A Dark and Wild Wood
Born cursed, Salomé and her older sister Rochelle are raised by “The midwife, Valerie,” who, soon after appearing, is burned as a witch. The girls are then sent to a convent to be raised by nuns. Salomé “…see[s] the shadows of the otherworld always in the corners of her eyes,” and lives in constant fear of being burned as a witch herself. When an antlered creature emerges from the shadows of a convent field, then slips back, taking Rochelle with him, Salomé is lost. And alone. Certain that Rochelle is alive, Salomé sets off on a quest to rescue her. While working in a brothel, Salomé’s fear of being decried as a witch comes true. She escapes death only to encounter Lord Death, who takes her as his apprentice.
A Dark and Wild Wood is based on the Bluebeard folktale. It is a dark, gothic novel, nothing like a romantasy. Though no dates are given for the setting, the reader is grounded solidly in the past. The passage of time is irregular. Years flying by in a matter of pages and then a few months (the heart of the story) grind on somewhat interminably. An intriguing green-eyed bandit is introduced, then ceremoniously dropped. Lemon’s writing is atmospheric, taking the reader to dark spaces that are often confusing and in need of being read again. Salomé is a strong and sympathetic character. Her desires to find her lost sister and live with the woman she loves ring true. However, for all her supposed power and sight, she is dangerously naïve and frustratingly blind to the precariousness of her situation. Her relationship with Lord Death is one of control and abuse, which may be difficult for some readers. Though not overly long for an adult historical fantasy, it feels long.
