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The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood
From the author of The Magician's Daughter comes a historical fantasy where dreams come to life and Arthurian legends are reborn, perfect for fans of The Everlasting and The Once and Future King.
Wales, 1941. As the second world war ravages the globe and bombs fall from the sky, people all over the world begin to dream of King Arthur. The dreams spread like a fantastical plague, flooding people's sleep night after night. Whispers arise of wonders and unexplained sights—dragons in the London Underground, and strange lights over Stonehenge. Self-proclaimed prophets claim they are miracles, heralding Arthur's return at the time of Britain's greatest need.
Elaine Ambrose has never dreamed of Arthur, and she doesn't believe in miracles. A librarian at the British Museum, she wants only to protect the museum's collection from the London Blitz, and is frustrated to be sent instead to catalogue a reclusive professor's private library on the coast of North Wales. But all is not as it seems. Soon Ellie must confront what she's tried to she dreams not of Arthur, but of Nimue—the Lady of the Lake. And her dreams promise not salvation, but a return to the darkness of the last days of Camelot.
Wales, 1941. As the second world war ravages the globe and bombs fall from the sky, people all over the world begin to dream of King Arthur. The dreams spread like a fantastical plague, flooding people's sleep night after night. Whispers arise of wonders and unexplained sights—dragons in the London Underground, and strange lights over Stonehenge. Self-proclaimed prophets claim they are miracles, heralding Arthur's return at the time of Britain's greatest need.
Elaine Ambrose has never dreamed of Arthur, and she doesn't believe in miracles. A librarian at the British Museum, she wants only to protect the museum's collection from the London Blitz, and is frustrated to be sent instead to catalogue a reclusive professor's private library on the coast of North Wales. But all is not as it seems. Soon Ellie must confront what she's tried to she dreams not of Arthur, but of Nimue—the Lady of the Lake. And her dreams promise not salvation, but a return to the darkness of the last days of Camelot.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2026
About the author
H.G. Parry
8 books1,472 followersH.G. Parry lives in a book-infested flat in Wellington, New Zealand, which she shares with her sister and two overactive rabbits. She holds a PhD in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington, and teaches English, Film, and Media Studies. Her short fiction has appeared in Intergalactic Medicine Show, Daily Science Fiction, and small press anthologies. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is her debut novel.
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July 26, 2026I’m going to have to think about this one. HG Parry is one of my favourite living novelists and I intend to read everything she writes. But my reaction to this book was complex and I need to reflect.
August 10, 2026
How do we go on living when the world is ending all around us? How can we love and care for each other knowing it will inevitably end in heartbreak? What’s the point in choosing to be kind, choosing to be brave, choosing to fight, when it seems like everything is doomed?
“Perhaps just because we can’t stop it happening doesn’t mean we have to let it.”
The Witch Below the Dreaming wood is a lush, clever, brilliantly layered standalone fantasy about holding out for a better world until the bitter, bloody end. It’s split between two timelines, both of which feel like the end of days to the people living through them: the fall of Camelot and World War II. This book contains a mysterious old house, an abundance of mice, medieval myths infringing on reality, a tragic, seemingly-doomed romance, and an astonishing platonic love story that transcends centuries. The character work is slow and delicate and nuanced, written so that your understanding and affection for these characters manages to sneak up on you, and you - like me - may be shocked to find yourself unexpectedly in tears at the end of the book.
It’s a deeply, beautifully magical story, both charming and melancholy, and determinedly hopeful in the face of hopeless odds. The tale has already been told, after all, hundreds and thousands of times over: Camelot will fall. There’s no other way it can end. And when we can’t own the narrative, all we can control are our own choices.
This manages to feel oddly timely, considering it’s a historical fantasy. Just like the characters in both timelines, I am plagued in 2026 by a constant sense of doom. The world feels like it’s getting worse, and like there is nothing I can do to stop it. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood doesn’t presume to offer a solution to that feeling; instead it’s a balm and a rallying cry, a reminder that no victory is forever and every day that we persevere is worth something.
“It will end one day, of course. Everything does. Until then, we have the ground that we hold against the dark, and the stories we fill it with.”
Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Perhaps just because we can’t stop it happening doesn’t mean we have to let it.”
The Witch Below the Dreaming wood is a lush, clever, brilliantly layered standalone fantasy about holding out for a better world until the bitter, bloody end. It’s split between two timelines, both of which feel like the end of days to the people living through them: the fall of Camelot and World War II. This book contains a mysterious old house, an abundance of mice, medieval myths infringing on reality, a tragic, seemingly-doomed romance, and an astonishing platonic love story that transcends centuries. The character work is slow and delicate and nuanced, written so that your understanding and affection for these characters manages to sneak up on you, and you - like me - may be shocked to find yourself unexpectedly in tears at the end of the book.
It’s a deeply, beautifully magical story, both charming and melancholy, and determinedly hopeful in the face of hopeless odds. The tale has already been told, after all, hundreds and thousands of times over: Camelot will fall. There’s no other way it can end. And when we can’t own the narrative, all we can control are our own choices.
This manages to feel oddly timely, considering it’s a historical fantasy. Just like the characters in both timelines, I am plagued in 2026 by a constant sense of doom. The world feels like it’s getting worse, and like there is nothing I can do to stop it. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood doesn’t presume to offer a solution to that feeling; instead it’s a balm and a rallying cry, a reminder that no victory is forever and every day that we persevere is worth something.
“It will end one day, of course. Everything does. Until then, we have the ground that we hold against the dark, and the stories we fill it with.”
Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2026
Leave it to H.G Parry to pick one of my favorite characters in literature and reimagine it using the second World War as a backdrop. (Seriously, my childhood cats were named Merlin, Morgana, and Guinevere.) No stranger to King Arthur retellings, this one… this one focused on Merlin and our Lady of the Lake, Morgan LeFay. This had everything I ever wanted in Merlin and Nimue’s story! Told in dual timelines, during the Second World War and during the fall of Camelot we hear the story of the Lady of the Lake and how she engineered the downfall of the Round Table. Raising Lancelot to be the love of Guinevere and Arthur’s undoing, to Nimue who was to be the doom of Merlin, and Mordred who would be the destruction of Arthur himself. During World War II people in Britain began dreaming of Arthur in vivid and startling detail. Thinking it’s a sign that he’s returning, it’s only when the whole story is told does it become clearer.
I tore through this book in about 24 hours because H.G. Parry is a master at submerging you so far in the story you refuse to come up for air. Have tissues ready because the end will absolutely have you bawling.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood hits shelves July 21. You absolutely need to snag a copy of this one.
Huge huge thank you to @orbitbooks_us for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
#thewitchbelowthedreamingwood #hgparry #orbitbooks #merlin #nimue
I tore through this book in about 24 hours because H.G. Parry is a master at submerging you so far in the story you refuse to come up for air. Have tissues ready because the end will absolutely have you bawling.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood hits shelves July 21. You absolutely need to snag a copy of this one.
Huge huge thank you to @orbitbooks_us for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
#thewitchbelowthedreamingwood #hgparry #orbitbooks #merlin #nimue
March 3, 2026
A lush and beautiful love letter to Arthurian myth, H.G. Parry's The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is everything that I could have hoped for.
In the midst of World War II, the dreams begin. Dreams of Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table are appearing all around. Yet Elaine is sent to Camlan House, an old mansion in the Welsh countryside at the request of a mysterious and elusive Professor Emory. There, alongside a distant housekeeper and a charming, wounded groundskeeper named Tom, Elaine must discover the truth within her own dreams for Nimue, Merlin's doom, is calling.
It is a book uniquely suited to those of us who grew up with Arthurian legends, who wept over the fall of Camelot, and have held onto its promise of hope and a returning king since childhood. It's about destiny, doom, the power of story, and about fighting against the darkness one day at a time.
I loved it.
Advanced Readers Copy was granted, courtesy of Edelweiss.
In the midst of World War II, the dreams begin. Dreams of Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table are appearing all around. Yet Elaine is sent to Camlan House, an old mansion in the Welsh countryside at the request of a mysterious and elusive Professor Emory. There, alongside a distant housekeeper and a charming, wounded groundskeeper named Tom, Elaine must discover the truth within her own dreams for Nimue, Merlin's doom, is calling.
It is a book uniquely suited to those of us who grew up with Arthurian legends, who wept over the fall of Camelot, and have held onto its promise of hope and a returning king since childhood. It's about destiny, doom, the power of story, and about fighting against the darkness one day at a time.
I loved it.
Advanced Readers Copy was granted, courtesy of Edelweiss.
June 21, 2026
I’ll read anything Parry writes at this point. so glad I got to read this arc. This will, however, be a hard review to write. The first 80-85% of the book was like god-tier 5 star writing for me. And then that last 15%…I just don’t know what happened. It’s not that it was confusing, it just seemed that it didn’t fit the rest of the story as it should have, like the story deserved a different ending, it didn’t live up to the rest of the story. Kind of seemed it could use a bit more time through the touch up process? It was frustrating. I lost interest in the story line and everything when I realized how this was going to end.
The writing is beautiful, poetic. A story you’d wanna read aloud to feel the dance of words sounding out together. I really rolled through the first 80%, didn’t want to put it down. Parry has a very subtle way of writing beautiful prose. She’s a natural story teller, no matter how much effort and work she put into this book, the first 80% came off effortless.
The characters were written in depth. I found Nemue wanting to please her critical mom relatable, Elaine being a hardworking librarian during WWII was really neat. If you grew up watching First Knight with Richard Gere, Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood, or Pearl Harbor with Ben Affleck, this is the book for you.
The plot sucked me right in from the get go and didn’t let up until like I said about that 85% mark. Usually with dual POVs I tend to like one over the other but between Nemue and Elaine’s, I found myself enjoying each not being able to wait to see what happened next.
I enjoyed the theme of how the stories we inherit shape the choices we make until we choose differently. Who we are raised to believe we are can wreak havoc on life later on. If you like doomed loved stories, knights, wizards and witches, AND you love WWII dog fight history, this is the book for you. The fact that MC’s go from flying as owls in one era to the cockpit of a Tiger Moth in the next is simply amazing and it made sense. I’ve always thought it would be cool to pit a dragon against a bomber plane…this very nearly scratched that itch. Overall, highly recommend, just be forewarned that the ending probably could’ve used some more fleshing out (imo). I still look forward to reading Parry’s other works.
Thank you to Redhook and NetGalley for providing this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is beautiful, poetic. A story you’d wanna read aloud to feel the dance of words sounding out together. I really rolled through the first 80%, didn’t want to put it down. Parry has a very subtle way of writing beautiful prose. She’s a natural story teller, no matter how much effort and work she put into this book, the first 80% came off effortless.
The characters were written in depth. I found Nemue wanting to please her critical mom relatable, Elaine being a hardworking librarian during WWII was really neat. If you grew up watching First Knight with Richard Gere, Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood, or Pearl Harbor with Ben Affleck, this is the book for you.
The plot sucked me right in from the get go and didn’t let up until like I said about that 85% mark. Usually with dual POVs I tend to like one over the other but between Nemue and Elaine’s, I found myself enjoying each not being able to wait to see what happened next.
I enjoyed the theme of how the stories we inherit shape the choices we make until we choose differently. Who we are raised to believe we are can wreak havoc on life later on. If you like doomed loved stories, knights, wizards and witches, AND you love WWII dog fight history, this is the book for you. The fact that MC’s go from flying as owls in one era to the cockpit of a Tiger Moth in the next is simply amazing and it made sense. I’ve always thought it would be cool to pit a dragon against a bomber plane…this very nearly scratched that itch. Overall, highly recommend, just be forewarned that the ending probably could’ve used some more fleshing out (imo). I still look forward to reading Parry’s other works.
Thank you to Redhook and NetGalley for providing this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc.
“The witch below the dreaming wood” is one of my most anticipated books of the year. My first meeting with H. G. Parry was with “The scholar and the last faerie door” and I fell in love with her writing and stories. So of course I have to read everything she ever wrote in order to be happy. Also, these titles?? Gorgeous!!
The books is an Arthurian retelling and we read it from the perspective of Nimue and Ellie. While everyone dreams of Arthur and his life, Ellie dreams of Nimue and her life. I think most of the people know the legends about who Nimue is and what she does, so this book was a lovely retelling of those stories.
I’ve always been a fan of the TV show “Merlin”, so it was really easy for me to imagine these characters, because we do meet Merlin and Arthur and Guinevere and all the Round Table knights. I’ve been curious since the beginning of the book how Ellie connects to Nimue and viceversa and it made a lot of sense at the end of the story.
Nimue is lovely. She’s so human and kind and so powerful and caring. I loved her development and how much she tries her best in order to keep her promises. I think I loved her chapters more than I loved Ellie’s, just because it felt more fantastical, more mythological than the real life where Ellie is. It’s easy to understand why Nimue fell in love with Camelot, especially when she heard so many stories around her. Even I fell in love with it, and I know it wasn’t real. Or was it?
I liked Elaine as well, she’s a librarian during WWII and she is sent to Camlan House to catalogue an elderly and mysterious man’s library. There she meets Tom, who’s a sweetheart, and Mrs. Leaf who’s.. intriguing let’s say. And everything while she dreams of Nimue and Camelot, while, at the same time, the real world is in flames.
”Still, as the summer hours stretched out in unearthly quiet, their edge blunted only by the whistle of the wind off the sea, their edge blunted scratching of the library mice, and the occasional heart-stopping roar of a plane in the distance, she wondered if she might not be going slightly mad.”
I loved everything about it, the way H. G. Parry introduced other authors in the book, the ones who wrote about Arthur and Merlin. That made me want to read more about Camelot, I have “The once and future king” on my shelves, can’t wait to read it. The writing is majestic. H. G. Parry is so talented and writing beautiful stories and making them feel so alive. The prose is atmospheric and addictive, adding to the overall experience a feeling of melancholy for something that you’ll never meet.
”War, poverty, bureaucracy, cruelty — they’re not the sort of things you win against. But if you’re very fortunate, you can hold the line for a little bit longer. You can push back the dark as long as you can, and when it finally closes in you can face it with your head held high.”
Altogether, “The witch below the dreaming wood” was compelling, to say the least. The book pulls you in the story, and while it’s not fast paced, the chapters are patiently written and executed. It can be a little slow if the reader is not used to this kind of writing. For me, it’s was perfect. It’s a beautiful, sad and romantic story. It’s about friendship, second chances, love, family, courage and loyalty. It’s about magic and kindness.
”It was a beginning and an ending at once, the first time I would kiss him and the last time he would kiss me.”
And Mordred is a bitch, as always. (Yes, I know his reasons.)
“The witch below the dreaming wood” is one of my most anticipated books of the year. My first meeting with H. G. Parry was with “The scholar and the last faerie door” and I fell in love with her writing and stories. So of course I have to read everything she ever wrote in order to be happy. Also, these titles?? Gorgeous!!
The books is an Arthurian retelling and we read it from the perspective of Nimue and Ellie. While everyone dreams of Arthur and his life, Ellie dreams of Nimue and her life. I think most of the people know the legends about who Nimue is and what she does, so this book was a lovely retelling of those stories.
I’ve always been a fan of the TV show “Merlin”, so it was really easy for me to imagine these characters, because we do meet Merlin and Arthur and Guinevere and all the Round Table knights. I’ve been curious since the beginning of the book how Ellie connects to Nimue and viceversa and it made a lot of sense at the end of the story.
Nimue is lovely. She’s so human and kind and so powerful and caring. I loved her development and how much she tries her best in order to keep her promises. I think I loved her chapters more than I loved Ellie’s, just because it felt more fantastical, more mythological than the real life where Ellie is. It’s easy to understand why Nimue fell in love with Camelot, especially when she heard so many stories around her. Even I fell in love with it, and I know it wasn’t real. Or was it?
I liked Elaine as well, she’s a librarian during WWII and she is sent to Camlan House to catalogue an elderly and mysterious man’s library. There she meets Tom, who’s a sweetheart, and Mrs. Leaf who’s.. intriguing let’s say. And everything while she dreams of Nimue and Camelot, while, at the same time, the real world is in flames.
”Still, as the summer hours stretched out in unearthly quiet, their edge blunted only by the whistle of the wind off the sea, their edge blunted scratching of the library mice, and the occasional heart-stopping roar of a plane in the distance, she wondered if she might not be going slightly mad.”
I loved everything about it, the way H. G. Parry introduced other authors in the book, the ones who wrote about Arthur and Merlin. That made me want to read more about Camelot, I have “The once and future king” on my shelves, can’t wait to read it. The writing is majestic. H. G. Parry is so talented and writing beautiful stories and making them feel so alive. The prose is atmospheric and addictive, adding to the overall experience a feeling of melancholy for something that you’ll never meet.
”War, poverty, bureaucracy, cruelty — they’re not the sort of things you win against. But if you’re very fortunate, you can hold the line for a little bit longer. You can push back the dark as long as you can, and when it finally closes in you can face it with your head held high.”
Altogether, “The witch below the dreaming wood” was compelling, to say the least. The book pulls you in the story, and while it’s not fast paced, the chapters are patiently written and executed. It can be a little slow if the reader is not used to this kind of writing. For me, it’s was perfect. It’s a beautiful, sad and romantic story. It’s about friendship, second chances, love, family, courage and loyalty. It’s about magic and kindness.
”It was a beginning and an ending at once, the first time I would kiss him and the last time he would kiss me.”
And Mordred is a bitch, as always. (Yes, I know his reasons.)
July 13, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 | 4.75 stars rounded up
Historical fantasy is one of my absolute favorite genres and The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood exemplifies why that is. What a stunning, well-researched, and bittersweet book that centers women in a very male-dominated myth.
This story follows a research librarian, Elaine, who dreams of Nimue (the Lady of the Lake) while the rest of Britain dreams of King Arthur's return in the midst of WWII.
While I loved learning so much about the legend of King Arthur and Camelot throughout this book, I was most impacted by Nimue and the way in which this book challenges historically sexist narratives about her. HG Parry does such a beautiful job of using characters who played instrumental roles in the outcomes of legends but were deprived of any accolades to challenge the inherent power dynamic of story telling.
I also really appreciated getting to know the people behind the legends as they grappled with fate, morality, justice, and agency.
This book managed to feel ambling and action-packed at the same time. The shifts in POVs and settings created a very cinematic feel, which only emphasized the larger-than-life quality of the King Arthur legend.
Overall, a truly excellent book that broke my heart no less than 7 times.
Thank you so much to Orbit and Redhook for the advance copy!
Historical fantasy is one of my absolute favorite genres and The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood exemplifies why that is. What a stunning, well-researched, and bittersweet book that centers women in a very male-dominated myth.
This story follows a research librarian, Elaine, who dreams of Nimue (the Lady of the Lake) while the rest of Britain dreams of King Arthur's return in the midst of WWII.
While I loved learning so much about the legend of King Arthur and Camelot throughout this book, I was most impacted by Nimue and the way in which this book challenges historically sexist narratives about her. HG Parry does such a beautiful job of using characters who played instrumental roles in the outcomes of legends but were deprived of any accolades to challenge the inherent power dynamic of story telling.
I also really appreciated getting to know the people behind the legends as they grappled with fate, morality, justice, and agency.
This book managed to feel ambling and action-packed at the same time. The shifts in POVs and settings created a very cinematic feel, which only emphasized the larger-than-life quality of the King Arthur legend.
Overall, a truly excellent book that broke my heart no less than 7 times.
Thank you so much to Orbit and Redhook for the advance copy!
August 9, 2026
Cozy and atmospheric
(Also Malory and White are looking at me very judgingly from the shelf asking when I'm gonna read them. Soon I keep telling them.)
(Also Malory and White are looking at me very judgingly from the shelf asking when I'm gonna read them. Soon I keep telling them.)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Orbit for the gifted book!
"That’s the trouble with destiny, and with despair. Both make it too easy to tell yourself you had no choice."
"It was a beginning and an ending at once, the first time I would kiss him and the last time he would kiss me. It was wild and tender and breathless, the rush of the wind and the crash of the sea and the burning of the stars. It was Merlin and Nimue, with all the weight of story that would blaze for hundreds of years."
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
This was a hauntingly beautiful, melancholic masterpiece.
Utilizing a dual timeline, HG Perry expertly blends the grey, bleak reality of 1941 London and the wonder of Arthurian myth. Though still packed with whimsy, Camelot leans into a richly gothic undertone here, complete with blood magic and ancient pacts. The transition between the two eras is handled with incredible subtlety, making it feel as though the magic of the past is slowly bleeding through the veil and into the present day. The prose was atmospheric, lyrical and sensory rich, coaxing the reader forward like a whispered secret.
The bonds that form within each timeline and throughout this book feel achingly real. Each character is gorgeously flawed, with motivations that are easily understood and empathised with. I loved the more quiet moments between Elaine and Tom, as well as Nimue and Merlin. The respite created through their laughter and shared happiness really brought me closer to their stories, and made the more emotional moments hit even harder (and they did hit really hard at the end). There is a very small amount of romance, but it was very lovely, and I didn’t feel that the story needed any more than what was provided.
What ultimately made this really stand out for me, however, was how much Perry challenges the historically sexist narrative found within depictions of the Arthurian legend, shifting focus away from celebrated kings to center upon the forgotten figures (women) and systemic devastation that history often sanitizes. Instead of a “malicious temptress” who uses her feminine wiles to bewitch Merlin, Nimue is given immense psychological depth, a distinct voice and profound agency. There is a lot to unpack within this narrative regarding how stories are crafted and who holds the power to shape them.
Overall, I cannot recommend this enough, but keep in mind that this is a heavy, deliberately slow paced historical fantasy. I recommend saving this for when you’re in the mood for a deeper read, and for when you have time to really dig into it.
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚:
Arthurian Legend Retelling
Welsh Mythology
Duel Timelines
Reluctant Chosen One
The Power of Stories
Female Agency vs Patriarchal Destiny
Hope and Resilience in Dark Times
✄----------
Genres in Order of Weight: Historical, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
✄----------
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"That’s the trouble with destiny, and with despair. Both make it too easy to tell yourself you had no choice."
"It was a beginning and an ending at once, the first time I would kiss him and the last time he would kiss me. It was wild and tender and breathless, the rush of the wind and the crash of the sea and the burning of the stars. It was Merlin and Nimue, with all the weight of story that would blaze for hundreds of years."
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
This was a hauntingly beautiful, melancholic masterpiece.
Utilizing a dual timeline, HG Perry expertly blends the grey, bleak reality of 1941 London and the wonder of Arthurian myth. Though still packed with whimsy, Camelot leans into a richly gothic undertone here, complete with blood magic and ancient pacts. The transition between the two eras is handled with incredible subtlety, making it feel as though the magic of the past is slowly bleeding through the veil and into the present day. The prose was atmospheric, lyrical and sensory rich, coaxing the reader forward like a whispered secret.
The bonds that form within each timeline and throughout this book feel achingly real. Each character is gorgeously flawed, with motivations that are easily understood and empathised with. I loved the more quiet moments between Elaine and Tom, as well as Nimue and Merlin. The respite created through their laughter and shared happiness really brought me closer to their stories, and made the more emotional moments hit even harder (and they did hit really hard at the end). There is a very small amount of romance, but it was very lovely, and I didn’t feel that the story needed any more than what was provided.
What ultimately made this really stand out for me, however, was how much Perry challenges the historically sexist narrative found within depictions of the Arthurian legend, shifting focus away from celebrated kings to center upon the forgotten figures (women) and systemic devastation that history often sanitizes. Instead of a “malicious temptress” who uses her feminine wiles to bewitch Merlin, Nimue is given immense psychological depth, a distinct voice and profound agency. There is a lot to unpack within this narrative regarding how stories are crafted and who holds the power to shape them.
Overall, I cannot recommend this enough, but keep in mind that this is a heavy, deliberately slow paced historical fantasy. I recommend saving this for when you’re in the mood for a deeper read, and for when you have time to really dig into it.
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚:
Arthurian Legend Retelling
Welsh Mythology
Duel Timelines
Reluctant Chosen One
The Power of Stories
Female Agency vs Patriarchal Destiny
Hope and Resilience in Dark Times
✄----------
Genres in Order of Weight: Historical, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
✄----------
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July 25, 2026
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by H.G. Parry
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Fantasy
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 21, 2026
⚔️ Arthurian Retelling
🕯 Historical Fantasy
🍃 Alternating Timelines + Dual POV
🔮 Thinning of the Veil
In The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, myth bleeds into reality as people across war-torn Britain begin dreaming that King Arthur is returning to save them. After a devastating fire at her workplace, historical archivist Ellie is sent away from the frontlines to catalog a private collection at the mysterious Camlan House.
I’m a sucker for historical fantasy anchored in real-world events, and setting this in WWII London made it feel so immersive. The concept of the veil between worlds thinning during times of extreme tragedy and duress was brilliant.
While the pacing slowed down a bit in the middle with a few characters who felt somewhat randomly thrown in, the second half completely pulled me back in—especially Nimue’s arc. The story of Nimue and Merlin is not what has been passed down and is far more complicated. I loved the way we got Nimue and Merlin's stories in the form of Ellie's dreams—such an interesting way to format the different POVs!
If you’re obsessed with Arthurian retellings, WWII historical fantasy, or atmospheric fairytale twists, definitely add this one to your TBR!
Thank you so much Redhook and NetGalley for the digital review copy.
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Fantasy
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 21, 2026
⚔️ Arthurian Retelling
🕯 Historical Fantasy
🍃 Alternating Timelines + Dual POV
🔮 Thinning of the Veil
In The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, myth bleeds into reality as people across war-torn Britain begin dreaming that King Arthur is returning to save them. After a devastating fire at her workplace, historical archivist Ellie is sent away from the frontlines to catalog a private collection at the mysterious Camlan House.
I’m a sucker for historical fantasy anchored in real-world events, and setting this in WWII London made it feel so immersive. The concept of the veil between worlds thinning during times of extreme tragedy and duress was brilliant.
While the pacing slowed down a bit in the middle with a few characters who felt somewhat randomly thrown in, the second half completely pulled me back in—especially Nimue’s arc. The story of Nimue and Merlin is not what has been passed down and is far more complicated. I loved the way we got Nimue and Merlin's stories in the form of Ellie's dreams—such an interesting way to format the different POVs!
If you’re obsessed with Arthurian retellings, WWII historical fantasy, or atmospheric fairytale twists, definitely add this one to your TBR!
Thank you so much Redhook and NetGalley for the digital review copy.
July 15, 2026
4.5 stars - a stunning, emotional, and captivating historical fantasy novel. This was my second H.G. Parry novel and she does such a marvelous job at weaving together real world history with lore and magic. I learned so much about Arthurian lore and felt connected to the characters in a way that I never have before. I also felt equally connected to the characters that were created solely for this book.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood felt like one big magical puzzle with all the pieces slowly starting to come together, but it wasn’t until the very end that you could make out exactly what the picture was trying to tell you and how beautiful that message was.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood felt like one big magical puzzle with all the pieces slowly starting to come together, but it wasn’t until the very end that you could make out exactly what the picture was trying to tell you and how beautiful that message was.
July 14, 2026
A very lovely mix of myth and magical realism. I am such a fan of Parry and I would read her shopping list if I could. I loved this and even though my knowledge of Arthur is limited to say the least, I felt she did an excellent job of making sure the reader is up to speed which is super impressive. I wish the ending had a little more time to breathe however and I think the way everything unfolded at such high speed kept it from hitting harder. Overall a lovely read which I definitely recommend!
Huge thanks to Little Brown UK and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a review!
Huge thanks to Little Brown UK and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a review!
August 1, 2026
What a privilege it is, to meet a book you know has made you worse.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it is officially the favourite book I've read so far in 2026. I'm not sure it does anything particularly revolutionary with either Arthuriana or the reincarnation cycle that springs up around it, but oh my lord what it did do it did really, really well. Heart achingly romantic, I couldn't even put it down as I was crying.
Gorgeous fucking book.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it is officially the favourite book I've read so far in 2026. I'm not sure it does anything particularly revolutionary with either Arthuriana or the reincarnation cycle that springs up around it, but oh my lord what it did do it did really, really well. Heart achingly romantic, I couldn't even put it down as I was crying.
Gorgeous fucking book.
July 23, 2026
I spent this whole book sitting on the cusp of either becoming completely addicted or being severely bored, and somehow it never tipped either way. I kept waiting for that moment where I’d get completely sucked in, but it just never happened. Instead, I found most of it pretty dull.
It wasn’t bad enough to make me stop reading so 3 stars, I guess.
It wasn’t bad enough to make me stop reading so 3 stars, I guess.
Read
April 26, 2026A beautifully crafted historical fantasy, mythologically rich and emotionally resonant, deftly blending Arthurian legend and the latter days of WWII in a dual-timeline story where both Nimue's quest and Elaine's prove equally entrancing and hard to put down. H.G. Parry is fast becoming one of my must-read modern fantasy authors and this may be my favourite of her books yet.
July 31, 2026
Wales, 1941. In the midst of bombs falling on London in WWII, people have begun to dream of King Arthur. No one knows what the dreams mean, but they provide a collective hope for the war weary people of Britain. Elaine Ambrose is a librarian sent to Camlan House, the estate of a wealthy professor, to catalogue his library. The professor is nowhere to be seen, and the housekeeper and groom appear to be the only ones on the estate. Here, Elaine begins to dream, not of Arthur, but of Nimue, the apprentice who ensnared Merlin, and her dreams point towards the dark end of Camelot.
HG Parry has the uncanny ability to weave her own stories together with traditional tales, in this case the legend of King Arthur. She gives us compelling characters in Ellie and Tom, who seem like small players in a big war, but who have larger roles than they can imagine. The landscape of Camlan House separates them from the terrors the war brings to London, but with it the eeriness and emptiness of the deserted Wales countryside and creatures that haunt the night. The Camlan House setting easily transmutes to the Camelot of Ellie’s dreams, making it a seamless transition from reality to fantasy.
Setting her novel in 1941, Parry leans on TH White’s The Once and Future King, parts of which had been published as separate shorter novellas by this time. By choosing Nimue as the focus of Ellie’s dreams, we see White’s Merlyn through a different lens. He may be a magical wizard who “ages backwards” and can see the future and change into different animals, but he’s also still remarkably human. The human war rages on, while the war in Ellie’s dreams creeps closer and closer to the fall of Arthur. And yet, Parry makes time for whimsy in her novel, too, lightening the mood with a questing beast and mice, mirroring the whimsy of Merlin himself in his own animal forms.
We alternate perspectives between Ellie’s 1941 timeline and the dream state of Nimue’s story. The deeper we get into the novel, the more clear Nimue’s narrative becomes; Ellie is remembering more of her dreams as she gets closer to understanding the mystery and the legend of Arthur is coming closer to the surface of our reality. Parry balances the two perspectives really well, and every time she switched back to the other, I felt ready to return to either Ellie or Nimue, and she keeps a strong narrative thread pushing the momentum of the story. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is simply excellent writing.
Thank you to Orbit for an eARC. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is out 7/21/26.
HG Parry has the uncanny ability to weave her own stories together with traditional tales, in this case the legend of King Arthur. She gives us compelling characters in Ellie and Tom, who seem like small players in a big war, but who have larger roles than they can imagine. The landscape of Camlan House separates them from the terrors the war brings to London, but with it the eeriness and emptiness of the deserted Wales countryside and creatures that haunt the night. The Camlan House setting easily transmutes to the Camelot of Ellie’s dreams, making it a seamless transition from reality to fantasy.
Setting her novel in 1941, Parry leans on TH White’s The Once and Future King, parts of which had been published as separate shorter novellas by this time. By choosing Nimue as the focus of Ellie’s dreams, we see White’s Merlyn through a different lens. He may be a magical wizard who “ages backwards” and can see the future and change into different animals, but he’s also still remarkably human. The human war rages on, while the war in Ellie’s dreams creeps closer and closer to the fall of Arthur. And yet, Parry makes time for whimsy in her novel, too, lightening the mood with a questing beast and mice, mirroring the whimsy of Merlin himself in his own animal forms.
We alternate perspectives between Ellie’s 1941 timeline and the dream state of Nimue’s story. The deeper we get into the novel, the more clear Nimue’s narrative becomes; Ellie is remembering more of her dreams as she gets closer to understanding the mystery and the legend of Arthur is coming closer to the surface of our reality. Parry balances the two perspectives really well, and every time she switched back to the other, I felt ready to return to either Ellie or Nimue, and she keeps a strong narrative thread pushing the momentum of the story. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is simply excellent writing.
Thank you to Orbit for an eARC. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is out 7/21/26.
August 4, 2026
Finally! An Arthurian reimagining that is both original and respectful of canon!
There has been a spate of Arthurian retellings in the last 10 or so years, and most of them are not great. So it was a delight to find this offering from HG Parry, which focuses primarily on Nimue, Merlin, and Mordred, but cleverly weaves a new story for all of the major characters from Arthurian legend.
I was skeptical about the WWII timeline at the outset, as it’s difficult to see how this content could possibly tie together with the original story beyond the academic pursuits of the protagonist.
Thus it was a pleasant surprise to see how well Parry wove the timelines together and gave us something truly new without upending or ignoring the important canon material from early Arthurian writers.
Finding a way to center the story on the fact that Merlin ages backwards was truly a unique and clever idea. This is largely an anecdotal bit in canon and is mostly ignored or treated as a cute wizarding trick in most reimaginings and retellings, but Parry really hit on a terrific use of it here.
Parry’s last few books prior to this one have been a bit of a letdown, but I loved her work before that. This book is an excellent return to form for one of the best in the business at putting a new and creative spin on legendary and classic literary material.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
There has been a spate of Arthurian retellings in the last 10 or so years, and most of them are not great. So it was a delight to find this offering from HG Parry, which focuses primarily on Nimue, Merlin, and Mordred, but cleverly weaves a new story for all of the major characters from Arthurian legend.
I was skeptical about the WWII timeline at the outset, as it’s difficult to see how this content could possibly tie together with the original story beyond the academic pursuits of the protagonist.
Thus it was a pleasant surprise to see how well Parry wove the timelines together and gave us something truly new without upending or ignoring the important canon material from early Arthurian writers.
Finding a way to center the story on the fact that Merlin ages backwards was truly a unique and clever idea. This is largely an anecdotal bit in canon and is mostly ignored or treated as a cute wizarding trick in most reimaginings and retellings, but Parry really hit on a terrific use of it here.
Parry’s last few books prior to this one have been a bit of a letdown, but I loved her work before that. This book is an excellent return to form for one of the best in the business at putting a new and creative spin on legendary and classic literary material.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 29, 2026
The Witch Below The Dreaming Wood is a gorgeous and imaginative retelling of Arthurian lore. The intermingling of past and present WWII England was such an unexpected and remarkable pairing, and I truly loved every minute of it.
The story begins with an introduction to Nimue, Lancelot, and Mordred as children living with Morgan Le Fey, the Lady of the Lake. Each child has been raised by Morgan to understand their role in the downfall of Camelot. Nimue’s narrative continues through the dreams of Elaine Ambrose, a librarian living in WWII England. As war rips through England, many of its inhabitants begin to dream of King Arthur, and many believe this is a sign that he will return when England needs him most.
The British Library is bombed, and Elaine is sent to Camlan House to retrieve as many manuscripts as she can from its extensive library. While there, she meets Tom. Rather quickly after Elaine’s arrival, she and Tom realize that Camlan House sits where the veil between past and present is thin and the things of legends become all too real for them to ignore.
Merlin and Nimue’s stories are always some of my favorites in Arthurian lore, and I absolutely loved how H.G Parry chose to represent them in this story, as well as the narrative she gave to myth and lore.
I cannot wait to read more from H.G Parry in the years to come!
The story begins with an introduction to Nimue, Lancelot, and Mordred as children living with Morgan Le Fey, the Lady of the Lake. Each child has been raised by Morgan to understand their role in the downfall of Camelot. Nimue’s narrative continues through the dreams of Elaine Ambrose, a librarian living in WWII England. As war rips through England, many of its inhabitants begin to dream of King Arthur, and many believe this is a sign that he will return when England needs him most.
The British Library is bombed, and Elaine is sent to Camlan House to retrieve as many manuscripts as she can from its extensive library. While there, she meets Tom. Rather quickly after Elaine’s arrival, she and Tom realize that Camlan House sits where the veil between past and present is thin and the things of legends become all too real for them to ignore.
Merlin and Nimue’s stories are always some of my favorites in Arthurian lore, and I absolutely loved how H.G Parry chose to represent them in this story, as well as the narrative she gave to myth and lore.
I cannot wait to read more from H.G Parry in the years to come!
June 15, 2026
As the second world war ravages the globe, people all over Britain begin to dream of King Arthur. Whispers arise of unexplained wonders — dragons in the London Underground, and strange lights over Stonehenge. Some claim that these miracles herald Arthur's return at the time of Britain's greatest need. But Elaine Ambrose, a librarian at the British Museum, has no interest in dreams, and is frustrated to be sent away from London to catalogue a private library on the coast of North Wales. Yet all is not as it seems. When Elaine begins to dream, not of Arthur but of Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, she realizes that what returns next Midsummer's Eve may not be salvation but rather the darkest days of Camelot.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is told from two points of view, during two time periods, and in two distinct styles. Ellie's story is historical fiction with fantasy elements that seem to spill over from Nimue's story, which is a YA Arthurian retelling. I found Ellie's chapters vivid and engaging; I nearly cried reading about her trying to save books from the British Museum's library after it was bombed in May 1941. But I dragged my way through Nimue's chapters, which read as bright and flat, like a Disney cartoon. Although the two storylines came together fairly neatly at the end, the juxtaposition of fairy tale-esque "danger" and WWII setting just didn't work for me overall.
Readers who preferred H.G. Perry's The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door may have better milage with this book than those (like me) who preferred A Far Better Thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook for providing an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood is told from two points of view, during two time periods, and in two distinct styles. Ellie's story is historical fiction with fantasy elements that seem to spill over from Nimue's story, which is a YA Arthurian retelling. I found Ellie's chapters vivid and engaging; I nearly cried reading about her trying to save books from the British Museum's library after it was bombed in May 1941. But I dragged my way through Nimue's chapters, which read as bright and flat, like a Disney cartoon. Although the two storylines came together fairly neatly at the end, the juxtaposition of fairy tale-esque "danger" and WWII setting just didn't work for me overall.
Readers who preferred H.G. Perry's The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door may have better milage with this book than those (like me) who preferred A Far Better Thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook for providing an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2026
So many thanks to Orbit for the preview. All opinions are my own.
HG Parry knocks it out of the park AGAIN! Once again I was completely swept away by a magical story and was left a sobbing mess at the end of it. She always has such a fresh take on an old story, and the way she mixes history and mythology and lore is next to none.
I feel like we're having a renaissance of Arthurian retellings, but Parry makes the story her own. Our main focus is Nimue here. Our story alternates between her POV (told in dreams Ellie has), and Ellie's POV in the present--and the present is 1941 Wales in the midst of WWII. During the day Ellie is sorting through the library at Camlan House, making friends with Tom the gardner/groom, and trying to figure out both the mysterious housekeeper and the absent owner of the house. By night she dreams of Nimue. We are able to follow Nimue from her time as a child of Morgan le Fay beneath the Lake to her time as Merlin's apprentice in the last 2 years of Camelot.
This is a story about stories. How they change, how they change us, what we can take from them, what's true, and what gives us hope. There's so much about holding the line against the darkness for just a little longer, even when things seem hopeless. And what the story of Arthur really means to everyone. It is BEAUTIFUL. Based on some other recent retellings I wasn't even sure I liked Merlin and Arthur anymore, but Parry speaks so much of love and faith and hope through them that I couldn't help but love each and everyone of the characters. It's such an emotional and heart-wrenching journey. Full of danger, and questing beasts, and magic, and love, and impossible choices. I'm tearing up again even reflecting on it.
I seriously can't recommend this book (and all of Parry's books) enough. It was thoughtful and thought-provoking, and just completely gorgeous. Love love love love love!
HG Parry knocks it out of the park AGAIN! Once again I was completely swept away by a magical story and was left a sobbing mess at the end of it. She always has such a fresh take on an old story, and the way she mixes history and mythology and lore is next to none.
I feel like we're having a renaissance of Arthurian retellings, but Parry makes the story her own. Our main focus is Nimue here. Our story alternates between her POV (told in dreams Ellie has), and Ellie's POV in the present--and the present is 1941 Wales in the midst of WWII. During the day Ellie is sorting through the library at Camlan House, making friends with Tom the gardner/groom, and trying to figure out both the mysterious housekeeper and the absent owner of the house. By night she dreams of Nimue. We are able to follow Nimue from her time as a child of Morgan le Fay beneath the Lake to her time as Merlin's apprentice in the last 2 years of Camelot.
This is a story about stories. How they change, how they change us, what we can take from them, what's true, and what gives us hope. There's so much about holding the line against the darkness for just a little longer, even when things seem hopeless. And what the story of Arthur really means to everyone. It is BEAUTIFUL. Based on some other recent retellings I wasn't even sure I liked Merlin and Arthur anymore, but Parry speaks so much of love and faith and hope through them that I couldn't help but love each and everyone of the characters. It's such an emotional and heart-wrenching journey. Full of danger, and questing beasts, and magic, and love, and impossible choices. I'm tearing up again even reflecting on it.
I seriously can't recommend this book (and all of Parry's books) enough. It was thoughtful and thought-provoking, and just completely gorgeous. Love love love love love!
July 25, 2026
A more than solid take on Arthuriana. Skillfully interweaves two narratives, one following Nimue (in this iteration, a girl raised by Morgan le Fay (herself identified as the Lady of the Lake in this telling) and told that her destiny is to be Merlin's doom) and one following an academic librarian named Ellie in 1941 who begins dreaming of Nimue as part of a nation-wide epidemic of apparently shared dreaming about Arthur.
Within each timeline Parry works in a sort of mystery element to the plot. Nimue finds herself fascinated by Merlin and Arthur and resistant to the idea of being destined to take part in their downfall, but Morgan is quite explicit about this destiny being inescapable, leading Nimue to explore the themes of how one can change fate (and leading the reader to wonder how the whole ironical-realization-of-a-destiny-resisted idea might play out despite Nimue's efforts).
Meanwhile, Ellie finds herself in the midst of an environment where clearly something magical seems to be going on, which may or may not bespeak the hand of Merlin and/or Morgan yet active in the world, and which she's determined to get to the bottom of. This is where parts of the book don't quite land for me, as there's an ongoing subplot about elements of myth becoming manifest in the real world that Parry never totally pays off. But on the whole, I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for the ARC.
Within each timeline Parry works in a sort of mystery element to the plot. Nimue finds herself fascinated by Merlin and Arthur and resistant to the idea of being destined to take part in their downfall, but Morgan is quite explicit about this destiny being inescapable, leading Nimue to explore the themes of how one can change fate (and leading the reader to wonder how the whole ironical-realization-of-a-destiny-resisted idea might play out despite Nimue's efforts).
Meanwhile, Ellie finds herself in the midst of an environment where clearly something magical seems to be going on, which may or may not bespeak the hand of Merlin and/or Morgan yet active in the world, and which she's determined to get to the bottom of. This is where parts of the book don't quite land for me, as there's an ongoing subplot about elements of myth becoming manifest in the real world that Parry never totally pays off. But on the whole, I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for the ARC.
July 26, 2026
This is going to be a difficult review to write because I love H. G. Parry and I think much of what didn't work for me in this book was probably due to my own expectations, but I can't deny that I feel a little disappointed by what I thought was surely going to be one of my favourite reads of 2026.
I want to preface my critiques by saying that I still consider Parry one of my favourite writers, and one the the best contemporary fantasy writers, it's just that this particular story from her didn't work for me.
While her writing style is as impeccable as always, I was immediately taken aback by the tone of the Nimue chapters, and while the choice of style is explained, I still felt a bit disappointed because they didn't feel as magical and as otherwordly as I would have liked.
The characters are well constructed, and they never feel one dimensional or flat, but because a lot of the relationships were developed off page, I couldn't feel invested enough in their dynamics, making it more difficult to feel emotionally impacted by the ending.
That's why I feel that maybe this story could have benefited from being a duology, so that we'd get to spend more time with each character and witness more of their journey.
I still very much appreciated the message of the book, and the passion that was so clealy put into it. Overall, you could still feel that it is a story born out of love for Athuriana and I always love it when you can sense a writer's emotional involvement slip through the narrative.
I want to preface my critiques by saying that I still consider Parry one of my favourite writers, and one the the best contemporary fantasy writers, it's just that this particular story from her didn't work for me.
While her writing style is as impeccable as always, I was immediately taken aback by the tone of the Nimue chapters, and while the choice of style is explained, I still felt a bit disappointed because they didn't feel as magical and as otherwordly as I would have liked.
The characters are well constructed, and they never feel one dimensional or flat, but because a lot of the relationships were developed off page, I couldn't feel invested enough in their dynamics, making it more difficult to feel emotionally impacted by the ending.
That's why I feel that maybe this story could have benefited from being a duology, so that we'd get to spend more time with each character and witness more of their journey.
I still very much appreciated the message of the book, and the passion that was so clealy put into it. Overall, you could still feel that it is a story born out of love for Athuriana and I always love it when you can sense a writer's emotional involvement slip through the narrative.
May 25, 2026
So, I won this e-copy of the ARC in a giveaway (my first ever win, actually!) and I wasn't quite sure what to expect since this was also my first H.G. Parry book. But, considering ARCs are an opportunity to get real readers reviews before a book comes out I felt it's my duty to write an actual review that might help someone decide to pick this up or not.
That being said, I loved this. Arthurian lore isn't even normally up my alley, and I enjoyed every second of this. There's a great mystery at its core, and a pacing that works so well with the dual perspectives. Somehow it manages to be both light hearted at times and dark at others without compromising the overall tone/feel of the book. The character development is so interesting as the mysteries unravel and there's a lovely romance at the book's heart that doesn't completely overwhelm the plot. Speaking of which, the plot has a conclusive ending that is satisfying to reach which always feels like the pinnacle of reading as a hobby.
I won't glaze it too much so as to avoid any one suffering from overhype. Overall though, I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy that feels a bit like a historical fiction! I will be looking to get a completed copy when this releases for sure, and will be picking up many more books by H.G. Parry.
That being said, I loved this. Arthurian lore isn't even normally up my alley, and I enjoyed every second of this. There's a great mystery at its core, and a pacing that works so well with the dual perspectives. Somehow it manages to be both light hearted at times and dark at others without compromising the overall tone/feel of the book. The character development is so interesting as the mysteries unravel and there's a lovely romance at the book's heart that doesn't completely overwhelm the plot. Speaking of which, the plot has a conclusive ending that is satisfying to reach which always feels like the pinnacle of reading as a hobby.
I won't glaze it too much so as to avoid any one suffering from overhype. Overall though, I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy that feels a bit like a historical fiction! I will be looking to get a completed copy when this releases for sure, and will be picking up many more books by H.G. Parry.
June 19, 2026
Thank you so so much to Netgalley and Orbit books for this ARC.
I’ve become obsessed with H. G. Parry’s work after reading A Far Better Thing, earlier in the year.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood takes place in two times: Arthurian England and WW11 England - automatically I was invested. Historical fantasy during WW1 or 11 is going to hook me every time.
Elaine is a librarian who is sent to a mysterious Camlann house to catalogue an elderly man’s library. All the while Europe is being overtaken with widespread dreams of Arthur and his knights of the round table. In a time of war, perhaps the masses are longing for a once and future king to save them from a world at war. Elaine has not experienced these dreams, but once she arrives at Camlann house she dreams of the witch Nimue instead. Through these dreams we get the “true” telling of Nimue’s role in the downfall of Camelot.
This was so wonderful from beginning to end. The characters of Elaine and Tom as well as Nimue were so well done and fleshed out in a way that had me feel so connected to them.
Parry is able to weave a tale so wonderfully with a historical background on top of a well known myth.
Five stars.
I’ve become obsessed with H. G. Parry’s work after reading A Far Better Thing, earlier in the year.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood takes place in two times: Arthurian England and WW11 England - automatically I was invested. Historical fantasy during WW1 or 11 is going to hook me every time.
Elaine is a librarian who is sent to a mysterious Camlann house to catalogue an elderly man’s library. All the while Europe is being overtaken with widespread dreams of Arthur and his knights of the round table. In a time of war, perhaps the masses are longing for a once and future king to save them from a world at war. Elaine has not experienced these dreams, but once she arrives at Camlann house she dreams of the witch Nimue instead. Through these dreams we get the “true” telling of Nimue’s role in the downfall of Camelot.
This was so wonderful from beginning to end. The characters of Elaine and Tom as well as Nimue were so well done and fleshed out in a way that had me feel so connected to them.
Parry is able to weave a tale so wonderfully with a historical background on top of a well known myth.
Five stars.
July 30, 2026
I think I've settled at 4 stars for this book. I fell in love with HG Parry's writing after reading The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door and how she could take a historical event, and add magic and malevolence to it. This time, it's World War 2 and the stories of King Arthur, perfectly mixed within this story. I loved all of the characters, and will forever see every single mouse as Squeak (iykyk) until the end of time.
My reason for not 5 stars this time:
Maybe this has more to do with the reading environment I was in when I read the last 15% (kids jumping on me), but the final reveal of this story was a little bit confusing for me and a bit underwhelming. Without spoiling, the tying of all of the loose threads together just didn't land perfect for me. It felt a bit chaotic and I felt like I couldn't understand what was happening at times.
Overall, this book was as amazing as I expected it would be, even if the last bit was chaotic.
My reason for not 5 stars this time:
Maybe this has more to do with the reading environment I was in when I read the last 15% (kids jumping on me), but the final reveal of this story was a little bit confusing for me and a bit underwhelming. Without spoiling, the tying of all of the loose threads together just didn't land perfect for me. It felt a bit chaotic and I felt like I couldn't understand what was happening at times.
Overall, this book was as amazing as I expected it would be, even if the last bit was chaotic.
July 30, 2026
You guys. I’m OBSESSED with this stunning Arthurian retelling featuring Nimue and Merlin. Told across dual timelines with one foot in World War II and the other during the fall of Camelot, it weaves together themes of fate, friendship, fighting the darkness, and second chances. Absolutely breathtaking writing. If you love atmospheric historical fantasy and Arthurian myths, don’t sleep on this. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year!
Thank you to Orbit for the eARC as apart of the Orbit Influencer Program in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Orbit for the eARC as apart of the Orbit Influencer Program in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
Want to Read
September 21, 2025me and arthurian retellings are a match made in heaven
Read
August 5, 2026Review to come on DW!! Must write this up significantly in conversation with the two other, worse books treading this same ground. Always fascinating when a crop of books chewing so much the same themes comes out in near-simultaneity. What was going on in (guessing) 2023-24?
July 22, 2026
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Whenever a new King Arthur retelling releases, I trip over myself to read it. In the case of The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, I was even more excited to read this one because it was written by H.G. Parry, the author of The Scholar and The Last Faerie Door , and The Magician’s Daughter. Parry always manages to create such uniquely magical experiences in her novels, so I was anxious to see how that applied to The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, which follows Nimue and her relationship with Merlin.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, doesn't just follow Nimue and Merlin, though. It also alternates to a second timeline set during World War I, following a librarian named Ellie as she travels outside war-torn London to catalog a private book collection at a country estate. I was very invested in both Nimue's and Ellie's perspectives. I found myself wishing they were entirely separate books, however, because I think the connection between the two storylines didn't work as well for me as I would have liked.
Even with that bit of a disconnect, I was constantly interested to see what was happening to both characters in these very different storylines. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, felt like both historical fiction and fantasy, which are two genres I really enjoy. I also loved the different take on Arthurian legend and the recognition that there are so many different renditions of the events surrounding the fall of Camelot. I also loved the references and twists on classic things like Gawain and the Green Knight, and the questing beast.
While there is plenty to love about this book, certain things didn’t hit home for me as much as I hoped. One of the things I love the most about the legends of King Arthur is just how messy and human it all is. All of the characters, from Arthur himself, to his best friend and loyal knight, Lancelot, and his wife, Guinevere, and even Merlin, are all very complex characters with flaws that eventually lead to the downfall of Camelot. So when I read retellings, I expect to find a certain level of personal and political upheaval.
This kind of drama is present in The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, but I would have liked for the novel to take it further to make the fall of Camelot feel more realistic to me. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the page space is devoted to the cast of characters and mysteries in both timelines, and how the events of Nimue’s life are affecting Ellie’s time period. This is another reason why I wished that the novel had been two different ones, because while I enjoyed the characters and unraveling the mystery alongside Ellie, I would have liked more time dedicated to the Arthurian characters.
For instance, this book suffers from something I see in a lot of different King Arthur retellings; Arthur is more legend than actual character. Camelot's eventual fall carries the most weight when Arthur himself feels worthy of the loyalty he inspires. His legend only works when he is a man others would willingly build a kingdom around.
Unfortunately, every other character seems to have more development than Arthur. I not only found this disappointing, but also felt that it lessened the impact and intrigue of the novel, which involves people all over the world suddenly dreaming of Arthur’s return in a world divided by the first World War. It was a little hard to be excited about his predicted second coming when readers are told in Nimue’s perspective that he’s nice, strives to uphold his own chivalric principles, tries to be fair, and allegedly likes animals. It feels like this portrayal of Arthur won the loyalty of Merlin and his other subjects based merely on being the subject of prophecies, rather than any winning character traits of his own.
Perhaps due to Arthur's lack of development, one of my other favorite Arthurian characters, Mordred, fell flat for me as well. Mordred, more than anything else, serves as a foil to Arthur. His entire existence is to test Arthur's ideals, character, and limits. Without a strong character for Arthur, there isn't much for Mordred to actually foil. Instead, Mordred was just so outright villainous. Readers get the sense that he is unequivocally irredeemable simply because he is supposed to be and I really would have liked to see more conflict and complexity in him, personally.
Other characters’ portrayals of the famous characters weren’t my favorite either. While it was nice to see a somewhat different take of Guinevere and Lancelot’s love affair, it felt like it was also more a product of magic than actual intense passion, which cheapened the relationship, and by extension, its notorious consequences. Morgan le Fey, who interestingly enough raises Mordred along with Nimue and Lancelot, is a watered-down, pun intended, version of the scheming sorceress and Lady of the Lake.
However, the entire creation of the Lake itself was incredibly magical and creative. This was one of my favorite parts of the story, and has the kind of quiet magic that Parry always manages to marinate her stories in. While Merlin was definitely one of the more interesting portrayals I have seen of the character, his relationship with Nimue, which is positioned to be some kind of star-crossed, grand love affair that transcends time, ultimately failed to convince me of their connection. Nimue's feelings for Merlin often felt inconsistent to me, and for an all-knowing, time-traveling man, Merlin doesn't seem very interested in clarifying his own feelings either.
Perhaps there were just too many moving parts in The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood. The novel did such a great job creating a sense of mystery and urgency. It feels like Ellie and her friend Tom are racing across the clock before something terrible happens. Tom was one of the most interesting, and quietly powerful characters in the entire story to me. Parry does a fantastic job of showing both the physical and psychological effects of war on this former pilot who was injured in battle through his relationship with Ellie, who was sheltered in her beliefs and experiences despite coming from war-torn London. Their growing sense of trust and quiet ability to understand when a subject needed to be dropped for the comfort of the other was the strongest portrayal of friendship and love in the entire book.
The ending, which brings together the two different timelines, sadly lost me and felt simultaneously unsatisfying and depressing to me. Though I think it was intended to be a bittersweet ending, I found that I thought less of Nimue as a result of the events and the things we learn about everything that is happening. It also felt like Ellie, who I had really related to, for being such a driven young woman and book enthusiast, and Tom, had been reduced to mere plot devices, which was a tough pill for me to swallow.
Though the ending didn’t work for me, I must say that the entirety of The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood felt like a love letter to King Arthur written by a fan who happens to be an incredibly talented author herself. While this novel wasn’t my favorite of Parry’s and didn’t resonate with me like The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door or even other King Arthur retellings, I am glad I read it. I think this book could be a great entry point for many people who want to learn more about Arthurian legend and for existing fans of both the legend and the author too.
Whenever a new King Arthur retelling releases, I trip over myself to read it. In the case of The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, I was even more excited to read this one because it was written by H.G. Parry, the author of The Scholar and The Last Faerie Door , and The Magician’s Daughter. Parry always manages to create such uniquely magical experiences in her novels, so I was anxious to see how that applied to The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, which follows Nimue and her relationship with Merlin.
The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, doesn't just follow Nimue and Merlin, though. It also alternates to a second timeline set during World War I, following a librarian named Ellie as she travels outside war-torn London to catalog a private book collection at a country estate. I was very invested in both Nimue's and Ellie's perspectives. I found myself wishing they were entirely separate books, however, because I think the connection between the two storylines didn't work as well for me as I would have liked.
Even with that bit of a disconnect, I was constantly interested to see what was happening to both characters in these very different storylines. The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, felt like both historical fiction and fantasy, which are two genres I really enjoy. I also loved the different take on Arthurian legend and the recognition that there are so many different renditions of the events surrounding the fall of Camelot. I also loved the references and twists on classic things like Gawain and the Green Knight, and the questing beast.
While there is plenty to love about this book, certain things didn’t hit home for me as much as I hoped. One of the things I love the most about the legends of King Arthur is just how messy and human it all is. All of the characters, from Arthur himself, to his best friend and loyal knight, Lancelot, and his wife, Guinevere, and even Merlin, are all very complex characters with flaws that eventually lead to the downfall of Camelot. So when I read retellings, I expect to find a certain level of personal and political upheaval.
This kind of drama is present in The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, but I would have liked for the novel to take it further to make the fall of Camelot feel more realistic to me. Unfortunately, I think a lot of the page space is devoted to the cast of characters and mysteries in both timelines, and how the events of Nimue’s life are affecting Ellie’s time period. This is another reason why I wished that the novel had been two different ones, because while I enjoyed the characters and unraveling the mystery alongside Ellie, I would have liked more time dedicated to the Arthurian characters.
For instance, this book suffers from something I see in a lot of different King Arthur retellings; Arthur is more legend than actual character. Camelot's eventual fall carries the most weight when Arthur himself feels worthy of the loyalty he inspires. His legend only works when he is a man others would willingly build a kingdom around.
Unfortunately, every other character seems to have more development than Arthur. I not only found this disappointing, but also felt that it lessened the impact and intrigue of the novel, which involves people all over the world suddenly dreaming of Arthur’s return in a world divided by the first World War. It was a little hard to be excited about his predicted second coming when readers are told in Nimue’s perspective that he’s nice, strives to uphold his own chivalric principles, tries to be fair, and allegedly likes animals. It feels like this portrayal of Arthur won the loyalty of Merlin and his other subjects based merely on being the subject of prophecies, rather than any winning character traits of his own.
Perhaps due to Arthur's lack of development, one of my other favorite Arthurian characters, Mordred, fell flat for me as well. Mordred, more than anything else, serves as a foil to Arthur. His entire existence is to test Arthur's ideals, character, and limits. Without a strong character for Arthur, there isn't much for Mordred to actually foil. Instead, Mordred was just so outright villainous. Readers get the sense that he is unequivocally irredeemable simply because he is supposed to be and I really would have liked to see more conflict and complexity in him, personally.
Other characters’ portrayals of the famous characters weren’t my favorite either. While it was nice to see a somewhat different take of Guinevere and Lancelot’s love affair, it felt like it was also more a product of magic than actual intense passion, which cheapened the relationship, and by extension, its notorious consequences. Morgan le Fey, who interestingly enough raises Mordred along with Nimue and Lancelot, is a watered-down, pun intended, version of the scheming sorceress and Lady of the Lake.
However, the entire creation of the Lake itself was incredibly magical and creative. This was one of my favorite parts of the story, and has the kind of quiet magic that Parry always manages to marinate her stories in. While Merlin was definitely one of the more interesting portrayals I have seen of the character, his relationship with Nimue, which is positioned to be some kind of star-crossed, grand love affair that transcends time, ultimately failed to convince me of their connection. Nimue's feelings for Merlin often felt inconsistent to me, and for an all-knowing, time-traveling man, Merlin doesn't seem very interested in clarifying his own feelings either.
Perhaps there were just too many moving parts in The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood. The novel did such a great job creating a sense of mystery and urgency. It feels like Ellie and her friend Tom are racing across the clock before something terrible happens. Tom was one of the most interesting, and quietly powerful characters in the entire story to me. Parry does a fantastic job of showing both the physical and psychological effects of war on this former pilot who was injured in battle through his relationship with Ellie, who was sheltered in her beliefs and experiences despite coming from war-torn London. Their growing sense of trust and quiet ability to understand when a subject needed to be dropped for the comfort of the other was the strongest portrayal of friendship and love in the entire book.
The ending, which brings together the two different timelines, sadly lost me and felt simultaneously unsatisfying and depressing to me. Though I think it was intended to be a bittersweet ending, I found that I thought less of Nimue as a result of the events and the things we learn about everything that is happening. It also felt like Ellie, who I had really related to, for being such a driven young woman and book enthusiast, and Tom, had been reduced to mere plot devices, which was a tough pill for me to swallow.
Though the ending didn’t work for me, I must say that the entirety of The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood felt like a love letter to King Arthur written by a fan who happens to be an incredibly talented author herself. While this novel wasn’t my favorite of Parry’s and didn’t resonate with me like The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door or even other King Arthur retellings, I am glad I read it. I think this book could be a great entry point for many people who want to learn more about Arthurian legend and for existing fans of both the legend and the author too.
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