I felt that this was not a retelling of King Arthur at all.
The pacing was so slow. The plot was lacking but the writing was beautiful.
Unfortunately I just didn’t care what was happening

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I no longer have an interest in reviewing this title but would like to thank the publisher and author for the opportunity, it is now far past the publication and archive date. I have awarded 3 stars to keep this review neutral.

This is a standalone companion to THE BONELESS MERCIES and has a similar lyrical and haunting writing style. I think the author is like marmite for a lot of readers but I love her books and really connect to them and the themes they explore.

When I can’t decide what to read I’ll often read a couple of chapters from a few different books before deciding but after starting this I could just tell it wasn’t for me. The writing is nice but I didn’t connect to any characters.

Beautifully written, but a slow read. The descriptively thought out journey about a girl on a quest to save her sister. I like the connection to Kung Arthur, but I couldn’t connect to the character. She lacked personality, and that spoilt it a little for me. I couldn’t connect or get into the story because if this.

When Torvi's sister is taken by Uther, she sets out with a band of artists and a druid to rescue her. What follows is an awakening for Torvi, as she sees more if the world than she ever expected and Kearns more about herself along the way.

The writing for this is really beautiful - lyrical and descriptive, but there's no real substance to it. Pages and pages are dedicated to describing the journey from one place to another, or mundane tasks and conversations. But the plot just doesn't progress fast enough, and I struggled to read this at times.

Although I liked Torvi, I did think we never really got to see much of her personality. There's time spent developing the sibling relationship between Torvi and Morgunn but nothing else beyond this. The secondary characters are all a little superficial too and I had no connection to them. As a result, I just didn't really care about the story.

Beautiful writing, but very little development for my tastes.

Thanks for the review copy!

I did enjoy this book, same as the BONELESS MERCIES, but I had the same problems with this as I had with that--I couldn't connect to the characters as much as I wanted. They all seemed to be pushing me at arm's length, and the plot seemed to deviate from where it seemed naturally going to take me.

I do enjoy April's writing, though, I can't get immersed into her worlds as much as I would like. It could be pacing as others have mentioned, but I wasn't feeling as into it as I wanted to be, because I LOVE Arthurian legends.

I love the boneless mercies and was really excited about this. April’s writing is just so beautiful, and that can really be seen throughout this book.

I love the in universe stories woven throughout, and the way Torvi’s journey unfolds. And Torvi herself is lovely, as are Madoc and Gyda. I also ADORED the references to the Boneless Mercies.

The Arthurian vibes were minor (sadly), and I love the Norse influences we see across both books. I did like how both were sorted of twisted along though, nothing is too much what you think.

This book is a little slow, which is what leads me to give a 3.5 rating, plus the ending left me a little adrift. I think I wanted a little more. But all that said, I love the way the story moves and the lyricism of the language, so I really can’t complain too much! 😂 I’m hopeful for a follow up, I really feel it deserves one 💙

Nice and easy read that I enjoyed in one sitting during lockdown. The characters where a lot more well rounded than the other book by the author that I have read, between the devil and the deep blue sea, which was appreciated, yet it still kept the light-hearted tone of the other book that I loved.

This had a classic whimsical feel to it, staying true to the heart of King Arthur's tale in that sense, and with a lovely world presented to us by Tucholke.

There was a major issue though.

Pacing.

I found myself absolutely dragging my heels at the thought of the plot barely moving in the pages I read. Admittedly it picks up, but for me that didn't happen until 70% in and it felt like a 'too little too late' situation at that point.

I would recommend this to fans of King Arthur and those who enjoy retellings as long as they don't mind the slow pacing.

3/5 cups of coffee from me, thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC to read in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book I read by author Genevieve Tucholke. The blurb immediately caught my attention as it hinted to an Arthurian retelling with Norse influences, and I had yet to read a story like this one.

The plotline revolves around Torvi who needs to rescue her sister Morgunn from the clutches of a ruthless band of wolf priests before they turn her into one of their acolytes. Together with a band of wandering bards and a shaved-headed druid, Torvi embarks on a quest to save her sister and also an adventure that leads to self-discovery.

The story started out so well. I loved the worldbuilding and writing style which is beautifully descriptive and atmospheric. But halfway through, the pacing dulled down, and the plot lost its shine. The action felt dragged out and nothing exciting happened until about 65% into the book. As for the characters, well I think Torvi was wonderfully presented, I loved the way she developed throughout her journey. But besides her, Gyda was the only one that captured my attention. The loudmouth druid had quite an entertaining personality.

All in all, it was a quick read and I did enjoy it. I'm definitely interested in reading other books from the author.

I actually loved the fact that this is character driven so much, I see a lot of reviews saying not much action, but I loved the fact it focuses on the characters , this is why I love April’s books so much it’s about the craft, about the story and spinning yarns, if I wanted a ton of action I’d watch a movie, not saying books don’t need some, but I’m a reader for a reason, April’s books are so beautifully written it’s almost lyrical, her words are her art and she does it so well. If you love April’s previous books or you love beautiful storytelling, artistic craft and amazing writing, you will love this. Get ready to immerse yourself in words and worlds you won’t want to leave.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I would like to give a huge thank you to both April Genevieve Tucholke and Simon and Schuster UK Childrens for providing me with advance access to the E-Arc of Seven Endless Forests.

I understand that this is a companion to The Boneless Mercies which I have not read, but this did not impede me in reading this story. Tucholke creates a world full of mythology, culture and tales of quests and heroics in Seven Endless Forests. It is a much slower paced story than those I would normally read, but it was pleasant and relaxing to join the multiple characters in their fireside stories and songs.

However, I can't say that this is a book that appealed to my heart, despite the lush world-building and descriptions and the use of Aurthurian legend to develop the tale of Esca, I wasn't gripped by the tale. If anything I believe the comparison to the legend of Arthur detracts from this tale and the intention of the story. The quest for the sword in the stone tree is a theme that runs through the story as we accompany Torvi and the multiple characters that make up the gang she travels with, but overall it isn't really more than that.

The main character Torvi is a wonderful empathetic character, gentle with a soft heart, always treated as the lesser child due to her gentleness, but as the book develops her honesty and conviction to achieve her quest shine through. However, in my opinion the most likeable character is Gyda, blunt, honest, direct, ambitious, rambunctious and determined. Gyda's lust for life and determination shine through. The other characters all appear to act as props for the story of Torvi and Gyda, and whilst they are well crafted and engaging, they are little more than this. I really would like to have seen and gotten more from Ink and Madoc, who I really think could have played a greater role in this story than just side-kicks.

I must also be honest and say that for me the romances and relationships jarred; they were far too sudden and seriously, when would someone who was in love with a person just turn around the day after that person slept with someone else and say, that's fine.

Overall, the story of Seven Endless Forests is far more about the journey/quest and the relationships than anything else and if you are looking for a fantasy that delivers a gorgeous lush world and multiple Norse mythology narratives, then this is the book for you.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

Whilst I did find the story premise to be interesting, I found the pace of this book to be too slow for me. I wanted more action and less talking about it. I also never truly felt connected to the characters.

It seems like this author’s work just doesn’t gel with me which is sad but if you like the programme Vikings or enjoy slower paced fantasy such as Robin Hobb, you’re going to like this.

Unfortunately the file I received is not well formatted for my kindle so I couldn't read it.
I'm giving it 3 stars on the premise that I know I would enjoy the book for the theme at least.
I hope I can get my hands on a paper copy for a proper review in the near future.

Seven Endless Forests is a fantasy YA novel, inspired by Arthurian myth. It focuses on two sisters, Torvi and Morgunn, and the aftermath that occurs when Morgunn is captured by 'wolf-priests'.

Although this novel is not particularly action packed, I really enjoyed the plot. Tucholke's beautiful, lyrical writing made each chapter feel like part of the journey, no matter how much was happening, and because of this the slower pace did not lessen my interest. The characters were endearing and the world building was also good - I wanted to jump right between the pages at times.

Seven Endless Forests is a lovely read that brings to mind everything we revere about classic myths and fantasy. I think fans of authors such as Naomi Novik will particularly enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy reading this book, I found Torvi to be a good main character to follow. The adventures were great to follow and I loved the story building within the book. I think there could’ve been more excitement within the story but, I feel as though there was something missing from the book. I’m interested in giving The Boneless Mercies a try to see if that will lend me the backstory that is hinted at throughout this book that I was looking for. Overall, an enjoyable read.

disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

After a devastating plague that swept through Torvi’s home, the only person she has left is her sister Morgunn. When Morgunn is taken by Uther, a flame-loving wolf-prief who leads a pack of wild starved girls, Torvi leaves the only home she has ever known on a quest to get her sister back. Joined by a druid and a band of Elsh artists known as the Butcher Bards, each with their own quests, they set out on their journey and along the way they face deadly dark magic, merry travellers, and murderous wolf-priests.

content warnings: drug use, gore, murder

I absolutely adored Tucholke’s previous novel The Boneless Mercies and it’s grand, atmospheric, and lush fantasy world and it’s dynamic cast of characters. So when I heard The Seven Endless Forests was a companion novel, I was stoked. And while it succeeded in dragging me back into the brilliant world-building and lush writing, it failed in making me really fall for the characters, these characters just didn’t resonate with me as much as the girls from The Boneless Mercies -except maybe Gyda.

The world that Tucholke has created is so brilliantly vivid full of culture, mythology, and brilliant tales of quests and heroics. Like The Boneless Mercies, The Seven Endless Forests is a very slow-paced book with an odd action scene, it was a book that focused heavily on character interactions and their journey and while that worked for me in The Boneless Mercies, I struggled with that aspect for The Seven Endless Forests.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy this book, I did, I just wishes I cared more for the characters, who I will talk a little about now. So, our main character Torvi – she’s great, truly she is. What I really loved about her was her soft-heartedness. Throughout her childhood, she was seen as less Vorse – not a true warrior – because of her softer nature. I loved this to be honest, and I enjoyed how this impacted her character arc as well. A good character and a good protagonist. Gyda was my absolute favourite – blunt, charming, fearless, ambitious, and loud. They were truly the only two characters who really stuck out for me. The other side characters include Madoc, a bit of a bore really, Ink, a storyteller who I actually liked, and Stefan – who was someone so bland that I didn’t care about his departure early on in the story that seemed to have a massive impact on the other characters. That was my issue with The Seven Endless Forests – boring and dull side characters.

Another issue I had that I struggled with was the forced m/f romances – truly bland and uninspired. I had this same issue with The Boneless Mercies in all honesty but the characters and the story truly saved that novel- but less so with The Seven Endless Forests. Torvi and Gyda had such great chemistry and intimacy and yet… were paired with the most dullest of men, ughh. Truly a disappointment.

I would recommend The Seven Endless Forests if you are looking for an epic fantasy with a rich world and a long journey to complete a quest.

April Genevieve Tucholke’s Seven Endless Forests is a very loose retelling of Arthurian myth, including as many elements reminiscent of Norse stories as English. It is a companion novel to 2018’s The Boneless Mercies, which loosely retold a feminist Beowulf. Tucholke’s novels are slow, deliberate and infinitely poetical. They are quiet books reminiscent of medieval epics, centering on women shamelessly concerned with seeking glory and pursuing their personal aims, ignoring society’s conventions and expectations in favour of those. Here, the central element taken from Arthurian legend is the true ruler’s sword, with greatness thrust not on the most willing but the chosen one. Tucholke’s take is nuanced and special, and I am in love with her books.