Erin A. Craig has quickly become one of my favourite authors. I often find myself craving an eerie, unsettling, haunting book, and she is the author I gravitate toward the most during these periods. The downside is that I have already read and reread all of her previous novels, so imagine my excitement when I discovered that her new novel was on NetGalley and that I had been approved to review it. A very heartfelt thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed A Land So Wide. I had read a few reviews from readers who felt the first half was strong but thought the second half fell flat. Personally, I had the opposite experience. I felt the book had a slow start, introducing us to the protagonist Greer, to Ellis, and to their town and traditions. But after the 40 percent mark, Erin A. Craig expands this quiet little town into something much larger and more haunting, completely upending everything we thought we (and the protagonist) knew.

I think the plot is perfectly crafted, even if it is a little tamer and not quite as creepy as her previous young adult novels. Her writing, as always, is exquisite, though I did find the first two chapters a bit strange in tone. Perhaps she was feeling slightly hesitant about building a new world or writing her first adult novel. Whatever the reason, after those initial chapters, her signature style returns in full force, flowing naturally from page to page.

However, there is one element that I did not love and feel I have to mention. Greer, the protagonist, is twenty-seven years old, but she often does not act her age. At times, she comes across as immature and overly naïve, especially in how she handles conflict with her best friend and in her belief that simply loving Ellis, and (maybe) being loved in return, will solve all their problems. Her character could have used a bit more refinement in this regard.

Overall, I must say that Erin A. Craig has a rare gift for crafting stories that are both haunting and breathtakingly beautiful. Her writing feels like stepping into a dark fairytale: lyrical, eerie, and utterly unforgettable. There’s a quiet kind of magic in the way she captures the unsettling and makes it exquisite, and I know I’ll return to her stories again and again.

A Land So Wide is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of gothic fantasy and folklore-inspired tales. Its rich setting and emotional depth make it a noteworthy addition to Craig's body of work.

This honestly would have been a five star read if the setting, vibes, etc. would have stayed the same throughout the whole book. The first half was soooo good! It was eerie and I loved the folklore, setting, and weird characters within this small town.

The second half is where it began to lose me. I’m not going to go into the specifics because of spoilers, but it started to drag a bit. The ending didn’t feel as satisfying as other Erin A. Craig books either.

Erin A. Craig is still an auto-buy author for me, but this did end up being my least favorite book out of everything she has written.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3/5 ⭐️

2.5 stars rounded up

I am not exactly sure what to say about this book. The first 50% felt so unique and fun and intriguing. I loved that we had a mature couple and the unique world building was very fun!! I loved the creepy dangerous atmosphere and then we got to the 50% mark and the 2nd half felt like an entirely different book.

Now I love a good journey in a story, and I love role reversals, but what I didn't love was the random love triangle thrown in and suddenly she was an heiress to this kingdom of monsters. It just felt so out of place and not convincing at all...I did not care for Finn and that way that he just died??? I question his purpose just the same as the main character. Also his love and lust for her coming from a promise her mom made him??? Not super into it...

Then the ending came and went so insignificantly just as Finn. I stopped and thought "Oh that's all. A screamed indused mine collapse? Did no one check to see if anyone survived?" Very confusing. There was so much I liked and so much I didn't like so that is why I'm giving a lower rating.. It was fine but yeah just didn't go where I wanted it to...

Another excellent interpretation of folklore by Erin Craig! Loved the use of Scottish folk legends and I felt the story flowed so well. A great mix of horror and mystery. The Village meets Let the Right One In in the best way!

The synopsis of this book had me HOOKED, I simply had to get my hands on an ARC. In theory, I should EAT this eerie, haunting, mysterious, occult story right up. But alas, I fear it fell flat.

Greer Mackenzie has always dreamed of life outside the borders of her seemingly cursed village; Mistaken. A village protected by stones that violently pull you into the town's borders before sunset. All she’s known is her village, the redcaps, the warding stones, The Benevolence, and The Bright Eyeds. The warding stones symbolize protection, peace, and a truce between the inhabitants of Mistaken and The Benvolence. But something has disrupted the peace, and the Warding Stones are moving, and with them, the Bright Eyeds are slowly closing in. On the day Greer is to become engaged to her longtime love Ellis, as she waits for him earnestly so that he may find her and they may FINALLY be together, Greer sees something impossible. She watches Ellis cross the border after sunset, and something’s stalking him. Greer must find a way to escape the hold of the Warding Stones, cross the border of Mistaken, and find Ellis before it’s too late. She must gain the favor of The Benevolence and venture into uncharted territory, without the protection of the warding stones.

This book had my undivided attention for the first 60% of the story. It was beautifully atmospheric with the creeping redcap trees and the ever-lurking doom of Mistaken. Gothically occult and immersive, with haunting Scottish folklore woven into the fibers of this story. I felt that I was a villager stuck with Greer in Mistaken, too nervous to stray too far without my newfound friends. I watched in horror as the consequences of the warding stones moving played out before my eyes. My skin crawled at the descriptions of the bodily horrors done by the Bright Eyeds. I held my breath as I watched with Greer as Ellis crossed the border.

So what happened with the last 40%?? I’m not sure. The story started moving quickly, too quickly. As if we were trying to wrap things up and tie it up with a pretty bow. I felt completely disconnected from the story and the characters. Things happened that should have made me feel sad and heartbroken, and instead, I felt nothing. The last 40% read so much like YA, which in and of itself is not bad, but when the first 60% read like adult fiction, something is wrong. The first 60% read beautifully, in detail, hauntingly thrilling, and gory. The last 40% was flat, rushed, and lacked dimension on both characters and the world-building. I was a bit disappointed but may still give this author another try :)

thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

A solid 4/5 stars. Erin is incredibly talented as a writer and while it was good, it slightly missed the mark for me. Loved the atmospheric setting and prose though.

Thank you for NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This book follows Greer, a 27-year-old woman, who ventures into the woods to save the man she's about to marry.

The atmosphere in this book is so impeccable. It took a long time for Greer to start her journey, but I didn't mind it because I just loved reading this book even when nothing was happening yet. I highlighted so many passages in this that I just loved.

I wish the pacing of the book was a little better, I wanted the story to breathe a little bit at the end.

This will definitely be a book that I'll think about and a book that I'll reread. The atmosphere and the writing were so beautiful and magical.

This book would be good for readers who love The Bear and The Nightingale.

As others have said, the first have of this book is great – the isolated town, the mysterious stones, the weird backstory and the love story of Greer and Ellis. The scenery and the woods are wonderful, the mapmaking and the desire for adventure while knowing you can never leave is heartbreaking. But the second half was not as engaging. When it’s just Greer on her own and the only other character is a fairly nice blood sucking creature, the intensity didn’t ramp up for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this DRC.
#ALandSoWide #NetGalley

Erin A. Craig is an auto-buy author for me as I have loved all of her work that I've read so far. I was so excited and grateful to receive an ARC for A Land So Wide. Similar to Small Favors, this story takes place in a small, isolated village but that's pretty much where the similarities end. This story takes place in the town of Mistaken which sits protected behind magical Warding Stones to keep dangerous creatures out. The main character, Greer, is 27 and hoping to very soon marry her love, Ellis. When the Warding Stones move in the night and then her lover disappears past the stones, she is determined to go after him. This story is captivating with more history given bit by bit as the main story unfolds. Often while reading, I can guess what the outcome is going to be in the story, but at no point did I know what was going to happen next while reading A Land So Wide, to the point where I wasn't even sure what to hope for or who to root for at some points. And believe me, I've had my heart ripped out by Erin A. Crag before! So I knew to expect the unexpected. And yet I was still up in the middle of the night, unable to put this down, on the edge of my seat. This story is marvelous and I could have read a whole series about Greer but also adored the ending.
Anyone new to Erin A. Craig, if you like the works of Ava Reid or Rebecca Ross, this book gives a lot of the same vibes. And of course, all of Erin A. Craig's other works are fabulous as well.

I want to start by saying that while I didn't personally LOVE this book, I did still enjoy the writing. As per usual, Erin Craig's prose is haunting in the best possible way.

A Land So Wide has a unique setting that made me really feel like I was a part of the scenery. The Canadian wilderness is so vast and untamed and I really felt she captured that perfectly.

I loved that Greer was in her late 20s, and I wanted so badly to root for her but unfortunately I just didn't feel much of a connection. It very much felt like I was reading a book and not actually living the story with her. I felt that some of the issues should have been obvious to her but time and time again she didn't see something coming that I would consider almost common sense. That's not to say that she didn't have her moments or bravery and courage because she had that in spades.

My main issue with the book was that while I loved the concept, the book was so short and there was so much world building that I felt by the time I was no longer getting blasted with information and the story could finally start, it was almost over.

While I may not recommend this book to everyone I know the way I do Craig's other works, I would recommend if you enjoy scenic writing, nature horror and world building.

I really wanted to love this one, especially since the foreword promised rich Scottish folklore, but truth be told, A Land So Wide has been my most disappointing read of 2025 (so far). Not only did it feel like a two- or three-book project that faltered and was condensed down, resulting in wildly uneven pacing and a jarringly quick resolution, but it was, at least to me, clearly a YA novel.

I adore YA and still read lots of it at my big age of 34. A Land So Wide makes sense if Greer, our protagonist, is a teenager. I would have had empathy for her struggles with identity, cheered for her rebellion against her father and the societal expectations, and believed in her love story. Unfortunately, Greer is supposed to be an entire 27 human years old. In the book's time period, she wouldn’t just be a spinster, she’d be a thornback (no shade, so am I) and yet she is an object of desire to the young men in her town, is treated like and refered to as a young girl by adults, and consistently makes the the kinds of decisions you’d expect from someone without a fully-formed frontal lobe.

Let me say again: there is nothing wrong with YA literature. If A Land So Wide has been marketed as such, I would have given it a higher rating. Also, there were things that worked here: I was riveted by the concept and drawn in by the strangeness of the setting and the cult-y vibes of the townsfolk, but this is not a novel about adults for adults.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’d give this novel a 3.5 stars. The story was very intriguing, it was interesting to see a different take on vampires.
I was drawn into this dark and mysterious world from the start and enjoyed getting to know Greer, Ellis, and other folks from the village Mistaken.
I had a little trouble with the pacing, the beginning was great, slowed down a little in the middle, and the end felt quick. However, I still enjoyed this story very!

Thank you to Erin A. Craig, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Oh, man. I really expected to love this more. For one, I think the blurb gives too much of the plot away. It would've been better if I'd have gone into this not knowing anything. Secondly, though I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped, I did still like the writing. The first 50% really pulled me in and I was excited to continue on. But the last half, especially once a certain character gets introduced, really made me lose interest. There was an almost-love triangle that was just completely unnecessary, in my opinion. This character could've still been an asset to the story and helped Greer along her journey without the added complications. It also kind of gave me twilight vibes and not in a good way (AKA when Jacob imprints with Renesmee) The way this random man has loved her since she was born basically? Yuck. Beyond that, I thought the love between Greer and Ellis was sweet and lovely and I really wish more had happened with them. I was rooting for them the whole time. This book has a very eerie vibe throughout, which I love, and it's a bit gruesome at times as well. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Once you've seen the sunset in Mistaken, you can never leave, the Warding Stones will not allow it. The residents seem content, knowing it's the price to pay for safety from the creatures that live outside the boundaries. Greer has always felt a bit of wanderlust but spends her days in the woods drawing maps, going a little further each day but always close enough to make it back to the village. She is looking forward to the Hunt, where she can finally wed her beau, Ellis. Greer waits all day for Ellis to find her but he walks right past her and into the woods as the horn calls for all villagers to return before dusk bellows. She is determined to find him and bring him home so they can be together.

The journey into the unknown brings many challenges, but offers insight into not only Greer's family secrets but also the founding of her village, and the real dangers beyond the Warding Stones are much worse than she could have imagined.

The story is well written, the world well developed, and all the story lines come together. However, the ending felt rather abrupt. If you have enjoyed other novels by this author you won't be disappointed, it has the eerie vibes from Small Favors and Craig's delightful story telling continues in this book.

I love an Erin A. Craig book. She has a gift in crafting atmospheres and community based books that I have really liked! Her novel Small Favors was a favorite of mine. This is her first foray into the adult realm(that I know of) and from page one you are pulled into the town of Mistaken.

I was enthralled and fully invested in the first fifty percent of the book. The town setup and history was fascinating, a spooky town where creature’s lurk and towns people had complicated history? I eat that up every time.


Greer our FMC is the only daughter of the owner of the towns mill that processes the native trees called Redcaps. They are poisonous and burning sap and have properties unlike any other wood. She makes maps and has dreams of seeing other places, but also settling down with her childhood sweetheart, the apprentice baker.
She has exceptional hearing and can hear things no other people can, and the town has a vague distrust of her because of it.

When she watches her love cross the boundary after the last Bellow, Greer goes after him into the unknown and begins to unravel the threads of lies about herself and her town.

After some large reveals, I do feel the book loses some momentum. It’s still engaging, but I did spend more time going “I need more information to make this work,” or going “wait, what? How does that make sense?” than enjoying the book at that point which become frustrating. I never felt that I didn’t know which way Greer was going to turn or choose, or felt tension because of it. I wanted more explanation and not in an exposition way, but similar to how the first half went.

Because of that, I’m rating 3.5/5, rounded down. I’m also surprised and a bit sad about that, but I can’t round higher.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, vintage for this ARC!

Read if you love:

ATMOSPHERIC writing
gothic fairytales
spooky but beautiful

Not as scary as her earlier series but this definitely holds its own.

This one was super unique. Erin A. Craig is always such an incredible writer. It starts out almost feeling like an A24 movie, then develops into more of a Mike Flanagan show. The creatures in fact reminded me of Flanagan’s Midnight Mass, a show I adored. There were some shocking moments in this that I’ve never seen in any book or movie, and I read a LOT so that’s saying something!

I really enjoyed this! Thank you to NETGALLEY for giving me an e-arc.

I found the first half really interesting. We learn about the dynamics of Mistaken, a cult-like village where, once you spend a night there, you are never able to leave its borders thanks to the protection of Benevolence and their Warding Stones that keep out the monstrous Bright-Eyed. You try to leave, and the stones will pull you right back.

Well, this sucks for our main girl, Greer, because she loves making maps and wants to explore the world. But there’s something else that’s different from Greer, aside from her wanderlust. She can hear INCREDIBLY well. It’s almost inhuman, you could say.

Knowing she’ll never be able to travel, she’s happy to marry her long-time love Ellis, once he finds her at the next Hunt, a ritual where the ‘of age’ woman of the village go hide and have to marry the man who finds them. But of course, things don’t go as planned. Ellis shows up to the Hunt, but never goes to find Greer. Greer leaves her hiding spot, as the sky darkens and impossibly, she witnesses Ellis leave the borders of Mistaken to enter the forest. A Bright-Eyed follows to hunt him.

I rounded the book down a star because of the second half, and not because I didn’t like the plot. I really liked where the book went. Greer discovers secrets about the Bright-Eyed (and herself) as she ventures into the forest in search of her beloved. The Bright-eyed are basically vampires. Bat-like creatures that can shape shift and turn humans by feeding them their blood. The tales that the Mistaken have been telling their people about the Benevolence? Yea, they might not all be true.

I loved this development, as I love a good vampire book. However, I wanted more! The pacing of this part felt too rushed to me. We learn a lot of new information in the second half and there didn’t feel like enough time for Greer, or the reader, to get a handle on it. At one point I felt we were being set up for a larger continuing story since it felt like there was so much to cover before the book’s end. But the plot is wrapped up.

There also felt like a lot of repetition. Whilst in the forest Greer meets Noah Finn, a mysterious, handsome stranger who looks out for her and often says “I’ll be right back” only to…not be right back or get waylaid and not meet her at the intended spot. At first I thought it was because he was going to double-cross Greer or maybe there was something else going on. But that wasn’t the case. It was meant to be a way to force Greer to handle certain situations on her own and while I understand that need story-wise, I just wish his long absences felt more natural.

I’ve read a few other reviews on here talking about how this book doesn’t feel more adult compared to Craig’s other YA novels and I agree. Despite the fact that we’re told Greer is 27, there’s nothing in her attitude or actions that makes her feel different from a 17 year old. Her father tells her he wants her to let another boy of his choosing find her at the Hunt? But Daddy I love him and am marrying him no matter what you say! There’s no super spicy scenes either, but there is a lot of gore (which I don’t mind).

In A Land So Wide, Greer and the other townsfolk are trapped in their village of Mistaken. They accept their recorded history, that the woods are filled with monsters called the Bright Eyed and that only a truce with the force called the Benevolence keeps them safe within the boundary of their warding stones. Greer wants to marry her childhood sweetheart Ellis, but her wealthy father Hessel, the owner of the mill that is the reason for Mistaken’s existence, is against it. He figures out a way to keep her from marrying Ellis by sending him into the woods as a sacrifice. Greer manages to run away from Mistaken to try and find him, which should not be possible. What she finds out in the woods is completely unexpected. She learns the truth about the founding of the town, the Bright Eyed, her mother’s secret past and her own secret power.

I am a fan of Erin A. Craig, but I have to admit that the first half of this book was way more interesting than the second half. The atmosphere of the first half was so good- it reminded me of her book Small Favors. The second half had a lot of supernatural elements to it that I was not fond of and a very basic antagonist.