A Land So Wide takes place in this mysterious town called the Mistaken, where villagers are caged and live in fear of the Bright-eye creatures that stalk the night. Greer McKenzie is the resident mapmaker and oddity of the village, who is deeply in love with her childhood friend Ellis. All their plans to be together are dashed, though, when Ellis disappears beyond the boundary. As her journey begins, Greer starts to question if the Benevolence is truly keeping her village safe?

As a longtime fan of Erin Craig, I was eager to read her adult debut. Her signature worldbuilding sets up the dark tone that something deadly is lurking in the woods. While I enjoyed unraveling the mystery, I found it hard at times to tell the difference from previous novels. Though Greer is 27 in the story, I'd forget at times based on her actions. It wasn’t until the horror elements kicked in that the shift to adult fantasy horror became clear. Fair warning, there is a heavy dose of blood, body crushing, and throat-ripping,g deadly creatures that sets it apart from her previous work and younger readers.

I am giving this book 4/5 stars🌟 because while horror is eerie, the romance was lackluster in the second part of the book. The two sweethears were separated for the majority of book, which boo not cool. I almost wanted the second lead to get a chance because of the number of scenes he was present. Overall, if you like to read a fantasy story with some horror and mystery, this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Erin A. Craig, Knopf, Pantheon, and the Vintage catalog for providing me with this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!

Dark fairytale and fantasy romance in one book? Yes please. I must say that this book was a delight to read. I was drawn into this book right from the start and I spent this whole rainy/cloudy day immersed in this world. I went into this book somewhat blind and for that I'm glad as I think it gave me more to ponder about while reading. Greer is a great character and I was feeling what she was going through while discovering secrets about her life and her family. She wasn't sure who she could trust or if she could trust her gut feelings and this helped give the book a bit of mystery because we aren't really sure what is happening either.

To my knowledge this is a stand alone book and it has a great ending but if the author so chose, I feel she could expand upon this story and world. I would most definitely be interested in reading more in this realm. Wonderful storytelling and great world building.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for the eARC ** This does contain spoilers!!!

This book absolutely swept me away! Erin Craig has been one of my all-time favorite authors ever since I discovered her books—and A Land So Wide absolutely reinforces why I adore her storytelling. Her novels never disappoint, and this one left me completely breathless, it is a beautifully haunting story filled with eerie forests, mysterious legends, and characters you can’t help but love deeply.

Set in the hauntingly beautiful wilderness, this story follows Greer MacKenzie, a brave and headstrong young woman who draws stunningly beautiful maps and dreams of more than the confines of her isolated town, Mistaken. Craig masterfully weaves an atmosphere thick with mystery, folklore, and eerie tension, where the shadowy forests whisper secrets and danger lurks just beyond sight.

From the captivating and chilling prologue to Greer’s complicated relationships—including a heartfelt romance and family secrets—the narrative pulls you in immediately. The townsfolk fear creatures called Bright-Eyeds and rely heavily on mysterious protectors known as the Benevolence. But Greer, always daring and curious, pushes these boundaries, unraveling startling truths about her own heritage and the dark history behind her community’s rituals.

Craig blends suspense, romance, and vivid fantasy flawlessly, creating characters so memorable they linger long after the final page. The tension continually ramps up, filled with twists, emotional moments, and surprising revelations—especially regarding Greer’s own identity and the creatures she was raised to fear.

The ending left me breathless and emotionally torn: a mysterious dark shape moves across the sky—could it be Finn? Did he survive? It’s beautifully devastating, and I’m desperately hoping it's Finn!

A Land So Wide had my heart racing, my emotions spiraling, and the ending left me desperate for more answers. Erin Craig’s storytelling is spellbinding, atmospheric, and unforgettable. If you love stories that sweep you away, blur the line between myth and reality, and linger in your heart, don’t miss this book. It’s a hauntingly beautiful read from one of the best authors around—I’m already counting the days until her next story!

Erin Craig is the queen of atmosphere and vibes. Like her previous books, this will transport you to a different place. It's uncanny how she has this special ability to take you places with her words. I really enjoyed this story. Without sharing too many details (better if you go in blind), this has the vibes of a dark fairy/folktale. Perfect autumnal read.

If you were a fan of Small Favors by Erin Craig, you would LOVE this book! It gives all the spooky vibes with a dash of romance. Described as “an irresistible blend of dark fairytale and romantic fantasy set in the beautiful but brutal Canadian wilderness” this book follows Greer Mackenzie through quite a journey. Read the blurb of this book ASAP and then time how quickly you add this to your TBR (release date set for Sept. 9th).

I am afraid that if I start talking about the plot, I will give away too much. The twists and “NO WAY!” moments were phenomenal in this book. I finished this book over a week ago, and I am still thinking and dreaming (nightmares) about it. The creatures in this book are hauntingly beautiful and remind me a bit of the creatures in Small Favors. Greer is a complex FMC, and she was the perfect fit as lead for this storyline. This book is ACTION PACKED and paced perfectly. The little sprinkles of romance throughout the book ticked my romance reader fancy and softened the tone of the book at just the right moments. It's one of my favorite reads of 2025, so far!

Thank you @netgalley & @penchant4words for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book! I was THRILLED to be chosen as a reader! <3

Wow, what a ride!

Erin A Craig has become one of my favorite authors. I've read most of her YA books, and this is her adult debut. All of her books have very dynamic and immersive settings, usually with a creepy or gothic vibe. But this book! Oh my goodness! The town of Mistaken is positively teeming with creepy/spooky/horror vibes. Craig definitely captured the loneliness and isolation, as well as the feeling of wrongness within the town. The whole thing was very unsettling, especially the flashbacks to the past as you learn more about what happened in the town's history.

I found the worldbuilding to be really well done. Sometimes fantasy can be a bit confusing and overwhelming but I didn't find that to be the case here. I was intrigued from page one.

The characters were great as well, especially the protagonist Greer. At age 27, she longs to escape the town but also wants to appease the guardians who protect the town from attacks. I found her to be a likable and well rounded character. Others have said this doesn’t feel very adult (I guess because there’s no sexual content) but Greer felt like an adult to me. The whole hide and seek to find a husband game showed how little autonomy she had within the society and made it understandable that she would want to escape it.

The writing was excellent. It was descriptive and lyrical but also really easy to read. I absolutely flew through the pages.

Okay, here's where I'm going to get a little spoilery. You've been warned.

I will say that I enjoyed first half of the book (following Greer's day to day life in the creepy town) more than the second half, which introduced a love triangle among other things. I wasn't really expecting this to be about vampires? (I think that's what they are? The book never mentioned it outright.) Greer finds out she has powers and abilities as well (of course). I will say, her shouting power was giving me serious vibes of Ciri in <i>Witcher 3</i>. I was totally picturing this in my head for those scenes:

<img src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/nLJb9vi6f6QAAAAd/ciri-witcher-scream.gif" width="400" height="300" alt="description"/>


I wasn’t expecting Greer’s mother to basically have brainwashed the town into thinking she had always been one of them. Or that she was some kind of vampire queen. That was quite the twist!

This book is definitely adult in terms of blood and gore, but I didn't really find it scary. More like deliciously spine-tingling, especially the first half. I thought the second half lost a liiiittle bit of steam, especially with the character of Finn. I didn't care for him at all really. I was very vested in Greer and Ellis even though they’re already a couple at the start and I was really worried she would end up with Finn so I was glad that didn’t happen.

The ending definitely set itself up for a sequel or companion (they didn’t kill all the vampires???) and I would definitely read it. Erin A Craig has become an auto read author for me - adult or YA: I will read it all!

This is a perfect book for those who want a good introduction to horror and anyone who loves a good creepy read. Definitely recommend!

*A big thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage for the chance to read this ARC*

One of my favorite things about Erin’s writing is that I never accurately predict where the story is going or how it’s going to end. As expected, A Land So Wide lived up to this standard. Being that this was an ARC read, I won’t give away too much.

We meet our FMC Greer, a mapmaker with a dream to see the world. One little problem though. She was born in the settlement of Mistaken, which as its name might lead you to believe is not great. The woods surrounding the settlement are filled with monsters and her ancestors have stayed within their protective warding stones for generations. No one leaves, or if they do they certainly don’t make it far.

Greer challenges these rules when she sees the love of her life Ellis go beyond the stones and not return. Determined to bring him back, she discovers a way to defy the curse that keeps folks trapped in Mistaken and heads out after him. This journey is more than Greer bargained for as she not only faces the monsters in the woods, but the secrets of her settlement’s past, as well as her own family’s.

This is a can’t miss novel. It’s the best of fantasy, romance, and dark fairytales inspired by Scottish folklore and taking place in the Canadian wilderness. I love Greer, Ellis, and of course a character we meet along the way named Finn. I honestly could have used more of Ellis and Finn together because I feel like their banter would have been great. This is definitely worth a preorder and comes out September 9, 2025.

I don't know how Erin A. Craig does it, but every book I read by her is at least 4 stars. Magical realism is absolutely my favorite genre, and she has a way of creating these incredible worlds and characters. A Land So Wide is another hit for me. The settlement of Mistaken is filled with desirable rich resources, but all of the town's inhabitants have become trapped by its surrounding Warden Stones. When dusk comes, if anyone is outside of those borders, they are magically pulled back into Mistaken. Filled with fantasy, romance, and some incredible story-telling, A Land So Wide is an incredibly imaginative novel.

Eerie and atmospheric is the only way I can describe the feeling I got reading this book. This book gave me M. Night Shyamalan's The Village vibes and for me that is a good thing. The world building is well done. Making the reader feel trapped even in the vast wilderness. I could have done without the attempt at a love triangle. Would have preferred that Finn just remain a protective father like figure not a love interest but I know that kind of story line sells books. It did not take away from the story for me. I truly enjoyed this read.

First of all, the beginning of this book hooked me immediately. I mostly credit that to the setting of the 1700s Canadian Wilderness: so desolate and old-world! Erin Craig is an excellent descriptive writer. I do think that this story may be missing something. Like I had no idea where this story was going at all. And that could be a good thing. It was very mysterious and surprising and kept me wanting more.

I think the main character was written a little younger than what she is supposed to be (maybe 27?) I kept picturing her in my mind as much younger and so it made certain relationship aspects a little odd sometimes.

The way the big mystery unfolded was sometimes just told to the reader rather than shown, but it still made for a good story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy. This book was very interesting. I enjoyed the concept of a village set apart from the entire world and the horrors of keeping people safe from unknowns. The town traditions were just creepy enough to make you question everyone. The twists at the end were very well done and I did not predict them. If you liked Small Favors, you will enjoy this book too. 4 stars.

The first thing I noticed when reading A Land So Wide was the absolutely refreshing creativity that came from the setting itself. The town of Mistaken gives off the vibe of puritan type settlements that came during the eras of colonalization, but the apporach that Craig took in the development of it had me fascinated to learn more with each page. From the trees that were their most prized export, and yet caused harm, to the mysterious stones that were simply accepted, Craig gives you just enough to keep to interested in what the answers could potentially be.

The first half of this story is undeniably incredible with each character, be it our main girl Greer to the side characters of the citizens of Mistaken, craftfully formed in a way that did not feel trite. While there were some noticeable archetypes, be it the demanding, best boy of the village that made nice with her father for them to be engaged down to the tragic mother driven mad by loss, they did not feel SO overdone that I was rolling my eyes. Instead, they served their purpose to help tell Greer's story.

There were plot twists, some I saw coming and some I did not. Admittedly, there is a bit of a wrench thrown into the romance about 3/4 of the way through the book that had me questioning the pacing a bit - it isn't that I was against the twist, but it felt too late in the story to cause any impact or doubt for me as a reader. That being said, this is just nitpicking a book I truly deeply enjoyed, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you to Pantheon and Netgalley for an eARC!


In the town of Mistaken, where looming Warding Stones both protect and trap the villagers within their circle after sunset each night, Greer Mackenzie longs to leave to explore the lands beyond her corner of the world that she has meticulously mapped. When she sees her beloved and hopeful-soon-to-be-husband leave beyond the Warding Stones at sunset, Greer realizes that perhaps all she has ever known pales to what she doesn't.

I honestly looked forward to reading this book since I had a taste of Erin A. Craig's writing from her previous books. As this is her debut adult book, I had hoped to be drawn fully into her world-building. Alas, I have to admit, the first <b>40% to 50%</b> were difficult to keep me enthralled. While it was necessary world-building and character-building (exploring the town of Mistaken and the major characters within its borders, including Greer and her love interest Ellis), it felt as though I would be stuck within the town of Mistaken too. Without giving any heavy spoilers, I would have to say the middle-to-late parts of the book were my favorite part to read as Greer Mackenzie leaves the town of Mistaken and explores the wilderness to find her beloved.

There was a certain trope Greer was waffling between and couldn't seem to fully stick to one side. While it was presented in a different way with supernatural elements, I couldn't really invest in the trope. While the last <b>30%</b> of the book gets a bit gruesome and dark with mixed-in Scottish folklore, I felt the story could have grown even darker and examined more adult-centered themes, such as within <i>The Thirteenth Child</i>.

<b>What I Liked:</b>
- Scottish folklore with an horror edge
- World-Building of the town and its particular elements/rituals
- an adult protagonist with a higher level of maturity than YA protagonists

<b>What I Wish Was Better:</b>
- more depth within darker, adult themes within the story
- balance between the first and second halves of the story

I am absolutely thrilled to share my love for A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig, especially since this was my very first advanced reader’s copy—what an incredible honor! This book is a mesmerizing blend of folklore, horror, mystery, and romance, and it swept me away with its unique plot and richly atmospheric storytelling.
Set in the isolated settlement of Mistaken, the story follows Greer Mackenzie, a mapmaker trapped within the town’s Warding Stones, which protect against the monstrous Bright-Eyeds lurking in the surrounding woods. These creatures, alongside wolves and bears, threaten anyone who dares venture beyond the town’s borders. Mistaken’s prosperity comes at a steep price: no one who spends a night within its limits can ever leave. When Greer’s beloved, Ellis Beaufort, vanishes beyond the stones, Greer defies the town’s curse to rescue him, embarking on a perilous journey through a cold, unforgiving wilderness. As she faces the Bright-Eyeds and uncovers hidden truths about Mistaken’s founding and her own origins, the stakes grow ever higher.
Craig’s writing is breathtakingly descriptive, painting vivid scenes of eerie forests, chilling encounters, and tender moments of romance that made my heart race. The inspiration from Scottish folklore weaves a haunting, otherworldly thread through the narrative, grounding the horror and mystery in a way that feels both timeless and fresh. The Bright-Eyeds are unlike anything I’ve encountered in fiction—terrifying, enigmatic, and perfectly suited to the story’s folkloric roots.
This book is a triumph, balancing pulse-pounding suspense with a deeply romantic exploration of freedom and bravery. Greer’s relentless determination to save Ellis and reclaim her future left me in awe. A Land So Wide is a must-read for anyone who loves atmospheric, genre-blending stories. I’m already counting down the days until Craig’s next masterpiece!

I'd never read this author before but I'd heard such good things that I decided to try her adult debut. I really enjoyed the first half of the book and the atmospheric, folkloric setting, but the second half lost me and felt like a totally different book. I think if the synopsis had sold me first on selkie vampires, I would have had different expectations going in as paranormal romance is not my favorite genre (except maybe Omegaverse and I have very picky standards with the rest of it, I am kind of burnt out on vampires.)

The first half of the book is set in the town called Mistaken, which is protected by magical stones and beings called the Benevolence that keep the settlement safe from monsters known as Bright-Eyeds. But this also keeps the settlers imprisoned within the town. To keep up birth rates, young people are married off in a ritual known as the Hunt.

I found the part set in the town to be really interesting as someone with a keen interest in cults. The town felt very cultlike and the Hunt felt a lot like state sanctioned rape "for the good of the town," very Handmaid's Tale.

Greer is a 27-year-old who seems naive and immature, but that is understandable given the culture. However a childish spat with her best friend at the beginning left me with that impression and it was hard to shake. Her main problem as a character for me was that she didn't have much agency. I liked how she had strange gifts, made maps and dreamed of traveling, which seemed at odds with her sweetheart's more humble dreams.

She's all set to marry her childhood sweetheart, Ellis, a love interest I found kind of bland and forgettable, at the next Hunt, despite her father's objections. But Ellis offers himself up as a sacrifice to the wilderness and Greer plunges in after him, changing her life forever and everything she thought she knew.

While the first half was slow paced, the second half was Greer wandering around the wildnerness getting attacked and mooning over two men. Not even the love triangle could save this for me though. Her other love interest was a person who had guarded her mother and her from the time she was a baby. Creepy, gross, and he was also bland as a love interest. There was a lot of yearning with no chemistry.

So ultimately this didn't really work for me, but paranormal romance fans may find more to like here. Erin A. Craig fans will likely love this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

this is a gripping tale of love, freedom, and survival set in a secluded village surrounded by deadly creatures and a mysterious curse. Greer Mackenzie, a mapmaker, is determined to rescue her beloved Ellis after he vanishes beyond the town’s protective barriers, leading her on a perilous journey through treacherous wilderness. As she battles both monsters and the dark truths of her town's origins, Greer embarks on a brave quest to reclaim her love and her future.

This story was unique, enthralling, exciting and left me wanting more in the end. That being said, I loved it… I just wish things had gone a bit differently so there could be a sequel. Maybe there still could be? This is so worth a read… it was mysterious, romantic at times and different than anything else I have read. I devoured it! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this as an arc.

A Land So Wide draws to mind the stories of pioneers, if they had been victim to supernatural forces rather than the dangers of the wild. A blend of romance, mystery, and horror, the story is brief but engaging. I felt as if I could see the characters and the setting. Knowing that Erin Craig sometimes kills her darlings made me wary that at any time she might kill off Ellis, who I adored as a character. I did find the "big twist" about Greer to be somewhat predictable, but not in a bad way. As I read, the idea of a village so cut off and trapped made me shiver, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, waiting for something bad to happen. I was pleasantly surprised that my favorites make it through, though not exactly safe and sound.

Eerie and compelling, A Land So Wide follows Greer Mackenzie in her life as a citizen of Mistaken, a town kept safe from monsters by keeping everyone within its limits each night, with grave consequences for those outside the border as night falls.

I really enjoyed this novel, with the dark and twisty folktale vibe and Greer’s journey. Secrets and mystery abound throughout and while I figured out some surprises, others kept me guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been staring at my phone for 5 minutes trying to find words to describe A Land So Wide. All I can say it’s a must read on September 9th!!

Erin Craig did it again, with her first adult fiction book has my mind blown away! I was on the edge of my seat wanting to keep reading more and before I knew it I was at “the end.”