The Forest God by Jamie LackeyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Forest God is a pleasant short story that I imagine could fit in any modern collection of fairy tales. I'm very fond of it as it brings me back to stories from my childhood. Not everything in the world has to be a grand epic. As I read I thought this would be a perfect story to read in class. As a fairy tale, it is enjoyable for people of all ages.
In short, it is the story about a Witch's Apprentice and a Young Noble whose paths cross one day. The Noble has injured a Hare which is the current incarnation of the Forest God. The Forest God is healed by Margery and neither of them takes to the Noble, Hugh. He insists on being part of a spell so that he can apologize to the Forest God. From there, their relationship unfolds as it is revealed Hugh's family are unapproved lords of the land and Hugh must undergo three tasks to get the Forest Gods' approval. The tasks are to collect a stone from the river, to shoot the heart of a deer mid-jump, and to collect glowworm samples. Margery has self-esteem issues due to being taken away from her family when she was ten as well as everyone remarking about how ugly she is. The Forest God and Margery bond quickly and he begins to question if becoming domesticated is good for him. As the story progresses we discover what happened to the Witch's last apprentice, why Hugh's parents are cursed, and the real reason for Margery being chosen. The two are also forbidden from falling and love and acting out on that. Margery must become a Witch and Hugh must become the Lord of the Land.
I would recommend this story particularly for fans of Neil Gaiman. It has that classic fantasy feel to it with a dash of innocence.
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Thanks very much for the review of 'The Forest God'. I appreciate the signal boost of my small press and of Jamie, who is a wonderful author I am privileged to publish.
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