***I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***


3.5 to 3.75 stars.

This was... hm I don't really know what to think of it.

I did really like the beginning. The setting is dark and athmospheric which I always like. And it was a much more haunting take on the original fairy tale and Hänsel and Gretel (and as the fairy tale is already quite dark and shocking this was well done!). I also liked Hand and Greta as the main characters.

Toward the middle though I had some problems with the book. The pacing felt odd, somehow the story progressed super slow and it seemed like the same things were happening over and over again. [Like, Hans would have dreams or visions of the Shrike then almost fall into her hands and Greta would be there in the last second to save him. Or Hans would run off again and Greta would be dumb enough to follow him again. I mean sure he is her brother, her twin and everything she has left, but the way Hans treated her so badly, would never listen to her and kind of gave her the feeling that she is just a useless woman how needs to be told what to do? This didn't sit well with me. Barin was just so much more thoughtful and caring and he really respected Greta while her own twin brother apparently couldn't do this. This just didn't sit well with me. (hide spoiler)]

In the beginning I really liked Hans and Greta and the trusting and respecting relationship they seemed to have, but after this change I grew more and more annoyed at Greta and more and more angry and frustrated at Hans.

[And in the end it didn't even matter, right? Like, Greta couldn't save Hans. She had to leave him behind anyway. And then there was a pacing issue again. While the middle part was so slow that I wished something more and something different would happen, the final part felt too quick. It could have been a bit prolongued in that part. While they wandered around and escaped and wandered around and escaped some more in the middle, in the end the Shrike just took Hans and then there was a short fight and then they ran away and Hans was lost and apparently there wasn't even any hope, because Hans was lost from the start. From the first moment he saw the Shrike. It was just so confusing. And then the Epilogue in which apperently Greta and Barin lived together for a while already and she had returning nightmares and Hans was calling for her? (hide spoiler)]

Like, right now I am just super confused... but I did really like the setting and atmosphere and the turn this retelling had. Also the plot twist concerning the Shrike was good! And I liked Barin. He was probably my favourite character and I loved the chapters that were written from his perspective!! Though I wish there was a bit more slow burning between him and Greta!

To start off, a quick content warning: Although I have seen this shelved with YA, the content is very mature. A parent with a precocious tween would probably want to steer their child towards a more appropriate book. This is an intense piece of dark fantasy fiction, probably more at home in the horror genre than any other.

I recently attended a spec fic convention where a group of authors discussed the differences between urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror. One panelist summed it up nicely: in horror, the protagonists are trying to survive something. In other forms of fantasy, the protagonists are trying to defeat something, often to save someone. The Shrike and the Shadows is much more the former.

This is a dark retelling of the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel. Only in this version, they're young adults named Hans and Greta. It's a point that I had to remind myself of a few times, because Greta often struck me as a thirteen or fourteen-year-old. The dynamic between her and Hans reminded me of a teenager stuck at home with a good-for-nothing parent; she can't set out on her own yet, but at the same time, she often has to remind Hans about the basic principles of being responsible. Hans wants to sleep around; Greta tells him this is going to end badly. She doesn't seem able to break away from him, and she's unwilling or unable to leave him to his own devices and consequences.

Their shaky relationship is further disrupted when a monster who has an eye for all the men in the town sets her sights on Hans next. A series of disastrous events leaves Hans and Greta exiled from their home and wandering the woods where the monster (the Shrike) dwells. Trying to make it through to safety with the heart-stealing creature always at their heels is a task neither of them are prepared for. Although Greta talks about saving Hans from the Shrike's spell, at the end of the day, she's mostly trying to survive right along with him. There's not as much character development with Greta as I was hoping for. Her character judgment is impeccable from the start; if she thinks someone's bad, they definitely are, even if everyone else thinks otherwise. Conversely, if she thinks someone's good, they definitely are, even if no one else thinks so. Same goes for whether or not any given course of action is a wise idea. Basically, Greta is the character who tells everyone else not to open the door to the creepy basement. There's few flaws in her, except perhaps for some cowardice that never really gets resolved in a satisfying way, at least not in this book. I reserve judgment on that for future installments.

As for the dark fantasy element of this novel, it's got that in spades. There are scenes that will leave readers squirming in their seats. The narration never pulls any punches, and if that's the type of mood you're in, this book will deliver. It really does become an older version of Hansel and Gretel, with escape from the woods being the only goal, and Greta pulling along an often unwilling companion in hopes that they will just survive one more night.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I went into this story expecting just another retold version of the classic fairy tale. Boy was I suprised! I'm a horror reader by heart and this made my dark heart very happy. Very creepy indeed and will definitely recommend.

This is a dark, more grown up version of Hansel and Gretel. Not that the original fairy tale was light, but this retelling has it's own set of dark themes. That being said, I really enjoyed this read and can't wait for the sequel. I'm hoping this eventually has a happy ending.

3.5 Stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Mixed feelings on this one. I liked that it was creepy with supernatural/paranormal twists. I liked the idea of updating the Hansel and Gretel story. I liked the all of the plot twists and surprises.

On the other hand, I did not like how it dragged the majority of the time. Too much descriptive content that wasn’t necessary, unneeded conversations and nightmares (they were creepy and made me think I would have nightmares, but were they needed?). Also, totally unrealistic romantic relationship. Greta fall for the first male she finds outside of her village. And he’s probably way too old for her? Immortal, sure, that really doesn’t make it better for me though. It’s still creepy and unrealistic. Lastly, the epilogue basically says there will be another book. After all that, I’m not really up for a sequel. What else can be gleaned from this story line? Just put it all in one book and let’s be done with it.

Creepy, creepy, creepy. I was very unsettled by this book, and I mean that in a good way. I feel like I’ve become desensitized to spooky things and horror stories don’t get my heart racing like I wish they did. Color me pleasantly surprised when I walked away from this book feeling very ill at ease. The descriptions of the Shrike and the horror brought on by it were great. Although I wasn’t particularly fond of any of the characters (aside from Brugg - RIP), the atmosphere the author created left me hooked, and I was ultimately really happy with this book! I would definitely recommend to others, especially my horror-loving friends.

A dark and adult themed version of a childhood classic fairy tale.

If you are anything like me, you might have fallen in love with these stories and fairy tales in your younger years.. There is a ton of nostalgia looking back on the stories that helped shape my imagination and love of reading. I am a sucker for a new version and I couldn't wait to jump into this one when I was honored with an advanced copy.

It is definitely an adult version of the story and probably not a great fit for all ages.

The author did a wonderful job with the setting but just like Hans and Greta getting lost in the woods, I began to get lost with the story. After the twins were cast out of the village, the story isn't as substantive and there seemed to be several scenes thrown in that were not purposefully building the story.

It was difficult to tell if the impact of the Shrike and the woods, on Hans was intensifying or if it stayed the same. Was he delving deeper into the darkness or was he being pulled back to health by Greta. It felt as though we were missing more of Hans perspective.

I loved the story of how the Shrike came to be. In my opinion, that story told through the eyes of the woodsman was the most powerful section of the book. It seems as though this is part 1 and I am interested in continuing the journey to see if the author is able to develop the story through the perspective of the Shrike for depth.

The potential for a memorable tale is there but I feel like this book, on its own, missed the mark. Maybe in book 2 the of the real depth of the story will unfold

I loved this book .
A beautiful retelling of Hansel and gretel .
The shriek is a ancient witch stealing the young men and boys hearts of the village . Come Morning the hearts are found on doorsteps .
This story is full of mystery and suspense but also full of everyday relatable struggles.
Beautiful cover and writing style

This was an interesting retelling, but it unfortunately felt flat for me. Hans was I character I just COULD NOT STAND! He was very much an asshole with very few redeeming qualities. All he did was make me feel disturbed and question as to why Greta goes so far over her limits for him. While Great was a great character, her relationship with Hans only makes me constantly question her thought process and goals. The story itself was fine, but it did feel to drag many times.

I'm a sucker for a fairytale retelling. When I saw this one I was excited, Because anything involving witches prowling dark forests calls to my twisted soul.
The story was interesting and the shrike was a clever alternative for the witch we're familiar with from Hansel and Gretel. But don't expect to find a gingerbread house here. The allure used in this novel is not sweets but sex and seduction. And like a serial killer leaving their calling card, the shrike will graciously gift grieving families, their loved ones hearts. A neat concept that was mostly well excuted. Well worth the read.

An interesting premise and good mood setting, but I did have some issues with it.
Firstly when I read it I got confused about how old the siblings are. They're described as children, but they're actually young adults already.
I really hated Hans' guts and couldn't for the life of me understand why Greta loved her brother so much and why she did everything for him.
The Shrike itself was an interesting idea, but altogether I can't give it more than 2.5 stars.

Without doubt, this was one of the best dark re-telling I've ever read. The Shrike & The Shadows is story with incredible atmosphere, great (and a little predictable) plot and not so bad characters.

Main characters of this book are Greta and Hans, twins, who lost their entirely family, except for themselves. And their life isn't easy. They live in a cursed village. Everybody fears Shrike, also known as witch from woods, who kills man a takes their hearts. But one day, everything changes. Hans and Greta have no choice but to leave their home and try to survive in dark, deep woods.

Personalities of main characters are... well, bad. I can't say that I was fond of them. I hated Hans, his moods and how he treated his sister, but I also didn't like Greta's naive character.

Writing was good, and to be honest, I enjoyed almost every page in this story. I especially loved all those dark, chilly and creepy scenes with Shrike.

So, if you're looking for a really good and dark re-telling, The Shrike & The Shadows should be definitely on your TBR list!

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for sending me this ARC!

This was a perfectly okay book. I love dark and twisty adult fairy tales so this book is right up my alley. I just found it a little bland/flat, there was nothing that really grabbed me, no spark to really make the book stand out. I think if you have not read a lot of adult fairytale retellings you will enjoy this more.

The story was compelling and I loved how there was an evil woods with an evil witch. The imagery was vivid and I could picture everything clearly. Towards the middle of the story I found that Hans was annoying and I didn’t like him very much. He was too much of a player and took away the only friend that Greta had in their village and told lies to his lovers about her that made her even more of an outcast than the other villagers thought at first. He never thought about the consequences of his actions and I wasn’t sorry that he was taken by the Shrike. Greta I found to be too emotional and needed to grow a back bone. She cared too much about what other people thought of her, which made her close off to the world. I think her time in the forest made her grow a little as a person especially after meeting Barin. I did think Hans and Greta’s relationship was too codependent on each other. Barin was the only character that I liked.

Thankyou Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange of an honest review.

First of all I would like to warn you it's an adult book..It has lots of sexual assault..

I love fairytale re-tellings and that's the only reason I requested this book as it's a retelling of Hansel and Gretel.. That's one of fairytale which my mom used to tell me in my childhood..and when I saw this is a retelling I jumped to request for this book. Although the cover is so beautiful but to be honest this book was a disappointment to me.. It was very slow paced and I was getting disconnected at several parts.. There are several retellings of Hansel and Gretel and this one is really different from the others..

Hans and his twin sister Greta were orphaned when they were young and they have been stuck in a small village, Krume which is plagued by a witch commonly known as Shrike. Shrike takes men and boys (night time) for herself and leaves their hearts at the doorsteps..(I don't know why she leave heart though).. She always wanted to take Hans..But Greta loves her brother so much that she always saved him.(Why ..?? Why..?? Do you think Hans a good man Greta😡😡) To be honest I hate Hans .. Shrike doesn't let Hans go and so she tries to do whatever she can .. As she attacked Krume the villagers thought it was Greta and so they lash out and accuse Greta for whatever happened to them and Hans, Greta and their friend had to go into forest leaving the village.

I was expecting a dark fantasy with witchcraft and magic filled, a dark forest with lots of problems they gonna face.. But it was a disappointment to me.. And there's an instant love affair which I didn't understand why..?? Okay some may have enjoyed it but I felt it as not my cup of tea .. And I have problems with the writing too..Some phrases used.. Feeling like that wasn't the correct word to use.. Anyway there are lot many things that was frustrating for me ..I was planning to dnf this but somehow I finished..I am pretty sure I am not gonna pick the next book of this series.. This is my honest opinion..And if you ask me I wouldn't recommend this book unless if you are okay to read some sexual assault..

I am rating ⭐⭐🌠

Special thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

I had a feeling this book would be right up my alley, and it was!

My first impression as I dove into it was that it gave off the vibe of the show Salem... but crossed with the tale of Hansel and Gretel.
Except this story was nothing like the traditional tale, it was definitely its own creation.

Hansel and Gretel have had to manage life on their own since the death of their father. Hansel spends much of his time in the village bar or in the company of females, while Gretel has taken on the responsibilities.

The village of Krume isn’t a safe place for families. For many years it’s been tormented by evil. There is a danger that emerges from the woods, a Shrike, sent out to hunt by the witch of the woods.
(According to the intro; a Shrike is a type of bird with a strong, hooked and toothed bill that impale their prey on thorns or suspend it from branches to tear it apart more easily, and are said to kill more than is necessary to eat.)

Nobody knows when it will strike, but there’s no doubt who its prey is: males. The shrike is kind enough to leave a token of appreciation on the doorstep for the family of its victims to find: the victim’s heart.

When the witch sets her sights on Hansel and Gretel interrupts the attempt, the witch sets her wrath on the village. When the reverend sees Hansel spared during the attack, he declares Gretel to be the witch behind it all and they are left with no choice but to flee into the very woods where the witch presides, also the woods that took their mother’s life-violently.
If they can make it through the woods, they might find solace in the next village over.

That’s a big IF.
The witch is tricky and manipulative, she will stop at nothing to get what she wants: Hansel.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the atmosphere, and I especially appreciated that the form of writing FELT like an old fairytale throughout.

I do have to say that I think it has a lull in the middle to end that seems to slow it down a bit in pacing, and I personally felt that some of the scenes at the end were more distracting than anything, (personal opinion!) but I loved all the tricks the witch threw at them, and the ending was GREAT!

I will definitely be recommending this one, and I hope there will be more installments to be read in the future, too!!

I will be featuring this on my platforms within the next few days!

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Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy to review!

4.5 rounded up to 5.

Dark fantasy retelling of Hansel & Gretel, lots of adult content so this is not a YA book!

My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit too sudden for me and that there isn't really a resolution. Yeah it is a series, but I would have liked even a minor resolution and not have it so open ended.

For a book with a monster that kills men when they're alone, Hans really does go off by himself A LOT and then wonder how he got in those situations. He's a lustful and easily aggravated 19 year old, which is pretty accurate for most 19 year old men.

I don't have tons to say just because I did just enjoy everything I read. It was a good experience and I need the second book like right now. I basically was rushing to read the last 20% just because I needed to know what was going to happen, so I was definitely sucked into the story. I love the worldbuilding and I like the use of POVs.

Going into this book I was expecting a lusciously dark retelling of Hansel and Gretel. I wanted magic, a scary witch hunting them and to feel the terror of being chased through the strange forest. Instead I got a barely present antagonist, a form of insta-love and the two blandest main characters ever. This book was sadly a huge disappointment.

The thing I wanted the most of out this book was the dark, eerie atmosphere of a witch stealing away men and returning their hearts afterwards. The promise of a strange forest that would be terrifying, both to the twins and to me as a reader. The sad thing is that I got none of this. The antagonist, this scary witch, was barely present in the story at least. Characters kept talking about the witch, there were a million references to her and what she could do, or what she might be doing, but she was never properly present to actually spread terror and darkness. After a while, hearing about her became a bore. I just knew she would never actually show up. It was like the book was making sure I knew this witch was of little consequence, she wouldn’t have much say.

The next thing is that the romance in the book was cringe-worthy and annoying. There was no reason for this insta-love to happen, and I kept being put off by the way they acted around each other and how they kept saying that they were the same and understood each other like nobody ever had understood them before. Like, spare me. You’ve known each other for less than a week.

I did really enjoy this book for the first ~40%, before the romance had been introduced and when the witch was still a looming threat. I love fairytale re-tellings and I initially loved this take on Hansel and Gretel. But sadly I have to give this book a 2-star rating. I was just too put off by the romance and the lack of drive in the plot to be interested in the story. If I had been the person to DNF books, this would have been an easy DNF. I will not be reading the sequel.

This is a very dark retelling of Hansel & Gretal! Even though I believe it’s marketed as a Young Adult book, I would say it’s more New Adult or Adult. The content covered within is very somber in spite of the genre.

Hans and his twin sister Greta were orphaned when young and have stuck by one another in their small village. Through flashbacks (that can be a little confusing) the author tells the tale of their mother being killed in the forest, their father dying and the way that the village has come to think of the two of them as “unusual”.

When Hans breaks off his relationship with a lover, she begins to talk about how Greta is a witch and is controlling Hans. The rumors have appeared at the same time as the Shrike has begun killing locals men again! Hearts left on doorsteps are the calling card of the creature that lives in the forest and takes only men from the village. You can see where this is head! It’s a collision course for Greta with the villagers!

There are some truly disturbing images/moments in this story so kudos to the author for such frightening writing. The novel could use some editing, but as I read an ARC I’m not sure if it’s in its final format.

4 out of 5 stars.

It took me a minute to get into this book, but when I did, I was completely hooked.

Hans and Greta are twins who live in the woods. Their mother died a violent death, and their father recently passed away. Rumors surround them. Hans is no help, bedding the local girls and whispering falsities in their ears while Greta remains a near recluse.

The woods are also a-swirl with rumors and legends, tales of the Shrike - a witch who murders males and steals their hearts.

When the Shrike comes for Hans, Greta does what she can to save her brother, but in doing so makes the Shrike angry.

This was an amazing book, but I feel it could have been so much better. The ending felt like the author got tired of trying to figure out a suitable ending and just wrote one real quick. Even if it had been elaborated, it would have been better. But there was an abrupt change, and then a short epilogue, and I kind of feel cheated.