Cursed by her mother and banished from her city, this is the story of Elka and her fight to regain what is hers.
Full of hope and determination, secrets and surprises, this is a book to curl up and get lost in.

M.A. Kuzniar twists Snow White folklore into a dark and lavish story, filled with adventure, forbidden love, and political intrigue.

You'll get immediately thrown into the story, with Elka on the brink of devouring her last heart to break her curse, bestowed upon her by her mother. In gruelsome detail, she describes the horrific taste and process of this messy event, setting the tone for the rest of the story. Elka gets interrupted by a wounded huntsman knocking on her door. She's not a monster, not yet, so she helps this rather handsome-looking man recover and protect him from the dangerous forest. After living years in solitude, she can't help but feel some connection with this mysterious intruder. Sparks fly and chemistry runs hot. It's clear that Kaz has no god-blessed soul either. He carries secrets on his own, but in the tender moments with Elka, they seem to be just being. Together, alone, and away from their past and present duties. Though their chemistry felt rather rushed, they make a strong dynamic, and their witty banter has a sexy edge.

I'd say that the story is more plot-driven than character-driven. It focuses on the main quest to overthrow the queen (Elka's mother), who has been purging magic throughout the kingdom. What used to be a land filled with dragons and magic it is now a land of fear and darkness. The only thing the Queen is afraid of is the Forest Demon. So Elka's only choice is to work together with this Forest Demon in order to restore peace and balance.

There are some twists and turns, deaths and betrayals. This makes you want to keep reading, and with the multiple layers, you'll keep pondering what's to come, who to believe and how it will end. It was thrilling, a tad emotional, heated, and filled with female rage! What's not to like about a strong and fierce heroine trying to accept all of herself, even her monstrous side?

Thank you, NetGalley and M.A. Kuzniar, for an e-copy of Forest of Hearts.

First I would like to say a massive thank you to the lady herself for writing such a fantastic story.

This is a Snow White story with a twist, bring the darkness, bring the *slight* horror, bring the dragons?

This was a retelling that made itself its own about strength in oneself, about finding the light in a dark forest. Elka gave Snow White a reason to be strong, brave, kind and true, that even though one may want vengeance you can do it with the right things in mind. The found family elements were so heartfelt that you just want to hug them all.

Also, the magical creatures were just too cute. But will this lead to a second book? Let’s only hope.

Forest of Hearts is a deliciously dark fairytale retelling that takes Snow White and turns it into something more eerie and folkloric.

It quite literally opens with Elka baking a pie filled with a human heart (as one does), so the book takes you straight in, without much introduction.
It's the perfect setup for a story drenched in Slavic-inspired folklore, curses, and danger. The forest setting feels alive and haunting, and the touches of Polish language and folklore made it feel all the more special and atmospheric!

Elka is also such a compelling heroine. She is fierce, conflicted, and caught between love and survival. Her dynamic with Kaz, the huntsman she comes across, is FULL of banter and tension. The insta-attraction was a little much at first, but their endless flirting grew on me.

The pacing jumps around at times as well, but the rich atmosphere and some twists I actually didn't see coming kept me hooked until the end!

Overall, I would rate this 3.5 stars, but will definitely be picking up the next book if there'll be one.

If you're a fan of dark fairytale retellings, endless banter, and stories full of magic and curses, this one might be worth picking up!!