Happy Release Day! Thank you to Netgalley and L.V. Russell for the opportunity to read this and to leave an honest review.

I loved the atmosphere of this story and how dark the premise was with the cult like behaviours of the villages. The first half captured my interest quickly and I was deeply invested in the lore and its impact on the life of the villagers.

Unfortunately, for me, I felt like the second half lacked further detail in the conclusions to make the story feel complete and well rounded. I feel like this could have been achieved with the book being longer; giving space for some deeper developed plot points and relationships. I didn’t truly feel connected to Hyacinth and Morgan, nor did I fully grasp Hyacinth’s distaste towards Miss Yarrow. Even the plot twist regarding Sorrell and Miss Yarrow didn’t seem developed enough. Also, there was a big plot hole regarding her dog Faolan. When the Boatmen were out trying to appease the Deep, Faolan was with Hyacinth when Miss Yarrow came to collect her from her house to bring her to safety from the storm. However, when the Boatmen returned, Hyacinth was upset that Morgan left Faolan at his house during the storm, which led to the dog’s rescue and turning point of the village Elders against Hyacinth.

Though I loved the dark, gothic vibes of the story; overall, The Bone Drenched Woods needed more detail and explanations regarding the lore and the conclusion.

This book is so so dark, possibly darker than One Dark Window, but I loved it. Things don’t really get better for the main character per se, but she gains more strength and we watch her change. There are small moments of what I think are happiness or contentment for her at times though. I really enjoyed the world building in this book that the author did for us. It wasn’t overly complicated or hard to follow but it was still very deep. I actually wish there was more of it! Truly enjoyed this read, so much I finished it in a day!

Where do I even start with this deliciously creepy, folk-horror gem? It’s like stumbling into a haunted forest with a gorgeous guide who whispers, “Don’t worry, it’s only mostly terrifying.” It had me hooked, spooked, and swooning, though it didn’t quite rip my heart out and carve it into a ritualistic bone totem. But, like, it came close.

First off, let’s talk about the vibes. Picture yourself in a misty, isolated village where the trees loom like they’re plotting your demise, and the air smells of damp earth, woodsmoke, rot, and secrets so old they’ve fossilized. Russell’s prose is like a velvet glove wrapped around a dagger: lush, poetic, and sharp enough to make you flinch. The story follows Hyacinth Turning, a heroine who’s a defiant spitfire while also being a vulnerable lost soul. She’s not your cookie-cutter “strong female lead” (ugh, that phrase makes my eyes roll). Hyacinth is messy, raw, and so relatable I wanted to hug her through the pages. When she’s shipped off to a creepy seaside settlement after a last minute arranged marriage and her father hanged, you feel her dread, like that time I moved into a sketchy apartment and swore the walls had eyes.

Russell crafts a folk-horror tapestry that’s both nostalgic and nightmarish, like a Grimm fairy tale got a gritty reboot. The Teeth and the Deep are both monstrous entities lurking beyond the village. The rituals, with their bone carving chants (“One for the gate, one for the door…”), gave me actual chills. I mean, I was reading this at 2 a.m., wrapped in a blanket burrito, and I still felt exposed. The Elders in their hare-skin masks? Nope. Hard pass from that culty nonsense. They’re the kind of creepy authority figures who’d make you confess to stealing cookies you didn’t even eat and will hang you or burn you if you look at them wrong.

Hyacinth’s journey is a wild ride. She’s stuck in this oppressive, witch hunt obsessed community, and her only ally is Morgan, the outcast who’s got that brooding, “I’m trouble but also maybe your soulmate” energy. I dig the bisexual vibes when Hyacinth loves Abelia who haunts her dreams after she disappeared into the Teeth, and now Morgan. (We can always use more bisexuals in fiction!) Russell knows how to tease a slow-burn romance without making it feel like a slog.

The snark comes in with the villains. Hyacinth’s husband and the Elders are so insufferably sanctimonious, I wanted to yeet them into the Deep myself. They’re the kind of people who’d scold you for wearing mismatched socks while ignoring the literal monsters at their doorstep. Russell nails the hypocrisy of rigid, fear-driven societies, and it’s so satisfying watching Hyacinth flip them the metaphorical bird.

So why not five stars? Okay, confession: the pacing tripped a bit in the middle. There’s a stretch where Hyacinth’s inner turmoil feels like it’s on a loop, and I was like, “Girl, I get it, you’re stressed, let’s move!” Also, while the lore is haunting, I craved a smidge more clarity about the Teeth and the Deep. Are they gods? Demons? Really cranky squid? I’m nosy, and I wanted answers. Still, these are tiny gripes in a book that had me so immersed I skipped sleep to keep reading. Sleep, people. That’s love.

In short, this story is perfect for anyone who loves their fantasy with a side of gothic gloom and a sprinkle of rebellious girl power. L.V. Russell, you’ve got me under your spell, and I’m already counting down to your next book.

The Bone Drenched Woods got me because I saw the cover and read the title and immediately needed to read it. And then I started reading and it fully got me with its atmosphere - it's a bleak setting, full gothic immersion - from the woods, villages to the sea. The descriptions are just enough to make you feel unsettled (the scene with the poor Woodsmen is etched into my brain) and everything feels dangerous and creepy, stifling your breath at times. The vivid impression of a sodden seaside village, with nary a sunlight beam, with the mist and the smell and the bleak feelings dripping from everyone involved. Oh, I loved it so.

I really liked Hyacinth as a character and the first part with her family, specially with her father made me well up with emotions. Sorrell even though he is who he is, was a much more interesting character to me than Morgan, to be honest. And beneath all of the ugly - there is even more ugliness if you consider the underlying and the obvious themes of the story - the oppression of women, the making of men and the worlds we live in. Just like Hyacinth asks her husband, is that all there is, and sometimes sadly, the only possible answer is yes.

As for the rating - four stars only because at the beginning I thought this can only end one way, and it turned out I was right.

The Teeth, The Deep and the call of the witches. Hyacinth struggles to find her place in a world of social unrest and religious fervor determined to be her true self knowing she may be skinned, hanged, or burned.

This book held such a grip on me. The macabre atmosphere and rich, elaborate details created a world I wasn't simply reading about, but I was there. I was in the wood with Hyacinth, on her front porch, as the edge of The Deep. L.V. Russell used folklore, gore, and gothic elements to create a perfectly sublime horror fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for this eARC.

All I can say is... Wow. This is folklore horror done exceptionally well and I was on the edge of my seat the entire read (which was a single day if that tells you anything). Both of the villages have the most eerie and dark atmosphere which only added to the creepy vibes of the overall story. They are similar but entirely different and I liked how those differences were shown to the readers. The entities were not explained which was refreshing and still horrifying; they remained mysterious the whole time and left me wondering what truly they were. It was nice for once to be remained in suspended belief as I felt it only added to the layers of the story. The only issue I had with the book is the ending felt like a pit we just stumbled on. There was no build up or even any true explanation which did frustrate me.
Hyacinth was a very unique FMC to me. She is hardened by the way of life she has grown up with and remains outspoken and unafraid of those who have a higher position than her. It was a breath of fresh air honestly, even though it was hard to watch her push people away. The secondary characters were so intriguing to me, they remained central to the plot and the village drama was a nice reprieve from the bloody sacrifices and terrors.

The Bone Drenched Woods by L.V. Russell is a fantastic read if you're into folk horror. The book really nails that eerie, atmospheric vibe. At first, I found it a bit tough to get into, probably because of the very poetic language and the many things that weren't immediately clear. But I think that might have been the point—to create a sense of mystery and unease right from the start.

As I kept reading, the story got really good and genuinely chilling. The tension ramps up, and the horror elements become more intense, making it hard to put down. The vivid descriptions and the dark, oppressive setting really pull you in.

Overall, it's a short but solid horror book that I'd definitely recommend. If you enjoy a blend of folklore and horror with a hauntingly beautiful writing style, this one's for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you, Quill & Crow Publishing House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Bone Drenched Woods by by L.V. Russell.

If you’re looking for a short, grotesque folk horror story, this book is for you.

This story follows 17 year old, Hyacinth Turning.
The woods and beings known as the Teeth, that surrounds her village sings to her; to her soul.
She tries to ignore the temptation of their song, the tether that keeps tugging on her, until….

This story had me starring out to the woods in my back yard with a little more fear. This story was bloody and cruel, and will make you simmer with anger.

L.V. Russell captured and wrote the atmosphere of this cruel world perfectly.

Only con was how short the book was. The pace felt rushed. And although I wouldn’t call this a romance, there were some love interest(s), also, a non explicit spice scene. The “romance” was odd and didn’t felt the overall story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loved The Witch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill and Crow Publishing House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!


How deliciously macabre The Bone Drenched Woods was! From the pull of the cover to the introduction of the main character Hyacinth, this book was a captivating read.

Hyacinth knows the prayers and the rules set in place to keep the village safe from the Teeth in the woods yet it does not calm her wild, rebellious spirit. She dares to wonder why the Elders make the rules, why the Teeth require sustenance from those labelled witches and heretics. For her sins, she is sent off far away to another village with her newly married husband, each despising the other's existence. What she discovers at her new home is far worse than what she left behind.

The slow expansion of the world-building always leaves the reader on edge, the prose promising uncertainty within the darkness explored. What does it mean to live within a world where the darkness exists both within your community and outside of it? To have your decisions, thoughts, and words judged and, if found sinful, paid for with your life? Which is better - to face the unknown or stare into the hearts of the ones who control your existence?

The reader shares in the loneliness of Hyacinth - in the dark, damp, and cold; in the struggle to grasp freedom within the confines of everything you've ever known or been forced to follow. The unsettling atmosphere follows the reader from start to end, chasing for a drop of hope in the unrelenting horror.

I'd be delighted to read more from L.V. Russell that contains similar themes to this gore-drenched folk horror book.

This book was uniquely beautiful, written poetically yet tainted with darkness. The setting is crafted masterfully, so the reader experiences the world with all senses, transported instantly. As someone who often reads more than one book at once, it can be tricky to remember where I left off each time I open the book- but that was not the case with this story. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. It's not for the faint of heart, though. If you're looking for a story that seems like a wicked take on a fairytale, you'll enjoy this one.

I am in freaking awe.

I just finished this book and I like to sit and write my review immediately so the words are fresh.

To put it in my own words, this book is a story filled with feminine rage. Of grief over loved ones and a life that’s not yours because other people tell you it’s not. Of clinging on to sisterhood because who else can understand you if not the women suffering in silence by your side.

Blood and gore of just trying to make it through the day. Being casted as a witch because of your strangeness or facing death for something you didn’t even do. The harm of a rumor or a misplaced whisper reaching the wrong ears.

Never knowing where the true danger comes from, the monsters that lurk in the woods or the man standing before you preaching about sins.

I went into this thinking it would be a gore filled book about a cult, that was the vibe I received from it. And while those things held true for me, I got more than that.

I got to watch Hyacinth stay true to herself. To be loud and heard and wild and strong and scared. Just to be and not have someone else’s beliefs shoved down her throat. Watch her have the understanding that just because she may be “hard to swallow” she is still worthy.

I just truly loved this book. It was creepy and reached parts of me that I forgot existed. Making me question my own complacency and my own ability to make myself smaller so none around me are uncomfortable.

We could all learn a thing or two from this book.

Thank you Net Galley and Quill and Crow for the copy!

In this thrillingly haunting folk-tale inspired story, Hyacinth has just lost her best friend to the sinister woods and the demons that exist in shadows there. Guilty by association, the village decides to marry her off and send her to another village, one that also shares the same sinister woods, and also is on the shore of a sea where monsters from the Deep require sacrifice to keep their appetites satiated.

This book absolutely consumed me, in the best way! The atmosphere is everything: dark, eerie, and quietly unsettling in a way that lingers long after you've put it down. The writing style fits the tone perfectly, weaving that creeping sense of dread into every page. It’s one of those books where the vibe alone is enough to hook you!

The folklore was hands-down my favorite part. So creative and rich with detail: masks, bones, rituals, the Teeth, the Great Deep. Each element was deeply unsettling but fascinating. You’re constantly questioning what these entities really are, and the glimpses you do get make you wish you'd never seen them. It’s haunting in the best way.

Hyacinth is such a brilliant main character. She’s loud, stubborn, brave, everything her world tries to suppress, but she refuses to be tamed. She doesn’t become softer to survive, and I loved that. Her story felt like a battle cry for all the girls who are "too much."
The relationships in the book felt raw and real. I especially loved the bond between Hyacinth and her sisters, even though it was mostly in the beginning. It set the emotional stakes and gave the rest of the story real weight.

There are still questions left unanswered at the end, but for me, that wasn’t a flaw. It added to the mystery, the disorientation. It made me feel like one of the villagers, grasping at pieces of an old story that's never told in full. It made the world feel alive and unknowable in the best way.

If I had one wish, it’d be for a different ending. I wanted so much happiness for Hyacinth, some softness, some love that truly saw her. I understand why it ended the way it did, it made sense for the character and the world, but part of me still aches for a gentler fate for her. I admit I was a little confused at times, especially at the ending and what actually happened with one particular character, but still, I enjoyed this immensely.

Overall, this book was so refreshing–raw, fierce, and drenched in myth. It’s the kind of story that gets under your skin and stays there!

NetGalley Review – The Bone-Drenched Woods by L.V. Russell

🌕 Rating: 5/5 stars
🌘 Genre Tags: Gothic Fantasy, Dark Fairytale, Feminist Horror, Folkloric Fiction

L.V. Russell’s The Bone-Drenched Woods isn’t just a novel—it’s a ritual. From the first page, I felt as though I had stepped into a realm where the trees remember, the bones whisper, and the air is thick with ancient grief. This story reads like it was unearthed from a forgotten crypt, dusted off, and offered up to those of us who crave darkness dressed in poetry.

The prose is lyrical without ever losing its momentum, painting imagery that lingers long after the chapter ends. Russell excels in world-building with a mythic weight, where every shadow could hold a secret and every silence feels earned. The atmosphere is thick, damp, feral—and I mean that as the highest compliment. If you’re drawn to the uncanny, the gothic, the feminine divine turned monstrous and mournful, this is your church.

The protagonist’s arc is deeply intimate and haunting, rooted in sorrow, resilience, and transformation. There’s power in how Russell wields grief like a blade—cutting open what festers, but also carving paths toward reclamation and rebirth.

If you are a reader who delights in bone altars, forest gods, blood-soaked fairy tales, and the slow rot of generational wounds, The Bone-Drenched Woods will devour you in the best way.

🕯️ Perfect for fans of:

Gothic horror that centers women and folklore

Lyrical prose with teeth

Stories that explore grief, identity, and ancestral echoes

Witchy, woodland hauntings with emotional depth

This is the kind of book I’ll be recommending like a secret—passed from hand to hand under moonlight. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I will be watching L.V. Russell’s work like a crow perched on the sill.

An incredibly creepy and engaging eldritch horror novel about a young woman forced to grapple with her own wild ways while being sent to a new village with a husband she doesn't love. The concept of human sacrifice to keep some unknown and evil forces at bay while using the dead's bones for protection is gruesome but not so much that it takes you out of the story. Usually a horror novel is fairly predictable but I genuinely didn't know where the plot was going at any given time which added to the horrific elements. I don't think I've felt this much unease while reading in a long time.

Thank you to Quill & Crow Publishing House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I just loved the atmosphere; this book was executed so well. I just loved the creepy folklore, and at some points I was not even sure what I was reading but that made it even more ominous. It was very unsettling and I just loved it!
4 star

I’m honestly not even sure what just happened. That was such a crazy whirlwind and my brain is still catching up but I loved every minute of it! Dark, mysterious, tense, and very much focused on tearing down the patriarchy!

4.5 stars!! WOOOW was i awed by this book! from the very first page i was sucked in by the descriptive writing and the dark, dreary atmosphere. i haven’t read much folk horror before but this was absolutely what ive been looking for in my horror reads! i would 100% read more from this author in the future.

4★

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc of this book.

When I first saw the synopsis I was instantly intrigued as it sounded exactly like something I’d enjoy and I was not wrong.

It’s difficult for me to rate this, so I’m gonna try to write this review in notes - as in what I liked and didn’t like - and hope it helps me land on a rating.


What I didn’t like:

☆ The pacing felt too slow. I don’t really mind slower paced books most of the time, but at one point I thought the story started to drag. Despite the book being very short, it felt longer. I was never bored reading it but I wish the pacing felt smoother.

☆ On the other hand, the book could’ve been a bit longer as I felt like it lacked some details - especially when it came to the relationships between the characters.

☆ As much as I loved the folklore of this world, I wish it went even deeper and we learnt more.


Now for what I liked:

☆ The atmosphere of the book! It was dark, eerie and spooky. I very much enjoyed the time I spent in this world. The vibes were vibing.

☆ The main character. She was strong and wicked, and just a lot of fun to follow.

☆ The folklore of this world. The Deep and the Teeth. Both of those were so intriguing and I wish we learnt some more about them.

☆ The creepy parts. The rituals of the villages, the bones and the masks.

Overall a very enjoyable folk horror. I very much enjoyed this and would definitely recommend.

“Are we truly little more than delectable flesh to ancient beings with insatiable appetites?”

***Thank you NetGalley & publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review of this book.***

I normally would rate a book like this three stars because they do not invoke any thoughts or feeling from me at all. This book, however, kept me on the edge of the damn seat. I had no clue wtf I was reading at any point during this story, but I was here for it!! This book was SOOOO DIFFERENT from anything that I normally read that I could not put it down. I received it during a week with little time to read, but I picked it up every chance I got. This book is told in third person, so we never get the full pov from anyone, and maybe that is for the best with this story. I settled on a four star review because I really really enjoyed it, but there were some very confusing & conflicting parts. There were a couple of times where the author said that the dog was in two places at once. He was with Hyacinth when it was previously stated he was left in the room, and he ran off into the woods but was right by her side?! It was confusing. A couple of times I didn’t know where he was when I thought he was with her protecting her, and it was very confusing. Who & what were the monsters?! The Teeth & the Deep…😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

I’m not going to lie…there were times while reading this late at night that I felt my heart racing. Was this a cult book?! Were there really monsters in the woods?! I never knew!!! I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what tf I was reading lol. You know what this story reminded me of???? Did you watch The Walking Dead?!? Remember the Whisperers??? That group of people who survived by wearing the dead’s blood, guts & skins on their faces?! That is what these people reminded me of throughout the entire book. It was gross, creepy, and had my stomach hurting thinking about what they smelled like.

The author used such graphic language while writing this story, and it worked to invoke feelings of disgust from the readers for sure. I could not get past the smells…the smells in the air, of the people, of their fish, of the woods, of the animals…all of the smells were getting to me. I kept thinking to myself how fantastic it was that this author could get me so completely grossed out. Spice scenes?!? Notttt so spicy for someone who can’t get the smells out of their head 🤣🤣🤣💀

Hyacinth was the FMC, and she was a bit of a baddie because she was constantly referred to as a witch for her despicable thoughts. She always found a way out of getting herself hanged, but she came close many times. The 12 Elders who lead their little “cult” burn the witches & their mothers. Girls who wander into the forbidden woods are considered witches. There are many rules that need to be obeyed at all times or people are to be publicly hung and their bones used for protection against monsters called “The Teeth”. Do we ever find out exactly what The Teeth are?!

Sorrell - Elder Reed - was this the MMC?! Well, he never had a fan with me. I know this man may have redeemed himself in a few ways to some people, but I stand my ground in hating him until the end of time. Thank you.

There are different groups of these clans of people, and when a young girl is forced to marry, she has to move on from her clan into another clan where she learns their rules. These people all have to attend sermons together & say prayer rituals. They must hold a piece of the oak on themselves at all times, and they wear masks of hare skins with ears held up by wood or silver. The boatmen wear bird masks with feathers and fish scales. Omg the fish guts…the smells…🤢…dirt under their nails & blood on their skin… I’m getting grossed out again writing this review. It is fantastic to make me feel like this!!

Faolan, the wolf dog, he was my favorite character in this book. I kept thinking he was foreshadowing something, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what until the end…and omg that ending!!!!







Spoilers if you continue reading on, so don’t if you haven’t read this….









Spoilers….









Okay, that ending…I need to talk about it!!!





Did she die?!? Was she a monster all along?! Was her bestie?! I’m so confused on the ending. I just want to know if she drowned in the water or not. What do you think??