ancient curse of unknown origin. When the White Hind appears, love will turn bitter, and jealousy will turn to murderous rage. Three young people will die, and nothing can be done to stop it.
We’re led through this fascinating tale by three childhood friends: the farmer’s daughter, Sally; the blacksmith’s son, Jack; and the forester’s son, Reuben–three well-developed characters whose fates are deeply entwined, with each other and with the forest itself. The question is whether their love for each other will help them survive the Wykenwode curse, or will they’ll be its next victims?
Julia Blake is one of the best, most imaginative indie authors I’ve yet encountered, and this story is a genuine triumph of storytelling. It’s a little bit historical fiction, and a little bit fantasy. There’s mystery and suspense, magic and supernatural. And there’s love–beautiful, heartbreaking, complicated, dangerous love. And I think that’s one of the things I liked best about this story: it’s deeply, wonderfully, and heartbreakingly human. Friendship, family, first love, later-in-life love, loss and grief, coming of age and all that comes with it, and all of the complicated things that go hand-in-hand with human relationships are woven through the fabric of this timeless tale.
This story was beautifully written and so much fun to read. I quite literally couldn’t put it down by the time I reached the middle. It’s the kind of story you know will stay with you long after you read it, and since I’m a slow reader, I don’t re-read a lot of books, but I will absolutely be reading this one again!
July 24, 2019
The instant you see the cover you know you are in for something dark and compelling, with touches of tradition, legends, and tales of old.
Upon opening it the beauty does not stop there. Although I read a Kindle edition, I also own the paperback which I have to say is stunning. The attention to detail spreads through on the pages with illustrations and little flourishes that capture the essence of the story.
Julia Blake never disappoints; her writing is always worthy of its praise, slick and precise. But with The Forest, there is a little extra magic cast to its pages. With lyrical, poetic prose, that lifts off the page as if it's an age-old tale itself . . . the writing is sublime, fully encapsulating the genre perfectly, and effortlessly.
I never like to give any detail of the story away, at the risk of spoilers . . . is there anything more annoying! Reading the blurb is all you need. The story should be allowed to unfold within the turn of the page.
What I will say is, The Forest has a diverse variety of characters, all who have their significant part to play. Blake has taken great care with each of them, applying multifaceted personalities, quirks and foibles. The tale is dark, deliciously luscious, with a feeling that you can't quite pinpoint the time or ear, which I loved; again adding to that quality of mystery and suspense. With its beautiful setting; a village, an archetypal rural English village on the edge of a dark mysterious forest, you know from that first moment that you have something very special.
This one has got to be my favourite of Blake's novels to date. Full fantasy is not my normal genre, but The Forest has its roots firmly planted this side of reality, among the darkness of human nature, pulling on old folklore, fairytales, myths and legends. A must-read!
Upon opening it the beauty does not stop there. Although I read a Kindle edition, I also own the paperback which I have to say is stunning. The attention to detail spreads through on the pages with illustrations and little flourishes that capture the essence of the story.
Julia Blake never disappoints; her writing is always worthy of its praise, slick and precise. But with The Forest, there is a little extra magic cast to its pages. With lyrical, poetic prose, that lifts off the page as if it's an age-old tale itself . . . the writing is sublime, fully encapsulating the genre perfectly, and effortlessly.
I never like to give any detail of the story away, at the risk of spoilers . . . is there anything more annoying! Reading the blurb is all you need. The story should be allowed to unfold within the turn of the page.
What I will say is, The Forest has a diverse variety of characters, all who have their significant part to play. Blake has taken great care with each of them, applying multifaceted personalities, quirks and foibles. The tale is dark, deliciously luscious, with a feeling that you can't quite pinpoint the time or ear, which I loved; again adding to that quality of mystery and suspense. With its beautiful setting; a village, an archetypal rural English village on the edge of a dark mysterious forest, you know from that first moment that you have something very special.
This one has got to be my favourite of Blake's novels to date. Full fantasy is not my normal genre, but The Forest has its roots firmly planted this side of reality, among the darkness of human nature, pulling on old folklore, fairytales, myths and legends. A must-read!
September 5, 2019
Blimey.
This is one hell of a story. Crafted marvellously, it comes from an imagination that knows no boundaries. It's rich, dark, enticing like the forest it presents us. It's lush with magic and wonder, the characters singing out of the pages until you can't stop humming to their tune. It takes you away on a journey you need to follow through, as if the pages are the very path deeper into those woods. It's been one of my favourite reads this year, and having read the author's previous work, I can say in all honesty, this is my favourite book by Ms. Julia Blake. Of course, being the horrid person that I am, I had been holding out for a different ending, but found that it delivers, and brings closure and conclusion to some question left hanging at the back of my mind. Would I reccomend it? You should be reading it by now, already...
This is one hell of a story. Crafted marvellously, it comes from an imagination that knows no boundaries. It's rich, dark, enticing like the forest it presents us. It's lush with magic and wonder, the characters singing out of the pages until you can't stop humming to their tune. It takes you away on a journey you need to follow through, as if the pages are the very path deeper into those woods. It's been one of my favourite reads this year, and having read the author's previous work, I can say in all honesty, this is my favourite book by Ms. Julia Blake. Of course, being the horrid person that I am, I had been holding out for a different ending, but found that it delivers, and brings closure and conclusion to some question left hanging at the back of my mind. Would I reccomend it? You should be reading it by now, already...
July 5, 2019
Haunting, engrossing and masterfully-written. I was drawn in slowly and completely immersed. There was a sense of timelessness to Wyckenwode—a seemingly simple small town under a mysterious centuries-old curse—and it was fascinating to observe how all of the lives of its citizens, past and present, intersected until coming to a dramatic head. This writer knows how to create tension and foreboding as I kept waiting for the ax to fall. Parts of the ending resolved itself a little too conveniently in some ways, but I did like the ultimate ending. Well done, Julia Blake!
July 2, 2020
I’ve spent a great deal of time these past two years helping a friend revise her PhD. dissertation, which was about the history of sustainability in the Ontario forestry industry. Riveting, right? Anyway, one of the ideas she explores early in her thesis is that European settlers brought with them to the New World various prejudices regarding forests. The forest, in many European folkloric traditions, is a dark and scary place. We see this echoed in many a fairy tale. Julia Blake capitalizes on these traditions in The Forest. She weaves together an intricate story of passion, forbidden and unrequited loves and lusts, and cyclical prophecy.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of The Forest as a gift from the author. (I also received a free bookmark, so, you know, that’s definitely biased my review. Free books are one thing but send me a bookmark and I’m yours forever.)
The village of Wyckenwode has always existed on the edge of the eponymous and mysterious Forest. Only the Marchmant family and their duly-appointed Forester can enter the Forest; all other interlopers find themselves unable to travel very far inwards. The Forest exudes that subtle “old magic” familiar to readers of European folklore. The village has a timelessness to it, and a cyclical nature; people tend to stay in the village rather than leave it for work and life elsewhere in England. In almost all respects, life in Wyckenwode is veritably idyllic—that is, except for the intermittent appearance of the White Hind, which signals drama followed by death for at least three young people of the village. That’s where The Forest opens: the White Hind walks again, and naturally, we meet three young people who are perfectly positioned to be this cycle’s sacrifices to the darkness that lurks within the woods.
It took me a while to get into this book. Rather than dropping us in media res, the story opens with a prosaic dramatis personae as Blake walks us through the characters who inhabit Wyckenwode. Additionally, Blake’s prose style here is heavy on narration and light on dialogue. These two points taken together mean that, while the exposition is never overwhelming, you do have to absorb quite a bit before it feels like the plot is moving forward.
Once I became accustomed to the structure of the chapters, however, I came to appreciate what’s going on here. Many of the chapters are actually frame stories for a Forest-related folktale. After a couple, you begin to realize that the stories have these similarities to them, overlapping concepts or common themes that suggest some kind of common origin. I really like this portrayal of the fallible kind of collective memory that runs through old places like this village: each generation passes down the tales they heard from the generation prior, and with each telling the tales get a little mixed up, a little more muddled—yet they preserve some kernel of truth.
The Forest is therefore a kind of spiralling narrative. With each chapter, Sally, Jack, and Reuben learn a little more about the potential nature of the threat to Wyckenwode, thanks to these stories-within-the-story. Meanwhile, each must deal with their own dramas. Sally struggles under the weight of Jack’s overbearing, jealous romantic love when all she desires from him is a platonic, sibling-like love (can I ever relate to this subplot)—and Jack is not the only one interested in Sally. And Reuben is coming more and more into his role as future Forester, learning more about the mysteries of the Forest and wondering how this relates to the recent sighting of the White Hind.
Everything culminates on the night of the Autumn Festival, a most appropriate harvest-themed event for a story about forests and old magic. Here, too, Blake favours a spiralling approach to the action: rather than a single, climactic confrontation between good and evil, there are multiple, smaller confrontations. Each of our three protagonists has their chance to fight, struggle, and potentially succeed. Along the way, we finally learn the “truth” of what happened in the Forest all those centuries ago.
Then we get a denouement I was initially ambivalent about—I won’t get into spoilers, but it’s a HEA and at first felt too saccharine for me. (Also the age difference between Jolyon and his eventual bride… umm …?) Yet, looking back on it with about a week between me and the book, time has tempered my ambivalence down to a fonder recollection wherein the ending really just fits with the narrative structure I examined above. The whole theme of this story is about the absolutely batshit destructive nature of jealousy and envy, cranked up to eleven, and so naturally if you break that cycle you deserve a pretty good reward. (Also, for some reason aspects of this book reminded me of Hex , by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, which is much darker and much less satisfying a story, and that makes me even more grateful for the HEA.)
When you get right down to it, The Forest hits the spot if you’re yearning for a fantasy story steeped in traditional European tropes of magic, woods, and village life. Blake leans into these ideas hard, complete with chants and legends, allusions to fae creatures and changelings and the Green Man and other supernatural elementals of the forest—and this complete, intricate embrace of these tropes makes the story come alive. As Blake did with Erinsmore , she is reaching back into the traditions of her land for inspiration. As a result, this is also a great showcase of how white, Western fantasy authors don’t need to go around appropriating “exotic” tropes from other cultures to create their fantasy settings.
I’ll conclude by saying that there are serious Charles de Lint vibes here, and overall, this is a story for people who are looking for an escape from the problems of our real lives in the hopes that there might be magic just around the corner. The thing about old magic, especially the magic of forests, is that it’s never really gone. Sometimes, it’s just slumbering, waiting for someone—or something—to wake it.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of The Forest as a gift from the author. (I also received a free bookmark, so, you know, that’s definitely biased my review. Free books are one thing but send me a bookmark and I’m yours forever.)
The village of Wyckenwode has always existed on the edge of the eponymous and mysterious Forest. Only the Marchmant family and their duly-appointed Forester can enter the Forest; all other interlopers find themselves unable to travel very far inwards. The Forest exudes that subtle “old magic” familiar to readers of European folklore. The village has a timelessness to it, and a cyclical nature; people tend to stay in the village rather than leave it for work and life elsewhere in England. In almost all respects, life in Wyckenwode is veritably idyllic—that is, except for the intermittent appearance of the White Hind, which signals drama followed by death for at least three young people of the village. That’s where The Forest opens: the White Hind walks again, and naturally, we meet three young people who are perfectly positioned to be this cycle’s sacrifices to the darkness that lurks within the woods.
It took me a while to get into this book. Rather than dropping us in media res, the story opens with a prosaic dramatis personae as Blake walks us through the characters who inhabit Wyckenwode. Additionally, Blake’s prose style here is heavy on narration and light on dialogue. These two points taken together mean that, while the exposition is never overwhelming, you do have to absorb quite a bit before it feels like the plot is moving forward.
Once I became accustomed to the structure of the chapters, however, I came to appreciate what’s going on here. Many of the chapters are actually frame stories for a Forest-related folktale. After a couple, you begin to realize that the stories have these similarities to them, overlapping concepts or common themes that suggest some kind of common origin. I really like this portrayal of the fallible kind of collective memory that runs through old places like this village: each generation passes down the tales they heard from the generation prior, and with each telling the tales get a little mixed up, a little more muddled—yet they preserve some kernel of truth.
The Forest is therefore a kind of spiralling narrative. With each chapter, Sally, Jack, and Reuben learn a little more about the potential nature of the threat to Wyckenwode, thanks to these stories-within-the-story. Meanwhile, each must deal with their own dramas. Sally struggles under the weight of Jack’s overbearing, jealous romantic love when all she desires from him is a platonic, sibling-like love (can I ever relate to this subplot)—and Jack is not the only one interested in Sally. And Reuben is coming more and more into his role as future Forester, learning more about the mysteries of the Forest and wondering how this relates to the recent sighting of the White Hind.
Everything culminates on the night of the Autumn Festival, a most appropriate harvest-themed event for a story about forests and old magic. Here, too, Blake favours a spiralling approach to the action: rather than a single, climactic confrontation between good and evil, there are multiple, smaller confrontations. Each of our three protagonists has their chance to fight, struggle, and potentially succeed. Along the way, we finally learn the “truth” of what happened in the Forest all those centuries ago.
Then we get a denouement I was initially ambivalent about—I won’t get into spoilers, but it’s a HEA and at first felt too saccharine for me. (Also the age difference between Jolyon and his eventual bride… umm …?) Yet, looking back on it with about a week between me and the book, time has tempered my ambivalence down to a fonder recollection wherein the ending really just fits with the narrative structure I examined above. The whole theme of this story is about the absolutely batshit destructive nature of jealousy and envy, cranked up to eleven, and so naturally if you break that cycle you deserve a pretty good reward. (Also, for some reason aspects of this book reminded me of Hex , by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, which is much darker and much less satisfying a story, and that makes me even more grateful for the HEA.)
When you get right down to it, The Forest hits the spot if you’re yearning for a fantasy story steeped in traditional European tropes of magic, woods, and village life. Blake leans into these ideas hard, complete with chants and legends, allusions to fae creatures and changelings and the Green Man and other supernatural elementals of the forest—and this complete, intricate embrace of these tropes makes the story come alive. As Blake did with Erinsmore , she is reaching back into the traditions of her land for inspiration. As a result, this is also a great showcase of how white, Western fantasy authors don’t need to go around appropriating “exotic” tropes from other cultures to create their fantasy settings.
I’ll conclude by saying that there are serious Charles de Lint vibes here, and overall, this is a story for people who are looking for an escape from the problems of our real lives in the hopes that there might be magic just around the corner. The thing about old magic, especially the magic of forests, is that it’s never really gone. Sometimes, it’s just slumbering, waiting for someone—or something—to wake it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2019
Full of Suspense
Julia Blake creates suspense by keeping the reader guessing as she weaves her fantasy about a forest full of magic. There is a curse placed on this forest. As any insightful reader knows, only good can break this curse. But can they break it? That is the suspense.
The author writes both fiction and poetry in this book and succeeds with both. Her prose, itself, is poetic. Her characterizations are well rounded. The forest is well described, in fact, it is a living entity.
I would like to read more by this author.
Julia Blake creates suspense by keeping the reader guessing as she weaves her fantasy about a forest full of magic. There is a curse placed on this forest. As any insightful reader knows, only good can break this curse. But can they break it? That is the suspense.
The author writes both fiction and poetry in this book and succeeds with both. Her prose, itself, is poetic. Her characterizations are well rounded. The forest is well described, in fact, it is a living entity.
I would like to read more by this author.
February 25, 2019
The Forest by Julia Blake
I love tales of ancient folklore, myths and legends. So, I was greatly anticipating reading and enjoying this book…and I was not disappointed.
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From the very beginning The Forest lured me into its dark depths. As Sally, Jack and Reuben find their destinies entwined and linked to past and present events, I wondered at times if it was set in modern days. However, that wasn’t confusing. If anything, it added to the feeling of the timelessness of the forest, with its old magic and dark tales of curses.
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The story is beautifully written, with lyrical prose that immersed me in the scenes. The characters are well-rounded and easily found their way into my heart.
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I think this is the best book by Julia Blake that I’ve read so far, and that’s saying a lot when her other books are great, too.
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I highly recommended it. There are also some gorgeous illustrations inside.
November 24, 2018
A story filled with secrets, curses, old rituals and traditions, (and an inauspicious white hart), the Forest is a dark and magical tale, all tangled together in the dark misty depths of an eldrich woodland.
I'm a fan of folklore, and it runs like a vein of silver through the coal-dark mysteries of this tale, glimmering here and there amongst the various story-threads like moonlight through bare branches.
There are several such threads running through the narrative, weaving away and pulling you onward as you read, and none of them are straight and clear roads through the trees. Instead they're all delightfully tangled paths, each leading you deeper into the sylvan darkness.
If you're looking for a mystery, with interesting and well-rounded characters, then The Forest could be a good place to explore.
I'm a fan of folklore, and it runs like a vein of silver through the coal-dark mysteries of this tale, glimmering here and there amongst the various story-threads like moonlight through bare branches.
There are several such threads running through the narrative, weaving away and pulling you onward as you read, and none of them are straight and clear roads through the trees. Instead they're all delightfully tangled paths, each leading you deeper into the sylvan darkness.
If you're looking for a mystery, with interesting and well-rounded characters, then The Forest could be a good place to explore.
November 14, 2018
Hello, book hangover, my old friend. This book made me feel like I was learning what it was like to grow up in a small village in England, full of tradition and folklore and history. Those are all things that really speak to me, so I really enjoyed escaping to The Forest. There was also a fair bit of mystery that kept my mind puzzling through clues and connections the whole time. The characters were all well written, distinct, and interesting. I really enjoyed this book and will be rereading it for sure! Even the print book itself is a piece of art, from the cover to the interior illustrations and sections. I’d highly recommend this, especially if you’re a bit dorky about being into English stuff like I am. ;)
November 4, 2018
This is an extraordinary novel that creeps up and catches you unawares, and yet is filled with portent. It takes its time to introduce us to a village on the edge of an ancient forest; a village heaving with seemingly normal inhabitants, secretly seething, each with a quirky name that befits their character, as though a cross between Miss Marple and Dickens. All this serves to lull us into a false sense of security; whereupon it launches into a sprint through the magical and timeless, the power of myth and the reason we tell stories. At its heart, it's an exploration of community and how much we stand to lose if we allow it to die. Thoroughly recommended.
October 2, 2019
Well what an adventure I’ve been on, reading The Forest. As I slipped into the pages of this book, I began an amazing journey with 3 friends at the centre and many more interesting characters along the way. It had many emotions of Love, Hate, Sorrow and even Death amongst the village and in the forest. There was evil at large and at the same time great courage. It’s a rollercoaster of an adventure, it grips you by the throat and pulls you in and you just can’t put the book down. It’s one of the largest books I’ve read and I had to do it in chunks, well one does have to live a real life too 🤣 It’s five big stars all the way for me, I congratulate the author on an amazing job done
December 10, 2018
The first chapter of this book blew me away with its detail and tone. The author is a master at developing intriguing characters that pitch the pace along quickly. The rest of the book was just as good, pulling you along into a very English world. I love anything related to old forests and myths and here is a town full of mysteries and people who you can't help but root for against a terrible curse that keeps revisting its citizens. There were a few twists I did not expect and the ending was both satisfying and heartbreaking (no spoilers).
February 22, 2019
Wonderfully creative and engaging story! It took me a while to get into it, but to be fair, there was a lot of back story to be told. I fell in love with the characters and although I felt like I knew where the story was going, the author continued to surprise me. This is the type of story you want to read again and again.
With a bit more editing to weed out some of the 'telling', this could become an epic classic, read by young and old for generations to come.
Loved it!!
With a bit more editing to weed out some of the 'telling', this could become an epic classic, read by young and old for generations to come.
Loved it!!
August 29, 2021
Loved it!
Get ready to enjoy the mystical lore of The Forest. Blake‘s literary panache makes for a pleasurable read in and of itself, but coupled with the fantastical story of the troubled citizens of Wykenwode, it was a real treat! I eagerly followed them down a long path of treachery and deceit to see if generations of death and heartache could be reversed. A marvelous story!
Get ready to enjoy the mystical lore of The Forest. Blake‘s literary panache makes for a pleasurable read in and of itself, but coupled with the fantastical story of the troubled citizens of Wykenwode, it was a real treat! I eagerly followed them down a long path of treachery and deceit to see if generations of death and heartache could be reversed. A marvelous story!
July 8, 2019
Wonderfully Magical
I was mesmerized by the ancient magic of the forest, the secrets it kept, the lives it touched. A tale of darkness vs light, of jealousy vs trust, of love vs hate; you will find it hard to put this book down once you enter the forest.
I was mesmerized by the ancient magic of the forest, the secrets it kept, the lives it touched. A tale of darkness vs light, of jealousy vs trust, of love vs hate; you will find it hard to put this book down once you enter the forest.
February 7, 2020
Book Review by Pauline Reid 🔵 The Forest ~ A Tale of Old Magic ~ by Julia Blake
🔵
What This Book Is About?
Sally, Jack and Reuben, all from the village, Wyckenwood, kids that grew up together, try and tackle and get their brains around the stories of old, and the tales of "The White Hind". Yes, there is something definately lurking in the forest.
🔵
The story is based on the authors love of old folklore, legends and myths, and this book she drew heavily on the legend of The Green Man, that has intrigued her since childhood.
🔵
There are two stories told here. One of the present with the villagers, being introduced in such detail of people of the village and then there is the past, Julia Blake has chosen to tell the past in bold italics, and as folk tales.
🔵
🔵
My thoughts On This Book
Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, I was wondering why there is so much fuss over this book, and now I know why!!! Julia Blake has such great world building skills, and alot of depth was put in, into telling us readers the world she wanted us to be in. I was also amazed at all the minute details, that Julia puts into her characters and now I know why authors like to people watch, as Julia does this to quite an astonishing degree, infact to perfection. Julia also has a beautiful narrative style, so it's so easy to settle down and get right on to reading it. Julia's pace leads the reader with ease, but with a curiosity that's not overbearing, slowly, but leads up to quite a dramatic interest, Julia's sense of humour comes out in this book in the shape of her character names, such as, Wally Twitchett, Molly Mole, who is known really as Granny Mole, and others. Julia Blake's attention to detail, her poetic style, the flow of her words and rhythm are highly commendable.
🔵
Rating System
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars
🔵
Recommendation
Yes, this book comes highly recommended by me and if you like supernatural stories, past and present stories, folk lore, legends, myths, forest and nature settings, love triangles, mysteries and thrillers, and horror, love and happy endings, then I suggest you pick up this book, as it's highly entertaining.
🔵
What This Book Is About?
Sally, Jack and Reuben, all from the village, Wyckenwood, kids that grew up together, try and tackle and get their brains around the stories of old, and the tales of "The White Hind". Yes, there is something definately lurking in the forest.
🔵
The story is based on the authors love of old folklore, legends and myths, and this book she drew heavily on the legend of The Green Man, that has intrigued her since childhood.
🔵
There are two stories told here. One of the present with the villagers, being introduced in such detail of people of the village and then there is the past, Julia Blake has chosen to tell the past in bold italics, and as folk tales.
🔵
🔵
My thoughts On This Book
Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, I was wondering why there is so much fuss over this book, and now I know why!!! Julia Blake has such great world building skills, and alot of depth was put in, into telling us readers the world she wanted us to be in. I was also amazed at all the minute details, that Julia puts into her characters and now I know why authors like to people watch, as Julia does this to quite an astonishing degree, infact to perfection. Julia also has a beautiful narrative style, so it's so easy to settle down and get right on to reading it. Julia's pace leads the reader with ease, but with a curiosity that's not overbearing, slowly, but leads up to quite a dramatic interest, Julia's sense of humour comes out in this book in the shape of her character names, such as, Wally Twitchett, Molly Mole, who is known really as Granny Mole, and others. Julia Blake's attention to detail, her poetic style, the flow of her words and rhythm are highly commendable.
🔵
Rating System
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 stars
🔵
Recommendation
Yes, this book comes highly recommended by me and if you like supernatural stories, past and present stories, folk lore, legends, myths, forest and nature settings, love triangles, mysteries and thrillers, and horror, love and happy endings, then I suggest you pick up this book, as it's highly entertaining.
December 3, 2019
What a magical tale! The Forest is such a compelling page-turner that it kept me up late for several nights - and that’s pretty rare these days. The story is set in the village of Wyckenwode, whose inhabitants live, almost cut off from the rest of the world, beside a foreboding and impenetrable forest. Over the centuries, from deep within the forest, an ancient death-bringing curse has emerged every generation to blight the lives of three young people. (The premise reminded me a little of Alan Garner’s wonderful The Owl Service.)
The story of the ancient curse is gradually revealed through the telling of old tales - which add layers of mystery and history to the novel - and the terrifying experiences of the three main characters. I came to really care about Sally, Jack and Rueben, as well as the rest of Wyckenwode’s inhabitants, and was so satisfied with the story-arcs the author gave all of them. Most of all I loved the forest, forbidding and beautiful, that has at its heart both great evil and transcending good.
There are a few grammatical errors in the book, such as dangling participles and modifiers, that I wish had been picked up by the editor, but they weren’t enough to stop me from enjoying this fabulous and satisfying read. I particularly loved the ending - it tied everything up perfectly and left me with a big happy smile on my face!
The story of the ancient curse is gradually revealed through the telling of old tales - which add layers of mystery and history to the novel - and the terrifying experiences of the three main characters. I came to really care about Sally, Jack and Rueben, as well as the rest of Wyckenwode’s inhabitants, and was so satisfied with the story-arcs the author gave all of them. Most of all I loved the forest, forbidding and beautiful, that has at its heart both great evil and transcending good.
There are a few grammatical errors in the book, such as dangling participles and modifiers, that I wish had been picked up by the editor, but they weren’t enough to stop me from enjoying this fabulous and satisfying read. I particularly loved the ending - it tied everything up perfectly and left me with a big happy smile on my face!
March 9, 2019
So Mote It Be!
The author’s storytelling prowess and larger-than-life characters lead the reader to the lush forest’s edge in the insular farming village of Wykenwode—and through its barrier, to witness the fallout from a curse that transcends time.
A curse the vile entity trapped inside the forest feeds on, siphoning a vengeful evil by feeding on and manipulating the inherent darkness steeped in its targeted villagers. There’s no shortage of hatred, jealousy, envy, greed, pain, anger, and betrayal for the entity to thrive. Until, the forces of good can effectively break the curse.
The boundary line between past and present is blurred through parallel lives, whereby Sally, Reuben, and Jack are destined to fall victim to the accursed fate suffered by their counterparts.
An enthralled reader, I willingly somersaulted from one generation to the next as events unfolded through the author’s use of language, a rich compost of bewitching and evocative descriptions.
Like the forest, this story pulsates with a life of its own, rendering the reader spellbound from the first page to its last. I highly recommend this heart-wrenching tale of magical realism, intertwining past and present. So mote it be!
The author’s storytelling prowess and larger-than-life characters lead the reader to the lush forest’s edge in the insular farming village of Wykenwode—and through its barrier, to witness the fallout from a curse that transcends time.
A curse the vile entity trapped inside the forest feeds on, siphoning a vengeful evil by feeding on and manipulating the inherent darkness steeped in its targeted villagers. There’s no shortage of hatred, jealousy, envy, greed, pain, anger, and betrayal for the entity to thrive. Until, the forces of good can effectively break the curse.
The boundary line between past and present is blurred through parallel lives, whereby Sally, Reuben, and Jack are destined to fall victim to the accursed fate suffered by their counterparts.
An enthralled reader, I willingly somersaulted from one generation to the next as events unfolded through the author’s use of language, a rich compost of bewitching and evocative descriptions.
Like the forest, this story pulsates with a life of its own, rendering the reader spellbound from the first page to its last. I highly recommend this heart-wrenching tale of magical realism, intertwining past and present. So mote it be!
June 20, 2019
Tremendous
Forty-six years ago J.R.R. Tolkien spoiled me with his masterful fantasy writing and after searching for a similar body of work, I finally gave up and abandoned the genre—until now. Whatever led me to reach out and try The Forest, by Julia Blake, reaffirmed my love for fantasy. Rather than far-reaching kingdoms, The Forest relies on an intimate setting where a magically quaint village and adjacent generational family farms encircle an ancient forest, beckoningly luxuriant yet also barring all but a select few access to its inner depths.
The sense of place reverberates with every aspect of the setting and its residents, all cloaked by centuries of tradition and mysterious origins. It is that insular effect which drew this reader completely into the story, making me feel present in the narration and envious of the colorful characters fortunate to live there.
“Enchanting” would be my choice for a singular word to describe The Forest. Full of lore, entangled relationships, and a slyly crafted plot, its bounteous writing captivated me to forego sleep in order to keep turning pages. I cannot heap enough praise upon Julia Blake’s gripping tale.
Forty-six years ago J.R.R. Tolkien spoiled me with his masterful fantasy writing and after searching for a similar body of work, I finally gave up and abandoned the genre—until now. Whatever led me to reach out and try The Forest, by Julia Blake, reaffirmed my love for fantasy. Rather than far-reaching kingdoms, The Forest relies on an intimate setting where a magically quaint village and adjacent generational family farms encircle an ancient forest, beckoningly luxuriant yet also barring all but a select few access to its inner depths.
The sense of place reverberates with every aspect of the setting and its residents, all cloaked by centuries of tradition and mysterious origins. It is that insular effect which drew this reader completely into the story, making me feel present in the narration and envious of the colorful characters fortunate to live there.
“Enchanting” would be my choice for a singular word to describe The Forest. Full of lore, entangled relationships, and a slyly crafted plot, its bounteous writing captivated me to forego sleep in order to keep turning pages. I cannot heap enough praise upon Julia Blake’s gripping tale.
December 29, 2019
What hides in the Forest? What forces make its boundaries impenetrable to just a few? A village plagued by a curse that brings death to three of its young people every generation braces for despair once more. The White Hind has been seen, and now Sally, Jack and Reuben find themselves tangled in a mayhem which has played out for generations. To defeat the curse they must breach the Forest and confront the shadowy entity in its depths, or risk a repeat of murder, love and suicide.
Julie Blake creates a haunting backdrop with a tale that will break and warm your heart. With Sally, Jack and Reuben as the main characters, it’s impossible not to be drawn deep into this book. There’s a wonderful fable atmosphere running through the entire story, with the history of the Forest’s curse being revealed piece by piece, each previous love triangle and its horrific outcome making the plight of the three young folk all the more desperate. Perfectly paced, beautifully written and so captivating, this book begs to made into a mini-series. Absolutely magical.
Julie Blake creates a haunting backdrop with a tale that will break and warm your heart. With Sally, Jack and Reuben as the main characters, it’s impossible not to be drawn deep into this book. There’s a wonderful fable atmosphere running through the entire story, with the history of the Forest’s curse being revealed piece by piece, each previous love triangle and its horrific outcome making the plight of the three young folk all the more desperate. Perfectly paced, beautifully written and so captivating, this book begs to made into a mini-series. Absolutely magical.
February 18, 2019
The story describes how the characters' personalities are formed by their pasts and their ancestors' pasts. It is a modern-day folktale based on ancient folktales--all the original work of the author. The tales are every bit as gritty as those published by the Brothers Grimm—before they became softened by modern re-tellers. Some readers may find such content disturbing. But as our present-day lives are influenced by the generations that have passed on and the stories they have left us, this tale opens our eyes to the ancient within the present, freeing us to make fresh, new choices. The story is an inter-generational epic. The way old local legends of The Forest influence the current generation is wonderfully conceived and well-carried out. Recommended. (Note: As a beta reader for this book, I received a free copy to review.)
June 22, 2020
Wow, this was so beautifully written. Ms. Blake's prose has a lovely rhythm that just keeps you turning pages.
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This is a tale of a small village, a deep dark wood, and a curse that reverberates through the community for generations. When the White Hind is sighted (a white doe for you 'Merican folks😂) everyone knows the cycle of tragedy is about to start again--or will the young people finally break the curse?
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This was so intricately plotted, I loved the way all the pieces fit together as the story went on. It was SPOOKY too! This would be a great Halloween read. No spoilers, but the ending was simply PERFECT! It made me laugh and cry. Lots of crying, actually, 😭😂. In a good way.
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This will certainly not be the last book I read by Julia Blake!
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This is a tale of a small village, a deep dark wood, and a curse that reverberates through the community for generations. When the White Hind is sighted (a white doe for you 'Merican folks😂) everyone knows the cycle of tragedy is about to start again--or will the young people finally break the curse?
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This was so intricately plotted, I loved the way all the pieces fit together as the story went on. It was SPOOKY too! This would be a great Halloween read. No spoilers, but the ending was simply PERFECT! It made me laugh and cry. Lots of crying, actually, 😭😂. In a good way.
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This will certainly not be the last book I read by Julia Blake!
September 29, 2019
Finished this book. I don't know how to begin to tell you how much I liked this magical story by @juliablakeauthor
Should I start at the detailed way the village and the people are being introduced? Or, that I felt part of the community after a few chapters? Or should I start with Reuben, the boy and his gentle soul, which some find reason for bullying? Or the way the friendship develops when Jack and Sally stand up for him?
I smiled, shivered, gasped, and cried a little reading it... If you like a story with magic, a small UK village setting, a dark forest with hidden secrets, love, envy and murder. Read this!
Should I start at the detailed way the village and the people are being introduced? Or, that I felt part of the community after a few chapters? Or should I start with Reuben, the boy and his gentle soul, which some find reason for bullying? Or the way the friendship develops when Jack and Sally stand up for him?
I smiled, shivered, gasped, and cried a little reading it... If you like a story with magic, a small UK village setting, a dark forest with hidden secrets, love, envy and murder. Read this!
June 20, 2020
This is a fantastic story that has at its heart the theme of that most difficult and often painful decision we have to make - who to choose to love, and the often-terrible implications of that choice. The tale resides in myth. Myth as the story by which we live our lives, the archetypal patterns of life, love, jealousy and revenge. The Forest is a mysterious place, resisting entrance to most, allowing in a preordained few. It harbours the best and worst of us, as well as a deep ancient magic. The main characters - Sally, Jack and Reuben - are cruelly fated through that magic. But can they change it?
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