2024 Challenge: Forest Creatures

[Margaret]

Here is the place to discuss retellings, traditional tales, or books that contain forest creatures. Examples include dryads, all types of Fae including wood fae, elves, gnomes, goblins, and more.

[Hannah]

I read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett for this prompt. I really enjoyed it, and Wendell was a really fun character :)

[Margaret]

Hannah wrote: "I read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett for this prompt. I really enjoyed it, and Wendell was a really fun character :)"

I love that one! And the second book is really good, too!

[Hannah]

I have the second book waiting in the wings - I'm glad to hear you liked it, I'm excited to dive in!

[Andy]

Looking forward to the sequel, too! Glad to hear good things about it! :)

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett for this prompt. I really enjoyed it, and Wendell was a really fun character :)"

I love that one! An..."

liked this one too and am looking forward to the next one!

Other good books that fits the theme are The Darkest Part of the Forest ( my favourite Holly Black book), The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint . It’s a middle grade book. An adult book by the same author is Forests of the Heart

I’m looking for something with dryads. Any recommendations people?

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "I’m looking for something with dryads. Any recommendations people? ..."

Hmm, I was going to recommend Silver in the Wood, but I see you've already read that one!

[Netanella]

Jalilah wrote: "I’m looking for something with dryads. Any recommendations people? ..."

For a short novella, I would recommend Theodora Goss' Come See the Living Dryad, which is available on Tor.com (now recently rebranded as Reactor).

https://reactormag.com/come-see-the-l...

[Fi Szabo]

I am in the forest with Uprooted by Nina Lyon, and on the trail of the Green Man, so far so good, enjoying this non-fiction...not so much a creature, but a fascinating medieval myth!

[Ozsaur]

Cry Silver Bells has a dryad as well as other mythical creatures. It's been decades since I've read it, so I don't remember how good it is.

[Latasha]

Fi Szabo wrote: "I am in the forest with Uprooted by Nina Lyon, and on the trail of the Green Man, so far so good, enjoying this non-fiction...not so much a creature, but a fascinating medieval myth!"

added that one to my list.

[Susan]

Margaret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I’m looking for something with dryads. Any recommendations people? ..."

Hmm, I was going to recommend Silver in the Wood, but I see you've already read that one!"

I really enjoyed Evergreen by Marissa Doyle--YA historical fantasy with an American dryad hiding in plain view as a best friend of the famously nonconformist Alice, daughter of rising politican Theodore Roosevelt.

[Latasha]

Legend of the Deer Woman: & Other Tales to Warm the Hearth this book fits here. It's not perfect but I am enjoying it so far.

[Jalilah]

Ozsaur wrote: "Cry Silver Bells has a dryad as well as other mythical creatures. It's been decades since I've read it, so I don't remember how good it is."

Thank you!

Susan wrote: “really enjoyed Evergreen by Marissa Doyle--YA historical fantasy with an American dryad hiding in plain view as a best friend of the famously nonconformist Alice, daughter of rising politican Theodore Roosevelt.
..."

Thank you that does look interesting!

[Kirsten]

I recently finished In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire and since it takes place in The Goblin Market, I think it fits here. There are some other details that would be spoilers that seem to fit with the forest creatures theme, too.

[Andy]

Kirsten wrote: "I recently finished In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire and since it takes place in The Goblin Market, I think it fits here. There are some other details that woul..."

I used a lot of the books in that series for the challenge! :) I used In an Absent Dream for shapeshifters!

[Jalilah]

I think I will be reading The Stolen Heir. From the description it seems like it could either fit for “forest creatures” or “Ice and snow creatures”. I’ll see once I read it. Either way I know I can never go wrong with Holly Black!

[Jalilah]

I also plan to read After the Forest as I am going for 2 books for each category

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "I think I will be reading The Stolen Heir. From the description it seems like it could either fit for “forest creatures” or “Ice and snow creatures”. I’ll see once I read it. Either..."

It would fit both!

[Andy]

Jalilah wrote: "I think I will be reading The Stolen Heir. From the description it seems like it could either fit for “forest creatures” or “Ice and snow creatures”. I’ll see once I read it. Either..."

Looking forward to your thoughts! I am still a bit too hyped from the original trilogy to read this yet! I would miss Jude and Cardan too much! :P

[Jalilah]

Jalilah wrote: "I think I will be reading The Stolen Heir. From the description it seems like it could either fit for “forest creatures” or “Ice and snow creatures”. I’ll see once I read it. Either..."

I just finished The Stolen Heir and putting this one in creatures of ice and snow. It definitely could be forest creatures as well but it’s more creatures of ice and snow

[Jalilah]

I absolutely loved After the Forest. It fits perfectly for this theme! I don’t remember who recommended it, but thank you so much for doing so!

[Jalilah]

My second book for this category is Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett, an absolutely delightful follow up to her Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "My second book for this category is Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett, an absolutely delightful follow up to her [book:Emily Wilde's Encyclopa..."

Such a fun book!

[Andy]

Jalilah wrote: "My second book for this category is Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett, an absolutely delightful follow up to her..."

Oh, it was so good, I love these books! :)

[Jalilah]

I just saw a description of this The Butcher of the Forest and looks really good!

[Jalilah]

Jalilah wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I think I will be reading The Stolen Heir. From the description it seems like it could either fit for “forest creatures” or “Ice and snow creatures”. I’ll see once I..."
Finally I used both The Stolen Heir and The Prisoner’s Throne for creatures animated by magic.
They could be forest creatures too, as a well as for creatures of ice and snow

[Erin]

I read Into the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth Meyer for this. Instead of sea sirens, there are tree sirens...it was an interesting and different idea!

[Jamie]

I read Legends & Lattes

4.5 stars: If you're looking for an unproblematic sweet cozy sapphic fantasy heavy on the coffee, this is for you.