After the Forest by Kell Woods
Synopsis:
Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war.
Greta has a secret, though: the witch’s grimoire, hidden away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat.
But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion.
And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic―magic she is still trying to understand―may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.
Review:
I loved the premise of this – what comes after the well-known Grimm’s fairy tale. And this dark and inspired story doesn’t disappoint. With clever, well-developed characters and an exciting plot – this fantasy is one of my favorites this year. While some of the plot twists are predictable, there are still plenty of creepy, fun surprises along the way. Magic, monsters, and dark secrets make for an exciting adventure and a must-read for genre fans.