Amazon Official Kate Danley Website CreateSpace Category:  Fantasy Publisher: CreateSpace ISBN-10:  1453876146 Pages: 344 Copyright: October 2010 ISBN-13: 9781453876145 A fairytale mash-up of Grimm proportions.           Garcia Award for the Best Fiction Book of the Year - Reader Views Literary Awards 1st Place Fantasy Book - Reader Views Literary Awards Winner of the Sci-fi/Fantasy Category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Cinderella is dead and one of Odin's hellhounds has gone rogue.  The Woodcutter, protector of peace between the Twelve Kingdoms of Man and the Realm of Faerie, is charged with finding the beast and returning him to the Wild Hunt.  Unfortunately, it seems the forces of evil have other plans.  It is a race against time as the Woodcutter travels east of the sun and west of the moon, up beanstalks and down to the bowels of the earth to unravel a mystery that can only be described as Grimm.    "Five Stars - The pacing was fantastic and it kept me awake late at night wanting to read more and more." "Five Stars - What an adventure!  It's a book that is easy to read and hard to put down." "Five Stars - Ms. Danley has a very strong and sure voice, deceptively simple, which lends itself beautifully to this re-invisioning of folklore."  "Five Stars - This book is the perfect blend of light and dark. There is hope amidst darkness and so many familiar stories with an interesting and compelling twist. I could not put it down and this new talent rivals that of Gregory Maguire, Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis." "Five Stars - I loved this book. Enchanting. Thrilling. I couldn't put it down. I was captivated. When I finished it, I immediately read it again because I couldn't wait to relive the experience."

The Woodcutter - Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views
Five Stars - “The Woodcutter” by Kate Danley is the fictional story of a man known only as the Woodcutter. He must protect the wood from evil. He is given a special assignment to return a rogue hellhound to evil Odin. He ends up leaving on a journey away from his beloved wife that entangles him in twists on well-known fairy tales. He meets everyone from Snow White to Jack in the Beanstalk to Rapunzel. Characters known as The Gentleman and Queen have their own evil plans that involve becoming supreme rulers over various kingdoms and destroying the Woodcutter. Loved by nature and the fairies that are being depleted of their fairy dust by the Gentleman and the Queen, the Woodcutter finds himself in challenges like none he has ever seen before.

I loved “The Woodcutter.” The characters are so interesting. Because most people remember elements of classic fairy tales, the references Danley makes are relatable. The twists are dark and not of the Disney flare, but they make the story very engrossing for adults. The Woodcutter is the true “Prince Charming” type character while the Gentleman and Queen represent the classic antagonists.

The only minimal critique I have is the lack of discussion about the hellhound in the middle of the book. I kept wondering where he was and why he wasn’t around while the Woodcutter was solving other mysteries. I assumed he would be a hindrance throughout. However, this observation did not take away from the book in the least.

The writing is fast-paced with much action. I found myself flipping quickly through the pages. The plot is well thought out and comes to a satisfying conclusion. “The Woodcutter” is a must read for both the lover of fantasy and mystery. It will engage the reader in a delightful journey down memory lane with recollections of fairy tales from days gone by while embracing a modern twist.

Prepare for an adventure! - Reviewed by Todd Rutherford
Five Stars - Kate Danley's The Woodcutter takes the Grimm's fairy tales we have all heard before and applies a dark twist. Her book is a classic story of good and evil and the battle between these forces, but it is a "grown-up" tale that adults of all ages will enjoy.

'This book wastes no time in "hooking" the reader. It opens with Cinderella dying in the woods and goes from there, with appearances from Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rumpelstiltskin, to name just a few. With each chapter, you never know who (or what) you are going to run into or what mystery is waiting on the next page.

This book takes the reader on an adventure and I found myself cheering on the Woodcutter, the strong, silent protagonist on a mission who travels from story to story. Kate Danley uses vivid imagery to draw her audience in - everything from the way she describes the Woodcutter's axes to the night air is inviting. I found her style enchanting and captivating. The Woodcutter is original, creative, and displays the author's talent to deftly weave fairy tales and folklore into a magnificent tapestry of new ideas.

The Woodcutter - Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Five Stars - The Woodcutter patrols the woody expanse between the Kingdoms of Man and the Realm of Faerie. While performing his duty, he comes across the corpse of a pretty teenage female stranger. Putting down his axe, he searches for her death wound, but finds none. He concludes her spirit fled her body due to immense fear. He ponders what could have been so scary that it frightened the girl to death. He informs his dear Wife he must leave.

The Woodcutter begins his investigation learning the victim was Cinderella and the predator was an escaped from the Wild Hunt hellhound of Odin. He must capture and return the hellhound to the Wild Hunt pack before other innocents die. However this simple journey turns into a harrowing experience due to evil wanting to foster malevolence in all realms so that they can rule as the Gentleman and the Queen; yet he also meets caring folks assisting him on his mission.

The Woodcutter is a fantastic dark fantasy that turns classic fairy tales upside down in a serious quest thriller (the diametrically opposite tone form Shrek). Starting with the King of the Golden River and visits with other fairy tales, the Woodcutter cuts quite a heroic stoic path as he follows the deadly trail of a dangerous beast. Readers will enjoy trekking with the hero as Kate Danley provides an entertaining engaging thriller.