I have tried on multiple occasions to read this novel. While I knew that this was technically part of a series, it sounded like it could be read as a stand alone... I do NOT recommend that approach.

I feel like I would enjoy this if I had read the first two books and understood the backstory and character plots.

Once I read the first two books, I will revisit this one and update this review at that time.

The Forest’s Keeper is the third entry in E.E. Hornburg’s “The Cursed Queens” fantasy series. The story focuses on Rose, the sister of Eira, who was the lead character in The Night’s Chosen, the first book in the series. While visiting Eira, Rose is approached by a shape-shifting wolf, Rafe, who tells her that Eral Forest is sick. Rose believes that the sickness is due to Amelia, her stepmother and the former queen who tried to kill their father, King Brennan. Rose, the future queen, travels with Rafe and her best friend Cal to visit her grandmother, Renata, who serves as the Minister in Eral Forest before continuing their quest to find Amelia.

While the narrative is told mostly from Rose’s perspective, a few chapters are devoted to Amelia’s point of view. Amelia, a sorceress, is willing to do anything to reclaim the throne, including building alliances with swamp zombies and ogres! Rose faces several challenges as she struggles to find her place in the kingdom and explore her relationship with Cal while trying to avoid the very throne that Amelia so desperately desires.

The book features strong female characters who are adept at overcoming adversity including Rose who refuses to be limited by her physical handicap. The book is well-paced, and the action sequences are vividly described. The book cover is stunningly beautiful and reminiscent of romance novels. Be forewarned that the book does include sexually explicit scenes. The book also has editing and spelling errors, including using “taught” instead of “taut” three times!

As with the other books in the series, Hornburg has crafted a story that uses elements of a traditional fairy tale. While Rose does wear a red cape and meets a wolf in the woods en route to her grandmother’s house, Hornburg’s retelling of Little Red Riding Hood is far more complex given the framework that she has created. Her fantasy world is filled with a myriad assortment of mythical creatures and humans with magical powers who are governed by various gods. (A Guide to the Deities is provided at the end of the book.) Hornburg takes the fairy tale into a deeper realm by exploring the characters’ motivations and reveals that appearances are never quite as simple as they seem. Hornburg’s use of fairy tales as a literary device adds new dimensions to her intriguing series.

Although the third book in the series could be read as a stand-alone, it would have been helpful to have included a prologue summarizing the events of the previous two books and establishing the connections between the main characters. The relevance of frequent references to earlier events, such as characters being trapped in mirrors, was never explained in the current book. Nonetheless, having started with the third book, it would be worthwhile to go back to the beginning and read the whole series to try and gain a greater understanding of the characters who live in the fantasy world Hornburg has created. ( )