I was so excited for this title and the premise sounded so good. I'm such a sucker for gothic YA themes and this seemed to be perfect for the Fall season.

It's March now.. and I still have yet to pick it back up to finish it. I suppose I'm marking this as DNF. The plot was interesting enough but the friendships/relationships seemed superficial and there was just something that made it feel like they weren't real almost.

The relationship between the siblings were the worst. Violeta seemed more controlling than caring. She refused to listen to any kind of reason and ran around thinking she knew what was best for her brother despite not knowing crap about anything.

She got on my nerves.

I wish I had enjoyed this title more!

Lakesedge scratched my dark fantasy/gothic horror itch and that ending!! I need book 2 immediately. For fans of creeping horror, unsettling stories, and monsters who may not be what they appear.

I loved the gothic vibe of this book but I felt like the relationships were forced and the “romance” wasn’t quite believable. The MC made some choices that didn’t sit well with me. I felt like too much focus was out on the villain rather than the love interest and again I would’ve like to have seen more organic relationships.

I won an e-arc of Lakesedge from Fierce Reads last summer but completely forgot to review it here! I loved this book! From the characters to the lovely gothic atmosphere, it turned out to be one of my top reads for 2021! I’m stoked for the sequel!

This is a very atmospheric book. I spend a lot of time out in the woods and am drawn to books where the scenery acts as another main character because of this. Lakesedge did not disappoint with its strange decaying mansion setting, religion, and magic system that is exchange based. Plus, there’s a death god that reminded me of Luc from Addie Larue who I was obviously rooting for as the love interest. Not sure he won out yet. The ending of this book confused me at first because I didn’t realize there was a sequel. I think there was a lot of foreshadowing and set up in book one. Plus, the Lord of Under seems like he will be taking center stage, and I can’t argue with that!

This one was a bit of a slog to get through. I was expecting a gothic romance with a side of haunted house. Instead, it's more possession with a hefty dose of magic. All that would've been fine if it weren't for the incessant pity party everyone is throwing. The "Everything is my fault, only I can fix it," "No, everything is MY fault and only I can fix it!" exchange between every character gets real old real fast.

Never realized I didn't write a review but I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It reminded me some of Isabella August's Crown series but just as good! Haunting and romantic which not too many books fit that aspect. I hope more people give this book a chance.

Absolutely gorgeous and atmospheric, LAKESEDGE is a gem of a debut with a compelling cast of characters. Cannot wait for the sequel!

3.75 ⭐
A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.

I enjoyed this book so much! The relationship between all the characters are so beautiful.
This book is full of magic, monsters, secret garden and death gods.
It was a great, horrifying and amazing fantasy. I was intrigued from the very first page!
The only complain I have is it ends with a cliffhanger.

Violeta Graceling has spent years protecting her little brother, Arien, ever since their parents died. Their adopted mother has grown afraid of Arien, and just as living situations become tenuous, Rowan Sylvanan, the Lord of the village, becomes interested in the magic that Arien wields. Rowan has been perceived as a monster, ever since his whole family drowned when he was a boy and everyone has blamed him.
Leta begins to fall for Rowan, and learns that he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking on the property. Leta is drawn to the Lord Under, for reasons she doesn't quite understand. In order to save her brother, Rowan and herself, Leta must figure out what it is that draws her to the Lord Under.
This is a dark gothic fantasy that looks at what you will do for those you love. The stories of the characters are interwoven as they start to connect with one another. I would have loved a little more compelling romantic connection in the story.

I was ready for lush, spooky and atmospheric read, and Lakesedge did not disappoint! I adored the whimsical writing and the very thorough world-building, and I enjoyed Violeta and Rowan's romance. I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Lakesedge is a vivdly written YA Gothic Fantasy novel about Violeta, who with her brother finds herself at the mysterious manor where she meets the mysterious Rowan. Rowan needs help from Violeta and her brother to help cleanse the estate from a mysterious Corruption.

I very much enjoyed the world of Lakesedge. It was described in vivid detail, and the magic system and mythology was really cool and interesting. Violeta and Rowan have a typical YAish type relationship kind of mirroring enemies to lovers in a small way.

Overall would recommend for lovers of YA Fantasy and enemies to lovers romance.

This was very slow and very dull for me. I had heard raves about this book, but I just could not get into it. Everytime I tried to pick it up again, I'd make it one page before setting it back down, and I tried for months. I DNFed at about 20%

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I've been waiting for this book for months. I read it ages ago, but needed some time to gather my thoughts for a review.

Lakesedge was dark and mysterious and yet it lacked one specific thing- villain romance. For a man who the main character constantly refers to as "monster," he sure is not very monstrous. I get it, I get it, Rowan's got hidden depths and he's misunderstood. But I wanted more...

On the other hand...there is a mysterious Lord Under. He's a sinister death god who cursed Rowan and seems to have a strong connection to Leta. While I don't really want them to get together... since he's an ancient creature (obviously), their interactions are great and I like how morally black he is.

I thought this was a standalone but it is in fact a duology and I am curious to see what happens next.

I compared this book to the song Lighthouse by Halsey and the author was very happy.

This book was definitely my most anticipated fall read, which is why I'm disappointed it just fell a little flat for me. Everything about this book was calling to me: gothic romance, monsters and magic, cursed lake! Ugh, amazing. However, I did feel like it lacked depth and the plot was lacking. I just felt like I needed more. There was a lot of descriptions and not a lot of action, and the whole time I just wanted more to feel. 3.5 stars.

This is an incredible atmospheric, gothic, fantasy, for the ages. The descriptions and characters are perfect for the setting and the story is romantic yet terrifying. And the cover is gorgeous.

Probably one of my favorite gothic reads in a long time!

This was lush and just wonderful, the writing felt so magical and exquisite! I am forever a fan of Lyndall Clipstone because of the writing, it instantly transport's you into the atmospheric vibe of the book. I honestly felt like I was in the book myself and I never wanted to leave.

The dark elements were something I really enjoyed, I feel like often in YA literature people shy away from it but the author didn't and I loved every moment.

A truly fantastic debut and I cannot wait to read more from this promising new author!

3/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I'll give the book the gothic vibes because I really enjoyed the asthetic of the book. As far as the book itself, I feel like I was running hot and cold with them. They would annoy me at some parts and other parts I would really enjoy the character. I liked the plot, however it was a constant waiting for something to happen. I just really wanted more from this book so I'll admit i'm a little dissapointed. I think this would be a great book for the right person. Like I said I did like parts of it but I just didn't love it.

Not trying to reinvent the wheel, Lyndall Clipstone’s YA gothic romance Lakesedge delivers exactly what you’d expect from the genre. We got a broody monster boy, a drafty manor estate, and a doe-eyed girl in a wispy white nightgown. For fans of stories like Beauty and the Beast and Crimson Peak, this story will feel like the Ikea version. It gets the job done, but not much else.

The story follows orphan Violeta “Leta” Graceling
When her younger brother Arien’s nightmares start physically manifesting in dangerous ways, Rowan Sylvanan, the lord of the land, takes Violeta and Arien into his care at the Lakesedge estate. However, the lord is rumored to be a monster that murdered his entire family as a child in the lake at his estate.

But Leta comes to realize that there are much darker forces about than the monster boy she lives with. Deep in the inky waters of the lake, Lord Under, the king of the underworld, keeps Lakesedge under his control, with Rowan bound to him in servitude.

As Leta continues to fall for the boy she thought was a monster, she finds herself confronting the true monster in the lake to not only save Rowan, but herself.

Now, I am a huge fan of the gothic genre. Jane Eyre, Sweeney Todd, anything by Edgar Allen Poe, I find them all morbidly fascinating. I also love monster boys (shoutout to Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle, Bigby Wolf the Fables comics, and Rook from An Enchantment of Ravens). So this book was immediately a must-have when I caught wind of its existence.

Alas, Lakesedge feels like the Walmart of the stories that have come before it
With that said, just like Walmart, there isn’t anything really wrong with Lakesedge. The setting is honestly one of the strongest components of this story. I love the eerie, inky black lake, and the secret orchard. The manor feels big and drafty, with cozy fireplaces and shadowy halls.

Also, the cast of characters is set up to be perfect for this kind of story. We have a young woman with a dark past and tragic upbringing, a young boy with dangerous powers, a young man who is more monster than human, a cute and bubbly alchemist, a mature, faithful servant, and a terrible enemy lurking in the deep.

Unfortunately, our main protagonists Leta and Rowan feel like cardboard cutouts for what they could have been. Leta is self-sacrificial; that’s about it. She does not care about her well-being or how her being in danger will upset others. As long as she can save who she cares about, that’s all that matters.

Rowan is the classic case of “looks like he could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll,” but we discover that within a few pages of meeting him. There is no long period of distrust or tension around Rowan. Leta discovers that he’s a good guy almost right away. Not to mention there is a healthy dose of instant love. Instead of a young maiden being taken to a spooky manor with a morally grey love interest full of tension, distrust, and mystery, we get a young woman meets a nice man and they now live together and make out.

Not to mention, the side characters are terribly underutilized, despite being the most interesting people in the story. How did Arien end up with dark magic? No idea. This alchemist character comes from a tight-knit society where it is looked down upon to leave the community and serve in an estate. Why did she choose to do that? We don’t get to know.

At least there is one more redeeming factor for this story.

The Lord Under is undoubtedly the best part of the story
His description and mannerisms are chilling, reminding me of the terrifying form of the Beldam from Coraline. His underworld is oddly horrifying and macabre with the souls of the dead trapped instead of dead trees. He is a spooky version of Hades from Greek mythology. I adored his relationship with certain characters. It’s bone-chilling in the best ways. Best husbando in the book, hands down.

To be fair, Lakesedge is only the first novel in a series
I’m sure that will give more time to flesh out characters and answer some leftover questions. Plus, the ending made me want to throw the book across the room in frustration and keep reading at the same time. So, I tentatively await the next installment.

All in all, Lakesedge is like an off-brand oreo–it’s not the best, but it tastes good enough.

<b><i>"I let the power burn through me. Let it burn away all of the helplessness and uncertainty in one brilliant flare before it dims, settling back into the barest glimmer.”</i></b>

<b><u>Summary</u></b>
When Leta and her little brother arrive and Graceling Manor, they are not sure what they are going to find. There are rumors about Rowan, the young lord of the manor, that say he drowned his entire family when he was young, and the estate is now haunted. But nothing is as it seems.

<b><u>Review</u></b>
This was perfectly spooky and creepy! The atmosphere was perfectly gothic and dark. I loved how descriptive and lush everything was. Reading this book felt like stepping through into a dark fairytale. There was a lot of intrigue and mystery surrounding all of the characters. I loved how as the story progressed we learned more and more about the tangled web that Rowan and Leta found themselves in with the Lord Under.

The romance between Rowan and Leta was very tentative and sweet. I loved that she was able to see through the monstrous parts of him to the boy underneath. I felt like it was a realistic portrayal of first love and the rush of emotions that come along with it, especially in a life or death situation. I also want to mention that most of the main characters in this book are queer. I especially appreciated the in depth internal monologue that Leta has in regards to her demisexuality and the way she begins to experience attraction to Rowan.

This story ended on a big cliffhanger and I can't wait to see where the next installment goes!