Tag: Red Riding Hood

Scarlet and the Dark Woods

About the Book:

Scarlett and the Dark Woods: A Dystopian Red Riding Hood Retelling by [Mary Mecham]

Title: Scarlett and the Dark Woods
Series: Autumn Fairy Tale #4
Author: Mary Mecham
Release Date: September 15th, 2023
Genre: Fairytale Retelling

She is one of the protected elect. He is a shunned shapeshifter. Can Scarlett rescue her grandmother before her own heart is stolen?

When her grandmother is cast out as unworthy after facing Hamelin’s annual Shunning, Scarlett knows she must brave the dangers of Darkwood Forest if she’s to have any chance of saving her. Her perilous adventure becomes a race against time; she needs to find Gran before the previously shunned get to her first.

Scarlett’s efforts come too late. As her magic dwindles the farther into the forest she ventures, she becomes hopelessly lost and is forced to accept help from Greyson, the shapeshifting wolf who is stalking her every footstep—and who Scarlett suspects of knowing Gran’s location.

If she manages to save her grandmother, Scarlett will be faced with an impossible choice: join Gran and live her life as an outcast or return to the rest of the elect, safe but alone. As she struggles to find the right path forward, Scarlett realizes that more than her grandmother’s future is at stake. Her heart is too.

Can Scarlett resist her inexplicable attraction to the shunned wolf she despises long enough to protect the woman who raised her?

Book Review:

What a cute story! I was so excited to read this! I had just recently read my first of Ms. Mecham’s books and also love the theme of this series. When her grandmother is cast out at Hamelin’s annual Shunning, Scarlett has to brave the Darkwood Forest and its dangers to save her. She has to find Gran before all the previous shunned get to her. But Scarlett is too late, as her magic dwindles, she becomes lost. She is forced to accept help from Greyson, the shape shifting wolf, who she believes knows Gran’s location. But if she does save her grandmother, will she join Gran and live as an outcast or return to the elect, safe but alone. There is more than just the future at stake, her heart is too.

This was such a fun twist on the story! I loved the magic. It was so inventive! Scarlett was quite spunky! I loved how much she cared for her grandmother and her determination to save her no matter what the dangers. She definitely had a lot to learn and to consider what she really wanted for her future. Her gran was quite vibrant! Greyson was also a lot of fun. I loved how he teased Scarlett. 

There were a lot of twists in the story! It did feel like the clues were there which was nice to read. I also enjoyed the cozy fall vibes! The story was easy to get into and the romance was also sweet! This is a cozy dystopian fantasy with only kissing! It is a stand-alone novella.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required

Girl in the Red Hood

About the Book:

Girl in the Red Hood: A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (The Classical Kingdoms Collection Book 4) by [Brittany Fichter]

Title: Girl in the Red Hood
Series: Classical Kingdoms Collection #4
Author: Brittany Fichter
Release Date: November 27, 2015
Genre: Fairytale Retelling

What if you fell for the one man who could save you from your dark curse…or doom you to it?

After her father moves the family to a village deep in a sunless forest, Liesel is bitten by a wolf, and unbeknownst to her, marked for a terrifying destiny. Befriended by a mysterious boy in the woods soon after, however, Liesel finds herself falling in love with Kurt, a romance that brings her closer to the darkness and the light than she’s ever been before. In this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Liesel must decide whether to accept her fate for the sake of those she loves, or fight for the freedom to choose her own way.

Book Review:

I have read so many of Ms. Fichter’s books and I have finally gotten the chance to read Girl in the Red Hood. Girl in the Red Hood is the 4th book in Brittany Fichter’s Classical Kingdom series. Girl in the Red Hood is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood! This is the first retelling I have read of Little Red Riding Hood and I really enjoyed it! It was so exciting to get back into the series. 

Lisel was a sweet heroine, she wanted to see the best of the world but life was hard. She had lived with her grandparents for most of her life until her mother got sick and her father decided to move away to try and find help. Little does Lisel know that this move will change everything for her, her life will never be the same. Living in a new town is hard for Lisel especially because she is ostracised by the townspeople but then she meets a boy in the woods and he makes everything better. 

Lisel was a very cool red riding hood, I really liked that she didn’t get in trouble because she decided to disobey her parents. She was strong but she was lonely, being in a new town was hard. She reminded me of sunshine because she tried so hard to see the good in life, she really tried to respect her father even when things got hard. 

I loved Kurt, he was an amazing hero. I adored reading about him and Lisel getting to know each other and I really liked how much he cared for her. I felt so bad for him, he was put in an impossible decision and he had a lot of weight on his shoulders. But I loved how Lisel balanced him out and helped him live and even dream. 

Kurt and Lisel showed their love throughout the book as they put each other first and learned what it meant to make sacrifices. They had to grow up so fast, but they were able to be young around each other. This book had so many twists and turns. It constantly had my attention and I couldn’t put it down because I needed to find out what would happen next. I really enjoyed reading this retelling and I would definitely recommend Girl in the Red Hood! I have loved all of Ms. Fichter’s books and this one was just as good!