DNF at 50%

As this is my first NetGalley review, I’m disappointed I had to stop halfway through.

Song of the Dark Wood is a standalone fantasy story that combines Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades & Persophone themes. Rowan’s town uses maidens to guide spirits to the afterlife and to appease the god of death, the Wolf. They blame an evil blight affecting their crops on him, so they want to keep him happy through the maidens. They also deal with demons, crones, reapers, and other monsters.

I think it’s an interesting concept, in theory, but it felt as though the story bit off more than it could chew. There were so many elements that it made the story feel off-kilter. I wish more about their way of life had been explained because a lot of the rules the maidens had to follow felt contradictory to what we previously learned. Also, the magical elements didn’t mesh well with me, and it threw the pacing off. I felt lost for a good bit of it.

The narrators were the main thing that made me want to keep going. Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis bring the characters to life and do a marvelous job of adding to the world-building. I especially enjoyed how much Dermot captured Conor, Charlie, and Rowan’s personalities with minor shifts in this voice. In my opinion, Aoife’s voice for Rowan made her sound much younger than I’m sure was intended, and I had to remind myself that Rowan was 20, not 15. Her voice for Conor sounded more comical than monstrous or mysterious, so it was a challenge to take those dialogues seriously. However, Aoife’s voice set the dark, looming tone well.

One of my favorite characters was Cade, but since I DNFd at 50%, I couldn’t tell you why Rowan’s best friend is a demon. I also liked Charlie. Cade and Charlie provided some lightheartedness that the story needed in those moments.

My main reason for DNF-ing is the content, and I would’ve finished the audiobook for the narrators if the writing was more my style. I take the fall for this, though, because it was all in the book’s summary, and it didn’t register to me what it really meant. Personally, forcing virgins to sexually appease a mysterious god who threatens to murder or r*pe them if they fail just isn’t the kind of story for me.

Although I only listened to 50%, the romance didn’t work for me either. It felt more along the lines of abuse, in my opinion, since she had to seduce him to survive and save her world. It tainted their “romance” scenes and felt more like religious grooming since she’s been training for this since she was 5. I wanted to like Rowan more, but by the time she considered having gumption, those elements were too much for me.

I think the audiobook would’ve benefitted from some content or trigger warnings regarding religious/sexual abuse. If I had those, I wouldn’t have chosen to read this book.

When I read the summary and hear something labeled as “dark,” I assume it’s more about gothic/spooky vibes and monsters. Unfortunately, in this case, the “dark” elements were more about virginity and r*pe threats, and that’s not the kind of book I would seek out.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! I have always wanted to read books by Shelia Masterson so i think this will be my gateway!! i had such a fun time with this listen

Thank you so much for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for a review. I love Sheila's books and really enjoyed this adaptation. The accents and performance by the narrators really elevated the material to a new level.

“You know, I would make the whole world dark for you so that you can be the only bright light.”

I loooved the concept of this book! it's giving red riding hood mixed with a handmaid's tale, hades x Persephone, and something else that isn't coming to mind right now. I devoured this book. some parts were a bit frustrating, but it was character building, but overall, I really enjoyed this book, especially the audio. the narrators were phenomenal.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Aoife McMahon and Dermot Magennis were absolute perfection. Their performances elevated this haunting story to new heights.

I finished this book a few hours ago and when I think back on this the first thing that comes to mind is feminine rage. Well-justified feminine rage. Not the whole book but it definitely built up to the crescendo that occurred at the end here. When you read a book where the heroine is constantly put in harm's way and no one helps her and ignores her pleas for help, it turns me away at first. Yes, it helps build her character and she learns to save herself, but man getting to that point is a struggle in my brain.
In this Red Riding Hood "fractured retelling" we follow Rowan who is a red maiden who was chosen to be a sacrifice to the Wolf, the god of death, to keep him happy and this is at the will of the Mother. There is a line of successors to the Reds but most of them die during their 5-year service. The girls wear white until the wolf takes their virtue. The maiden's get their red dress and hood when their virtue is taken, until then she wears white. So, then we have the Wolf, the god of death, he lives in the Dark Wood and he usher's souls to their death with his group of reapers, to the afterlife. The Maiden's job is also to help guide souls to the Wolf. The Wolf refuses to take Rowan to bed because she is different, and he tends to kill the maiden's and he doesn't want to do that. Our story follows the mysterious magical blight killing the land, Rowan who has secret powers who's trying to change the world, and the Wolf who just wants to make it to the next day.
The story itself is kind of a slow-burn...very kind of but it has a lot of really great themes as well, including acceptance, friendship, honesty, speaking up when you see bad things happening, and of course taking back the power that someone tries to steal from you. That power can be a voice, autonomy, or even literal power. This story has a bit of everything, romance, spice, sadness, battles, and unlikely heroes. I was captivated by the mythology created, enraged by the audacity of the elders and townspeople, and I cheered when we got to the feminine rage part. Anyway, if you love a good dark fairy tale retelling this is a good one.

I think this is an okay concept but the execution was too thin. The characters needed a lot more development. There was no real connection between the FMC and MMC. It was close, real close. I felt like the resolution was also too rushed. I think this could have benefited from being a duology.

I'm giving it three stars because I don't feel like my time was wasted but i don't think the execution was quite there. I'm sure lots of people will enjoy it though, would recommend for a weekend read.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio copy. I attest that I am leaving my review honestly and voluntarily.

—Little Red Riding Hood but make it dark-ish

—virgin sacrifice

—wolf but is it wolf but he's kinda wolf but he's kinda not but

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Rowan is set to begin her time as the Red Maiden, a term in which ferries souls to the God of Death, The Wolf; and while she could theoretically make it through her term alive, many maidens, including her direct predecessor, have not. Her only hope may lie in "pleasing" him, a task she's been prepared to execute her entire life. But just as she discovers there may be more to The Wolf than meets the eye, Rowan is offered the chance to free herself—and potentially future maidens—from this fate. Is she willing to make one final sacrifice?

The Review:

This got off to a great start. There's no doubt that Masterson knows how to write, and she describes a vivid fantasy world, full of weird rituals (veils!), creepy grooming, culty fundamentalism, and that classic "we worship a goddess yet we somehow manage to be massive misogynists" practice upheld by so many men.

One thing this did from the start, and managed to carry through, was add an air of creepiness while remaining a romance. A lot of "darker fantasy" romances out right now try this and don't really hit it. Masterson is committed to atmosphere, and aside from the occasional turn of phrase that I felt betrayed it—"I'm crazy about you", for example—overall I felt it worked.

And I did like the chemistry between Rowan and The Wolf, even if I wasn't a huge fan of the fact that he had like, a normal guy name. I don't want him to be Just A Guy, but I guess it's easier than calling him The Wolf the whole time. I'm still going to call him that throughout this review for the sake of consistency.

Anyway, there's the classic wolfy "SHE SMELLS SO GOOD" dilemma, and by God, it was so refreshing and such a good choice to have The Wolf's perspective as well as Rowan's. I loved his obsessive desire to have her, the death entangled in this orld.

But... This back and forth started, and it never really stopped. To me, Rowan and The Wolf needed a degree of trust or none at all. It felt like it was established somewhat quickly, then it was betrayed, then they got it back, then it was betrayed. It felt as if Masterson was afraid of committing one way or the other. And the thing is that Rowan in particular felt so easily manipulated! I get it, she's very sheltered, but her inability to read a room caused so many problems.

To be clear, I'm not against problems. These problems were just... contrived. They kept me from believing that Rowan was ever truly emotionally with The Wolf, and if she wasn't there, then how could she possibly fall for him?

Nonetheless, because the writing quality was good and I enjoyed the story, I was willing to brush some things aside... But at about the 75% mark, we got a move and an argument that did not feel at all like something of the world Masterson had been writing. It felt... like something an immortal death god would not say. It felt, really, like I was suddenly reading about a pretty young contemporary couple. I got snapped out of the story.

While the book wrapped up well, I couldn't really shake that blowup. It took me out of what felt like, until then, something of a fairy tale.

The Sex:

I really loved the concept of a Little Red Riding Hood being prepared to PLEASE the wolf, as opposed to simply being a sacrifice that would lie there on an altar waiting. It added to the eeriness and Rowan's conflict over her agency. That being said, Connor did a lot of like... educating her about consent and sexuality at one point, to the degree that I again felt sort of pulled from the story. I was like "Okay dude, you are supposed to be a threatening death god, you're being feminist boyfriend right now". I get the sentiment, but it was a little much.

That said, the sex scenes themselves were really good. And I did love that at one point, Rowan was like "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST BE A DEATH WOLF GOD GUY AND RAVISH ME". Same, girl.

Conclusion:

I think I'm a bit more bugged than I would've been if this was just straight-up mediocre. Because there's a lot I like here! It just kind of fell apart. There was some piecing back together, and I do think that it's pretty good for what it is. I just thought what it is was... more?

All that being said, very good audio narration on both sides!

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love love loved this. Completely obsessed. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time and because of that, I'm glad it didn't end on a cliffhanger (considering it says it's a series--though I am curious what book 2 will be about). I was worried I'd be stressed about it until the second book is announced, so fortunately that's not an issue.

The only thing I didn't love was Aiofe's death (I listened to the entire book so I believe that's how her name is spelled, but I'm not 100% certain). I know Rowan needed to go on her rampage, but I hate that this was the catalyst for that.

I'm sure this book has flaws, as every book does, but I don't care. I loved it.

Song of the Dark Wood is a clever twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood. I repeatedly had a-ha moments of how things tied to the original story. It points out the dangers of strict patriarchal societies and how power can be twisted and used for personal gain and lack of accountability. Consent was discussed in such an interesting way. I loved Connor and Rowan and can't wait to see what happens with other characters in this world. I am obsessed!

The audiobook is dual narrator. Both narrators have wonderful accents that fit the story so well. Even though the accents are not what it ear is used to, I was still able to speed it up to 2x+ without issue (a definite win). This audio version is perfect!

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook for an honest review.

Rowan Cleary has been preparing since the age of five to die. She was chosen to be a red maiden which is a girl chosen to take souls through the Dark Wood to the God of the Dead who is also known as the Wolf. To start. I enjoyed the audiobook. The narration was very well done.
The story was a very dark twist on red riding hood where the red maiden are trained to ferry souls and also service the wolf in the bedroom. There are elements of this that I really enjoyed especially the magic. Rowan being able to sing to the forest was very interesting and her walks through the forest felt very high stakes. The areas I struggled with was the highly sexual nature of the red maiden in general and them being trained up starting at five. This was very difficult for me to process especially because the wolf knows how they are trained and doesn't put a stop to any of it. I feel like he allowed the priests to get away with a lot until he started to have feelings for Rowan and then started to put his foot down. This story was definitely a wild ride and i am looking forward to the next in the series but had some issues as well.

As far as this being a unique retelling of Red Riding Hood, it had a good premise. The execution consisted of weak female characters, insta-lust, and centered around virginity and sex rather than an actual storyline. Just not what I wanted from this story, especially with such a great cover.

Female rage where? Weak feeble fmc who hands over her power to a f*ck boy. Sick of that sh*t already.

Underdeveloped characters. One dimensional. Heard this is like For the Wolf which I avoided so if you enjoyed that one maybe this will be your jam.

Too bad bc this cover is stunning and I was hoping to love it. Full review in just a bit (#100 for NetGalley 🍾)

❤️Dual POV
❤️Forced Proximity
🐺Little Red Riding Hood Re-Telling
❤️Dark, Gothic Romantasy
❤️Slow Burn
❤️Feminine Rage
❤️Sentient Forest
❤️Strong FMC

Expected Pub Date - 03/18/25


Many thanks to Dreamscape Media for the last minute advanced audio copy, all thoughts are my own. 💐

I was very excited for this Red-Riding Hood retelling with Hades and Persephone themes. From the get-go it seemed like we were thrust into the plot and into the world and I was immediately hooked. However, as the chapters progressed, I felt more and more disappointed.

There is a bargain between the Mother and the Wolf that every five years a maiden is sacrificed to the wood to ferry souls to their final resting place and to be devoured by the Wolf at the end of their term. Rowan is devoutly raised for this position as she possesses this magical ability. However, she is determined to change that fate for herself and future maidens by seducing the Wolf to change his bargain.

The plot, though with a lot of potential, was confusing at times. We lost Rowan’s goal to shocking scenes of r*pe threats and then progressively more intimate scenes between her and the Wolf. In this vein, it made the overall pacing feel awkward and jilted.

I was most excited for Rowan’s “coming of rage” but overall her character felt one dimensional and her development unconvincing. I would say the same of the MMC and their romance; it was incredibly underdeveloped which made it hard for me to connect to them. However, I did like Rowan’s female friendships the most. The love they had for each other leapt of the page.

I did appreciate the themes of dismantling an oppressive religion, and shining the light on the dangers of power mixed with hypocrisy and social status. This was evident in the last 10% which is where Rowan and the plot shined and I wish that was carried throughout the entirety of the book.

I can see how this would resonate with a lot of readers, but unfortunately it was not for me. If I had read this as an ebook, I might have dnf’d it but the narrator did a fantastic job in her storytelling which kept me the most captivated.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the eALC. All opinions are my own.

Sheila, Sheila, Sheila.
I love your writing so much it hurts.

“Perhaps loving someone so much made small moments larger.” ❤️‍🔥
—

This book was such a breath of fresh air!! I knew as soon as you said you were releasing a gothic fairy tale fantasy romance I was going to stop everything I was doing to read it (which I did). My favorite FMC’s have been written by Sheila and I need her to keep writing them.

I was hooked from the very first chapters and I instantly just had to know what was going on!! I loved the world building and the illustrations randomly throughout the book had me on the FLOOR. Rowan is such an interesting character and I could see little parts of her in myself. She is such a force and you can tell that she loves deeply, while also not wanting the stress of her society’s standards to dim her light. I also love Conor, and all of the other side characters in this story. (Once again Sheila…c’mon, why did you do this to ME?????)

Sheila’s writing is so beautiful and you can tell she puts so much care, love, and warmth into her characters. Even if it’s a character that you are supposed to dislike — I cannot help but feel empathy towards them in some way.

The slight nods to The Lost God series broke my heart and put it back together again. I laughed, I cried, and I got reaaaally close to throwing my kindle but I wouldn’t want to experience a Sheila book any other way. No one can write sad horny like Sheila can.

“You know I would make the whole world dark for you so that you can be the only bright light.” ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️.5

I received the early copy audio for this book.

This book gave off Little Red Riding Hood meets The Village meets Hades and Persephone.

I really liked the storyline. I like how they went into the darker parts of the lore and the story felt ominous. The magic system in the book was very unique. I loved how the female character had a unique power based on something she did when she was younger.

I do think this book felt a little rushed. I wish I had a little bit more time to soak in the plot. Overall, this was a good paranormal Romance. I do enjoy reading books by this author however, this was the audio, and I thought the narrators did a great job , I especially love the female narrator when she would do the male parts.

If you love, re-imaging, forbidden love, village lifestyle this would be one you would want to read

I absolutely loved the concept of Song of the Dark Wood. From the moment I picked it up, I was eager to immerse myself in what I hoped would be a compelling reimagining of the classic Red Riding Hood tale. The dark and mystical atmosphere of the story initially drew me in, as I’ve always been a fan of fairytale-inspired narratives with a unique twist.

However, while the premise had so much potential, I found myself feeling a bit let down by certain aspects. The main character, who I had hoped would embody strength and resilience, fell somewhat short of my expectations. Her development felt inconsistent, and I struggled to connect with her on a deeper level. Likewise, the romance—which had the opportunity to bring an extra layer of richness to the story—lacked the depth and buildup I was craving. It felt rushed and underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more emotional investment in the relationship.

The plot, too, had its moments of confusion. There were sections where I had difficulty following the narrative, and I found myself wishing for more clarity and cohesion in the storytelling. Despite these shortcomings, I must give credit where it’s due—the audiobook narrator was phenomenal. The way she altered her voice for different characters and infused emotion into every scene truly enhanced the experience. Her performance added an intensity to the story that might have been missing otherwise, and I found myself appreciating the book more because of her skilful narration.

That being said, I do think Song of the Dark Wood could find an appreciative audience among readers who enjoyed A Curse of Blood and Wolves. It shares a similar dark, romantic, and fairytale-inspired vibe that might resonate well with fans of that one. While it didn’t fully meet my expectations, I can see how others might fall in love with its haunting charm and imaginative premise.

Song of the Dark Wood Honest ARC Review:

I really enjoyed this!!
For centuries, the citizens of Ballybrine have kept peace with their gods by offering a young maiden as a sacrifice to ferry souls from the Mother’s realm of the living to the Wolf of the dead. When blight causes problems in the forest, Rowan becomes determined to do whatever it takes to protect her people, including seducing the wolf.

There are so many layers to this story involving oppressive religion, social hierarchy, hypocrisy and harmful societal norms. The FMC is strong and questions patriarchal norms. She has a special gift that enables her to manipulate her environment. The MMC is complex, interesting and develops further throughout the novel. The chemistry and angst between the FMC and MMC is great!

Villain lovers rejoice over this one! Gothic fairytale Romantasy series and also a standalone, this is for you! Fans of “One Dark Window” and the “Foxglove King” would really enjoy this. This is definitely one to add to your TBR!


⭐️Fairytale Retelling
⭐️Touch her and die
⭐️ He falls first
⭐️Dark Romantasy

Thank you for sharing this ARC with me!

This felt a lot like For the Wolf.

I had a difficult time getting into the story and relating to the characters, they both lacked depth and personality aside from reaction to the things going on around them. I liked the lore and the plot but not the execution.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced listeners copy of Song of the Dark Wood.

♾️⭐️ You know how every once in a while when you are reading a book you painfully realize that you will never get to read these words for the first time again? That is how I feel about this book. It has some of the most poignant writing I have ever experienced. It perfectly encapsulate what it feels like to be a woman in a world that refuses to recognize their power. It delves deep into our ability to critical think about and challenge the world we have always known and allow room to build something better. Sheila has firmly cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me.

Update for the Audiobook:
Fantastically narrated. Some of the key moments of this book were so much more powerful and impactful thanks to the phenomenal narrators.

Highlights:
✨Dark Red Riding Hood
✨Feminine RAGE
✨Music Based Magic
✨Prophesies
✨Meddling Gods
✨Bodily Autonomy

Favorite Quotes: “My whole life has been a struggle to crush the largeness in me down so that it could fit into the shadow of my responsibilities.”

“Death is easy. Living is hard. You’ve already made the hardest choice, my fierce little Red.”

“Nothing was more threatening to a man than a woman who wanted nothing to do with him.”

Thank you to the author for this advanced copy and thank you to the author, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for the listening copy. My opinions are my own.