Greymist Fair

Written by Francesca Zappia

Narrated by Kelsey Navarro

“Sharp and accessible.” —School Library Journal

“Illustrates the revolutionary power of love, kindness, and community.” —Publishers Weekly

“Fans of retellings will enjoy finding many hidden tropes in the warm, original fantasy.” —Kirkus Reviews

The villagers of Greymist Fair know that the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and that they should never set foot off the road. But when a young tailor discovers a body, her search for the culprit reveals even more strange and dark happenings around her town.

From acclaimed author Francesca Zappia, Greymist Fair is a suspenseful and inventive murder mystery infused with magic and inspired by the lesser-known fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Two roads lead into a dark forest. They meet at Greymist Fair, the village hidden in the trees, a place kept alive by the families that never leave. The people of Greymist Fair know the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and to set foot off the road is to invite trouble.

When Heike, the village’s young tailor, discovers a body on the road, she goes looking for who is responsible. But her quest only leads to more strange happenings around Greymist Fair.

Inspired by the original, bloody, lesser-known fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, acclaimed author Francesca Zappia crafts an enthralling murder mystery that will keep readers turning the pages. Told from multiple points of view, with each narrative building on the crime discovered by Heike, Greymist Fair examines the themes of childhood fears, growing into adult responsibilities, and finding a place to call home amid the trials of life and death.

Features chapter decorations by the author throughout, as well as a map.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9780063161733

Francesca Zappia

Francesca Zappia lives in central Indiana. When she is not writing, she’s drawing her characters, reading, or playing video games. She is also the author of Made You Up and Eliza Mirk’s favorite, The Children of Hypnos, a biweekly serial novel posted on Tumblr and Wattpad. She also blogs about writing at francescazappia.com

Reviews for Greymist Fair

[Michy Grems · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Took a hot minute to really get into it and see how all the stories related to each other but the ending was really good!

[Samantha Kathleen Yenzer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I actually really loved this story. It felt short, but fast-paced. The different sections of character perspectives was such an interesting take that I have not encountered before, and I think it played well into unraveling the mystery.

The book is broken down into 7 sections and each section has about 5-6 chapters each. Each section is its own story in a way that also contributes to the main plot overall. You get a new perspective, and really period of time, with each one. I just loved how unique this experience was for me.

The story itself was also really well told to where I instantly wanted to go back and re-read the whole book again now that I had all the pieces.

I don't think the "mystery" ever really gripped me in the sense where I was biting my nails with anticipation of what was to come, but I did find the whole novel fun. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but really enjoyable nonetheless!

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kayla Pratt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this!

Hans was a jerk (surprise, surprise). And I loved everything about this story. The darkness, the magic, the lessons. Great read.

4 stars