Early Audiobook Review: After the Forest by Kell Woods, Narrated by Esther Wane

After the Forest by Kell Woods, with the audiobook narrated by Esther Wane, is currently scheduled for release on October 3 2023. Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war. Greta has a secret, though: the witch's grimoire, secreted away and whispering in Greta's ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you've ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat. But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion. And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta's magic—magic she is still trying to understand—may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn't kill her first.

After the Forest takes a unique look at several fairy tales, and ties the together. I have seen this done before, but not with this particular set of tales or quite so thoroughly. I liked getting to see Greta and Hans grown up (for the most part) and how their lives have continued on, and how life has progressed for the poor people struggling to survive. I liked the blend of real life, struggle, and magic. I thought the characters were well built, and while I often disagreed with their choices or words, I fully understood what they took that path. There were some moments that I thought Greta was far too naïve or overlooking what I thought was obvious, but I have to admit that the ride was quite the adventure. I was emotionally invested as I listened, and even when it was over I found myself thinking about the story and the characters. I would definitely read a follow up book about what comes next for several sets of characters. 

After the Forest is a engaging and entertaining read that ties together a collection of classic fairy tales in a new way, with a different look at 'ever after'.