The Phantom Forest is an interesting fantasy story with mythological elements. If demons are able to transform the Underworld with love and peace, then maybe there's hope for humans.

The Underworld and its characters especially Haben/The Savage, Irem, and Norryn were my favorite parts of the book. The Underworld sections are well-developed and immersive.
Khronasa and its inhabitants are less interesting and engaging. Dohv, General Simeon, and Emperor Caius had the potential to be great villains but somehow felt flat for me.

There were only a few typos and some formatting issues in this electronic version.

Thank you, NetGalley and InkShares for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

An extraordinary debut!. #ThePhantomForest is a unique thriller that has depth, thoughtfulness, and the transformation of what it means to have a soul. A must read for 2019!

I didn't expect to be as in love with this book as I was by the end. Although it starts off slow, the story itself draws you in like a siren song, and there is no escape.

Torn between the now-destroyed world of his past and the Underworld in which he now resides, Haben caught my attention immediately. His character hooked me in and kept me reading during the first few chapters, waiting to catch another glimpse of his perspective. Through his eyes, and the eyes of Seycia and Miko, I was able to explore the intricately woven world Liz Kerin created with The Phantom Forest.

Although the dystopian expanse of what remains of our world left a bit to be desired, as did its inhabitants, the Underworld more than compensated. Full of luxurious landscapes and inhabitants ranging from dastardly to ethereal, the Underworld was a world that I was desperate to see and experience. Each time the story returned to this place, I found myself unable to stop reading, and I do not doubt that the stunning storytelling in these scenes will have the same effect on other readers. The characters themselves are woven into an equally beautiful tapestry that, by the end, feels as if it could keep growing for a long time. Their harrowing adventures, quests for justice, and unexpected detours made each character feel like a (sometimes misguided) friend.

I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed for another installment so that I can get to know these characters and worlds more fully!

THe Phantom Forest provides a thrilling new take on the underworld and its inhabitants. When humans stumbled onto a direct path to the underworld, they were not prepared for what they saw. The revelation changed everything, sending most humans back to the dark ages, controlled by an authoritarian regime that took over under guise of doing away with splintered religion. Now, many years later, a set of unlikely heros (a teenage girl, a demon, and a young boy and his friends) must work together to overthrow both the regime and the king of the underworld himself. This book combines action, adventure, mystery, and romance as the heros work to save everyone, both on earth and in the underworld.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks NetGalley!

Every tree in the sacred forest holds a soul...Each of the souls will return to the mortal world for many future lives.. but some dont' deserve to.....

This is a unique fantasy storyline. I wasn't sure I'd like it based on that alone, but it was fantastic.

The Phantom Forest by Liz Kerin
Rating 3.5 stars
pages 300

I’ll admit that I was a bit hesitant to read The Phantom Forest, I personally am not a big fan of dystopian novels or post apocalyptic novels. However, I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I really enjoyed reading this novel.
I adored Haben, as the novel progressed I wanted to wrap him up and keep safe from the pain and suffering of his world. In the beginning, I wasn't sure if I was going to like him. I thought at the very beginning that he was only two dimensional, but as his story unfolded his character began to blossom. I also loved Seycia, she had such a strong personality and an intense presence. Her determination to live and fight was uplifting and invigorating. I loved her relationship with Habenand I loved watching it develop and blossom into something beautiful and pure.
Overall I loved this book. I think anyone looking for an interesting unique novel that features a strong female lead, a pure romance, and a fascinating world should read this book.

Thank you Inkshares for providing me with the ARC of The Phantom Forest.

Liz Kerin's highly gripping debut novel will quickly pull you into the post-apocalyptic world. Set in the village of Khronasa, this is a story of Seycia who gets transported into the Underworld after being served as a human sacrifice to the Savage/Haben. Seycia leaves behind her little brother Miko who is left to fend for himself while destroying Seycia and his parents' killer. In the Underworld, Seycia and Haben become allies in the search of Forest of Laida which houses different souls. However, the Underworld is ruled by a tyrant God Dohv who will stop at nothing from achieving his agenda.

As you start reading it, the writer gives us a glimpse of the tight relationship between Seycia and Miko who are orphaned because of General Simon. After Seycia gets entangled in a fight publicly, she and her fang (a safety weapon) pull his attention. From here, the story gets more and more exciting, starting with a firsthand look into the corrupt system. Following her fallout with General Simon, he serves Seycia as Haben's meal in Underworld turning her into a demon. We, then, see a tender side of Haben who is imprisoned by Dohv.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the race of Seycia and Haben, their unlikely friendship and Miko's transition from a child into an adult. After devouring this, I can't wait to read more works of Liz Kerin. She is a fantastic writer.

I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I got. And that’s a very, very good thing. This book was utterly engrossing, drawing me into a world both stark and fascinating.

This is a book to commit to. If you are looking for a quick afternoon read, this is not that book. This book has a slow-burning plot-line that was obviously incredibly well thought out. The descriptions were so amazing, and the pictures conjured in my mind were so realistic and full of detail, I had to pause from time to time, just to let it all sink in.

It did take about five chapters for me to feel fully invested in the characters, but that was simply because there was so much that needed to be set up–and the time spent setting up the world, and the characters, as well as what motivated them- more than paid off.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a book that took place in any version of the underworld (Hell, Limbo, or what have you) but this was absolutely unique. I loved that Haben was as much a victim as Seycia was, only in a different way.

The characters were fascinating, the world dark and atmospheric, and the story itself went in completely unexpected directions. I highly recommend this book if you like your fantasy gritty and rich in detail.

What a surprise. I really liked this book, I finished it in one sitting.

The storyline was very original, I was captivated from the first page. I only wish the romance was a bit more better written, I didn‘t see how and why they fell for each other, there could be more chemistry between the characters.... Then I would give it 5 stars. But beside that, it was really good, I liked it.

Big thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

In the underworld, the Forest of Laida is filled with sacred trees that each house a soul of those who have passed on. The soul is continually returned to the mortal world where it will live out many future lives. When mortals discovered the underworld it created a scar in the universe between the two worlds. Each season in Khronasa a human sacrifice is given to the Savage, a demon who transports the mortal to the underworld, as an offering of peace. Seycia and Miko have survived by avoiding General Simeon, the man who controls Khronasa, and is responsible for the death of their parents. When he chooses Seycia for sacrifice, she travels to the underworld with the savage, where he returns to his semi-human form known as Haben. Unable to protect her brother Miko, Seycia comes up with a plan to travel to Laida and destroy General Simeon's tree.

The Phantom Forest is a debut YA fantasy novel by author Liz Kerin. The novel is told from alternate POV's Haben/the Savage, a demon who is forced to take the mortals to the underworld and devour their soul because of an evil he committed when he was mortal, Seycia, a strong female protagonist who swears to protect her brother at all costs, and Miko a young boy left to face his enemy, the man who killed his family. I found this novel to be very unique and fresh, a quality that I appreciate when many novels begin to feel similar. The world building was interesting with several unique settings where demons and other creatures reside. The main plot is follows two parallel stories as each sibling attempts to destroy General Simeon from their side of the veil but Haben's story plays an important role also. His servitude to Dohv, ruler of the underworld, allows for an interesting side story, some unique characters, and adds a small romantic element to the plot (It can't all be doom, gloom, and torture). It took me a little bit to get into this one but it picks up really quickly and gets extra points for being unique.

I really enjoyed this book, which is part of why I plowed through it in less than a day. I was fascinated by the setting: a dystopian society created by breaching a fantastical underworld? Sign me up! And, as is always the case with me, the characters were my primary concern. By the end of the book, I was deeply in love with both Seycia and Haben, and I just want them to be happy, gosh darn it! I'll admit I wasn't very compelled by Miko's chapters, but mostly because I was preoccupied with my concern for the leads and loved spending time in the incredibly creative Underworld. The writing and grammar were excellent; my only hangup was that the electronic version I received had some fairly noticeable formatting issues, but that's to be expected. I'll be waiting anxiously for the next installment in this saga!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2800280911?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This was such a fantastic fantasy. I loved pretty much everything; from the plot to the characters to the wordbuilding. The supernatural elements were fantastic and easily understandable. I was captivated and cannot wait to read the sequel!

I adored this book. The strong female lead was relatable and so brave. The love of family was a strong component. Battling demons of one’s own self and the battle of good versus evil. Fun to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seycia lives in a world where the afterlife isn't up for speculation. It is well known that in the Underworld there is a forest full of trees that house the souls of the dead before they move on to another life. There are a few exceptions to this(those who have sold their soul to the ruler of the underworld and sacrifices do not return to their trees) and as a sacrifice, Seycia takes it upon herself to journey through the Underworld to find and destroy the tree of the man responsible for her and her parents deaths.

Seycia is one of those characters who has her head on straight. She knows what she wants and is unwilling to compromise. She has good ideas and is not afraid to fight back when things aren't going her way. I wish the book had followed her story a bit more closely as I really liked her character and her growth through the book.

Along the way, Haben is her guide in the Underworld. She is sacrificed to him and as such has a connection with him that deepens as they journey to the forest. They meet many other characters along the way, but few of them are given enough depth to talk about. Haben has a wonderful and heartwrenching backstory that is revealed at the perfect time.

Seycia's little brother Miko is thrown into a revolution after the death of his sister. He is very Katniss Everdeen about it, only he doesn't actually possess(in my opinion) what it takes to be a Mockingjay caliber of a character. Perhaps this would change if there is to be a sequel.

Sadly, the rest of the pacing in this title left me a bit bored. The chapters could have been sorted differently to break up unnecessarily long ones while the shorter ones could often have been left out all together. The ending came at break neck speed and was forced to a conclusion. I almost wish there would have been a cliffhanger about 85% in and we could have gotten a fully finished thought in the next installment. I don't think I would find myself going back to this world for anyone but Haben. The premise might be enough to entice you in, but be willing to read other books along side it. I found myself diving into other books for a quicker pace in order to not put this one on my DNF shelf.

3.5/5 stars

The pacing of this is actually really nice! Not too fast but not too slow, so it felt like a nice balance. Even though there were parts that I personally didn't enjoy, mostly Miko not gonna lie, it was steady. The actual story and the events that take place were actually really fascinating and tense to read, some even borderline scary. Only main problem I had, which is actually a big problem, is that I couldn't connect to the characters. They just felt lackluster to me and didn't have any dimension to them. Didn't really care who they were, why they did what they did, and what their goals are. So when I reached the ending...I was pretty much meh about it.

Overall, good story and world events, but the characters are just not it. I'd 0robably still say to give it a shot though, but characters could definitely have more to them.

The writing flew quickly making it an incredibly fast read, but I found myself not as connected to the characters as one would hope. I think it was my lack of connection to the characters that made the tale feel a tad not immersive.

The fantasy elements really fit with the story and felt completely believable. The world building was nicely paced as well and did a great job of explaining without dragging. I cannot wait for book two!

I enjoyed the book and really liked it. Waiting to hear more from the author. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This read takes you on a thrilling journey about a post-apocalyptic Earth.

I absolutely loved the world building in this book and the style that the book was written in.

If you are a fan of fantasy, then this is a book for you. It's set in a post-apocalyptic Earth and features a coming of age story as well.

The book also has elements of the supernatural and romance so if you are a fan of any of those, this book will appeal to you.

The book is haunting and whimsical at the same time and action-packed and romantic at the same time so this will be able to appeal to a wide range of readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My highly anticipated books for 2019 have been bumming me out and then this guy shows up out of nowhere and completely blew me away!

“The Phantom Forest” drags us into the Underworld when a sacrifice manages to survive and finds herself face to face with a demon who feds on those sent to him by the General in order to maintain power. With her fall, Seycia fights to save her brother from a similar fate and restore order to a world that has succumbed to the darkness.

I took a chance on this book and I’m so glad I did it starts off with a bang and doesn’t let up the entire way through! The blending of different point of views was one of my favorite things as each character had their moment to shine and though this is a short book and rather quick read I feel as though we learned a lot about who these characters are and what each of their roles were in this world.

I adored the entire mythology around The Savage and how he came to be and what he wished to become. His struggle was one that was so well written because we had those moments of terror as well as those of understanding as we learn what happened to the world to make it what it is and the rewards and consequences of trying to protect or honor your family.

I’m not sure if there needed to be a romance element and I’m willing to ignore it especially as it’s so minimal but the dynamic between our two leads was one of my favorites because of how innocent it was despite the circumstances of their meeting and everything that followed and I can’t wait to see where it goes should the series continue!

This was such a great read and perfect for fans of Peadar Ó Guilín who may want a little more bite out of their books.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**