Call Forth a Fox

by Markelle Grabo

The western wood is where Ro’s father built their garden, taught her to forage, and told her tales of the faeries who live there—how to summon them, how to protect herself, and warnings of what they are capable of. Now, her father is gone, the garden has withered, and their family is struggling. Her mother and sister want to move into town, but Ro doesn't want to give up the memories of her father and his stories—or the charming village girl who shares Ro's love of the trees. And the forest isn’t ready to let her go either.

One winter night, on her way home from foraging, Ro encounters a fox being attacked by a bear. She fights the bear to save the fox’s life, only to see the bear turn into a boy after her sister shoots him with an arrow. When the boy wakes, he has no memory of who he is—all he knows is Ro’s name and that he has to kill the fox.

Ro never believed in the faeries from her father’s stories, but she can’t deny the magic surrounding her and that both the boy and the fox are victims of a faerie curse. She’ll have to remember everything her father taught her in order to extract herself from this deadly game and keep her precious fox out of harm’s way.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Young Adult, LGBT, Queer, Retellings, Romance

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[mariam (Cardan's tail's version♡)]

For fans of holly black ? I NEED THIS ARC

[Книжкові історії · Rating 4 out of 5]

Це було справді хороше закінчення читацького року! #прочитала Затишна історія із зимовим лісом і таємницями фейрі. Доволі цікавий сюжет, у який поринаєш поступово.

Головна героїня — підлітка, яка обожнює ліс і не хоче покидати домівку, заради кращого життя у місті. Тому через це в неї складні стосунки з сестрою та є образа на маму. Її внутрішній конфлікт дуже реалістичний: Ро тримається за спогади про батька, боїться втратити місце, яке повʼязує з ним.

Мені сподобалася камерна, «затишна» атмосфера: зимовий ліс, гарячий чай вдома в друзів, селище зі своїми проблемами та легендами. А романтична лінія між двома дівчатами в книзі дуже мила і чарівна, і розгортається майже з самого початку!

Написано легко, і читається швидко. Події не розтягнуті, все відбувається динамічно, магія світу проста, але цікава.

Водночас ця історія точно не пухкенька зефірка, авторка помістила в ній і багато складного: втрата батька, неприйняття в суспільстві, біль дорослішання тощо.

Оцінка: 4🌟

«Поклич лисицю» — це cozy фентезі, з підліткою в головній ролі, яка поступово вчиться ухвалювати дорослі рішення, приймати вибір інших та розуміти себе і свої почуття.

Для теплого вечора — чудовий вибір!

« — Я не казатиму тобі, що робити, Ро. Я лише прошу, щоб ти зробила свій вибір із любові, а не зі страху.

— То ти просиш, щоб я обрала її.

Ші похитує головою.

— У коханні вибір не обовʼязково має стосуватися когось іншого. Його можна зробити і для себе»

[bri]

This book was very sweet and I really enjoyed the woodsy fairytale atmosphere of it all. I do think it would have been more impactful as a middle grade novel, rather than YA. The attempts to fit this story into a YA age range felt incompatible with the narrative, and it definitely should've been a solid 150 pages or so shorter.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a finished copy in exchange for an honest review!

CW: death of father (past), grief, violence, fire, injury detail, blood, child death, self-harm (for magic), self-sacrifice, kidnapping, character death, loss of loved one (past), homophobia (mention), biphobia (mention)

[Brend]

I have a tiny little voice in my head saying this one might make me cry. Fun.

''Ro never believed in the faeries from her father’s stories, but she can’t deny the magic surrounding her and that both the boy and the fox are victims of a faerie curse. She’ll have to remember everything her father taught her in order to extract herself from this deadly game and keep her precious fox out of harm’s way.'' .

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call Forth a Fox tells the story of Ro, a young woman grappling with an impending (and unwanted) move to a different town. When she comes across a bear who turns into a boy, it sets off a series of events leading to some unexpected discoveries and tough choices.

The story felt very much like a fairy tale, but with wonderful depth and warmth to the characters. I loved reading the descriptions of the forest and its inhabitants - it felt vivid and lush. Overall, I enjoyed both the plot and the worldbuilding.

Thanks to NetGalley, Page Street Publishing, and Colored Pages Book Tours for the eARC!

[Світлана · Rating 5 out of 5]

Поставила 5 балів, але все ж таки це десь 4,5 зірочки з 5, оскільки не все було ідеально. Однак 4 не хочеться ставити цій історії.

[Emmaline Savidge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn’t quite succeed for me largely because of its cyclical repetitive plot. It felt like we were continually repeating scenes of the Fox and Bear fighting each other and transforming. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing however. This book is clearly inspired by the structure of fairy tales and they are often repetitive stories. I think that’s a great writing choice for this style of book but this taught me it’s not something I enjoy. If you want something that feels very whimsical and fairytale inspired it’s very likely that this will appeal to you.

[♡ A's reviews ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful wintery fairytale retelling full of a sweet, sapphic romance.

Call Forth a Fox follows Ro, a girl who was taught to forage and stories of faeries by her father growing up in a cottage in the forest. But her father has passed and her mother is setting up a new life for them in a city – something Ro doesn’t want at all. Her life turns upside down when she comes across a Fox being hunted by a bear when she’s out foraging. Ro defends the fox only to watch the bear transform into a boy before her eyes, and to her shock, he knows her name and claims he must kill the Fox.

Ro is thrust into a mystery of faeries and curses that has delicious twists and turns you don’t expect! The magic system was so unique and I loved the authors twist on faeries. I was captivated while reading and found the plot to be engaging and fast-paced.

I really loved the cast of characters. Ro was such a strong lead and her sister was so sweet and supportive. Brenda was so interesting and I was so curious to see where his story ended. Same with Colette! The romance between Ro and Colette was really sweet. Overall though, the characters were well rounded and easy to root for!

This is the perfect read for winter or when it’s snowy! The vibes of the snowy forest were immaculate and I’d definitely recommend checking this book out!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Beth Rosser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost DNFed this book several times and really had to force myself through it. Going by the other reviews, I'm pretty alone in this, so take what I say with a pinch of salt.

Positives
- Ro was a well done character. As was Brend. I like how Ro's family allowed her the space to be who she was. And yes, they encouraged her to get out of her comfort zone, but they didn't force her. Brend was also loyal and brave.

That's about it. I found it really predictable, even the big reveals. The pacing was very slow and it just did not capture my interest. I really like fairy tale retellings, but this one just really didn't work for me.

[Yevheniia Shepel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Чесно, розумію, що, мабуть, одиночні фентезі - це взагалі не моє 🤷🏼‍♀️
Мене не занурило у світ, місцями було навіть нудно, герої залишилися далекими, їхні почуття я абсолютно не відчула.

Не хотілося повертатись до цієї історії - вона здавалася якоюсь занадто плоскою.
Можливо, для підліткової літератури це ще ок, але як доросле фентезі я б точно не розглядала цю книгу 🙅🏼‍♀️

[Nastya Gi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Історія непогана, але мені не вистачило глибини. Дуже погано розкрито світоустрій, майже немає інформації про фейрі. Події настільки циклічні, що іноді здавалося, що перечитуєш один і той самий уривок тексту. Дії героїв дуже сумбурні і не завжди зрозуміла мотивація. Загалом, на жаль, атмосферність історії не змогла витягнути все інше.

[Кіра Ендрю · Rating 4 out of 5]

Пам'ятаєте я казала, що, можливо, буду радити цю книгу до зимових свят? Так от дуже раджу :) На мою думку, це саме та книга, яку хочеться читати у період, коли наряджаєш ялинку 🎄, прикрашаєш домівку і чекаєш на різдвяно-новорічні дива. Вона м'яка, тепла і комфортна. Вона переносить у паралельний казковий світ і відволікає від проблем.

✨ Це ретейлінг казки Грімм, але дуже умовний, тож не чекайте, що сюжет повторить стару історію. Своїм підходом авторка нагадала мені М. Маєр — сюжет тут самостійний, але де-не-де ловиш відсилочки на казку.

🩷 Мене абсолютно підкорило те, як ненав'язливо і красиво авторка вписала лгбт-лінію. Навіть не одну. Вони тут настільки органічні, наче тільки так і могло бути. А ще вона чудово подає жіночих персонажів. Її героїні сильні рівно настільки, щоб це не дратувало й не виглядало як маніфест.

Звісно, книга не позбавлена класичних дебютних недоліків: подекуди сюжет гальмував, а потім зривався на такий галоп, що я не встигала підбирати з підлоги щелепу. А ще трішки було відчуття, що герої аж занадто одне з одним пов'язані. Але це не заважало читанню, бо стиль неймовірно легкий, переклад якісний, а атмосфера затягує.

💘 Окреме сердечко хочеться поставити прописуванню стосунків між героями. Вони тут говорять словами через рот! І вирішують проблеми розмовами! І взагалі демонструють здоровий тип стосунків без аб'юзу, маніпуляцій і усіх тих неприємних штук, які часто зустрічаються у романах про кохання! Це шок. А що так ��ожна було?!

Хоча без цього книга і не була б такою теплою і казковою, правда?

(до речі, якщо на середині книги ви вирішите, що знаєте, чим закінчиться ця історія, то ні, ви не знаєте :Р)

✨ Якщо ви хочете зазирнути в дитинство, де було місце магії, фейрі та вірі в перемогу добра над злом і життя над смертю, то ці 350 сторінок — для вас ✨

[Vicky W (bookish.Vicky) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Rating: 4 stars★
Release Date: 02 April 2024

Review:

Call Forth a Fox was a magical experience with charming characters, using winter as a brilliant backdrop for such a bleak story that breaks through to hope just in time for spring. The twists in this book were great, and had me reading well into the night.

I found Ro to be such an intriguing main character; her love of the forest and distaste for village life felt perfect for a story about faeries. I loved watching her grow and discover who she truly is as the story progressed, both in heritage and love.

On the flipside, I do feel like the pacing was a little slow and dragged out. The final confrontation scene felt five pages too long, with constant back and forth. I also wished we got more of Eirwyn, as we’re constantly told about the sisters’ bond rather than witnessing it in action. Also, I can’t lie, the girls’ mother being gone for the majority of the story felt like a cop-out. I know her being there would answer a lot of the questions the girls had, but still.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, though I wish it went a bit more in-depth with the world and characters. It felt like everything sort of overshadowed each other, with the romance being on the backburner for the faerie realm which was put on the backburner for whatever Ro and Brend had going on.

I’ll absolutely read a sequel if there ever is one, as I adore the world and the characters and need to know more! It’s the kind of open-ended conclusion that just leaves me wanting, but also satisfied, which a lot of books struggle to pull off as well as Grabo did here.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely my favourite book I've read recently.

Ro was a very compelling protagonist and I really loved her character arc. The relationships in this book were one of the highlights. Every relationship changes throughout the story in a way that felt very natural. I also adored the plot — it starts with Ro and her sister trying to understand why a boy can turn into a bear, and this is the catalyst for them learning about faeries, their father, and even each other. There was also a good balance between the plot and characters; the tension with the mystery/faeries was always there, but at the same time, the characters were given room to develop in tandem with the storyline.

All in all, this is a cozy story that had me hooked from the first page. (I also just realised it's a retelling of Snow White and Rose Red, which I've actually never read?) Highly recommended!

[Erin Maxson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stellar debut novel!

It took me a chapter or two to love the characters, but the storyline is truly magical from end to end. With classic good vs. evil, growing love, and family secrets, this fairy tale makes you feel the magic of the western wood in all its forms.

This book surprised me in the best ways and had so many good lessons that makes you realize what the original fairy tales were missing.

I hope there’s a sequel for this one in the works as following these characters through their adventures gave me new insight into the simple things in life. Kindness, love, and trust are truly what get us through every day — even if we’re not being chased by faeries beyond the veil — and I think we can all use a good reminder about that every now and then.

[Yuliia Kravchenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ставлю трохи 5 з авансом, так би мовити, бо було трохи питань щодо вчинків героїв (особливо під кінець 😄)

Але вцілому мені сподобалось
Для дебюту досить добре
Історія вкотре доводить, що я обожнюю ретелінги

Присутні сюжетні лгбт-лінії

Світоустрій мені прям дуже сподобався, атмосфера - зимовий засніжений ліс - теж дуже круто

[Olena Landar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Насправді це 3,5⭐️ бо якось все було ні про що, от ніякого змістовного емоційного навантаження.
Наче не можу сказати що зовсім дратувала бо сюжет впринципі взятий з сюжету казки, але ну нічого якось в памʼяті вже не лишилось з історії 🌚
От я просто не знаю кому б я могла її налити, бо витратити час, щоб що? От і я не знаю 🫣

[Iulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute!

[Lucia]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[Iryna Lavrynenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Гарно написаний, атмосферно-похмурий ретелінг з делікатною лгбт лінією

[Iz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the sapphic plot line and woodsy fae atmosphere. The ending was a bit heavy-handed.

[Nicole | thebookofhylia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for providing me with an eARC to review.

I had quite high hopes for this book, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. The cover of the book is beautiful, and the synopsis was very intriguing, but the characters didn't have the sense of connection that I was hoping for. I was so exited for the sapphic romance but it was lacklustre to say the least. I didn’t care for any of the characters, and it left me wishing for more depth and chemistry between them, which ultimately affected my overall enjoyment of the story and their fates.

This book touches on themes of grief and the grieving process, but alas, they are oversimplified. The characters' reactions to grief, and the impact of their grief on their relationship feels forced - as a way to make the plot make more sense.

The faeries and curses failed to intrigue me, the magic system felt uninspired and the author's take on faeries wasn’t for me at all. I struggled to maintain interest in the story and found the plot to be dull and slow. Many things were repeated throughout, spoon feeding me clues and making me feel like a child. When in fact I had the plot figured out within the first third of the book - further depleting my enjoyment of this book. Now knowing what’s going to happen to the characters and at the same time not caring at all.

While I didn’t necessarily enjoy this book, I did like the writing style, albeit a bit dull and over explanatory sometimes. For example, when the author decided to write about one of the characters practising sitting on a chair - “first, I try both legs side by side, hands in my lap. Then the left leg over the right. Then the right leg over the left. Then both legs tucked beneath me. When nothing satisfies, I try standing, but that feels strange too. I can’t decide what works best”. This didn’t surmount to anything at all, and there’s many more instances like this, making me skip over them entirely.

However, if you enjoy Holly Blacks books then you might like this one too! That’s why I’ve decided to give it three stars, as I genuinely believe it was just not for me, rather than it being an awful story.

[Marijke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Themes/elements:
- Bisexuality / biphobia
- Self discovery
- Dark fae
- Cottage in the forest
- Sisterhood
- Belonging
- Family
- Cottagecore

I really enjoyed this book. The vibes were so cozy yet dark at times. I love reading about foraging, exploring the woods, etc. The fae in this story were close to folklore and were cruel/cunning. However, there were a few which showed gentler traits. There were many plot twists that I didn't see coming which kept my wanting to read more to see where the story would go. The exploration of self discovery, bisexuality and other themes was relatively well done.

However, there are some things that I didn't enjoy or that the story lacked. One of these is the biphobia or what is said about it in the book. The main character repeatedly points out that people do not accept her bisexuality or who she is. Yet when she does visit the village I found the actual interactions not that hostile just curious? I think Ro had more internalised biphobia but that could be because we were told rather than shown that the villagers made her feel that way. Ro could also be very childish at times. Seeing that she is fifteen maybe that's normal but in contrast with other actions it felt a bit annoying. There was also a slight repetitiveness with the whole keeping secrets but then revealing them to never lie again but then doing it all over again. Lastly, I would have liked to see the mother come back and talk to her daughters in the end. So much happens in her absence and there are many questions they would still have to ask her upon arrival yet we never get that. It's just something I personally would have liked.

Overall I really recommend this story as a cozy yet dark cottagecore fairytale. It's perfect to read curled up under a blanket on a cold night.

[Rowan's Bookshelf (Carleigh) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but has some major problems. Not sure if I'll write a Full review but some main thoughts:

- I like Eirwyn and Ro well enough, they had a strong sisterly bond
- I liked collete okay but I feel like I didn't know too much about her outside of being perfect for Ro. I don't know Brend literally at all and didn't care about him
- I didn't get how the faeries worked, how their realm worked at all and made it hard to care about the plot. It was also frustrating that it took SO LONG to even understand what the curse was about and also made it hard to care when I don't get what's going on
- the biphobia is random and I don't really get why it was included. Also didn't really mean much besides giving Ro a reason to avoid the village
- the writing is too plain and really needs a "show don't tell" edit in many many places when it comes to character development moments
- the faerie designs were fun and unique

[Taru&Myth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Просто шкода ставити такій милій затишній історії менше зірочок. Хоча ��она й повільна дещо, але персонажі, хитрі загадки фейрі і казковість зробили все, щоб читання історії лишило по собі приємні спогади, як той перший сніг ✨ історія про сестринство, власну силу та вибір, як застосовувати свою силу — від підлітків до дорослих, які скучають за казками, точно варто придивитися до ще однієї книги про фейрі!

[Tatiana Schlote-Bonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, cozy fairytale retelling! I loved this world and the dynamic between Ro and her sister. The cottage in the woods makes for the perfect snowy day read. It gave me Once Upon a Time vibes (when the show was good!)

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this for the first half but then it dragged a bit too long.

[katcxfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Call Forth A Fox is about a pair of sisters who stumble across a bear in the woods. But when the bear starts to attack a fox, Ro fights the bear off to save the fox's life. When the bear turns into a boy after her sister shoots him with an arrow, he has no memory. All he knows is Ro's name and that he has to kill the fox.

This book is about sisterhood and grief. There are complex themes about grief and the grieving process. In the book we see both sister grieve in different ways and how their relationship with their dad has an impact on their grief. This book is truly about sisterhood and how two people can grow up and have vastly different views of the ones they loved. That family is more than just blood and the people you surround yourself with can become your family.

The themes of grief and grieving comes up a lot in this book. The conception of grief and the different ways you can grieve is strong throughout the book. Sisterhood is such a strong concept and I loved how Ro and Eirwyn relationship developed throughout the book. Their growth in sisterhood and their confidence in themselves was a beautiful combination.

I enjoyed the storytelling of this book. The fantasy aspects of the book was easy to read and the worldbuilding of the fantasy world was beautifully written. I personally don't read first person pov often and I always feel like there should be a reason for it. I felt like it was pulled off very well and I felt very immersed in the book. I liked all the characters and did not feel like any of them fell flat.

Overall, I did enjoy this book! I loved the themes of sisterhood and grief within the book and I think those two themes were the most present while reading.

[Lujane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m starting off by giving this a 3.5.

“Call Forth a Fox” was a whimsical story covered in snow and faerie magic. I personally have not heard of the Red Rose story so I couldn’t really relate to how this was a retelling. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable story to read. I loved the relationship between Ro and her sister Erywin. Usually in books the sisters are just side characters that don’t have any depth and are just there in name, but with Erywin, I loved all of the aspects that her character brought to the story.

The story it’s self, I found personally very well paced, with a few plot twists here and there to keep you engaged (although in retrospect if I was actively trying to think of how the plot would play out maybe some plot twist might have been more obvious, but I just wanted to read and see where the story would take me). In regards to the pacing, I liked how things were going on throughout the book and not just during the last 15% as many other books typically do.

The romance between Ro and Collette was sweet but at many times during the book I felt there was very obvious potential between her and Brend.

I felt that this story was halfway told through Ro’s memories and there was always a memory to explain what was going on or how she was feeling a certain way, which I didn’t really like.

Overall it was a nice read with caring characters that learn to grow and overcome their challenges throughout the book!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this E-ARC!

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since Ro was an infant, her father has told her stories of faeries in the western wood next to their home. He taught her to forage and find peace within the dense, magical forest. After her father passes away, Ro’s mother leaves to try and find other opportunities in the town across the river. Once winter is over, Ro and Eirwyn are expected to join their mother in a town called Poppy. Ro is vehemently against leaving the western wood, while her sister refuses to even enter the forest since their father’s death. One afternoon while foraging, Ro comes across a bear attempting to catch and kill a fox. Without thinking, Ro steps in to save the fox, only to become the focus of the bear. As Ro frantically tries to make it back to their cottage, the bear pounces, and she’s only saved by her sister’s bow and arrow. However, the bear morphs into a boy, and Eirwyn rushes to save his life. The boy has zero memories but knew he needed to find Ro, making her suspicious of him and desperate to locate the fox and uncover the human within.

Call Forth a Fox is a retelling of a fairytale I haven’t heard of prior to picking this book up. I really liked the overall vibes the author created with her descriptive story telling. I did, unfortunately, find the story a little boring at times and I wasn’t completely engrossed. I enjoyed the reveals regarding Ro’s heritage and the way every character grew in their own way. Overall, this is a decent YA fantasy with a unique premise and a fantastic setting.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Page Street YA for the free early copy. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.