Darkwood cover art

Darkwood

The Darkwood, Book 1

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Darkwood

By: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
Narrated by: Nicky Diss
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About this listen

Magic is forbidden in Myrsina, along with various other abominations, such as girls doing maths. This is bad news for Gretel Mudd, mathematician and inventor of helpful contraptions. When the sinister masked huntsmen accuse her of witchcraft, she is forced to flee into the neighbouring Darkwood, where witches and monsters dwell.

There, she happens upon Buttercup, a witch who can’t help turning things into food; Jack Trott, who can make plants grow at will; the White Knight with her band of Dwarves; and a talking spider called Trevor. These aren't the terrifying villains she's been warned about all her life. They're actually quite nice. Well...most of them.

With the huntsmen on the warpath, Gretel must act fast to save both the Darkwood and her home village, while unravelling the rhetoric and lies that have demonised magical beings for far too long.

©2019 Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (P)2023 Little Acorns Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Witchcraft Mathematics Village Magic Users
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Darkwood is everything I love in a fantasy adventure: clever, sharp, and filled with both heart and humour. Gabby Hutchinson Crouch takes familiar fairytale tropes and turns them inside out, creating a world that’s at once whimsical and biting, with layered characters who are far more than archetypes. It’s a story that manages to feel both cosy and urgent, balancing danger, friendship, and laugh-out-loud moments in perfect measure.

The narration elevates the experience even further. Nicky Diss is one of my absolute favourite Audible narrators, and her delivery here is pitch-perfect. It feels less like listening to a book and more like being swept up in the actual story.

If you enjoy fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still offers substance, adventure, and plenty of charm, Darkwood is a must-listen. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough!

Enchanting, witty, and brilliantly narrated

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