Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston (review)

The magic that has protected the thriving kingdom of Aloriya fails on the day of the princess' coronation, when a shadowy figure emerges from the surrounding Wildwood, demanding the crown and cursing the people, turning them, including the princess, into rotting, bloodthirsty creatures. Seventeen-year-old Cerys barely escapes, grabbing the crown before she heads into the Wildwood. She aims to find the forgotten city of Voryn in hopes that residents will know how to break the curse, and she's accompanied by Fox, a human boy who was formerly her pet fox but has been transformed by the forest. The journey is fraught with challenges both physical and emotional, especially when Cerys and Fox realize that a shared repressed tragedy of their past may be holding the curse in place. Narration alternates between Cerys and Fox, and their developing romance is sweetly chaste, with looks of longing and unspoken feelings making up most of the romantic tension. More direct thrill is derived from the chase scenes through the forest as the two are pursued by the zombie-like creatures and by a friend turned revenant, and Poston spares little detail when it comes to description of the gruesome monsters. The mythology of the kingdom is well crafted and accessible, and the ending shifts focus to other characters, pointing toward a sequel and further exploration of the Wildwood and the secrets it holds.