Never in my life did I expect a book and its amazing story to embed itself so deeply into my soul.

Brooke Jones has written an absolute fantastical masterpiece within these pages. This book is broken up into three parts. Each more enticing and dark as it progresses. Jones has the most incredible way of drawing you in, page by page, with her immense level of detail, emotion, unmatched balance of magic/whimsy/horror/spice/romance, and intense descriptive writing.

This story takes place between two worlds, connected by a limited source of magic to travel between worlds. One world revolts the idea of magic and things not yet understood but functions on our sense of normalcy with scientific advances and modern technology, while the other world thrives in a whimsical and magical lifestyle that is both fantastical and horrific in various ways.

Eleanor (Nell) is the FMC who is thrown into a once in a lifetime encounter that will forever change the course of her life. Living a modest and repetitive life of work, sleep, and coffee, like many of us do in our own lives, Nell accepts that her life will remain lonely and solitude with only her cat and best friend to get her through. Her days of pushing coffee and cheap microwave meals change drastically when she meets a coffee chugging hunk of a man, Darragh (MMC), who peaks her curiosity and pushes the bounds her mind in ways no one would ever dream of.

When we think of magical worlds, we envision beautiful fields of rippling flowers, rivers, and flourishing forests of animals and adorable creatures, but Hiraeth offers all of that with a side of darkness and tragedy. The epitome of "don't get too comfortable". Unimaginable creatures lurk in the lush, beautiful forests waiting and stalking with a new scent they've locked onto and pine after with foaming, bubbling saliva. The scent pushing them to find this new delicious source. But these creatures are just the tip of the dread capped iceberg.

Nell and Darragh face challenge after challenge while butting heads along the way discovering more and more of their differences they're forced to over come. Together, they face immense struggles that test their resolve and their willingness to survive. Needing to use all that she's learned, Nell is forced to make difficult choices and fight for not only her survival, but the survival of those she's become fond of. She's challenged by the highest power with a task she doesn't think she will survive, but other's depend greatly on her success.

Jones has an unwavering talent of intertwining heart stopping sequences of terror that have you on the edge of your seat with fanciful scenes that leave you lusting for this fairy-tale like world. The lightest scenes are loaded with beautiful detail that has you day-dreaming of these places filled with whimsy and magic, while the more sinister side of this story invades your soul with horrors beyond belief, dangers that exist purely to quash all sense of safety, and situations that will surely have you questioning fears you never knew you had.

It's extremely rare to find a book that I can identify with in some way, whether it's a character, a situation, or an experience, but this book is jam-packed with relatable content and characters. From the basic, redundant life Nell trudges through early in the book of 'all work and no play', to the incredibly complex characters that continue to pop up with a variety of lifestyles, personalities, and personal struggles, Jones has created something for everyone. Or rather, 'someone' for everyone.

The Forest where the Phoenix Sleeps swept me off my feet and transported me into a renewed love for fantasy books. This story has raised the bar tremendously for me as a horror fan and fantasy reader that I fear will not be matched by anything other than the possibility of more books by her.