Review: The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

I received this book via the publisher Wednesday Books. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
Series: The Forest Grimm #2
Published by Wednesday Books on 2025-03-25
Age Range: 13+
Length: 393 pages
Reviewing eARC from the publisher Wednesday Books
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2025, 2025 New Release Challenge

“A luminous fairy tale, sharp as teeth and full of heart.” —Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows

In this spellbinding sequel to Kathryn Purdie's bestselling dark fairy tale, Clara and Axel must return to the forest—and its monsters—if they have any hope of finally breaking the curse on their village.

Emerging from the shadows of the Forest Grimm, Clara and Axel return to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest's border. But when the woods begin luring villagers into the forest, it becomes clear that the darkness they battled was merely a whisper of the true horror lurking there.

Burdened by unsettling visions and bound by a love as perilous as the cursed woods that call to them, Clara and Axel must once again enter the forest to unearth the sinister secret at its heart. As they fight murderous woodsmen wielding riddles sharp as blades, spectral maidens who threaten to drag them into an eternal dance, and phantoms able to use the very essence of the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t break the curse once and for all, they may not have a home to return to…

The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie is the exciting conclusion to The Forest Grimm which picks up not long after book one ended. Clara and her friends have returned from the Forest Grimm only to learn that they haven’t broken the curse completely. To break the curse, they must return to the forest and find the missing page of the Sortes Fortunae, Book of Fortunes, and solve the murder that started it all.

Clara is irrevocably changed after dying in the Forest Grimm, brought back to life by Axel and a spindle to the heart. She feels like she has cheated fate. Why her and not her mother? The question runs through her mind constantly. Add to that she is now exploring her magic, being able to see and divine the past, and Clara is overwhelmed. She feels out of place and lost.

Axel is her anchor. He reminds her of who she is and what she fights for. But after a vision shows her his father potentially alive, Axel begins putting pressure on her to look into his past causing a rift to grow between them. Untethered, the two enter the forest to find the missing page and the killer who started the curse.

Just like with book one, there is so much I can say and unpack, but I do not want to risk spoiling anything. I loved how the author brought in new Grimm fairytales and interwove them into this story. Half fantasy half murder mystery, the plot unfolds at a breakneck pace. I loved the addition of a few new characters and the tension it adds between Axel and Clara.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Deathly Grimm. It is a fantastic conclusion to the duology. Clara and Axel come full circle, find more Lost ones, and work to solve a murder. The mystery kept me guessing right to the end. I highly recommend this one for fans of fantasy and mystery.

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