The Forest: Part One

by Lou Yardley

If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise.

Georgia is spending a summer’s afternoon looking after her younger brother, Oliver. At twelve-years-old, she believes that she is an adult. Or, almost an adult at the very least. But, despite her desire to grow up, Oliver convinces her to play their favourite game. A game called the Dragon Game.

The game takes a bizarre twist when something calls them from the forest that backs onto their garden. Daring each other, the siblings enter forest only to find that it’s not a normal forest at all. This is a place where dreams and nightmares are made.

A place they may never escape…

45 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 14, 2018

About the author

Lou is an author. And a weirdo. She's sorta part Deadite and part Hobbit. Sometimes she feels like she's four goblins in a trench-coat masquerading as a human.

Up until recently, Lou Yardley has lurked mainly in the horror realms, but now she's taking her first gore-coated steps into the world of dark fantasy. Rather than just write one fantasy book, she's creating a whole world... and a dragon's horde's worth of books.

"Banished" was released in 2020 and was her first adventure in the monstrous world of Venari. 2021 will see it joined by "Creep" (a novella) and "Everfrost" (a werewolf flavoured novel). After that, She's got a whole series planned and plenty of spin-offs.

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

So imagine The Chronicles of Narnia, but in a total nightmarish scenario. That sums this spooky little tale up. I found myself being a little uninterested for the first few pages, but then the story quickly picked up and pulled me right in. The atmosphere and crisp details of the forest held my attention and while there was a lot divulged, there is plenty left for the sequel, which I plan to read ASAP. While I also don’t know much about Oliver and Georgia, I am intrigued to see where they end up.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, upon inquiring about the second book directly with the author, with a very complimentary message, I received no response, months later, despite her being frequently active on multiple platforms. So, for that reason, I will not be pursuing this series or anything else by Lou Yardley. It is a shame, too, because I very much enjoyed her writing. I am a strong believer in supporting your fellow authors, especially when it comes to a simple question like where to purchase more of their works.

[Hunter Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super creepy read. You can't go wrong with kids in the deep, dark woods! Lou Yardley is someone to keep an eye on.

[D.J. Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very creepy tale of two children in the woods. Evil lurks within and it doesn't take them long to realise they are in serious danger.
Great writing and eerie story. I'm looking forward to reading the next part and also other books by this talented author.

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about two children playing games that takes a dark turn.

Full of Yardley’s blend of horror, humor and imagination. I loved it.

I received a free copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.