Red-Haired Ash Reads

Red is a loyal hunter and is dedicated her life to stopping the spread of Nawa (monsters) with her witch Grand Mother. But no matter how many monsters she stops the mysterious illness called Rot, keeps spreading and devastating the land. When Red stumbles upon an injured wolf-girl named Sil, everything changes and she begins to question some of the things her Grand Mother has taught her. Will Red and Sil be able to find the truth about the Rot and stop its spread?

This was a fantastic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. From the beginning I was hooked on Red’s story and her determination to stop the spread of this illness. Red was a fantastic heroine who just wanted to help, and we see her struggle to come to terms with the truth about the Rot. Sil is a wolf guardian, known as a chimera, who can shift from a human-like form to a wolf. She has run from her responsibilities as guardian because it was thrust upon her at a young age. Now we see her start stepping up to take that mantle as they unravel what the Rot is and who is causing it. 

Red and Sil start as a bit of enemies to lovers, then as Sil heals from an injury we see them become friends, and by the end lovers. I really enjoyed the progression of their friendship and how it all tied into everything else that was happening in the world. While this does have a romance element to it, it is minor as the main focus is on what is happening in this forest, but I still really enjoyed it. 

Overall, this was a fantastic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. It kept me hooked from the beginning and had all kinds of fantastic characters and creatures. Also the artwork was beautiful and vibrant and worked perfectly with the storyline. 

TW: animal deaths depicted

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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