The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest

Starred review from November 18, 2024
Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is cast as a monster by the local children who gather each Halloween around the forest’s edge to chant about how he “waits to feast/ On little bones.” But Clare isn’t a monster: he’s an Usher, one who helps wandering souls find their way to their respective afterlife, be it Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. Having died as a kit, Clare has no memories of his mortal life; all he knows is that if he dies again, his soul will go to Pain. When he learns of a prophecy about his impending disappearance, and Gingersnipes, a badger soul who doesn’t seem to belong to any afterlife, arrives on his doorstep, Clare realizes he’s being replaced as Usher, forcing him to confront his loneliness and fear of death, and making him reckless in his grief. In folktale cadences, Hartman (The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor) speaks directly to the reader, deftly weaving a riveting and morally complex tale populated by flawed, fully realized characters navigating realistic emotions. Prospective life-after-death scenarios are presented in an age-appropriate manner without judgment, encouraging self-reflection and bravery in the face of the unknown. Whimsical chapter illustrations spotlight important aspects of this atmospheric and deeply emotional story about loss and the things one discovers upon learning to be vulnerable. Ages 8–up. Agent: Molly O’Neill, Root Literary.

Starred review from December 1, 2024
Change is coming to Deadwood Forest, and Clare is afraid for his livelihood. Lonely Clare, a silver-tailed fox, was run over as a kit six years ago, but he didn't go on to the Afterlife. Instead, he resides in Deadwood Forest, the splendidly realized world where he serves as Usher to the four realms: Peace, Pleasure, Progress, and Pain. He believes himself to be hideous, with his patchy fur and empty eye socket, reminders of the accident that brought him here, so he wears a cloak and a monocle. Clare gives the woodland creatures who knock on his cottage door tea and his attention as he tells them about their altered circumstances--they are dead--and explains that "each soul is drawn to the world where they will be most comfortable." Clare fears the realm of Pain for himself: He knows that only the worst of creatures go through that portal, yet he believes that Brickbane, his predecessor and mentor, foretold such a fate for himself. When a lively badger spirit arrives, full of questions, but Clare is strangely unable to guide her to the correct realm, he's dismayed to realize that his work as an Usher may be over. Hartman gracefully balances poignant and comic moments, wry observations, and moments of kindness. The narrator opens by directly addressing readers and provides a lovely and consoling revelation in the epilogue. Final art not seen. Heartbreaking, marvelously funny, and generously redemptive.(Fantasy. 8-13)

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Starred review from January 1, 2025
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* It is perpetually fall in Deadwood Forest, where Clare, the undead fox, resides in a cozy cabin ever ready to usher lost souls to their appropriate afterlife: Peace, Pleasure, Progress, or Pain. It's a job he enjoys, this helping of others, especially since his own short life was devoid of love and kindness. Abandoned by his mother! Hit by a car! Attacked by a badger! Because of the latter, Clare's hospitality falters when the newest soul knocking at his door is, indeed, a badger--albeit it an unusually chatty and amiable one by the name of Gingersnipes. Clare makes short work of sending her to an afterlife and is considerably displeased to see her reappear at his cabin a short while later--a rare thing that only occurs when a soul tries to enter the wrong afterlife. As each new attempt to send the badger to her great reward ends in failure, Clare grows more confused and begrudgingly fond of Gingersnipes. Hoping to gain some clarity, Clare visits the seer Hesterfowl, who reveals that Clare's days as Usher are likely numbered. Hartman's animal fantasy is lightly macabre in its trappings but sweet and uplifting in substance, and the conversational narration adds an extra layer of whimsy to the proceedings. This tale of self-love and acceptance makes the most of its unique setting and the memorable characters found there.

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January 31, 2025

Gr 5-7-A fantastic tale of loss, discovery, afterlife, and mushrooms. Deadwood Forest is not alive but it's also not dead, as is the case with its resident Afterlife Usher. Clare is a fox who was spared death so he could become a guide to lost souls trying to pass on to the afterlife. Leading a solitary but meaningful life, Clare has learned to guide wandering spirits and to read the signs of what the eternal life is trying to communicate. Meanwhile, he is the keeper of the forest, a mushroom farmer, and an acquaintance to two trashrats. He does his job well and efficiently, so it's only when Gingersnips the badger shows up without a clear or easy way to pass on that Clare starts sensing trouble. To make matters worse, the contrasting Fernlight Forest's usher called Hesterfowl has delivered a premonition about Deadwood Forest, and Clare and Gingersnips will have to put their species' antagonistic natures to rest to solve the mystery. Told in beautiful prose and with rich imagery, this is a deep story about death, loss, and grief, but also about compassion, finding meaning, and discovering what one really is made of in the face of the strongest adversity. Clare's painful un-death, the mystery of his missing mother, and Gingersnips's own tragic family story will grip every reader's heart. VERDICT An excellent choice for libraries where fantasy is in high demand. Give this book to nature and animal lovers alike.-Carol Youssif

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