A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter ~ a Review

by MK French

Mehrab the witch lives in the forest alone. When a young woman fleeing the godhounds for possessing magic seeks help, Mehrab lets her in and agrees to teach her how to control her magic. In the local village, children are disappearing. If they return at all, they are changed. Mehrab finds offerings on her doorstep and shadows in the trees as the villagers turn hostile and the godhounds close in. It's up to Mehrab to save the soul of the forest and save her newfound family.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

February 2026; Titan Books; 978-1835412565
audio, ebook, print (368 pages); fantasy

A Forest, Darkly is a standalone novel within the world of "All the Murmuring Bones" and "The Briar Book of the Dead." If you read those, you'll recognize references to Lodellan and the Briar Witches, but otherwise it's not necessary. This book has to do with Mehrab, a witch who has lived on the outskirts of the village for over twenty years, gathering herbs, making potions, and healing others when she can, yet still isn't trusted. Several women have come to her for help conceiving, and are quick to ignore her otherwise. It keeps her safe, so she tends to ignore it. Rhea comes through a network of women saving witches from being killed, and Mehrab takes her in as an apprentice as things start getting odd in the woods. 

The book proceeds at a steady pace, drawing us into the rhythm of the village and Mehrab's cottage just outside the woods. A trap, kids getting taken and returning wrong, shadows shifting in the trees, and the strange offerings are pieces of unease sprinkled through the first half; the children going missing aren't all at once, so nothing seems to tie them together at first. In time, the missing children, shadows, and the history of the town come together and make sense. The final quarter of the book has the most intense action, the story threads pulling together, and then the solution that only Mehrab can solve. Women in menopause still have power and purpose, and the knowledge they have can protect future generations. This book certainly shows this, and I was especially pulled into the finale. 

Buy A Forest, Darkly at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever. 

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