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Into the Dark Forest by Liz Flanagan
4.5
adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
 4.5 Stars

One Liner: Such a heartwarming tale!

Rowan and her mother flee into the Dark Forest when war threatens their city, Holderby, Gallren. They meet Grandpa Inigo Webster and Arto, a white wolf, in the forest. Even as Rowan misses her dad, she becomes friends with dragons and powerful witches in the Dark Forest. She also discovers a secret about herself. Rowan is a Wildsmith born to help and protect the forest. 

Life goes on until a sudden threat puts the place in danger. Rowan, her grandpa, and everyone they know has to join forces to fight the danger. Can they succeed in their mission? 

My Thoughts:

  • This is a cute little book that sets the stage for Rowan to find out about her mother’s past and discover her own abilities in the process. 

  • The story works as a standalone and doesn’t have a cliffhanger. However, we know that the danger is still lurking in the corners. 

  • Each chapter is short, pacy, and has enough descriptions to paint a picture of the setting and characters. 

  • The book has a few black-and-white illustrations. Some are real cute, and a few not as much. Also, there’s an inconsistency in the hairstyles of a couple of characters (not that cannot be edited). 

  • Given the storyline and page count, the plot does feel a little rushed. That said, the book is for children and is suitable for their age group. It keeps the intrigue and emotions flowing. 

  • The book even made me teary-eyed in a couple of places. It deals with tough topics like war, poaching, etc. But it is the other scenes that will make the reader emotional. 

To summarize, Into the Dark Forest is a heartwarming and adorable story of little Rowan and dragons. Looking forward to the next part with another adventure and more magical powers. The cover is perfect for the book. 

Thank you, NetGalley and UCLan Publishing, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#WildsmithIntotheDarkForest #NetGalley