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Agnes of the Never-Ending Forest
Not yet published
Expected 5 Jun 26Naive and love-driven Agnes has spent her life as Greystone’s only bastard, tolerated, but never truly wanted. Until William made her believe otherwise.
But when his father, King Alaric, accuses her of witchcraft, William stands proudly at his side. Agnes never sees the betrayal coming until she is sentenced to burn. At the last moment, she flees—straight into the Never-Ending Forest. A place no one escapes. Inside, the world twists. Trees repeat themselves. Strange creatures wander. And something ancient watches from the dark.
To survive, Agnes is forced to trust a mysterious traveller who has been trapped in the forest for years. He knows its rules. He knows its dangers. And he may be the only reason she stays alive. As the forest begins to unravel her, Agnes must decide what she is willing to become to survive, and whether learning to trust again will cost her more than just her life.
But when his father, King Alaric, accuses her of witchcraft, William stands proudly at his side. Agnes never sees the betrayal coming until she is sentenced to burn. At the last moment, she flees—straight into the Never-Ending Forest. A place no one escapes. Inside, the world twists. Trees repeat themselves. Strange creatures wander. And something ancient watches from the dark.
To survive, Agnes is forced to trust a mysterious traveller who has been trapped in the forest for years. He knows its rules. He knows its dangers. And he may be the only reason she stays alive. As the forest begins to unravel her, Agnes must decide what she is willing to become to survive, and whether learning to trust again will cost her more than just her life.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 5, 2026
About the author
I. Brewick
1 book9 followersI. Brewick is the debut author of AGNES OF THE NEVER-ENDING FOREST, a dark fantasy novel. When she’s not writing, she’s likely obsessing over Taylor Swift and reading tragic love stories.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Please allow me to preface my review by saying I was hesitant to leave a review, as it will not be a very positive review, and I am a firm believer in 'if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all'. However, as the author had so kindly provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review, I feel obliged to leave a review, even if it's negative, and I apologise in advance. Here is my honest review:
Let me start with the positives. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Agnes and Will. The banter and will they-won't they tension was very delicious. There was a lot of chemistry between them and seeing their relationship grow was my favourite part of reading the book. The parts focused on them and their relationship (which was majority of the book, I would say) was quite enjoyable to read. I didn't quite understand why Will was so abrasive at the beginning, considering he was very starved for human company and I would've thought he'd be a lot nicer in his desperation for Agnes' company, but overall I enjoyed their relationship.
Another positive is the monsters in the Never-Ending Forest. The witches, the bear-beast, whatever the heck that other beast was that we never saw -- these were really interesting to read! Very creepy and I'm a big fan of horror so I really liked these monsters. Reading these scenes had me on the edge of my seat and I really enjoyed these parts.
Now unfortunately, the ending kind of ruined the book for me.
Firstly, I didn't enjoy the reveal of the journal. It didn't make sense to me that Will not only hid it from Agnes for so long, but that he actively lied to her. He hadn't just omitted facts to hide the secret, but he told her a lot of lies such as pretending that he's never heard of the Never-Ending Forest before or other such lies, which honestly I didn't think were necessary to hide his secret. With the number of lies he told, it felt more like trickery or manipulation, rather than omission. Another aspect that I disliked was that he said he "was raised to love [Agnes], even before I met [Agnes]". I feel that it cheapened their bond and the love that they nurtured together. Especially coming after Chapter 28, where it said their feelings for each other "was careful, certain and chosen". Finding out that Will grew up with some sort of imagined infatuation for Agnes, someone he didn't even know, makes me question the validity of his feelings for her. Were they even real? Or were they based on some idealistic perception of her? And the fact that he didn't follow up his statement by saying something along the lines of "but after meeting you and getting to know you, I truly fell in love with the real you", left me doubting the sincerity of his feelings.
Next, Will's death. It just felt wholly unnecessary to me. I definitely had a foreboding feeling that we might not end up with a happy ending, especially since the witches only said AGNES may leave, but I never expected him to DIE. I think that the circumstances surrounding his death just didn't really make sense to me. So, he tried to leave with Agnes even though he hadn't been granted permission, and as punishment, the witches killed him for it? But all the other times he'd tried to leave, he was just trapped and unable to leave. So the witches wouldn't kill him before, because he was still needed for Agnes when she eventually made her way to the forest. But now that he wasn't needed for Agnes anymore, then they kill him? Which I guess just hammers home the point that Will was nothing but a tool, a stepping stone for Agnes's journey. Which was very sad for me, as I'd quite enjoyed his character, and seeing him reduced to a tool was upsetting. For him to have sacrificed his entire life for Agnes, from setting out to England to rescue her, to surviving 3 years alone in a deadly forest, to finally being murdered when his usefulness had run its course? It was too tragic for me to stomach.
I'm generally a fan of happy endings, but I'm not averse to unhappy endings if they're done well. But unhappy endings are tricky to do well, because they really need to find that delicate balance of bittersweet acceptance. Personally, I don't think this unhappy ending was done well. In large part because I did not understand why he had to die the way he did. I think if he had died in a more necessary fashion, perhaps as a necessary sacrifice for Agnes, maybe I could be more accepting. But instead, I'm left thinking why did he have to die, he could've just remained trapped in the forest alone. Or perhaps that's an even worse fate which the author was saving him from. Ultimately, the reasoning behind the witches killing him just didn't make sense to me, which makes it hard for me to accept his death.
Lastly, the plot could've been stronger. The reveal that Agnes' mother was the first queen and that's why the King was so intent to kill her, felt lacklustre. (Especially after killing Will, it was difficult to care about anything else after that) If the King really wanted Agnes dead, he could've just killed her and her mother from the start. The rationale for him sending her mother away and waiting till Agnes was 18 wasn't well justified in my opinion. Another aspect that didn't make sense was why the townspeople were so easily brainwashed. First, by so easily going along with the King's decree that bastards were unlucky, hence mistreating Agnes her whole life. Then enthusiastically believing the King when he declared her a witch and happily hunting Agnes down to burn her at the stake. Then, with a few words from Agnes and Flora, suspected witches, they completely changed their minds and turned against the King? It wasn't explained why the townspeople had such sheep-like mentality, other than well, they're just like that. Also, it was never explained why the witches had such a vested interest in Agnes, to the point that they would literally abduct Will into the forest and keep him there for the sole purpose of keeping Agnes alive later on.
I also wish the side characters, William and Flora, were explored further. I personally feel there was more to William's betrayal of Agnes - my headcanon is that Alaric convinced him Agnes was a witch who had cast a love spell to ensnare his mind, which makes more sense to me why he would so abruptly turn against her (when he had initially planned to run away with her). Flora being a witch and her imprisonment was also glossed over greatly, which was such a disservice to her character. I really wish we got to see more of her and understand her better.
On a side note, I'm not sure if this is a new trend with YA books, but I was surprised to see a song playlist greeting me when I first started the book. I tend to associate such things with wattpad stories, so it made me start off with a negative impression of the book, as it felt out of place on a (soon to be) published book.
Now, again, I apologise for my criticisms. I truly wanted to enjoy this book and for the most part, until the last few chapters, I did! Unfortunately the last bit with the journal reveal, and Will's death, and the anti-climatic revenge closure, fell flat for me. I wish the author all the best and hope that this review is not too discouraging. And thank you once again for sharing your book.
Let me start with the positives. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Agnes and Will. The banter and will they-won't they tension was very delicious. There was a lot of chemistry between them and seeing their relationship grow was my favourite part of reading the book. The parts focused on them and their relationship (which was majority of the book, I would say) was quite enjoyable to read. I didn't quite understand why Will was so abrasive at the beginning, considering he was very starved for human company and I would've thought he'd be a lot nicer in his desperation for Agnes' company, but overall I enjoyed their relationship.
Another positive is the monsters in the Never-Ending Forest. The witches, the bear-beast, whatever the heck that other beast was that we never saw -- these were really interesting to read! Very creepy and I'm a big fan of horror so I really liked these monsters. Reading these scenes had me on the edge of my seat and I really enjoyed these parts.
Now unfortunately, the ending kind of ruined the book for me.
Firstly, I didn't enjoy the reveal of the journal. It didn't make sense to me that Will not only hid it from Agnes for so long, but that he actively lied to her. He hadn't just omitted facts to hide the secret, but he told her a lot of lies such as pretending that he's never heard of the Never-Ending Forest before or other such lies, which honestly I didn't think were necessary to hide his secret. With the number of lies he told, it felt more like trickery or manipulation, rather than omission. Another aspect that I disliked was that he said he "was raised to love [Agnes], even before I met [Agnes]". I feel that it cheapened their bond and the love that they nurtured together. Especially coming after Chapter 28, where it said their feelings for each other "was careful, certain and chosen". Finding out that Will grew up with some sort of imagined infatuation for Agnes, someone he didn't even know, makes me question the validity of his feelings for her. Were they even real? Or were they based on some idealistic perception of her? And the fact that he didn't follow up his statement by saying something along the lines of "but after meeting you and getting to know you, I truly fell in love with the real you", left me doubting the sincerity of his feelings.
Next, Will's death. It just felt wholly unnecessary to me. I definitely had a foreboding feeling that we might not end up with a happy ending, especially since the witches only said AGNES may leave, but I never expected him to DIE. I think that the circumstances surrounding his death just didn't really make sense to me. So, he tried to leave with Agnes even though he hadn't been granted permission, and as punishment, the witches killed him for it? But all the other times he'd tried to leave, he was just trapped and unable to leave. So the witches wouldn't kill him before, because he was still needed for Agnes when she eventually made her way to the forest. But now that he wasn't needed for Agnes anymore, then they kill him? Which I guess just hammers home the point that Will was nothing but a tool, a stepping stone for Agnes's journey. Which was very sad for me, as I'd quite enjoyed his character, and seeing him reduced to a tool was upsetting. For him to have sacrificed his entire life for Agnes, from setting out to England to rescue her, to surviving 3 years alone in a deadly forest, to finally being murdered when his usefulness had run its course? It was too tragic for me to stomach.
I'm generally a fan of happy endings, but I'm not averse to unhappy endings if they're done well. But unhappy endings are tricky to do well, because they really need to find that delicate balance of bittersweet acceptance. Personally, I don't think this unhappy ending was done well. In large part because I did not understand why he had to die the way he did. I think if he had died in a more necessary fashion, perhaps as a necessary sacrifice for Agnes, maybe I could be more accepting. But instead, I'm left thinking why did he have to die, he could've just remained trapped in the forest alone. Or perhaps that's an even worse fate which the author was saving him from. Ultimately, the reasoning behind the witches killing him just didn't make sense to me, which makes it hard for me to accept his death.
Lastly, the plot could've been stronger. The reveal that Agnes' mother was the first queen and that's why the King was so intent to kill her, felt lacklustre. (Especially after killing Will, it was difficult to care about anything else after that) If the King really wanted Agnes dead, he could've just killed her and her mother from the start. The rationale for him sending her mother away and waiting till Agnes was 18 wasn't well justified in my opinion. Another aspect that didn't make sense was why the townspeople were so easily brainwashed. First, by so easily going along with the King's decree that bastards were unlucky, hence mistreating Agnes her whole life. Then enthusiastically believing the King when he declared her a witch and happily hunting Agnes down to burn her at the stake. Then, with a few words from Agnes and Flora, suspected witches, they completely changed their minds and turned against the King? It wasn't explained why the townspeople had such sheep-like mentality, other than well, they're just like that. Also, it was never explained why the witches had such a vested interest in Agnes, to the point that they would literally abduct Will into the forest and keep him there for the sole purpose of keeping Agnes alive later on.
I also wish the side characters, William and Flora, were explored further. I personally feel there was more to William's betrayal of Agnes - my headcanon is that Alaric convinced him Agnes was a witch who had cast a love spell to ensnare his mind, which makes more sense to me why he would so abruptly turn against her (when he had initially planned to run away with her). Flora being a witch and her imprisonment was also glossed over greatly, which was such a disservice to her character. I really wish we got to see more of her and understand her better.
On a side note, I'm not sure if this is a new trend with YA books, but I was surprised to see a song playlist greeting me when I first started the book. I tend to associate such things with wattpad stories, so it made me start off with a negative impression of the book, as it felt out of place on a (soon to be) published book.
Now, again, I apologise for my criticisms. I truly wanted to enjoy this book and for the most part, until the last few chapters, I did! Unfortunately the last bit with the journal reveal, and Will's death, and the anti-climatic revenge closure, fell flat for me. I wish the author all the best and hope that this review is not too discouraging. And thank you once again for sharing your book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The book started out strong in the first chapter focusing on the main character Agnes and her friend Flora who I really loved! Then the pacing seemed a little rushed and I wished we got a little bit more time with Flora and exploring Agnes’ relationship with William. Agnes herself was a little bit annoying to me at times, but she has been through a LOT so it was completely understandable. This is just me nitpicking at this point because for a debut book this was really solid.
I was able to finish this book in one day as there were some good twists and turns and it kept me interested and wanting to know what was next. I was also really curious to see Agnes and her relationship with Will develop with time.
The world was fun and interesting. The Never Ending Forest was a cool concept and had some interesting creatures in it as well.
Please do not read beyond this point if you don’t want any hint towards the ending of the book! No direct spoilers but still the vibes will be spoiled.
The ending was so bittersweet. I’m a sucker for not so happy endings and this was definitely one of them but it hurt more than usual.
Overall a great debut novel and I can’t wait to see what else the author may write in the future!
I was able to finish this book in one day as there were some good twists and turns and it kept me interested and wanting to know what was next. I was also really curious to see Agnes and her relationship with Will develop with time.
The world was fun and interesting. The Never Ending Forest was a cool concept and had some interesting creatures in it as well.
Please do not read beyond this point if you don’t want any hint towards the ending of the book! No direct spoilers but still the vibes will be spoiled.
The ending was so bittersweet. I’m a sucker for not so happy endings and this was definitely one of them but it hurt more than usual.
Overall a great debut novel and I can’t wait to see what else the author may write in the future!
Review of advance copy received from Author
It had been a while since I was so invested in a book romance, and the twists and turns it took made me feel emotions out loud, and I loved it!
I mean, the story had 100% of my attention as soon as I saw there was witchcraft involved, but the way the author made it feel alive in the novel, specially with the descriptions of the forest itself? It was simply awesome. The forest surely became its own character and I love when books do that!
I received my early copy directly from the author, and I'm sure excited to see what they will write next!
I mean, the story had 100% of my attention as soon as I saw there was witchcraft involved, but the way the author made it feel alive in the novel, specially with the descriptions of the forest itself? It was simply awesome. The forest surely became its own character and I love when books do that!
I received my early copy directly from the author, and I'm sure excited to see what they will write next!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Very beautifully written for a debut novel. Been a while since a book i have read has made me giggle, groan, roll my eyes, blush and cry as much as this book.
also one of my best friends wrote this so maybe i am biased but I truly wish every person in the world could read this book and feel what i felt.
also one of my best friends wrote this so maybe i am biased but I truly wish every person in the world could read this book and feel what i felt.
Review of advance copy received from Autor
CHICAS me leí este libro hace unos meses y 🤧. Es fantasía autoconclusiva, YA. Acusan a la protagonista de ser bruja y entra por error en un bosque encantado del que una vez entras no puedes salir. Allí se encuentra con un chico que lleva años encerrado👀 Es una lectura ligerita, que engancha. Me lo leí en na y menos:)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews