A retelling of the Celtic myth of sacred land marriage, this fantasy adventure will appeal to fans of Robin McKinley's novel Chalice. Margery, the down-to-earth, quick-witted Witch's apprentice, and Hugh, the clueless, feckless young Lord, seem destined to irritate each other, especially when Hugh's arrow nearly kills the Forest God (embodied as a hare) outside the Witch's cottage. As Margery nurses the hare back to health, a grudging respect grows into a shared quest to restore the bond between...

The Forest God is a pleasant short story that I imagine could fit in any modern collection of fairy tales. I'm very fond of it as it brings me back to stories from my childhood. Not everything in the world has to be a grand epic. As I read I thought this would be a perfect story to read in class. As a fairy tale, it is enjoyable for people of all ages. In short, it is the story about a Witch's Apprentice and a Young Noble whose paths cross one day. The Noble has injured a Hare which is the curr...

This is a wonderfully written and deeply affecting fantasy which stands as one of Jamie’s best works, if not her best so far.The story is told from three point-of-view characters: Margery, a novice witch, Lord Hugh, a bored and spoiled son of local nobility, and the Forest God in its most recent incarnation of a huge brown hare. The Forest God is repeatedly reborn in a succession of wild animals, thus continuing the cycle of life and death and ensuring nature’s balance.Margery, a young, very una...

This is the best story I've read in quite some time! The amount of worldbuilding that takes place in such a brief span is outstanding. Probably the thing that struck me the most was just how COZY this novella felt. While there are certainly some high stakes involved and some truly emotional scenes, the overall mood of the story is Studio Ghibli-esque levels of pure cottagecore serenity. I devoured the whole thing in one sitting after months of being too frazzled by quarantine news to read much o...

read on my blog“What does it mean to be loved by the Forest God?”The Forest God is a fairytale that delves into the concept of duty, love, and the Ancient Celtic tradition of marriage of the land. This short novella explores its characters and their dynamics very well for 80 pages only. The narration of a God adds a unique touch to the story, and its character arc – a god’s humanisation – was something deeply interesting to see. As was its counterpart: a human’s sanctification.The novella follo...

Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest reviewWe have a set of amazing characters: Margery, Hugh and the Forest God are not lacking a single thing. They are well developed, with complex personalities and all three of them have a different voice.And such amazing personalities they all have! But that’s not all! We also see personal growth. For all three of them. In less than 100 pages! Isn’t it great?? And in those few pages we really learn t...

What a gorgeous novella! I started it, thinking to read a few pages, then had to finish the whole thing in one setting. The flow is effortless, the feel incredibly cozy and warm and good. This is a book is nestle into when the real world is awful, for a necessary reminder that people aren't so bad. The story follows three viewpoints: that of an apprentice witch convinced of her ugliness and lack of lack, a lord's son who is tactless and ignorant, and a Forest God, recently reborn as a hare. Thes...

“Even if you knew you’d start a new life tomorrow, would you want to die today?” I was drawn to this book by its cover; for about six years now, I have made it a point to conduct an annual re-read of Richard Adams’s book Watership Down. You can probably guess why a fantasy featuring a dramatic rabbit illustration on the cover caught my eye. (Although it is in fact a hare, not a rabbit, on this cover). At a quick 80 pages, this poetic and magical little novella packs a punch. The story is a delig...

I received an e-book ARC of The Forest God from NetGalley and Air and Nothingness Press in return for my honest review, which follows below. I thank both for this opportunity.I finished this in one sitting, partly because novellas are good for quick reads by definition but also because I was swept up by this seemingly simple but incredibly moving story. I wanted to finish so I knew how it ended, but I was mourning it because well, it would be over and there would be no more words to this story.

I was lucky enough to read this novella before publication and I can't recommend it highly enough. The story is beautiful, lyrical, fun, and romantic in all the right ways.

I received The Forest God by Jamie Lackey for free by Air & Nothingness Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for getting in touch with this great opportunity! This review is also on my blog - Book, Blog & Candle. https://www.bookblogandcandle.co.uk/p...In The Forest God we follow three lives that all become entwined. Margery, the witch's apprentice, hardened and isolated from the cruel world who judge her harshly on her appearance. As a result she has low confidence in herse...

What seems on the surface to be an extremely simple story actually turns out to be deeper and very touching.What I liked:I have a soft spot for hares, and I couldn't help but pick this up once I saw it involved a hare in such a main role. I was not disappointed as there were plenty of descriptions surrounding the Forest God in this form.The characters are easy to connect to and their relationships are fleshed out more than you'd expect for such a short piece of fiction.What I didn't like:Honestl...

8/10 starsMy full review can be found on my blog here.A wonderful little story reminiscent of works by Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones, The Forest God is a feel-good literary adventure full of witches, quests, lord’s sons, love and duty. Who wouldn’t want to read one of those? The Forest God reincarnates once again – this time into the body of a hare. He’s been many creatures before, predators and prey, and he had tasted and given blood in the unending circle of life and death. Even the bo...

Jamie Lackey's "The Forest God" reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Dianna Wynne Jones, in its charming style and themes of connection to nature and community, as well as finding one's path in life. Humorous, romantic and thought-inspiring. The three main characters were all charming, but I definitely enjoyed the apprentice witch's arc quite a bit — she struggles with finding a connection with the townspeople whom she thought had rejected her, but eventually comes to understand that they v...

A breezy novella of witches, lords, and territorial gods that explores the age-old dichotomy of career vs. home life. A modern medieval fable wherein love may not conquer all....

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for providing an e-arc for me to read! The Forest God follows three characters: Margery is a half-Witch: she's been apprenticing with the village's Witch for fifteen years now. Soon, she will take her vows and with it, the Witch's place. She's ready. The way she left fifteen years ago, she severed all connections to the village except for her sister.We also meet the Young Lord Hugh, who wants to get to the end of a little mystery concerning his family.. an...

"The Forest God would have never before suspected that simple domesticity could be so pleasant. It had never understood humans before, had never gained any insight into why they lived as they did. But now it could see the appeal of a warm hearth, of regular meals, of the company of loved ones."— Jamie Lackey, The Forest God ----------I'm a firm believer that there is a perfect format for every story. Some are best told over hundreds or thousands of pages, while others need only utilize the quiet...

Enchanting"The Forest God" has a fairytale atmosphere, with a town nestled into a forest with a Forest God overseeing it all, in balance with the natural cycle. Lackey imbues her tale with such depth of character that you'll be drawn to follow them page by page. I've been a fan of Lackey's for a long time, and this has been my favorite story yet.

This little novella wasn't even on my radar until a few days ago and I'm glad that I found it thanks to Badger Reads on Booktube. The Forest God is my ideal cozy comfort read. I loved everything about it. The characters, the plot, the pacing, and the setting were all perfection. That's very hard to do in less than 100 pages and I'm sooo impressed with Jamie Lackey. I've definitely found a new favorite and want everyone to read this immediately.

Author Jamie Lackey tackles the retelling of a Celtic myth in the form of this novella. Fans of whimsical cottage romance with a touch of fantasy will love this. It unfortunately did not resonate with me as I found the lack of character development lessened my interest in the story. If you like folk tales with a splash of romance you will like this. *eArc provided by the publisher and NetGalley