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Book Review – The Forest Bleeds

The Forest Bleeds
by Rachel Kitch

The Forest Bleeds by Rachel Kitch Book Cover

The Forest Bleeds by Rachel Kitch

Book Description:

Saige Chambers, Arcane Bioengineering student and blood witch, is constantly anxious and chronically over-prepared. When Saige and her fellow witch doctoral candidates depart for a conference, she plans and anticipates every last detail. Except she’s not prepared for the moment their bus turns off the highway and takes them to a remote mansion in the Appalachian Mountains, the gates sealing shut behind them.

The mansion’s owner, Arius Medea, issues a simple mandate: fix his injured, rotting leg or die. But it’s no ordinary injury–the flesh melts off the bone, emitting waves of foul magic that set Saige’s blood alight. Saige’s colleagues want to fight back and escape. Saige thinks their best chance is to fix him fast and get out.

As tensions rise, Saige finds herself growing closer to Vaishnavi Sri, a poison witch and Saige’s long-term crush. But first impressions can be misleading, and as Saige’s reluctant attraction to Arius grows, she begins to wonder if there’s a better life waiting for her in the walls of this mansion.

But, as one by one, Saige’s colleagues start to disappear, Saige realizes that dying may not be the worst option–because there are far worse fates lurking in the woods.

Note: I was provided a copy of this book free from NetGalley and Union Station & Co. in exchange for a review.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note 2: Links in this post go to Bookshop.org where I earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Bookshop.com supports local independent books store across the United States.

My Take:

SK Book Review - Forest Bleeds

This story made me constantly ask, “WHAT is going on here?!?!” in the best way. I couldn’t put it down.

In the perfect way that a thriller or mystery story should, I was constantly questioning “What is going on?!?” and “okay, how does this connect to the stuff I already learned?” I wasn’t actively trying to solve the mystery, but the story was so well written that I couldn’t help but try to figure it out. I devoured this book and loved every moment of it.

Cast of characters so well created that I actually cared when some were lost to us. The personalities of the individuals were very well done.

It’s a thriller. It’s a mystery. This story would make a great slasher film. You KNOW we are going to have deaths along the way – it’s part of the package. Even the fodder characters were well-rounded and fully created that I actually cared when they met their end. Some deaths I even gasped aloud at the surprise. That is the hallmark of a VERY WELL DONE story.

The Final Verdict

My rating: 4.5 stars

Would I recommend? Definitely

Excellently created thriller story that I couldn’t put down.

SK VnR - Star Rating Chart

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