Of Briars and Darkness

by Lenora

How far would you go to save the ones you love? To save the innocent?

Elizabeth Penton has always been cautious—careful not to disobey any rules or throw herself in harm’s way, unlike her exuberant older sister, Alice.

For centuries, the people of Brimsbrook have lived in fear of the haunting Hales Forest. Every so often, someone in the village goes missing—only to be found days later, their bodies mangled beyond recognition. Rumors of demons and black magic keep the fear alive. Even the Governors of old forbade entry after sunset.

But when Alice disappears, Elizabeth ignores every warning and rushes into the depths of the forest, desperate to bring her sister home, accompanied by the Governor’s nephew Oscar and her friend Noen.

What they find under the forest’s decaying canopy is nothing like they imagined—twisted people, strange rituals, and a darkness that feeds on more than just fear. As Elizabeth uncovers secrets buried deep in the forest’s heart, she must decide: will she fight to protect the innocent, or surrender to a force far older and more terrifying than she ever imagined?



Of Briars and Darkness is a New Adult Dark Fantasy with themes of found family, yearning, forbidden magic, dark mysteries, and coming to terms with grief and the things we must do to overcome evil—no matter the cost.

448 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2025

Reviews

[Ylva-Christine Marvold · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love your fantasy with a splash of romantic suspense, and a forest full of secrets, this book is about to become your next obsession!

How far will you go to save the ones you love?
That’s the question at the heart of Of briars and darkness, Where Lizzie Penton is forced to confront the terrifying legends of Hales forest, after her sister Alice disappears.

This book surprised me in the best way, it is fast paced, easy to read, with not just one, but two plot twists that genuinely surprised me, a rare feat! Lenora’s writing style is like stepping into a fairytale, with descriptions that genuinely warms the heart! And i also enjoy a good slowburn, and lets just say: I hope i’m rooting for the right rat(you’ll get the reference once you read it 😉)

I do however want to point out the parts i didn’t enjoy enough not to subtract one star(Well, i still haven’t given a book five stars, so nitpicking is what’s ahead)
There were moments, particularly in the beginning where the explanations/sentences felt a bit lengthy, and some could have been a bit tighter, also one character who’s initially seen as being a certain type of person, was revealed to be another kind of person a bit to early, i would have liked him to be seen as the other for a bit more.

Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I would say this book is a good fit for anyone who enjoys romantasy and fantasy with a touch of darkness. Anyone who likes a good fast paced book, and most importantly:
Anyone who loves a good dark and mysterious forest! 💚

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I really enjoyed this book especially for a debut novel by an indie author. None of the loose storylines or grammatical errors that I come across fairly often in releases for debut indies. Laura clearly put in alot of thought and dedication to produce and edit this great book. The characters were well developed and really good context for the world building was given right off the bat. I didn't feel like I was being overwhelmed with details nor left so in the dark that I had no clue what was going on. Excellent plot writing with some great twists and relationship developments. Really I have no major issues just a couple minor spots wherein it felt like the story wasn't flowing as well but that also could have just been me.
This story gave me vibes of a combined "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" and "The Beast is an Animal" just from some similar plot points but I would say if you liked "The Beast is an Animal" than you should totally give this a try.

[jess_bin_it · Rating 3 out of 5]

although it did take me up to the 50% mark to actually get into this book, i did enjoy the plot as it was a really interesting concept. i do feel like there was a lot of uncessary information thrown at you in the first chapter which was a lot to absorb but then not much description in other parts of the book that needed it. i did also struggle with who was the love interest of the main character was as she seemed to be flirting with two people, and i definitely had a preference of who she ended up with (and it wasn’t the person that she did)!

if anything i felt like this book could have been longer to accommodate more description and thicker plot on each scene!

there were a few spelling / formatting mistakes throughout but all together i enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the second!

thank you to the author for sending me an electronic copy of this book✨

[Kelsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Briars and Darkness by Lenora is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me and got me out of a deep reading slump!

It’s a well-paced and engaging indie debut with fun, memorable characters. The dark, mystical elements are smoothly woven into the story, creating a moody atmosphere, and the twists genuinely surprised me!
It’s an enjoyable read and a strong first novel that shows real promise. I can’t wait for book two! (And I can’t wait for more Felix) 😜

[Mel Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Of Briars and Darkness by Lenora (ARC)

ARC Read, by far not the worst ARC I’ve read. This is a YA fantasy following the FMC through her journey through the magik woods to find her sister.

The world building was heavy to begin with (as most fantasy books can be) but was told through an interesting POV (read it and you’ll get it) it was a great way to get the answers WHY the mysterious disappearances happen and why they can do to stop it.

It’s a really good first book and I cannot wait for book 2!

Read: 01/10/2025 - 11/10/2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🚫🌶️ (tension)
📖

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