An absolutely riveting read, it jumps straight in from where the first book ends and holds no prisoners. You are taken on the best adventure , full of great characters, humour and fun. It’s a great read for middle school age children (and those of us older children too) I love the monty python feel to this, I could have seen it as a great Terry Gilliam film


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Such Big Teeth is the follow on from Darkwood, and the sequel is every bit as funny and imaginative as its predecessor. It continues on with Gretel and the Darkwood Witches' movement for a world where witches (and women!) can coexist with the general population.

As with the first book, the author plays up to and subverts the known tropes of the fairytale genre and she keeps us entertained with the twists and turns she uses to bring her stories to life. I particularly enjoyed her twists on the new supernatural characters she brings in, particularly Gilde, who I absolutely loved to hate throughout.

She also adds a new dimension to the expected heroes and villains of the piece, and it was wonderful to see the multifaceted ideals of Huntsmen beyond the zealous Head Huntsman of the first novel.

I really enjoy Gabby Hutchinson Crouch's style of writing. She brings wit and wonder to the story she tells, and her tongue-in-cheek comedy is right up my street. I can't wait to see where she takes us next.

I really, really enjoyed the chaotic satire of Darkwood, and thought that, during this time of stress and dismay, the second volume would be the perfect uplifting and cheerful read to help me relax and unwind.

Hah.

I don’t know what I expected from someone who writes for The News Quiz and other similarly political satire shows. Where these things were gently seeded in book one, the satire becomes less subtle in this book. There are going to be some spoilers for both book one, and for this instalment, although I will try to keep them to a minimum.

It follows on a fortnight after the end of Darkwood, elections for a new Head Huntsman are being held in the capital city, while the residents of Nearby and the Darkwood are worried about retribution from the Powers That Be. Buttercup, Snow, Gretel and Jack have a plan in place to try and recruit the witches of the Northern Darkwood – the Bear and Wolf witches. Meanwhile, Hansel is having visions of a monster attacking the city, and even though it’s full of Huntsmen, it’s also full of civilians, and they don’t deserve to be attacked by a monster. So he and Daisy head to the city to investigate, and see if they can stop disaster.

See if you can guess which societal elements may get translated into this fairy tale satire, and how these might feel a little near to the knuckle in the current political and social situation. On the one hand, you have the isolationist witches of the North who refuse to get involved because it doesn’t involve them. On the other, a campaign of electioneering and spin doctoring for various flavours of aggressively conservative ideologies. Unexpectedly, I think I do need to flag some potentially triggering material in terms of abusive relationships and politically negative rhetoric (it’s hard to identify exactly what, but while the vocabulary might be based around witches and magic, the intent and tone is very familiar to rhetoric heard today).

We get some more fairy tales brought into the story this time – Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and (one of my favourites) The Seven Ravens. Threads are teased for book three and the witch of the Western Darkwood, but I wasn’t quite able to guess which fairy tales are coming up. Keener fairy tale minds than mine might be able to suss it out, but I suppose I’ll just have to wait to be surprised!

As with any book in a trilogy (I’m blithely assuming it’s a trilogy, there’s nothing to suggest that it will be), the second book goes darker, the ending isn’t so triumphant, and the repercussions of book one are rippling through the pages here, and you can feel them building into waves that will hit in the next instalment. It was nice to see some more relationships building in this one, however, with some nice Queer rep. Sadly, as a result of the two diverging quests, we actually spent very little time in Nearby, which I fell in love with in book one. There’s arguably more important things to focus on in this book, and it’s understandable that local village colour gets put aside for actual plot, but as that provided a lot of the light relief in book one, that might be why book two feels a little more intense at times.

I may be projecting in this as well, but I wonder if she was a little bit… angrier when she wrote this? She addresses a lot of current issues in politics – disaffected voters, unfair voting systems, misrepresentation of issues for the sake of popular reactions, people who don’t care because they don’t see things as directly affecting them. Maybe I’m projecting because these things bother me, and frustrate me.

Whether intentional or not, it felt like the gloves came off a bit in this one (or at least, were exchanged for thinner, firmer gloves). I’m looking forward to seeing where book three takes us.

Briefly:

A worthy follow-up to Darkwood, it focuses more on furthering an overarching plot than playing with the setting. This means things seem darker, with less light relief from social observances, but makes the story push along more quickly.
I found particularly the scenes in the city quite infuriating and I think that’s because in my entire adult lifetime I haven’t woken up after an election and not been heartbroken and horrified. As a satirical news writer, Hutchinson Crouch will be tapped into politics and current affairs, and I imagine she’s probably felt a lot of the same frustrations I have.
I enjoyed seeing Hansel’s powers develop more. He’s quite a quiet character, and I sort of love that about him. Possibly as a side effect of always having to contain his powers, he seems to reduce himself, and have made himself very insular as if that would help. He starts to blossom a bit in this, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that happens as he stops being afraid of what he can do.

Rating: 4/5 – I missed spending time in Nearby, but I did enjoy seeing the scope of the world expand, even if it felt a bit near the knuckle at times!

I’ve been jiggling impatiently ever since I read Gabby Hutchinson Crouch’s Darkwood book, desperate to read the sequel. How desperate? Think of a teenage virgin who’s been promised by their new squeeze that “My parents will be away all night.”. Or a middle-aged chap with a prostate who’s looking for a public loo during lockdown. Now turn that anticipation dial up to 11. That’s how much I’ve been looking forward to this book.

Darkwood culminates in a battle between the village of Nearby and the huntsmen – a nasty force that remind me of the Saudi religious police, except the huntsmen are looking for witches and magical creatures rather than people enjoying themselves. Nearby village protected their witch with the help of other witches, dwarves, unicorns, etc… Such Big Teeth starts two weeks after that battle.

Hansel (the witch) has an awful vision of a monster attacking the Citadel, the capital of Myrsina, and sets off with his friend, Daisy, to save the townspeople. Meanwhile, his twin sister, Gretel goes to the north of the Darkwood to seek help from the wolf and bear witches in preparation for the huntsmen’s return. Would you believe they meet Gilde and three bears? And yes, Gilde offers them porridge…

As with the first book, the joy of Such Big Teeth is the dialogue. “Gretel can’t help but imagine a were-raven-wolf. More specifically, she can’t help but imagine what it must be like to have one fly over you after it’s digested a particularly large dinner.” And I daren’t quote the one about Snow and Buttercup kissing!

Did the book merit my anticipation? Almost. The teenage twins discover that other people’s perspectives may be uncomfortable but valid, e.g. “A reason the huntsmen have been doing so well for so long is that people - ordinary people – actually like what they do.” There is an election in Citadel and we discover that’s what politics is like: you may abhor what a candidate stands for, but if their views resonate with the majority, they will get elected. By definition, can the majority be wrong? Also, what if you really like some of a candidate’s views but are horrified by others? Do you vote for the views you like or against the ones you don’t? Life is messy.

#SuchBigTeeth #NetGalley

If you are courageous enough to venture into the Darkwood today, you’ll find witches and beasties. The people of Myrsina have been terrified of its inhabitants for a very long time. The huntsmen have encouraged this fear, as well as ensuring the list of abominations that keep the non-magical folk of Myrsina on a short leash continues to grow. Gretel used to fear the Darkwood as well, until she was banished there for being a witch.

Having now lived amongst Darkwood’s witches and beasties, she realises they’re not all as scary as she was led to believe. Although, to be fair, Bin Night is actually pretty scary. Gretel has been welcomed into a sort of functional/dysfunctional found family and they’re about to brave the north to try to recruit help for their upcoming battle against the masked huntsmen.

“Witches live in this house. With a spider. Oh, and it’s haunted.”

Travelling from their partially edible home in the woods are:

* Gretel, who I’ve already mentioned. She’s the Mudd witch (not actually a witch).
* Buttercup, who cakeifies inanimate objects when she touches them, usually accidentally.
* Jack: botanist extraordinaire.
* Snow, an axe-wielding, armour wearing princess.
* Dwarves. “Yummy!”. No, they’re not edible. You need to read the book to understand why they’re so yummy.
* Patience, who once upon a time was a huntsman, but is now a ghost.
* Trevor: talking spider, spy and all round master of disguises. We love Trevor!

‘And then there’ll be a masked ball and I’ll go in disguise and all the ladies will be like “who is that dashing man?” And I’ll be all “ha ha! It’s me! Trevor the spider and not a man at all!”’

Meanwhile, Hansel, Gretel’s twin brother, and Daisy, Gretel’s friend, are on their own journey. Hansel didn’t have a great deal of page time in the first book and it was really fun getting to know him.

Holding up a mirror to the world both inside and outside of Myrsina (oh, there’s also a character called Mirror, who is … a mirror), this sequel uses humour to address divisiveness and discrimination in society, highlighting ways that social and legal frameworks attempt to demonise anyone that’s considered ‘other’. It also gives voice to those who aren’t in positions of power, while encouraging magical and non-magical folk alike to fight back against injustice and change the system.

‘We have to stop listening to the stories telling us to fear what’s in the Darkwood. We are the Darkwood.’

As soon as I opened this book my brain delighted in shouting, “Bin Night!” Yes, I know we’ve established that Bin Night isn’t exactly something to be delighted about, but it was one of my takeaway phrases from ‘Darkwood’. Like so many elements in that story, including fairytale characters that I thought I knew well enough that they couldn’t possibly have the capacity to surprise me, Bin Night was not what I imagined when I first learned of its existence. It had humour, some danger and what I thought I knew before I began reading was turned on its head.

Although I hadn’t heard that it was on its way, as soon as I spotted David Wardle’s cover image I knew it could only be heralding the ‘Darkwood’ sequel I had been waiting for. While I met plenty of new characters in both the north and the Citadel, they strode into my imagination almost fully formed. I didn’t have to work to get to know them or to visualise the new locations I travelled to.

Although the north was not what I’d been expecting, that wasn’t a bad thing and it was certainly worth the wait. I’m already anticipating learning more about the Glass Witch, who I’ll need to cross the river and travel to the eastern woods to meet. Trousers! This wait is going to be a “pain in the gooseberries.”

I definitely recommend reading this series in order, lest you unknowingly wander into spoiler territory. You really need the foundations that ‘Darkwood’ provides for a lot of the humour in this book to work best and for the ways the characters interact with one another to make sense.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Farrago, an imprint of Duckworth Books, for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved the first book in this series and I loved this one.
Excellent world building and storytelling, a great cast of character, humour and a plot that flows. All these elements work well together and makes it an entertaining and engrossing read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Darkwood was one of my favourite reads of last year, a funny MG fantasy novel with a lot of heart, so I've been anticipating the sequel since I finished reading it.

Such Big Teeth follows on around a fortnight after the events at the end of Darkwood. Gretel is still living with her found family of misfits in the Darkwood while her brother, Hansel, and friend, Daisy, head to the Citadel amidst an election for a new Head of the Huntsmen.

This series still has a wonderful sense of humour and I felt so comforted being back in the company of these characters—particularly Trevor the talking spider, who's still adorable and definitely an excellent spy. I also loved how the new characters we meet bring in even more fairy tales, without being obvious who they are in much the same way that it wasn't always obvious in the first book.

What I enjoyed most about Such Big Teeth was its shades of grey. This is a funny series, even daft, but Gabby Hutchinson Crouch never talks down to her readers. This novel highlights how politicians can hide what they really mean behind words that sound perfect, but also how there isn't necessarily a black and white divide between good and bad. In this novel we meet witches who aren't actually that nice - because the wicked witch idea must come from somewhere, right? - and huntsmen who don't actually seem that evil.

I loved this idea, and the only reason I didn't rate this novel as highly as I rated Darkwood is because Such Big Teeth does ultimately end with the idea that witches = good and huntsmen = bad, and I think it's a shame the novel went back to that rather black and white divide after exploring the idea that those divisions aren't as clear as we might think. The ending also felt a little anti-climactic to me, but I still enjoyed this novel a lot and I'll definitely be continuing this series.

I have to admit that it was also a real pleasant surprise to encounter two LGBT+ romances in this novel, and that neither of them were ever used as a comedic device to be laughed at. Any fairy tale that gives me a queer Snow White is a fairy tale I'm going to love. Obviously, this being a MG novel, the romance isn't explicit and it isn't a huge part of the story, but it is there and none of the characters comment on it being unusual that two women and two men are into each other. It's a brilliant way to normalise queer relationships for MG readers.

Such Big Teeth is fun, funny and wonderfully political. If you're a fan of fantasy, fairy tales and MG, you need to give this series a try!

It's hard to find properly funny books for older children. Younger kids have Wimpy Kids and David Walliams coming out their ears; once they hit tween years, it's just wry comments and occasional jokes, nothing with humour built right in. (Prove me wrong in the comments! I'm always looking for new humour titles.)

This series is really helping to deal with that lack. Hansel, Gretel and their friends are recovering from the Battle of Nearby. Gretel and the Witches are trying to drum up help for the inevitable march on the Citadel, while Hansel and Daisy head there for some reconnaissance as the Hunters regroup from their defeat. Although there's no recap, and as always I'd forgotten the specifics of the previous book by now, I picked things back up really quickly. Gabby has the gift of making exposition seem completely natural and normal, so I didn't even realise I was being reminded of things I read almost exactly a year ago.

It's fun picking out all the little references to other stories and fairy tales. I guess who Hex was as soon as I saw him, and Scarlett took only a little bit longer. Gilde was pretty obvious, too. I still have no idea who the Glass Witch is, though! But as she hasn't really featured yet, only been (reluctantly) mentioned by other characters, I'm ok with that. I'll get her in the next one. (or the next, or the next, this could run and run.)

I really enjoyed this fun read, and I very much hope that this time next year I'll be writing a review of the next one.

Such a fun read! Really enjoyed this one even though it isn't the type I normally read. Entertaining and quirky.

Utterly unexpected! When I sat down to read this with my granddaughter, I had no idea how much I was also going to love it. Well, that said, I sort of expected I might since I'm still a little girl at heart and will always love a good fairytale, even if I prefer them with a darker slant nowadays. We were both so enthralled that we encouraged each other to stay up late reading.

The creativity is what immediately grabbed me, creatures and characters come to life, rolling off the page with a wonderland playfulness. There is humor laced into the story, some that will make the younger readers giggle and in places some more subtle that will tickle more mature funny bones.

It was neat to see familiar characters from beloved fairytales in a new spin amid some very cleverly crafted new additions. The story moves quickly, which serves both the intended reader age and readers like me who like to dive into a tale and swim with the current. Every word was perfect, not a single ounce of fat.

Highly... super highly recommended for readers who love fairytales and fantasy adventures.

A great follow on from Darkwood. I can't wait to read the next instalment! If you like to think about the origins of fairy stories, and are a fan of Terry Pratchett then this series is for you.

Advanced review thanks to Netgalley.

The second book in the series sees the group risking danger seeking allies from the fabled bear witch.

At the same time Hansel is trying to prevent further issues complicating the matter by travelling to the citadel to help avert calamity from a vision he has.

This book picks up 2 weeks after the first book and continues to provide a good spin on what we know of the old fairy tales.

I did find halfway through the book i was getting a little frustrated with some characters (new and old), however; it all came together in the end which tied it up nicely. Will definitely be getting the next book to see how the story progresses.

this is the second book in the darkwood series and i must say i really adored this book.i loved the characters and it was so much fun reading this book,It was an interesting read .that I would recommend for middle grade level readers and perhaps people who like to read about Fairy Tale characters in a new setting.sometimes when reading it was a little slower at times than book 1 and maybe just a little darker but i must say i do recommend.

A strong follow up to 2019's Darkwood, this second novel series takes place about two weeks following the Battle of Nearby Village. Hutchinson-Crouch's cast of characters expands, adding new magical misfits and skin crawling villains who are all the more horrible for their familiarity while retaining the fun and humor of the first book in the seires. The narrative is split between the efforts of the Darkwood Witches to identify and secure new allies and Hansel and Daisy's efforts to find and confront a monster Hansel is sure has targeted the Citadel. Reading the first book in the series first is recommended to reduce confusion.

The target audience for this book is younger than I assumed when I requested the book, but it's very fun regardless. Perfect for children and fans of subverted fairytales.

#SuchBigTeeth #NetGalley
Great second book in the series! An underrated first book. The series is so much fun and I love the characters.

The second book in the darkwoon series this book follows on from Darkwood and continues to introduce us to Fairy Tale characters in a light we haven't seen them in before.

It was an interesting read that I would recommend for middle grade level readers and perhaps people who like to read about Fairy Tale characters in a new setting.

The dialogue and relationships between the characters were heartfelt and flowed really well.

I was smiling and silently laughing at the little quirks and growing bonds with characters easily.

The little twists and turns added so much to the book and only made me want the third one to be out so I could read more!

This book is a sequel, so I downloaded the first book on my kindle and this review is more for both books together.

The first book I would have given 3.5 stars, but this book was a much more enjoyable read and I’d give it 4-4.5.

Firstly what I disliked. The first book in particular seemed to move too quickly, characters introduced really suddenly without the development behind it. The author told us everything you needed to know about everyone within a few lines of meeting them. Trevor the spider really irritated me at certain moments in both books. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was precisely. The way he is written when he speaks was something that annoyed me. Again, not sure why, I guess he was just one of those characters. Finally, the first book had everything going too well. There was no real struggles, and everything that happened was in the heroes favour.

However, onto the things I liked. Both books were really fun. I loved the way all these fairy tale characters were written into the book and I really enjoyed the authors spin on them. I looked forward to the reading book number two, to find out which characters she would reimagine next. The way the author writes is also something I really enjoyed. Both books were an easy read because of the authors prose.

The second book in question, I really did like. Most of the things that bugged me with the first book were not issues in this one. Characters were written to be much more complex - for example Gilde and Morning. Both ended up being believable characters with their own motives. The character development from the first book was great, I felt like we as the reader got a better insight into who these people were and how the author had imagined them.

There were a lot more twists and scenes with things not going so well. There were many more moments of surprise and suspense in the second book. The lack of action in the first book was definitely made up for in the second, and I am really looking forward to the third after that ending.

Overall, the first book seemed to set the stage but could probably have done with being longer and developing characters and plots a little more. However, it was still enjoyable and provided a great base for this book which was a really enjoyable read and I can’t wait for the next one.

The eagerly awaited follow up to Darkwood. Full of wit and colourful characters. Gretel Mudd and her friends in the Darkwood set out to recruit other witches and magical beings to their cause, whilst her brother, Hansel, heads off to the Citadel to face a monster. Power and oppression are witnessed by them all, and it's a struggle they have to overcome if they are to save the inhabitants of the Darkwood.
Highly entertaining, witty and with lots of strong characters (yes, Trevor the talking spider, I mean you), this is a great follow up book. I just can't wait for the next instalment.

I adored this book! This was such a fun read that I'm sure younger readers will enjoy! The characters and retellings were imaginative and creative, and everything flowed well together. The scenarios and banter between characters had me laughing out loud. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!