"Spiritwood" Book Review: Savage Slaughter and Eerie Exploits

Jed Guiness is a sculptor that has always had the ability to see spirits within the woods. He is drawn to Spiritwood by the seven Shamans spirits he sees there, but he doesn’t understand that he will bring Chaos and destruction to the entire town. Once the evil is unleashed, only those who can hold on to their sanity through the protection of the Shaman spirits from the legend can try to stop it. The Shamans’ connection to some of the characters is very obvious, but the intricacies of the story are far more obscure and mystifying.

Spiritwood is a nightmarish tale that would make even the most fearless man think twice before going into the woods again. G. J. Wise has twisted a Native American legend with modern societal etiquette together in this dark phantasm to show us who each of us truly could be without inhibitions or morals. Would you have the willpower to fight the darkness, even if it meant losing those you cared about?

G. J. Wise writes with passion focusing on the depth of the characters and history, not only the plot. Wise’s portrayal of gruesome madness in the town and especially in specific characters is impressive. His detailed scenes make you feel as if you are there amongst the violent mayhem and raw tragedy. However, once you believe you know what will happen next, Wise drastically changes the storyline. He even uses a creative summary at the beginning of some chapters enticing the reader as to what is to come. Wise even throws in some subtle foreshadowing, but don’t be fooled. Through all the twists and turns in Spiritwood, you won’t know how things will end until the very last page.

The fear and disgust we feel when G. J. Wise describes Chaos being physically unleashed and taking control of the vilest human in town is magnificent. The transformation and interaction is extremely vivid. However, we never get this direct experience from any of the seven Shaman spirits. The characters relay visions, but never have actual conversations with any of them. Plus, while all of the good characters have some wood piece or carved totem to connect them to the Shamans, Chaos never made physical contact to communicate, let alone be unleashed. I find this extremely odd.

G. J. Wise gives the Shamans a keen and profound way to link to the good characters but their own inability to communicate leaves us with is a sense of hopelessness for them. It seems like they are being guided by a torch that is barely lit. Granted, Spiritwood wouldn’t be this dark and sinister if the light was actually burning….

• Rating: 4.8 out of 5