The Bone Drenched Woods is a folk-horror with tales of woodland monsters and horrifying creatures that live within the surrounding seas. Hyacinth lives like all the other women, being wedded off to a random man, and expected to do her "wifely duties", all whilst honoring the deadly monsters that hide within the shadows. The horror aspects of this was interesting, and I'm always a big fan of folklore-inspired stories. There's definitely some gorey parts, and they're quiet detailed, but I enjoyed those parts because it added to the severity of how our characters had to survive. In saying that, I personally didn't like any of the characters. Everyone was just making me mad the whole time - however, Morgan was lovely. This isn't necessarily a bad book at all, I just disliked the characters so much that it was almost distracting from the storyline. Also the random spice scenes were just... weird? I feel like they were so unnecessary, and I don't mind scenes like that, but I feel like it didn't really make sense to me. The story was cool, and the horror was interesting, also the cover is fucking gorgeous.

This was an eerily creepy book that I enjoyed from the minute I picked it up.

The story had a unique vibe to it and had me checking the pages for what would come next. Hyacinth was such a strong main character that had the reader rooting for her throughout.

4.5/5 Stars – A Haunting and Lyrical Folk Horror

L.V. Russell’s The Bone Drenched Woods is a chilling, atmospheric novel that feels at once timeless and eerily fresh. Rooted in folk horror and steeped in myth, it tells the story of Hyacinth Turning, a young woman raised in a world where sermons are delivered by Elders in hare-skin masks, witches burn, and the monstrous Teeth lurk beyond the village borders. From the opening pages, Russell establishes an unsettling rhythm with the bone-carving chant—“Carve the bones. One for the gate, one for the door…”—a refrain that captures the novel’s uneasy blend of ritual, superstition, and violence.

Hyacinth is the kind of heroine who immediately grips the reader’s attention. Fierce, outspoken, and unwilling to conform to the roles dictated to her by her village, she is marked as different from the start. When tragedy strikes, she is married off and sent away to a remote coastal settlement, a place where dangers are not limited to the familiar hunger of the Teeth. Instead, another terror lurks beneath the waves, leviathan shadows demanding flesh and bone in return for fragile safety. Here, the narrative broadens, layering one horror atop another—monsters from the forest, monsters from the sea, and the cruelty of human suspicion and control.

The novel’s greatest strength lies in its atmosphere. Russell’s prose is lyrical and unflinching, painting the world in shades of blood, salt, and bone. Every ritual, every whisper of the sea wind, every flicker of firelight feels charged with dread. Yet, it is not just the supernatural that horrifies. The rigid control of the Elders, the violence of men who fear outspoken women, and the ease with which entire communities turn to suspicion and persecution are just as terrifying as the Teeth or the Deep. This duality—monstrous horrors on the outside, human cruelty on the inside—gives the book its depth and resonance.

Hyacinth’s relationship with Morgan Carroway, an outcast she finds solace with, adds a poignant undercurrent to the tale. Their bond feels dangerous and fragile in a community eager to punish difference, but it also provides Hyacinth with an anchor and a reminder of the life she wants to choose for herself. Russell handles this thread with restraint, never letting it overshadow the central themes of resistance and survival, but using it to illuminate Hyacinth’s humanity.

If the novel has a flaw, it is that its pacing can sometimes meander. The prose is so rich and descriptive that certain passages linger longer than they might need to, slowing the story’s momentum. For readers who prefer their horror lean and fast-paced, this density might feel overwhelming. Yet for those willing to immerse themselves in Russell’s world, the slower moments are not without value; they deepen the sense of unease and enrich the texture of the setting.

By its conclusion, The Bone Drenched Woods delivers not just a story of survival but also a powerful meditation on autonomy. Hyacinth is a heroine who refuses to let others decide her fate, even when the cost of resistance is fire, rope, or the gnashing teeth of monsters. Her defiance makes the novel’s final moments both harrowing and cathartic.

In the crowded field of modern gothic and folk horror, L.V. Russell has crafted something memorable. With its lyrical style, feminist undercurrent, and bone-deep atmosphere, The Bone Drenched Woods is an unsettling, unforgettable tale that lingers long after the last page is turned.

Thank you so much to Quill & Crow Publishing House, L.V. Russell & NetGalley for the arc

I really enjoy books about creatures and spooky woods. So I loved this book!

The author really does a wonderful job setting the mood and tone.
This is beautifully written. I will be recommending!

“Witch!”

“How could I be anything else? I was never given room to become anything but.”

From the moment I delved into the atmospheric, dark, and oppressive world that Hyacinth Turning and those of her village resided in I was enraptured. From the very start, the reader, along with Hyacinth are aware that something is not right with the sacrifices The Teeth requires and the council of men who reside over the town. These men who dictate what women are burned or hung - witches or those who refuse to marry. Wild women. Women who don’t listen or do as they are told.

Young Hyacinth wants more for herself - sees the wrong within the village - and tries to change the outcome of her future with terrible results. Results that leave her married to a man she despises and sent away to another village where they must sate not only The Teeth, but also The Deep.

This book was beyond exceptional, in my humble opinion. It played methodically with the gothic and folkloric vibes and the depravity of living under a patriarchal society where men are the only ones who decide the fate of women and those around them. I’ve never cheered so heavily for a character who was feisty, witty, and unapologetically herself. “Wicked,” as they called Hyacinth for not conforming and being the good woman and wife they demanded of her. I didn’t even mind the small bit of love interest that was placed into this because it didn’t take away from the story. It didn’t necessarily enhance it either, but it didn’t feel unnecessary or take away from the story of Hyacinth. It felt very much needed.

I only wish we had more information on The Teeth or The Deep, which is the only reason I couldn’t rate this a full 5 stars. It is still a masterpiece and made me cheer ever louder to celebrate women’s wrongs.

Thank you to Netgalley & Quill & Crow Publishing House for this amazing ARC!

This is about Hyacinth and her life as a woman in this pace of no good. Even the trees have teeth and if you’re not obedient of the rules you risk hanging. There is evil lurking everywhere. From her father, her husband to the nature and the place she stays.

This is so dark and eerie that it’s worth a reread. I loved the writing style because Russell really knows how to encapsulate the feeling of dread in her choice of words. Hyacinth have so many layers and I feel myself liking her more and more as the pages turn. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

"He had smiled up at the stars, lips stretched so wide they had split up over his cheekbones. Seedlings grew in the cracks of flesh, tiny white petals damp and heavy with blood."

I love books about horrifying creatures in the woods and weird sacrificial cults! This is a beautifully written novella, so much is told in so few pages and the world building is phenomenal.

Thank you so much to Quill & Crow Publishing House for the earc, all opinions are my own.

I would categorize this in my mind as a cult horror book. Hyacinth lives in a small village surrounded by the forest, she lives with her mother, father, and 3 sisters. As you are old enough to wed, you move onto the next village to expand your family line into the surrounding areas. Innocent enough.. except the trees have teeth. Hyacinth's father is a Woodsmen, a member of the village that goes into the forest to offer sacrifices and clear the pathways. One night, Hyacinth and her friend go into the forest, when she finds herself surrounded by her father.. and her friend dead. It is found out that she broke the rules of the village Elders, her husband is hung as a sacrifice, and an example, and Hyacinth is married to a dirty Elder and shipped off to the next village.

They arrive as a newly married couple, through the forest, and reach the cliffs, where the deep waits. Horrors on all sides, between the forest and the sea. She seems to find her community here, making friends with the other elder's wives, and generally being a good villager. Except trouble continues to follow her.

Extremely dark and gory, I slowed down and savored this book. The visuals that L.V. Russell wrote were so detailed. The women in this book seem to be in the back seat, but they are calling the shots all along.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. The title, cover and description all caught my attention. I wanted to pick it up because of the creepy woods aspect but I found that to be a bit lacking. It was atmospheric but we never really find out the reason why the woods became so dangerous. I didn't particularly care for our main character Hyacinth and I don't feel that there was any character development. She just felt kind of spoiled and angsty and I really don't enjoy reading from those points of view. The plot also felt a bit weak with things conveniently happening again and again and unfortunately the ending was lacking as well.

I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to review.

in a completely deranged way, this makes a good palate cleanser.

Thank you so much to Quill & Crow Publishing House, L.V. Russell & NetGalley for the arc!

This is a book you can lose yourself in and just let your mind enjoy the ride as you read. There’s no deep plot, just a wicked story of people living in a folkloric world with vengeful gods.

Hyacinth lives in a town the near the woods, which contain the Teeth, who are ancient gods that eat sinners. Hyacinth and a friend device a plan to run away through the woods, but her friend, Abelia, is taken by the Teeth before she could ever try to run. Hyacinths dad, a woodsman protecting the town at night from the Teeth, finds them and brings only Hyacinth home. Hyacinth would be hung for trying to run, so her father quietly takes the blame, resulting in him being hung and Hyacith being sent off in an arranged marriage to a new town.

Her new husband is rumored to be wicked, and his punishment as well, is being married to Hyacinth, but is there under the guise of the new town needing another Elder. There’s another dangerous god in this town as well as the Teeth, the Deep. Viscous waves of the ocean that rip skin from bone, flood the city, and require boatman to feed them out in the middle of sea.

Instead of standing out as much as she had back home, Hyacinth tries to bond with the women of the town and find a community, but they’re a bit more fanatical about their religion than she can fake. A man that’s not her husband gets her attention, and then as a pair, encourage a lot of rumors and cause a rift in the towns normal day to day.

As the gods become more hungry, more angry, the town grows more fanatical trying to remove sin from their circles to appease the gods, but do not see their own hypocrisy. Natural disasters, gruesome deaths, sacrifices go on in detail as they try to satisfy the gods.

The Bone Drenched Woods is proof that indie publishers know what they’re doing, snapping up some incredibly talented authors and amazing stories.

L.V. Russell’s writing is literally *chef’s kiss,* that perfect spot right before prose gets too flowery and purple and is instead a joy to read. Her characters feel as though they’ve been plucked from real life. They’re layered, complex, and flawed, and the main character, Hyacinth, is especially so.

Hyacinth might be my favorite FMC from the books I’ve read with a similar feel to this one (horror, folk horror, mistreated young woman, feminine rage, mysterious happenings). She makes mistakes (big ones!) but she actually learns from them, and she knows how and when to use her rage. She behaves in a way that actually makes sense given her personality, upbringing, and surroundings. Nothing she did felt like it was out of left field and honestly that was refreshing.

The world Hyacinth lives in is fascinating, with all the carved bones used for protection, the worship of the oak trees, and the arranged marriages immediately followed by deadly treks through the dangerous woods. It was all very eerie and mysterious and when I read the book in my somewhat wooded backyard, I felt like I was being watched which was super creepy.

And the men in this book. Ugh. The Elders were just a bunch of terrible men who did what they wanted and dictated the lives of others, much like some men we all may know in the real world *wink, wink, nudge, nudge.* I felt in a sort of vague way like I was reading why we choose the bear: the book. Except the bear is mysterious, terrifying, and hungry woods that will eat the flesh from our bones. And some of us still choose them.

"Carve the bones. One for the gate, one for the door, two for the mantel, and three for the floor…"

Hyacinth lives in village close to the woods. Where the 'Teeth' are referred to as a terror to be frightened of. All villagers live in fear of the 'Teeth' and are in a hierarchy of elders (men ruling over all) and those that are slated to protect the village from the teeth.

This book follows Hyacinth alleged witch by all. Whom is taken away from her family.

This book had just vibes, if you like a gruesome 'fairy tale esk folklore' this is for you. The writing spoke to gruesome scenes with no growth or expansion of what was right in front of Hyacinth. We don't really learn that much more about her. We get some world building to this strange village but not much to go on.

However, there is no plot, character growth, or satisfying ending. I wouldn't really even classify this as a character based story. Hyacinth felt like a very flat character to me, there wasn't much depth. There wasn't even a big reveal. The ending is so unsatisfying.

Such a bummer, between the cover and the setup I think this had great potential. I just wasn't motivated to pick this one back up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) title. This is my honest review.

This was beautifully dark and twisted. Stuck in a life of impossible choices and forced to a life she never wanted, she will need to learn to survive on her own terms.

I loved this, even though I didn't end up finishing it. If I had, it would definitely have been a 5* book.

Unfortunately I did not read much of this before I decided that it just wasn't for me. I don't have any particular reason to discourage others from reading this, I just realised that it was much more about female suffering than I expected and I don't enjoy stories that excessively lean into that.

Thankyou to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

I think I had a way more different idea of what this book would become and I am quite happy with the turn of the tables on it. I love the gothic, and I mean it. I feel like I've been spoonfed nice prose containig horror and I really enjoyed the meal. It may be a bit predictable at the end, but you know, I like women getting unhinged on gothic stories. I would never fix the MC. I have reccommended it to my girlfriend already.

Thank you so much for letting me read the Arc of this book! I really enjoyed the dark atmosphere, the folklore aspects, and thought it was wonderfully gruesome and detailed. I love a good, spooky wood!

While the cover and title drew me in, the story seemed to fall apart the further I read. Perhaps, someone else may enjoy it, but personally, it wasn't for me.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thankyou to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
Wasn't sure what to expect from this I requested the ARC on a whim but was pleasantly surprised.
The atmosphere was set very well, creepy and dark. I loved the FMC, not afraid to speak her mind in a world where woman are mostly silenced and submissive.
The only little issues I personally had were that I wanted a little more fleshed out backstory on both the characters and the lore. And sometimes the some of the events felt a little muddled and random in places.
All over a great short read though for those looking for folklore, creepy, horror.