THE DEATHLY GRIMM, by Kathryn Purdie, Wednesday Books, March 25, 2025), Hardcover, $24, Paperback, $14 (young adult)
A young woman returns to an enchanted forest in hopes of breaking a village curse in The Deathly Grimm, the sequel to The Forest Grimm, by Kathryn Purdie.
Emerging from the shadows of the Forest Grimm, Clara and Axel return to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest’s border. But when the woods begin luring villagers into the forest, it becomes clear that the darkness they battled was merely a whisper of the true horror lurking there.
Burdened by unsettling visions and bound by a love as perilous as the cursed woods that call to them, Clara and Axel must once again enter the forest to unearth the sinister secret at its heart. As they fight murderous woodsmen wielding riddles sharp as blades, spectral maidens who threaten to drag them into an eternal dance, and phantoms able to use the very essence of the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t break the curse once and for all, they may not have a home to return to… —Synopsis provided by Wednesday Books
The Deathly Grimm is the second book in The Forest Grimm duology, and you definitely have to read the books in order. There are spoilers ahead…
Like The Forest Grimm, The Deathly Grimm takes familiar fairy tales you know and turns them upside down. Jack and the Beanstalk, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and The Frog Prince all make a dark and twisted appearance. Unenchanted versions of Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and Cinderella also return.
Clara’s first trip into the woods didn’t end the way she had hoped. The curse is only partially gone, Clara’s mother didn’t survive, and Clara’s grandmother is quickly fading. What Clara did exit with was a strong relationship with Axel. But re-entering the woods put that at risk, too.
Everything about The Deathly Grimm feels both familiar and new. Author Kathryn Purdie’s twists on what seem like innocent tales is delightfully creepy. Purdie’s world building is strong and her characters solid.
The Deathly Grimm is a driving narrative that holds interest throughout. The duology is perfect for fans of fractured fairy tales, fantasies, mysteries and adventures.
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