I DNF this Hansel and Gretel retelling at 36%. This is due to a juxtaposition of too slow a pace but also too many elements to the plot. There were elements I really enjoyed like the living spellbook, but a lot of the time, I was itching for the plot to move forward whilst being overwhelmed the world building. I may pick it up again later and if so, will adapt my review.

Such a perfect book to start the spooky season! I loved rediscovering the different tales and linking all my memories together. As an audiobook it was gripping and setting the scene perfectly as well!

Dark retellings are such a mood!

After the Forest by Kell Woods is a dark and twisted YA Hansel and Gretel retelling that is enchanting and full of deception and lies.

“…𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐞.”

The start of the story was slow and I was uncertain as to whether I’d enjoy it, but by chapter 7 I was completely hooked. Hansel and Gretel didn’t live happily ever after- so much of this story blew my mind (in a good way). I enjoyed that the characters weren’t one-dimensional. Greta (Gretel) is the main protagonist in this story and she is the one keeping things together and making up for the shortcomings of her brother Hans. I was disappointed in Hans, he could’ve done better for himself and his sister but he found his way- eventually. The parallel to how childhood trauma could impact adults later on wasn’t lost in this story. Greta wasn’t a cookie-cutter “good girl” heroine and I found that I enjoyed that most. At times I felt like I had the plot all figured out, then other times I just didn’t know who to trust! It was frustrating in the best way!

“𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫- 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫.”

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄:
✰ Twisted fairytale retelling
✰ YA fantasy with low-key romance
✰ Witches• spells and curses
✰ Shifters
✰ Slow-burn with intricate
plot
✰ Morally Grey main character

As both a YA and romance reader I was prepared for a low-key romance
If you find the synopsis or this review intriguing, then you should give it it go too.

𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝟒 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓: Audiobook, provided by Bolinda Audio via NetGalley
𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒: Morally Gray Characters, Fairytale Retelling, Twisted story,

Would I buy this book?: YES!
Would I recommend it?: YES!

Review Note: I listened to the audiobook, kindly provided by Bolinda Audio via NetGalley, I enjoyed the narration- it was easy to follow and done well- although I’m not sure how the British-English sounding accents were equated to being set in Germany.

3.5 stars

I received an audiobook arc for this book so please forgive me if some of the names are spelt wrong! The narrator Esther Wane was really good and I would definitely read more audiobooks narrated by her in the future.

After the Forest is a story which extends the tale of Hansel and Gretel, and tells us about their grown up lives after they survived what happened to them in the witches home. Greta lives with her brother Hans in their family home, and spends her days baking gingerbread men to sell. Thanks to the talking magic book that Greta took for the witch’s house, her gingerbread are one of the most loved treats in the town and it’s the main source of income for their home. Greta must be careful though, as it would take the smallest slip for her to be accused of as a witch and burned at the stake.

There is a lot that happens at the start of this story. Hans has a debt to pay, but no money to pay it. The villages taxes have been increased, putting even more stress on Greta to earn money. A mysterious man travels to the village and catches Greta’s eye.

While I enjoyed this book overall, I feel like the pacing wasn’t the best. It’s why I find it hard to give a summary of the book without too much spoilers, since it felt like the first half of the book was all about setting things up for the actual “aim” of the story. It all came together at the end, and it was still interesting getting to the point, but up until about 65% of the book I couldn’t tell you what exactly was the end goal for the story. That is the only real issue I had with the book. And even still I found it enjoying and didn’t get bored at any point.

I feel like this is a really solid debut from Kell Woods, and I’d be excited to see what other books she writes in the future.

I was sent After the Forest in Audiobook format from NetGalley and Bolinda Audio in exchange for an honest review.

This has to be one of my new favourite fairytale retelling. I found myself really enjoying this book and eager to devour it and take in the fantastic writing.

After the forest was set a few years after Hans and Greta had found the gingerbread house and the wicked witch that lived inside. The story follows Greta and how she struggles to find herself fitting in in her village and trying to solve the mystery of the cause of her nightmares and the mysterious handsome stranger who recently came to her village.

I enjoyed following Greta's character and seeing her character's development in the book.

The world building was whimsical and magical. The story was filled with great characters and an intriguing magic system.

Listening to the audiobook, I felt the narrator did a great job and really helped bring the characters to life.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

This retelling of Hansel&Gretel is a bit of a mixed bag. The initial chapters were a bit weird as you meet a shy Gretel, very different from the one in the original story.
It's not a fast paced story and it's quite dark as the source material is very dark.
I liked it but not loved it as I felt it a bit off and also quite far from the origins that full of despair and tragedy.
It's an interesting story but I think it will be surely loved by anyone who doesn't know the original story very well.
I liked the voice of the narrator that added layers to the story
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

After The Forest is an imaginative adult retelling of the well known fairytale Hansel and Gretel. Taking place 15 years after the events of the fairytale, After The Forest follows Greta as her life changes following an encounter with a bear.

I really enjoyed the new elements & twists added by Kell which built on the lore you already think know, the grimoire especially was a great touch linking back with the gingerbread to the original. The magic in the book was definitely interesting & I would have liked for that to have been explored a bit more I think!

The plot was well paced & the writing itself was very good. Despite that, I struggled with Greta, the main character, I appreciate that she’s young & somewhat naive, but there were several points of the book where I was so frustrated by her lack of comprehension that I had to put the book down. She also comes across as very young for her age (23 I think?) & as a result I felt the book was more YA than adult. As I didn’t mesh with the main character, where the book is told from her perspective, I found myself not hugely enjoying the book, but this is definitely more of a me problem than an actual issue with the book.

The voices for the different characters were distinct & fit well with how I imagined them, so I found Ester’s narration to be excellent! Will definitely be looking out for more books narrated by her.

Thank you to Bolinda Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a free Audio arc in exchange of an honest review!

I really enjoyed this and its perfect for the autumn/ fall time of year!
-Loved the setting as it was atmospheric and had lots of a nature/ natural imagery
-Love a fairy tale retelling (Hansel and Gretel)
-Really like the magic
-The narrator was engaging and the pacing of the audio narration and story is good!

4 Star read!

Really enjoyed this Hansel and Gretel retelling that takes place years after the events with the hag.
The way the original story was adapted and developed into something more substantial was done well.
The world building was great especially the magic system.
If you enjoy magical stories with a sweet romance on the side this is one for you

Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the advance audio copy,

I went into this book expecting it to be Gretel being just as strong and smart as the fairytale but older; and was met with the opposite.

The Gretel of this story is timid and not as smart as she was when younger and that feels weird for the story. Hansel is no better and this takes away from the story.

I wasn’t able to get into this because that continua nagging about their characters kept coming into play.

The start of the book is quite slow and I guess because the author is changing the characters so much they may have felt the need for the long introduction.

The main thing that kept me listening was the reader Esther Wane who had an engaging voice. If I had to rate it on the reader it would be higher but unfortunately it’s based on the story.

I would say not to go into this book expecting the great heroine from the fairy tale but a watered down version who also seems to have forgotten her common sense.

3.75/5.0

A delicious and bewitching Hansel and Gretel what comes after novel. A perfectly atmospheric autumn read.

Review

The female main character at times is frustrating - perhaps a mix of her naïveté and the voice the narrator uses for her. She’s also incredibly hypocritical, getting angry when she discovers people she cares about keep secrets from her, all the while she is essentially drugging the village for years, and lying about what happened to her and her brother.

Story was a little predictable but as it is a fairy tale retelling that is to be expected. The beginning and ending were slow going but I enjoyed the “second act” as it were the most.

The setting was well written, I could easily see the mountain, the cave, the village in my head.

A great debut that expands upon a dark fairytale. The reader is transported into 17th Century Germany and witch finders are afoot. Throughout there is a feeling of peril and the struggle to survive, yet there is a whimsy quality to the story. There’s cozy baking juxtaposed with sinister magic. Alongside the magic, there’s wolves and bears in the vivid forest. The story contains some animal cruelty so please check trigger warnings.
Also, I enjoyed the romance element of the story, it does not take from the main plot points and compliments the story well.
The audio is entertaining and very easy to listen to. I would recommend that’s how people should read this book as it adds to the whimsy atmosphere.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda audio for an audio-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

After the Forest is a Hansel and Gretel retelling. We meet up with Greta and her brother Hans many years after they were held in the gingerbread cottage by the old crone. The town has always thought of Greta as a witch since then, and her magically wonderful gingerbread seems to confirm this as well.

Greta makes use of her baking skills in an attempt to get Hans out of the debt he found himself in. But there is more going on than she realises. There are dangerous creatures in the Forest, bears and wolves, and a string of mysterious deaths may link to this

Greta will find out more than she bargains on when a stranger, Mathias, saves her from a Bear in the woods and magic is also calling to her more and more, with ways to help.... but at what cost.

This was such a beautiful book, dark and lush world, really fleshes out the old Hansel and Gretel tale and adds to it.

I started on the physical copy, and switched to audio for a lot in the middle, then finished off the last hour or so on physical. Was a great book to read, but the audio was amazing as well, definitely added to the experience

Thank you to NetGalley, Titan Books and Bolinda audio for the chance to read and review this one early... it is out the start of October and is a perfect read for this time of year!

Headlines:
After Hansel and Gretl
Morally grey characters
Bears, wolves and witches

After The Forest took the reader deep into the forests where it's dark and all sorts of suspicion and creatures lived. Personally, I've always had a thought about what happened to Hansel & Gretl and in this story we got a vision of that.

Hans was a pretty selfish and messed up guy (understandable), while Greta was the MC. The whole villiage distrusted her and her past where she almost became the villian who killed the witch. There was much to unpack about what had really happened in that house of kidnapping but much of story rightfully revolved around the now. Bears and wolves emerged and there was a speaking spell book. Greta had some natural talents and one of them was making gingerbread.

I enjoyed this story in the main. There was vivid description of the forest, creatures and the dark atmosphere. I found it a little pacey at times. Overall, this standalone kept me engaged and it felt like a seasonal read for autumn and dark evenings.

The audio was good with a narrator I already like.

Thank you to Titan Books and Bolinda Audio for the review copies.

I love fairy tales and couldn't wait to dive into After the Forest but unfortunately I really don't like the voice for the audiobook so I am unable to listen to it or give proper feedback for this title.

I will be checking out this book when it is released in Hardback as it sounds like such an interesting premise but again I don't find the voice very engaging.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! After the Forest is a Hansel and Gretel sequel/retelling with an intriguing magic system I could honestly read many more books about, a classic story of fighting abuse of power, and a brilliantly morally questionable main character learning just how powerful she can be.

Part witch fight, part fairy tale epic, part werewolf story (yes there are werewolves!! this really should be advertised more!!) this book is a story of discovering and reclaiming your power, finding the people who will understand you, and remaining kind in the face of terrible things.

The narrator of the audiobook has a wonderful voice which is easy to listen to and fits perfectly with the narrative tone of the book; brilliant range of character and narrative voice!

Do you ever wonder what happened next to your favourite fairytale characters? In this magical dark fantasy fairytale, we observe the lives of Hans and Greta twenty years after they defeated the witch. Unfortunately, life did not continue with a happily ever after for the siblings; the death of their parents, war, and deprivation prevailed. Hans has a gambling problem that makes it even more difficult to survive, but Greta has a secret - a secret gingerbread recipe that keeps the villagers hungrily wanting more, but also makes them deeply suspicious of her powers. There is a deep fear of dark magic, which is rightly justified as Greta harbours the hidden grimmoire of the evil witch. The book speaks to her and offers more than just gingerbread. All the addictive ingredients we expect from a fairytale - wolves, bears, rosy red apples, blood, snow, magic, wonderfully narrated by Esther Ware. #aftertheforest #kellwoods #bolindaaudio #netgalley

Originally I found the first chapters of the book hard to get into (nothing seemed to happen for a while) but after the first 25%, the action and plot started to pick up the pace. I enjoyed the overall storyline, and the additional fairytale elements that were included. Greta came across as incredibly naive, despite everything that had happened in her past I was hoping she would be abit more cautious. She seemed surprised by the existence of magic and witchcraft, despite her now owning the grimoire, which is obviously magical and allows her to create her enchanted gingerbread. There were some interesting twists throughout the story and the descriptions of the locations and action were transportive. My only negative critique is that the narrators voice was too high and had a slight twang, especially when narrating the male voices.

This 'after the fairytale' story set in Germany has one overwhelming side-effect - I really want some gingerbread. But beyond that, After the Forest is a very entertaining mishmash of a variety of classic fairy tales, with elements of romance and excitement, feminism and a romance at the centre of the story which feels incredibly cozy and warming.
Greta is barely eking out a living, selling gingerbread to the locals who don't quite trust her - or her brother Hans - since their time in the woods years earlier, when their father abandoned them and their encounter with the gingerbread house happened. When she realises the scale of the debt her brother has built up in the town, she realises quickly that gingerbread - even that made with the grimoire she took from the witch's house - might not cut it to get them back on their feet. A variety of alternative solutions present themselves, including an old friend returned from war, a mysterious stranger with dark eyes, a roving group of bandits, and a childhood friend who's just a little bit too young to be proposing marriage - and it all escalates from there. Magic, forests, bears, wolves, foxes, witches, and good old-fashioned bigotry and sexism will all make their appearances as Greta hurtles her way towards her destiny.

The setup of the book was solid, with chapter epigraphs telling the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, while the main plot continued apace. Greta as a main character was very sympathetic - the one competent person in her life surrounded by a bunch of useless men, she's hampered badly from her goal of just living peacefully by the whispers of 'witch' following her around. I mean, yes, her grimoire talks to her, but is that really such a bad thing?
I found the variety of characters in this book quite enjoyable, even though we focused strongly on Greta, as we see Hans, Rob, Christophe, and various other people I've forgotten the names of go through their own little arcs.
The narrator, Esther Wane, did a great job of the narration and voicing the different characters distinctively. There was one very odd choice of accent, though, which I just can't get on board with .... how could a Hapsburg be Northern Irish??
Overall, though I enjoyed this book, I think it had a few weaknesses which undermined it from being a full five star read. The accent thing, above, for one.
Secondly, the ending of the book felt a little rushed and unfinished. [[spoilers here!]] Was Hans happy with his life going forward? Did Rob just ... have to wander the world forevermore? Did he get to stay with Mira? What, exactly, happened to Greta's land after she couldn't return? And how, exactly, does one spell the bad kind of witchery? I heard tatar witch every time (which is hilarious, because my other half is ethnically Tatar), but other reviews have mentioned tatawitchery and tatterwitchery, as well as tadawitchery?
Thirdly, the book felt a little mis-aimed. The motivations of the characters and the depth of development in this very fairytale-esque story really felt like they were upper YA at best. Barring one scene of animal torture (which honestly, wasn't exactly gruesome), the whole book felt very tame, and I'm not sure it was nuanced enough to fall squarely into adult fantasy.

Still though, an enjoyable read, a good narrator, and a solid debut. I'll look out for more from Kell Woods in future.