This is the second book in Kathryn Purdie’s The Forest Grimm duology, and the books should be read in order since this book answers all the remaining questions posed in the first book. I loved the way Purdie combines different fairy tales in this young adult romantic fantasy. She did a great job creating a spooky atmosphere and a suspenseful plot that held my interest and kept me guessing.

Our main character Clara is stubborn and sometimes makes foolish decisions, but she means well, and her actions are consistent with her personality and values. I was rooting for her as she tried to solve the mystery of who murdered Bren Zimmer and triggered the curse. This book has more emphasis on Clara’s visions and efforts to solve the mystery and reverse the curse, but we also see Clara’s relationship with Axel change and grow, as well as her relationships with various villagers. The book can be quite dark at times, and not everyone gets a happy ending, but Clara’s story reaches a satisfying conclusion.

Readers who enjoyed The Forest Grimm should enjoy this sequel too.

I received a free advanced review copy of the ebook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

This was a great book! I definitely liked it more than the first boo. The setting would be perfect for the fall time and the world building was great!

A gripping second installment in the Forest Grimm series. Kathryn Purdie has a knack for twisting old fairytale lore into eerie, fast pace forest core fantasy.

This story dives into the source of the forest’s curse over Grimm’s Hollow. Clara Thurn must do all she can to find the answers and help determine the fate of all around her.

Kathryn Purdie does it again in this fairy tale sequel, it had that element that I was hoping for and was engaged with what was happening. The characters were everything that I was looking for and was hooked from the first page. It had that dark fairy tale element and continued the story in a way that worked overall. I'm glad this series continued and enjoyed the way Kathryn Purdie wrote this.

I enjoyed the first book in the Grimm duology, The Forest Grimm, so much! I love dark, fairytale reimaginings, so this was right up my alley. While the second installment, The Deathly Grimm, held up and was enjoyable, it didn’t have the same dreamy, immersive effect as book one.

In the end of book one, our FMC, Clara, breaks part of the curse holding her small town hostage, and is given a task to break the rest of the curse. Book two picks up at shortly after with a town hall meeting to determine if Clara and her friends who escaped the Forest Grimm in the last book are guilty of keeping the curse alive, even though they broke part of it. So, Clara and Axel flee to the Forest Grimm to solve the curse once and for all.

One of the major selling points in book one was the romance between Clara and Axel which was a slow and sweet burn that was brought closer by the darkness of the forest. This time around, their relationship is put to the test as Clara begins to have visions of the Lost and a new person enters the forest. With Clara’s visions guiding them, and her own internal battle over actions from book one, Clara doubts herself and pulls away from those she loves. I understood this change, but it was very frustrating at times and I found myself wishing Clara would just communicate more! However, Axel was being quite unfair to Clara and expecting her to solve everything, so again, I can see why Clara held back. The Forest Grimm is known to mess with your mind, and this is portrayed very well through Clara’s and Axel’s struggles, both personal and internal.

I read this in one sitting. So while there was a sense of something missing, I was still fully engaged and invested in the story. There were twists and turns and the dark, shifty feel of the forest’s magic and Clara’s visions really kept me from completely figuring everything out. Overall, this was a satisfying end to Clara’s story!

I definitely recommend this duology for anyone that enjoys a dark, fairytale inspired adventure fantasy with a dash of romance!

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.

A beautiful conclusion to The Forest Grimm duology, but not quite the story I was expecting.

I absolutely loved The Forest Grimm, and while I did enjoy The Deathly Grimm, I have to say I preferred the first book. The atmosphere in The Forest Grimm was dark, haunting, and beautifully woven with fairytale elements, which really made the setting feel alive. However, in the second book, the forest itself didn’t quite live up to the same expectations—it felt like it was lacking some of that eerie, immersive quality that made the first book so enchanting.

At the start, it felt a little difficult to keep up with everything. That being said, I loved the incorporation of different fairytales in The Deathly Grimm. I know that’s the whole premise of the book, but still—every time a new fairytale character appeared, I had a moment of excitement, like, OMG, I know that story!

One part I struggled with was Clara’s visions. They were a bit confusing, and I’m still not entirely sure how they worked. Maybe I missed something, but it felt like she went from barely being able to get visions at all to suddenly having them every day and even being able to speak to people through them. I think I would have liked to see her struggle a bit more with this ability instead of mastering it so quickly.

Axel also frustrated me at times—especially when he kept pushing Clara, I mean I get you want answers, but maybe prioritizing survival would have been a better idea before demanding answers?

On the other hand, Ollie was hands down my favorite character. His final moment, finally getting to rest , honestly made me teary. After everything he went through, he deserved that peace. It was such a bittersweet but beautiful moment and probably my favorite part of the book.

The beginning and ending were a bit confusing and hard to follow, but the middle was really strong.

Overall, The Deathly Grimm was an intriguing and creative finale, even if it wasn’t quite what I expected. The fairytale elements were woven in beautifully, and while I wish the atmosphere had matched the first book a bit more, it was still a unique and enjoyable read!

I found this to be entertaining. The conclusion to the duology was well written and came together perfectly. My favorite thing about a story with a curse is learning how it all started, this did not disappoint.

THE DEATHLY GRIMM was a perfect follow up and perfect ending to this duology. While still having the parts that made the first book great for YA readers, it added in this mix of murder mystery and more magic. It’s a tough balance, but I think the author does a great job of blending these aspects together. And, truly, I appreciated the character growth within the FMC, Clara. I enjoyed seeing her grow into herself. As with The Forest Grimm, the author does a good job blending magic, romance, and fairytales into a story that is cohesive for its target audience: preteens and YA readers.

As with my previous review on this duology, I do not think that this novel translate well to older readers. What is great for those readers is a bit repetitive for older readers. And again, that is ok.

This novel is a great read for younger readers, following an age appropriate story for those who love angst, character development, romance, mystery, fairytale retellings, and magic.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Deathly Grimm is the second book in Kathryn Purdie's The Forest Grimm Duology. It's one of my most anticipated books of this year, and let me tell you, this book was freaking epic!


Once again Purdie has astounded me with her world of Grimm’s Hollow. I'm still a believer that this duology is a Grim's Fairytales origin story. I got up to a count of six different curses turned fairytales. I won’t mention them, because where's the fun in that? I will say that this book was more character-based, whereas the previous book was more magical forest, trying to eat the main characters alive-based. Clara and Axel thought that they were ready to go back into the forest, but they had no idea. They each had their own shocking truths and challenges. At least they had each other.


I loved how Purdie twisted well-known fairytales into these torturous curses. Besides the fairytales coming to life, there was the murder mystery subplot, which I really enjoyed. Who killed Bren Zimmer? What happened to the missing pages? What about the other Lost Ones? The best part had to be Clara's visions. They become so intricate to the story. The visions are shown in only little snippets, from different perspectives and possibly different timelines, revealing things we didn't know. By the end, it was a mind-fudge, if you get my drift.


There are so many great questions, and we get the answers in the most magical and darkest way possible. It was amazing how everything connected. I couldn't help but picture one of those murder boards posted with clues, arrows, and red string forming connections and making timelines. When everything was revealed, I was completely shocked. It was so worth the read. The Forest Grimm duology is now one of my favorite fairytales. Absolutely stunning!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Wednesday Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Deathly Grimm on March 25, 2025.

While I really enjoyed the first entry in Kathryn Purdie's Forest Grimm duology, I found getting swept away in this story a bit more difficult. The plot was slower than I would've liked, despite the hunt for a murderer and the new fairytale creatures and characters Clara and Axel encountered. The romance wasn't bad, but I didn't connect with them quite as much as I would've liked. If you enjoy dark fairytales and cursebreaking, though, I think you'll really enjoy this one!

4/5 ⭐️
This reiterates how much this series would be perfect for fans of the show Once Upon A Time. It had the same vibes of everyone having a secret second fairytale identity and being evil and curses and etc. I was reminded of the show a lot while reading while still feeling wholly like its own thing.
This was a very enjoyable ending to this duology. It made me appreciate how the first book solved a big part of the mystery but reminded you at the end that there’s still a few more. The mystery aspect of this was very entertaining. Definitely had me on my toes guessing. And my guesses would switch and be wild and crazy as we steadily learned more.
My only complaints is that it felt like we were sort of rushing. We never stayed in a scene long enough to truly feel emotions. While I enjoyed myself, I didn’t feel the fear or romance like I did in the first one. My other complaint is in regard to the main characters “s shaped spine.” It was meaningless. It never did anything for the plot or the character. It could’ve been really cool if it affected the character or made aspects challenging and frustrating. Instead it was just thrown in. And it was thrown in so often that it threw me out of the story with frustration. Constantly, oh no my back hurts. But nothing else. This really could’ve done something amazing, instead it felt like half-assing checking a box.
In the end, I would still recommend this duology. I think I liked the first book more. But compared to other YA fantasies I’ve read in the last year, this was definitely very enjoyable. Minus my two complaints, I had a great time. I really think if you’re a fan of Once Upon a Time, you’ll like this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

"The Deathly Grimm" is the conclusion to Purdie's The Deathly Grimm duology, a riff off of the Brothers' Grimm stories. I adored the first novel in this series, which felt like a darker "Into the Woods" and was quite looking forward to seeing how this story ended. Unfortunately, "The Deathly Grimm" was a disappointment. It felt like the characters were just rehashing the same thing over and over again, there becomes a trope/skill obtained in this second half which felt a little too forced and convenient to explain the backstory and what was happening. There were too many unreliable narrators and ultimately it felt sloppy and like we lost the plot.

Pub Date Mar 25 2025 | thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the gifted copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

It was a good book for the ending of the duology. I think I liked the first book better but I had fun with this one too.

I really liked how Clara's powers were fleshed out. The multiple POV and trying to piece together the events ourselves was a nice touch. I'm glad to finally have the answer to who was the murder. I've been waiting for this since the first book.

The best part was still the characters who were Lost and became a twist of the fairytails. The pacing was a bit off and slow in the middle but it became better when it picked up.

The main villain was very interesting and seeing them slowly losing it in the end was entertaining.

I liked Clara here a lot better than the first book. Maybe because I already knew her? Axel was okay but he was putting so much pressure on her when she was already doing so much, it was maddening.

I really liked the duology. It was a very interesting read and I loved the magic.

Just as fun and magical as the first book, the author creates a beautiful world for you to be transported to. I highly recommend this book.

If you’re a fan of fantasy reads, I found a good one for you. The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie is coming soon.

In this sequel Clara and Axel have returned to the village, but suspicions grow about why they were only able to save four of the Lost. The villagers want answers and want to have their Lost returned to them. Clara and Axel return to the forest searching for the way to break the curse completely. They encounter even more deadly individuals from various fairy tales and Clara even helps a frog return to his human state. As they try to find the way to break the curse, they find their relationship strained. Does saving the village mean sacrificing their relationship and even their lives? A nice conclusion for this duology.

Perhaps I would have liked this one more if I would have read the first in the series. I love a good fantasy/fairy tale, but this one just was not my cup of tea. I never connected with the characters and the story seemed to take a long time to get nowhere. The repetitive unnatural writing was also unnerving. I kept thinking, if Clara complains about her S-curve one more time, I am going to lose it! Who would keep saying that instead of "My back hurts" Anyway, I could see this working for some readers, and I really loved some of the fairy tale tie ins and the shape shifting element of the story. It just didn't hold my interest, and I was glad to finish it.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and provide an unbiased review.

4 STARS! If you have read The Forest Grimm, I know you will love this one a little bit more! Why? The writing and plot of this story was absolutely a dream and addicting to read. Who also doesn't love a murder mystery mixed with forest grimm tales? I adored this story.

Getting down to the nit and grits, I was hoping more of the twisted tales mentioned in the story. The page count could have been a bit shorter, I felt like the riddles were overworked with the guessing and I was eagered to figure out who was the murderer... I think I had a pretty good idea of who it was when reading around 60% of the novel. The story was clever itself and having Clara figure her own talents. I was hoping for more magic or magic elements in the story but I think it would drown out the mission of the story. Ollie was absolutely my favorite character and this book definitely pulled some heart strings.

Thank you Netgalley and the Wednesday books for giving me the opportunity to read this. This was my most anticipated reads and I am so grateful I got to read it!

The stakes are raised for the main characters as they come to terms with the fact that it's time to finally lift the curse on the Forest Grimm and Grimm Hollow, and there are more spooky retellings of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales. Clara has to learn how to use her abilities and tell what is real and what isn't along the road. Overall really happy with this duology!

4.5 rounded up
I actually enjoyed this more than the first book.
This book reminded me more of The Brothers Grimm movie from 2005. It has a darker feel to it than the first one.
The added emphasis of the mystery or catching a killer really drove the story.
Overall I really enjoyed it and felt that the ending was very satisfying and not as predictable as I originally thought it would be.