Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I am giving my rating based on my own personal opinion and not that of any other party.

This was everything I needed in a darker romantic fantasy! The atmospheric vibes were both enchanting and spooky, the romance was full of tension and slight spice, and the characters were very well written. I loved the story, it felt a bit One Dark Window meets Handmaid’s Tale vibes.

The audio narration was excellent and I would definitely listen to this again! Highly recommend for anyone who wants an engaging fantasy read.

A must read and re-read for me. I loved the narrators and they made me feel immersed in the world. I loved the fiery FMC and going through her journey to finding herself in a world that taught her to put others before herself. Overall a fantastic read!

DNF for now 😬 I am very thankful to NetGalley for the audiobook of Song of the Dark Wood and I was super drawn in by the dark fairytale vibes (Red Riding Hood meets Hades & Persephone? Yes please). But the narrator’s accent just wasn’t for me…it pulled me out of the story more than I hoped. I’m still really into the concept though, so I might give it try again in print or ebook when the mood strikes. Fingers crossed it clicks better that way! 🌲🖤

I absolutely loved this book the first time that I read it in physical form. But the audio blew my mind! I love the dark vibes and absolute feminine rage that you feel. The FMC & MMC voices were portrayed absolutely perfectly, in my opinion. Definitely one I would re-listen to at another time!

Song of the Dark Wood was a very anticipated read for me. Sheila Matheson is a local author and she had mentioned this book and a book signing while it was still a work-in-progress.

This is a Red Riding Hood retelling, and I adored the re-envisioning of the classic fairytale.

In Materson’s version the Red Maidens are select girls who ferry souls to the underworld, whose main gate is guarded by the Wolf.

Another reviewer called this book, “a tale of feminine rage at its finest,” and I’m not sure I could write a better description than that.

I enjoyed Song of the Dark Wood as an audiobook and the dual narrators made this an awesome listening experience.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audiobook!

Song of the Dark Wood by Sheila Masterson is a quiet, mystical story with a strong sense of nature, magic, and inner healing. There’s a calm, almost meditative rhythm to the prose — like walking through a dense, enchanted forest with only your breath and thoughts for company.

I really appreciated the atmosphere and the spiritual undertones. It felt like a deeply personal journey, full of symbolism and emotional reflection. That said, the pacing was a bit slow for me at times, and I sometimes found myself wishing for a little more narrative drive or connection to the characters.

Still, I think this story will speak deeply to readers who enjoy introspective, poetic storytelling with a thread of magic realism and nature-based spirituality. It didn’t fully hit for me, but I can see the beauty in what Masterson was creating here.

if you’re familiar with my reviews, you know i’m a slut for sheila’s writing, and she did not disappoint . Rowan is both a character that i adore and one i see a lot of myself and my feelings in.

The “coming of rage” trope / whatever the right word is is the perfect way to describe this. rowan is full of rage for her life and her circumstances, and once she finds the strength in herself to express her rage... you should be very, very afraid. (not me tho i love her)

Rowan, our fiery Red Maiden, was a blast to follow as she challenges a cruel tradition in a forest that feels alive. The Wolf, the brooding god of death, has just the right mix of menace and mystery, and their slow-burning push-and-pull had me hooked even when I wanted a bit more back-and-forth to sell the romance. Sheila Masterson’s blend of song-based magic and gothic fairytale vibes is original and lush, though I wished some characters had more room to grow.

The audiobook narration by Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis is absolutely enchanting. Aoife captures Rowan’s fierce vulnerability with every line, and Dermot’s voice rumbles like midnight thunder as the Wolf. Together they bring the haunted woods, the stolen glances, and the haunting melodies to life, making it worth a listen even if the story didn’t fully hit every note for me.

2 stars⭐️

I think the premise of this book was interesting. Don't get me wrong I love a fairy tale retelling, and I like reading books where the main character rebels against a prejudiced society. However, the execution fell flat. I found myself zoning out too often.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an audiobook arc.

Song of the Dark Wood began with great promise, drawing me in with its lush, eerie descriptions of the Dark Woods. The atmosphere was captivating, and I was excited to see where the story would go. Unfortunately, the characters felt underdeveloped, and the romance progressed too quickly to feel believable. The lack of meaningful character growth made it hard to stay invested, even in the parts I initially enjoyed. To top it off, the ending felt rushed, with a resolution that didn’t quite earn its conclusion.

She leads souls into the beyond, he's the god of death. This is a little red riding hood retelling with dark themes. I was somewhat disappointed by the time I finished this, though, because certain characters and plotlines felt underdeveloped. I liked the music/song magic and atmospheric setting, but I do feel the romance aspect was lacking. The FMC, Rowan, is very naive, which makes sense considering the life she's been forced to live. There really is no feminine rage to be found, except in the very last few chapters, and even that is minimal. The MMC is dark and broody which was expected, but he's also kind of immature in the way he repeatedly pushes Rowan away. It felt very hot and cold. Their actions make sense considering the context, but it made for a frustrating read at times. This didn't fully win me over but I still enjoyed many parts of it. I also really liked the narrators and think they did a great job. Thank you Netgalley for the audio ARC!

Picture this: a Red Riding Hood retelling... if Red was an enchanted soul-ferrying maiden trained to seduce death, the Wolf was literally a god, and the woods? They bite back.

Welcome to Ballybrine, where offerings are blood, tradition is trauma, and the best way to survive your destiny is by rewriting it. Preferably while looking the deity of death directly in the eye and asking if he’s single.

🎧 The Audio Experience:
Let’s start with the voices. Aoife McMahon gives us Rowan Cleary, our flame-haired heroine with a voice so powerful it enchants souls and listeners. Aoife brings a soft but stormy energy to Rowan’s growing rage and inner fire. Her narration flows like a river that’s about to break its banks.
And then there’s Dermot Magennis as the Wolf, aka your new favourite brooding immortal grump with emotional repression and a tragic backstory. Magennis gives the Wolf a voice like thunder after midnight, low, threatening, weirdly sexy. It’s like being read to by death himself, but, like... the hot kind.

As for the vibes?

Think:
* 🔥 Gothic forest drenched in magic and moss
* 🌑 Mythic lore and moonlit pacts
* 🥀 Spice meets spirit-work with a slow-burn heat
* 👭 Found family of fierce, magical women
* 🐺 Grumpy god x “I-will-burn-this-down” heroine

Rowan is a breath of fire in a suffocating world. Trained her whole life to please a cruel system, she begins to question everything, especially when the mysterious blight kills the acting Red Maiden and no one seems eager to ask why. Cue Rowan stepping out of the shadows and into the Wolf’s lair, voice-first and rules-be-damned.

This is a coming-of-rage story, but also a tale of courage, consent, and the slow collapse of a very attractive death god’s emotional walls. Think Hades and Persephone meets The VVitch with a splash of The Bear and the Nightingale.

Rowan and the Wolf’s chemistry builds like storm clouds, low, lingering, inevitable. There’s tension. There’s mutual respect. There’s that delicious "should-we-be-doing-this?" energy paired with, "we're definitely doing this anyway." Their relationship is built on power, vulnerability, and actual conversations (gasp!). It’s sexy, sure, but it’s also smart and seething with emotional stakes.

Masterson’s world building is thick with folklore and feminine fury. The magic is original, the gods are mysterious, and the stakes feel epic but deeply personal. There’s something deliciously eerie about the Dark Wood, it’s both setting and character, and you’ll want to wander through it (with a torch, maybe. And snacks).

Also, the female friendships? 10/10 no notes. Think less catty competition and more “I will hex the moon for you, babe” solidarity.

If you’re looking for an audiobook that feels like wrapping yourself in velvet and stepping barefoot into a haunted forest, Song of the Dark Wood is it. It’s witchy, lyrical, romantic, and just the right amount of unsettling. Bonus points for a heroine who doesn’t just want to survive….she wants to change the rules entirely.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️5/5 🌶️3/5
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: 3rd Person Dual POV, Gothic Fairytale Retelling, Dark Red Riding Hood x Hades & Persephone, Feminine Rage, He Falls First, Music based Magic, Grumpy God of Death, Touch Her & Die, FMC sees ghosts, Standalone
𝗧𝗪𝘀: Violence, Death, Death of a Child, lack of bodily autonomy, sexual harassment, religious trauma

Wow! This was such a dark and hauntingly beautiful retelling. Sheila just has a way with words that is so melodic that it sucks you in. I loved everything about this! One thing about Sheila is she is a master at creating strong FMCs that are very relatable and empowering. Add that to going against a strong oppressive religious system that is dominated by men. This story had depth, lovable characters, and betrayals that would leave you shook.

Ladies, Connor Grey is 😮‍💨🫠. I love me a morally grey MMC. The God of Death and our big bad wolf was infuriating but at the same time drew you in helplessly. We get a “fuck it” moment and ohhh man was it delicious that it would leave you wanting more. There was so much push and pull between Connor and our FMC Rowan that it was impossible not to squeal every time their relationship progressed and took it a step further and their restraint slowly unraveled. Such beautiful chemistry ❤️‍🔥 Rowan is strong, fierce, a force to be reckoned with. She fought for those she loved without restraint. I love that she wasn’t perfect, she had her doubts and indecisions, but when it was most crucial, she came into power that was unstoppable.

The characters will tug at your heartstrings especially little Aeoife. The protectiveness Rowan and Orla had over her was heartwarming. 🥹 We get great banter between Rowan and Cade, and I was surprised by how his character turned out. I selfishly wish there was a little bit more to their story.

The magic system was unique and sooo beautiful. It drew me in instantly with the both Rowan’s singing and Connor playing the piano. I will say that the scenes where Connor played was described so elegantly, I could imagine and feel it in my bones. Stunning!!!

This was absolutely enchanting and a perfect read for the season. Highly recommended. 💕

♾️⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌— 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓.

Drop literally everything you're doing and read this book. I cannot overstate how good this book is and you need to read it. Right now.

Song of the Dark Wood is a STANDALONE gothic fairytale romance. It is Little Red Riding Hood meets Hades and Persephone with some Beauty and the Beast vibes. It has music based magic, a haunted forest, a grumpy God of death, and a feisty maiden. It is truly Feminine Rage: The Fairytale. It has the perfect vibes for Spooky Season.

Rowan Cleary is everything I want from an FMC. She has so much capacity for love and caring despite the way she's been raised and treated her whole life. She truly wants a better world for not just herself but all women. She's freaking inspirational and her journey through this book changed my brain chemistry.

I don't want to be dramatic, but I was obsessed with the God of Death from the moment he appeared. Honestly maybe before. Conor is everything. He's also just an absolute charmer with banger lines such as "I hate kissing you" and "Don't be desperate, Conor." 🤣

These two characters have absolutely phenomenal chemistry from there first interaction. I loved everything about them together. I screamed, I kicked my feet, I gasped out loud.

Sheila writes perfectly flawed main characters so well, but she also writes the most hateable villains to ever exist and this book is no different. It will spark the rage in you and you may never recover. I haven't.

This book immediately went on my list of books I wish I could read again for the first time and it is one I will read over and over. I read it as slow as I could manage because I didn't want it to be over.

Thank you for considering me for this ARC audiobook.

Sheila’s writing keeps getting better and better. The narration and production quality of this book is just as good as her Lost Gods series.

I listened to the audiobook of this. The experience was solid. The narrator did a good job capturing the tone of this story. I think this was a decent story, but it felt a bit uneven. If you enjoy slow-burns, and want a moody immersive listen, this would be a good one for you.

THE ACCENT! THE VIBE! THE STORY!!! Everything about this was DELICIOUS.

Not only is the story fun and fresh, with song-based magic, sentient forests, and soul-ferrying maidens in red cloaks, the narrators did an impeccable job in nailing the vibe of the story, bringing it to life in fun (AND SEXY!) new ways.

The story here focuses on Rowan — a red maiden, one of many throughout time — as she's plucked from her childhood of poverty to be raised as a town sacrifice to the wolf of the dark wood. That wolf? The hot god of death. Her responsibilities? Ferrying departed souls to his keep for processing, and being devoured by him in every way imaginable. Sign me up. Respectfully.

There’s also a beautiful story told here about societal expectations of women, about no longer whittling parts of yourself down to appease the masses, and about stepping into who you are unapologetically and filled with righteous rage over years of being looked at as an object.

This is spicy, romantic, spooky, twisty, and beautifully narrated, adding a fun new dimension to one of my all time favorite books.

Pick this audiobook up if you’re looking for a standalone romantasy that hits all the best trope boxes while also fueling the pyre of your feminist rage in a painfully allegorical way.

Hmmm.... I finished this book weeks ago, but I've put off reviewing it because I'm not sure what I want to say about it. Actual rating is probably about 3.25 stars.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

Apologies in advance because this review is going to be very much "stream of consciousness" style.

First and foremost, this is obviously supposed to be an adult retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. And at its barest bones, it is. There's a "Wolf" and a girl in a red cloak.

However, in truth, the story/plot is far more Beauty and the Beast than Little Red Riding Hood. (i.e. - Girl willingly sacrifices herself for brutish guy to save others and then finds out he's not nearly as bad as she thought he'd be.)

It's definitely adult-oriented, and the sexy scenes are relatively well done. However, the characters themselves were somewhat flat and one-dimensional. And their actions were predictably stupid at times.

I think one of the biggest problems I had with the book, though, was the narration. (I did audio format.) The female narrator's voice was completely wrong for the sexy scenes. It was prim and soft and ... yeah. It just DID NOT work for me, especially during the naughty bits. The male's voice was fine.

I don't know, guys. This one just fell a bit flat to me. I think maybe because it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. A fairy tale retelling? A romance? Erotica? A female takes back her power feminist tale?

It was a little all over the place, and I just couldn't get into it like I wanted to. Still, if you like fairy tale retellings with a bit of smut thrown in for good measure, you'll probably appreciate it.

Little Red Riding Hood meets Handmaid’s Tale meets Beauty and the Beast in “Song of the Dark Wood”. I wanted to like this and kept expecting it would take a turn for the better but I felt like ultimately it never fulfilled its potential. The relationship between Rowan and the Wolf fell flat and even the female friendships that at first seemed promising, ended up surface level and unexplored.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing access to this audiobook for review purposes.