We’re ecstatic to reveal the enchanting cover for When the Forest Calls by Cassandra Newbould! Perfect for fans of chilling enchantment stories and atmospheric forests, rituals, and spirits…and revenge. Releasing December 8, 2026, this cover is by wonderful returning artist Kim Herbst.

About When the Forest Calls

This is a dark, woodland eco-fairytale novella of revenge blending fantasy and horror, pitched by Cassandra as “What if The Giving Tree stopped giving and decided to seek revenge instead?”

A logger’s daughter, transformed by a mysterious fog while protesting the planned felling of a forest’s last remaining heartwood tree, seeks the forest’s vengeance—and her own—leaving a trail of disappearing townsfolk in her wake.

Notes from Author Cassandra Newbould

“As soon as I saw Kim’s Forest Siren piece, I was all in on whatever imagery she planned to create for the cover of When the Forest Calls, and when she delivered the final art I was over the moon! The cover translates the dread, fury, and power shared between Mother Heartwood and her Oracle, but also, the love, beautifully. I adore the way they are wrapped together from the roots to hair and how it immediately invokes a feeling of protection, although who is protecting whom will be an answer the reader will have to learn within the pages.”

About Cover Artist Kim Herbst

Kim Herbst is a San Francisco-based illustrator. Learn more about Kim Herbst on her dedicated feature page, and visit her website.

Preorder Now

Preorders for When the Forest Calls are now beginning. More links are forthcoming for ebook and print formats, or you can preorder from your favorite bookseller. Find more about the book, including some purchasing links, here: