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5 days and 01:38:29
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Revenge of the Forsaken
Not yet published
Expected 13 Oct 26Win a free kindle copy of this book!
5 days and 01:38:29
100 copies available
U.S. only
Five years after surviving the horrors hidden within the forest surrounding Glory, Megan has turned the terrifying events that nearly claimed her life into a published novel. Now living in Chicago, she watches as her story transforms the once-forgotten town into a destination for curious tourists, paranormal investigators, and thrill-seekers eager to uncover the truth behind the legend. Most leave disappointed. Some never leave at all.
When vivid dreams of that terrible night begin haunting her sleep, Megan finds herself drawn back toward mysteries she thought had ended long ago. At the same time, strange visions, whispered voices, and disturbing dreams begin spreading through Glory, drawing people toward the dark heart of the forest.
As unexplained deaths shake the town and old horrors begin resurfacing, Megan discovers that whatever she faced years ago was never truly destroyed. Something beneath the forest is growing stronger. Something that can slip into dreams, whisper through empty rooms, and reach far beyond the trees that once contained it.
Now, as the boundary between dreams and reality begins to collapse, Megan must uncover the truth before Glory is consumed by a darkness far worse than anything she survived before.
This time, whatever waits beneath the roots is coming for everyone.
When vivid dreams of that terrible night begin haunting her sleep, Megan finds herself drawn back toward mysteries she thought had ended long ago. At the same time, strange visions, whispered voices, and disturbing dreams begin spreading through Glory, drawing people toward the dark heart of the forest.
As unexplained deaths shake the town and old horrors begin resurfacing, Megan discovers that whatever she faced years ago was never truly destroyed. Something beneath the forest is growing stronger. Something that can slip into dreams, whisper through empty rooms, and reach far beyond the trees that once contained it.
Now, as the boundary between dreams and reality begins to collapse, Megan must uncover the truth before Glory is consumed by a darkness far worse than anything she survived before.
This time, whatever waits beneath the roots is coming for everyone.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 13, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 1, 2026
It has been five years for the survivors of Glory, and this time we follow them as they face PTSD, fear, grief, and the world’s expectation that they should simply return to normal. But what is normal when a wicked witch and her huntsman are hunting you through every dream and waking moment? How do you move forward when you are constantly looking over your shoulder and questioning reality itself?
In this second book, we follow Megan, Thomas, and Lexi as they deal with past horrors that refuse to leave them—or set them free. New players enter the story, some seeking the thrill of the paranormal and others searching for something deeper within themselves.
I spent several nights questioning whether I should keep reading because the vivid scenes painted such frightening images in my mind. The story stayed with me, even in my subconscious. But did that stop me from reading? Absolutely not. From start to finish, I was impressed and completely immersed, needing to know what would happen next.
Each character must face reality while fighting for their loved ones, choosing between giving up and holding on to hope, and confronting the possibility that there may be no escape from the nightmare. In the end, giving up is not an option. Survival means holding on to love—not forgetting those who are gone, but keeping their memories alive within you and finding the strength to continue. No matter how long someone has been gone, the love we carry for them has no expiration date.
In this second book, we follow Megan, Thomas, and Lexi as they deal with past horrors that refuse to leave them—or set them free. New players enter the story, some seeking the thrill of the paranormal and others searching for something deeper within themselves.
I spent several nights questioning whether I should keep reading because the vivid scenes painted such frightening images in my mind. The story stayed with me, even in my subconscious. But did that stop me from reading? Absolutely not. From start to finish, I was impressed and completely immersed, needing to know what would happen next.
Each character must face reality while fighting for their loved ones, choosing between giving up and holding on to hope, and confronting the possibility that there may be no escape from the nightmare. In the end, giving up is not an option. Survival means holding on to love—not forgetting those who are gone, but keeping their memories alive within you and finding the strength to continue. No matter how long someone has been gone, the love we carry for them has no expiration date.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Revenge of the Forsaken by Joseph J. Lee was a solid conclusion to this part of the story, while still leaving just enough room for a possible third book if the author chooses to continue the series.
I definitely had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this one. I really wanted more of the forest, because that setting and atmosphere were such a compelling part of the story for me. The first half spends a lot of time laying out the plot and setting up the events of this installment. While that groundwork is important, the pacing felt a little slower than I wanted at times.
But once the second half begins, hold on. you are running straight through to the ending. The tension picks up fast, the story becomes much harder to put down, and the momentum carries all the way through the final pages. It was an enjoyable read with a satisfying finish that also leaves the door cracked open for more.
If the pacing in the first half had been a little tighter, this easily could have been a five star read for me.
I definitely had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this one. I really wanted more of the forest, because that setting and atmosphere were such a compelling part of the story for me. The first half spends a lot of time laying out the plot and setting up the events of this installment. While that groundwork is important, the pacing felt a little slower than I wanted at times.
But once the second half begins, hold on. you are running straight through to the ending. The tension picks up fast, the story becomes much harder to put down, and the momentum carries all the way through the final pages. It was an enjoyable read with a satisfying finish that also leaves the door cracked open for more.
If the pacing in the first half had been a little tighter, this easily could have been a five star read for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I LOVED the first book and couldn’t wait to continue this series, so I had high hopes going into this one and the author did not let me down. His writing is so compelling. It’s dark, vivid and full of that gripping tension that pulls you right into the story.
I will say, the beginning was a little slower for me and there was some repetitiveness that occasionally pulled me out of the story. But then something would happen and I was right back to being completely glued to the pages.
The twists had me gasping and there were moments when I could literally feel the hair on my arms standing up.
The emotion of the characters, the danger, the suspense, the horror…all of it had my cortisol levels ALL over the place.
This was dark, creepy, suspenseful, and had me on edge. Exactly what I wanted from the second book in this series.
4.5/5
I will say, the beginning was a little slower for me and there was some repetitiveness that occasionally pulled me out of the story. But then something would happen and I was right back to being completely glued to the pages.
The twists had me gasping and there were moments when I could literally feel the hair on my arms standing up.
The emotion of the characters, the danger, the suspense, the horror…all of it had my cortisol levels ALL over the place.
This was dark, creepy, suspenseful, and had me on edge. Exactly what I wanted from the second book in this series.
4.5/5
Review of advance copy received from Author
Well… I officially have trust issues with forests now.
You know that feeling when something from your past should be DEAD and BURIED, but instead it decides to crawl back into your life, bring some friends, and absolutely wreck your sanity?
Yeah.
Welcome to Glory.
Megan Hale thought turning her traumatic experience into fiction might help her finally process what happened years ago.
HAHAHAHA.
Absolutely not.
Instead, the past comes knocking and apparently it brought visions, decay, mysterious voices, creepy soil, thorn-covered vines, and an entire supernatural forest determined to make sure nobody forgets.
Joseph J. Lee does NOT let you forget that something is very, very wrong.
The smell of rot. Damp earth. Decay. Voices coming from beneath the ground. Red, thorned vines. The forest itself feels ALIVE. And not in the cute “let’s go hug a tree” kind of way. More like “RUN, BESTIE. THE TREE IS WATCHING YOU.”
One of my favorite things about this story is how trauma becomes an actual force within the narrative.
Megan, Lexi, and Thomas are all carrying their own wounds, anger, grief, and desperation and the supernatural presence seems to recognize those cracks. It doesn’t just haunt them. It uses them.
The more fractured they become, the stronger the connection gets. And THAT is creepy because the scariest monster isn’t always the thing hiding in the woods…
Sometimes it’s the thing that knows exactly where you’re already hurting.
You know that feeling when something from your past should be DEAD and BURIED, but instead it decides to crawl back into your life, bring some friends, and absolutely wreck your sanity?
Yeah.
Welcome to Glory.
Megan Hale thought turning her traumatic experience into fiction might help her finally process what happened years ago.
HAHAHAHA.
Absolutely not.
Instead, the past comes knocking and apparently it brought visions, decay, mysterious voices, creepy soil, thorn-covered vines, and an entire supernatural forest determined to make sure nobody forgets.
Joseph J. Lee does NOT let you forget that something is very, very wrong.
The smell of rot. Damp earth. Decay. Voices coming from beneath the ground. Red, thorned vines. The forest itself feels ALIVE. And not in the cute “let’s go hug a tree” kind of way. More like “RUN, BESTIE. THE TREE IS WATCHING YOU.”
One of my favorite things about this story is how trauma becomes an actual force within the narrative.
Megan, Lexi, and Thomas are all carrying their own wounds, anger, grief, and desperation and the supernatural presence seems to recognize those cracks. It doesn’t just haunt them. It uses them.
The more fractured they become, the stronger the connection gets. And THAT is creepy because the scariest monster isn’t always the thing hiding in the woods…
Sometimes it’s the thing that knows exactly where you’re already hurting.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I got this Ebook Copy from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Revenge of the Forsaken has a dark supernatural story filled with grief, danger, creepy moments, and plenty of darkness. When the story gets moving it has some scenes that really grab your attention and make you wonder what is waiting around the next corner.
My biggest problem was getting there.
This book rambles quite a bit and stretches things out much longer than they need to be. There were several times when the point had already been made but the descriptions, thoughts, and conversations just kept going. Instead of building the suspense it slowed everything down and took away from moments that could have hit a whole lot harder.
I did enjoy the darker supernatural side of the story. Some of the imagery gets downright creepy and Megan brings plenty of emotion through her grief and determination. Once the story finally picks up there is more action, horror, danger, and suspense. Those were the parts that worked best for me.
There is a good dark story buried underneath all the extra rambling. It just needed tighter writing, less repetition, and a quicker road between the moments that really mattered. Cutting some of that extra stuff would have made the suspense stronger and given the story a much harder punch.
I give it a 3 outta 5 catfish!
Revenge of the Forsaken has a dark supernatural story filled with grief, danger, creepy moments, and plenty of darkness. When the story gets moving it has some scenes that really grab your attention and make you wonder what is waiting around the next corner.
My biggest problem was getting there.
This book rambles quite a bit and stretches things out much longer than they need to be. There were several times when the point had already been made but the descriptions, thoughts, and conversations just kept going. Instead of building the suspense it slowed everything down and took away from moments that could have hit a whole lot harder.
I did enjoy the darker supernatural side of the story. Some of the imagery gets downright creepy and Megan brings plenty of emotion through her grief and determination. Once the story finally picks up there is more action, horror, danger, and suspense. Those were the parts that worked best for me.
There is a good dark story buried underneath all the extra rambling. It just needed tighter writing, less repetition, and a quicker road between the moments that really mattered. Cutting some of that extra stuff would have made the suspense stronger and given the story a much harder punch.
I give it a 3 outta 5 catfish!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of advanced copy from Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — WHAT A RIDE... AGAIN!
I honestly didn't know how Joseph J. Lee was going to follow The Forest of the Forsaken, but Revenge of the Forsaken absolutely delivered.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, and once again, I could not put it down.
The darkness, the tension, the twists, and that constant feeling that you NEED to know what happens next are all here.
Just when I thought I knew where things were going, I didn't. And that is exactly what I want from a book like this.
What I love about Joseph J. Lee's writing is his imagination. He creates these dark, unsettling worlds that completely pull me in. There were moments that gave me goosebumps, moments that had me questioning everything, and moments where there was absolutely no way I was putting the book down until I knew what happened.
And after loving the first book so much, I was worried my expectations might be too high.
They weren't.
Revenge of the Forsaken was another unforgettable read and another easy 5 stars for me.
Joseph J. Lee has officially made this a series I will read without even needing to know what the next book is about.
Just give me the book. I'm reading it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — WHAT A RIDE... AGAIN!
I honestly didn't know how Joseph J. Lee was going to follow The Forest of the Forsaken, but Revenge of the Forsaken absolutely delivered.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, and once again, I could not put it down.
The darkness, the tension, the twists, and that constant feeling that you NEED to know what happens next are all here.
Just when I thought I knew where things were going, I didn't. And that is exactly what I want from a book like this.
What I love about Joseph J. Lee's writing is his imagination. He creates these dark, unsettling worlds that completely pull me in. There were moments that gave me goosebumps, moments that had me questioning everything, and moments where there was absolutely no way I was putting the book down until I knew what happened.
And after loving the first book so much, I was worried my expectations might be too high.
They weren't.
Revenge of the Forsaken was another unforgettable read and another easy 5 stars for me.
Joseph J. Lee has officially made this a series I will read without even needing to know what the next book is about.
Just give me the book. I'm reading it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is the second book in the series the first book was a solid 5* however for reasons this one didn’t hook me so well, I thought the forest needed more emphasis as it is one of the vital points in the book.
This book didn’t keep the momentum as the first book did, once it revved up I was fine, there’s quite a bit of rambling that doesn’t bear relevance really and my thoughts were that yes, they did word count but not for the reader, it wasn’t tense enough for me. Because I’m a trained Alpha reader, I could see that the author did “ beat around the bush” somewhat instead of leading the reader he lost the reader.
The eerie spooky things were very intense and did freak me out at times, the visions, awesome.
However the conversations that took place were fine but there could have been so much more excited lead up for readers in some place it was also repetitive.
Some of these things needed a faster detour instead of a long steady drive to the point.
This book could have been written so much more tighter .
The Paranormal in it was ace though.
Remember this is only my POV. Read it for yourself as we all have different perspectives.
This book didn’t keep the momentum as the first book did, once it revved up I was fine, there’s quite a bit of rambling that doesn’t bear relevance really and my thoughts were that yes, they did word count but not for the reader, it wasn’t tense enough for me. Because I’m a trained Alpha reader, I could see that the author did “ beat around the bush” somewhat instead of leading the reader he lost the reader.
The eerie spooky things were very intense and did freak me out at times, the visions, awesome.
However the conversations that took place were fine but there could have been so much more excited lead up for readers in some place it was also repetitive.
Some of these things needed a faster detour instead of a long steady drive to the point.
This book could have been written so much more tighter .
The Paranormal in it was ace though.
Remember this is only my POV. Read it for yourself as we all have different perspectives.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC copy of this book and it was FANTASTIC! I cannot wait for the release on October 13th so I can get my shelf trophy!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews