Enchanted Forest

The Realms Series #3

by Emory R. Frie

The worst Monsters
Live under your Skin.
Red Daim is a girl who shrouds herself in mystery. She won’t let anyone pass the walls she’s built, and her worst fear has been those walls’ destruction. When Red and her friends show up in the Enchanted Forest—a place of monsters and magic—she is confronted with events that threaten to expose her past. No matter what she does, she knows that it can’t be hidden forever.
Her secrets are ripped open.
Stakes raise as the group discovers more about the unknown master behind every struggle and blessing they’ve gone though, and what plans are in store. Villains lurk around every corner. Everything lives and breathes magic unlike anywhere else. Trust is a rarity in the Forest, and for Red, her ghosts are crawling from the depths of her past. She is forced to shine a light on her darkness and face what waits there.
All answers lie in their past.

328 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2017

About the author

Emory R. Frie is the award-winning author of debut novel, Heart of a Lion, and the Realms Series. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing and Business at Berry College where she has also produced written works for the stage. Raised in Oregon, Emory now lives in North Carolina, trying to make a difference and still tell stories.

Reviews

[Victoria Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENCHANTED FOREST
By Emory R. Frie

3 stars

Miss Frie’s stories continue to pique my interest and I found this book as intriguing as the last, though not as enjoyable.
The book was quite a bit darker than the others and not as much to my liking in that respect

What I liked:
~ I enjoyed getting to know more about Red. Heretofore, she has been shrouded in mystery and we have not learned much about her since this book was about her, it really filled in some details.
~ The relationship between the main characters continues to deepen and I love that. Seeing them get closer and act more like protective siblings as time goes on is just the best! They are all adorable.
~ The mashup of fairytales. These books literally feel like one giant Easter egg! Everything intersects and getting characters and little details from other major tales or works of fiction is so random but in an awesome way. And what is cool about it is that Emory makes it work. SO WELL. Quasi Modo and Esmerelda from the Hunchback of Notre Dame’s appearances were my favorite. And you know what? It made total sense for them to be there.
~ There were other things to like, among which being the fact that her style of writing is to the point enough that it keeps me wanting to read so I can figure out what is going to happen next.

What I didn’t like:
I didn’t love the darker feel of this book. Red’s story and werewolf-esque qualities to her storyline weren’t my favorite to begin with. It still worked though, So it wasn’t really that for me. I think it was the evil. The wicked witch Carbosse was SUPER EVIL. Like, in an ewwww kind of way. Just not my favorite thing to read. Then one of the other villains who was briefly mentioned and is based on a well-known story, Bluebeard was equally as creepy and disgusting. Some may find this to their liking, but it is a little over the top for me. Not a fan of those characters/approaches.
~ The storyline is bugging me a bit by now. I want to know what on earth is going on. It’s like we keep finding out who the bad guy isn’t and at the end of each book, we glimpse “the master” but have no earthly (or Realmly ;) ) clue who the heaven they are. I feel like it might be nice to start getting some inklings. Usually you can have some speculation. Not here.
~ Otherwise, just the content was another issue for me. Which will be more detailed below.
~ The lack of spirituality/resolution. I am not saying the book needs to be religious, but it lacks a certain depth that God would give it. Just a personal preference here, not an indictment on the book.

Overall, an interesting read, but for me it was more of a stepping stone to the next book (JAAAAAAAAACK) than it was something that I will read again.

Fangirling moment: I JUST LOVE THE CHARACTERS!!!! She stayed so true to each story and expounded on their personalities as a result. Alice is so loveably curious. Always asking questions. WUV IT. Wendy is mothering and sweet and whimsical. Jack is . . . a sass box for lack of a better word. Kai is becoming more sweet. The loveable, broken dude with a demeanor of ice but a heart like a teddy bear. Red is the morose girl who doesn’t realize how much everyone loves her and how heroic she really is. Just love the job Emory did with each one of these people and their stories, and their personalities. Just WUV. The reason I will continue to read these books!

Content:
Mentions of a villain and how he marries a girl every day and kills her in the morning to repeat the next day. Ew. Carabosse kills someone numerous times, curses others, commits acts of evil without any repentance. Werewolves, biting, clawing, fighting in general. Blood, wounds and pain mentioned with regularity.

Recommended for ages 16+

I own a copy of this book. The thoughts within this review are my honest opinion.

[Katherine Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the darkest of the books in The Realms series, this book also combines the most fairytales out of any of the other stories. From werewolves to sorceresses to gypsies, this book has a variety of characters that will keep you pouring through the pages. The normal five main characters are also present in the story, with this book focusing in on Red, given that this is her land.

I will say that this book may be too dark for the younger audience the first two books mainly appeal to. Part of this is due to the fact that Red’s character is darker than the others in the book, and part of this stems from the stories chosen—particularly the story of Bluebeard. Some younger readers may be ready for the darker, more difficult details in this book, while others probably would not be. For that reason, I would probably recommend a general age of at least thirteen or fourteen years old, though readers vary greatly in their abilities and dispositions.

Once again, this story prepares the reader for the fifth and final installation (no giving away spoilers here, though!). Frie’s writing again shows improvement, with fewer grammatical errors and a clear development in style. She added depth to some of her supporting characters, and that helps move the story along. I enjoyed the book and would again recommend this series to anyone who enjoys spinoffs of traditional folklore and fairytales—despite the darker tone, it is still fairly clean.

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Red is the character I most wanted to know about, so I knew I would enjoy this one! I liked the introduction of Red's enemies and friends from the Enchanted Forest, and I thought Carabosse was a great villain.

[LaNona · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!