Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading.
Twitter: @MissLiberty
Hello, my little leaf peepers! Today’s list contains five great SFF stories set in a forest, because the deep, dark woods is a great analogy for what’s coming (and there aren’t many SFF books set in a house on fire.) The scary woods has been a setting for tales of caution for hundreds of years. People have been getting lost in the forest way longer than in IKEA stores.
But fear not! Four of these books are set in mostly harmless forests and have friendly things living there. (This is not an endorsement for wandering off into the woods.) In these books, characters discover that even in the darkest of forests, there is hope and help to be found. (And talking spiders.) And one is told from the point of view of one of nature’s greatest helpers. Now grab your granola and get ready to get lost in the woods! (But only metaphorically. Please stick to the paths.)
A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot) by Becky Chambers
This Hugo-winning novella is set in a future where robots had enough of humans (can you blame them?) and wandered off into the woods, never to be heard from again. Centuries later, a tea monk trying to sort out their life comes across a robot in their travels. The robot has been sent to check up on the humans, to see how they are faring, and ask the question, “What do people need?” Together, the tea monk and robot go on a journey together and try and figure out the answer. (Buddy road trip!) This is a gentle fantasy with deep thoughts. It’s a balm for the soul. A Balm for the Wild-Built, amirite? (And FYI for fans, the duology will be available in one book coming in May 2025.)
Darkwood (The Darkwood Series) by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
If you like silly books that make you giggle, this is the book for you! It’s a fun fantasy take on fairy tales. Except this time, Snow White is a kick-ass knight, Buttercup is a lovely witch with a gingerbread problem, Jack has the ability to make plants grow, and there’s a talking spider named Trevor (who is also lovely.) They all live in a cottage in the scary Darkwood, hiding from the evil Huntsmen, and that is where Hansel and Gretel find them after they run away from their home (where they inexplicably have two step-parents.) The Huntsmen have taken over Hansel and Gretel’s village, and together this merry band of misfits must come up with a plan to chase them away and reclaim their lives.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
You can’t have a list of books set in the woods without one about witches! In Henderson’s feminist fantasy debut, a young woman from a puritanical village learns the truth about witches and her mother. Immanuelle lives in Bethel, where women are ruled over by the Father, and where her mother was castigated for her relationship with someone from another race. When Immanuelle ends up in the forbidden Darkwood, she meets the spirits of witches, who give her the journal of her dead mother. As she reads, Immanuelle’s surprise at learning her mother had known witches turns into alarm as she discovers the truths behind Bethel and the Church.
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The Bees by Laline Paull
What’s the buzz? Let’s get away from silly humans for a moment and celebrate this inventive debut that is all about bees! In a hive, there’s the Queen, the male drones (for mating purposes), and then the lowly workers, who take care of everything. Flora 717 is one such worker in her hive, but she is different than the other bees. Flora 717 is extremely curious about what goes on inside—and outside—the hive. Failure to follow rules and crossing the Queen brings a lot of trouble her way, but Flora 717 is determined to bring questions about hive society and its laws to light. The Bees will teach you all kinds of things about bees you probably never knew, plus it’s just a hella-cool book.
Silver in the Wood (The Greenhollow Duology) by Emily Tesh
Last but not least is this enchanting World Fantasy Award-winning novella! Tobias is bound to the woods of Greenhollow, where he lives a lonely life with his cats. Then he meets Henry, the new owner of Greenhollow Hall, and something awakens inside him. Tobias decides it is time for the magic of the woods and the old secrets of his past to come out into the light. This is a sweet, magical queer fantasy with an equally great sequel.
Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the Book Riot podcast All the Books! and on Instagram.
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