A review by chrismichael797
Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith

5.0

Crystal passed a forward copy of this book to me during a writer's conference several years ago and the book has always lingered in the back of my mind since I read it. I'm trying to get my teen daughter to read it, but any book recommended by her father is a hard pass... she'll come around.

A fun retelling of the Goose Girl, it's a fun, semi-dark magical twist with intriguing fantastical world-building. I'm not a romance fan, so the fact that this carried me to the finish line speaks for its strengths. I'm also not much of a book crier, the list is short: The Little Prince and One Piece (twice of all things!). But towards the "All is Lost Moment" this one tugged at the heartstrings and almost got me. Chocked up is what I'd put it at.

Good characters, fun retelling, soft but well-built fantasy world. This is worth a pick-up as it's a pretty fast and clean read.