In "Tenderly I Am Devoured," the most ethereal, beautiful gothic atmosphere envelops readers from the very first page, drawing them into Lark’s home in Verse. Eighteen-year-old Lacrimosa Arriscane returns home in disgrace after being expelled from her prestigious boarding school, only to find her family teetering on the edge of financial ruin. Desperate to save them, she enters into a marriage of convenience with Therion, the chthonic god worshipped in her isolated coastal hometown—a choice that leads her into a dark and mesmerizing tale of love and sacrifice.

Clipstone excels at crafting a hauntingly beautiful narrative, where every bit seems to resonate with both beauty and melancholy. The vivid descriptions create an atmospheric tapestry that immerses readers in Lark's world, filled with folklore and the supernatural. As she seeks help from her first heartbreak, Alastair Felimath, and his enigmatic sister, Camille, the trio's exploration of dark rituals and fervent romance deepens the gothic allure, with moments that feel both intoxicating and perilous.

While the story is rich with atmospheric detail and characters I was instantly drawn to, it is not without its flaws. Some pacing issues and stilted dialogue can disrupt the otherwise immersive experience, and Camille's character could use more depth to enhance the chemistry within the group. She was my favorite character and I would have loved more of her. Nevertheless, "Tenderly I Am Devoured" is a beautifully flawed book that captivates with its haunting narrative and emotional depth. If you’re drawn to gothic tales that linger in the mind and heart, this novel offers a mesmerizing journey through love, despair, and the shadows that bind us to the gods we worship.

I think I’ll be echoing many of the reviews previously posted, because frankly they’re all spot on.

“Tenderly, I Am Devoured” is definitely an atmospheric, gothic narrative, enhanced by an eerie setting that beautifully contributes to haunting visceral vibes. I enjoyed Clipstone’s prose. It’s eloquent, and the beginning of the story unfolds with an engaging sense of mystery that effectively draws the reader in. Lark’s perspective stands out as a key strength of the novel.

However, the plot itself lacked substance. While the novel’s cover and blurb are undeniably captivating, the story’s depth was extremely limited, leaving the atmospheric qualities to dominate over more intricate development. It very much read like the plot was boxed in and forced to execute the trajectory (if that makes sense?)The pacing was slow, particularly as the narrative progresses and I found myself pushing to finish.

The romantic subplot, unfortunately, did not resonate with me at all. These scenes are beautifully written, buuut the emotional weight of these moments were diminished by a lack of of an actual connection between the characters. The romance felt rushed, and I get it some people like the “instant love” trope… it just wasn’t for me. I found myself wishing for more pages devoted to the development of this relationship—perhaps another hundred or more, to allow for an actual exploration of the characters’ dynamics. Without this development, the romance felt somewhat shallow.

In the end, I couldn’t buy in with the "why choose" trope. The inclusion of cough, family dynamics, in this context introduced a tension that felt forced and unconvincing, leaving me with more of the ick rather than emotional investment in the characters’ relationships.

BUT. I AM looking forward to reading more of Clipstone’s work as I think this plot and the characters didn’t do their literary skill with prose and atmospheric descriptions justice. Maybe Cli-fi or simply horror, minus the romance, add more plot.

DNF about 67% into this book. Story is extremely slow and repetitive. Nothing makes sense and not in the mysterious way. The characters are infuriating and I just couldn’t keep reading. Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Well, I not so tenderly devoured this!Absolutely phenomenal! . An intense, emotionally charged story with rich characters and twists that keep you hooked from start to finish. The tension, the romance, the drama—everything was perfectly executed. Easily my top read of the year so far. If you love a book that pulls you in and doesn’t let go, this is it! Definitely recommend!

3.5 rounded up

If you're expecting Saltburn, put it out of your mind (probably for the best, as it's a very iffy YA comp), it's much more House of Salt and Sorrow.

That out of the way, the things that worked here really worked- the prose, the atmosphere, and the gothic world building. Lark was a lovely character to follow, and Therion was darkly compelling. I was reminded a lot of the author's previous book, Lakesedge, with the troubled boy/underwater god aspect. I was disappointed at the lack of development for the ff part of the polycule, though- Camille and her relationship with Lark come off as an afterthought, especially after we see the complicated relationship with Lark's former friend.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is an eerie, gothic novel with a beautifully atmospheric setting. The writing was lovely, and the story itself was intriguing, drawing me in with its sense of mystery.

However, the romantic aspect didn’t work for me. The addition of one particular character felt unnecessary and took away from the central relationship, making it feel forced. On top of that, the inclusion of siblings in the dynamic was bizarre and unsettling.

That said, I did enjoy the mystery and intrigue woven throughout the novel, which kept me engaged until the end.

This book is so beautifully written. You want moody? This has it. You want yearning on multiple levels? This has all the yearning. Lyndall Clipstone's writing is hauntingly descriptive and atmospheric, to the point that I felt utterly transported within the story. And the story itself is so compelling. Lark's relationships with Alastair, Camille, and Therion are so challenging yet so tender and romantic. Her relationships with her brothers are genuine. Lyndall Clipstone is now an automatic add-to-tbr.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the e-arc. 💓

Tenderly, I Am Devoured has one of the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen. Since I first spotted it I've been dying to get my hands on it and I am so very thankful to have been given a chance to dive into this immersive world.

A hauntingly beautiful story of how to love, forgive, trust, and hope taking place in a hauntingly beautiful world where various chthonic gods are called upon and worshipped across the land.

The author manages to somehow make some of the most terrible things beautiful in the way that she describes them. She has an incredible way with words that manages to call forth emotions that left me caught in a chokehold by the captivating moments found within these pages.

As pivotal and crucial to the plot that some of the moments do seem, though, I find myself feeling as though some of it should have been given a greater chance at exposition. Considering the book is only ~304 pages it is left jam-packed with flashbacks and an intricate tale weaving three very different people together that maybe could have used an additional two hundred.
There were points in the story where I felt that a certain resolution was inevitable but the rushed nature of some of those truly tender moments between characters made all the beautiful writing feel less impactful. We, as readers, weren't given the chance to sit with fears regarding whether things would work out or not because everything, that was not directly related to the threat the plot posed, was quickly tackled.

A very important character in the story, Camille, felt like an add-on rather than a feature. Compared the the other characters she was a little flat and overall I don't think that she added anything to the story beyond my questioning why she was there the whole time. I can't really say that I wish that I had gotten a chance to learn more about her because I feel as though Alistair and Lark were decent enough leads all on their own.

Overall, I am glad to have read this book because it had some really good bones that I just devoured. There were so many inspiring moments and mysteries to keep me focused and turning the pages to learn what might happen next.

First off, thank you to the author & the publisher for an ARC!

I read this on the plane on my way to Denver, and I did not want to put it down! This is a YA gothic fantasy that hits all the criteria I look for in one -- and then some! I've loved all her previous works, so I figured this would be no exception!

For me, this book was all about the *vibes*. Like, it just -- it's hard to explain in a way that makes sense. Here are some things to look forward to in this book:

🦢 a poly-relationship (yes, really, no ifs ands or buts about it, which is AMAZING)
🦢 atmospheric. I don't know how she does it, but this book at turns sent chills and thrills down my spine. But it also made me giggle a little
🦢 emotions! I felt so many emotions throughout the book.
🦢 bit of dark academia (you guys know I'm a sucker for those)
🦢 contained mythology - a whole world build within a mythos, but you can understand it without a huge amount of world building
🦢 romantic horror! there is something for my horror fans here too! Because it definitely had some romantic horror vibes to go with the gothic fantasy vibes (I almost want to say crimson peak like? idk sue me)
🦢 Ocean. Dark and mysterious ocean -- and I don't know what it is, but there is something so evocative about it taking place by the ocean. Here where I live, we talk about the liminal spaces between the ocean and the land and about ghosts and other things crossing over.
🦢 yearning and angst
🦢 cottagecore (dark)

The plot of this book revolves around a main theme of trying to solve/fix a mystery, but it also has a lot to do with humanity and what is humanity. Then you also have these beautiful character arcs that are supported by the plot.

Let me just say that I LOVED this book to pieces. This is one of those spring/summer dark/gothic/horror cottagecore fantasy vibes books. Sit in a garden and read it.

I have many more thoughts, but honestly, just read it. Going in, breathe in the salt air, feel the wind, the mystery...and enjoy the ride.

If you like authors similar to Erin Craig you are going to LOVE this book.

Erm. I was a little iffy seeing this is pitched as “perfect for fans of Saltburn” and I was right.

I just couldn’t get into it and it was WEIRD. Really weird. Uncomfortably weird. Not Saltburn level, b her close to it in its own unique way.

3.5 ⭐ rounded up for Netgalley.

This was overall an enjoyable read!

The writing was beautiful and helped add to the eerie and beautiful atmosphere of the world. I also liked the plot, it was intriguing and had me wondering where it was going and it did wrap up quite well.

I did feel like the pacing was off at times, and some of the dialogue felt stilted. Camille's character, to me, wasn't fleshed out enough and I felt like their chemistry was off because of that.

This book gave me A Study in Drowning Vibes, so I'd say if you enjoyed that one, you'll enjoy this.

4.75/5

I wish I could wrap myself in this book and wear it like a blanket.

Every moment was dripping in this dreadful and beautiful emotion. Every twist and tense moment that was poured into this narrative was stunning.

I have been excited for this one from the moment I got to help Lyndall with her social media cover reveal. And I am so happy it lived up to what I was looking for.

Fans of folk horror, gentle and devastating YA romance, and books that burrow into you and slowly devour your heart whole will like this one.

I absolutely DEVOURED this book

It’s a gothic, romantasy, haunting, and has a little sprinkle of horror. I am OBSESSED!

“…the worst hurt doesn’t always come with open violence. Instead, there is tenderness before you’re devoured.” —Lyndall Clipstone; Tenderly I Am Devoured.

“Tenderly, I Am Devoured,” is full of lush, gothic and dark academia prose—the kind that fill me like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. Swan feathers growing from wrists, salt mines filled with smoke and chthonic liquor, strawberry jam and museum curators—all the vibes. My favorite scenes were these horror-like fever dreams with Therion, Lord of the Sea, when he’s haunting Lacrimosa. They were horrifying, I absolutely loved it. (Outside of these 3 or 4 scenes, I wouldn’t say this book is a horror novel. In any way.)

I also loved the dark academia world she built—simple, yet lush. Anything by the sea is mesmerizing, to me, and she describes such a place so well that I can practically taste the brine on my tongue and feel the salt in my hair. The idea of a world powered by salt and filled with old gods and salt priest was a very interesting concept that had me intrigued. I would have even enjoyed Clipstone leaning into this a little more throughout the whole duration of the novel, because it was very intriguing and nostalgic.

What I had a hard time with was her character, Camille. Camille was actually my favorite character on paper. She was spunky, admirable, and fun. However, she didn’t have a purpose in the novel. The spark between Lacrimosa and Alastair felt raw and intense—both in their hate and passion. Camille is Alastair’s sister, also a love interest of Lacrimosa, and it felt very odd and forced that the siblings never had riff over this. That they were just okay with sharing Lacrimosa, sometimes touching her at the same tine, and Lacrimosa felt the same. But more than that, she simply didn’t have a real role herself throughout the story, and it took so much potential away from the other relationships in turn, leaving them forced, confusing, and stilted. And overly sexualized. And that bogged down the plot in the third act.

I have heard some say that Clipstone was trying to check the sapphic box with Camille. I don’t know if I can agree to this because Lacrimosa had another love interest with a girl named Damson. That sapphic relationship made sense. The passion was present, the role of Damson made sense, and it added to Lacrimosa’s character arc. So if Clipstone was simply trying to check a box, she already had. I’ve seen others say Clipstone was trying to check a box about sibling taboo or something or another. Again, I am not sure. I say, give the book a read yourself and find out! Like I said, Camille was my favorite character, I was just left floundering at what her character’s purpose was. And also a little sad that Lacrimosa truly had not one platonic relationship—they were all lust and lore. Which left something to be had, particularly for a YA novel. Which is a shame, because I really enjoyed LakesEdge.

That one aspect aside, the book was full of promise. Dark academia, salt burn vibes saturated in sepia light and chthonic liquor.

This book had very little worldbuilding and made very little sense, but it was a really entertaining read and the atmosphere was great. Something that I notice about a lot of Lyndall Clipstone's books is that she puts very little time into crafting a believable world that will make the main plot make sense. However, she does a great job creating a gothic atmosphere and tragic characters. Sometimes, that's all that you want in a book.

I loved this book. I will scream from the rooftops that I loved this book. The premise! The cruel but beautiful gods! The cruel but beautiful love interests! The yearning! The rep!

This book gave me absolutely everything that the premise promised and I ate up every second of it. I think that this is quite possibly the fastest that I've ever finished an ARC, and I attribute that to the fact that I was reading it while walking, while showering, while cooking my dinner. This book consumed me... in the best possible ways.

If you love beautifully dark things, give this a read like... yesterday.

All my thanks to both Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

3.97 ★ — unearthly. dreamlike. just utterly beautiful prose. however, it was too short for me to properly get invested in the plot. it felt somewhat like an appetizer—no meat to the story, just bones dressed in lovely ribbons.

the romance, however, i was entranced by. probably hypocritical, because only one out of the three (maybe four? trust i'm getting yaoi out of this too) was well developed. nevertheless, i devoured lark & camille's fleeting kisses. one thing i will always eat up is a sapphic fairy story, and every touch between them was magic. therion's entire existence was god's personal gift to me. the hades-persephone parallels of his and lark's non-marriage was everything, despite them having exactly two scenes together. i know he's not actually a love interest, and if he was, this would be a very different book, but the ending of his swan watching over everyone at the gallery was so beautiful. i love him. i love everything. and then we have lark and alastair. they're pretty cute, but they're not intoxicating like the other two ships. unfortunately, theirs is the relationship the book most focused on. i feel like their formula is pretty basic in romantasy stories (guy hurts girl to hide his family trauma/overbearing father, girl finds out years later, they make up), so i don't have any feelings about them to contribute. the final (non)relationship is alastair and therion. they're not a thing, but i am delusional, so i will make them a thing. one thing i will say is that the poly was written so well. i thought it might be weird because of camille and alastair being siblings, but it really wasn't.

as for characters, lark was vivid, lifelike, and truly enjoyable to read about. i think this is one of the few stories with alternating timelines that i've liked. lark's perspective is fascinating, or maybe it's that the writing is stunning, but i inhaled everything she had to offer. her motivations, her vulnerabilities, her relationship with her brothers, her desire to be independent and be able to protect her family, her love for alastair, every emotion she had resonated with me. unfortunately, no one else received this attention—alastair, camille, therion, henry, oberon, hugo, everyone was mostly flat. i, personally, loved camille and therion for reasons, but they weren't really well written by any means. granted, this is a very short book, and exclusively from lark's perspective, so it is somewhat understandable.

anyway, this was lovely. i will be on the lookout for anything else by lyndall clipstone!!

I wanted to like this book so bad, and honestly I held off reviewing for so long because it feels like my fault for even requesting this book after reading the summary. I just cannot get past her going after both the siblings, even if the relationships were separate. I feel too bad to give this one star because like I said, it feels like my fault for even requesting.

I received an eARC of this for review. if you're unfamiliar with Lyndall's work, she write for us weird, melancholy chaotic women who love reading by candlelight, surrounded by trinkets, on rainy evenings. I devoured (pun intended!) this in two evenings; I fell deeply in love with each character. This was not too long nor too short; just right.

Lyndall Clipstone is such a brilliant writer and has conceived a fully fleshed and vicious world, full of beauty and dark gods, mysteries and intrigues, and dynamic characters. Her sentence level writing and atmosphere are the standouts for me on this. I thoroughly enjoyed.