I love Hardinge and her poetic style of writing. In fact I teach the Lie Tree to a class at school so I was thrilled to see she has a new book out.

Her books are for "children" but the vocab tends to be on the trickier side so definitely a book for older kids and adults (and have a dictionary to hand)

This is a classic tale of what happens when men destroy nature and nature has had enough. Very topical and yet still fantastical and interesting.

Heather is an interesting protagonist (albeit one who makes questionable choices - stranger danger?!) I enjoyed following her story through the forest and who doesnt love a good pet sidekick!

Frances Hardinge is always an instant buy for me. Every one of her novels is a masterpiece, and The Forest of a Thousand Eyes is no exception. Driven by curiosity and betrayal, young Feather leaves the safety of her familiar community to track down a thief. Beyond her sheltered world lies an ominous wilderness, a living, breathing force threatening to consume her with every step.

As she ventures along the crumbling wall, Feather encounters a host of dwellers who challenge everything she thought she knew—about her surroundings, her people, and herself. Hardinge's storytelling is nothing short of masterful, creating a richly immersive world within a compact narrative that hooks you from the very first page. The forest teems with vividly imaginative creatures, and Feather herself is a wonderfully endearing heroine you can’t help but root for.

Exactly what you’d expect from this Award-Winning author – perfection. Just the right amount of questing and adventure with some peril and darkness too so I’d probably pitch it at age 10 and upwards readership. I must mention the stunning illustrations too. The only downside is I wanted to learn more about the world built around Feather and Sleek.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

This was just beautiful. I confess that the ARC ebook I received from Netgalley had very poor rendering of the illustrations, so probably this book is best appreciated in hard copy, but even with just the text I was enchanted. In a very short space, Hardinge has constructed a world in which an ever-hungry Forest has overpowered humanity's attempts to keep it back, until all that remains is the wreck of a Wall that was built, and which failed. Possibly the failure reflected internal human divisions, or perhaps its failure was inevitable, but as it is now, all that is left is pockets of humanity, some of whom believe that they are all that remains, and treat travellers as hungry ghosts. Into this world, our heroine, Feather, sets off, in pursuit of a thief who has taken something valuable from her own pocket of survivors, and in the process discovers what remains of the people in this world, and helps construct a way forward.

A quick moral fantasy fable, set in a strange world. There's been some attempt to build a humongous Great Wall of China kind of thing, to keep the Forest away from civilisation. Feather and the people she know live in one crumbling edifice on what is left of the Wall, which long since succumbed to the Forest – a forest full of giant insects, vicious nasties, poison, sentient vines that like to kill us, and so on. When a stranger turns up she is able to keep his presence secret, but he isn't after friendship, and when he gets what he needs he skedaddles – meaning that Feather will be alone in being able to save the day. If she can get the better of the nasty green world below…

I think the very nature of this – highly illustrated, novella-length – shows that this will be a Book With a Point, and the point is clear from very early on. But that doesn't really matter, as this is nicely engaging throughout. It's an alien world, and it's fine to explore, even if we're often left with more questions than answers about where we are and when and how and why. Feather's experiences are pleasantly done, making this quite the rich fantasy – and the Forest itself is a suitable character, too. By the end, minds and horizons are expanded, cooperation is being thought of, but the threat of the outside world is still there – so not much has changed, only become even more dreamlike. It is a dreamy vision that is on offer here, and one that is very pleasant to experience. A strong four stars.

Francis Hardinge is a wonderful writer. This book is a good introduction to her work for younger readers, who can graduate to her outstanding, more complex novels. The story follows a girl from a fearful and fragmented society living in broken sections of a crumbling fortified wall. As she braves the ravages of the wild that tries to consume and attack the people hiding from nature in varies parts of the wall, she discovers many different ways to help everyone to cope and thrive if only they stop being closed and hostile to the other inhabitants of the sections they are unfamiliar with. A tale to re-evaluate environmental harms, immigration and closed minds to cope and help one another with shared knowledge and resources. With beautiful illustrations from Emily Gravett full of peril and fascination. A short read with less world building than Francis Hardinge's usual wonder-crammed books, but a good stepping stone to discover her work.

Feather, seems born for adventure and when an item that is precious to her community, is stolen from her by a confidence trickster, she has little choice but to head out into the unknown in hot pursuit!
Throw in a forest, which seems to believe the idea that ‘attack is the best defence’ and the quest becomes a little more tricky and perfectly perilous!
I’ve seen this book listed as 12+ but have no doubt that it’s also suitable for younger readers who like a bit of darkness and danger! As well as suitable content, it is also very accessible through its length and the beautiful accompanying illustrations by Emily Gravett, which complement the writing wonderfully.

Excellent short story from Hardinge, wanted more!

This could have been a full-length novel, but I adored the short format and felt the plot fitted brilliantly inside the slight number of pages.

Hardinge creates here a frightening world where humans have been pushed to the brink of extinction, it seems, by nature. Living in pockets along a wall, holding back the forest that would take their lives if they lose concentration, Feather dwells in one of these communities scraping by on their remaining tools and materials. But Feather has a secret, she's taoken a precious piece of 'glass' to show to a new friend she's made from far away.

And when Feather is betrayed, she knows she can't return to her Wall family without the stolen glass, and ventures out alone along the Wall, with tamed ferret Sleek to retrieve it, finding new colonies along the way, learning how different groups are coping with their resources, and constantly on the watch for attacks from the Forest only ever a touch away.

This was tense, exciting and so, so well written. Gravett is usually seen as a friendly and 'cute' illustrator of children's picture books, here the limited colour palette of black, white and green brings out the darkness of Feather's world and situation.

The lessons here are well-taught, the story not lightened for a young readership, though Hardinge does have an older primary readership. This is not graphic or overly scary but ages 9 and above would be best suited as readers here.

Loved this, great format for the story and to encourage readers into darker fiction gradually.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

THE FOREST OF A THOUSAND EYES is a gorgeous tale about exploring the world without realising it and discovering the wonder of an expanded world.

This is very much a Frances Hardinge book with a world that feels just that bit out of touch of our world and also just that bit out of step with the sorts of folktales you are used to hearing. This is a rich world drawing on things we are used to - Hadrian's wall felt like the obvious jumping off point for the wall, for example - which the author has then very much put their own spin on.

This book is fully illustrated with black, white, and green illustrations by Emily Gravett. It makes this into a delight to read both for the story and the visual treat. I think this is the sort of book you want to read with someone, like parents and children reading together.

I wasn't quite sure what age range this book was. It's entertaining for a wide range.of ages, that timelessness that a lot of Frances Hardinge's books have. The visual component making it feel like a bedtime book to read as a family does push me a bit towards middle grade as a "this is the lower end of who will get a lot from it".

'The Forest of a Thousand Eyes' is another stunning collaboration between Frances Hardinge and Emily Gravett - a gorgeously written and illustrated fantasy adventure tale for younger readers. Nobody writes fantasy like Hardinge, and once again she transports us to a gloriously strange and imaginative world in which humans are forced to live inside a narrow and dilapidated Wall as the Forest has almost completely taken over.

After an encounter with a cunning stranger, Feather is forced to leave her enclosed community in Greyman's Gate and ends up travelling the length of the Wall, meeting different communities and discovering the wildness of the Forest for herself. The story is full of excitement and danger, and explores important themes about learning from others who are different from us.

Hardinge's writing and Gravett's green, black and white pencil drawings complement each other perfectly. This is a quick read but a beautifully produced book which will delight many older primary and younger secondary readers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

One of the best children’s (also MG and YA) fantasy stories that I have read this year.
Feather is after Merildun to retrieve a stolen item, and Sleek accompanies her.
Feather and Sleek are likeable, and the plot has high stakes, immersive vibes and contexts.
4.5 stars.

A story of strength, determination and bravery, this was another great little story from Francis Hardinge. I’m enjoying these novellas as they’re quick to read and come with gorgeous illustrations, but I do find them a bit too short to really get into the story the way I would with a full length novel.

I loved the main character Feather, a lot. Along with her scaled ferret Sleek, she sets out on a journey along the wall to retrieve her father’s spyglass. I liked how resourceful she was as well as her the attributes of determination and bravery that I listed above. Sleek was also really cute. Give me an animal companion and I will love the book a lot.

The illustrations didn’t take my breath away the way the ones in the first book did. But it was still great to see them alongside the text. I really enjoy the fact that these stories are illustrated and by such great artists. It really adds something to the text.

I really love Frances Hardinge's work so I was eager to read this one.

I'll start by saying it was included in the Teen and YA section but feels more suited to Middle Grade. So I probably wouldn't have picked it if I'd known that but, having done so, I did really enjoy the book.

The story features a very small cast but the characters are all skillfully portrayed.

Our main protagonist is Feather who lives on The Wall, a literal wall surrounded by a dangerous forest containing many giant and deadly creatures and plants. When a stranger steals a vital piece of equipment, Feather risks everything to track him down and bring it back. The result is a charming tale of adventure with a very satisfying conclusion.

Another stunning partnership from Hardinge/Gravett that presents a richly imagined fantasy distopia & a resilient heroine who meets her world head on. Quality writing and beautiful illustrations combine perfectly in this intense, emotional read. The picture book novella format is unusual for TF but is well worth promoting, and would be good as a class read even for mature top JF.

Impactful adventure for kids of all ages

Hardinge brings us another instant classic in a brutal, impactful adventure full of invention and truths. Innocent Feather wants only to serve her isolated, self-sufficient community, keeps of part of the Wall, the only thing safe from the hungry Forest below. But when Feather's trusting nature ends up costing her and her community, she sets off away from the Wall and to parts unknown to save her family and friends, facing dangers on the Wall and in the Forest that might mean that she can never return.

As short as this novel is, it lingers on for me in its intelligently designed world of a ruined world where humanity fights constantly against the encroaching natural world. It's the exact opposite of our own, with our natural world on the ropes and we ourselves part of that natural world, facing the same extinction. Feather's quest brings her into contact with new ideas, with different ways of thinking and living, and with potential for optimism if people can only work together, and surely this should be read by the people in power so that they might understand what it would take to save ourselves and our entire world.

A magnificent four and a half stars.

This is a story which made me remember why I first fell in love with the fantasy genre as a child. Discovering a world that is different to our own, yet with enough similarities to daydream it could exist and humans just haven't taken the time to notice it. Frances Hardinge has a wonderful imagination and, in combination with the ability to share it with her readers, it makes for a wonderful book. Emily Gravett's illustrations are delightful too, it was a shame I couldn't appreciate them fully in this e-ARC.

I adored losing myself in this short-but-sweet tale of Feather and her journey. I could happily have read a much longer story set in this world but I like that this is short. It makes it more accessible to readers who might struggle with lengthier works.

This story is set in a land that has suffered a very green apocalypse - a magical forest that grows extremely fast, where both the plants and the creatures that live within it are deadly. Humans now live in the remaining sections of a fortified wall that was built to keep the Forest contained. Feather has lived her whole life in a small group of familiar people, but the actions of a Stranger lead her to embark on a perilous journey along the Wall.

It's not a long book - I'm not much good at guessing how long ebooks are, but I think it would either be a short novella or a long short story. The ebook formatting works very poorly with the illustrations, but the illustrations themselves are wonderfully atmospheric, and I think that the physical book should be a beautiful object.

The length of the book means the plot quite simple, but the setting is well thought out and gives the impression of a world that stretches far beyond the bounds of the story. Although the Forest is objectively dangerous, most of the book is told from the perspective of a child who has grown up around the danger, and knows how to protect herself from it, so the overall tone is not particularly ominous. (There are also a few sections told from the point of view of her scaled ferret, who is possibly even better equipped for Forest life.)

Recommended, but not in ebook form, as the illustrations don't mix well with ereader formatting.

Inside Greyman's Gate, an adventurous girl wants a map to help her community forage for metal beyond The Wall, but is met with scorn. When a Stranger treats her like a fellow explorer, she is charmed into showing him their precious spyglass. But when he steals it from her, she decides to chase after him. To go beyond The Wall, without a map.

This middle-grade book is about a girl's journey beyond The Wall chasing the stranger who stole from her.

Feather's community live within the safe confines of The Wall, where there are no animals, poisonous pollen nor giant eagles in the sky. The Wall kept out the Forest. Her people went out there to forage, and it was here one day when she met a Stranger. He had understood her desire to see the world beyond, and convinced her to show him the community's precious spyglass. She smuggled it out, and discovered too late that she'd been tricked. Faced with the shame of being accused a thief, Feather embarks on a journey to go after this Stranger. After all, there was only one path along The Wall, she'd catch up with him in no time.

It was very easy to get behind Feather. She is a girl with a vision but she was betrayed. I imagined her adventures like walking along Hadrian's wall. I liked the subtle message the story sends us: we are not alone, and each community has skills and knowledge we can share to make our life less of a struggle.

I also like the author's lyrical style. Here's a sentence that is so subtle, and yet, we understandable. 'Feather knew that the year had once been a vast, simple cycle of blossoming, then warmth and growth, then fruitfulness, followed by withering and a long, cold barrenness. It was hard to imagine.' 4/5

Thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange of an honest review.

Opening Lines:
'Your problem,' Old Ember muttered as he shaved Feather's head, 'is that you get ideas.'
Feather kept her ears folded down with her fingertips to keep them out of the way of Ember's hurried, businesslike rakes across her scalp. She was used to both the razor and the old man's lectures.

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Feather is a young girl who lives on The Wall, a small, but isolated, community that lives under constant threat from the forest that surrounds it. Tricked into removing, and then losing, her people's treasured spyglass by a stranger she sets out on a journey of discovery. One that will show her that her world is much bigger than she ever thought with other outposts and people nearby that possess different skills, abilities and needs.

With The Forest of a Thousand Eyes Frances Hardinge and Emily Gravett have once again combined to produce a tale that's as engaging as their previous collaboration Island of Whispers. One that will enchant pre-teens and more than a few older siblings and parents as well.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Two Hoot's and the author & illustrator for an advance copy.

Possibly a little bit controversially I am going to say I think Emily Gravett was not the right choice of illustrator for this book. I really liked what she did with Island of Whispers, and although this is very much along the same lines, I just didn't like the illustrations. The people looked mean and the animals and forest just didn't feel very organic.
However, the story was delightful and I was sad it wasn't part of something bigger as it felt very much like a novel I would have enjoyed. Who doesn't love a perilous quest into the unknown to save your home?! The world was somewhere I was really intrigued by and Hardinge is just teasing me with this tiny snippet of gloriousness.