Shadows of the Forest by Emma Michaels

Shadows of the Forest by Emma Michaels
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When Lily awakens in a strange hospital with some injuries the only thing on her mind is her twin brother Cole and finding out if he is safe. The staff at the hospital give Lily a strange set of rules before allowing to see her brother who was unfortunately seriously injured.

The rules Lily must follow seem simple enough, 1. Do not enter the West Wing 2. Do not go outside after darkness falls and 3. There is only one exit, the gate she came in. But with her brother in a coma and Lily determined to save him she finds herself questioning what would happen if the rules were broken?

Shadows of the Forest is a fairly short fantasy novella read but unfortunately for me it really seemed longer than it was just due to losing interest fairly quickly in the story. The one point the author got across rather well was Lily’s concern for her brother, this was repeated over and over again. However as with some novellas I felt other aspects were tossed in without many details and could have used more explanation.

The book felt as if it were trying to be a really complex fantasy read but on a fast pace due to it being short. This to me completely seemed to make the story a bit confusing and felt I lacked the chance to get attached to the story or characters. Unfortunately this story just wasn’t for me in the end.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.