Title: Seven Endless Forests
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: April 28, 2020
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Summary
After barely surviving a plague that killed their mother, Torvi and her sister Morgunn aren’t sure what to do next. This is decided for Torvi when Morgunn is stolen by the wolf cult. Banding together with a druid, she decides to go after her sister. However, the druid has a different quest in mind: to find a mythical sword.
As Torvi and the druid set out to save her sister, they join a band of artists desperate to get revenge on the wolf cult. The wolf cult has been ravaging the country and burning down villages, and the artists want to hold them responsible. What Torvi originally though was just a rescue mission turns into something that might lead her to a much grander life than she ever imagined.
Review: Seven Endless Forests
Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an advance copy of this book! I got the chance to review The Boneless Mercies when it first came out, so I was excited to get my hands on this companion novel. Plus, look at this gorgeous cover! It absolutely deserves to sit on everyone’s shelf.
First, let me say that if you haven’t read The Boneless Mercies, you definitely can still read this book. It’s a completely different story, though it’s set in the same world. It does reference things that happen in The Boneless Mercies, but Torvi’s story is something new. What’s great about how these books interact with each other is the way they lift up women to be heroes. It’s refreshing and well-done!
Seven Endless Forests is essentially a gender-bent retelling of the King Arthur tale, and this book feels like an arthurian legend. Tucholke does justice to the women who are fielding these heroic story arcs, and I love that she’s twisting classic tales this way. Makes for an excellent story.
My main qualm about this book is that the plot seems to stall about halfway through the book. The beginning is exciting and the end is exciting, but the middle seems a bit muddled. It didn’t feel as action packed as The Boneless Mercies and I just wanted a bit more meat in the middle.
All in all, an atmospheric novel that fans of the classics will certainly enjoy.
3/5 stars