This is as curious a book as I’ve read in a while; Premee Mohamad has given us a dark creepy tale of being lost in the woods - woods full of creatures pretty much antithetical to humans.

And once in, no one gets out alive. Except for Veris Thorn, who not only got out alive, she was able to rescue a young girl.

The Tyrant of these lands is a nasty, though rather average construct of a villain, lives in a wicked murky castle, drinks from a cup made of a skull, hangs and tortures people from the lands he’s invaded. An all-around foul ruler.

But he has two children: Aram, 7 and Eleonor, 9 who one day disappeared after midnight and into the woods. Of course the castle is very near the forbidden confines of the north woods.

Veris tells the Tyrant they only have one day, from the hour the children entered the woods before their fates are sealed and they are never seen again. The nearby villagers don’t even bother to search for any fool who enters the woods: they simply hold a funereal for them.

Veris’ adventures and confrontations have a compelling evilness and hopelessness about them. She does find the children but it’s the race to make the deadline that’s harrowing.

This is a tale with only a bare minimum of hope to rescue the Tyrant’s offspring.

Mohamad tells a good story with a very strong emotional ending and a bit of magic for Eleonor. ~~ Sue Martin

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