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Feed the Tree
152 pages, Paperback
Published September 7, 2026
About the author
Wendy Dalrymple
87 books349 followersWendy Dalrymple loves to explore the beauty in horrific things.. When she’s not writing #pinkhorror or Florida Gothic horror, you can find her hiking with her family, painting (bad) wall art, and trying to grow as many pineapples as possible. Follow her on IG or TikTok @wendydalrymplewrites.
Www.wendydalrymple.com
Www.wendydalrymple.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 23, 2026
3.5 stars
Content warning:
Compelling dark romance and horror novella, featuring a nontraditional HEA.
Content warning:
Compelling dark romance and horror novella, featuring a nontraditional HEA.
Want to Read
September 27, 2026Such a beautiful cover.
September 20, 2026
𝔉𝔢𝔢𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔗𝔯𝔢𝔢 🩸
“Men like you take and take,” I said his blood spilling at my feet. “It’s my turn to take what I want.”
Welcome back, my sweet, awful creatures!! 🦇
I do know that there's still a long way to go until spooky season, but I, as a certified horror girly, cannot not pick up spooky books once I feel the breeze of autumn. I suppose the universe agrees, as I was sent a witchy book this month!! Now, let’s get into my review!
Feed the Tree is the tragic story of a young girl whose life consists of fending for her severely ill father and taking care of their farm. There is only one thing that keeps her going… Henry. Her young fisherman whom she loves with her soul. Together they plan to escape the village once her father dies and start fresh by exploring uncharted waters. She would finally have her dream life, but fate has other plans in store for her… One night, a wild storm pulls Henry and the ship into the treacherous waters. Causing his inevitable death… With that, she loses all her dreams that she was holding onto so tightly. What does a woman have left when all she loved is taken away from her? Desperation and Revenge. She was ready to do anything to bring her lover back, even if it meant visiting the dark witch of the swamp.
Oh my!! It's been a while since I read a witchy book, and I do admit that I missed the vibes!
The story caught my interest and kept me on my toes the whole time! I believe that is a crucial detail when you write horror. No cringe jumpscares, just a deeply unsettling vibe that keeps you on your toes with curiosity. The horror is more psychological than graphic, which is something I genuinely love, as fear and horror reside in the head more than the eye to me personally. It is also why I love feminine rage stories, which "feed the tree" is. No one understands pure horror the way women do.
This story explores feminine rage and desperation so well that it gave me chills while reading. As women we were already given an unfair start in life, so whatever we do, we have to put ten times the effort into it, and right when we are about to achieve it, fate decides it's not the time for it yet. I believe a lot of women can relate to this, and that is why our main character is so relatable. She is a version of all of us at the beginning… innocent, lively, and hopeful. Then life happens, and she has no other chance but to become the opposite. She has to survive one way or another.
The witch aspect, though, isn't really the witchy Pinterest aesthetic you guys love so much. This is real witchcraft, demonic and evil. It has human sacrifices, grape, and so many more gruesome scenes that are included in the storyline. So, no, it isn't a cutesy witchy read. It is a heartbreaking feminine rage story that brings a young woman to the brink of desperation and evil.
As much as I loved the story, it felt a little rushed. It doesn’t mean that it took away from my reading experience, no, but I would have loved for it to feel more in-depth. It is a story with so much promise; it deserved more.
Thank you for this ARC.
Until next time!!
Mira 🩵
“Men like you take and take,” I said his blood spilling at my feet. “It’s my turn to take what I want.”
Welcome back, my sweet, awful creatures!! 🦇
I do know that there's still a long way to go until spooky season, but I, as a certified horror girly, cannot not pick up spooky books once I feel the breeze of autumn. I suppose the universe agrees, as I was sent a witchy book this month!! Now, let’s get into my review!
Feed the Tree is the tragic story of a young girl whose life consists of fending for her severely ill father and taking care of their farm. There is only one thing that keeps her going… Henry. Her young fisherman whom she loves with her soul. Together they plan to escape the village once her father dies and start fresh by exploring uncharted waters. She would finally have her dream life, but fate has other plans in store for her… One night, a wild storm pulls Henry and the ship into the treacherous waters. Causing his inevitable death… With that, she loses all her dreams that she was holding onto so tightly. What does a woman have left when all she loved is taken away from her? Desperation and Revenge. She was ready to do anything to bring her lover back, even if it meant visiting the dark witch of the swamp.
Oh my!! It's been a while since I read a witchy book, and I do admit that I missed the vibes!
The story caught my interest and kept me on my toes the whole time! I believe that is a crucial detail when you write horror. No cringe jumpscares, just a deeply unsettling vibe that keeps you on your toes with curiosity. The horror is more psychological than graphic, which is something I genuinely love, as fear and horror reside in the head more than the eye to me personally. It is also why I love feminine rage stories, which "feed the tree" is. No one understands pure horror the way women do.
This story explores feminine rage and desperation so well that it gave me chills while reading. As women we were already given an unfair start in life, so whatever we do, we have to put ten times the effort into it, and right when we are about to achieve it, fate decides it's not the time for it yet. I believe a lot of women can relate to this, and that is why our main character is so relatable. She is a version of all of us at the beginning… innocent, lively, and hopeful. Then life happens, and she has no other chance but to become the opposite. She has to survive one way or another.
The witch aspect, though, isn't really the witchy Pinterest aesthetic you guys love so much. This is real witchcraft, demonic and evil. It has human sacrifices, grape, and so many more gruesome scenes that are included in the storyline. So, no, it isn't a cutesy witchy read. It is a heartbreaking feminine rage story that brings a young woman to the brink of desperation and evil.
As much as I loved the story, it felt a little rushed. It doesn’t mean that it took away from my reading experience, no, but I would have loved for it to feel more in-depth. It is a story with so much promise; it deserved more.
Thank you for this ARC.
Until next time!!
Mira 🩵
October 15, 2026
Gothic fantasy x horror novella
I finished Feed the Tree and I really enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of gothic fantasy and bite sized horror, so this checked all the boxes for me. The ending was 5/5 for sure. A perfect quick read for spooky season.
The writing style was a little clunky, but this is the first time I've read anything by this author. I liked this novella so I'll be checking out her other work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for this gifted ARC!
I finished Feed the Tree and I really enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of gothic fantasy and bite sized horror, so this checked all the boxes for me. The ending was 5/5 for sure. A perfect quick read for spooky season.
The writing style was a little clunky, but this is the first time I've read anything by this author. I liked this novella so I'll be checking out her other work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for this gifted ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🖋️ Author: Wendy Dalrymple
📖 Title: Feed The Tree
📅 Pub Day: September 08, 2026
💌 Publisher: Quill & Crow Publishing House
📚 Format: Digital
🏷️ ISBN: 9781967911479
⏱️ Length: 130 pages
📌 Genre(s): Gothic Horror, Dark Fantasy/Fairytale, Mystery
⭐ Star Rating: 5
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
This was such a good read!
We follow a young woman, drowning in responsibility, caring for her sick, alcoholic father, trying to hold her own life together with duct tape. And then Henry shows up. A sailor, a soft spot, the first good thing she’s touched in forever. So when he disappears, she doesn’t just mourn him. She goes into the swamp to find him, and that’s when the book stops being “sad girl in a sad situation” and turns into something way darker.
At its core, this novella is about what you'd be willing to do for love and freedom. Not in a sweeping, romantic way, more like, how far would you actually go if it meant escaping the life you're trapped in and keeping the one good thing you found. The swamp isn't just a backdrop, it feels like its own presence in the story, and there's a real sense of dread the whole way through.
The pacing is good, and the atmosphere is thick. The swamp isn't just a backdrop, it feels like its own presence in the story. It’s dark, it’s weird, and it’s exactly the kind of little gothic short story I wanted for spooky season (or honestly any season).
Overall, a really strong, eerie novella that knows what it’s doing and doesn’t waste a single page.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If you like:
✔️ swamp atmosphere
✔️ femme-focused horror
✔️ gothic vibes
✔️ dark fairy tales
✔️ morally messy women
✔️ erotic horror
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Dalrymple, and Quill & Crow Publishing House for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
This review is cross‑posted across multiple platforms.
📖 Title: Feed The Tree
📅 Pub Day: September 08, 2026
💌 Publisher: Quill & Crow Publishing House
📚 Format: Digital
🏷️ ISBN: 9781967911479
⏱️ Length: 130 pages
📌 Genre(s): Gothic Horror, Dark Fantasy/Fairytale, Mystery
⭐ Star Rating: 5
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
This was such a good read!
We follow a young woman, drowning in responsibility, caring for her sick, alcoholic father, trying to hold her own life together with duct tape. And then Henry shows up. A sailor, a soft spot, the first good thing she’s touched in forever. So when he disappears, she doesn’t just mourn him. She goes into the swamp to find him, and that’s when the book stops being “sad girl in a sad situation” and turns into something way darker.
At its core, this novella is about what you'd be willing to do for love and freedom. Not in a sweeping, romantic way, more like, how far would you actually go if it meant escaping the life you're trapped in and keeping the one good thing you found. The swamp isn't just a backdrop, it feels like its own presence in the story, and there's a real sense of dread the whole way through.
The pacing is good, and the atmosphere is thick. The swamp isn't just a backdrop, it feels like its own presence in the story. It’s dark, it’s weird, and it’s exactly the kind of little gothic short story I wanted for spooky season (or honestly any season).
Overall, a really strong, eerie novella that knows what it’s doing and doesn’t waste a single page.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If you like:
✔️ swamp atmosphere
✔️ femme-focused horror
✔️ gothic vibes
✔️ dark fairy tales
✔️ morally messy women
✔️ erotic horror
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Dalrymple, and Quill & Crow Publishing House for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
This review is cross‑posted across multiple platforms.
September 17, 2026
Feed the Tree is told from the perspective of an unnamed, young woman in the panhandle of Florida. She’s deep in swamp country and every day is a struggle to make ends meet. She cares for her abusive, aging father.
The descriptions of the swamp and heat really added to the oppressive feeling and exhaustion. It was very atmospheric. A good Gothic, Florida vibe!
The overall romance between our main character and Henry fell flat for me. I needed more character development from Henry. We know he’s a fisherman, but what’s his family background? What are his likes and dislikes? How did he become a fisherman? What is his family history? Why was he drawn to our main character? I felt like the female main character traveled into town three times and they were instantly sneaking midnight dalliances. As a reader, I felt like it was “insta-love” and I wanted several more chapters to learn who Henry was and how their romance developed.
The Gothic, paranormal elements and plot were excellent. The swamp witch and our FMC’s reason for bargaining with the witch were wonderful. The description of the witch’s appearance was folk horror at it’s best and felt on par with some of the works of the Grimm Brothers.
Overall, I highly recommend this to Gothic folk readers. Romance readers that are looking to edge their way into dark, Gothic books may end up wanting more.
The descriptions of the swamp and heat really added to the oppressive feeling and exhaustion. It was very atmospheric. A good Gothic, Florida vibe!
The overall romance between our main character and Henry fell flat for me. I needed more character development from Henry. We know he’s a fisherman, but what’s his family background? What are his likes and dislikes? How did he become a fisherman? What is his family history? Why was he drawn to our main character? I felt like the female main character traveled into town three times and they were instantly sneaking midnight dalliances. As a reader, I felt like it was “insta-love” and I wanted several more chapters to learn who Henry was and how their romance developed.
The Gothic, paranormal elements and plot were excellent. The swamp witch and our FMC’s reason for bargaining with the witch were wonderful. The description of the witch’s appearance was folk horror at it’s best and felt on par with some of the works of the Grimm Brothers.
Overall, I highly recommend this to Gothic folk readers. Romance readers that are looking to edge their way into dark, Gothic books may end up wanting more.
September 16, 2026
Hey, want the recipe for a great Florida horror novella? You'll need something to spice it up (think Datil Pepper), some blood and guts (we won't ask where you got them), and plenty of brackish swamp water. Stir those all together in a swamp witch's cauldron and bring it to a boil. The result, best served under a full moon, is sure to please.
There's a lot of good things happening in the Florida horror writing community, and Dalrymple is very much a part of that. Now she brings us a fresh story at the intersection of pink or feminine horror, Florida gothic, and reimagined folklore. It's probably the latter of those three I found most fun and compelling about Feed the Tree, which draws on the folklore around Cebe Tate and Tate's Green Hell. It was a fast read and a tight story that was just the right size for a novella. If you like Dalrymple's distinctive flavor of horror (Bed Rot Baby, Credenza, etc.), than you will no doubt enjoy this new tale every bit as much, and if you haven't explored her work before, this would an excellent place to start.
There's a lot of good things happening in the Florida horror writing community, and Dalrymple is very much a part of that. Now she brings us a fresh story at the intersection of pink or feminine horror, Florida gothic, and reimagined folklore. It's probably the latter of those three I found most fun and compelling about Feed the Tree, which draws on the folklore around Cebe Tate and Tate's Green Hell. It was a fast read and a tight story that was just the right size for a novella. If you like Dalrymple's distinctive flavor of horror (Bed Rot Baby, Credenza, etc.), than you will no doubt enjoy this new tale every bit as much, and if you haven't explored her work before, this would an excellent place to start.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25 ⭐️Feed the Tree was Dark, twisted, atmospheric, and completely unhinged, in the best way. This Southern Gothic horror novella pulled me straight into the eerie Florida swamps and gave me a story about grief, desperation, love, and just how far someone will go to get what they want.
The atmosphere was EVERYTHING. Creepy, unsettling, weird, and beautifully dark. And that tree? Yeah… I will never look at one the same way again. 😳🌳
This is the kind of quick, bizarre horror read that you can devour in one sitting and immediately want to talk about afterward.
If you love Southern Gothic, swamp horror, witches, dark romance, and morally questionable characters, add this one to your TBR.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
**A deliciously dark little nightmare.
The atmosphere was EVERYTHING. Creepy, unsettling, weird, and beautifully dark. And that tree? Yeah… I will never look at one the same way again. 😳🌳
This is the kind of quick, bizarre horror read that you can devour in one sitting and immediately want to talk about afterward.
If you love Southern Gothic, swamp horror, witches, dark romance, and morally questionable characters, add this one to your TBR.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
**A deliciously dark little nightmare.
October 4, 2026
This is a weird, slow moving, gothic horror novella that is ripe with tension and desperation that really kicks into high speed and overdrive in the final quarter. There is some surprising body horror and gore towards the end but this is really a sad story at its heart about grief and longing and the extreme lengths that people will go to in order to get back what and whom they love. It was a bit too slow moving in the first half or so but this author's writing just has a way of sucking you in.
Content Warning: alcoholism, addiction. loss of a loved one, gore, infertility, misogyny, murder, suicidal ideation, sexual coercion
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
Content Warning: alcoholism, addiction. loss of a loved one, gore, infertility, misogyny, murder, suicidal ideation, sexual coercion
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
September 9, 2026
thanks to Quill & Crow Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC
Feed the tree is a atmospheric historical horror that stradles the line of good for her and holy shit girl run.
it's a car crash waiting to happen and it's hard to look away. Im not usually a fan of twists in horror. Sorry it's just not what I want, but I loved that in this book you knew something was up. The other shoe was about to drop and i had to know what the damage would be.
This book takes full advantage of it's setting and if you are a fan of historical fiction i think this will be a bigger hit for you than it was for me.
Feed the tree is a atmospheric historical horror that stradles the line of good for her and holy shit girl run.
it's a car crash waiting to happen and it's hard to look away. Im not usually a fan of twists in horror. Sorry it's just not what I want, but I loved that in this book you knew something was up. The other shoe was about to drop and i had to know what the damage would be.
This book takes full advantage of it's setting and if you are a fan of historical fiction i think this will be a bigger hit for you than it was for me.
September 14, 2026
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wendy Dalrymple for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Feed the Tree coming out September 8, 2026. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This was the first book I’ve read by this author. It was definitely a short book, but I enjoyed the story. It was pretty dark. I’d check out more books by this author.
This was the first book I’ve read by this author. It was definitely a short book, but I enjoyed the story. It was pretty dark. I’d check out more books by this author.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews