Wow! This book was stunning. I didn’t even know that I needed this kind of magic in my life! And the narration was so well done!

A continuation of the well known Hansel and Gretel fairytale that shows what happened After the Forest.

For me, this book had so much going for it. The cozy magic, a superstitious town looking to blame things on witches, and a tender romance. I immediately was rooting for Greta, who in many ways raised herself after her and Hans escaped from the witch. I do wish there was more character development for Greta, but I also found it fitting that she is quietly brave.

Hansel & Gretel all grown up but with a bit more magic sprinkled in. Such a fun concept that I was so excited to read, but I struggled until about the halfway point. The twists towards the end were great but the beginning felt wordier than needed to me.

Many thanks to my friends at @torbooks and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.

On a dark and dreary fall weekend… not in a forest… no, in a regular house in a regular neighborhood, I found myself easily immersed in the enchanting continuation of a childhood fairytale.

The premise for After the Forest captivated me from the start. Just what happened to Hansel and Gretel after they escaped the witch?

According to this debut, Hans and Greta were forever changed, missing out on their happily ever after as the town held them at arm’s length, always wary and suspicious.

Woods delivered a magical tale that lured me in. With a bit of mystery, a dabble of romance, and a lush atmosphere, this was an impressive debut.

However, I did wish for more depth to the characters. They came across a bit flat, lacking in substance and complexity. This was especially apparent in the deeply flawed ones.

Still, this fairytale continuation provided a magical escape that I thoroughly enjoyed and was perfect for the season.

🎧 The narration by Esther Wane was full of magic and well executed. BUT. I was surprised that a story set in Germany didn’t have a German narrator. It felt a bit odd to listen to a British accent while imagining the Black Forest.

After the Forest, is a interesting reimagining/continuation of Hansel and Gretel. Set 20 years after the events of Hansel and Gretel, Greta and Hans are still in way dealing with the aftermath of their abandonment by their father and being held in captivity by a witch who intended to eat them. When Greta find herself doing her best to enough money to pay off gambling debts Hans has incurred, she uses a magical talking book she stole from the witches burning home to make ginger bread, in spite of her childhood friend telling her its a horrible idea. After another person is found dead in the forest Greta finds herself involved with shape shifters, a cursed bear, and magic users both good and evil.

To start off with this book has a very slow start, for me the book really didn't start to hit its stride until about 30% of the way in. Once the book hits its stride I found it very hard to put down, I enjoyed watching the dynamics between the characters unfold and the small snippets from snow white at the beginning of each chapter, by the time you get to the end of the book I think it ties so well into what's going on and the eventual climax of the story. The romance was there, it wasn't overwhelming but it also wasn't anything I found super special. I did really love the ending and I thought it was super well done.

Couldn't connect with writing, story, or characters.

Overall not for me.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Kell Woods, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Wow. Just Wow. After the Forest is Kell Woods’ fantasy debut and I am absolutely floored by this enchanting book!

I think I fell in love with this book early on, when Greta is called a witch because she has red hair, and red hair is the sign of the devil.

I was absolutely captivated by this story - a Hansel and Gretel retelling, except its 20 years after the witch in the gingerbread house deep in the woods. I must be subconsciously drawn to books with glorious descriptions of food, because I could smell the gingerbread while I listened to the audiobook of After the Forest on my commute to work every morning.

This was a bewitching book (pun intended). Definitely go into this one as blind as possible!

I love a good retelling and refreshing of a fairytale. This new take on Hansel and Gretal was a great idea, and mostly successful. I struggled at times with the slow pace of the plot, but the narrator did a great job bringing me back into the story. For a debut novel, I think this was a really nice twisted tale.

The concept of a "Hansel and Gretel" retelling, but more so a continuation of the classic tale, with a time jump of a few decades is compelling and what drew me to this read! The narrator of the audiobook had a very pleasing tone and added to the characters in a unique way.
This is a read for people who enjoy predictable plots. A world to be lost in and get the chance to look around in awe. The grimdark themes felt sprinkled throughout, bringing attention to the harm of animals which felt appropriate just not as developed as Greta's desire to bake gingerbreads.
The story progession felt drawn out in spaces that were not engaging. I feel this would have been fine if more attention was paid to the side arcs of supporting characters. The book does pay great homage to the harshness of winter.
Greta, is not as courageous as you would expect from a fairytale heroine, and does not seem to develop much throughout the story. If I am reading a retelling I am hopeful to have a sense of growth through time for the MCs (whether its downward or upward)...yes Hans I'm looking at you.
Overall for a debut book, there are aspects Wood executes with passion and tact and I look forward to see how their works improve in the future.

Much gratitude to NetGalley, TOR Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced Audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Wow!

A wonderful continuation of a childhood fairy tale we have all heard.

This story is so enjoyable and interesting that I rushed to find out what was happening after every event twist.

It was an imaginative story of stuggle, betrayal, hysteria and evil. There was also hope and love mixed with both good and evil magics.

One of my favourite fantacy reads of the year.

A captivating update on what happened to Hansel and Gretel after they escaped the house in the forest. This is twenty years later. Magical, romantic and possibly not what you are expecting, but in a good way. Highly recommend the audio version as the narration adds to the story.

This story was interesting and the characters were compelling enough, but it just didn't catch me somehow. I'm not certain what my struggle was but nothing about it grabbed me. After my initial read of 4 or 5 chapters I just couldn't convince myself to pick it back up. It might be that I just wasn't really in the mood for the darker vibe, but ultimately it was just not for me at this time.

✨ Review ✨ After the Forest by Kell Woods; Narrated by Esther Wane

In a great fantasy debut, Kell Woods provides a retelling of the story of Hansel & Gretel, 20 years after they stumbled upon the gingerbread house. Now Greta is frantically baking gingerbread for an upcoming festival to try to save their house after Hansel gambled away even more money he doesn't have. As Greta tries to keep their home safe, she stumbles upon a variety of magic forms (bears and wolves and witches) as she seeks to find her own place in this world.

I really loved the romance elements of this as well as the magic, and the creation a rich and lush woods / town environment was fantastic! The book is a slow burn, really building up to the action, but then when the action came, the book slowed for me. The final 2-3 hours felt almost like a different book, and while I was engaged, I wanted more of the feelings the majority of the book brought me.

I would have loved even more magic from the book I think - I loved Mira and Rob, the grimoire witch had me laughing out loud in places, and there was just such a richness to this book. I can't wait to read more of Woods writing!

I really enjoyed the audio narration but found the British accent in a German place a surprise.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: fantasy, fairy tale retelling, some romance
Setting: the woods of Germany (before it was Germany)
Reminds me of: Hansel & Gretel, Snow White
Pub Date: 03 Oct 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ fairy tale retellings
⭕️ people in nature
⭕️ strong women & magic

Thanks to Tor, Macmillan Audio and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!

I really really enjoyed this! Maybe it is because i am german and loved the fairytale aspect of the story or maybe it just really hit the spot. Either way i think the story was perfectly balanced in all the different aspects to make it flow wonderfully and be super captivating.

A great modern reimagining of what would possibly happen to Hansel and Gretal (Hans and Greta). If you love folklore and fairytale retellings that take the bare bones of a story and mold it into a completely new world, tis is the story for you.

What an amazing debut! When I saw the description for this book, I was intrigued and it didn’t take long for me to get hooked once I started reading. I feel like this is the Hansel and Gretel story that I didn’t know that I needed. I had never considered what might have happened to these two characters after escaping the witch’s gingerbread home. I was quickly invested in this story and couldn’t wait to see what the future might hold for Greta and her brother, Hans.

Greta was a wonderful character who I liked right away. She seemed to have a good heart and I felt bad that she was put in difficult situations by the actions of others. She does use a magical book that once belonged to the witch who wanted to eat her and her brother years before to make her gingerbread but is careful so that she will not be labeled a witch. The book took several turns that I didn’t expect and I love the magic of the story. I thought that the romance added a nice element to an already delightful story.

I listened to the audiobook and thought Esther Wane did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life. I thought that she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading which added some depth to her reading. I liked the voices that she used to help bring each of the characters to life. I will not hesitate to recommend this entertaining story to others. I cannot wait to see what Kell Woods comes up with next!

I received a review copy of this book from Macmillan Audio and Tor Books.

The book is so well crafted. I love everything about it. The narrator does such a lovely job of creating tension. Highly recommend.

Magical! A brilliant weaving of fairytales.

What happened to Hansel and Gretel after the witch burned? Things haven't been easy and Hans is only making things harder as Greta fights for their family. She uses her skills as a baker, with the help of the witch's magical book, to fulfill her family's debts until more complicated concerns arise.

The audiobook is as gorgeously narrated as the book is written.

Hansel and Gretel, but with a “where are they now” take on it. I really enjoyed this. I thought it gave a loyal refresh to the original but also was entirely its own story.

I found that the pacing was really perfect for me with a good blend of plot and character development.

I have zero criticisms for this book.

After the Forest by Kell Woods is an interesting fairytale retelling of Hansel and Gretel and a wonderful debut novel. This book was so much more than a typical fairytale retelling. It tells the story of what happens after, hence the title. I really enjoyed the author's writing style. The prose was descriptive and flowing. Being able to visualize the setting really helped keep me captivated by the story. I think the only negative I found in this book was how descriptive the animal cruelty was. So check trigger warnings before picking this up, but otherwise I highly recommend for fairytale retelling fans.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this alc in exchange for an honest review.

What an enchanting read! I decided to request the audiobook from Netgalley after seeing posts predicting it will be Illumicrate's October selection. I like fairytale retellings, but I must admit that I wasn't sure if Hansel and Gretel was one that would hold my attention. But this book is a whole afterstory of the lives of Hans and Greta as young adults, coping with their childhood trauma and economic hardship in their rural village struggling with the aftermath of war. This was a dark and compelling storyline I wasn't necessarily expecting, and I was pleased to find myself drawn in.

💚What I loved💚

🦊Creative premise and storytelling that entwines multiple fairytales.
🌲 The writing style is gorgeous and elegant.
🐻The setting made me feel I was immersed in this magical woodland.
🌳The audiobook narration by Esther Wane was on point! Melodic and captivating.
🐺 That gorgeous cover and esthetic

⚠️Some cautions⚠️
🗡 Violence against animals - essential to the story but be aware before you dive in because there are some gruesome scenes.
🧙‍♀️ There are some feminist themes but would have enjoyed if it was more subversive.
😋You will be hungry and craving gingerbread!

Definitely recommend for fans of fairytale retellings and fantasy!