ARC review: SEVEN ENDLESS FORESTS by April Genevieve Tucholke

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: YA
Star Rating:
Series: Yes - companion novel

Synopsis:

On the heels of a devastating plague, Torvi’s sister, Morgunn, is stolen from the family farm by Uther, a flame-loving Fremish wolf-priest who leads a pack of ragged, starving girls. Torvi leaves the only home she’s ever known, and joins a shaven-skulled druid and a band of roaming Elsh artists known as the Butcher Bards. They set out on a quest to rescue Torvi’s sister, and find a mythical sword.

On their travels, Torvi and her companions will encounter magical night wilds and mystical Drakes who trade in young men. They will sing rowdy Elshland ballads in a tree-town tavern, and find a mysterious black tower in an Endless Forest. They will fight alongside famous Vorseland archers and barter with Fremish wizards. They will feast with rogue Jade Fell children in a Skal Mountain cave, and seek the help of a Pig Witch. They will face wild, dangerous magic that leads to love, joy, tragedy, and death.

Torvi set out to rescue a sister, but she may find it’s merely the first step toward a life that is grander and more glorious than anything she could have imagined.

Synopsis taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here.

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Review:

This book feels like it’s part of a greater story, just one episode in a massive saga – very much like THE BONELESS MERCIES. There are lots of references to other characters and quests that each feel like they could easily become another book. And yet, it’s likely they won’t (because this is exactly what THE BONELESS MERCIES felt like, and yet this companion doesn’t follow any of the stories from that book).

It means the reader gets to imagine all these other adventures that populate the world, following Torvi through a world that just drips rich adventure and cultures. It feels like a Trobadour’s world, rich in stories – shown off so wonderfully by the fact that Torvi travels with bards – and with a deep, savage magic lurking behind every tree.

Goodreads says it’s based on Arthurian Mythology. While there are elements I could see where they came from, it’s a very lose adaptation – much more a few key ideas bound up into something new. Maybe someone with a deep knowledge of the body of Arthurian lore would say it was a close adaptation, but I just know the common beats and had to stretch my imagination to place them in this book.

I didn’t mind that – I liked how new and different it made this book feel. Honestly, I preferred not knowing where this story was going to go and just enjoyed journeying through the rich world.

There are quite a few flashbacks early on, that took a bit of getting used to as they were just slipped in without much signalling. Once I got used to the style, it was easy enough to follow.

SEVEN ENDLESS FORESTS is set many years after THE BONELESS MERCIES, such that the events of THE BONELESS MERCIES have passed into legend and song. While the events are referenced, and technically would constitute a spoiler for the ending, you don’t need to have read THE BONELESS MERCIES to follow SEVEN ENDLESS FORESTS as its an entirely separate story. There are some easter eggs that might be more fun for returning readers, but that’s it.

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Read my reviews of other books by April Genevieve Tucholke:

The Boneless Mercies (this world):

• THE BONELESS MERCIES (#1)

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