This book is a clever mix of fairy tales, classical fantasy and mystery. I enjoyed the author’s take on this world wherein fairy tale characters mingle with those from European mythology. The story really begins with a twisted opening and from then on we are constantly shunted from chapter to chapter with a new revelation about the world as well as the characters. I think the pace of the story helps quite a bit as well as the extremely short chapters. The story constantly keeps the readers on their toes with oodles of mystery in regards to what is actually happening as well who or what is the main protagonist’s role in the world. The Woodcutter is a retelling of fairy tales both familiar and fantastical as it weaves a larger story that focuses on the fate of the Twelve Kingdoms. A protector of the fairy realms, the Woodcutter finds himself on an epic quest to save the future of these Kingdoms from the scheming machinations of the Queen and the Gentleman. There's true love, pixie dust, and glass slippers. There's shades of Tolkein and Lee, and lots and lots of the Grimms. In this case however, true love is not the romantic, Disneyfied stuff. It is love that comes without enchantment or disguise. It is the love that contains a willingness for sacrifice and the quiet, comfortable warmth of true understanding and acceptance of another. So glad to find this lovely pub. The staff made us... welcome and could not do enough for us. They topped up my clients sippy cup with water after all she is partial to a refreshing glass of water. Also I was flagging after pushing her chair along the various roads and uneven paths to get there so finding this was a pleasant surprise. It is hard to give a good review of this book without giving too much away. I will say this is my first book by Reginald Hill and I don't know how I missed him!

With an ambling narrative comprising two chapters and a prologue, the film is set in a snowbound area of Finland surrounded by mountains and forests. The story begins in a distant, windblown cabin where two representatives of the powers that be – whether corporate or metaphysical – make a deal that will determine the fates of all the characters who live down below. One of them is middle-aged, easy-going Pepe (Lahti), who works in the local sawmill with his burly friend Tuomas (HP. Björkman), and who is proud father to a young son, also named Tuomas (Iivo Tuuri).Wolf takes up residence in his old family home, adjacent to the grounds of the castle where his in-laws still live. The rustic cabin, the isolation, the disgust of his neighbors — it would be a very difficult existence for most men, but Wolf seems to thrive. After all, he is a man with a purpose… So, that said, I bet you my bottom onion ring that this is a bit of fanfic that got a little bit big in some secret community and Danley got told this could be, like, a real book! And everything! And yes, I'm exaggerating. I'm sure it didn't happen like that. But it comes across like that. It's a tepid little exploration of a metanarrative that goes down the Aarne-Thompson list of types and tries to hit as many of the high points as coyly as possible. But what you're really left with is the idea that you're not getting the full story. You weren't in on the conversation that led to the story and so are left out of all the assumptions that go into it. She's just telling the story! Except she forgot that not everybody is in on the canon.

Eίμαι λίγο μπερδεμένη.Όταν ξεκίνησα να διαβάζω τον Ξυλοκόπο ενθουσιάστηκα απο τις πρώτες σελίδες και συνέχισα να διαβάζω με μεγάλη όρεξη αφού είναι ένα βιβλίο που κρατάει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη αμείωτο σχεδόν μέχρι το τέλος.Αυτό το τέλος όμως με άφησε λίγο...ανικανοποίητη να το πω;Απογοητευμένη να το πω;Πάντως δεν το βρήκα αντάξιο των προσδοκιών που μου είχε δημιουργήσει ο συγγραφέας μέχρι εκείνη τη στιγμή.

I honestly thought this was going to be a creative fun read. I found it to be a collection of pulling every fairy tale character out of memory and throwing it into a book. The chapters were so short and didn't make sense how they would stop but the story would continue on the chapter as if it was a new paragraph. You persuaded him! A boy, a naïve young man at the very most, in your employ, in your care, probably dependent upon you emotionally as well as economically! And you persuaded him to become a killer. I bet that called on all your Ciceronian skills!” Some spoke gentle words; some remained silent. But he understood. Understood that the pain he endured thinking he was leaving them was nothing compared to the pain they endured knowing he was gone. So together they rejoiced in life."