Epeolatry Book Review: Dark Woods, Deep Water by Jelena Dunato

Dark Woods, Deep Water is told through a variety of viewpoints in multiple time periods. The structure is complex, but Dunato’s style and ability to craft unique points of view save this novel from confusion. Each character’s story is rich and detailed, full of hope and heartbreak, leaving the reader longing to know more about them.

We begin with Ida, who pulls you in by letting you choose the backstory for her that you prefer—the “happy” one or the “sad” one. Only, it is a trick because both origins are tragic. Ida is a brave, resourceful woman. Forced to exist in a sexist culture, she does what she must to get by, even travelling with an abusive swindler or band of thieves.

Next is Telani, a man who would follow his lord and hero anywhere. He, like Ida, has learned to follow those more powerful than him in order to survive an unfriendly world. Last is Elisya, a naive girl who refuses to cave to convention and marry the old man her father selected for her.

Each of these characters and stories could have filled an entire novel of their own, yet the book does not feel over-full or rushed. I wanted to know more about their situations and their lives, but was also satisfied by the story. Some may find Elisya’s spoiled, selfish naivete grating, but I thought she was an accurate depiction of a young, teenage girl who had not been taught properly about her world by her neglectful father. It’s easy to see the error of her ways from outside the pages of the book.

Through their varied stories, these disparate characters are woven together to form a tight knot that cannot be unravelled until death is satisfied. A Slavic death goddess, Morana, has trapped them in a foreboding castle together. The circumstances surrounding their mutual prison come clear through the story and had me eagerly reading along trying to unravel the mystery of what would happen next.

I have almost no knowledge about Slavic folklore, so I cannot speak to the accuracy of this book. The author did an excellent job of informing the reader with the details they needed to understand regarding what was happening, but at no time did it feel like an exposition dump.

The time-hopping structure and triple points of view kept the story moving and built on the mystery. I noted the time stamps on each character’s chapters and, knowing that they were destined to meet, I tracked the timeline. Telling the story this way also allowed me to piece together what happened to some of the side characters, particularly in Elisya’s story, and enriched the worldbuilding in ways that a single, linear narrative might not have.

A gothic fairy tale masterpiece, Dark Woods, Deep Water, will grip you in its talons and not let you go until the intense conclusion where death gets her due.

/5

Available from Amazon. and Bookshop.