There are some aspects of this book and story that I like, but they are overshadowed by the writing. Zero showing, all telling. The author takes a whole page to say something that could have (should have) been a sentence. You will be reminded three thousand times that the only woman in the story was raped by a shapeshifter and got pregnant. This book is too long and rambly. And to be clear, I am so down for a storytelling framework. I adore Name of the Wind. But this is too many people removed for no reason and it’s exhausting. There is only ONE woman in this story and she is only a victim, an object, even when she’s a “goddess of the woods”, she’s not revered or even feared, she’s looked down on because of her choices. If this book was written in the last couple of years I think it would be tighter and better, but alas, it is like twenty chapters too long and too boring. Bummer.