From New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance perfect for fans of Practical Magic, where dark fairy tales and enchanted folklore collide after a boy, believed to be missing, emerges from the magical woods–and falls in love with the witch determined to unravel his secrets. Be careful of the dark, dark wood… Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir …
Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.
Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman–the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago–and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.
But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own–secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.
For as long as there have been fairy tales, we have been warned to fear what lies within the dark, dark woods and in Winterwood, New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw, shows us why.
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A spellbinding tale of witchery, deadly secrets, and woods that hold grudges. Winterwood is immersive, atmospheric, and bewitching.
I did not expect to love this as much as I did. Not only was the writing fresh and unique and evocative, but the storyline kept me reading well past my bedtime. I couldn’t put it down until I found out exactly what happened, which means I devoured this almost entirely in one sitting.
Our main characters are Nora and Oliver and they just jump off the page. Throw them into this situation that no one can make sense out of, add a dose of some seriously cool magic, and a dash of the creepiest forest ever, and you have a twisty, turny plot that is so interesting. At one point I did figure out what was happening, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how the author was going to reveal it the reader. How were we going to find out what happened? How could we possibly have a satisfactory resolution?
Expertly written and so, so gripping. This is my first time reading this author but you can bet I’m going to start looking at her other works.
Lyrical, magical and mysterious, Winterwood left me intoxicated, dancing beneath an endless moon.
Let me just say how much I loved The Wicked Deep. LOVED IT! So I was super anxious to get my hands on the author’s next stand alone book. More witchy magic!! Oh, and some creepy woods!
Ernshaw just knows how to write so freaking well. I love her words as much as Brenna Yovanoff’s, where it sucks me right in and doesn’t let go until the end. This book had everything—magic, romance, mystery, and a unique world with great atmospheric scenes.
I liked Nora and Oliver both equally, and found their connection cute and adorable! I will say that I guessed pretty early on what was going on, but I have seen so many horror movies that I’m pretty good at that part. However, it didn’t deter me from how much I enjoyed the story! The book was satisfying, and in the end, I can’t wait to see what Ernshaw writes next!
Nora comes from a family of Walkers. The Wicker Woods are dangerous, yet the Walkers can go in during the full moon when the woods are asleep. When Nora meets Oliver, a boy from the camp across the lake, she’s wary of him, and rightly so because she knows what the boys from the camp think of the Walkers. Oliver has been in the woods for a long time, and he claims not to know what happened. As Nora delves into the mystery, we learn more about Nora and her family, stretching back generations.
Winterwood is a book that I made very few notes of while reading because I couldn’t stop reading long enough to make notes. I love how absolutely foreboding the woods are. Ernshaw created a fantastic world that is magical and creepy and has given us wonderful characters in which to traverse this world. This book is everything good with the fantasy genre and is one I want to clutch tightly and never put down.
Nora Walker is a witch, one in a long line of witches. They have lived in Fir Haven for as long as people can remember….under whisperings of how the forest spit them out.
Only under a full moon can a walker enter the woods while the forest sleeps…and come back out unscathed. It is during these trips that Nora finds lost things and brings them home. On one such trip however, she finds a boy…one who has been missing from the camp across the lake for 2 weeks. How is it he has survived that long and is still alive? What secrets lie beneath his hooded eyes?
Another beautifully written and wholly emersive read. This author has a way with words and these pages breathe atmosphere. It did take me a little bit to get into this one (which was the same with Wicked Deep) BUT once I get into this poetic type flow the book sails quickly.
I did enjoy Wicked Deep a tad more than this one. I also figured out the mystery well before finishing the story. However, that being said, it didn’t take away from the overall feel and I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold. This would be a good one to read for Spooktober.
Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw is an eerily magical read that warns readers to be afraid of the woods after dark, for they have their own secrets.
If there is one thing that Ernshaw excels at, it is creating an eerie atmosphere. The story opens with Nora entering the Wicker Woods under the safety of the moonlight. These are woods alive with malice in their roots. That description alone is perfect for helping to create an eerie atmosphere. Alongside Nora’s narrative, the reader is lured into the haunting story.
A compelling read, Winterwood’s sinister atmosphere, and magical edge give it substance. However, the pacing for the first third of the novel is a little slow. Focusing on developing the sinister Wicker Woods and establishing the character dynamics slows the pacing of the story. While Ernshaw does an excellent job with her characterization and building the dynamics, at times, the eeriness of the story gets a little lost.
Strong Characterization
Nevertheless, the characterization is fantastic.
Take Nora, for instance, ostracized for being a Walker, a witch, Nora keeps to herself, collecting lost things she finds in the woods. She is an introvert, perfectly happy in her loneliness, giving her a sharply defined and fierce narrative. Nora’s unique personality compels the reader by making her someone worth reading. Her voice is strong, never trembling as it keeps the reader engaged in her tone narrative. It also serves as the perfect balance for the cold and eerie atmosphere that Ernshaw has established.
Oliver also has a strong narrative, but his tone is softer. Abandoned at the camp for wayward boys, Oliver is an outcast himself as the new boy, and he keeps to himself as much as Nora. Their dynamics together bring out the best of both characters, giving the story some warmth to contrast the cold and eerie setting. Ernshaw does an excellent job of subverting the readers’ expectations by creating questions with his narrative. There is something underneath his story, something mysterious that keeps the reader on the edge, eager to discover what secrets he is hiding.
Final Thoughts
Winterwood is a novel full of surprises, bursting with magic and darkness, captivating the reader and luring them into the dark and mystical woods.
Dark and unpredictable. The ending made it worth the read.
I have received this book with my Owlcrate subscrition. It was the first book of that author that I was reading but I think I have her first book, The Wicked deep somewhere in my PAL.
Be careful of the dark, dark wood…
For some people, she’s a witch…
Nora Walker and the other Walker women before her, always have share a connection to the woods. This will lead her to Oliver Huntsman, a guy that have disappeared two weeks ago the same night as the worst snowstorms they have seens in years. He’s alive but have lost memory of what happened.
Nora will have to figure how the boy have survive all that time in the woods. But Oliver also have secrets, he wasn’t the only one who disappeared that night.
I have really loved that book. A modern dark fairy tale mixed with some enchanted focklore.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced copy. The voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Winterwood
By: Shea Ernshaw
*REVIEW*
If you are looking for a chilling creepy story, Winterwood is an excellent choice. The Wicker Woods are the kind of place where people go in but never return. Nora is the exception because she is a witch, maybe, and she has an affinity with the woods. Nora has no idea what her witching powers are because they have yet to manifest. One day, Nora finds Oliver nearly dead in the woods. He has been missing for a couple of weeks from camp, and by rights, Oliver should not be alive. How and why did this particular boy survive the Wicker Woods? Nora and Oliver set out to find answers, but they find more than they bargained for or anticipated. This Is the type of story where the atmosphere is its own character. The beautifully rendered and detailed Wicker Woods, the chill and frost, form a perfect atmospheric presence. I love this aspect of the story because the environment is a living breathing entity. The idea of being snatched away at any moment into the lurking shadows defies creepy. I felt a sense of foreboding for the characters because something sinister and menacing seemed to be working in the woods. I love stories with this type of vibe. Nora and Oliver navigate through this bizarre place to find who knows what. This story is filled with mystery, adventure, romance and magic. Readers will easily lose themselves in the pages of Winterwood.
The beauty and mystery of the natural world infuse every moment in this lush, spellbinding story that weaves romance with witchcraft — a seductive, lyrical tale of lost boys, old legends, and haunted woods.
Winterwood casts a deliciously dark spell with a rich lineage of witches, secretive boys, and a sinister forest that will pull in any reader and never let them go.
Shea Ernshaw spins yet another haunting tale in Winterwood. Mythic prose and atmospheric storytelling will leave readers spellbound and hungry for more of Ernshaw‘s witchy worlds.
A paranormal/urban fantasy/magical realism book with a mystery set in creepy winter woods… I was completely sold on this story.
Anyone who knows me can tell you that my favourite genres are fantasy, contemporary and mystery. This book is an outstanding blend of them all. There’s just enough magic to feel enchanting. There’s just enough mystery to keep you hooked. There’s just enough romance to make your heart go pitter-patter. And atmospheric in a way that’s eerie and dark, but not in a bad way.
Make sure you have a big vat of hot cocoa on hand. Or a pot (or two) of tea. You will feel those chilly woods deep into your bones. A perfect read for a long and cold winter night, where you want to lock all of the doors, hide away bundled beneath five blankets, have a fire blazing and a room of candles lit, all the while watching the snow softly falling outside.