The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain.

When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king, who is trying to stop her.

Haunting. Bewitching. Brutal. Enchanting. Soul-shattering.

I went on a ride of emotions with this book. It didn’t take me long to become fully immersed in this story. There are nods to two fairytales – Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. But it’s not a fairytale retelling. It is a unique, heartfelt, emotional love story on its own.

The writing is superb, with brilliant twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was utterly enthralled with this book and couldn’t put it down. There weren’t too many slow moments for me. I really became invested in the two main characters and really wanted their love story to come to fruition. Every encounter causes them to face harsh truths about themselves and allows them to grow and develop into the person they were meant to be. The lore in this fantasy world is intriguing as well.

Owen is a sweet teenage boy who loves his family, which feels refreshing and unexpected. We see him cook, clean, and lovingly care for his 2-year-old sister, and it was all done from a place of contentment and commitment. Owen is a very family-oriented boy, and we are shown how much he loves his family and wants to keep it together. He’s tender, caring, and hopeful, which is endearing. He was my favorite character.

I thought the forbidden love story was beautiful, but it did take me on an emotional ride. Through the descriptive prose, you can feel the raw emotions of Owen and Seren. You can feel their desperation and longing, feelings of despair and loss, but also hope, wonder, and excitement, etc. As the reader, I was curious; I was swooning; I was gutted; I was sobbing. This was the FIRST time ever that I cried while reading a book. I didn’t think it would affect me as deeply as it did, but it definitely struck a chord in my heart, and before I knew it, just tears. Pouring.

If you enjoy young adult dark fantasy books with powerful, captivating love stories, then I think you’ll really enjoy this one.

The author is a master of her craft. Prepare to be enchanted in this world. She wrote a hauntingly stunning love story between a monster and a human that will wrap itself around your heart and squeeze. I read this book back in the middle of March, and these characters and the overall story still pop into my head months later. It definitely left a lasting impression on me. I’m very interested in reading more from this author. Highly recommend!!