A Forest, Darkly

Sourdough Universe

by A.G. Slatter

A page-turning dark fantasy of witches, twisted magic, changelings and the sins that bind. Set in the award-winning author's acclaimed universe, this immersive story is perfect for fans of Ava Reid, Hannah Whitten and Lucy Holland.

Deep in the forest lives Mehrab the witch, coping with loneliness in her own strange ways and quietly battling her demons. One evening, a young woman appears on her doorstep seeking shelter, pursued by godhounds who wish to destroy all those practising magic, and Mehrab's solitary existence is disrupted as she teaches the girl how to control her powers. Together they forge a cure for their isolation with heartbreaking consequences...

Meanwhile, in the local village, children begin to disappear, sometimes returning forever changed – or not returning at all. Sinister offerings appear on Mehrab's doorstep, and a dark power pursues her through the trees. As the villagers turn hostile and the godhounds close in, Mehrab finds herself at the centre of a struggle to save the soul of the forest, the life of an old love – and her own new-formed family.

A bewitching gothic tale; haunting, gripping and written with wit and heart, this is a book to both savour and devour.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Gothic, Witches, Fiction, Magic, Audiobook

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 10, 2026

About the author

AKA Angela Slatter

Angela Slatter is the author of All The Murmuring Bones (Titan Books, purchase links below). That will be followed by The Path of Thorns in 2022. Both are gothic fantasies set in the world of the Sourdough and Bitterwood collections.

In February 2021, Tartarus Press published The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales, the third mosaic collection in the Sourdough world series. In March 2022, The Bone Lantern (a novella set in the Sourdough world) will be published by Absinthe Press (an imprint of PS Publishing).

Angela is also the author of the supernatural crime novels from Jo Fletcher Books/Hachette International: Vigil (2016), Corpselight (2017) and Restoration (2018), as well as ten other short story collections, including The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales, Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, A Feast of Sorrows: Stories, and The Heart is a Mirror for Sinners and Other Stories. Vigil was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award in 2018.

Angela is represented by Meg Davis of the Ki Agency in London: meg@ki-agency.co.uk

She has won a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, a Ditmar, two Australian Shadows Awards and seven Aurealis Awards.

Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Chinese, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, French and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories (“Finnegan’s Field”).

She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth. She has been awarded career development funding by Arts Queensland, the Copyright Agency and, in 2017/18, an Australia Council for the Arts grant. She teaches for the Australian Writers’ Centre.

She is also the author of the novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (Tor.com) and Ripper (in Horrorology: The Lexicon of Fear).

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many books with witches living on the edge of a dangerous wood have you read? Probably many, and even if you haven’t, maybe from just looking at blurbs you already know what to expect. The witch is maybe young or young-looking, and very pretty, and there’s usually a “witch hunter” or a demon or a shapeshifter that’s prohibitively hot and sassy and is after her for the same reason cats go after mice.

Gone are the days of the witch in Hänsel and Gretel. And I, for one, find that replacing one fairy tale trope for another modern fairy tale trope that’s not even part of the traditional lore isn’t my idea of improvement.

So when I do pick up a book with a witch protagonist, it must have something worthwhile to offer. In the case of this book, the blurb wasn’t selling me anything out of the ordinary, I took it up on A. G. Slatter’s name alone.

I’ve said this before: the author reminds me of another Angela for how she writes and weaves fairy tales and folklore into her stories in a way that makes them read both familiar and different at the same time, very immersive and atmospheric. That was my impression when I first found her work in an anthology years ago, by now she’s had enough experience and has polished her own style to be different to Angela Carter’s. Some similarities remain, and I’m glad for it, but Slatter is her own distinct flavour of fairy teller.

What does A Forest Darkly offer that’s different to the legion of witch-in-a-dark-wood stories out there? Oh, the answer is easy: Mehrab.

More in my release day review here.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Me, My Shelf, & I · Rating 5 out of 5]

AG Slatter gets it. I read this book last month and I'm still finding myself randomly thinking about it (affectionate). These are exactly the witchy vibes I want when I pick up a witch book.

This was a beautiful story about resilience and independent women forming a life in a world not shaped for them, surrounded by a foreboding forest filled with ghouls lurking just beyond the borders, waiting for you to slip up just once so they can grab hold of you.

As ever, AG Slatter's prose is gothic and evocative and hauntingly beautiful. New life and harvest alongside death and decay. The fog has tendrils but the hearth is warm. It slots neatly into the Sourdough Universe and makes vague allusions to events and characters in other books, but is wholly a standalone in this world of witches and trickster beings of the forest.

e-book notes:
I feel like I give every book in this universe that I eyeball read 5/5 stars, but less so for those I first read via audiobook. So even though I'm very much an audiobook reader at this point in my life, something about AG Slatter just seems to hit different when read physically. I'll probably skip the audio when it comes out and definitely recommend picking her books up to eyeball read, if you can.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent dark fantasy and I adored everything about it. It focuses on a menopausal witch who takes no shit and the young witch she takes into her home. It’s filled with magic and emotion and wit and many pieces of ancient folklore and it all blends so well. I highly recommend it.

[lookmairead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m feeling emotionally fragile with the news lately. You too? 👀 It’s been harder to focus and read for joy/escapism.

Fun fact– the four times characters asked if another character was okay, none of them were their last words or were brutally murdered. Life is weirder than fiction. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Let me refocus. Because even though our grumpy, no nonsense FMC witch, Mehrab, would agree (and she’s seen some crazy & dark ish in the forest)– I don’t want to take away from Slatter’s latest installment in the Sourdough Universe.

Turning to my comfort authors feels like a solid strategy. Slatter knows how to hold my attention and heart.

3 Reasons to Read:

- You like your FMC’s to be older (but just as feisty), found family & second (third 👀🤞) chance romances

- You loved the folk lore in Greenteeth (Molly O’Neill) & you liked the world building in The Drowned Woods (Emily Lloyd-Jones)

- You can handle bittersweet endings (that will make you ponder what Slatter will dream up next in this world and how they are connected).

Another solid win in my TBR book-

I’m not exactly sure if there is a recommended order to read these books. They stand on their own, 100%- but you’ll find nerdy joy connecting them as you read more in the collection.

I am delighted to receive this ARC- Thank you Netgalley & Titan Books. Book is out 10 Feb 2026!

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Basia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading, as well as listening to, AG Slatter’s A Forest, Darkly was a pure delight. Her prose is mesmerizing, and the story that it so expertly evoked is so like the fairytales my Grandma told me when I was little, that it’s no surprise I fell in love with the book from the very first pages.

In fact, I enjoyed the story and storytelling so much, that I very quickly came to slow down my reading (and listening) pace. I was determined to extend my stay in this witchy, mysterious, and dark place for just a little bit longer...

Slatter’s writing is magical. She expertly created characters with real depth, as well as interesting histories, and personalities.

And this setting for the story! It’s that lovely witch’s cabin in the frightful forest, just outside of town-kind of story setting. A perfect setup, where so much can happen, in the right author’s capable hands. AG Slatter’s hands definitely qualify!

What a wonderful, beautiful fairytale.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves to return to that feeling we used to get, the first time we heard of the Little Red Riding Hood, for example, or about Cinderella and her lost magical slipper. 🧚

Incredibly, this is my first time reading anything by this author. Now that I’ve found her, I can’t wait to read more.

In fact, I’m super fortunate to have received her upcoming Sourdough Compendium (!!), scheduled for publication on June 2, 2026. It’s a collection of 3 of her short story publications, all of the stories taking place in her Sourdough universe, which is where A Forest, Darkly took place.

I’m SO looking forward to reading and reviewing it!

Narrator Zigi Ellison is SUPERB in A Forest, Darkly. Her performance is so magnificent that I would be remiss if I did not call attention to her work.

She is an award-winning British voice actress and actress. She has a stunning and well known voice that’s deep, chocolatey, and sing-song, or—as DamnGoodVoices.com put it—“Zigi has a lovely deep, inviting sound with an authoritative and knowledgeable tone.”

She can be heard in a growing number of video games, audiobooks and commercials, and has worked in acting, as well.

Her voice IS gorgeous, and with AG Slatter’s magical prose…what a serendipitous combination.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of newly conceived fairytales, and for fans of books with a (female) MC that’s fiercely independent and realistic, kind of ostracized, funny, middle-aged, and who also sometimes works as a helpful healing witch. :)

Happy reading, everyone!

[Tammy - Books, Bones & Buffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nitty-gritty: A witchy, feminist fairy tale told with dazzling style and wit, A Forest, Darkly is full of unique magic and irresistible characters.

It’s been several years since I read A.G. Slatter’s All the Murmuring Bones, and I can’t believe I waited so long to once again experience Slatter’s uniquely magical storytelling. A Forest, Darkly is set in the author’s Sourdough Universe, although you do not need to read any previous books to enjoy this one. This is a gorgeously written, magical story that seamlessly blends fairy tales, mythology, emotional moments, humor and tension, and even romance.

Mehrab is a witch who lives deep in the forest, just outside the village of Berhta’s Forge. In her fifties, Mehrab enjoys her mostly solitary life and uses her magic and potions to help the villagers with their various ailments. But one day her peaceful life is upended when her friend Fenna brings a young girl named Rhea to stay with her. Rhea is also a witch and can conjure fire, but she’s being pursued by god-hounds after an altercation with a royal suitor went sideways.

Mehrab isn’t keen on taking on a foster, but Rhea clearly needs her help, and so the two settle in, although at first their personalities clash. Rhea is headstrong and curious, and Mehrab insists on obedience. Although the townsfolk appreciate Mehrab’s talent for healing, there are some who would burn a witch at the stake given the chance, and Rhea must stay out of sight until the danger of being caught is past.

And then a child in the village disappears, and Mehrab is called upon to help find her. When more children vanish she realizes the disappearances might be connected to an entity in the forest who has been tracking her.

A Forest, Darkly is a fiercely feminist story and full of wonderful female characters. Mehrab is intelligent, resourceful and cares deeply for those she loves. She’s also a woman of a certain age who acknowledges her age but doesn’t want to be defined by it. Slatter’s short Author’s Note explains that she wanted to write about a woman going through menopause to show that life shouldn’t end because of it. Slatter touches on themes like motherhood, pregnancy and sex, all of which have affected Mehrab in one way or another throughout her life. Many of the female characters are witches with powers the men don’t possess, and Slatter perfectly captures the sense of sisterhood these women share. Lurking just beneath the surface, though, is the possibility of danger and death. Women with too much power are feared and must be dealt with.

Slatter mixes fairy tale elements with mythology in some fascinating ways. There are strong nods to Little Red Riding Hood, as well as mentions of mermaid lore and other mythologies. Forests and trees play an important part in the story, and it’s no accident that a tree dominates the cover. Not only is Mehrab protected by the forest—many villagers are afraid to enter it—but she honors an entity called the Green Woman whose likeness is carved into doorframes for even more protection. One of my favorite elements is when Mehrab shows Rhea how to create a "summer husband." I won’t go into detail because it’s such a unique part of the story and I don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s just say it involves a tree, magic and particular attention to, let’s just say, representing the male genitalia just right! Oh how I loved this subplot, which is full of not only humor, but so much unexpected angst and emotion. 

A sense of dread and danger permeates the story, as Mehrab is constantly trying to hide from villagers and the supernatural entities she finds in the forest. The missing children plot worked well, especially since it eventually leads to one of the more shocking twists. There are even elements bordering on horror, but don't let that scare you away. This is quite the layered story with a lot going on, but I loved every second of it, and Slatter is a genius at tying everything together at the end.

I also loved how emotional A Forest, Darkly is. There is a bit of romance between Mehrab and a blacksmith named Faolan, and Slatter gives us flashbacks into what happened between them in the past and how they are able to come together in the present. And I have to go back to the summer husband once more, because there’s a sort of love triangle going on with Mehrab, Rhea and the husband. To say things don’t end well with them is an understatement! This whole storyline is full of heartbreak, although I ultimately loved the way the author resolved things at the end.

I’ve barely scratched the surface—I haven’t even talked about half the characters, and so much more happens than what I’ve mentioned in this review. I loved the hopeful ending and the sense that Mehrab might be starting a new adventure. Grab this immediately, you won’t want to miss it!

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

[Azhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

glad i could revisit this world (absolutely immersive & oh so fascinating) but even more glad i can leave. same issues i find across the few of slatter’s works i’ve read shows its ugly face here too.


thanking netgalley & the publishers for the ARC.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This newest book from Angela Slatter features everything one should expect from a Sourdough book. It’s got a strong female lead (in this case Mehrab, a witch living alone in the forest until a young witch fleeing the godhounds is left in her care). A plot driven in large part by her flaws and baggage (she’s been hurt before, in multiple ways, as well as having made her own mistakes and had a long time to dwell on them). Creepy things happening (something stalking her through the forest, children disappearing). Gothic vibes.

What I’m struggling with here, as a reviewer, is a question of comparisons. This is pretty objectively a great book. The characters are compelling, the plot really drew me in, and the vibes are immaculate. If I were reading this book as my first experience of a new author I would be eager to get more.

But Angela Slatter is one of my favorite authors writing today, and so I *wasn’t* comparing it to the masses. I was comparing it to Angela Slatter, and this is my least favorite Angela Slatter. So it was disappointing to me.

My biggest specific complaint about the book is the godhounds. Without getting into spoilers, it was 100% necessary for them to be in the book, due to the young witch mentioned above. Their actual appearance, though, felt like an afterthought. Like Slatter went “oh right! I need to deal with the godhounds!” and shoved them into, and back out of, the story as quickly as possible.

But I want to emphasize that this is, by any objective measure, an excellent book. Harsh judgements for minor flaws are the price of being one of the best in the game, and I’ve seen plenty of others whose opinions I respect say this was their favorite Sourdough.

(obviously The Path of Thorns is the best)

(come @ me)

My blog.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

That night, I dream of women as cauldrons, of them remaking the world.

♥

The writing is beautiful!

[Tala (mrs.skywalker.reads) · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

i’m sooooo disappointed because this sounded like the exact kind of weird little book i would love: dark fairytale, creepy folklore, strange women, eerie forest... and don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere really is great. unfortunately, the actual story felt flat and weirdly superficial, building up very slowly only to end in five pages;

the characters made some very questionable decisions (not necessarily illogical, just very out of character), and there was way more sex and romance than i needed (ok, i need none, but i don’t mind as long as it’s well-written; here it had a very YA/romantasy vibe). and apparently every woman in the forest is beautiful XD

i did love the concept of a menopausal witch protagonist, though, and giving her a story that doesn’t treat this stage of life as the end of the world

[Susy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
Absolutely loved it. I love AG Slatter’s books so much, especially her Sourdough Universe books, auto-buy! The atmosphere is unsurpassed! Great characters. A story you really feel invested in. Just awesome.

Characters 10
Atmosphere 10
Writing Style 10
Premise 10
Plot 10
Pace 10
Length 10
Structure/Setup 10
Enjoyment/Engrossment 10

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I wanted in a gothic fairytale; dark, magical and atmospheric. The story follows a witch, Mehrab, who lives deep in the forest away from the local village. Witches are looked upon with some fear and uncertainty, but the villagers still seek her out when they need healing or help with matters such as infertility. Her solitary life is upended when a young, untrained witch named Rhea is brought to her for hiding and protection. On top of this new (unwanted) development, Mehrab is called upon when children start to go missing from the village. Some return but they are not the same and she feels something dark and evil is in the forest. The writing is so well done that you genuinely feel the panic and unease of walking in the forest and feeling that something is watching you... stalking you.
I also think this story hit a great note with me because of the main character Mehrab, who is described as an "older" woman with greying hair, aching joints and hot flashes. She likes living alone, doesn't put up with anyone's sh*t and knows her worth. As a 44-year-old perimenopausal woman I connected with her so much and the author notes that she herself is in that phase of life and that shaped the character. Regardless of your age, gender or what phase of the moon we're in, this is a fantastic book and I highly recommend.

[Jamedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

A Forest, Darkly is a Gothic fantasy novel set in the Sourdough universe, written by A.G. Slatter, published by Titan Books. A multidimensional story that blends together horror and fantasy elements, which also reexamines and dissects age-associated roles, particularly in the female case, a self-contained plot that builds over how the past is haunting its characters.

Mehrab is a witch living in the woods outside of a village, a place where wise women and witches have been looked down on; however, she tends to those who ask for help, even if she's the last resource they will come to. She has found her balance in life, but when Fenna arrives with a woman seeking shelter, Rhea, both reluctantly agree to work together (and especially, helping Rhea to learn how to control her powers). At the same time, the strange disappearances of children from the village alarm the locals, and Mehrab starts sensing something evil stirring in the woods, and that has noticed the presence of a witch in the forest.

Part of why this novel is so enjoyable can be ascribed to the character of Mehrab; while Slatter starts from the classical figure of the witch, it is refreshing how she uses it as a way to break stereotypes, especially regarding ageism, and how a single woman can find her own place in the world; and in part, Rhea is also playing a role in breaking those insidious female stereotypes. In general, you could call this a story that serves as an ode to female strength with well-fleshed characters at the center.

As tends to happen with stories set in the Sourdough universe, you can expect multiple twists on classical fairytales, introduced subtly but which are recognisable once you open the eyes. In terms of pacing, we have a nice balance from the start, putting the emphasis on developing the characters at the center of the conflict while the plot still advances in the background.

A Forest, Darkly is another excellent novel, part of the rich universe created by A.G. Slatter; if you are looking for a Gothic fantasy with strong female leads, Slatter is the author you should pick. Can't wait to continue reading more stories in this universe!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and especially Mehrab. I slowed my reading so I could savour this story. I’ve not read any other books by A.G. Slatter but I intend to.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mehrab the witch has lived on her own for a long time. She's irascible, and has done things she's not proud of. She also really likes her solitary life.

One evening, two people arrive on her doorstep: Fenna, a middle-aged woman who helps witches escape from godhounds, and Rhea, a young woman and witch. Though Mehrab has not fostered any other witches in a long time, Fenna eventually convinces Mehrab to take Rheo on.

So, Mehrab brings Rhea into her life, showing her how to do many things, including mundane tasks that this girl from a well-off family would not know how to do. In the process, both become quite fond of the other.

And if that were it, this would still be enjoyable. But this is an A.G. Slatter book, and darkness and horror are intrinsic to her narratives. In the nearby village, children begin to disappear. This isn't totally unusual, as everyone knows there are creatures in the forest who will kill the unwary, and a certain number of kids have died this way. Mehrab is enlisted to look for the girl, and she does so, reluctantly, but is surprised when the girl returns unexpectedly on her own. And an even younger child, son of a prominent man, goes missing, but is found outside his house very soon after.

In each case, the return is greeting with relief and happy tears, both of which transform to worry then fear as the children don't act like the well-behaved kids they were, each now breaking things, and forcing the adults around them to tiptoe around angry and even violent behaviour.

Mehrab believes something malevolent is at the heart of all this. She knows that there is something frightening deep within the forest, based on disturbing and scary encounters she's had.

The villagers begin turning on the witch they've relied on for a long time, and godhounds arrive, imperilling Mehrab and Rhea, in particular, but also the fragile resumption of a relationship Mehrab has with the village blacksmith.

Oooo, this was so good! Dark and eerie, and increasingly tense as the equilibrium Mehrab has cultivated in her solitary life is shaken not just by religious zealots, but also a very worrisome and dangerous presence that has resided in the forest for a long time.

Along with this is the interesting inclusion of other uncanny creatures, not there to necessarily help anyone, but whose own lives are also in danger from the frightening presence in the woods. The woods themselves have a secretive, gothic, and spooky feel.

Mehrab is done with life outside her quiet home, until it refuses to leave her alone at the novel's outset. Life persists in dragging someone nursing her own trauma back into caring for others and acting to save them.

I loved Mehrab. She's fierce, doesn't take BS, and is powerful. Rhea is a nice contrast to her; initially self-centred and naïve, but becoming quite capable, and devoted to Mehrab and their tiny, cozy home in the woods.

I just love each of the stories I've read in Slatter's Sourdough Universe, and can't wait to get to the collection of short stories set there also now that I've thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Titan Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Chelsea Dorgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the author’s note they mention describing this book as a “grumpy menopausal witch in the woods novel”, which is the perfect way to describe it. In a book world full of fantasy novels featuring youthful main characters, this was a really refreshing lens. Some of the folklore felt familiar, but the story overall was so unique - an unexpected and eerie, witchy mystery. I truly did not see the twists coming! I can’t wait to check out more of this author’s books.

“Don’t be envious of youth or contemptuous of age - because as long as things proceed in the usual fashion, we all start with one and finish with another.”

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first lovely bookish surprise of 2026!
A G Slatter is a new to me author and it is with pure glee that I can say I thoroughly enjoyed my time with all her characters and although complete in itself I do hope she revists them in another book.

It is so good to find a modern author whose writing style works for me and who writes a great gothic fairytale which is at once dark and creepy yet heartwarming and lovely .

Thank goodness she has a good back catalogue which I intend to read very soon.
5*****

[HVL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but i didnt fully emerge in the universe and story.
Lost me a bit here and there but all in all solid.
3,5/5

[Sara Jesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the way Angela Slatter tells her stories, like old stories that we hear sometime ago. The story is about an old witch that search for lost childrean, and formes a lovely conection with an young witch that is running. The main character has made many mistakes, did hurt people that she care but in the end she will fight for the family that she build.

This is a book full of folklore, dark fairtales and a forest that seems alive. It is a story full of love, especialy betteween Rhea and Mehrab. I really enjoy observe Rhea blown as more confindence witch and without fear to share her past with Mehrab. The end is bittersweet but is the best clousure to the old witch, that did not want a family but found one.

[Jesse Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I also want to be a old hag in a cottage in the forest

[David H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one; Mehrab is the local witch near a village by the Great Forest, and she's tasked with taking care of another young witch who is running from her past. But Mehrab is, like all of us, a flawed person with her own tempers and desires. There's also something creepy going on in the forest, and it's a slowly increasing tension until the end. Very nice and I really liked this one. As with most of her novels in this setting, there are small connections to other stories, though this can easily stand alone.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid fairy tale, with suitably dark elements. A strong protagonist was the highlight, as well as a few creepy moments. A key plot point was a little deus ex machina for me. Special mention to the "Summer Husband" probably the best new fairly tale / fantasy element I have encountered in a while.

[Christine]

A Forest, Darkly is my first read by A.G. Slatter. I am a devout horror reader who is slowly branching out to other genera and this was described as fantasy with horror.

The story brings you, and is focused on, multidimensional characters that have hardships with haunting pasts. The characters show the struggles between self desires and the choices set before them. These are strong elements I enjoy as a reader. I shy away from most fantasy due to it being a superior do-no-wrong hero who saves the world. This gives none of this and its refreshing! I'm human and I want to relate to the characters! The writing has good flow and the author doesn't constantly repeat herself like so many do so often recently. Not for beginners and not for casual readers. This author writes to those of us who are avid readers for sure.

Merhab is a quiet witch who lives in the woods outside of a village back when witches or women with great thought and independence were looked down on. Merhab tends to the people of this small village regardless of the history of the women in her position before, and the ones who wish her ill now. They come to her in the end when nothing else works and she accepts them anyway. One day she is given a young woman to be set in her care as she is also a witch and now is hiding from her past as well. Together they learn and grow.

Horrible things begin to happen in the village and Merhab again offers her aid, but will it be to her death?

The journey is set all within this village area and its surroundings. The time period is well represented, and the fantasy part is more raw with the help of horror. I really enjoyed this read and getting to know the characters. The story kept me interested for the length of the book and the ending was rewarding and left the reader to contemplate choices for the characters as well.


"... ,stone circles where magic more ancient than memory sleeps until it's woken, places where older gods wait, grown still and stiff with passing time, forgetful of their purpose." 3%

"And when you've done dark deeds, you might attract dark things." 14%

"There's a fine line between respect and fear, and it's the work of a lifetime to maintain the balance." 16%

"...-all failure teaches something, and humility is valuable for a witch to learn; without it, you might think yourself a god, and that way lies madness." 21%

"Try not to think about the old tales of witches sealed inside sacred oaks and set alight." 32%

"A child who became a murderer rather than a victim - and that's a heavy burden, for women are taught to be victims first." 50%

"The sense of oneness, of being enclosed in meat again, is very distinct." 82%

[Leni · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even know where to start with this one. Oh no wait I do: how about the the fantasy version of a sexbot called a summer husband that the witch (main character) makes, where the writer can't decide if the sexbot in question has free will or not to consent to said sex. The sexbot is brought to life through the blood of a witch and the first person (said witch) he looks at is the one he is obedient to. If the summer husband is bound to be obedient through the spell that animated him, then there is no free will to consent to anything?? The writer should have just made the choice to either have him have free will or not, instead of this wishy-washy in-between mumbo-jumbo.

And then there is the societal structure of the world that makes no sense! And the only queer character that speaks is just the most stereotypical, one-sided flamboyant gay man! And what do you mean the main witch is so powerful she can literally change people's faces but she gets caught by some low-level henchmen, just so she can be killed and then saved by not one but two dei-ex-machina?? And I could go on about other things that bothered me and/or made no narrative sense???

No, no, no no no.

[Jody Blanchette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m completely new to this author, and it appears I’ve picked up a book within a series. Maybe it’s not really a series, it’s a world that stretches between books, called The Sourdough Universe. So, while I know im missing bits from other books, I did enjoy this book. It’s a rich dark fantasy book, with a captivating female healer as the main character. Mehrab has the reputation of a witch, which is sort of accurate, but she’s more than that.
Mehrab is the story. It’s her survival in the woods alone, and her gifted hands that help a village. It’s also about a bunch of village children going missing, and her getting the blame. Mehrab works with her gods to find them, while she is hunted. She is an aging woman who just wants to rest, but is driven help no matter what. I absolutely loved her.
I don’t read alot of fantasy books, but I really did enjoy this story. It was full of heart, and showed that it’s never too late to make changes.

[Leilin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved this!

The author's knack to write in the folk-tale style, which I love when well done, and her amazing character work really compounded to make this such a page turner. I loved the women-centric story, the symbolism of having four women in four different seasons of their lives, the strength afforded to all of them without ever erasing their weaknesses and insecurities... just the deep humanity characterizing them, and really everyone in this. A humanity that is not always pretty, can even be horrific at times: villains and monsters are not rare within these pages, but they are rarely simple. A humanity that also serves to contrast with the tale-like elements, and amplify that feeling of otherness.

Suffice to say, I enjoyed this to the point that I am now waiting on my pre-order of the author's new book of collected tales and I am also quite intent on reading her other novels, all of which taking place in the same universe, while remaining standalones.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grab anything and everything from the Sourdough universe, which this book takes place in. Can definitely read as a stand-alone, but I’d suggest checking out the other books too.

Mehrab’s a powerful witch, but she had found peace and calm in the local village. Until something starts taking the children and Mehrab’s forest is no longer safe. She takes on a young witch, Hannah as an apprentice and they try and unravel the secrets of that’s stalking the children of the village.

I love this world of witchcraft, god-hounds, old forest gods. Everything comes together in a mix of horror and fantasy.

[Jacqie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been on a kick of reading spooky forest books lately. This is one of my favorite Slatter books; she nails the vibes.

She's also written a great protagonist in Mehrab. Mehrab is in her fifties, dealing with menopause, feeling like she is done with suffering fools. She has lived in the woods outside a small town for about twenty years now and has made a place for herself as a healer with the townspeople, even though they all still seem to be a little afraid of her. Mehrab has chosen this place because it's off the beaten track enough that it doesn't have doctors or priests, neither of which tend to like independent women using their power and knowledge.

But at the beginning of the book Mehrab's solitude is shattered because the woman who brought her to this place in the first place as a fosterling now has a fosterling for her. Rhea is young, beautiful, magically talented and on the run because of it. Mehrab doesn't want anyone in her space but does the right thing even while she resents it. Rhea is a lot like her, maybe too much.

Then the baker and his wife come to ask for help. Their youngest daughter, a chance child late in their lives, has gone missing in the woods. They have waited days to go to Mehrab because of her somewhat fearsome reputation. Even so, Mehrab tries to help and so finds the beginnings of a supernatural plan set in motion. Something is in the woods that sometimes tracks her. Children go missing and come back changed, if at all.

Mehrab's magic is dark; it exacts "the red price", which Mehrab pays. It follows the cycles of nature. The author said that in this book she wanted to bring together the four seasons of a woman's life in four different characters. Generally Slatter writes strong female characters who are sometimes wise with their power and sometimes not. She's got a good grasp of Celtic mythology and has skill at making the supernatural feel powerful and dangerous. Even though there is darkness in the book, it's also weirdly cozy at times as Mehrab and Rhea develop their relationship in a realistic way. Mehrab's home in the woods, with her animals and garden, adds to that dark cozy feeling. It's a great autumn book.

[Jeski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been longing to delve into A. G. Slatter's work, and A Forest, Darkly did not disappoint!

This book is like wandering into a shadowy forest in a fairytale, soaking up its pervading aura of mystery and magic - enchanting and a little dangerous.

Mehrab leads a quiet existence in a secluded cottage in the woods, aiding village folk when she can and generally keeping to herself. Her peaceful, solitary existence is irrevocably dispelled when she takes in a young witch fleeing for her life. A dark being in the woods begins making itself know, and soon, children are going missing...

Mehrab is a delight; fifty something, feisty and a little cantankerous, yet compassionate and giving, with a wry sense of humour and a dubious past - witchiness incarnate.
It's refreshing to have a quirky, mature woman as the leading character; she's complex and flawed, enduring the changes in her body and increasingly aching bones as best she can.

A. G. Slatter is a Brisbane based author who writes in a unique voice, incorporating folklore, flawed yet loveable characters and atmospheric world building to transport the reader into her acclaimed Sourdough universe.

This is a fun, immersive read for those who enjoy dark, folkloric tales interwoven with themes of atonement and found family.

I will certainly be seeking out more novels set in this bewitching world.

Many thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.