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Forsaken #3
Heart of the Wyrdwood
From British Fantasy Award-winning author RJ Barker comes the epic conclusion to the Forsaken trilogy, set in a forest straight out of darkest folklore with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities.
"That thing in Tiltspire, it keeps Cahan like a trophy. It says to us, here is your strongest and I have killed him."
Cahan Du Nahare is lost, taken by a dark god whose tendrils reach throughout the world, intent on its destruction. Those who followed Cahan are spread across the land, desperate and lost now fate has turned against them. The Reborn warriors are toys for the enemy, the warrior Dassit, forestal Ania and monk Ont are drawn to the dangerous north but do not know why. Udinny is forced into the company of a woman who desires nothing more than her death and the Rai, Sorha, leads a dwindling band on a mission even she believes is doomed to failure. Only the trion Venn remains hopeful, slowly growing in power and trusting in the path of their god.
But maybe all is not lost. The great Wyrdwoods of Crua may be ancient and slow to act, but something in them is waking.
Wyrdwood is coming.
"That thing in Tiltspire, it keeps Cahan like a trophy. It says to us, here is your strongest and I have killed him."
Cahan Du Nahare is lost, taken by a dark god whose tendrils reach throughout the world, intent on its destruction. Those who followed Cahan are spread across the land, desperate and lost now fate has turned against them. The Reborn warriors are toys for the enemy, the warrior Dassit, forestal Ania and monk Ont are drawn to the dangerous north but do not know why. Udinny is forced into the company of a woman who desires nothing more than her death and the Rai, Sorha, leads a dwindling band on a mission even she believes is doomed to failure. Only the trion Venn remains hopeful, slowly growing in power and trusting in the path of their god.
But maybe all is not lost. The great Wyrdwoods of Crua may be ancient and slow to act, but something in them is waking.
Wyrdwood is coming.
574 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 24, 2025
100 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Barker
27 books1,803 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
April 15, 2025
Wow. This book firmly cements this author as one of my new favorite authors. I eagerly look forward to what his mind will come up with next.
This is the 3rd book of a trilogy so there will be some spoillers....later on. First I'm going to talk in general terms for those who may be checking out this series to see if it's any good and worth reading (it is) so those who have already read the first two books can skip down a couple paragraphs. The first book was slow to get going but not boring. And I can see why some people might have rated it down a bit. But don't worry, prospective reader, the action picks up. Though this story is not your typical action-packed fantasy series. It's more thoughtful and beautiful and emotional. This third book explains everything and I realized that the author knew when he wrote the first book what the under=arching story was about, so he didn't just make it up as he went along. That made my high opinion of the author even higher. Some authors are good at beginnings, some endings, but it's rare to find an author good at both the beginning and the ending.
This series is worth reading for the sense of wonder you will experience as the characters travel the dangerous Wyrdwood with its ginormous trees (it takes you a full day to walk halfway around one!) and unusual creatures that if you stop and hide they will ignore you and go about their business. Then night comes and BOOM! it's pitch black for a couple seconds and then BOOM! the forest is lit up with colorful lights. The vines snaking all over the trees must have some phosphorescent properties and the bushes and other things glow in multi-colors. I would give anything to witness that.
Ok, this is SPOILER ALERT time because now I'm talking to those who have read books one and two and want to know a bit about what happens in book three.
Poor Cahan, who seemed to be the main character of the previous books has been captured by the dark god Zorir and spends most of the book trapped in his mind in a cycle of the battle of harn against the Rai which took place in book one. He keeps fighting the same battle over and over again and sometimes stops to think, haven't I done this before? but then the enemy approaches and he has to take charge of the battle. The book is split up between viewpoint characters: Venn, Udinny (her passages are written first person, everyone else is written 3rd), Sorha (who ends up having a role of great importance, who knew?), Dassit, that butcher from Harn, Ania a forestal, the bad guy or rather bad gal in this case, who else... ... ...I can't remember sorry. The characters are spread all over the map, some in the north and some in the south, some in the middle. We will learn more about the Boughry, Iftal and the legend that's been passed down has new meaning, and we learn why the series is called "Forsaken".
About 3/5th of the way through the author throws us a twist that's more than a regular twist but rather a full twizzler. Your mind will be like "Whoa, I totally did not see that coming". I can't give you any hints about the twist without possibly revealing too much so I'll stop there.
The ending is a big battle of sorts, there is a normal battle with a mass of the enemy minions vs. a small amount of good guys but other sections tell of smaller battles. What I'm getting at is don't expect a huge LotR battle. Our attention is split between different areas across the map. People struggling to achieve their objectives, fighting against the blue-veined mindless minions of the dark god who, of course, has been lying to ....what's her name...and using her for it's own selfish ends. The final ending is satisfying and ties everything up.
Now go read it! Or go read the first book if you haven't already. Oh, I forgot to say that I received an ARC copy of the book before it is released and that in no way affected my opinion. I will buy my own copy when it is released because I want to support the author and want a copy (hopefully) without the typos and small errors that are in the ARC copy. Happy reading.
This is the 3rd book of a trilogy so there will be some spoillers....later on. First I'm going to talk in general terms for those who may be checking out this series to see if it's any good and worth reading (it is) so those who have already read the first two books can skip down a couple paragraphs. The first book was slow to get going but not boring. And I can see why some people might have rated it down a bit. But don't worry, prospective reader, the action picks up. Though this story is not your typical action-packed fantasy series. It's more thoughtful and beautiful and emotional. This third book explains everything and I realized that the author knew when he wrote the first book what the under=arching story was about, so he didn't just make it up as he went along. That made my high opinion of the author even higher. Some authors are good at beginnings, some endings, but it's rare to find an author good at both the beginning and the ending.
This series is worth reading for the sense of wonder you will experience as the characters travel the dangerous Wyrdwood with its ginormous trees (it takes you a full day to walk halfway around one!) and unusual creatures that if you stop and hide they will ignore you and go about their business. Then night comes and BOOM! it's pitch black for a couple seconds and then BOOM! the forest is lit up with colorful lights. The vines snaking all over the trees must have some phosphorescent properties and the bushes and other things glow in multi-colors. I would give anything to witness that.
Ok, this is SPOILER ALERT time because now I'm talking to those who have read books one and two and want to know a bit about what happens in book three.
Poor Cahan, who seemed to be the main character of the previous books has been captured by the dark god Zorir and spends most of the book trapped in his mind in a cycle of the battle of harn against the Rai which took place in book one. He keeps fighting the same battle over and over again and sometimes stops to think, haven't I done this before? but then the enemy approaches and he has to take charge of the battle. The book is split up between viewpoint characters: Venn, Udinny (her passages are written first person, everyone else is written 3rd), Sorha (who ends up having a role of great importance, who knew?), Dassit, that butcher from Harn, Ania a forestal, the bad guy or rather bad gal in this case, who else... ... ...I can't remember sorry. The characters are spread all over the map, some in the north and some in the south, some in the middle. We will learn more about the Boughry, Iftal and the legend that's been passed down has new meaning, and we learn why the series is called "Forsaken".
About 3/5th of the way through the author throws us a twist that's more than a regular twist but rather a full twizzler. Your mind will be like "Whoa, I totally did not see that coming". I can't give you any hints about the twist without possibly revealing too much so I'll stop there.
The ending is a big battle of sorts, there is a normal battle with a mass of the enemy minions vs. a small amount of good guys but other sections tell of smaller battles. What I'm getting at is don't expect a huge LotR battle. Our attention is split between different areas across the map. People struggling to achieve their objectives, fighting against the blue-veined mindless minions of the dark god who, of course, has been lying to ....what's her name...and using her for it's own selfish ends. The final ending is satisfying and ties everything up.
Now go read it! Or go read the first book if you haven't already. Oh, I forgot to say that I received an ARC copy of the book before it is released and that in no way affected my opinion. I will buy my own copy when it is released because I want to support the author and want a copy (hopefully) without the typos and small errors that are in the ARC copy. Happy reading.
September 7, 2025
Probably the weakest in the series which is a let down after always feeling like Barker pulls off some of the best finales.
Things got slightly too crazy with the gods and body swapping - and not in chaotic goodness I got from Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons.
It all felt rushed and I think too many characters were introduced and given bigger roles leading to rushed arcs and development which ultimately let this down.
The positives:
Barker has such a skill at writing unique character voices. Even without reading the name at the top of the chapter page, you’ll know who it is.
Interestingly, Barker chose to use a first person for Udinny, arguably not the main character or even the second main character. She was quirky and whacky and I enjoyed her.
I am Udinny Mac-Hereward, monk of Ranya and chosen of my god, sent from death to life to re-weave the golden web, to resurrect the lands of Crua as I was resurrected myself.
And I am in a spot of bother.
However, I felt that the climax and resolution was ultimately a let down and I was left feeling disappointed, especially considering my ratings for The Boneships increased with each book.
Weak three stars.🌟
Physical arc gifted by Orbit.
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Things got slightly too crazy with the gods and body swapping - and not in chaotic goodness I got from Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons.
It all felt rushed and I think too many characters were introduced and given bigger roles leading to rushed arcs and development which ultimately let this down.
The positives:
Barker has such a skill at writing unique character voices. Even without reading the name at the top of the chapter page, you’ll know who it is.
Interestingly, Barker chose to use a first person for Udinny, arguably not the main character or even the second main character. She was quirky and whacky and I enjoyed her.
I am Udinny Mac-Hereward, monk of Ranya and chosen of my god, sent from death to life to re-weave the golden web, to resurrect the lands of Crua as I was resurrected myself.
And I am in a spot of bother.
However, I felt that the climax and resolution was ultimately a let down and I was left feeling disappointed, especially considering my ratings for The Boneships increased with each book.
Weak three stars.🌟
Physical arc gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
March 10, 2026
Too many tentacles
⚛︎ Initial Thoughts
As a lover of the forest, fantasy, and forest-fantasy this did not hit the mark. I am a fan of Barker's seafaring Bone Ships saga which ended on a much stronger note than Wyrd wood. I am in the heat of my disappointment rn. My first thoughts are wayyyy too many tentacles. The woods needs fuzzy or wood-like creatures. Keep the tentacles in the sea. If it seems like I'm being picky, the tentacles keep getting bigger and they are mentioned too much, while all these other interesting world building ideas are floating out there with nothing the ground them.
This is the weakest of the series.
Full review later.
⚛︎ Initial Thoughts
As a lover of the forest, fantasy, and forest-fantasy this did not hit the mark. I am a fan of Barker's seafaring Bone Ships saga which ended on a much stronger note than Wyrd wood. I am in the heat of my disappointment rn. My first thoughts are wayyyy too many tentacles. The woods needs fuzzy or wood-like creatures. Keep the tentacles in the sea. If it seems like I'm being picky, the tentacles keep getting bigger and they are mentioned too much, while all these other interesting world building ideas are floating out there with nothing the ground them.
This is the weakest of the series.
Full review later.
January 31, 2026
’Wrydwood is coming’
Heart of the Wyrdwood is the final book in the folkloric-inspired fantasy trilogy, the Forsaken, and one that I loved in parts, but unfortunately disliked in others.
As the finale to this series, what I wanted out of this book was an exciting, tense and emotional conclusion in which all loose ends were tied up and the characters reached a satisfying end to their arcs. While this certainly did answer all of my many questions, in creative and interesting ways, I can’t really say it achieved anything else I wanted to see.
While the final third of the book had some thrilling battle scenes and overall kept my interest, it wasn’t exactly the intense and unforgiving ending I expected. I felt that the final few chapters dragged on for far too long, and rather than building up to a high-octane finale it sort of just slowed to a standstill, running out of steam halfway through. This was exacerbated by just how slow the first two thirds of the book were, so much so that despite only taking five days to read this book I’ve mostly forgotten what happened at the beginning of it. I cannot call the conclusion particularity worth it either. I find the ending for our characters very anti-climactic, and not at all what any of them deserved. While the detailed links to the Gods and land of Crua is an interesting concept, I thought that far too much focus was placed on developing that aspect of the story rather than on developing character arcs or the overall ‘war’ plot point.
Furthermore, I found the way in which the majority of characters were treated was lacklustre and completely unsatisfying. Sorha is the one exception, and for this I am glad as she is certainly the best character in the series. Her redemption was written masterfully, and the way in which she unlearned her past nature was so engaging. She was the single best part of this book, and I am grateful we got to see so much of her. The same cannot be said for Cahan, who at one point long ago was the main character of this story, but has slowly been pushed to the wayside for other characters since the beginning of book two. Now, he is hardly even present in his own series, replaced with chapters that were completely unnecessary, i.e. Ont, Ania and Dassit’s. His ending is so abrupt and unsatisfying as we haven’t really seen the poor man since book one, and it feels like Barker ultimately forgot about him and just stuck him in the epilogue as a last-thought.
Even so, I don’t believe Cahan was truly as ruined as the aforementioned Ont, Ania and Dassit. Three of my favourite characters in book two, in this one they were just awful. Sort of meshed in to one large creature, they lost all semblance of their own personalities, thoughts and feelings, meaning all of the time spent developing them was a total waste. I wasn’t reading about the gentle and kind Ont, or the sarcastic and cynical Ania, or the brave and headstrong Dassit. I was reading about ‘those three’, and I think Barker did them such a disservice. Their chapter felt utterly useless, and only added to drawing out a story I felt was drawn out anyway.
While the land of Crua is certainly something special, I do not think this was the series for me. The world-building was fantastic, and this series oozes with imagination and whimsy, reminiscent of the darkness of old fairy tales. Even so, I did not at all enjoy its conclusion, the focus on style over substance, the lack of characterisation in favour of large-scale hive-minds, or the poor pacing throughout.
Overall, Heart of the Wyrdwood gets 3/5 stars, and the Forsaken trilogy as a whole also gets 3/5 stars.
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3
Heart of the Wyrdwood is the final book in the folkloric-inspired fantasy trilogy, the Forsaken, and one that I loved in parts, but unfortunately disliked in others.
As the finale to this series, what I wanted out of this book was an exciting, tense and emotional conclusion in which all loose ends were tied up and the characters reached a satisfying end to their arcs. While this certainly did answer all of my many questions, in creative and interesting ways, I can’t really say it achieved anything else I wanted to see.
While the final third of the book had some thrilling battle scenes and overall kept my interest, it wasn’t exactly the intense and unforgiving ending I expected. I felt that the final few chapters dragged on for far too long, and rather than building up to a high-octane finale it sort of just slowed to a standstill, running out of steam halfway through. This was exacerbated by just how slow the first two thirds of the book were, so much so that despite only taking five days to read this book I’ve mostly forgotten what happened at the beginning of it. I cannot call the conclusion particularity worth it either. I find the ending for our characters very anti-climactic, and not at all what any of them deserved. While the detailed links to the Gods and land of Crua is an interesting concept, I thought that far too much focus was placed on developing that aspect of the story rather than on developing character arcs or the overall ‘war’ plot point.
Furthermore, I found the way in which the majority of characters were treated was lacklustre and completely unsatisfying. Sorha is the one exception, and for this I am glad as she is certainly the best character in the series. Her redemption was written masterfully, and the way in which she unlearned her past nature was so engaging. She was the single best part of this book, and I am grateful we got to see so much of her. The same cannot be said for Cahan, who at one point long ago was the main character of this story, but has slowly been pushed to the wayside for other characters since the beginning of book two. Now, he is hardly even present in his own series, replaced with chapters that were completely unnecessary, i.e. Ont, Ania and Dassit’s. His ending is so abrupt and unsatisfying as we haven’t really seen the poor man since book one, and it feels like Barker ultimately forgot about him and just stuck him in the epilogue as a last-thought.
Even so, I don’t believe Cahan was truly as ruined as the aforementioned Ont, Ania and Dassit. Three of my favourite characters in book two, in this one they were just awful. Sort of meshed in to one large creature, they lost all semblance of their own personalities, thoughts and feelings, meaning all of the time spent developing them was a total waste. I wasn’t reading about the gentle and kind Ont, or the sarcastic and cynical Ania, or the brave and headstrong Dassit. I was reading about ‘those three’, and I think Barker did them such a disservice. Their chapter felt utterly useless, and only added to drawing out a story I felt was drawn out anyway.
While the land of Crua is certainly something special, I do not think this was the series for me. The world-building was fantastic, and this series oozes with imagination and whimsy, reminiscent of the darkness of old fairy tales. Even so, I did not at all enjoy its conclusion, the focus on style over substance, the lack of characterisation in favour of large-scale hive-minds, or the poor pacing throughout.
Overall, Heart of the Wyrdwood gets 3/5 stars, and the Forsaken trilogy as a whole also gets 3/5 stars.
thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3
August 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
I definitely should have read this book right after book 2 because I was very confused at the beginning of this. This world is completely out of the ordinary so it’s pretty much impossible to mentally wing it with this series. I do love his writing as usual, but after taking forever to get into the groove with this story I was starting to get annoyed with how underwhelming it felt compared to what I was expecting. I was expecting much more action since it’s the last book of the series and the very end battle scene seemed very abrupt. The antagonist’s death was also not what I wanted and I wish it was more fleshed out. I also had a hard time with Cahan being basically non existent in this book.
I did enjoy it all for the most part I was just expecting more. I also really enjoyed the outcome of Issofur’s life.
I definitely should have read this book right after book 2 because I was very confused at the beginning of this. This world is completely out of the ordinary so it’s pretty much impossible to mentally wing it with this series. I do love his writing as usual, but after taking forever to get into the groove with this story I was starting to get annoyed with how underwhelming it felt compared to what I was expecting. I was expecting much more action since it’s the last book of the series and the very end battle scene seemed very abrupt. The antagonist’s death was also not what I wanted and I wish it was more fleshed out. I also had a hard time with Cahan being basically non existent in this book.
I did enjoy it all for the most part I was just expecting more. I also really enjoyed the outcome of Issofur’s life.
August 5, 2025
Oh, man, RJ Barker is a new all time favourite author.
“The Forsaken Trilogy” is probably the most different dark high fantasy series I’ve ever read. While the first book is the slowest of them, it gives us enough information to make us think about what’s going to happen. The trilogy is not your usual one, we don’t have battles or lots of action, but it’s wonderful and beautiful and magical. The action is happening mostly in this big forest, full of strange creatures and hidden villages and people that live in the trees. These trees are huge, the author never tells us where they end, because they probably don’t.
RJ Barker doesn’t hold our hand while travelling through Wyrdwood, but everything is so easy to understand after you spend some pages with the characters.
I can’t say a lot about the trilogy, I really think everyone should read it and more than that, don’t give up after the first book. I promise, everything will be fine. You’ll understand it and you’re going to love everyone you’ll meet. While Cahan is the main character, the author warms my heart with the rest of his world. The character development is so well done, I was extremely impressed by what he did with Sorha, who became one of my all time favourites.
I think what makes “The Forsaken Trilogy” a perfect trilogy is how the author mixes up the people with the nature and religion. Throughout the whole trilogy, the most important aspect is human nature and community. The story is about people, love, friendship, nature, religion, animals, plants, gods, evil and everything that makes life better. The characters just want a good world. And they are willing to sacrifice everything they have and they are to make sure that good will win.
It shows us that we can’t be by our own, no matter how much we lie to ourselves. We need other people in order to survive and thrive. And we need nature around us to make life possible.
I cried throughout the last book so many times, it’s such a great way to end a trilogy. The twists and turns were so well done, I loved how everyone payed the price while smiling. I was so invested in Wyrdwood and I wish I could see what this huge forest could create.
I was left speechless and I can say that I would reread “The Forsaken Trilogy” just to meet Cahan and the other characters again.
“The Forsaken Trilogy” is probably the most different dark high fantasy series I’ve ever read. While the first book is the slowest of them, it gives us enough information to make us think about what’s going to happen. The trilogy is not your usual one, we don’t have battles or lots of action, but it’s wonderful and beautiful and magical. The action is happening mostly in this big forest, full of strange creatures and hidden villages and people that live in the trees. These trees are huge, the author never tells us where they end, because they probably don’t.
RJ Barker doesn’t hold our hand while travelling through Wyrdwood, but everything is so easy to understand after you spend some pages with the characters.
I can’t say a lot about the trilogy, I really think everyone should read it and more than that, don’t give up after the first book. I promise, everything will be fine. You’ll understand it and you’re going to love everyone you’ll meet. While Cahan is the main character, the author warms my heart with the rest of his world. The character development is so well done, I was extremely impressed by what he did with Sorha, who became one of my all time favourites.
I think what makes “The Forsaken Trilogy” a perfect trilogy is how the author mixes up the people with the nature and religion. Throughout the whole trilogy, the most important aspect is human nature and community. The story is about people, love, friendship, nature, religion, animals, plants, gods, evil and everything that makes life better. The characters just want a good world. And they are willing to sacrifice everything they have and they are to make sure that good will win.
It shows us that we can’t be by our own, no matter how much we lie to ourselves. We need other people in order to survive and thrive. And we need nature around us to make life possible.
I cried throughout the last book so many times, it’s such a great way to end a trilogy. The twists and turns were so well done, I loved how everyone payed the price while smiling. I was so invested in Wyrdwood and I wish I could see what this huge forest could create.
I was left speechless and I can say that I would reread “The Forsaken Trilogy” just to meet Cahan and the other characters again.
February 17, 2026
A mind-bending conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.
July 15, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
Heart of the Wyrdwood is the third and final book in the dark fantasy series Forsaken, written by R.J. Barker, and published by Orbit Books. An excellent final novel that puts the cherry on the top of a fantastic series; also the weirdest instalment, as Barker slowly embraces the nature of the Wyrdwood, while also gifting us some of the best characters' arcs, battling with the essence of the land itself, decomposing and rebuilding their identities while trying to recover Crua.
As much as the things scaled in Warlords of Wyrdwood, Heart takes the series to a next level: Zorir, the dark god, keeps Cahan as a trophy, with the Rai having to fight the same battle in his mind over and over; we continue following multiple characters alongside the Wyrdwood, travelling and discovering more secrets (and I can say that Barker still had some surprises under the sleeve), dealing with what the land throws to them. Some moments will be the equivalent to an acid-trip, but embracing the weirdness of this land, and how vast are the layers underneath is part of the experience.
I want to take a moment to talk about who became my favourite character of the series: Sorha; totally I hated her in the first book, and I wasn't really sure how to feel about her in the second (even if she redeemed a bit), but the change she experiences in this instalment is masterful. From fervent destructor to a force that can make good. In retrospective, it is really well-fleshed, with all the stones put in the path to finally drive her towards her destiny.
Most of the arcs are equally impressive, even if some have less narrative weight; Barker has real talent to make all of them meaningful, including those on the darker side (Saradis is on my top 3 characters of the trilogy).
In the second book, we got hints of what was under Crua and the land, but it is so satisfactory to finally put together all the pieces, understanding even the name of the series; Barker takes the opportunity to play with the prose, twisting concepts such as individuality, genre and existence, proving his skill as author.
The pacing is relatively slow, as in the rest of the series, but the journey through the Wyrdwood makes it worth.
Heart of the Wyrdwood is the cherry on the top of an excellent dark fantasy series, one that is not afraid to break molds, gifting us with unique approaches to many themes; a proof of how brilliant R.J. Barker is as a novelist. Can't wait for his next series!
Heart of the Wyrdwood is the third and final book in the dark fantasy series Forsaken, written by R.J. Barker, and published by Orbit Books. An excellent final novel that puts the cherry on the top of a fantastic series; also the weirdest instalment, as Barker slowly embraces the nature of the Wyrdwood, while also gifting us some of the best characters' arcs, battling with the essence of the land itself, decomposing and rebuilding their identities while trying to recover Crua.
As much as the things scaled in Warlords of Wyrdwood, Heart takes the series to a next level: Zorir, the dark god, keeps Cahan as a trophy, with the Rai having to fight the same battle in his mind over and over; we continue following multiple characters alongside the Wyrdwood, travelling and discovering more secrets (and I can say that Barker still had some surprises under the sleeve), dealing with what the land throws to them. Some moments will be the equivalent to an acid-trip, but embracing the weirdness of this land, and how vast are the layers underneath is part of the experience.
I want to take a moment to talk about who became my favourite character of the series: Sorha; totally I hated her in the first book, and I wasn't really sure how to feel about her in the second (even if she redeemed a bit), but the change she experiences in this instalment is masterful. From fervent destructor to a force that can make good. In retrospective, it is really well-fleshed, with all the stones put in the path to finally drive her towards her destiny.
Most of the arcs are equally impressive, even if some have less narrative weight; Barker has real talent to make all of them meaningful, including those on the darker side (Saradis is on my top 3 characters of the trilogy).
In the second book, we got hints of what was under Crua and the land, but it is so satisfactory to finally put together all the pieces, understanding even the name of the series; Barker takes the opportunity to play with the prose, twisting concepts such as individuality, genre and existence, proving his skill as author.
The pacing is relatively slow, as in the rest of the series, but the journey through the Wyrdwood makes it worth.
Heart of the Wyrdwood is the cherry on the top of an excellent dark fantasy series, one that is not afraid to break molds, gifting us with unique approaches to many themes; a proof of how brilliant R.J. Barker is as a novelist. Can't wait for his next series!
June 21, 2025
This third installment in The Forsaken trilogy is another excellent example of the brilliance of R.J. Barker! He creates wonderfully fantastic worlds and characters who struggle and battle with the very essence of life itself. His prose is exquisite and, although his stories are hopeful in tone, there is darkness in his writing that adds an extra level of entertainment and intrigue. I highly recommend reading anything by RJ Barker, but this story is something very special. Cahan du-Nahere is one of my favorite characters, in spite of some of his poor decisions in this series! He is also not the only outstanding character - Ont, Ania, Dassit, Venn, Sorha, Furin, Issofur, Tall Sera, and especially Udinny Pathfinder! Even the ‘bad guys’ are strong and fascinating characters - particularly Saradis, Vir, and Laha.
If you haven’t read The Forsaken trilogy, you should. Heart of the Wyrdwood is a wonderful conclusion to an excellent trilogy!! (Releases on June 24, 2025)
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC of this title.
If you haven’t read The Forsaken trilogy, you should. Heart of the Wyrdwood is a wonderful conclusion to an excellent trilogy!! (Releases on June 24, 2025)
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC of this title.
July 17, 2025
For those who have been eagerly awaiting book 3 of the Forsaken trilogy: Good news! Excellent final volume. Good work on Barker’s part wrapping everything up. It’s always hard writing a review of the last book in a series without spoilers, so apologies for this being irritatingly vague.
The scope of this trilogy came a long, long way from Cahan scraping out an existence on his farm - it’s honestly hard for me to recall how small-scale the books began. As much as things scaled up in book 2, they scaled up again at least as much in book 3.
Once again we have a shift in dominant POVs. This time around, the chief perspectives are those of Udinny, Venn, Dassit, and Sorha. We also get occasional glimpses of Saradis and, yes, Cahan, but those first four are definitely our chief protagonists.
Barker laid his groundwork carefully. Everything here built on what was learned about Crua in the first two books, but I will admit I did not expect the direction things were going to go. Barker took me completely by surprise, so well done.
The last 15% or so was very intense. I may have been hiding in various unused rooms at work today so I could finish up uninterrupted - thankfully things are quiet at work right now. And the ending felt well-earned. I have a ton of questions, and I do not expect Barker to ever answer them (if he even knows the answers), but the ending was nonetheless satisfying. All the major characters got the endings they deserved.
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The scope of this trilogy came a long, long way from Cahan scraping out an existence on his farm - it’s honestly hard for me to recall how small-scale the books began. As much as things scaled up in book 2, they scaled up again at least as much in book 3.
Once again we have a shift in dominant POVs. This time around, the chief perspectives are those of Udinny, Venn, Dassit, and Sorha. We also get occasional glimpses of Saradis and, yes, Cahan, but those first four are definitely our chief protagonists.
Barker laid his groundwork carefully. Everything here built on what was learned about Crua in the first two books, but I will admit I did not expect the direction things were going to go. Barker took me completely by surprise, so well done.
The last 15% or so was very intense. I may have been hiding in various unused rooms at work today so I could finish up uninterrupted - thankfully things are quiet at work right now. And the ending felt well-earned. I have a ton of questions, and I do not expect Barker to ever answer them (if he even knows the answers), but the ending was nonetheless satisfying. All the major characters got the endings they deserved.
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November 17, 2025
I was really excited for this one because I genuinely loved the first two books in this trilogy. And it's a good finale even though it gets really really weird, but I do like the kind of really really weird of this trilogy. Still, I fear this one is the weakest of the three books. And yes, I do think that it suffers greatly from Cahan being taken out of the story, even though it's understandable why he can't really be in it. But I love Cahan and was really invested in him, and one of my favourite relationships was his enemies-to-forced-allies-to-maybe-respected-friends dynamic with Sorha. So yeah, take both of this out and I just cared a little less. Sorha remains queen though, obviously.
Now, mind you that his absence for most of the story also means that other characters get their place in the sun. Venn has more agency than ever and I really enjoyed them. Udinny, also one of my favourites, goes through an... interesting development but she's still amazing. Honestly, it's the weirdness of all these characters that makes them wholly unique and I did enjoy following them all.
Still, at some point all of it was simply getting a little too much for me. Too many characters go through too many wacky developments, the gods take more center stage, bodies are swapped or changed all around, the pacing was at times simply too slow because the story had to account for all these characters but at the same time so much was happening. It's still fun and interesting, it just started feeling convoluted and messy at some point.
But the writing is great and engaging as always and it does give us a good conclusion. It definitely made me want to read more of the author's work, so all in all, absolutely a fantastic trilogy if you like your high fantasy just a bit weird. Which you should because it's awesome.
3 or 3,5 stars, somewhere inbetween probably.
Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!
Now, mind you that his absence for most of the story also means that other characters get their place in the sun. Venn has more agency than ever and I really enjoyed them. Udinny, also one of my favourites, goes through an... interesting development but she's still amazing. Honestly, it's the weirdness of all these characters that makes them wholly unique and I did enjoy following them all.
Still, at some point all of it was simply getting a little too much for me. Too many characters go through too many wacky developments, the gods take more center stage, bodies are swapped or changed all around, the pacing was at times simply too slow because the story had to account for all these characters but at the same time so much was happening. It's still fun and interesting, it just started feeling convoluted and messy at some point.
But the writing is great and engaging as always and it does give us a good conclusion. It definitely made me want to read more of the author's work, so all in all, absolutely a fantastic trilogy if you like your high fantasy just a bit weird. Which you should because it's awesome.
3 or 3,5 stars, somewhere inbetween probably.
Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!
July 15, 2025
2.5
I absolutely loved the first book. But the weirdness and slow pace of this last book didn’t work for me.
Much of the story felt like I was on a LSD trip.
The journeys of the main characters took a long time to get going so the total length of the book could’ve been shorter to make the experience better.
The last 25% had most of the action to wrap up the plot and I just didn’t really care by then. I’m so disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this more as I love Barker’s other series especially Wounded Kingdom.
This was too chaotic for me.
I absolutely loved the first book. But the weirdness and slow pace of this last book didn’t work for me.
Much of the story felt like I was on a LSD trip.
The journeys of the main characters took a long time to get going so the total length of the book could’ve been shorter to make the experience better.
The last 25% had most of the action to wrap up the plot and I just didn’t really care by then. I’m so disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this more as I love Barker’s other series especially Wounded Kingdom.
This was too chaotic for me.
July 4, 2025
Oh my god????? 😭
The marketing is working overtime trying to sell this as Boy Fantasy ™, and it literally isn't. Almost all of the characters are women or nonbinary, the handful of men that do exist are wet-cat pathetic, and its a way more empathetic, compassionate story than you'd expect from the kind of aggro cover. Cahan du Nahere would do numbers on booktok.
Big time Avatar the Last Airbender vibes. 5⭐️
The marketing is working overtime trying to sell this as Boy Fantasy ™, and it literally isn't. Almost all of the characters are women or nonbinary, the handful of men that do exist are wet-cat pathetic, and its a way more empathetic, compassionate story than you'd expect from the kind of aggro cover. Cahan du Nahere would do numbers on booktok.
Big time Avatar the Last Airbender vibes. 5⭐️
January 5, 2026
3,5 stars
Thank you to orbit and netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
TW/CW Violence | Person strung up | Captivity | Suggested Self-Harm | Death | Murder | War
Heart of the Wyrdwood is already the third and last installment in the world of Forsaken. We started this story with Cahan and Venn. I would have liked to have finished this story with them especially and I don't think I quite got that.
Cahan was the main character we met in the first book. A reluctant hero at that and not accepted by those he was living near. He wanted his peace and quiet but also could not not let others to their fate. He was a character I was immediately drawn to. At the end of book 2 he was taken into captivity. The way he was being kept meant that we got very little of book 3 in his last installment. I think I understand why the choice was made. It couldn't just be Cahan to save the world, it had to come from various people in their world. But taking away a beloved character in this way didn't feel right either. We followed his journey, his ups and downs through two books. To have him barely present in this third book felt off.
Venn was more present but considering his position and his power, I felt he was being underutilized. And there was to much not explained.
Having said that I did appreciate that the other characters had their own parts to play. I do think that outside of Cahan the story was wrapped up well. Realistically to a point. I loved getting to know more about the underground people that we first met in the second book. There was a lot to still love here.
I will say, if you are starting this series, please read the books back to back. There are so many characters and plot things that are important that the story is best enjoyed close together.
Thank you to orbit and netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
TW/CW Violence | Person strung up | Captivity | Suggested Self-Harm | Death | Murder | War
Heart of the Wyrdwood is already the third and last installment in the world of Forsaken. We started this story with Cahan and Venn. I would have liked to have finished this story with them especially and I don't think I quite got that.
Cahan was the main character we met in the first book. A reluctant hero at that and not accepted by those he was living near. He wanted his peace and quiet but also could not not let others to their fate. He was a character I was immediately drawn to. At the end of book 2 he was taken into captivity. The way he was being kept meant that we got very little of book 3 in his last installment. I think I understand why the choice was made. It couldn't just be Cahan to save the world, it had to come from various people in their world. But taking away a beloved character in this way didn't feel right either. We followed his journey, his ups and downs through two books. To have him barely present in this third book felt off.
Venn was more present but considering his position and his power, I felt he was being underutilized. And there was to much not explained.
Having said that I did appreciate that the other characters had their own parts to play. I do think that outside of Cahan the story was wrapped up well. Realistically to a point. I loved getting to know more about the underground people that we first met in the second book. There was a lot to still love here.
I will say, if you are starting this series, please read the books back to back. There are so many characters and plot things that are important that the story is best enjoyed close together.
June 24, 2025
With Cahan captured and presumed dead Saradis's victory is almost complete in her final push, she sends her armies to Jinnspire and Woodhome to wipe out the remaining resistance Meanwhile, Ranya has put Ont, Dassit, Ania, Sorha, Undinny, and Venn on their own paths. Paths that will see them become more and yet what they always were and while their powers grow and a strange god not god bestows upon them unfathomable gifts each of them questions whether they will be enough to save Crua.
The first part of this book was just incredibly hard to read. I ended up having to take a ridiculously long break from it to be able to finish it. Every challenge that each of our heroes face was a direct challenge to not just who they saw themselves as but a challenge to forgive themselves for what they had done. Or to forgive others. Or in Undinny's case to find herself trapped in a body that was not hers and one she felt not just uncomfortable in but one that was antithesis to *who* she actually was. This was such a wonderfully done and blatant nod to what it must feel like to be Transgender that to not mention it would be almost criminal.
But as I said in the review of book 2, it is Sorha that has my heart and soul both in the last book and this one. To call the changes she undergoes a "transformation" or even a "change of heart" would simply not do her justice. Sorha's introspection throughout this entire volume up until the end almost is painful, inspiring, wonderful, and I believe wholly embodies what it truly means to change. It is her story I struggled with the most, and her's is the ones that pushed me on even when it almost physically hurt. She is without a doubt one of my favorite characters of all time.
It's difficult to write this next part without any spoilers, but I'm going to try. A huge portion of this is finding out the history of Crua and how the gods, humans, The Wyrdwood, and Crua worked together to simply make Crua a better place. This reliance on and respect of each other is essentially the overall theme (and the gods know I hate that whole "theme" thing) of the series and it's a strong testament to our own ongoing issues with the impact humans have made upon our natural environments. While this is obviously a fantasy version of this, without this balance, without humans feeling a connection to the natural world which causes a complete and utter lack of respect we continue to destroy a part of our existence that we should be working with not against.
Honestly, this is hands down Barker's best book, not just of the series period. Heart of the Wyrdwood truly shows us just what an exceptional writer he truly is.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eArc!
The first part of this book was just incredibly hard to read. I ended up having to take a ridiculously long break from it to be able to finish it. Every challenge that each of our heroes face was a direct challenge to not just who they saw themselves as but a challenge to forgive themselves for what they had done. Or to forgive others. Or in Undinny's case to find herself trapped in a body that was not hers and one she felt not just uncomfortable in but one that was antithesis to *who* she actually was. This was such a wonderfully done and blatant nod to what it must feel like to be Transgender that to not mention it would be almost criminal.
But as I said in the review of book 2, it is Sorha that has my heart and soul both in the last book and this one. To call the changes she undergoes a "transformation" or even a "change of heart" would simply not do her justice. Sorha's introspection throughout this entire volume up until the end almost is painful, inspiring, wonderful, and I believe wholly embodies what it truly means to change. It is her story I struggled with the most, and her's is the ones that pushed me on even when it almost physically hurt. She is without a doubt one of my favorite characters of all time.
It's difficult to write this next part without any spoilers, but I'm going to try. A huge portion of this is finding out the history of Crua and how the gods, humans, The Wyrdwood, and Crua worked together to simply make Crua a better place. This reliance on and respect of each other is essentially the overall theme (and the gods know I hate that whole "theme" thing) of the series and it's a strong testament to our own ongoing issues with the impact humans have made upon our natural environments. While this is obviously a fantasy version of this, without this balance, without humans feeling a connection to the natural world which causes a complete and utter lack of respect we continue to destroy a part of our existence that we should be working with not against.
Honestly, this is hands down Barker's best book, not just of the series period. Heart of the Wyrdwood truly shows us just what an exceptional writer he truly is.
As always, thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eArc!
Want to read
March 12, 2025I absolutely love this cover art! The Tide Child trilogy is one of my favorites and I can't wait to try this series. RJ Barker is a criminally underrated fantasy author:)
July 1, 2025
In short, I’m conflicted. On one hand I enjoyed this one more than its predecessor, which is seemingly due to the lack of Cahan’s point of view.
But on the other hand, still feel disappointed at the lack of utilisation of to the extent that I’m questioning the inclusion as a whole. Despite Warlords of the Wyrdwood being a huge setup book, Heart of the Wyrdwood continues doing the same for over half of it.
The difference being in groupings here, when previously, it was more of a solo effort. Neither approach was a bad idea in my humble opinion, because it expanded the world last time and took that further here while working to wrap things up this time.
Is it totally satisfying? Everything was, with the exception of to the extent that it actually lowered the enjoyment for me a bit. Unlike the previous books, there is a bigger focus here on change. Many characters undergo it and many of them have brilliant development, especially but when it comes to the before mentioned, it’s a waste of pages.
I don’t enjoy calling something that, but there is not a single thing that would have been changed from the flow of the narrative if that existence was omitted in its entirety. Since even when I spend some time looking at the attempts, it all adds up to nothing. One of the most anticlimactic experiences I’ve had in a very long time and I’m unsure why add something, give it supposed importance and then do absolutely nothing that makes them truly indispensable.
It would have been easy to ignore completely if there wasn’t any focus on said effort to change, but there WAS, right between everything else that was happening, more than enough that it promises something felt before it just fizzles out.
Other than that, the book still ties up the loose ends to the best of what is possible given the situation that just keeps going from bad to worse at every chance there is. It’s an incredibly dense world, with many overlapping aspects to it and also required some extra effort from my side to get more immersed in it.
But once I did, I do believe that it was time well spent even if it’s not my favourite of the author’s trilogies, his The Tide Child is hard to beat. I do hope he keeps the changing point of view in his next works, being able to see different aspects as everything comes together still was my most enjoyed parts of it.
Final rating: 3.5/5
But on the other hand, still feel disappointed at the lack of utilisation of to the extent that I’m questioning the inclusion as a whole. Despite Warlords of the Wyrdwood being a huge setup book, Heart of the Wyrdwood continues doing the same for over half of it.
The difference being in groupings here, when previously, it was more of a solo effort. Neither approach was a bad idea in my humble opinion, because it expanded the world last time and took that further here while working to wrap things up this time.
Is it totally satisfying? Everything was, with the exception of to the extent that it actually lowered the enjoyment for me a bit. Unlike the previous books, there is a bigger focus here on change. Many characters undergo it and many of them have brilliant development, especially but when it comes to the before mentioned, it’s a waste of pages.
I don’t enjoy calling something that, but there is not a single thing that would have been changed from the flow of the narrative if that existence was omitted in its entirety. Since even when I spend some time looking at the attempts, it all adds up to nothing. One of the most anticlimactic experiences I’ve had in a very long time and I’m unsure why add something, give it supposed importance and then do absolutely nothing that makes them truly indispensable.
It would have been easy to ignore completely if there wasn’t any focus on said effort to change, but there WAS, right between everything else that was happening, more than enough that it promises something felt before it just fizzles out.
Other than that, the book still ties up the loose ends to the best of what is possible given the situation that just keeps going from bad to worse at every chance there is. It’s an incredibly dense world, with many overlapping aspects to it and also required some extra effort from my side to get more immersed in it.
But once I did, I do believe that it was time well spent even if it’s not my favourite of the author’s trilogies, his The Tide Child is hard to beat. I do hope he keeps the changing point of view in his next works, being able to see different aspects as everything comes together still was my most enjoyed parts of it.
Final rating: 3.5/5
November 14, 2025
8,5 It feels wrong giving a book by one of my favorite modern fantasy authors 'only' four stars, but while in some aspects this book is head and shoulders above the rest of the field, I thought in other aspects the imagination of the author outpaced the possibilities of the story. Let me reiterate that Barker is a rising star in the fantasy field and (in my opinion) so far criminally underrated. His novels are true epic fantasy (and epic is the right term to use) set in secondary worlds, with characters coming together to face a threat that promises to end their way of life. But he adds a welcome dose of the weird. This is not true 'new weird' a la Mieville, but comes close, with these secondary worlds no pseudo medieval Europa-stand ins, but really strange places, ruled by their own laws and inhabited by strange life forms. This trilogy has for example a world of forest, with cloud trees towering over the landscape and squid like beings hunting between the branches. Here there are no roads, but people travel by airships and magic is conveyed by 'cowls' - a fungus-like infection conveying powers. It's complicated but fits together - this book even adding a bit of science fiction to the mix, that made me grin in appreciation.
Then there are the characters. Not since reading the novels by William Horwood have I found an author that made me feel with his characters in this way, often making my eyes moisten (which is a rare occurrence). He manages to capture the inner lifes of his characters in a way that makes me identify with them and their struggles and he writes about themes that I find emotional: people overcoming their feelings of guilt and fear, learning to accept themselves and former enemies learning to see each other as individuals and forming tentative relationships. Also, even if I don't know if the author has any religious affilliation (and his novels are certainly not christian in any sense), I find he manages to write more convincingly about spirituality than even christian authors - as he manages to capture a sense of the sublime, and the way spiritual powers are different than humans. But he also captures the moral dimension of belief - it's not about making ones life easier, but about doing the right thing, even if that is hard. Barker conveys the calling that comes with encountering a larger reality and the cost for human being to answer that call, to strive to change, to let go of hatred, to let go of selfishness. In that way I find my own faith reflected in these pages.
The only thing that made me not give five stars to this novel is the very, very large scale of the world - first I had a pretty hard time getting involved due to the amount of view point characters that I had to catch up with (the chapters were pretty short so I did not get time to connect with one before switching to another). But finally I was absorbed in the novel, empathizing with every characters, and then their adventures became hard to follow. The events began to feel like 'deus ex machina', machinations to get the characters to several locations and then to bring them together in a battle that was so abstract it didn't really engender an emotional reaction in me. I felt like this series could have done with a fourth installment to really bring the vision of the author to fruition. Still, even if I was not as engaged with the ending as I hoped to be, just for the scale of the imagination of the author and his stellar work with the characters, I can recommend this to any reader of fantasy, especially those who like their secondery worlds weird and wonderfull.
Then there are the characters. Not since reading the novels by William Horwood have I found an author that made me feel with his characters in this way, often making my eyes moisten (which is a rare occurrence). He manages to capture the inner lifes of his characters in a way that makes me identify with them and their struggles and he writes about themes that I find emotional: people overcoming their feelings of guilt and fear, learning to accept themselves and former enemies learning to see each other as individuals and forming tentative relationships. Also, even if I don't know if the author has any religious affilliation (and his novels are certainly not christian in any sense), I find he manages to write more convincingly about spirituality than even christian authors - as he manages to capture a sense of the sublime, and the way spiritual powers are different than humans. But he also captures the moral dimension of belief - it's not about making ones life easier, but about doing the right thing, even if that is hard. Barker conveys the calling that comes with encountering a larger reality and the cost for human being to answer that call, to strive to change, to let go of hatred, to let go of selfishness. In that way I find my own faith reflected in these pages.
The only thing that made me not give five stars to this novel is the very, very large scale of the world - first I had a pretty hard time getting involved due to the amount of view point characters that I had to catch up with (the chapters were pretty short so I did not get time to connect with one before switching to another). But finally I was absorbed in the novel, empathizing with every characters, and then their adventures became hard to follow. The events began to feel like 'deus ex machina', machinations to get the characters to several locations and then to bring them together in a battle that was so abstract it didn't really engender an emotional reaction in me. I felt like this series could have done with a fourth installment to really bring the vision of the author to fruition. Still, even if I was not as engaged with the ending as I hoped to be, just for the scale of the imagination of the author and his stellar work with the characters, I can recommend this to any reader of fantasy, especially those who like their secondery worlds weird and wonderfull.
December 21, 2025
I wanted to love this. I really did. Barker’s world is still strange, organic, and brimming with ideas that should workbut this installment is, unfortunately, the weakest in the series.
The book opens with seven chapters from seven different POVs, and in a story that’s already deeply weird and intentionally disorienting, this choice feels actively hostile to the reader. Instead of intrigue, it creates confusion. I spent far too long trying to work out who mattered, where I was, and why I should care and momentum then never fully recovers.
There are simply too many “main” characters, and the result is predictable, underdeveloped arcs across the board. Characters who should feel vital instead feel half sketched, as if the narrative keeps promising emotional payoff but never has the space to deliver it.
Udinny, in particular, is baffling. I genuinely don’t understand the creative decision behind how this character is portrayed.
The atmosphere is still unmistakably Barker. But The Heart of the Wyrdwood feels unfocused, overcrowded, and strangely distant to earlier entries.
Disappointed
The book opens with seven chapters from seven different POVs, and in a story that’s already deeply weird and intentionally disorienting, this choice feels actively hostile to the reader. Instead of intrigue, it creates confusion. I spent far too long trying to work out who mattered, where I was, and why I should care and momentum then never fully recovers.
There are simply too many “main” characters, and the result is predictable, underdeveloped arcs across the board. Characters who should feel vital instead feel half sketched, as if the narrative keeps promising emotional payoff but never has the space to deliver it.
Udinny, in particular, is baffling. I genuinely don’t understand the creative decision behind how this character is portrayed.
The atmosphere is still unmistakably Barker. But The Heart of the Wyrdwood feels unfocused, overcrowded, and strangely distant to earlier entries.
Disappointed
December 15, 2025
This trilogy solidifies RJ Barker as one of my favourite contemporary fantasy authors. I’ve read everything he’s put out, and am continually blown away by his ability to write emotionally resonant stories that smartly sidestep some of the current pitfalls of the genre. That is to say, he deftly avoids a lot of the tropes and and trends of the day, whilst writing inclusive and propulsive page turners. This trilogy is no exception, once more demonstrating RJ’s ability to create unique worlds inhabited by complex characters. At this point I think the author is incapable of writing a bad book!
December 7, 2025
This book does something crazy and special, yet not sure what I think about it. On one hand the development is so good, but the story doesn't really lean into or commit to it as much as I would have liked it to. It also made me realise I want longer endings. A few pages after the climax is too sudden.
August 6, 2025
There are so many excellent ideas in this series, I just wish I had liked the execution a bit more.
This is a world, and plot focused book. I don't really define myself as someone who always needs strong characters, but in this case I guess I am. I failed to connect to nearly the entire cast, and as a result I had a hard time caring about their fight against a corrupted world. A few people went through some pretty incredibly arcs, but something was just missing for me. They pretty much just travel from place to place without fully knowing why, and shout "Go!" at each other a lot. The characters and relationships that I did like were nearly non-existent for this entire final book. It's a bold move to put your "main" character on the back-burner, and while I can appreciate the risk, I'm not sure it paid off.
There was a reveal about 2/3rds of the way through the novel that had me shut my book and go "OH." Then I reread that chapter two more times. I really thought that was going to be the turning point in my enjoyment because it was so cool. Unfortunately, the explanations and ultimate conclusion to the plot were more nebulous and confusing than I prefer. If you are someone who doesn't care if the magic/science gets vague and hand-wavey, then maybe this is worth a try. I just found it to be pretty disappointing.
Overall, this is a decent series with really great ideas, by a pretty underhyped author. If you tend to love bleak settings, unique takes on culture and gender identity, truly alien plants and animals, and save-the-world-from-an-evil-god style plots, this may be worth your time.
This is a world, and plot focused book. I don't really define myself as someone who always needs strong characters, but in this case I guess I am. I failed to connect to nearly the entire cast, and as a result I had a hard time caring about their fight against a corrupted world. A few people went through some pretty incredibly arcs, but something was just missing for me. They pretty much just travel from place to place without fully knowing why, and shout "Go!" at each other a lot. The characters and relationships that I did like were nearly non-existent for this entire final book. It's a bold move to put your "main" character on the back-burner, and while I can appreciate the risk, I'm not sure it paid off.
There was a reveal about 2/3rds of the way through the novel that had me shut my book and go "OH." Then I reread that chapter two more times. I really thought that was going to be the turning point in my enjoyment because it was so cool. Unfortunately, the explanations and ultimate conclusion to the plot were more nebulous and confusing than I prefer. If you are someone who doesn't care if the magic/science gets vague and hand-wavey, then maybe this is worth a try. I just found it to be pretty disappointing.
Overall, this is a decent series with really great ideas, by a pretty underhyped author. If you tend to love bleak settings, unique takes on culture and gender identity, truly alien plants and animals, and save-the-world-from-an-evil-god style plots, this may be worth your time.
December 31, 2025
I loved the world building that the author created. The fact that he designed an entire ecosystem where there is rain but no bodies of water such as rivers or lakes exist was amazing. The magic system that he created was very unique. What I didn’t like was the unrelenting cruelty and violence of the people and culture. As I get older, I am finding that bleak and grim fantasy worlds make it hard for me to read, even in an ending where good prevails over evil. I also found it a bit too metaphysical for my tastes with key characters being dead and yet able to shape events as a spirit or being reborn in another body human or not.
August 12, 2025
4.5⭐️
This series had me in a chokehold. I finished this in a car ride and spent time just staring out the window after processing the layers of this story. A lot to love for me personally - a unique world, characters I loved, and the whole story ending up showing us the rebirth of these characters and Sorha being new to the story this time. Speaking of it, Sorha was my favorite character next to Cahan of course.
This series had me in a chokehold. I finished this in a car ride and spent time just staring out the window after processing the layers of this story. A lot to love for me personally - a unique world, characters I loved, and the whole story ending up showing us the rebirth of these characters and Sorha being new to the story this time. Speaking of it, Sorha was my favorite character next to Cahan of course.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2026
This series was fantastic. I have enjoyed every book in the trilogy and the ending of the third installment was unexpected, gripping and thoroughly entertaining.
The thing that turns this unique story idea into a fantasty (if that is exactly what it is) masterpiece is Barkers world building.
I have already suggested this series to many people, now that I have finished Heart of The Wyrdwood, I will double my efforts.
The thing that turns this unique story idea into a fantasty (if that is exactly what it is) masterpiece is Barkers world building.
I have already suggested this series to many people, now that I have finished Heart of The Wyrdwood, I will double my efforts.
October 16, 2025
5+ stars for the worldbuilding of the series.
But the previous two volumes necessitated Barker to include a lot of the "metaphysical" to wrap things up properly. Which was too much for me. So only 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
But still, the worldbuilding kept me going, and I can't praise the imagination behind it and it's execution enough.
But the previous two volumes necessitated Barker to include a lot of the "metaphysical" to wrap things up properly. Which was too much for me. So only 3.5 or 4 out of 5.
But still, the worldbuilding kept me going, and I can't praise the imagination behind it and it's execution enough.
January 26, 2026
Genuinely amazing worldbuilding leads to a truly epic finale. R.J Barker is truly shockingly good at creating unique worlds.
December 23, 2025
3.75 rounded up to 4
Did I get an unedited galley by some accident? Barker's writing, replete with fragments and subject-object mismatch, was driving me to distraction.
The ending felt rushed, the world got a bit weird, I found it hard to keep track of where everyone was (and who) (although that could be because I was reading this with breaks while traveling). The other two books seemed more rewarding than this, which was glaringly frustrating in many bits. That said, the story is solid!
Did I get an unedited galley by some accident? Barker's writing, replete with fragments and subject-object mismatch, was driving me to distraction.
The ending felt rushed, the world got a bit weird, I found it hard to keep track of where everyone was (and who) (although that could be because I was reading this with breaks while traveling). The other two books seemed more rewarding than this, which was glaringly frustrating in many bits. That said, the story is solid!
November 1, 2025
they say you either read a book in 3 days or in 3 months - unfortunately too true for this book. 4.5 stars rounded up
since it was an ARC, i read this on kindle over multiple plane rides idek why i didn't just sit down and finish it but here we are.
prose was phenomenal as usual. the descriptions of eldritch horrors arising from greenery and forestry and the sheer power of nature seeps out onto the pages to make you shudder at what the characters are going through. throughout this series, though, it really feels like character work in the main driving force here instead of the plot. the setup was so interesting but the ending left a little to be desired.
cahan: our main character who's been through hell and back takes a backseat here. he's fighting with the god who's trapped him and is in his own mental prison.
venn: there are sometimes when a character takes their pacifism too far but they've grown so much since book 1 it really is wild how venn has matured. i do forget their age, perhaps a teenager? the way they're so constant and a nice, steady presence was comforting.
udinny: my girl. trapped in the body of some guy yet she always walks the path of ranya. i loved her chapters she was just too funny. and her relationship with tanhir was peak. i do wish everyone got more moments at the end but it's fine.
sorha: ok she is actually MY GIRL. favorite arc in this series, favorite character perhaps? it's so wild how barker always has character like sorha who has such a 180 and you think it might be impossible to pull off but he does it anyway and it is SO satisfying.
ont/ania/dassit: no reason i'm putting all 3 together. such different personalities but they fit surprisingly well together. ont is just ont obviously. but ania and dassit bounce off each other and there's one moment where i was in pure shock and awe of dassit's willpower for ania.
saradis: no but i love a good villain. i mean tbf she just wanted to cleanse the world and let everyone walk the star path. a little suffering in this world meant nothing if everyone could be free and painless in the above!
others: wish we'd got more of furin she actually is THE best leader even if life does its absolute best to wear her down. and yes i'm talking about issofur. what a nice moment with them at the very end! there's vir too bc let me tell you i was not expecting his strange evil partnership with saradis to be so endearing. add in laha and it's some wacky trio but it was just very appealing. so good job to barker for writing these fascinating relationships. and frina the osere who was so very tired at doing her job keeping back the gods, but persevered nonetheless. i need barker to tell us about sorha and frina bc that relationship is so good i hope i read that romantic. and then the reborn! why did we only learn they were wives at the end of book 3 ugh. i always loved how they came to aid time and time again, how they were so relentless in their drive. and i'm glad they were able to speak to each other one last time. nahac too had her moment though that's spoiler-y. tall sera i'm adding bc i feel like i've waxed poetic about him in the past 2 books only for it not to matter that much BUT i enjoy a good forest leader bowman type.
one thing at the end was so fun and it was all these enemies meeting again at the very end for one last hurrah. saradis and venn, mother and child. it'd be nice to get her perspective too for her guilt and love but i suppose she's so far gone with her god she never saw her own child's suffering. and then there was vir vs dassit, old partners. he who was fast and she who was strong. and he might've been better than her but she was now changed and held the power of wyrdwood. and lastly, laha vs sorha bc that could've been sorha's fate. the series is all about change and she did that, she survived and kept surviving and became an entirely new person. laha changed too but he let it warp and corrupt him into being just a tool for a god.
my only complaint was that everything was like a rush at the end and then tied up so fast i was like it's over?? give me that cahan/furin angst. give me that frina/sorha relationship development. give me that venn post musings. i genuinely thought this nahac/cahan drama would spiral into an evil sibling boss fight but ofc barker went a different route. sure i wanted more battle and turmoil but maybe that wasn't the path the story was supposed to take. ok and sue me but i never once understood the politics of the spires or the north vs the south thing. i don't think i fully got it in book 1 but we kept rolling and so i just went along with the ride. that probably impacted my reading experience oops.
honestly it was so different than barker's other series. i loved the world he created for it, though. the woods and the ancient powers and the war of the gods and the bluevein and the animals and creatures that inhabited every crook and cranny. it was atmospheric. he also usually has a bunch of characters but he's never once had different povs or so many paths in their own mini arc and that was so refreshing. i loved every POV and always enjoyed being in everybody's head. i still prefer tide child and wounded kingdom trilogies but ofc this was still a great series for sure.
since it was an ARC, i read this on kindle over multiple plane rides idek why i didn't just sit down and finish it but here we are.
prose was phenomenal as usual. the descriptions of eldritch horrors arising from greenery and forestry and the sheer power of nature seeps out onto the pages to make you shudder at what the characters are going through. throughout this series, though, it really feels like character work in the main driving force here instead of the plot. the setup was so interesting but the ending left a little to be desired.
cahan: our main character who's been through hell and back takes a backseat here. he's fighting with the god who's trapped him and is in his own mental prison.
venn: there are sometimes when a character takes their pacifism too far but they've grown so much since book 1 it really is wild how venn has matured. i do forget their age, perhaps a teenager? the way they're so constant and a nice, steady presence was comforting.
udinny: my girl. trapped in the body of some guy yet she always walks the path of ranya. i loved her chapters she was just too funny. and her relationship with tanhir was peak. i do wish everyone got more moments at the end but it's fine.
sorha: ok she is actually MY GIRL. favorite arc in this series, favorite character perhaps? it's so wild how barker always has character like sorha who has such a 180 and you think it might be impossible to pull off but he does it anyway and it is SO satisfying.
ont/ania/dassit: no reason i'm putting all 3 together. such different personalities but they fit surprisingly well together. ont is just ont obviously. but ania and dassit bounce off each other and there's one moment where i was in pure shock and awe of dassit's willpower for ania.
saradis: no but i love a good villain. i mean tbf she just wanted to cleanse the world and let everyone walk the star path. a little suffering in this world meant nothing if everyone could be free and painless in the above!
others: wish we'd got more of furin she actually is THE best leader even if life does its absolute best to wear her down. and yes i'm talking about issofur. what a nice moment with them at the very end! there's vir too bc let me tell you i was not expecting his strange evil partnership with saradis to be so endearing. add in laha and it's some wacky trio but it was just very appealing. so good job to barker for writing these fascinating relationships. and frina the osere who was so very tired at doing her job keeping back the gods, but persevered nonetheless. i need barker to tell us about sorha and frina bc that relationship is so good i hope i read that romantic. and then the reborn! why did we only learn they were wives at the end of book 3 ugh. i always loved how they came to aid time and time again, how they were so relentless in their drive. and i'm glad they were able to speak to each other one last time. nahac too had her moment though that's spoiler-y. tall sera i'm adding bc i feel like i've waxed poetic about him in the past 2 books only for it not to matter that much BUT i enjoy a good forest leader bowman type.
one thing at the end was so fun and it was all these enemies meeting again at the very end for one last hurrah. saradis and venn, mother and child. it'd be nice to get her perspective too for her guilt and love but i suppose she's so far gone with her god she never saw her own child's suffering. and then there was vir vs dassit, old partners. he who was fast and she who was strong. and he might've been better than her but she was now changed and held the power of wyrdwood. and lastly, laha vs sorha bc that could've been sorha's fate. the series is all about change and she did that, she survived and kept surviving and became an entirely new person. laha changed too but he let it warp and corrupt him into being just a tool for a god.
my only complaint was that everything was like a rush at the end and then tied up so fast i was like it's over?? give me that cahan/furin angst. give me that frina/sorha relationship development. give me that venn post musings. i genuinely thought this nahac/cahan drama would spiral into an evil sibling boss fight but ofc barker went a different route. sure i wanted more battle and turmoil but maybe that wasn't the path the story was supposed to take. ok and sue me but i never once understood the politics of the spires or the north vs the south thing. i don't think i fully got it in book 1 but we kept rolling and so i just went along with the ride. that probably impacted my reading experience oops.
honestly it was so different than barker's other series. i loved the world he created for it, though. the woods and the ancient powers and the war of the gods and the bluevein and the animals and creatures that inhabited every crook and cranny. it was atmospheric. he also usually has a bunch of characters but he's never once had different povs or so many paths in their own mini arc and that was so refreshing. i loved every POV and always enjoyed being in everybody's head. i still prefer tide child and wounded kingdom trilogies but ofc this was still a great series for sure.
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