I have mixed feelings on this book. The idea was appealing, I noticed it listed amongst fairytale retellings, but I can't quite figure out what fairytale is being retold. It felt more like an original fairytale on its own. 

 

The writing was pretty good, it was very visual, easy to picture the setting and the characters. My problem with this book was that the characters were dull and the plot was boring for the first half of the book. It was well over 150 pages before anything really got my attention. (The only reason I finished rather than giving up was because the book was a gift). 

 

I didn't really connect with any of the characters, I found them all rather flat with the exception of Jude, the guy no one really liked or listened to and seemed to be shoved off to the side a lot, but knew more about what was really going on in the village than anyone, but no one really paid attention to him. The heroine was irritating. She just rubbed me the wrong way, can't even really say way. She came across as a little snooty, she was smarter than everyone else in the village, dreaming of being a scholar and heading off to the royal city rather than being stuck in a dull town by the mountain. At least she had an idea of what she wanted to do with her life, but its a time where women don't get to decide for themselves, (which royally sucked, especially when she had the brains to do something). But her attitude annoyed me. 

 

A few horrible things happen right away, and a mysterious family of new comers arrive. But it seemed to take so long before anything else interesting happened. To be fair, the latter half of the book was much more action packed. Violent deaths start occurring, and the heroine's best friend Tom, takes a turn for the worst. 

 

The twist at the end was a good one, didn't see it coming. But the end was spoiled by a stupid twist on the romance angle which was really irritating. It was okay, there were some good things about it and some bad things. Not entirely sure I would really recommend this one. 

 

 

 

See this review and others like at my blog Brains and Beauty

 

I loved it! I have to admit that it wasn’t what I was expecting and from reading the other reviews on it I think a lot of people feel the same way. But, I enjoyed the fact that it was different from anything else I had read.

I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but basically a mysterious, beautiful stranger comes to town. And before anyone can learn much about her she’s killed by something in the forest. Only that’s not the end of her story, more people are killed and she may have something to do it.

Overall this book had a dark, Grimm feel throughout which I really enjoyed. it was also more gruesome than I was expecting. So if you can’t handle blood and gore this book is not for you. And it had an excellent twist that kept me guessing until the very end! You will finished this book with a feeling of closure. There’s no annoying cliffhanger, or question left hanging in the air. This is the first book I’ve read by McCormick Templeman but I will definitely be reading more by her in the future!

If you are looking for a book with good flow and is an easy, relaxed read pick this up and give it a go.

This novel literally combines some of my favorite story elements and, to my heart's delight, Templeman used them all exceedingly well. I love it when things are set in a small village and the creep factor is high. For some, the first 100 pages could be a bit slow but I found them rather intriguing.

Templeman created a bleak atmosphere. Here's a town where nothing has really happened for years and suddenly, a group of the king's soldiers die on the mountain top. The villagers hurriedly shrug it off as a wolf attack and although as a reader you know it's something more, you don't really feel the danger quite yet. Then someone you actually know dies and that's when things start escalating. The atmosphere steadily builds upon itself until you reach the last 150 pages and the creep factor is sky high. When it reaches that point though, it stays there right up until basically the very end.

There were quite a few point of views (POVs) but this technique was absolutely perfect for the novel. The POVs did switch quite frequently but seeing the village and events through a variety of eyes only made everything creepier. It didn't give away the mystery. You still had to put it together. But instead of hearing about some of the deaths, you actually see them.

While I enjoyed the characters, I wouldn't say I really connected to them. This just isn't one of those type of novels. This novel is more plot-centered than it is character-centered. Sure, I backed certain characters (Jude, my friends, Jude), but Jude, Rowan, and Tom could have just as easily died and I would have been okay. This might seem detrimental but it really isn't, not with this book. This was about the monster in the woods. It was about discovering the evil that hid there and getting rid of it. It didn't matter who did it as long as it was killed.

It should also be noted that, although this is high fantasy, I wouldn't expect a sweeping world. Again, this isn't detrimental. Often times, we're lured into high fantasy because of books like The Lord of the Rings and Throne of Glass. This just isn't that type of book. This is more concentrated. You see the beliefs of the villagers and their lives. It's all very well developed and you become intimately familiar with this small village. But this book isn't about saving the world. This is about a village on the brink.

Rating: 2.75/5

Something wicked this way comes...

The plot: Strange, horrific things are happening in the sleepy village of Nag's End. Five riders rumble through town and days later they are found dead. What killed them? Elders are quick to dismiss this as s a wolf attack, but something strange and evil looms. Furthermore, there is a new, beautiful girl, Fiona, in town. Rowan Rose feels drawn to her and her best friend Tom is soon infatuated. Pretty soon townspeople are dropping like flies. Just what evil lurks and what secrets will Rowan learn about her family in the process?


The characters: Templeman paints an interesting mix of characters. Personally, I wanted more depth and believe that the novel might have benefited more from a first person POV. Rowan is a strong character. She defies the conventions of female restrictions by wanting to leave Nag's End and be a scholar. I particularly enjoyed her fight with her father when he agrees to her marriage without consulting her wishes. I wanted more from the other characters such as Tom and Fiona. The villain should have been more wicked. I did like Jude, but still was left wanting more.


Overall, this is an elegantly crafted novel. However, it would be a hard sell to many teen readers. It moves at a slow pace and lacks the clear cut story telling, characters, and interest longed for by most teen reader's today. That being said, it is a sophisticated novel and those wanting to read beyond the typical teen fare may find this intriguing. I did not love it but can appreciate it and the cover art is hauntingly eye catching.

Rowan wanted to be scholar, she had high dreams and the idea of being a bride just wasn’t in her sights. She wanted to be like her father and was already transcribing and helping out her father whenever he needed her. With her father support, she just needs the opportunity. She has the determination and spunk to succeed, as I read further in the novel, I realize that she really likes to speak her mind. I really wonder how she would do as a wife, if she were to get married in this novel. She would need to find someone who likes her personality and doesn’t want someone to wait on them or be the silent type. As a strange group of horsemen ride through their village headed up the hill, Rowan’s plan of being a scholar gets mixed into the new concerns that come along with this new development. When a search party discovers the bodies of the riders up on the hill, the story becomes captivating and has nonstop action. These hideous deaths bring the once quiet village alive and they want the killer brought to justice. Who could cause such horrible and revolting murders? Could it be a beast or it is a man? The Duke arrives to the village and tries to run an investigation into the horsemen deaths as more murders are occurring. The deaths are become more shocking and aggressive while the villagers feel threatened as they are occurring closer to home. It’s like a fairy tale with its cast of characters as the story weaves its way around the village, through the forest, up over campsite and into your imagination.