First of all: NOT YA. At all. The main characters are all adults, there is copious drug and alcohol use (not that I mind lol), and Torvi get HANGED. There's a tendency to label any fantasy/speculative fiction that a woman writes as YA, for some reason, which is bullshit, and this book has fallen victim to that (it probably doesn't help that her previous book, the excellent Boneless Mercies WAS YA).

This is a very loose retelling of King Arthur, kind of. More "inspired by" than a retelling, actually: there's certainly allusion (like Morgunn, the sword, etc. [but strangely enough no Arthur or Arthur analogue?]), but it's wholly unique.

Tucholke's world building is incredible - it feels complete and lived in, and I want to know more more more. Tell me about the Pig Witches and about the children of the Sea Witches and the Night Markets! The only drawback is that I wanted to keep going on these tangents, rather than straightforwardly follow Torvi's quest, since that storyline is all about feelings and emotions and healing. Which is fine, but not what draws me in.

And, really, I want to know what happened with Morgunn. It seemed as though she might have had some predisposition to addiction (since Torvi is always mentioning that Morgunn loves alcohol), which would then tie neatly into the fact that Wolf Priests are addicted to the yew berry poison that gives them their powers. There could have been some really interesting examination into addiction and enabling, but it's never brought up again. Just like the differential treatment that their mother gives them; could have been really interesting and poignant, but never goes anywhere and is basically forgotten.

All the relationships feel rushed, but honestly I can live with that. The timeline is never exactly clear so I can tell myself that they've been on the road for months with nothin to do but talk to each other and build bonds. And Madoc is the most patient and tolerant love interest in the world. Like, come on Torvi, I appreciate that you know that something real won't be irreparably harmed by a one-night stand, but you're stupid enough to pledge your first born to a wizard and then have unprotected sex (and let him finish inside you) with the same wizard?? I was a little confused, because it really seemed that Torvi had some wild chemistry with various women in the novel (Gyda, the sister running the tavern, etc.) but nothing was ever developed from that. ( )

Seven Endless Forests is the story of a journey. In some ways, it's a journey of self-discovery, beginning with Torvi losing everyone she loved and forcing her to go on an adventure, something her mother said she would never do. In other ways, it's a journey of friendship, the people Torvi meets along the way, those she will learn from, travel with, fight, or simply encounter along the way. It's also a journey of quests, as each of the companions seek something, though none seek the same thing. And the story is the journey, as more time is spent on the journey and in conversation than doing anything else. As such, the story works. It's slow. It's straightforward. It's simple and to the point, while introducing myriads of new factions and peoples. Unfortunately, there is not enough action to keep the story moving along, which made it easy to put the book down and forget it. The characters were mostly all fascinating. It's too bad the story didn't measure up to them.

Content warning: There is brutal violence (slitting throats, etc.) and Torvi has sex with three different men in the story (this is tastefully written, rather than described in detail).

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and have reviewed it willingly. ( )

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The cover and world-building were lovely, but that's really all this book has going for it. The characters were flat and frustrating, and the plot was nearly nonexistent. We spend most of the book walking from one place to the next, and very few exciting things happen along the way. However, the descriptions of the world were stellar and provided a clear view into Tucholke's world. (Although, I would have liked to learn more about the giant trolls.)

Torvi was like a piece a bread. It's useful and can provide sustenance, but there's nothing really remarkable about it. Where was her passion? Her drive? What did she love? I felt as if I barely knew her, and we essentially traveled together for months. The author drops crumbs about her family and their history, but it's never really expanded on. (I wanted to know more about her father and his side of the family, and why her mother favored Morgunn.)

Honestly, Seven Endless Forests felt more like an outline than an actual book. If something exciting happened, it was over after a page. The conflicts were brief and they were resolved with little-to-no struggle or hardship. There was a really interesting tower in one of the forests that required them to "fly" to the top and enter through a window (think Rapunzel, but with trippy mushrooms), which sounded promising. I was looking forward to what would happen once they were inside, but it was over before it could really start (don't even get me started on how they figured out how to access the tower). The ghost of a witch forms from the dust and grime, and then they jump out of the tower to safety. Boom. Over. There was no battle, no plan to fight the witch and rid the tower of her evil presence, just them taking what they wanted and leaving.

It was also weird how quickly they became friends and lovers. They'll meet someone, and suddenly they're BFFs or kissing in a corner. It was equally hard to believe that people were always so incredibly welcoming and easygoing. Taverns are notoriously boisterous places, yet the ones they visited were uneventful. Were they lively and merry? Yes. However, there were no brawls, and no shady dealings transpired under dirty tables. They were ran by pretty men and women, groups of siblings, and everyone was happy. I'm not saying it's impossible, but there was just something lacking from all of their adventures. I didn't feel like they were on a quest, merely walking around in an eerily beautiful world. They talk about the dangers, and tell stories about past atrocities, but never experience them for themselves.

Most of what they did was simply unbelievable. I doubt Torvi and Gyda would have picked up on the Butcher Bards' knife fighting as quickly as they did. I also rolled my eyes whenever something conveniently happened, or information fell into their laps. They never had to work for anything. They sang their songs, told their stories, and moved on. Even when they are given specific instructions, and warned what would happen if they veered from the path, no one listened. Torvi went into the one tent she was supposed to avoid, and they left the tunnel when they heard children's laughter behind fallen rocks. Both events proved beneficial to the group, so why were they given ominous warnings? It didn't make sense. If they were told bad things would happen, then I feel like something bad should've happened.

When Torvi and team finally reach Esca's Hall, they talk about being the first people to set foot inside since the sagas (I think that's supposed to translate into centuries). However, I found that hard to believe. If Uther knew about it, surely others did too. From what I could tell, there were plenty of Vorse who would've loved the jarldom. It seemed unrealistic for their journey to have been so easy. Long, but ultimately not difficult. People died, but no one we knew or cared about (sounds harsh, but it's true). To be honest, I didn't really care for any of the characters𑁋main or secondary𑁋they were simply there.

My favorite part? Torvi tells a wizard she'll never have children when he asks for her firstborn, but then she seeks him out in the middle of the night for sex. She then goes on and on about how magical it was. Duh? He's a wizard? But also... what the hell is wrong with you? Then she wants to know if Madoc is upset (someone she's grown close to), but he's not. He understands, and she thinks he's great for it. Wonderful!

Everything that happened between Torvi and her sister was just too much. It was too unbelievable. It was sad at first, but then finding Morgunn became less important to her, because the journey was suddenly what mattered. She was REALLY LIVING with her found family, and having a meaningful quest is what life's all about! Right? Right! Then Torvi finds her sister, doesn't like what she sees, and simply stops wanting to help her. She's just lost now? I hated that aspect of the story, and how the sword was eventually pulled from the tree. What the hell is up with that anyways? What purpose did it serve?

Basically, if they needed help or an answer to a question, one would present itself. There was hardly any fighting, the grief was minimal and short-lived, and the bad guys were almost always helpful. It was all very frustrating. I kept reading because I thought there would be some sort of satisfying conclusion at the end, but it just made me angry. I wish it had been a physical copy so I could have tossed it across the room. In the end, the story was simply too convenient and lacked substance, and the characters were too dull to warrant any emotion or concern on my part. (★★⋆☆☆)

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After dealing with the aftermath of a plague with no known cure Torvi's sister Morgunn, disappears under the cover of night. She has been kidnapped by a wolf-priest bishop named Uther to join her army of gaunt girls. Torvi is forced to leave her ancestral home to join forces with a druid to gain assistance from roving Butcher Bards. Once they finish their quest of finding and rescuing Torvi's sister from the ruthless bishop they plan to add another quest to their list - finding a legendary sword that hasn't been seen in ages.

More facets than originally perceived are added to their original quest - Torvi and her companions visit Night Wilds and banter with other patrons in a tree-town tavern. They'll meet mysterious Drakes whose payment is young men, rediscover an ancient black tower and fight a common enemy with legendary Vorseland archers. Towards the conclusion of their quest the companions will trade unusual payment to a Fremish wizard, revel in food and drink with rebellious Jade Fell children underneath the Skal Mountains and be granted an audience with a Pig Witch.

Torvi's quest to find her sister may have cause her to wander into unknowingly accepting her own fate even though it is awash with wilderness, wandering, misfortune and death.

"Is there anything better in life than having brave, true friends?"

Seven Endless Forests revolves around a large portion of Norse mythology although I am not certain as to why the author chose to change at least two references - Obin for Odin and Holhalla instead of Valhalla. I would prefer outright references personally - as I believe it would make the lore and the references themselves more concrete to younger readers. It's been a while since I've immersed myself in Norse mythology so there could have been references that I missed but there are several obvious ones that do stand out. I'll admit it put me off for a bit in the beginning but it faded more into casual mentions as the book progressed. There are some references to King Arthur folklore throughout the novel as well - mostly character names.

This book about the quests themselves than the events after the tasks are completed - it glosses over the deeds accomplished afterward like they're really not that big of a deal or were just expected to happen. Somehow the writing style makes it feel equally rushed and then suddenly the opposite - mainly some events seem like they're on fast forward while others are described at length. The world building and descriptions though are beautifully worded, described and also extends to characters. I do feel that the ending does leave this book open for a series if the author chooses to continue the story of Torvi and her companions.

"I was no different from all who walked the earth, searching for something larger than themselves."

Seven Endless Forests is another standalone novel like The Boneless Mercies but I believe there might be some background information acquired from the first book written. From what I gathered from stories in Seven Endless Forests I believe that The Boneless Mercies took place quite some time prior to the adventures of the current book. There really aren't many sensitive subjects in this book - drug and alcohol usage (fictional names), hinted at romance and fairly tame violence. I would like to thank Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book set in the same world as “The Boneless Mercies”. I got an eGalley from NetGalley to review.

Story (4/5): I really loved this retelling of the King Arthur tale. It had a heavy Norse/Viking feel to it and takes place in the same world as the Boneless Mercies. It does start out a bit wandering and slow, but then picks up pace. The classic fantasy questing structure of the story really drew me in.

Characters (5/5): I loved Torvi and her traveling companions. There is just something so honest and visceral about all of these characters. They all fall into their quests whole heartedly and are engaging and endearing.

Setting (5/5): I also loved the magical setting of the Endless Forests, it’s such a mystical and amazing setting. You just never who or what you are going to stumble into next.

Writing Style (5/5): This has a very classic fantasy questing feel to it which I really enjoyed. The writing style is very beautiful and descriptive making the sensations the characters feel and your surroundings really come alive. Tucholke has a very distinctive writing style that is a bit dreamy and this book was similar to her previous books.

Summary (4.5/5): Overall, despite the slow start, I really enjoyed this. There is just such a magical and mysterious feel to the story and the characters are so raw and heartfelt they just draw you in. If you enjoyed “The Boneless Mercies” you will enjoy this as well. If you hated the style of “The Boneless Mercies” I would steer clear of this book because it’s very similar in style. I loved this magical fantasy adventure and will definitely be picking up future books by Tucholke. ( )