4/5 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. The Deathly Grimm is book two in The Forest Grimm duology. This is book is releasing March 25, 2025. Thank you to Kathryn Purdue and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I've loved this duology. The Forest is still holding on to it's magic as Clara and Axel work to find the tokens of those who are Lost. Clara can try to see parts of their past and find information about the future by having visions, but she doesn't have control over it. Yet.

As they venture into the forest to save their friends and break the curse, they find and befriend a frog who used to be a villager. But soon they will find out what kind of friend he will be. Bringing more of the original Grimm fairy tales to life, Clara and Axel race time to break a curse and save them all.

This solid sequel to (second half of) the Forest Grimm sees Clara and Axel continuing to work to untangle the curse around their village. Even though a few of the villagers have been reclaimed from the forest, most are still missing and the curse still holds most of the forest in its grasp. They need to untangle the mystery of who stole the book in the first place to finally get their Happily Ever After.

The worldbuilding and characters remain solid and the plot is both nicely twisty and at times personal to the main characters. The fairy tales themselves remain familiar but in a dark, deadly way that echoes back to the origin of fairy tales rather than the sanitized versions we tel today. All in all, a great book.

This was one of my most highly anticipated sequels this year and I was NOT disappointed! It was great to dive back into Purdie's eerie world and continue on Axel and Clara's adventure. I can't wait to see what's next.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Deadly Grimm is a captivating sequel to Forest Grimm, continuing the eerie and enchanting tale of Clara and Axel as they journey back into the forest to break a dark curse that grips their village. The book maintains a tense, mysterious atmosphere throughout, though there's a brief lull in the middle as Clara struggles with her ability to see visions. This slower pace is essential for deepening both the characters' development and the unraveling of the curse. The story culminates in a satisfying conclusion that ties everything together.

One of the standout elements of the duology is the author's skillful integration of Grimm’s fairy tales, blending familiar and twisted elements into the plot to enhance the atmosphere. This thoughtful use of folklore breathes new life into classic myths.

Overall, The Deadly Grimm is a beautifully written, immersive conclusion to the duology, full of heart, mystery, and magic. Fans of the first book will find this sequel highly rewarding and satisfying.

These pages take off after a little time has passed from the end of the first read...or so I'm getting that vibe. Since I didn't read the first one in the duology, I can't say for sure. While I am missing out on a few background occurrences, which would no doubt help know the characters and such a bit better, it wasn't too hard to sink into this one right away and get caught up into the story.

We meet Clara as the villagers are falling into panic since individuals have begun to go missing in the forest. Supposedly, the problem was somewhat taken care of with the book and the wish, but it seems to have only worked halfway, which isn't enough. Determined to correct the situation, Clara heads back into the forest with Axel to find a way to end the curse once and for all, but the forest is deadlier than ever. They face deadly situations, one after the other, as the ability to save the village fades with the realization that they may not survive that long.

This is a rich, dark world with high-stakes, tense moments, sweet romance, and a line-up of splintered fairytales. Fairytale knowers will enjoy that different, dangerous takes on the familiar characters Clara and Axel come up against. It's very imaginative, magically enticing, and holds more than a few surprises. While the romance is sweet and doesn't take over the tale (and stays age appropriate), the dark tones hit with the stakes and dangerous scenes. It's not for sensitive readers but will thrill those who dab their fingers into gothic fiction.

It's a grabbing read most of the way through, and it's hard no to root for Clara and Axel as they struggle their way through in hopes of finally finding an end to the problem. This wasn't quite as fast-paced, though, as it might have been and does slow down at times. While this gives readers moments to sink into the characters, relationships, and emotions, it had the action girl in me skimming here and there. Still, it's a rich read with tons to enjoy.

I loved the first book, especially the budding romance between Axel and Clara and all the twisted fairy tales.

The sequel however, fell a bit flat. It started out strong, with Axel and Clara going back into the forest to save their villiage. However, it starts to drag at that point, as they seem to wander in the forest for quite some time without much happening.

For me this book was decent, but not as enjoyable as the first book.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

*this will have some spoilers from the 1st book, proceed at your own risk. If you love Burton’s Sleepy Hollow & a mix of Disney/Grimm’s fairytales, you should read this duology* I was super excited for the 2nd book in this duology. I loved the 1st, it was dark with an interesting spin on fairytales & I had gone into it unsure what to expect. We pick up almost right where we left off in the 1st, the dark fairytale forest setting is back for round 2, but with a murder mystery & a ticking clock thrown in; now Clara & Axel must reenter the forest & will either completely break or seal the curse on Grimm’s Hollow. Kathryn brings a new twist to different tales this time around, while keeping true to the foreboding feel of the forest, of not knowing what’s coming, & keeping readers on the edge of their seat for the next dark twist. I appreciate that she’s not afraid to include death in the story, it’s never a case of ‘& they saved ALL the villagers & everyone lived happily ever after!’
I loved being back in a story with Clara & Axel, but there was a lot of tension with them this time around that I didn’t love, however I can also see how it was necessary for the story.
I felt that the connection with Harlan & Clara seemed a bit forced.
I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more of Henni & some of the other villagers, but I feel this story was a bit more about the past for Clara’s & Axel’s families & gaining some closure. I did pick up on one of the twists, but will admit that the last 100 or so pages of the book threw me & absolutely kept me on my toes, wondering how it would play out, in the end. For me, this was satisfying closure for the duology!

The sequel to The Forest Grimm does a nice job of wrapping up the story of the Clara Thurn. I found it a little slow at times, but overall it was a good conclusion to the series.

3.4
The fairy tales didn't really ring the way they did in the first one, and the pacing felt...choppy? But my biggest concern was just that our main character picked the most disturbing times to start feeling frisky. Like, it was weird.

This was a great conclusion to The Forest Grimm duology. I love the creative direction and twists on well-known fairytales. The fantasy aspect really appeals to my inner child, growing up with these stories it just added a cozy feeling to the overall experience for me.

Clara went through a lot of growth in this book and came into her own magic. The murder mystery on top of all the riddles and curses created an explosive finale. The last quarter of the book was fast paced with a satisfying happy ending and I couldn’t ask for more.

I loved it. I loved it. I loved it. The characters, especially the main two: Clara and Axel, are perfect. Ollie: adorable. Henni: a sweetheart as always, I just wish she was in the book more. The plot was very clever. I loved the new fairytale characters. The murder mystery was super intriguing. I loved the element of Clara having visions. Also, the romance... Axel is a prince, a true gentleman. I can't get enough of him and Clara. It was such a satisfying ending to the duology. Kathryn Purdie tied everything together seamlessly.

Definitely a solid conclusion to the duology. I didn’t love it as much as the first book but it met all my expectations for the final installment of a story. The pace was a little slow for my taste, which left me a bit bored at times but nothing that made my reading experience bad.

I was so grateful to recieve an eARC for the deathly grimm!

The ending of this duology was just what I wanted it to be. I had a great time with the story and was so invested in the outcome.

If you liked the first installment then you will love this one as well!

This was a binge-worthy conclusion to The Forest Grimm Duology.

I think this author's writing style is interesting, atmospheric and engaging. While this story is definitely uniquely her own, I really enjoyed how she incorporated Grimm's Fairy Tale themes within this plot.

I'll be recommending this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Thank you Kathryn Purdie, Net Galley and St Martin's Press- Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

A great read that I really enjoyed. It had action, romance, and twist and turns that kept me engaged from beginning to end. I loved how Grimms fairytales were woven into the plot. It was the perfect conclusion to the story.

First, this cover is a million times better than the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there was an adventure, romance, and danger. It was a perfect ending.

I loved this book. I loved seeing these characters again and seeing them back in the forest. I really liked the twisted fairytales that we see in this one. They were just so cool and so messed up. I loved this story and the concept so much. I thought the ending was fantastic and it was a great way to bring everything to a conclusion while also not making it a perfect happily ever after.

Thank you to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this conclusion to the duology. It took me a while to get through, but that was more because I wasn’t in the right mood for this fairy-tale filled fantasy murder mystery. Every time I picked the book up, I was completely hooked. The writing style flows so easily, and Clara is a good narrator.
I liked the murder mystery element of the story. Trying to find the murderer in order to break the curse kept the story intriguing, and I liked seeing more Lost Ones and fairy tales in the Forest.
The pacing was good, and there were lots of moments of action and excitement that were balanced with Clara’s visions. I liked seeing her learn more about her power and how to use it.
The ending was exciting, tense, and sad, and I really enjoyed how the story finished. The epilogue was sweet and it was a really good ending.

I enjoyed this conclusion to The Forest Grimm duology.
Clara and Axel must enter the Forest again to break the curse.
What I really love about this duology is the way that Purdie blends all different fairy tale elements into this twisted Forest.
Action packed, and with a sense of urgency, I didn't want to put this one down.
Clever ending that I didn't predict.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for review.