Leafdust and Deadwood is a cozy fantasy novella, which acts as a prequel to the main novels of The Garden Knight series, written by Justin Greer. A cozy and charming proposal, which introduces us to Derry and his companion dog, Barrow, in a story that is woven around nature and how it can be at the same time beautiful and horrific.

We will be following Derry, a gardener, living on an island with his companion dog Barrow, in an existence that is truly idyllic, one that Derry enjoys, even if he doesn't have much relationship with other humans (but he still helps some friends at the city). An existence that is perturbed when an invasive plant appears; Derry will need to use all of his knowledge, woodlore and tricks to defeat the threat of a plant that even seems sentient.

Greer is an excellent painter through his prose: almost lyrical at some points, it allows you to picture most of the environment, really helpful in the context of this particular novella. There is not much human interaction, but it is heartwarming to read the details of the relationship between Derry and Barrow; however, I felt that the lack of clear narrative arc is harmful for the pacing, which ended being a bit too slow for my taste.

Said that, Leafdust and Deadwood shows a great potential, and makes an excellent job of introducing us to the world and characters of the bigger series; you can call it an appetizer to The Garden Knight. If you are in the look for a bite size cozy fantasy, you should give this book a try.

Disclaimer: This review represents my personal opinion. Score and review from the whole team might vary.