Into the Heartless Wood - by Joanna Ruth Meyer (Paperback)

About the Book

"Deep in the wood lives a witch queen and her eight tree siren daughters. For centuries, they have harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow their ever reaching kingdom of ash, birch, and oak. Owen Merrick lives at the edge of the forest, mapping the stars for the king in his father's observatory. For years, he has resisted venturing over the garden wall, until one day he must enter the woods to find his missing sister. But one of the witch's tree siren daughters, Seren, decides to save his life instead of end it. Now, no matter how hard he tries, he can't stop thinking about her--the birch-bright hue of her skin and the way violets bloom in her hair. Every night, he goes into the wood to meet her, and their love for each other grows. But when the constellations shift, the stars foretell an inevitable war between the witch queen and the king. With Seren compelled to fight for her mother, and Owen forced to join the king's army, they are plunged into the heart of a conflict that seemingly no one can win and that might destroy both their kingdoms forever."--

Book Synopsis

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths.

Deep in the wood lives a witch queen and her eight tree siren daughters. For centuries, they have harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow their ever reaching kingdom of ash, birch, and oak.

Owen Merrick lives at the edge of the forest, mapping the stars for the king in his father's observatory. For years, he has resisted venturing over the garden wall, until one day he must enter the woods to find his missing sister. But one of the witch's tree siren daughters, Seren, decides to save his life instead of end it. Now, no matter how hard he tries, he can't stop thinking about her -- the birch-bright hue of her skin and the way violets bloom in her hair. Every night, he goes into the wood to meet her, and their love for each other grows.

But when the constellations shift, the stars foretell an inevitable war between the witch queen and the king. With Seren compelled to fight for her mother, and Owen forced to join the king's army, they are plunged into the heart of a conflict that seemingly no one can win and that might destroy both their kingdoms forever.

Review Quotes

* [W]onderfully imaginative...Into the Heartless Wood is easy to get lost in and hard to come back from, thanks to Meyer's excellent world building. --BookPage, starred review

Into the Heartless Wood is an intense and haunting fairy tale tinged with horror, romance and magic, and filled with beautiful imagery of nature and love... gorgeously written, deeply intense and emotionally fulfilling. --Shelf Awareness

A captivating fantasy story that takes readers on a journey... --School Library Journal

"Uprooted meets The Little Mermaid in this gorgeously atmospheric and literally heart-wrenching monster girlfriend story." --Rosamund Hodge, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty

"Brimming with lush prose, endearing characters and soul-stirring stakes, Into the Heartless Wood is reminiscent to Seren's siren call--completely irresistible." --Rebecca Ross, author of Sisters of Sword & Song

A luminous, impassioned fairytale, alternately dark as choking briars and shot through with pulsing starlight. You may enter the Heartless Wood with your soul intact, but you'll surely leave a piece of it behind. --Laura E. Weymouth, author of The Light Between Worlds, A Treason of Thorns, and A Rush of Wings

About the Author

Joanna Ruth Meyer is the author of Echo North, which Kirkus called "A lush, captivating new twist on beloved fairy tales" and Publishers Weekly called "A compelling satisfying romantic adventure." She is also the author of Beneath the Haunting Sea and Beyond the Shadowed Earth. She lives with her dear husband and son in Mesa, Arizona.