Darkwood is a light-hearted story centered around this land wherein magic is forbidden. There we encounter our main character Gretel who lives in the town of Nearby that neighbours the Darkwood, the place where witches, creatures and all sorts of unpleasantness lives. You shouldn't go into the Darkwood, but when Gretel is forced to flee she discovers not everything is as it seems.
Darkwood is a light-hearted, comedy filled novel, its storyline is full of fairy-tale tropes that are twisted and used in a very fun, clever and quirky way. The writing is marvelous and witty, all the little references to other stories had me giggling. This was a delightful novel to read and i'm looking forward to the next.

This book was adorable! The characters were very enjoyable, and I really liked the story. Gretel was the character I liked the most. Perhaps it was not meant this way but I took it as a bit of a comment on society that a smart girl who was good at inventing things must, of course, be a witch. I loved that the characters worked together and also how accepting the village people were.

This book is great for middle grade readers, and I would certainly recommend it

4.5/5 stars

**this was sent to me by the publishers through netgalley, all thoughts are my own**

omfg guys this was amazing.

this is a middle grade fairytale retelling of hansel & gretal, snow white, and others as witches who have been banished by the power-hungry huntsmen and it was everything I could ever ask for.

this gives me ALL the monty python and shrek vibes and it SO DAMN GOOD.

the humor, the characters, the story, the MESSAGE of corruption and perceptions of truth was breathtaking. ((also I totally think there’s a slow burn sapphic romance in the works))

I am beyond thrilled with this book and I am fully invested in this series. if y’all don’t have this on your tbr’s by now you’re missing out. I can’t say enough good things about this. READ IT.

I don’t know why middle grade books get such a bad rep, I absolutely adored this humorous spin on fairytale lore.

I found myself laughing aloud a few times throughout this book and would definitely recommend this to anyone that needs some fun in their lives.

First off, as always, a big thank you to Netgalley and Farrago for allowing me to be the first to read this delightful book before it hits the shelves in mid June of this year.

The first in the Darkwood series, the story follows Hansel and Gretel in a village where witchcraft and maths are forbidden and a misunderstanding forces Gretel to flee into the feared Darkwood. There she meets a gang of colorful characters and together, they’ll save her village from those who foster fear and resentment towards the misunderstood creatures that dwell in the wood.

It’s a book aimed at middle school aged kids and it’s written as such. By that I mean there’s a lot of exposition and explanation in the dialogue, especially during the climax. But that’s all well and good since, like I said, it’s aimed at a younger age group than yours truly. It’s got a great cast of characters and is very relatable, especially in this day and age. It touches upon authoritarianism and intolerance and shows us what can be if we keep an open mind and heart.

I recommend this book when it’s released next month!

#Darkwood #NetGalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-arc copy of Darkwood.
What a fun and quirky fantasy novel for middle grade! I loved it. I think that this is a book that will appeal to all ages of people. The fantasy is unique and imaginative. Who doesn't love witches, beasties, and a little magic!

I'm a fan of Terry Pratchett and couldn't help loving this book.
I loved the mix of humour and fantasy, the tongue in cheek style of writing and the quirky characters.
I read as fast as I could and laughed out loud more than one.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I always try to sell alternative realities, fractured fairy tales, dystopian adventures and I have to say this will be one I recommend. The mash up of both Hansel & Gretel with the likes of a feral Snow White is ingenious. I don't want to give any spoilers away for people yet to read this, but if you love fairytales, try this out for size. I cannot wait for the next installment!

This is an excellent and humorous riff on common fairy tale lore. Gretel and her brother Hansel live with their stepmother and stepfather (yes, both are "step," no-one knows why) at the edge of cursed forest (it's dangerous, but the housing prices cannot be beat!) and within the confines of a kingdom under the sway of the Huntsmen who outlaw nearly everything they find personally offensive like witches, magic, and girls knowing math. Gretel can't quite contain her cleverness however and she soon catches the attention of the Huntsman. Accused of witchcraft (how else to you explain engineering prowess?), Gretel must flee to the woods herself where she finds (among legitimate dangers, including the dreaded bin men) a coven of "witches" and fellow escapees. But safety in the unsafe woods proves elusive when the Huntsmen are no longer content to drive off those they dislike with accusations of witchcraft and instead decide to take both the forest and Gretel's home village.

This is the first book in what looks to be a crackerjack series. I'd recommend it to fans of fantasy and humor, but am perplexed by the number of readers who seem to be categorizing this book as "middle grade." Neither the content or vocabulary indicate this work is intended for children, the press is not a children's press, and NetGalley cross lists it as humor and sci fi/fantasy. I'm worried that this book might be falling to unfortunate trend of assuming female authors automatically equate YA audience. This particular series would be best categorized as humor/satire and fantasy.

ARC via NetGalley

A fun, exciting, action-packed story that once I started reading I couldn't put down. Full of fairytale creatures but with a twist. The story is about oppression and persecution of those who are different and don't confirm to "nature's law". With very engaging characters and plenty of clever plot twists, you can't help but love it. The humour works well and is reminiscent of the Discworld series. This is the first book in a new series and I'm very much looking forward to reading the next in the series.

**I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

This book felt like a one of Tiffany Aching books, maybe with a little worse prose, but Terry Pratchett is Terry Pratchett. There was a lot of humor and witty dialogues and not a page was boring. I really liked the story about characters we know so well from fairytales. They were desrcipted in unique and interesting way and the whole novel was pretty fun to read.

I didn't know it;s a middle grade book, but I liked description enough to request for it and I'm glad I did. If you need something short and light with a lot of fantastic creatures, I recommend you this book.

Magic is forbidden in the land of Myrsina, along with other abominations such as girls doing math and science. This doesn't bode well for Gretel Mudd, who isn't technically a witch, but does do a lot of math. When her inventions catch the attention of the sinister Huntsmen who want to try her for witchcraft, she has no choice but to flee her town into the Darkwood, the terrifying forest where all sorts of evil and beasties live. While fleeing for her life, she crosses path with a rag tag group of witches: Buttercup, who can't help but turn the things she touches into pastries; Jack Trott, who can make plants grow with a lift of his hand; The White Knight and her band of Dwarves, and a talking spider named Trevor. Gretel comes to learn these aren't the scary villains she's been taught to fear her whole life, and they all have a common enemy: the Huntsmen. The merry band of outcasts join together in order to not only save Gretel's village from the Head Huntsmen's wrath, but also to show people that the Darkwood isn't as terrifying as it seems.

I knew I was going to like this based off the synopsis, but I wasn't expecting just how much. It's a smart, funny, witty take on the fairy tale trope, and was so entertaining. It gave me such Monty Python vibes with the humor and banter which hooked me right from the start. I really loved the characters, especially Trevor, their interaction as a group was a major highlight for me. It's a quick read, and a really solid start to this series, and I can't wait to see what's next.

Monty Python meets Fairy Tale Theater in this book with lots of familiar, yet new characters. I quite enjoyed this book and would love to read more books set in this world. Funny, serious, tense, this would be an excellent addition to any Youth literature collection.

From the first page, I knew that this would be a book to devour. I really love fairy tale adaptations, and while those who love to categorize books into an age group will put this in middle school range, I would encourage everyone of every age to go ahead and read Darkwood. It is clever and funny and so very very entertaining. I love the creation of the characters, the dialogue is funny and natural. Darkwood truly is a joy to read.

Be aware, this is the first book in a series, so please do not be disappointed to be left hanging! Be prepared and look forward to the next one - you will be counting down the days...I am!

Darkwood is a re-telling of well-known fairytales, with a twist. Gretel and her twin brother Hansel live in Nearby Village, in a land where the Huntsmen rule, magic is forbidden and deviation from the plot is heartily discouraged - including the horror of being clever. Darkwood looms over the village, occasionally threatening creatures like Ogres escape and are beaten back by the villagers, using Gretel's inventions. Her crime of being clever leads to her having to flee the village after Huntsmen come to seek out the "witch", and she flees into the Darkwood, despite the horrors within.

Part an inversion of fairy tale tropes, part a story about totalitarianism, this owes a lot to Terry Pratchett and in a good way. It's clever and it's enjoyable, with a much wider appeal than just a teenage audience. Adults with a sense of humour and a fondness for fairytales will enjoy it too! The only flaw is that it was an advance from NetGalley, so I'll have to wait ages for the next in the series.

This is a book for middle grade kids. That does not mean that adults cant read it. In fact, the plot and the storyline was great and overall it was an enjoyable read. Every middle schooler can read it alone or with parents!
A lot of paranormal aspects and fabulous storyline adventure!
Recommended!

I didn't realise this was a middle grade book when I requested it but that didn't stop me really enjoying it. Darkwood is fun and quirky, reminding a little of a less gruesome Robin Jarvis book. Parts of it are very funny - maths being banned for girls and the way that is handled for instance. All in all a quick, enjoyable read.

I don't read middle grade books very often, but this one was actually quite a fun read. I did have some issues which I'll get into in a bit. I'm mostly rating this more as overall enjoyment and not so much the actual plot, as it's a bit weird to describe.

Darkwood is a place that no mortal should enter due to monsters and witches. Living in her village with her brother Hansel and stepparents, they learn literacy and defend the village folk from any monsters that emerge from the Darkwood. Witchcraft is outlawed in the land, and apparently so is math (for girls at least). Gretel has no choice but to run away into Darkwood when she's accidently ousted as knowing how to do math.

We get a fun quirky story, and actually pretty humorous for middle grade, and some fun fantasy elements thrown throughout. I found it easy to go along with the story and enjoy the book for what it was. Over just 300 pages, but it goes by like a breeze once you start to get into the quirkiness of it all.

Main problem I have about this is the actual writing. I'm used to 3rd person POV, but the way this is narrated is just...off. I didn't like the writing style used, and it was a bit weird to get used to. Reading for about the first 10 chapters, I remember thinking to myself that it was weird, or an odd choice of descriptions. I was able to brush it off though. Also, can we just recognize the fact that girls knowing math is just as bad as witchcraft in this world? I found that so hilarious and I can't describe it any other way lol.

But yeah, fun little book and I'd probably recommend it if you want a simple quirky read. I wouldn't go out of my way to actually read this over other books on my shelf though. But for middle grade, I think it's just fine.

ARC provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.