Chronicles of Narnia meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely!

This book started off incredibly dark and scary, so I thought it was going to be a more thriller esque book. It ended up being emotionally impactful as well as more magical than I expected. I want to keep this review spoiler free because I genuinely feel you need to go into this book with no expectations.

I was never prepared for where this story ended up twisting and turning along the way. I loved the world of Shannendoah, there honestly wasn’t enough of it and based on the way the book ended - I hope we get to see more of it.

There was also a beautiful, and yet again, unexpected love story in this novel that I won’t soon forget. Jeremy and Rafe’s relationship was probably one of the singularly best parts of this book.

If you’re looking for an emotional fairy tale esque fantasy novel to get lost in, this one’s for you!

Note: TW for parental abuse.

Meg Shaffer is going to become a go to author for me, I already adored “the wishing game” and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced read of The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer.

Bestselling author of The Wishing Game, Meg Shaffer has created a modern day fairy tale inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived… 15 years later, they are reunited to help another lost individual in those same woods.

I am not normally drawn to magical realism. However, I really enjoyed Shaffer's The Wishing Game and was so glad to have read this book as well. I am a fan of Meg Shaffer's writing and love how she weaves the fantastical plots, characters, and settings into the real world lives of her characters. These characters were so well developed that you couldn't help cheer for them, hurt with them, and root for their happiness. It was moving, gripping, and enchanting.

(There are several dark and sensitive themes, including abuse, homophobia, PTSD)

I may need read all the magical realism I come across, but I will read any of Meg Shaffer's future books. I rated this book 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.

What a charming and feel good story! This was my first novel by Meg Shaffer and I loved it. The writing is solid and descriptive and you are taken on a beautifully detailed story inspired by C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. Thank you to NetGalley and random House Ballantine Books for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. It's like the best parts of The Chronicles of Narnia meets the whimsy of House of Salt and Sorrows. I liked the story between Rafe and Jeremy. While the story starts off following Emily and her search for her missing sister, I was way more invested in the parts following the guys. It felt like their story was complete.

I am SO horribly disappointed in this book. I know that seems like an odd way to start a 3-star review, but for as much as I loved The Wishing Game, I had such high hopes for this one, but it really did miss the mark.

What I loved - the fantasy aspect of the story, and the lead up to it. Meg Shaffer has a way with making fantasy reality. The premise of this book just seems perfectly natural and acceptable. Two missing boys, gone for months, then suddenly reappear again with no reasonable explanation for where they were. Fifteen years later, it all becomes clear, and then the magic truly begins. There were a lot of C.S. Lewis comparisons in other reviews, but except for the obvious one, I really saw very little connection (granted, its been a very long time since I read that series). But the imagery and unfolding of a magical world, with good and evil, beauty and darkness, was simply spectacular. I wanted more of THAT.

I also read quite a few reviews that wanted less "real world" buildup and more fantasy. I actually liked the amount of backstory that came at the beginning of the book, so I wouldn't change that. I would have simply added more fantasy to then build THAT part of the story to the level it should have been.

And I'm a bit of an outlier in that I enjoyed the narrator (maybe because it interrupted other parts of the book that I didn't enjoy as much).

What I didn't love - the gay romance spin. It was clear that that was going to be a factor in the book fairly early on, but it really took a hard left turn and went further than I would have preferred. Fantasy/magic and LGBTQ romance are such polar opposite genres, it simply didn't work for me to combine the two, and it detracted from the fantasy aspect of the storyline.

I was also disappointed in the portrayal of the characters. For me, a book is ALL about its characters; without the characters its just a bunch of words. Whether I love or hate them, I need to feel something for them, and I didn't get that here. Emilie could have been quirky and fun; instead, she was just annoying and immature. I actually enjoyed Rafe and Jeremy's characters <u>separately</u>; together they seemed (again) immature and stereotypical. Shannon needed way more development and lead-in. Similarly, the dialogue between the characters struggled. It felt unnatural and contrived, like everyone was simply trying too hard to be witty and quotable.

Bottom line - I wish this book had stuck with one genre, built up the fantasy realm and spent more time creating characters that were more appropriate for an adult novel and less YA.

The Chronicles of Narnia for growups! I don't normally like sweet books, and this is a sweet book, but I enjoyed it and am glad I read it. Grab this when you need a balm for your soul.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is a mesmerizing journey that blends the beauty of storytelling with the enchantment of discovery. The novel beautifully explores the transformative power of art and storytelling. Jeremy and Rafe's connection is as touching as it is magical and watching their bond grow felt like witnessing something rare and precious.

By the end of The Lost Story, I was left with a sense of wonder and fulfillment. It’s a book that reminds us how stories can heal, connect, and even bring a bit of magic into our lives when we need it most. Meg Shaffer has crafted a narrative that’s as enchanting as it is heartwarming, and I’m certain this tale will linger in my thoughts for a long time to come.

P.S. I also want a pet unicorn now... so there's that.

Thank you, NetGalley, Meg Shaffer, and Ballantine Books | Random House, for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! I first read The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer and loved it. I knew this one was going to be just as good. I love how Meg takes an old story and puts a fresh twist on it.

The Lost Story is about how two best friends, Jeremy and Rafe, reappear after 6 months of being lost in the West Virginia State forest. Rafe goes back home and surrounds himself in his painting because he cannot remember anything from his time being lost. Meanwhile, Jeremy goes on to becoming a missing persons investigator, who has an uncanny talent for finding lost girls. When a girl named Emilie asks for help finding her lost sister, Jeremy knows the only way to find her is with Rafe's help. With Rafe on board to help find Emilie's sister, Jeremy and Rafe head back to the place they once went missing in to search for the lost girl. During their time in the forest, the truths of what happened to them fifteen years prior are revealed and they are faced with some hard decisions.

After reading this book I immediately wanted to watch The Chronicles of Narnia. Meg did such a fantastic job of retelling this classic.

An amazing Narnia inspired tale with mystery and intrigue. This book caught me off guard in the best of ways. It walks a fine like between reality and fantasy. It has a great plot where you will find yourself anxiously flipping the pages to get to the bottom of the mystery. I am going to keep this review short and sweet. If you love Narnia inspired tales you will also fall in love with this book. I enjoyed it so much and highly recommend giving it a go. It was a quick read for me that I finished in a few evenings after work. Please note the characters will stick with you for some time after the story ends. 4.5/5.

The Lost Story started out super promising from the synopsis to the first half of the story. However, by the back half of the story I, like many other readers, felt it really fell apart. The world building, while interesting, felt rushed whereas the lead up to actually getting to Shenandoah was paced better. I know this story was marketed as a fairy tale for adults but I couldn't engage with our adult characters as they felt still frozen in their 15-year old states. That said, I did think there were aspects of all the characters I enjoyed. I loved Emilie's fondness for Stevie Nicks + her fancy rat. Fitz. Jeremy + Rafe were good, respectable men. I just wished we could've seen them be good humans instead of stumbling around their feelings for one another. I'm not sure I'd pickup a sequel as the end potentially purports but I do appreciate getting the opportunity to read an ARC - thank you NetgGalley + Random House Publishing Group!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.25/ stars

The narrator and production quality - fantastic, and easy to listen to!

This was very cute and relaxing, though not a book I think I would reach for to read again. I personally struggle with the whole explanation of "who knows, magic!" as the reason a plot or story exists or works.....but the writing was good quality, the characters interesting, and the second-chance romance was adorable. I was fascinated but the "because magic" takes away the depth that I wanted....I do think cozy fantasy readers will enjoy this one (I love the genre!), it just didn't click for me as well as some others.

This book is written for those who loved The Book of Narnia and Lord of the Flies as kids. I used to love fantasy as a child, but as an adult, it's a genre I don't often read. I felt like the magic world was a bit much. It felt kind of elementary and didn't feel like an adult book. I wasn't very into this.

The Lost Story was everything I wanted it to be! I love the narrator's voice, and each of the characters were fun to read and spend time with. The magic doesn't make a ton of sense, but it doesn't need to. Some things would have more significant consequences if they took place in reality, but I'm not hung up too much on those. Comparing it to the Chronicles of Narnia feels right, although I don't think it has quite the same depth. It, fittingly, seems more like a young girl who loves C.S. Lewis writing her own Narnia, and in many ways that's exactly what it is. While the story has all the highs of magic, wonder, and adventure, it also explores the lows of abuse, loss, and grief. However, it's not a dark tale by any means, despite the horrific things that happen. This book is an ode to the power of love, real love, between parents and children, best friends, siblings, and soul mates to overcome adversity and find peace and healing together.

Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate (non-explicit child abuse, reference to sexual predators)
Drugs: None
Sex: Mild

This was a good story, it just didn’t hold my attention like I wanted it to, or rather hoped it would. The characters were well fleshed out and I could feel a connection with them.. The atmosphere and setting was descriptive enough that I was able to visualize how beautiful the scenery was. It was just the lull points in the story that lost me in between.

In a Nutshell: A portal fantasy loosely inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia. Interesting characters, clever plot. A nice mix of light and dark situations. The last quarter was a slight drag, but I mostly enjoyed this.

Plot Preview;
When they were fifteen, best friends Jeremy and Rafe went missing in a vast state forest in West Virginia. They mysteriously returned six months later, with no clue about what happened in the interim.
Fifteen years later, the friends are estranged. Rafe is a recluse, using his art to handle the trauma that he doesn’t remember. Jeremy is a famous missing person’s investigator.
When Emilie approaches Jeremy to locate her sister, who had gone missing two decades earlier in the same state forest, Jeremy realises that he needs to reunite with Rafe and return to the location that changed their lives. It is time for the secret of the Lost Boys to come out, no matter how painful the memories.
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of various key characters.

I had enjoyed this author’s debut novel, ‘The Wishing Game’, last year. So I had almost danced with excitement the day my request for this book was granted. Though the two books offer disparate plots and themes, my reading experience was almost the same.
This novel is loosely inspired by ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. The Narnia connection is somewhat thin, though a resemblance can be seen in a few character arcs and situations. Don’t expect a retelling; it’s not one and hasn’t been advertised as one.


Bookish Yays:
🔮 One of the best prologues I've ever read. Set 15 years before the main story and a perfect foundation to the main plot, exactly as prologues should be
🔮 The main trio of Emilie, Jeremy and Rafe. Loved their camaraderie, their almost ceaseless banter, their loyalty to the causes they have chosen, and their choices. Awesome characters for such a storyline.
(On an aside, I wonder if the author read the “Emily Wilde” series and decided to use a combination of the names of the two lead characters – Emily and Wendell – to create this adorable composite titled ‘Emilie Wendell’!)
🔮 There are several other secondary characters who, good or bad, leave a strong mark on the story. It was a great mix of human and ‘other’ characters.
🔮 A separate yay for Fritz! Though not in a speaking role, Fritz is very important to the story and is adorable. I’ll leave you to read the book to discover who Fritz is.
🔮 The plot has a larger-than-life feel to it, like a dramatic play we are watching on stage. It feels over the top in a positive way (almost like exaggerated stage acting that is still mesmerising.) I enjoyed the complex story with its myriad subplots.
🔮 The main plot is interrupted by interludes coming from an omniscient writer named “The Storyteller.’ I loved these sections! They have a perfect anecdotal feel. By breaking the fourth wall and speaking to us readers directly, these chapters made me feel more involved in the action. It was almost like listening to a live storytelling performance.
🔮 The story takes some time to get going – the initial 40% is just a build-up to the main adventure. But the content was so gripping and the characters so enjoyable that I didn’t mind the wait. Though slower in pace, the writing keeps things magical even in the real world.
🔮 I am never one to praise the appearance of romance in a non-romance genre, so when you see me listing it as a yay, know that I am very impressed at the way it went. (and not at all as I had assumed.) in fact, it wasn’t romance, but a love story, which might sound the same but is very different.
🔮 As a portal fantasy, the books fares wonderfully. Some of the fantastical content is bonkers and will require suspension of disbelief, but you shouldn’t apply logic to this genre anyway. I went with the flow and enjoyed myself thoroughly.; (It helps that I am not a Narnia superfan.)
🔮 The worldbuilding is good enough, with some of the magical elements getting more attention than others. The non-magical world - the mountains and scenes of West Virginia - is also beautifully described. It was very easy to visualise both the worlds.
🔮 The first three quarters of the book were fascinating in terms of characters and plot. However, the final quarter, though mesmerising in some ways, also included an unexpected twist. Thankfully, the twist is justified by the plot quite well. (Unlike in Shaffer’s debut novel, which also had a surprise twist at the end but which didn’t fit the need of the plot at all.)
🔮 The ending is more HFN than HEA, but it is perfect for the story as it doesn’t force in a neat tie-up of the pending threads, but allows us enough info to guess where things might lead next. I would be thrilled if this book gets a sequel in continuity. (The Chronicles of Narnia did have seven books, so who knows! 😉)
🔮 The author’s note – adorable!

Bookish Mixed Bags:
💫 Unlike Shaffer’s debut novel and despite the light-hearted banter, this book gets quite dark, not just in terms of the fantasy elements but also in some triggering content (which was well handled without being voyeuristic.) I did enjoy this mix to a great extent, but I wish it had been somewhat balanced. Most of the darkness is restricted to the second half.
💫 The characters, especially the male ones, read younger than their calendar ages. Then again, the earlier novel also was similarly twee in its main characters and situations, so I was better prepared for it this time around.

Bookish Nays:
💣 The final few chapters feel somewhat sluggish, almost as if the author didn’t want the novel to end. I wish these had been tightened as they brought down my overall satisfaction level.
💣 The spelling of ‘Shanandoah’ was a teeny bit annoying. The reason for why it was not ‘Shenandoah’ is clear in the plot, but why was it not ‘Shannondoah’? [You’ll understand this bullet point better if you have read the book.]

All in all, this was a mostly entertaining novel, though a bit too sugary-sweet at times. I enjoyed almost the entire ride, and had the final quarter got its act together better, this would have rated even higher for me.
If you are a fan of ‘The Wishing Game’, it is better that you not compare the two books. The first novel was a bit too cosy, while this contains much more darkness, grief and trauma. There are plenty of easy moments also, but it isn’t as overly saccharine.
Definitely recommended to those who enjoy portal fantasies, loveable characters, whimsical storylines, and a found-family trope. If you are someone who wants instant action and a fast-moving storytelling, keep some patience at the start, because the journey is worth it. In this world of instant gratification, such books help us remember that all good things come to those who wait.
Do check out the triggers online – there are quite a few.
4.25 stars.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for providing the DRC of “The Lost Story” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

While I do love magical realism, The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer was just not for me. Essentially, three characters find themselves in a real-life children’s fantasy similar to The Chronicles of Nardia. I was never a fan of these books, so it was hard for me to really connect with the story. It didn’t help that the author tried to create an epic story in 350 pages. Especially since she tried to also add dark themes, such as child abuse, mental illness, and kidnapping.

Without giving away the story, I was anticipating a different ending to the book . . . perhaps grounding it a bit more. But, I think the author wanted us to buy into the full story line, but without the big “chronicle” that we needed to invest in the characters and the fantasy.

First of all, this book had immaculate vibes. Whimsy, fairytale, adventurous… my kind of book.
It was charming and cute, and I enjoyed the “Storytellers corner” around each and every bend. The characters were sweet and emotions were big.
It wasn’t the traditional hero’s journey I expected, which I still can’t tell if I liked or disliked. But all in all, very enjoyable. Makes me want to read more from this author!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely loved this book! Meg Shaffer does it again! Who doesn’t want to be transported to another world. This book does such a great job of making you live in another world while also knowing the struggles of real world life. The road blocks that they still encounter in the fantasy land shows you that even in your dream world life still happens and not everything can be a fairy tale. 100/10 recommend!

Thank you publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed the story, but not as much as I thought I would. The story read YA that I checked and was surprised that it’s not. Overall, I liked the romance it was cute. But that's about it.

Ok this is seriously one of my new favorite books ever. It's beautifully enchanting. Prepare to be completely submerged in a grown up fairy tale. The world building and character development is superb! Meg Shaffer did it again! Her other book " The Wishing Game" is soooo good too. So glad to have found such a talented story teller.