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The Story Of The Deer Woman
A sudden gust of wind. A drop of blood. A transformation into something not quite human. As strange winds sweep through Manchester, unsettling the city and those who live within it, one woman finds herself swept into the Manchester Museum, where a small accident changes everything. After pricking her finger on a rusted nail, she begins a transformation she cannot explain, one that pulls her away from ordinary life and towards something older, wilder, and far more dangerous. The Story of the Deer Woman is a dark, lyrical modern myth about transformation, desire, and the dangerous pull of immortality. Blurring the line between human and animal, reality and enchantment, it asks what happens when we stop listening to the wild, and what happens when it answers back.
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Published February 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 11, 2026
An amazing atmospheric tale full of curiosity and consequences
January 28, 2026
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Story of the Deer Woman is unlike anything I usually reach for, but I’m so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone for this one.
This is a weird, wonderful, and at times purposefully unsettling story — written in a beautifully poetic, almost dreamlike way. The prose feels lyrical and immersive, pulling you gently away from reality and into something older, wilder, and slightly feral. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t just tell a story, it atmospheres you.
Set in Manchester, the descriptions are vivid and magical, to the point where it felt less like reading and more like dreaming. There’s a quiet unease threaded throughout — not shocking for the sake of it, but intentional, thoughtful, and deeply tied to themes of transformation, desire, and the pull of something beyond the human world.
This is a book that makes you pause, question, and sit with your thoughts long after you’ve put it down. It blurs the line between reality and enchantment in a way that feels haunting yet beautiful.
If you enjoy lyrical writing, modern myth, folklore-infused stories, and books that leave you slightly unsettled (in the best way), this one is well worth experiencing.
The Story of the Deer Woman is unlike anything I usually reach for, but I’m so glad I stepped outside my comfort zone for this one.
This is a weird, wonderful, and at times purposefully unsettling story — written in a beautifully poetic, almost dreamlike way. The prose feels lyrical and immersive, pulling you gently away from reality and into something older, wilder, and slightly feral. It’s the kind of book that doesn’t just tell a story, it atmospheres you.
Set in Manchester, the descriptions are vivid and magical, to the point where it felt less like reading and more like dreaming. There’s a quiet unease threaded throughout — not shocking for the sake of it, but intentional, thoughtful, and deeply tied to themes of transformation, desire, and the pull of something beyond the human world.
This is a book that makes you pause, question, and sit with your thoughts long after you’ve put it down. It blurs the line between reality and enchantment in a way that feels haunting yet beautiful.
If you enjoy lyrical writing, modern myth, folklore-infused stories, and books that leave you slightly unsettled (in the best way), this one is well worth experiencing.
March 25, 2026
This is one of those books that feels less like reading and more like being gently pulled somewhere else.
The Story of the Deer Woman is lyrical, strange, and quietly unsettling in a way that lingers. The prose has a dreamlike quality, soft, almost delicate at times, but there’s something sharper underneath it, something inevitable that you can feel building even when you can’t quite name it.
I found this book through Lemonjelly Press and immediately felt drawn to it. It’s been a long while since I’ve felt that kind of pull toward a book, and even longer since I’ve had the time or motivation to sit down and read. Busy life, busy schedule, tired mind, just surviving. But the moment it arrived, I tore open the package and devoured it in one night. I couldn’t put it down; I was completely absorbed.
Set in Manchester, the story carries a strong sense of place that grounds its more surreal, mythic elements in something tactile and real. It reads like a tale told just slightly out of reach, gently taking your hand and leading you through it without ever fully explaining itself. It feels both intimate and expansive all at once. I felt immersed from the very first pages, and didn’t quite wish to step back out of it when I finished.
What stood out most to me is how the book balances beauty with discomfort. It doesn’t rush, and it doesn’t over explain. It trusts you to sit with it, to follow it, and to make your own meaning from what unfolds. And when it’s over, it doesn’t quite leave you. It lingers in a quiet, almost unnameable way.
It’s the kind of story that invites rereading, not because it’s confusing, but because it feels layered, like there’s always something just beneath what you’ve already seen.
If you like myth-tinged storytelling, poetic prose, and stories that feel a little uncanny but deeply intentional, this is absolutely worth your time.
The Story of the Deer Woman is lyrical, strange, and quietly unsettling in a way that lingers. The prose has a dreamlike quality, soft, almost delicate at times, but there’s something sharper underneath it, something inevitable that you can feel building even when you can’t quite name it.
I found this book through Lemonjelly Press and immediately felt drawn to it. It’s been a long while since I’ve felt that kind of pull toward a book, and even longer since I’ve had the time or motivation to sit down and read. Busy life, busy schedule, tired mind, just surviving. But the moment it arrived, I tore open the package and devoured it in one night. I couldn’t put it down; I was completely absorbed.
Set in Manchester, the story carries a strong sense of place that grounds its more surreal, mythic elements in something tactile and real. It reads like a tale told just slightly out of reach, gently taking your hand and leading you through it without ever fully explaining itself. It feels both intimate and expansive all at once. I felt immersed from the very first pages, and didn’t quite wish to step back out of it when I finished.
What stood out most to me is how the book balances beauty with discomfort. It doesn’t rush, and it doesn’t over explain. It trusts you to sit with it, to follow it, and to make your own meaning from what unfolds. And when it’s over, it doesn’t quite leave you. It lingers in a quiet, almost unnameable way.
It’s the kind of story that invites rereading, not because it’s confusing, but because it feels layered, like there’s always something just beneath what you’ve already seen.
If you like myth-tinged storytelling, poetic prose, and stories that feel a little uncanny but deeply intentional, this is absolutely worth your time.
February 19, 2026
This one completely caught me off guard, in a good way. I went in expecting a normal story and instead got something that felt like a modern day myth, told in this really lyrical, almost hypnotic way. It’s not fast, it’s not twisty, and it’s definitely not shouting for attention… but it quietly gets under your skin and stays there. I’m sat here at 2am staring at the ceiling with it replaying in my mind.
The writing has this rhythmic, almost chant like flow to it that makes you slow down (whether you planned to or not). It’s moody, a bit eerie, and very atmospheric; the kind of book you read with a cup of tea thinking “this is weird” and then suddenly you’re 40 pages further in and fully invested.
It’s also a nice change from my usual crime/thriller chaos. No one’s running around with a knife, no detectives are dramatically ignoring protocol… just a very thoughtful story about identity, belonging, and what happens when life doesn’t follow the neat path it’s supposed to.
And the deer element isn’t random, by the way. Deer really do regrow their antlers every year (nature is showing off), which feeds into the story’s themes of renewal and survival, no mystical biology lesson required.
But this book does make me want to be sat in a forest on a bed of moss, surrounded by woodland creatures, listening to the trickling of the stream whilst sipping lavender tea out of a vintage China cup. Yes, please, thank you.
The writing has this rhythmic, almost chant like flow to it that makes you slow down (whether you planned to or not). It’s moody, a bit eerie, and very atmospheric; the kind of book you read with a cup of tea thinking “this is weird” and then suddenly you’re 40 pages further in and fully invested.
It’s also a nice change from my usual crime/thriller chaos. No one’s running around with a knife, no detectives are dramatically ignoring protocol… just a very thoughtful story about identity, belonging, and what happens when life doesn’t follow the neat path it’s supposed to.
And the deer element isn’t random, by the way. Deer really do regrow their antlers every year (nature is showing off), which feeds into the story’s themes of renewal and survival, no mystical biology lesson required.
But this book does make me want to be sat in a forest on a bed of moss, surrounded by woodland creatures, listening to the trickling of the stream whilst sipping lavender tea out of a vintage China cup. Yes, please, thank you.
May 30, 2026
This is a sensuous, dark, twisted, modern day, fairytale, with strong female characters set in the beating heart of Manchester City. I absolutely loved it!
Heidi is an incredible writer. She has a rare gift for turning every sentence into a juicy feast of words - combinations you would never imagine belonging together, in fabulous, titillating and sometimes humorous ways. Her prose is bold, indulgent, and surprising, much like the story itself. Such a delight!
At the centre of this tale are three main female characters, and they are each surprising in weird and wonderful, and yes, twisted ways. What makes them so memorable is how deeply relatable they are, despite their darkness. Each one embodies an aspect of the feminine archetype that rarely gets aired in public: the parts of womanhood that are messy, hungry, morally complex, and fiercely alive. These are not women who exist to be palatable. They are women who exist to be felt and even admired.
If you love dark, character-driven fiction with lush, original writing and a fairytale edge, this one is absolutely for you. I devoured it in one day.
Heidi is an incredible writer. She has a rare gift for turning every sentence into a juicy feast of words - combinations you would never imagine belonging together, in fabulous, titillating and sometimes humorous ways. Her prose is bold, indulgent, and surprising, much like the story itself. Such a delight!
At the centre of this tale are three main female characters, and they are each surprising in weird and wonderful, and yes, twisted ways. What makes them so memorable is how deeply relatable they are, despite their darkness. Each one embodies an aspect of the feminine archetype that rarely gets aired in public: the parts of womanhood that are messy, hungry, morally complex, and fiercely alive. These are not women who exist to be palatable. They are women who exist to be felt and even admired.
If you love dark, character-driven fiction with lush, original writing and a fairytale edge, this one is absolutely for you. I devoured it in one day.
June 9, 2026
I did enjoy this book. I liked the premise and the exceptional weirdness. I really liked the queerness and the sexuality and disgust throughout. I like that it is set in Manchester and I like the idea of urban folk horror. The imagination is outstanding and I enjoyed the stream of consciousness adjacent style.
I really liked what it was trying to do. I think it could have done with more editing - the sentences don’t always flow well and it doesn’t seem to be formatted properly. There are moments where it slips between past and present tense and where it slips between perspectives seemingly unintentionally. The tone is also quite inconsistent in terms of using modern/colloquial phrases but then also very formal/old fashioned phrases. I also think the Manchester setting doesn’t quite land right, like it’s name dropping locations but not doing much beyond that. There’s not much feeling to any of the places that are mentioned.
I kind of think a lot of the parts of the book I wasn’t such a fan of might be the fault of lemon jelly rather than the author - the bones of the story is fantastic, but I just can’t understand why it wasn’t edited more thoroughly.
I really liked what it was trying to do. I think it could have done with more editing - the sentences don’t always flow well and it doesn’t seem to be formatted properly. There are moments where it slips between past and present tense and where it slips between perspectives seemingly unintentionally. The tone is also quite inconsistent in terms of using modern/colloquial phrases but then also very formal/old fashioned phrases. I also think the Manchester setting doesn’t quite land right, like it’s name dropping locations but not doing much beyond that. There’s not much feeling to any of the places that are mentioned.
I kind of think a lot of the parts of the book I wasn’t such a fan of might be the fault of lemon jelly rather than the author - the bones of the story is fantastic, but I just can’t understand why it wasn’t edited more thoroughly.
February 11, 2026
The Story of the Deer Woman by Heidi Hinda Chadwick
I devoured this delightful book over two winter evenings and by the end was in love with the Deer Woman.
The quietly magical tale told in Heidi’s subtly ironic, wry tone is full of characteristic understatement which makes the surreal and strange feel grounded and believable.
Heidi’s prose is lyrical and yet beautifully Northern with long sentences unravelling into thinking aloud rhythm.
Something about it reminded me of Angela Carter.
The story is written in alignment with the deer rather than the noisy,cruel and ridiculous humans.
It speaks to belonging,
othering and how the mythical might live alongside the mundane.
There is something very matter of fact about the magical realism in this novella which reflects the Mancunian grit of its location.
This beautiful, gently funny, slightly sad,urban folklore tale is so cinematic , I can’t wait for the film!
My only criticism? I wished it was longer . Maybe second edition could be the extended version!
Mancunian magical realism, bring it on!!!
I devoured this delightful book over two winter evenings and by the end was in love with the Deer Woman.
The quietly magical tale told in Heidi’s subtly ironic, wry tone is full of characteristic understatement which makes the surreal and strange feel grounded and believable.
Heidi’s prose is lyrical and yet beautifully Northern with long sentences unravelling into thinking aloud rhythm.
Something about it reminded me of Angela Carter.
The story is written in alignment with the deer rather than the noisy,cruel and ridiculous humans.
It speaks to belonging,
othering and how the mythical might live alongside the mundane.
There is something very matter of fact about the magical realism in this novella which reflects the Mancunian grit of its location.
This beautiful, gently funny, slightly sad,urban folklore tale is so cinematic , I can’t wait for the film!
My only criticism? I wished it was longer . Maybe second edition could be the extended version!
Mancunian magical realism, bring it on!!!
February 11, 2026
A psychedelic journey through feminist mythology narrated in an oracle fashion.
I read this novella over a few nights but it’s one of those stories that is nutrient dense and I feel the re-readings of it will illuminate more each time. So it ticks two of my big boxes in that I found that I wanted to keep reading but it’s not “eating movie popcorn” storytelling, there’s deep and cheeky bits. It’s writing that is fulfilling to read.
Heidi’s writing style is how I imagine going on a psychedelic trip with an oracle would be while they tell you myths about creatures only they have seen but that oracle is also the long lost cousin of Hunter S Thompson.
Highly recommend for those who love feminine horror but also those who like mythology/fantasy and are wanting to explore horror.
I read this novella over a few nights but it’s one of those stories that is nutrient dense and I feel the re-readings of it will illuminate more each time. So it ticks two of my big boxes in that I found that I wanted to keep reading but it’s not “eating movie popcorn” storytelling, there’s deep and cheeky bits. It’s writing that is fulfilling to read.
Heidi’s writing style is how I imagine going on a psychedelic trip with an oracle would be while they tell you myths about creatures only they have seen but that oracle is also the long lost cousin of Hunter S Thompson.
Highly recommend for those who love feminine horror but also those who like mythology/fantasy and are wanting to explore horror.
April 6, 2026
Chadwick crafts a modern myth that understands transformation as both seduction and wound. The Manchester setting proves inspired, urban grit colliding with ancient wildness in ways that feel inevitable rather than forced. What distinguishes this debut is the precision of bodily change; the pricked finger, the rust, the gradual unbecoming of human form are rendered with sensual specificity that honors fairy tale tradition while remaining distinctly contemporary. The novel asks not whether we should answer the wild's call, but what we have already sacrificed by pretending we never heard it. For readers weary of sanitized shapeshifter narratives, this offers the genuine danger and desire of becoming other. A luminous, unsettling achievement.
July 18, 2026
Heidi Hinda Chadwick's debut book 'The story of the deer woman' is a curious and certainly unusual book such on the streets of Manchester where an ordinary woman finds her life beginning to unravels in wild and and weird ways.
I won't say anymore as this would give too much away for this original and in places unsettling book, but what I liked about the book was the fact that she mixes myths and surrealism almost in a very earthy setting.
I've read it elsewhere and I have to agree but there is a Manchester kind of feel to Angela Carter in this book, perhaps if they lived in Manchester in the 2020's.
A short book certainly, but one which I felt needed two reads shortly after the other to let the richness of the language fully sink in.
Superb.
I won't say anymore as this would give too much away for this original and in places unsettling book, but what I liked about the book was the fact that she mixes myths and surrealism almost in a very earthy setting.
I've read it elsewhere and I have to agree but there is a Manchester kind of feel to Angela Carter in this book, perhaps if they lived in Manchester in the 2020's.
A short book certainly, but one which I felt needed two reads shortly after the other to let the richness of the language fully sink in.
Superb.
February 14, 2026
This is so unlike anything else I’ve ever read, I almost don’t know what to say about it. Almost.
The language is beautiful and delicate and dreamy, not unlike the story itself now I think about it. The tale is an unapologetic ode to whimsical but brutally inevitable self-discovery and acceptance, with a healthy side of Mancunian easter eggs I’m sure will be satisfying to those familiar with the area.
A fascinatingly enigmatic journey, thoroughly engaging. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for other works by this author going forward.
The language is beautiful and delicate and dreamy, not unlike the story itself now I think about it. The tale is an unapologetic ode to whimsical but brutally inevitable self-discovery and acceptance, with a healthy side of Mancunian easter eggs I’m sure will be satisfying to those familiar with the area.
A fascinatingly enigmatic journey, thoroughly engaging. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for other works by this author going forward.
March 4, 2026
I inhaled this book!
Heidi is The Queen of story telling - I love how this book weaves magic, nature, eroticism and intrigue. It is truly the most unique book I have ever read. Each page sucks you into this curious alternate world which exists behind the scenes of the Manchester we know and love. There probably needs to be a warning highlighted to visitors of the Manchester Museum though. Stunning and poetic - this debut is highly recommended
Heidi is The Queen of story telling - I love how this book weaves magic, nature, eroticism and intrigue. It is truly the most unique book I have ever read. Each page sucks you into this curious alternate world which exists behind the scenes of the Manchester we know and love. There probably needs to be a warning highlighted to visitors of the Manchester Museum though. Stunning and poetic - this debut is highly recommended
March 11, 2026
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this novella , I found it unexpected, weird, wonderful, disturbing, magical, soulful, sad and titillating. Based in Manchester City intertwined with spirit and the wild. A tale of seeking, longing, desire, love, belonging, obsession and transformation. An in-depth psychology vibe. Beautifully written, I found certain descriptions unique with a depth of sensitivity and insight that was touching and refreshing.
Read
March 14, 2026What a magical, unusual story. The language is lyrical, immersive- and always interesting. The author has such a distinctive voice & it felt like you I was listening to her directly telling me the loveliest, but most unsettling fairy tale (as all the best ones are). The Manchester setting was deftly handled & was the perfect anchor for all the strangeness to come. A quick but powerful read that will stay with you long after the final page.
September 5, 2026
Absolutely loved this short story. Utterly immersive, I read it in one sitting. If you like to imagine a parallel magical world just the other side of this one, this is a book for you. Particularly enjoyed the jaunt to Dunham Massey (where I used to go and see the deer as a child!) and the smattering of subtle humour. More of the same, please!
April 21, 2026
I enjoyed the folktale feel of this story. The characters are delicious, and this tale takes us to dark and interesting places.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews