Carpentry In The Elven Forest

by Alex French

In a town full of carpenters, how does an apprentice carve his own path? Buckle down, learn his craft, and hope someone recognises his talent – or look for something more?
Jef could never have guessed that one night’s drinking and a little magical tampering would begin a journey of life-changing proportions!
Tricked into a quest to create a magical jewellery box for a fiancée he isn’t entirely sure he wants to marry, Jef finds himself mixing with demi-gods, a talking badger, and a down-trodden half-elf questioning where she belongs in the world.
If you are waiting for inspiration to strike, or for your life to change, heed this cautionary tale!

390 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2025

Reviews

[Tom Bookbeard · Rating 5 out of 5]

French's debut Carpentry In The Elven Forest is a delightfully silly debut indeed. There's a lot to love with the kooky cast of characters. The standout for me was Oggy, the talking, coffee-connoisseur of a badger. Yep.

Carpentry doesn't take itself too seriously at all. It's clear the author took inspiration from his love of Terry Pratchett in writing this humorous fantasy tale of elves, trolls, goblins and magic. That dry humour drips from every page (as much as dry humour can drip, of course). I snorted, I groaned, I grinned in equal measure. It was a great time every step taken in the forest.

Strong worldbuilding takes a supporting role, really giving the flippancy its spotlight. I liked reading about how the world was created and how the preconceptions of the troll peoples was challenged. The hands-on demigods of The Gentleman and The Deep Dark sanded this down nicely.

Fantastic stuff, enjoyed this one a lot!

[Chris Mohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There something brewing. This novel is a great mix of humour, interesting characters and a story that bops along tying various strands and character arcs together in a satisfying way. There are plenty of jokes that reference modern culture, classic fantasy and if I'm not mistaken - even a Right Said Fred reference!

The world that we share with the characters is ripe for exploration in further tales. While it slants towards cosy fantasy at times, there is still the odd stabbing and element of danger thrown in for good measure. Definitely worth your time and its overall message and themes are definitely needed in the world today.

Looking forward to the next one.

[Katy Thayre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and like how the characters interacted with each other. I liked how it all comes together at the end.

[Megan Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has interesting characters that are easy to connect with. I enjoyed the way the world was introduced and how the characters involved were a main part of the story.