BOOK NOOK: Forest of Hearts by M A Kuzniar

 ' "Would you prefer the cold embrace of death?" I whispered seductively, apparently unable to play nice. Gods, this stranger, this huntsman, had creeped under my skin. His chuckle was deep, dark. Delicious.'

Forest of Hearts is a beautiful reimagining of the fairytale, Snow White, and the latest offering from bestselling fantasy author M A Kuzniar who wrote the wonderful novels Upon a Frosted Star and Midnight in Everwood. 

I really love this author's work so I was especially delighted when the publisher, Simon and Schuster, sent me a ARC for review prior to the book being released. I have been engrossed in it for the past couple of days and it has been a very surprising read. M A Kuzniar is best known for her literary reinterpretations of famous ballets and her work is full of sparkling enchantment that dances off the page like the sugarplum fairies and swan queens she writes about. This novel however, is something of a departure from the dazzling worlds she usually creates.  Instead of bright snowy landscapes and innocent girls entrapped in magical realms, Forest of Hearts takes place in a very dark forest and the main protagonist is not exactly innocent - she's a murderer.

In its original format, Snow White is quite a dark fairytale and this novel takes that darkness once step further, into the Gothic fantasy genre, where hearts are eaten for breakfast and PG rated sexual tension bubbles beneath the surface - it is a YA book after all. In this tale Snow White is called Elka, the huntsman becomes her ally and together they are out for vengeance against the wicked queen. 

It is quite a compelling read and perfectly pitched for its target audience. Teenage girls are going to devour this in one sitting! The dark forest setting gives it Twilight vibes and in some ways it reminded me of the film, Beastly, as the forest roots of her mother's curse snake beneath Elka's skin like poisonous tattoos. Add in the forbidden romance with the huntsman sent to kill her and you have a melting pot of magical mayhem, murder and tender hearted love. 

In Forest of Hearts you will find angels of death, helpful house spirits, fantastical creatures, a forest demon, the cutest baby dragon, glass coffins for the undead and lots of snippy banter between Elka and the huntsman. It retains the charm of the original fairytale, but mixes in darker themes as Elka tries to come to terms with her actions, her trauma and the things she has been forced to do just to survive. In this story the heroine is struggling to come to terms with her own shadow-self as much as anything else, trying desperately not to become a monster like her mother, yet still win the battle and emerge victorious. 

Its an enjoyable book and perfect for those of you who like fairytale retellings and folklore from around the world. I'm already looking forward to M A Kuzniar's next novel! Happy reading!

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me for review prior to publication by Simon and Schuster. It will be released on 23rd October 2025 in hardcover, digital and audio formats. It is available for Pre-Order now. 

BOOK NOOK: These Dreaming Spires

 "Every part of me, every cell, every atom died with you, and like Theseus there is no telling what I am anymore. 

I wanted to be strong, Art. I wanted to be noble like you always were, finish my work and not let this grief drown and consume me."

Ever since I read In These Hallowed Halls a couple of years ago I have been hoping that the publisher, Titan, would release a second anthology of Dark Academia short stories. This book, These Dreaming Spires, is just that and I was very excited to read the ARC that was sent to me a while ago, but I've been so busy with writing my own books that I have only just found the time to pick it up. 

Its an interesting collection and on the whole I found it quite enjoyable. It has some great stories with Gothic vibes and a few surprises for good measure. Here you will find restless ghosts, student rivalries, forbidden romance, secret cults, blood rites and more. I will say that this edition isn't quite as Gothic or traditionally Dark Academia as the first one was - in fact, this volume seems to lean more towards the sci-fi aspects of the genre, which isn't really my cup of tea.  Also, its a little heavy on the trigger warnings, but you'd have to be a real wimp to be bothered by any of the content in this book, as even the so-called body horror is so cartoonish as to be comical rather than actually horrific! But that's just the snowflake society we live in these days, where disclaimers are offered up as standard procedure, just in case someone takes offence. 

That said there were a few stories in this anthology that really stood out to me and that I very much enjoyed. Tallow's Cove, Within the Loch, Poisoned Pawn and The Coventry School for the Arts were clear favourites. I also liked Olivie Blake's God, Needy, Enough With the Screaming, in particular the aloof superior tone of voice of the main protagonist Seraphina, who was tremendous fun to read, despite her difficult circumstances.  These tales were all of a more typical Dark Academia vibe than the other sci-fi ones and so I liked them much better for that reason. If the entire anthology had been compiled of such stories I would have enjoyed this second volume as much as I did the first. However, if sci-fi is your thing you might prefer this second anthology. 

These Dreaming Spires is a compilation of scholastic tales that feature ghostly lovers, magical chess games, toxic potions, twisted initiation rituals and an enchanted book, so it has a lot to offer.  It is perfect reading material as we head into the dark season and it will keep you company as the nights begin to draw in. Happy reading!

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Titan, for the purposes of review. It was released on September 2nd 2025 and is available in hardcover, digital and audio formats.