AT THE EDGE OF A DARK FOREST (A Fairwilde Reflections Novella) by CONNIE ALMONY

Title: At the Edge of a Dark Forest (Fairwilde Reflections)

Author: Connie Almony
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (February 20, 2014)
Pages: 180

I feel almost speechless. As if no words I conjure up could do justice to the way I feel about, AT THE EDGE OF A DARK FOREST (A Fairwilde Reflections Novella) by CONNIE ALMONY. To say that I didn’t want it to end, is an understatement. If I had the ability, I’d make this amazing story into a movie. A movie that would no doubt become one of my favorites.

I have a special place in my heart for the retelling of fairytales. Beauty and the Beast being at the top of the list, right beside Cinderella. I tend to latch onto any movie that comes out with a new version of one of the classics I loves so much. Though I have read a few such stories, I don’t recall reading one that captured me the way AT THE EDGE OF A DARK FOREST has.

Cole Harrison is a bitter man, but not because he is lacking of worldly possessions. The wall he has built up around his heart has left him a man not many dare to get close to.

Carly Rose is put into a situation she has little choice but to endure. Her love for her father has her encountering a mission and a man that seems at first appearances, impossible.

I can’t provide much of a synopsis for this story, for in doing so I would write a good portion of the book. I, a slow reader, with little time, finished this amazing story in just two short days. Every time I attempted to put it down, it silently called to me. My emotions reeling from only completing it moments ago, are nearly too raw to express the horde of feeling it has created.

I guess it goes without saying that I am now a fan of MS ALMONY. Her writing is amazing, just as her storytelling. I was engrossed, inspired, intrigued, laughed, and cried. The author created many great lines that caused me to smile, my skin to have goose bumps, and my eyes to tear up.

AT THE EDGE OF A DARK FOREST is a clever and unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast. MS ALMONY took an unlikely twist to the storyline, yet kept the core of the story alive. I have never encountered a retelling of a story that kept the basic elements, with such a unique twist. I loved every word. Every scene. The beginning, the middle, and the end. It never disappointed. Not for a second.

Aside from the unique storyline, I LOVED how MS ALMONY incorporated bits of the original story through the characters. It was absolutely brilliant, adding to the overall charm of the story and characters. Though they referred to Beauty and the Beast, you never felt as though the story was mimicking it…yet it was so similar…in a unique way.

I love every character, each unique and three-dimensional. I love how MS ALMONY brought to the story things that you typically wouldn’t find in faith based fiction. The Christianity was relevant to life, subtle, yet so powerful. 

Okay, enough. I could go on and on. Do yourself a favor – get this book.