A review by libertyreads789
Greymist Fair by Francesca Zappia

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Before I get into the review, I want to say a quick thank you to NetGalley and the publishers over at Greenwillow Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Greymist Fair grabbed me by the throat when I first read the synopsis and did not let go for a single second since. “The people of Greymist Fair know that the woods are dangerous and magical and that they should never set foot off the road. But when a young tailor discovers a body on the road, her search for the culprit reveals even more strange and dark happenings around her town. Greymist Fair is a murder mystery based on the lesser-known fairytales of the Brothers Grimm.” This book comes out on March 28th and is available for preorder now.

Let’s just get the first thing out of the way now: This cover? It’s stunning. When I opened the ARC and the first page on my iPad was just thing absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking piece of art? Ugh. I wish I had this physically right this second. And what’s great is that there are little pieces of the author’s art at the beginning of every new story. Amazing. And, yes, there are separate stories throughout, but it has the overarching plot of the murder mystery and the setting is always centered around this town. It’s also something that really speaks to this author’s craft and adept hand at story telling. The stories don’t take place one right after the other so we’re piecing things together as we go on. As well, there are moments throughout each story that harken back to the previous one. It’s just masterful. I also appreciate that these stories aren’t watered down to make them more like Disney fairytales. These are truly inspired by Grimm fairytales. There’s always something in a story to make it darker and the author isn’t afraid to just go there. Which I loved. I enjoyed the setting and the characters so much. But the thing that gave an extra dimension to these characters is that each story would follow a specific character so we got to see the town and its people with more depth. I don’t know what to say besides it’s a really good book and I think everyone should pick it up.

The reason this wasn’t a solid 5 star rating for me (and I did consider it) is that this story didn’t have a full emotional impact on me. It wasn’t that the story kept me at arms length (which some do), but I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. I don’t even know that I blame the story for this really. I think it might have more to do with what I feel emotional about and what I don’t. Overall, I think it’s an amazing book with great characters and such masterful plotting. If you enjoy fairy tales, if you enjoy fantasy, if you enjoy an author not being afraid to go there, this one’s for you.