Brackenbeast

The Secrets of Eden Eld #2

by Kate Alice Marshall

A twisty, creepy follow up to Thirteens, for fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline and Stranger Things.Last Halloween, Eleanor, Pip, and Otto narrowly escaped the clutches of the evil January Society and their leader. But life in the too-quiet Eden Eld isn’t safe just according to the bargain they made with Mr. January, it’s now his sister’s turn to hunt the three of them. And her methods are a bit more…treacherous.  When their friends and neighbors begin disappearing, abducted by strange, mud-drenched monsters, Eleanor and her two best friends must race to uncover their enemy’s secrets. If they fail, their families will be next. Stalked by the relentless mud beasts, they have to find a way to escape using their trusty book of twisted fairytales, their wits, and their friendship. But they quickly learn that the power of the stories they’ve turned to for help has a stronger hold on them—and their futures—than they realized. Even if Eleanor and her friends survive, they won’t end this journey the same people.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Audiobook, Paranormal, Fiction

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2021

About the author

Kate Alice Marshall is the author of thrillers and horror for all ages. Her YA and Middle grade books include I AM STILL ALIVE, RULES FOR VANISHING, and THIRTEENS. Her adult thrillers include WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS and NO ONE CAN KNOW.

She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, two dogs named Vonnegut and Octavia, and two kids. They all conspire to keep her on her toes.

Reviews

[jenny✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

kate alice marshall is one of my favourite authors, and brackenbeast embodies so much of what i adore about her storytelling: eerie and unique world-building, genuinely creepy moments interspersed among genuinely hilarious ones, casual rep among imperfect and endearing characters, and emphasis on friendship, community, and care.

this sequel to thirteens escalated the stakes for eleanor, otto, and pip - and threw in MORE seriously cool lore about eden eld and the eldritch stories shaping this not-quite-what-it-seems town.

not to mention, KAM’s prose is so readable. i tore through this (as with each of her books), laughing my head off at the unexpected - and therefore perfectly placed - moments of deadpan humour. i can’t wait until book 3!

[destiny ♡ howling libraries]

DNF @ 20%

I didn't love the first book in this series but wanted to keep trying and see if it drew me in. Unfortunately, it did not, but that's okay! I still love KAM's writing in general and I think this series would be a lot of fun for younger readers or even adults who read middle grade books more frequently than I do.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate really said: your town has been planning your sacrifice for generations. Good luck!

Also, love The Jack lore. And yes, we are gonna get her back.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the first book, now that the story has had more time to breathe and grow. It is still very similar to Arden's Small Spaces series (parent/child relationships, teen insecurities, archetype personalities for the children, creepy fae trying to trick you, books set in different seasons), but tamer. The stakes are high and the solutions are not easy, sacrifices must be made, and not all is well by the end of this book. There's nuanced commentary on the use of makeup that doesn't come out of nowhere and is later tied into character development, which I appreciated, but I did expect the pyramid scheme set-up to be addressed and that didn't happen, so that was a strange thing to include and then just leave hanging. Other than that, really enjoying how the fairy tale tropes are being used.

Really hope the next book wraps the story up because otherwise, I'm going to have to wait until I don't know when to find out how it ends.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Attempted murder
Kidnapping

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good addition to the series by KAM. There appears to be a greater world and I’ve hear rumors this is connected to her mixed media series. (which is incredible) definitely some higher points than the first book and it feels like the story is really filling out nicely. As the intermediate book in the trilogy for intermediate readers, again, not a long review, but I’m really glad with how this is progressing. I look forward to the last one, plus im a sucker for in-depth fairy tale lore.

3.8 🌟

[Anni (annithebookaholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆

This is a perfect sequel! I love the development of the characters and how the writing continues to be so captivating. The way the settings are written is just so interesting and keeps me glued to the page.

I'm going to keep this spoiler free, but I love the direction the story is going in and can't wait to read more!

[Emily Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m feeling this is a 3.5 rounded down. Because we already know what’s going on in the town, there is a bit of spookiness lost. There were some fun twists and turns along the way, but overall the clues and puzzles felt easier and more convenient than the first book. Tons of questions are brought up, and I hope book 3 wraps everything up!

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
The first book was great at first then the ending dragged and this just felt more of a drag and the ending very dull

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

When will Otto have his spotlight! Hopeful for the final book!

[ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

sooo good!

the lore and worldbuilding is super well written & created. a fun addition to the series, gonna start the next one soon

[trisha ☾₊˚✩]

DNF@70%
This dragged soooo much

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this review on Got Fiction? Book Blog

Review from my 8 year old: I love this book! I love this book, because it’s so interesting and also you get to solve a mystery! The mystery is that people keep going missing and strange mud is everywhere. The monster took Mr. Maughan, April, and the Jack, and Uncle Ben. They had to look up in books how to read the stories and figure out how to use the clues. They wanted to get them back. Eleanor’s mom was missing, and they found a book with her handwriting.

I liked how they were friends and had to solve the mystery. I liked how the grown-ups couldn’t do it, it had to be the 3 kids.

It was cool how Pip was turning into the next Jack. Otto maybe was turning into the Walker at the end.

***
My review:

Pip, Otto, and Eleanor are 3 kids who turned 13 last Halloween in the first book. We did not read the first book, so we did miss out on a full adventure. It seems that the whole town of Eden Eld made a deal long ago with a Mr. January that every 13 years, 3 children born on Halloween would be sacrificed to the January Society on their 13th birthdays. The amount of magic in this small town is insane. The People Who Look Away are the people who live in the town but every time something magical or unusual happens, they don’t notice it, or if they do, they can’t remember it. So when children go missing, the townspeople carry on. The three children have few allies, and many enemies. The most information they have comes from some older books that are told through fairy tale format.

The kids made a deal in book 1 with Mr. January that since they bested him they would have a year before the next attack, and it would come from his sister, not him. This time around the attacks start earlier than Halloween, and since she isn’t following the rules, the kids aren’t prepared. One of the adults in the town goes missing, and the only clue is a ton of weird mud all over his house, and some scratches on the door. The kids fall through a mud pit (similar to quicksand) but they wind up in a weird woods different than the one they live near. This is where they find Jack.

Jack is a character from the fairy tales, and they didn’t know he was a real person. But as they save him and the story progresses, they come to find out, he is The Jack, as in the most current Jack, and whoever the sword that all the Jacks have carried chooses, that person then becomes the next Jack. While one of the trio is unknowingly turning into the next Jack, there are other characters who are necessary to the story as well. The World Walker and the Hedgewitch. are more than just characters in a book,and they are a lot closer than the kids know.

This book was confusing without reading the first one at first, however it was easy enough to pick up what had happened. My daughter and I were caught up in this tale pretty quickly. I’d definitely recommend this series, although I do recommend reading in order. We look forward to the next installment.

***We got this book at the library

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Thirteens, reading Brackenbeast during the Halloween season is a fitting choice. I found myself still rooting for Eleanor, Otto, and Pip, but I enjoyed the creepiness of Thirteens more.

[Ms. Nigeria Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of how this book ended. I don't even see where another book is coming. This book seemed rushed at the end, and the beginning dragged out.

[Electroclan17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cool mystery trilogy so far. I'm excited for the last book in the series [the 2nd time that I read this was as an audiobook but that edition isn't on Goodreads so I just added when I reread it].

[Marisahh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this story was going in a different direction but I’m still enjoying it, I’m excited for the next book!

[Anna Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up because why not.

"Eden Eld was full of strange things. Most of them wouldn't hurt you, if you stayed away. But some of them were hungry, or angry, or just dangerous the way a cliff is dangerous--it doesn't want you to fall, but that doesn't make the landing hurt less.

About halfway through this book, it suddenly becomes more fantasy-with-a-touch-of-horror-elements, and it's not a direction that I found very appealing. The first book felt like fairytale horror, this feels like a mythic fantasy quest that happens to feature some creepy characters from another book.

As with the first book, this is really a series that would have benefited from being longer or stretched out into 4-5 books. There's so much fantasy lore dropped, usually in longwinded conversations, and it feels like there's too much going on. It's a bit dizzying at times. We're dealing with the emotional fall-out from the last book, the primary plot of this book (the kids dealing with one of Mr. January's sisters) but on top of all this, a significant amount of fantasy elements are thrown into the mix in a heavy-handed way, setting up things for the final book in the trilogy. It's just too much for one book.

I do think the emotional beats were less jarring here than in book #1, because by this time we've gotten to know the characters and it was easier to work in their own emotional turmoil and development.

Despite these criticisms, there are a lot of choices that I appreciate from the author, especially in the context of thinking about the target audience of middle grade readers. As with the first book, I love the trend in middle grade horror series of the characters actually experiencing consequences from dealing with terrible things. I also appreciate that things aren't immediately and perfectly solved in neat little bows. Happy endings aren't always perfect and sweet. I like that the trio of kid characters fight, argue, get annoyed, get irrational, etc, they feel fairly realistic (fantasy elements notwithstanding).

I'm going to finish out the trilogy because there are story elements I like, but I get the feeling--based on the heavy amount of fantasy introduced in this one--that it's not going to be my cup of tea. But if you're looking for fantasy-with-some-horror-elements, or you are browsing for a middle grade reader who you know likes darker fantasy and interesting characters, it's definitely worth a shot.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have a serious interest in YA or Middle Grade horror then Kate Alice Marshall is absolutely essential reading and one of the few authors who effortlessly moves between the two age groups and is equally skilled in writing for both. I would highly recommend both YA horror novels Rules for Vanishing and the recent Our Last Echoes. Brackenbeast, subtitled The Secrets of Eden Eld is a direct sequel to Thirteens, published in 2020. We reviewed (and loved) Thirteens a couple of years and had this to say: “Thirteens is such an engaging gateway supernatural novel I would happily recommend it to strong readers from the age of ten and up. The story involves a sleepy town which has a dark secret, every thirteen years in Eden Eld three thirteen-year-olds disappear, which is part of an ancient pact going back to the 1850s. This is a eally peculiar place and the way in which the supernatural is integrated into the story is cleverly done, doubling up with a terrifically well-paced plot which is guaranteed to have young readers turning the pages at speed. This novel also has a great villain, kids are going to love the dastardly ‘Mr January’ and the powerful hold he has over the place they call home.”

​Brackenbeast continues the fight against the nasty Mr January, with the three young teens this time coming up against the supernatural sister of the evil presence which has haunted their town for more than a century. After the disappearance of a few of the locals the three realise they have been kidnapped by mud drenched creatures who begin to stalk them, once again they have to use their book of magic fairy tales to lead them against the forces of darkness, uncovering wild family secrets and entering other worlds along the way. Brackenbeast was pitched just right for younger readers, with a lovely blend of fantasy, adventures, scares and strong friendship bonds. Terrific gateway horror for younger kids. AGE RANGE 10+

[Tiffani Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This second instalment of this series picks up a few months after the events of the first book have concluded. When we meet Otto, Pip, and Eleanor again, they have been hard at work trying to figure out a way to beat the curse that Mr. January placed on them and their town. However, the season for his sister is almost upon them and they will have to survive her first if they have any hope of defeating Mr. January.

This book is just as good as the first one, a super quick read but I found that I was missing something that made me love it as much as I did the first one. I still think that this friend group is one of my favourites I have ever read. I think I didn't love all the new characters introduced, they added a lot of busyness that the story didn't need. I know they helped to propel the story along but I could have done without a few of them because we were already getting a different story line with Mrs. Prosper. It will be interesting to see how they factor into the stories as this series progresses and what role they play in the overall conclusion. My guess is that there will be at least 2 more books in this series because they still have to defeat Mr. January's other sister, and then beat the curse and that seems like too much to cram into just one book.

I am really loving all the subtle Greek mythology references in these books and the whole hero storyline that is going on throughout these books. I am interested to see who this next sister is and if she will play into the seasonal theme like the last one did with the spring reference. Or, if her "season" will be something else entirely. Overall, still loving this series and cannot wait to see where it goes in the future.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the night of their thirteenth birthday, Eleanor, Pip, and Otto bested the mysterious Mr. January before he could make them disappear. . . forever.

IMPRESSIONS

1.) Thirteens ⭐⭐⭐⭐

➽ Brackenbeast follows Eleanor, Pip, and Otto as they try to prepare for Mr. January’s sisters to attack. After narrowly escaping their own doom and making a new bargain, the three friends are trying to find a way to beat the mysterious sisters of Mr. January so they can truly protect future generations from being sacrificed. It has been months since the events of Thirteens and everyone is still reeling from the high-stakes night. Pip’s evil mother was vanquished and Pip’s got her father now, yet she still struggles with grief and complicated feelings toward her mother. Eleanor is questioning her role in the group and if only the trauma got them closer together. I appreciated that this book discussed their friendship dynamic and how Pip and Otto have been friends for much longer. Eleanor just got to know them and it’s difficult to not feel like an outsider.

➽ This time the focus is on getting some answers about the lore of the People Who Look Away! The actual confrontation with Mr. January’s sister is pushed to the end and most of the story is taken up by the trio finding out more about their world. That might be why I liked this slightly less than Thirteens as I would have preferred the focus to be on them trying to escape their newest enemy. At the same time, I liked that we got some more information about the stories left behind in Eleanor’s books and her family, as the Cat of Ashes made some cryptic comments in the previous books. I’m excited to learn more about Mr. January’s other sister in the next book!

INFORMATION
➽ CW's: Grief & Trauma, Mentions of past abuse
➽ Representation 🌷 Black MC

You can find me here 💖 Book Blog | Twitter | Be my friend on GR!

[DaniLanglie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute, as always. This is a loyalty read since I know the author's sibling and now I buy all her books. I also like the opportunity to check in on the state of middle-grade fiction sometimes, since I don't have any kiddos in my life who are at this reading level, and I find what kids these days might be reading to be an interesting topic!

I love the spooky vibes, and the simple moral lessons here. This is a book that deals with trauma and anger, and also has a very clever conceit in its worldbuilding as to why the adults in these children's lives cannot help them in their dangerous quests. Often you have kids with dead parents for just this reason, so they can go on adventures without anyone there to notice what they're up to. This is a clever twist on that premise that I quite enjoy.

The atmospheric elements, the scary monsters, the chilling adversaries, are all the kinds of things that I bet would genuinely have frightened twelve-year-old me! Hell, there's a moment when Eleanor sees a creepy man tapping on the glass from the inside of a portrait and that might just end up haunting twenty-eight-year-old me just as well!

[Yasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

Things I liked:
- super creepy vibes yet again
- another great horror series like small spaces
- Mr January’s family is rly grim and eerie, which is fabulous and suits this book
- great Halloween atmosphere
- interesting stories about how jack, the hedge witch and the girl with the backward hands fit in - lots of places the author could go with this story in the next instalment and I’m interested to hear more about the girl with the backwards hands

Things I didn’t like:
- characters are less likeable in this book than in the first, pip for example is extremely annoying
- super confusing ending and although this seems like the point it’s very cliff hanger-y and needs more explanation (hopefully via a sequel) to make things slot into place more

Fave quote: ‘I am brilliant at many things. Chores are not among them’ (honestly a vibe, same)

Fave characters: Eleanor/Elle

Ratings
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Writing style: 4/5

[Davenport Public Library Iowa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of trilogies like Star Wars will recognize the place this book holds in the formula: like The Empire Strikes Back, this is a book of struggle and setbacks, of narrowly-won victories, unpleasant revelations, and uncomfortable lessons. Our heroes rally for a final battle, but realize how fragile their victory, and their friendship, really is.

New characters, including several loving and supportive adults, are a nice offset to the series' overarching theme of kids fighting evil with no support or acknowledgment - although the message is still hammered home that parents are not guaranteed and adults can't be relied upon. The book also shows that fate, destiny, and being a Chosen One is not always a good thing and comes with various costs and sacrifices.

In sum, this is a Brothers Grimm type fairy tale filled with stark realities of life - a good Halloween read for those who enjoy middle grade novels and light horror, but not particularly uplifting or hopeful.

-Callen

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars again

This is still giving me major Small Spaces vibes, especially with the spring equinox and the seasons being each of the sibling’s strongest times to act. Wondering how that’s going to work with three characters and three books, guess I’ll find out in the last one. 😅

The lore and mythology was explored a lot more in this one, and to be honest I found it kind of confusing and hard to follow. I think I got the gist of it though. Pip becoming Jack and (I’m assuming) Otto becoming the Hedgewitch is very good, I like this turn in the story and the concept of fairy tale characters existing over real life people. VERY interesting.

I mentioned this in my review for Thirteens but it happened again this book (only once though): a throwaway line from Eleanor about women in fairytales being portrayed poorly when that’s not who she is as a character. 😑 There were also some awkward edits and poor sentence structure I thought could have been edited for better flow.

It wasn’t as creepy/spooky season inspired as Thirteens, it really wasn’t scary at all which was disappointing but 🤷🏼‍♀️ I said the same thing about the spring instalment of Small Spaces, it’s hard to make March scary lol

I’m looking forward to book three but I’ve gotta admit I’m not overly invested in these characters or the story. I want to know how it ends but that’s it. I think I wish these were creepier and delved deeper into the scary fairytale lore, maybe Glassheart will deliver. Fingers crossed!



FAVOURITE QUOTES
“Except that the Wrong Things had a way of folding the world in careful creases, tucking the supernatural parts of it out of sight and out of mind.”

“Fairy tales weren't real. The monsters were. The wicked men and riddles and traps were real, but the good parts? The good parts were never real. Unless just once, just this time, they were.”

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. While I'm rating this book the same as the first one I'd give the edge slightly more to this book as the one I liked better. The book takes place a few months after the first one. No one is over concerned about the events that happened last time and most of the urgency has dissipated but the friends know that time will eventually run out and the danger will come again. I liked Aunt Jojo she sounds like one of my favorite aunts that I felt the same way about and Pip totally explained it in words I could never form properly to describe being around her. Things are relatively mundane for awhile but boy did things really pick up toward the end. I definitely want to read the next book and I believe it gets released in the next week or two so I'm glad I didn't have to wait a year or so between this and the last as I really want to know how things wrap up.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 in the Thirteens MG series was just as great as book 1.
🗡️
Otto, Pip and Eleanor are back and even though they made a deal with Mr. January to wait a year before figuring out a way to break his bargain, his sisters made no such promise. Friends and neighbors go missing, abducted by mud monsters and it has Eleanor and her two best friends struggling to fight this new enemy. Using twisted fairy tales they try to find a weakness and in doing so, learn more about their own fates.
🗡️
This sequel did a great job of advancing the story, bringing in new characters and ending on another cliffhanger. I’ve got to see how it ends! I read this one today and have every intention of finishing novel 3 tomorrow on Halloween.

CW: attempted murder, kidnapping, violence (age appropriate)

[Saima · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars.

A solid read, Brackenbeast follows up almost immediately after the events in Thirteens. The kids are all still in danger, but now aware of the things that lurk in the corners and that not everything is as it seems.

Brackenbeast delved more into the myth and magic of the world, but lacked the initial creepiness from Thirteens now that we knew who the big bad was. I did enjoy the development of magic and seeing Pip, Otto, and Elle discover more of their capabilities.

The story did feel like it dragged on for a bit too long, but I enjoyed the ending and how it wrapped up.

[Alma · Rating 5 out of 5]

When last we saw Ellie, Otto and Pip in Thirteens, they had struck a bargain. If they could figure out a way to not be captured by Mr. January and his sisters, the curse upon all thirteen year olds in their town would end. With time running short, they haven’t been able to figure out what to do. Read more on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....

[Jess - The Hexed Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars
Cover 5; characters 4; Plot 3; Pace 4; Intrigue 3; Logic 4; worldbuilding 4; Writing 4; Enjoyment 3.

A great follow-up to THIRTEENS! I didn't love this one quite as much, mostly because it didn't have all of the creep factor. But honestly, the first one was SO creepy I wouldn't be surprised if she had been asked to tone it down a bit for the MG readers!

IMO Kate Alice Marshall can do no wrong at this point. SO many good books and ALL THE CREEP.