I was so bloody excited for this book. I adored the cover, I adored the premise, I adored the spunky elven fire horses.

But this book missed on one very important, very key idea:

You don’t mix music industry talent agents and Wood Kings.
You don’t mix Birkenstocks and blood magic tithes.
And you really don’t mix Hydroflasks and faeries.

It just isn’t done.

To be perfectly honest, I believe that was the problem with 99% of this book’s plot. It was just too odd. Trying to connect with the character’s modern music career in one sentence, and then learning that trees talk in this random magical forest in the other was just whiplash. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it, and thus could not bring myself to give a bloody care.

Next, the characters.

The characters didn’t do anything to redeem the plot. Everyone was relatively forgettable, but Emeline Lark, our main girl, was the worst of the lot. In fact, she was so horrifically forgettable, I actually had to go look up her name in order to write this review *sighs dramatically*

Her entire personality was getting her old grandfather who suffers from dementia back from the Wood King, and she literally dropped her life, everyone in her life, all of her auditions, her shows, and her music to get this man back. She basically sacrifices several big opportunities in auditions for this guy.

And did I care?

Nope.

Like, intellectually, I know he is our main girl’s grandpa and he’s really truly very important to her, but it was bloody difficult to care about the guy because there was no actual description or memories of him for me to connect with.

You give me nothing, I give you nothing 🥰

In addition, for solidly the first fifty pages, Emeline refuses to believe her grandfather has been taken by the Wood King. It’s very frustrating, and I dropped the book maybe three times because I couldn’t get past her stupid stubbornness. AND THEN we finally get into the forest, a couple fire horses show up, our leading lady is nearly burned to a crisp, and then SHE BELIEVES IT’S REAL.

NO WONDER SHERLOCK.

the number of times the stubbornness of this girl would’ve killed her if not for plot armor 💀

There was a heck ton more I could talk about, but it’s finals season and I very unfortunately lack the time to go over everything :( My overall thoughts, summed up in one succinct sentence: the worldbuilding was #whiplash, the characters were confusing, the heroine was stupid, and Hydroflasks should never, never, NEVER be used in the same sentence as a faerie.

thank you and goodbye.

There is not a lot that I love more than a good ole spooky, sentient forest in a fantasy setting. There’s just something magnetic about the forest and its many shadows, no matter the role it ends up playing in the story it exists in. Edgewood relies on the forest, centers itself around it, and so then you’d fully expect I’d love it, right? Well, so did I.

There are honestly a lot of interesting ideas at the core of this book, and so much I’ve loved in other stories, and yet the execution of them in this book just didn’t work for me at all. I honestly feel like this is the most boring way this story could have been written, and it honestly breaks my heart to say that! I adored The Last Namsara, and it’s sequels, and had such high hopes going into this one because of it. But Edgewood just doesn’t contain the magic that The Last Namsara did, and while it’s just as reliant on a large amount of stories and lore that build up the story world, it just didn’t relish in it.

I was hooked fast in this book, but yet it stagnated at around 20% in, where the events and revelations seemed to slow down, even as Emeline was exploring a literal magic forest with a diversity of mythical creatures around her. In the end, this is where the book began to lose me, and it never really got me back after it. I continued because I had to, because I had an ARC to review and friends to discuss it with, and even then I needed to borrow an audiobook to get me through the last 50%, because it was just impossible to make myself pick it up again.

In the end, there were so so many things that this story used that I’d seen in other books and loved before, but any enjoyment I got out of these events and tropes came from the remembrances of those other books (namely The Starless Sea and Echo North), not from the actual book itself. In another timeline, I can see myself adoring this book, as it does everything I love from a book, but it just lost me too early on in the story, and the execution of certain events just put me off and kept me from being reabsorbed into the story.

While my love of The Last Namsara will definitely have me coming back for more from this author still, I will be a bit warier going in, due to the letdown that this book unfortunately was

This was so good! I am loving all the standalone YA Fantasy reads because I get closure and don't have to wait so long for the next one.

I thought this concept was really interesting although the setting did get a bit confusing for me at times. It was hard to differentiate between the traditional YA Fantasy feel when she was in the woods and the contemporary setting outside of them. I liked the music as magic and thought that was a really unique part of the story.

The romance was such a slow burn but worth the wait. The last few hours of the audio were a rollercoaster of secrets revealed and I couldn't stop listening at that point. I definitely recommend the audiobook if you enjoy that format. It was well developed and the narrator did a great job!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and definitely need to check out more of Kristen Ciccarelli's books!

So this book was unexpected.
This is a story about forgetting and remembering more than anything else.
At the beginning of the book I struggled to get into the story but once i did, i couldn't put it down.
First and foremost, lets talk about my favorite character in the whole book: Hawthorne. I really really loved him as a character and a love interest. I could feel his yearning for Emeline since the beginning of the story.
I wasn't that big of a fan of Emeline until midway through, she was very impulsive and constantly ignored sound advice, but i learned to like her.

And THAT ending, it was a bit bittersweet but i though it was great and that it went amazing with the theme of the book.

Overall, i would recommend this book if you're looking for a standalone fantasy reminiscent of The Hazel Wood and Holly Black's faerie books.

This story is utter perfection IMO. It has such a creepy yet lovely atmospheric vibe to it and is just beautifully written.

This will make you explore the lines between forgetting and remembering. Even when things are forgotten, do those moments live on in our subconscious, just waiting for the right sound, word or gesture to bring it all flooding back?

Emeline was raised by her grandfather, who is now living with forgetfulness (maybe Alzheimer’s) and doesn’t remember Emeline. She is off chasing her dream of becoming a famous singer when she gets the call that her grandfather is missing. She returns home to her tiny town of Edgewood and all of its superstitions and lore that she has rejected. But maybe her grandfather isn’t the only one living with forgetfulness. What awaits Emeline on her search for her grandfather in the Wood King’s Fae court? Read it to find out…

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the e-arc of this amazing gem.

An amazing, whimsical, and wonderful story. The characters were lovable and very enjoyable. I really enjoyed it.

Highly recommend! Beautiful story about love, sacrifice, memory, and magic. The main character was relatable, and her dilemmas encountered while trying to pursue her dream yet care for her grandfather felt genuine and heartbreaking.
The story twisted A LOT more than I thought it would, though the hints were definitely present in the text. It was all very well done, and led to a satisfying ending.

I didn't really like this one, mainly because it felt piecemeal and sloppy.

There were just so many gaps and contradictions in the worldbuilding, none of the side characters felt fleshed out at all and I therefore cared about almost none of them (apart from Emeline's grandfather), I was 0% invested in the romance, the plot was executed poorly and riddled with holes and leaps of logic no one questioned because it would have meant the author couldn't take the plot where she needed it to go, and honestly I didn't much like Emeline even though she's the only one who had any sort of depth.

Re: the very end, I was incredibly dissatisfied because I really hate the "significant character loses memories of everything that happened during the plot" twist because it undoes all the development that character and their relationships have gone through over the course of the book that we experienced and were supposed to be invested in. I kind of understand what the author was going for with this because memories and the importance (or lack thereof) of remembering is significant with several characters throughout, but I'm still not happy about the ending (even though i literally don't care about hawthorn or his and Emeline's romance).

I did see and appreciate the way the author touched on (bodily) autonomy and choice, which is a big thing in the Namsara series as well and I'm guessing is one of the things the author tends to come back to in her writing, which is always neat to spot. I also could have liked the trees talking to Emeline because I love magic forests and weird magic connections between main characters and nature (or anything, for that matter), but the reasoning behind this magic/connection was so sketchy and so convenient that I was also dissatisfied with it even though (or perhaps because) this is a trope I usually enjoy.

Overall, I was disappointed. I had hopeful expectations coming in because the Namsara series is so well-written, but even had I not had those expectations, the book would have been a disappointment due to its overall poor execution.

Not what I expected but I liked that. I think it'll be a good book for the tiktok customer and the YA customer at my store in general.

A delicious story! Loved it!

Description
"Edgewood has everything I love in a Kristen Ciccarelli book: lyrical prose, a romance that will hurt, and themes rooted in raw and intimate questions, making for a timeless tale." - Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We're Meant to Find

Can love survive the dark?

No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.

When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.

Edgewood is a fantasy book with romance and magic and has a beautiful cover! 😍😍. I gave this book 3 stars. I wasn't as impressed with the book as much as I thought I would. I liked the idea of the book.

I was a little underwhelmed at first - but ultimately this book was really good. and honestly, everything I wish The Folk of the Air series could have been. I throughly enjoyed myself and would 100% read another book set in this world - I'm kind of bummed that it's a standalone.
10/10 would recommend reading Edgewood - you won't be bored.

I confess that I started Edgewood, got about 3 chapters in and wasn't feeling it and set it aside. After reading about 6 other books I picked it back up and started in again. And this time, I was enchanted. My initial 3 chapter impression of singer Emeline Lark was that she was a LOT like Jilly Coppercorn from Charles DeLint's Newford books, and she really is.

What finally drew me in was Ms. Ciccarellii's wealth of detail and the descriptions of the fantastic denizens of Edgewood. The ember mares, shiftlings, shadow skins, a stone dragon and the wood itself were what captured my attention and kept me reading. Emeline for me was just an introduction to the Edgewood. I was more drawn to the wood itself and the world in its sheltered depths..

The story blossoms into a poignant study of desires. A frankly enchanting story of love, loss, friendship and the price one pays for the things that are most precious to each individual. The tithe to the King of the Wood. To receive a great boon, one must make an equally great sacrifice.

I look forward to re-reading Edgewood and delving deeper into the twists and turns of the story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I went in blind with Edgewood and so glad I did because it surprised me - it has dancing fairies, magic, & supernatural elements. Emeline Lark is an inspiring singer ready to go on tour, but cancels when her grandfather disappears. She goes home to Edgewood, a place filled with folklore. Determined to find her grandfather, she enters the forest but is deterred by the Wood King. This is a wonderful story of good vs. evil, about following your dreams, and the love for family. Thank you to Wednesday Books for a gifted copy.

Hi, friends and Happy Tuesday! What was the last book you finished? Today I finished my read of #Edgewood by @kristenciccarelli on my lunch break and I’m very pleased to say that I quite enjoyed and will give it 4/5⭐️ Shoutout to @wednesdaybooks for an ebook copy to review! We follow Emeline Lark, an aspiring musician who is on the brink of her big break. She also always finds the nearby forest calling to her, but she doesn’t respond until her Pa disappears with only a tithe marker from the Wood King to suggest what happens. While this wasn’t a groundbreaking fantasy, it was heartfelt and had a unique MC and story that drew me in. Probably my two favourite aspects were the characters and how music was a large part of the story. From Emeline herself to the cursed Wood King to friends Sable and our LI, Hawthorne I truly loved each and every one of them and how they helped built the story. We also learn lessons about love, sacrifice, greed, and loyalty while we’re in this amazing magical atmosphere. Speaking of, the setting and atmosphere are so good, balancing the line between whimsical and creepy. The forest is in decay from a curse, and this is reflected in the writing how the trees and creatures are described. As someone who is musical, I so enjoyed how much of a role music played in Emeline’s story. She is trying to launch a music career, so we had scenes of her playing gigs, meeting other bands, and learning what it takes to make it in the industry. But, there’s also the magical side. When Emeline sings, weird things happen ~ the forest finds her wherever she is and tries to cause trouble, and her songs seem to have an effect on other people and creatures. Finally, Emeline’s relationship with her Pa was an emotional highlight for me throughout the book ❤️ He is battling dementia that is steadily getting worse, and she is having a hard time dealing with it since they are so close. But when Pa disappears, she will do anything for him. If you love atmospheric fantasy, I’d highly suggest giving this one a try!

In terms of genre, a romance filled fantasy novel is pretty much at the top of my list. So while Edgewood already meets that criteria, let me go into more detail and explain how it compares the many other fantasy romances that exist.

The premise of Edgewood was pretty interesting too me, a girl who is drawn to a fantasy realm. Although it’s familiar, it’s not so familiar to me that it feels like a trope. Compared to other fantasy novels, it’s more romance heavy and though the magic of this world is still really interesting and plays a big part in the story, it’s not as fantasy heavy as the “real world” still exists in this story.

What I am about to say next may sound negative, but I mean it in the best of ways. This books reads like a wattpad story. I don’t mean to say that this sounds unprofessional, but rather it’s one of those easily digestible romances that is also such a page turner. It’s almost addicting and makes you want more. However, if you’re looking for a book that makes you question life or has you analyzing every other sentence, this probably isn’t the story for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an adventurous, fast-paced, romance, you should definitely pick this one up!

Kristen Ciccarelli has a lovely grasp of the English language. This was a wonderfully told fairytale like YA fantasy. The magic system was interesting and the characters are ones you want to root for. I think students who like retellings and light, contemporary fantasy will find cross over appeal here and really enjoy it.

If you've never read Ciccarelli's work before, this is the book to get you hooked. The storytelling was lush, lyrical, atmospheric, and so beautifully written that I couldn't put it down. This has all the haunted forest, dangerous fae, and hidden danger vibes you could possibly love!

3.5 rounded up, I think.


I think I would’ve enjoyed this a lot more if I wasn’t an idiot and skimmed the last 70 pages first. The big reveal was pretty instrumental to the love story, and I definitely think the author set it up well, but I can’t be sure, because I knew the ending.


That being said, it was incredibly tender, and I lived for the flashbacks in the last third of the book.

The switch between the city and the woods was a little jarring/disorienting at times, but it was central to the conflict. I was able to forgive it once I saw how the woods and E’s actual life could coexist/intermingle (towards the end of the book, but I can’t give any more detail without spoiling it), but I would have loved to get even more of that.

There were a few huge revelations that never really got addressed/resolved on page, too, which was an interesting choice. I guess it makes sense, but I think it would be more believable to the reader if we saw the resolution, even if it was a little messier.

It was a sweet read and I read it all in one sitting, so I definitely recommend it, even if I don’t know when I’ll return to it. I did tab a few really tender scenes though, which will haunt me as I lay alone, single, on my bed tonight.

Emeline Lark grew up in the small town of Edgewood, raised by her grandfather in a house right next to the forest. She grew up hearing everyone talk about the Wood King in a magical city in the heart of the forest, about the tithes people had to leave for him. But she’s far away from all that superstition now: She’s living her dream as a singer. Even so, the forest comes for her every time she’s on the stage: When Emeline sings, moss creeps along the stage and she can smell earth. The woods call to her, asking her to sing a true song. Now, she’s about to get signed with a record label, and she just has to manage to ignore the woods. Somehow.

Then her grandfather disappears from the memory care facility he had recently moved into, and Emeline rushes home to try to find him. She finds a small pearly orb on his bed, which everyone in her town knows is a sign he’s been taken as a tithe. But Emeline won’t accept it. Her search takes her into the woods, where no one else will venture.

Soon after Emeline enters the forest, she encounters the handsome but brooding (and honestly grumpy) Hawthorne Fell, the tithe collector for the king, who does all he can to keep her out of the woods. But she gets help from another inhabitant of the forest to get to the city, and there she makes a bargain with the Wood King: She will sing for him, and he will set her grandfather free. There’s a catch, though: Emeline will have to prove herself; if the king doesn’t like her music, she’ll be killed.

With Hawthorne’s help, Emeline works hard to get ready to perform. The stakes are even higher than Emeline knows: The woods have been under a curse that is only getting stronger and will soon ruin the kingdom. As Emeline learns more about herself, Hawthorne, and the power of her music, she may be able to change her fate and that of the forest.

Edgewood is a lovely fantasy featuring romance and magic and the strong love of family. I particularly appreciated how it concluded; the various threads of the story came together in poignant ways.