The Gravewood

The Gravewood #1

by Kelly Andrew

IS IT LOVE . . . OR IS IT BLOODLUST?

Shea Parker has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Gravewood – a deadly forest that’s cut her town off from the world. With resources dwindling, she’s forced to ration her hearing aid batteries. When her stash runs out, she’ll be left in silence.

Her only hope is Oliver Lysander, the volatile leader of the vampires who rule the Gravewood. Their deal is simple: she gives him her blood, he brings her batteries. No lines crossed. Nothing personal.

Until Shea’s best friend is lured into the Gravewood, and her brother Asher Thorley returns from the frontlines, willing to expose Shea’s darkest secrets to get his sister back.

Ever the opportunist, Lysander offers a new bargain: if Asher kills his vampire rival, he’ll help find the missing girl. And if Shea agrees to Turn, he’ll cure her ailing mother.

But every deal pulls her closer to Lysander – and to becoming a monster herself.

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Romantasy, Dystopia

381 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't become this excited for a series since probably legendborn. I'm obsessed, this is perfect. If you liked the chemistry between the main characters of legendborn this book is perfect for you, run to get it the second it's available I'm dead serious.
I have a soft spot for vampire stories(must be the obsession with twilight when I was 13), particularly the dark ones, and let me tell you this delivered.
In this world vampires are treated more like zombies, it's an infection and they are killed because of that. Our main character, Shea, makes a deal with a powerful vampire exchanging blood for batteries for her hearing aids. One of her childhood friends, back from a time in the hunting force, is looking for his sister who disappeared and he blames Lys, said powerful vampire. We go from there, I don't want to say too much.
This book has the only type of love triangle that I believe in, when the two male leads also have some tension between them. Lys calls Asher “sunshine” like CMON THEY'RE FLIRTING. I was living for the dynamic between the three of them and every interaction had me giggling. But don't be fooled, this is dark and sometimes a little gruesome, in other words: a perfect vampire story.
I don't know how I'm supposed to wait for book two now, I need it NOW.

Thank you Netgalley and Scholastic for this ARC!

[Kelly Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, friends—here we are again. Another book of mine is slowly finding its way into the hands of early readers. Over the course of my last three books we've explored the dark side of campus, the dark side of childhood, and the dark side of girlhood.

In The Gravewood, we're going to be venturing into the dark side of the forest.

Some moments inside the Gravewood are heavy. As such, I wanted to share potential trigger warnings for those of you who may be looking.

I know there are some readers who view content warnings as spoilers, and so if that's you I encourage you to scroll no further.

Otherwise, please read on:




-Child abuse
-Abandonment
-Fictionalized substance addiction
-Domestic abuse
-Allusions to self-harm
-Ableism
-Bullying
-Paranormal horror elements
-Blood and gore depiction
-Pandemic / plague / contagion depiction

[Nicole is Reading Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written and executed YA vampire romance that has more depth to it than you’d expect from the genre. The post-apocalyptic setting is incredibly unique and well thought out. Kelly’s prose, and her ability to capture every moment so vividly, created an atmospheric read that grounded me in the present but could also briefly whisk me away to the past, eliciting feelings of nostalgia for life from before. This is a slower paced read, especially towards the middle of the book, but as a whole, I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend.

Thank you Scholastic for the arc!

[Kamilah Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my fucking god OH my FUCKING god oh god oh my god

[Mai ༊*·˚]

I feel like I'm reconnecting with my teen roots by reading a YA Vampire book 🙂‍↔️


_______________

Thank you to Scholastic Press for the ARC.

[joni ౨ৎ - hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was honestly the most fun i've had while reading in SO long. if you like dystopia & vampires - do yourself a favour and add this to your tbr!


thanks scholastic canada for the gifted copy

[Courtney (why did I request all these!?) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grouchy and don’t feel much like heavily dissecting this book today.

It was fine. Second time I’ve read this author. Not sure I’ll continue reading. The prose at times was gorgeous, at other times it was overmuch.

Deducting a star because the FMC and MMC literally don’t even kiss each other the entire book and just because it’s YA doesn’t mean I need to be blue balled

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's giving "2026s Twilight"

SHUTUP THIS WAS DELICIOUS OMG

What am I meant to do with my life now? I finished The Gravewood (or more like it finished me 😭 ) and it's honestly top tier love triangle story of my dreams, this generations Twilight, I am utterly obsessed with it, in my top books of *all time* the worldbuilding was vivid with a refreshing spin on vampire lore with some good ol dystopian thrown in, we LOVE dual pov 😌 the tension and yearning was *aggresive chefs kiss* I cannot wait for more in this series

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

every character in this book was committed to being as messy as possible and it was highly enjoyable to read about.

love is, essentially, a series of chemical reactions in the brain. it has often been compared to an addiction. what happens when you can’t separate one from the other? when both love and addiction are chemical, when both produce feelings of intense intoxication and obsession, how do you know what is real?

in other words, what happens when you develop a codependent attachment with the vampire you feed your blood to?

I am in love with everything Lysander says and would read 10 books of his fuckery. a clinically insane vampire who quotes Shakespeare? #needthat

Asher tho…u piss me off 😤

I have doubts about this getting a happy ending but I am gonna be here for the ride regardless

[Kaylee Pereyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

YEP!!!! YEP!!!!!! THIS ONE IS *IT*!!!!!!!!!! That man YEARNS
--
GRAVEWOOD BRAINROT (ha) INCOMING. WELCOME TO MY NEW OBSESSION.

HANDS DOWN my absolute favorite Kelly Andrew book! The premise for this is sooo delicious, and boy, did it deliver. Dystopian vampires--say less. Tortured emo vamp boy HORRENDOUSLY down bad for the girl--SAY LESS. SLOW BURN YEARN-FEST--I SAID SAY LESS! (I apologize for the amount of caps lock this review is about to unlock in me)

First of all, I loved the worldbuilding of this! A really refreshing blend of vamp-contagion with some extra monstrous-ness that made me devour 80% in one sitting. PLUS DUAL POV THIS IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF. Shea Parker, I ADORE YOU. I loved her strength, her fear, her longing. Her realism in this dark world while still seeing shards of hope; it's so easy to root for her even when she's being stubborn and getting herself nearly killed 24/7. Oliver Lysander, you absolute yearner. YOU SMITTEN FOOL. I love him soooooo much. His chapters kinda carved a hole in my chest, they were so thrilling and GOD, I cannot stress enough how GONE he is for Shea. AND IT'S GLORIOUS. This might be the most I've ever highlighted on my Kindle because I would constantly highlight a whole page and take a moment to be like, christ I hope the ending of this book doesn't break me because this is SO GOOD. And if you're looking for a slowwwww burn, you've got it here. I'm in shambles over these two.

Aside from the impeccable romance, this book HITS on other relationships as well. Shea/her parents, Shea/Asher, Shea/Poppy (I LOVE POPPY), Lys/Asher, Shea/Camellia, Poppy/Camellia, Lys/Paris ... I could truly go on about nearly every character interaction because they all are so fascinating and complex. I incorrectly thought this was a standalone going in, but MAN am I excited to see more of these characters and this world. I'm writing this review the morning after (I was up til 2AM buzzing around my room) and I'm honestly STILL buzzing.

This is IT. The vampire book of 2026, calling it now.

[Antonia Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

LYSANDER !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pls bite me

(Proper review to come - thank you NetGalley for the arc!)

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

More vampires! More vampires! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! I knew that I was going to really enjoy the prose and romance in this book because of having read Kelly Andrew’s Your Blood, My Bones before (and boy am I sucker for a borderline toxic, symbiotic relationship). Plus, I’ll never grow out of my vampire phase, so it was basically a shoo-in. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Shea and Lys, and, to my surprise, actually enjoyed that it was dual perspective. Honestly the Shea/Lys/Asher triangle was very reminiscent of Twilight to me with the “who is best for her humanity” kind of angle, but with a slightly more polyamorous feel? Whatever it is, I can’t wait to read more of it! Take me back to my roots, Kelly!!






I couldn’t end the review without including a few of my favorite quotes from the book so minor spoilers ahead!

“Sometimes, in his worst moments, he wishes she’d stop coming to see him— wishes she’d vanish without a trace. Nothing at all would be easier than this. Having her in parasitic swallows, in desperate half measures. Thinking of her in the daytime.”

“It’s ugly this thing between them. The hunger. The secrecy. The way she likes how he looks with her blood on his teeth.”

“‘My mom used to read that to me. The boy in the story loved that rabbit so much, its fur wore thin and its stitching came loose. There’s a line in the book about what it takes to be real. It’s not about how you’re made. It’s about how you’re loved— so much that it rubs you raw’… Threadbare, he’d called her. He’d said it all wrong, that night at Mercy Ridge. He’s always saying everything wrong.”

[cari♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for the arc.

this is like a bad crossover of twilight meets the forest of hands and teeth. the world itself makes very little sense, with way too much going on and very little explanation for any of it. the characters are painfully cliche YA fare: a tough talking golden boy and a brooding bad boy (complete with motorcycle). the angst positively oozes out of every single oliver lysander chapter. my guy, it's okay to be emo from time to time, but you're doing way too much. we get it, darkness is your old friend and it's not your everyday darkness. it's... advanced darkness.

naturally to round it all out, we have the female lead, a Sad Girl who is pined after fiercely by Thing One and Thing Two, for no discernible reason other than Meyer's Law, which states that two blandly generic "hot guys" must both want an equally bland girl; especially if one of them is a vampire.

so much of this felt repetitive. a lot of arguing among characters about the same things over and over. lots of lys biting shea and thinking about biting shea. and there are entirely too many instances of someone noting that lys isn't like the other boys, he's like a god. he's a myth. he's a devil. did i mention he's a god? well if i didn't don't worry, in the next chapter lys will also remind you that he's like a god. he'll also chronically compare himself to other mythical figures like midas and perseus. he's emo and pretentious as fuck, what a catch.

aside from all of that, this book was just really boring. it's basically lys being his "i only shop at hot topic" self, obsessing over shea, shea jonesing for another vampire bite because she's basically an addict at this point, and then a meandering road trip to a big vampire party to face down lys's arch nemesis. this doesn't feel like something that needed to be broken up into a duology given that little of interest happens in this first book, so i think i'll be passing on the sequel.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Kelly Andrew writes was so unexpected, it blew my mind. I could feel the cold from the forest in the book seeping through my bones.

This is a post apocalyptic YA novel that follows Shea, a 17 year old girl trying to navigate her life while surviving in a small town next to the Gravewood forest, home of the famous Gravewood devil. Except, she’s well acquainted with said devil.

Lys, the devil in question, formed his own little kingdom in the cursed forest that’s affected by rot. Did I mention the trees have teeth? That’s because of the Rot which infects both nature and humans - some turn into vampires, other turn into a hybrid more similar to zombies. I really enjoyed this particular take on the concept of those creatures.

The plot is fast paced and engaging, but my absolute favorite thing is the atmospheric writing that’s so haunting. It was an absolute pleasure just going through this book and its characters. I was convinced this was a standalone and I’m both gland and upset it isn’t. Glad because I am nowhere near ready to move away from either the plot or the characters, sad because I have to wait for the next release.

Arc provided by NetGalley, thank you so much to both them and the publishers!

[Sanja ✵ · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first encounter with Kelly Andrew’s writing was The Whispering Dark. I summarized my experience with that book as confusion, where I didn’t know if I missed important facts in the beginning or if we were meant to be told things along the way.

Unfortunately, this book is built up exactly the same way, and I didn’t enjoy it at all this time around. We are dumped in the middle of the story, and while this can be an effective way of having a quick pacing from the start, the reader must be informed how we got to the starting point some way.

I felt like this never happened here and the reader was left in the dark on pretty much everything. How does the mythology around the vampire’s work? How did Shea conclude that she must come to a deal with Lysander? What happened to her mother? What is the Rot and where did it come from? What is so special about the Gravewood and how does it affect the town? What are the foundations of these relationships? These are just a couple of questions that felt pretty much ignored.

It felt like being thrown straight into a sequel and I was left confused and annoyed. Because of this, I had a hard time caring about the story and the characters. I started skimming pretty early on and will not continue the series.

[Clara (bookish_clara) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

I absolutely loved every single thing about this book, I couldn't put it down once I started. The Gravewood was dark and gritty with its dystopian vibes and it was so atmospheric. I could visualise every single detail within the world and especially the haunted forest that Kelly had created where the vampires are treated more like zombies, an infection and they are killed because of it.

I got the same type of feelings reading this book as I did when I read Legendborn and the chemistry between the main characters from that series, the dynamic between all three characters in The Gravewood is amazing and I loved the banter between them but especially between Lysander our vampire MMC and Asher the childhood friend who reappears in Shae the FMCs life after his sister goes missing. The way there is this tension between Lys and Asher is written so exceptionally well, I mean he calls Asher ''Sunshine''

This is also one of those books where the love triangle kind of works as not only does Lys and Asher have this tension and angst but it's also there between Shae and both Asher and Lys. For me though it's the yearning between Shae and Lys and it is utter perfection, what starts as a mutual bargain turns into the type of yearning love that haunts you. Especially from Lys side reading his POV and the way he feels about Shae got me so much.

This book is sometimes gruesome and dark but for me it was the perfect vampire story, I cannot wait for book two!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an early copy ahead of publication. All opinions are my own.

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 5 out of 5]

My obsession with vampires and romance started many moons ago with the tension between Louis and Lestat and had me buying up every vampire book I could get my hands on as a youth. Now well into middle age, I admit, vampires are still my favorite fantasy storyline.

So, when The Gravewood became available on NetGalley for review, my fingers buzzed over to the request button quickly. Being actually chosen to review, had me giddy!

I went in almost completely blind and came out with this book on my top 5 reads of the year.
It has it all:
Post apocalyptical setting with dystopian vibes
Haunted forrest
Vampires AND Vampire Hunters
Yearning between two characters that will make you feel like your dying- but in the best way.

I seriously cannot thank NetGalley and Scholastic Press enough for the chance to read this, due out April of 2026. With that much time between now and the release, theres almost NO WAY I not do a re-read. And I wish and pray this gets some sort of excellent deluxe release with sprayed edges. Fingers crossed!

[Brittany Kilinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m supposed to have WORDS to describe how amazing this was?! Impossible😩

[kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still not totally sure how I feel about this book. There were moments I definitely had fun but other times I just couldn't find my way.

I think my main issue is that while I enjoyed the individual elements, all together they just felt a little confused. Was it a post apocalyptic zombie book, a vampire romance, dystopia, paranormal??? The world building was just a bit messy. I have a feeling it’s a book I might enjoy more on a reread but I think I'll only know if I enjoyed it enough to read again when the sequel comes out.

what to expect:

- vampires
- love triangle
- deaf fmc
- deadly forest

[jenny reads a lot]

if there is a quest, of any variety, I'm gonna have a good time!

[Thenerdypsych · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this and cannot wait to read the next book!

The world building was novel, the characters diverse, and the angst was palpable! I imagined our trio of MCs similar to The Darkling, Alina, and Mal in Shadow and Bone -- "I don't care if you're his as long as you're also mine" 🔥 I enjoyed reading their complicated feelings come to the surface, often causing them to say and do stupid shit. Kelly's writing was immersive, pulling the reader directly into the Gravewood. The ending was wild and I feel like this would make an excellent screen adaptation. Here's hoping book 2 gets a bit spicier which is the only thing I felt was missing. Yes I know this is YA but there could be more while remaining within the confines of YA. I still don't know if their feelings were genuine or blood lust which I look forward to finding out in book 2!

[Lauren (thebookscript) · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WASN'T A STANDALONE!!

Me reading the last 15 pages: "wow I wonder how this will wrap up..we are running out of pages"
Hits end of book: "what the....oh so it's like that now isn't it...." runs to see if this is a series...yep.

This was my first book by Kelly but definitely not my last. If you enjoy fantasy with a touch of horror this is for you. Think... end of the world with plague dystopian vibes, and then add in some vampires & spooky hallucinatory trees.

One of my favorite niche movies is Warm bodies...and while that movie is definitely more humorous and light, I still felt like I got some of those vibes here. Maybe it's the undead love interest at the end of humanity. Talking about love interests...there are two...and while I was picking up on some possible why choose vibes...I DESPERATELY hope this stays in love triangle territory - because I love how at this point it could go either way.

The writing and atmosphere were what made this book come alive for me. I love genre bending books that have a little bit of everything for different kinds of readers.

This book is creepy, mysterious, and romantic all wrapped up in one. It it sounds like your scene, you should definitely give it a try.

[Ray]

Dnfing at 66%. I am so bored and i think we've lost the plot.

[patricia]

DNF at 31%

i fear i have been art baited. i was really looking forward to this one, i love yearning vampires, but this didn’t resemble yearning at all. it felt very insta lovey where the LI was already down bad — honestly both of them are — and the dialogue just felt too juvenile for my tastes. it feels very overdone, recycled from so many other YA books i’ve read and i just did not find any of it funny. i was expecting more depth, but this is very old school YA, and I’m so sad because this was one of my most anticipated reads.

i might come back to this, but for now it’s a DNF.

[Amanda Blanche · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Read - Releases April 2026

In a futuristic, apocalyptic world, not too far off from our present, the world has been poisoned and is slowly wasting away from the Rot. It started by contaminating the water and soil, and then poisoning the people who ingested it. Turning them into vampiric monsters or hollows. Morphing nature as well, thus the evil gravewoods with trees that whisper your greatest desires and then never let you leave. At the heart of these woods - lies a manor with the so called devil of the gravewoods. Lysander, is a being powerful and monstrous. He is the leader of the mercy boys, a group of other vampires. People who come to him, either come to turn, or to die. Except for one. Shea comes wanting to bargain with the devil. Shea has nothing to lose, the outcast of her town due to her family history and her impaired hearing, all those she loves have left her. So she agrees to let Lys use her, and in return gets favors and necessities. Quickly their arrangement turns to obsession. But when a past crush of Sheas comes back to town, and he is on a mission to find his missing sister, they go to the gravewoods together to ask Lys for his help. He agrees on the terms that Shea accompanies him to a gathering, and that soldier Asher kills the head of the vampires. In somewhat agreement they venture the dark woods and all its dangers.

It’s a story of obsession, betrayal, humanity and connection.

[Salima || salimateez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me? Loving a book Kelly writes? TYPICALLLLLL (in Schmidt’s voice),,

RTC, this one needs to ferment in my mind,, so many thoughts, so many things, parallels and such things,, as it stands, TWD, Until December, YBMB, Gravewood/The Hare & the Hound/ IAMOD, i think that’s where we’re at….

[Beth | Bookwyrm.Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.••*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.••*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•
✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦
I am deceased.

This was an utterly decadent and thoroughly addictive vampire romance. The atmosphere is dark, lush and deeply sensual - exactly what a gothic vampire story should be. The reader is dropped right into this world and right into the action on the very first page, and I loved how the mystery slowly unravels as small truths are revealed throughout the course of the story. I found the pacing to be medium to fast, and the dual POV really increased both the narrative and romantic tension.

Shae, Lysander and Asher are each beautifully imperfect, complex and tragic. Shae’s stubbornness drove me crazy, while everything about Lysander drove me crazy in an entirely different, swoon-worthy way. Asher had me rolling my eyes and feeling hopeful in the same breath. These are characters that stick with you long after reading, and the love triangle was absolute torture in the best way. Those who live for a man who yearns will be infinitely pleased with this book.

The side characters are also interesting to follow, with fully formed back stories and complex dialogue. I loved Poppy’s supportive and optimistic nature, as this really brought just the right amount of light into this book when it was needed most.

Absolutely obsessed with this book and it will haunt me for days to come. Don’t sleep on this one!

✦ 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 ✦
I was not expecting Teddy Hamilton because I didn’t know he is also Andrew Eiden. He is always a treat, and does a great job bringing out Lysander’s playful but dark nature. Is varied voices for Asher and Lysander were distinct and his vocal pacing was excellent. Elizabeth brought just the right amount of sorrow and heart into her performance for Shae. Absolutely 10/10, fantastic duel narrated audio.

✦ 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 ✦
Very dark themes and visuals - check content warnings, especially if you’re not into gore
This is the first book of a duology, so the story is not fully resolved by the end

✦ 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬 ✦
One Dark Window for the atmosphere, and Coldest Girl in Coldtown for the dystopian feel, yearning vampire, and mysterious plot.

✦ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✦
Deaf protagonist
HOT VAMPIRES
Forced Collaboration
Deadly Forest
He Falls First
Monstrosity vs Humanity
Love Triangle

•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.••*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.••*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•

✄----------
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre/s: Paranormal, Romance, YA
Format Read: Audio
Narrator: Duel; Andrew Eiden and Elizabeth Robbins
First book in duology
✄----------

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[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

'When the Gravewood swallows someone, it doesn’t spit them back out.'

3.5 stars.

This was atmospheric af. So moody and morbid. Very cool plot and world. It was giving YA The Walking Dead, but with monstrous vampires and 'hollows'. The writing was gorgeous. GORGEOUS, I tell you, and I loved Shea and Lys as MCs and their chemistry was electric, but I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic direction. It's a love triangle, but for me, our snarky, yearning sad boy, Lysander, is *the only* option, and I kind of spent the book wishing Asher would get lost in the Gravewood and disappear or something. And what he did at the end?! Lys would never. Also, I was getting throuple energy in parts?! Which is great if I loved all three of them, but see previous comment re: Asher. At this point, Lys is my sole reason for considering picking up book 2, though I can definitely see why people loved it, it just didn't land that way for me.

'He thinks that maybe he is cursed to forever grasp at scraps. Scraps of daylight. Scraps of flavor. Scraps of boyhood, sucked from the veins of a girl who will only ever give him scraps of her affection.'

'Sometimes, in his worst moments, he wishes she’d stop coming to see him— wishes she’d vanish without a trace. Nothing at all would be easier than this. Having her in parasitic swallows, in desperate half measures.'

'He wanted a single fucking moment of make-believe. What good is she if she won’t play along? What purpose does she serve, if all she does is make a monster out of him?'

[Alex Rayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one overall and honestly, it was giving 2026 Twilight in the best way possible. Those love triangle vibes were absolutely there, and considering how difficult love triangles can be to pull off, I thought this one was really well executed.

Shea was such an easy character to root for. I especially loved the hard of hearing representation and that her hearing aid played an important role throughout the story.

Also, shoutout to Kit the possum because I am always going to love an animal companion.

The themes surrounding the Gravewood itself and the rot were really compelling and created such an eerie atmosphere throughout the story. That said, I did find myself wanting a bit more from the worldbuilding overall. I really wanted to know more about where the rot originated, what happened to this world, and how everything ended up in this post apocalyptic state. Hopefully that’s something that gets explored more in the next book.

Overall though, I had a great time with this one and I’m definitely intrigued to see where the story goes next.

Thank you to Wayward for the eARC!

[Rachael | ☾ whimsicalfiction ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars 1000000000 stars
I’ve loved Kelly’s previous books but none of them have ever sunken their teeth into me and altered my dna and brain chemistry the way this one did. Just like the Rot in this book, I have succumbed to The Gravewood Rot, which is when all I can think about for the foreseeable future is this book (and the next one which I need yesterday pls).
I loved the homages to Shakespeare sprinkled throughout between the character names and the poems/plays Lys recited, so it’s no surprise that this felt very romantic tragedy-esque. Lys and Shae also gave me heavy Kaz/Inej energy except with far less contact qualms lol
Also I would actually die for poppy and Kit, please let this girl and her emotional support possum make it to the end I can deal with character deaths but if Kit dies I riot