The scream that came out of my mouth when I found out I received a digital arc of this book rivals Greer’s.

Honestly though, I’m so grateful to have been able to read this lovely book early. I’ll read anything Erin Craig puts out. I’m a little sad that I won’t have a new book from her in September but it was definitely worth it.

Erin Craig is unmatched in her atmospheric writing. She immerses you in her stories and makes you feel like you’re in the worlds she creates without it being too lyrical or description heavy. I’ve never read another author that does it as well as she does.

A Land so Wide has the perfect amount of creepy/gothic vibes and I am so here for it. I couldn’t put it down and when I had to, I found myself trying to squeeze in times to pick it up again. There were multiple moments where I audibly gasped and had to cover the bottom of the page to not spoil anything for myself.

Reading A Land so Wide was definitely the highlight of my week.

Anyways, highly recommend!!

Side note: Mistaken reminded me so much of Amity Falls and now I want to do another re-read of Small Favors 😫

thank you so much for the approval- i cannot wait to dive in, this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year! i will be sure to leave a review on GR/retailers to come! 💞

When I saw that I got approved for this arc I started screaming, crying, throwing up! Then I started reading it and continued to scream, cry, and throw up because it was that good! I was actually giddy reading even just the PROLOGUE because that’s how good it was. The setting, the writing, it’s just so VISUAL; it’s hard not to feel nervous as the terrified voyagers navigate through this uncanny land that they are fearful of without quite knowing why, as bloodcurdling cries are heard in the distance. IT’S SO EERIE. IT’S SO FOREBODING. IT’S SO ERIN’S STYLE. I was kicking my feet and squealing at how deliciously dark it was. I love scary shit like this in books ok. Sue me.

The town of Mistaken is the perfect example of the price you pay for greed and the lure of wealth against your best judgement. You learn that veryyyy quickly from the prologue. Mistaken feels claustrophobic and lonely in a similar way as the setting of the village in her creepy Rumplestilskin retelling. I was actually surprised to see in the book’s blurb that this book technically takes place in Canada, because it very much doesn’t feel like it takes place in the real world. But have no fear about that making this book feel any different because it has the same otherworldly feel as her fantasy books do. If the blurb hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have even assumed this took place in the real world.

Erin is nothing if not consistent. Her books are just consistently good and this one is no different. Therefore, if you’ve enjoyed any of her previous books, you’ll like this one too. Her tone is so distinct; I could read 5 pages and pinpoint the fact that it’s her writing because her writing style and tone are so distinct. She’s got such a unique style, where it’s unsettling without being categorized as full on horror. I love that whenever you pick up an Erin Craig book, you always know what kind of vibe and aesthetic to expect because she has such a distinct style and she knows what her audience likes and expects. Even if she veers into something less creepy like in her last release, every books she releases feels distinctly her. (And yes I am STILL emotionally fragile over The Thirteenth Child and no I am not over it or emotionally healed from it!)

Was this as scary as the Sisters Of the Salt books? No, but those books are terrifying as fuck for what isn’t technically considered a horror novel, and that’s hard to top. Nor do I expect it to. I wouldn’t even say it was scary as Small Favors was. But Erin’s writing and world building are SO GOOD, that even as a girl who emphasizes scares when I pick up a book intended to be creepy, I actually didn’t mind it or like it any less because I found it less scary than some of her previous books. Despite taking place in the real world over fantasy and not being as scary as the previous installments, there is still all the gothic creepiness you love and expect in an Erin Craig novel. I will say it does lose some steam after the halfway mark but all in all, Erin never writes a bad book; she’s not capable of it. This has all the elements and dark aesthetics that you’d expect from her writing. Now, I’m ready for Sisters of the Salt book 3!

Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

🦇 This story was not what I was expecting at all, but it was everything I wanted and needed. It was folklore combined with romance and horror, with poetic writing woven throughout the book. I wanted to read it every chance I could, and when responsibilities kept me from reading, this novel was all I could think about.

🦇 Erin A. Craig has a beautiful way of creating a fictional world that reels you in. Every time I thought I knew what direction the story would go, I'd soon find out I was completely mistaken. I never wanted the story to end...

🦇 The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars, was because I felt like the last part of the story felt slightly disconnected from the rest, and I wish the romance aspect had gone slightly differently in my opinion. Otherwise, I truly loved this book so much and can't wait to read more by this author! Also, thank you Erin for giving me a new book boyfriend. I absolutely adore Noah Finn. 🤍

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 stars
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✨If you love these tropes, give this book a try:✨

🦇Plot Twists
🦇Love Triangle
🦇Childhood Friends To Lovers
🦇Magic
🦇Quests
🦇Monsters/Mythical Creatures
🦇Forced Proximity
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🦇 A million thanks to netgalley and Pantheon for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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TW: Please be sure to check for trigger warnings. Some triggers include gore, dismemberment, violence, physical assault, etc.

Erin Craig’s settings and atmosphere are always so unique! It was dark, gory, entertaining, and mysterious. I liked Greer as a main character and her story with Ellis. Although, in the last bit it felt like a few events happened just for shock value and the characters moved past it very quickly. Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it

There’s something so intoxicating about the blend of folklore, longing, and the untamed wild, and I was utterly spellbound from start to finish.

I was so incredibly lucky to receive an ARC of this from Net Galley and I don’t think I’ve ever squealed louder at an email, so thank you very much to Knopf and Pantheon for letting me read this piece of art early.

The day that I rate an Erin A Craig book lower than 5 stars, please assume I am no longer me. Everything she has ever written is marvelous and A Land So Wide is no different. Her adult debut had everything I love about her writing, beautifully eerie prose, the ache of a longing love, and above all else a mysterious dark magic.

A Land So Wide takes us to Mistaken, where a colony of people live behind the Warding Stones that protect them from the ravenous Bright-Eyeds, ready to pounce on anyone out after dark. Greer Mackenzie is faithful to the Benevolence, the makers of the stones, and yet she yearns to document the world beyond
their gift.
I have to say- I loved Greer Mackenzie. She was so determined to do what she knew was right and ultimately sure of herself and who she wanted to be. She was not afraid to say what she thought, even in a setting historically where what women think is undervalued. She used her strengths to help her community and pursue the man she loved without thinking about it.
When the man she is to marry, Ellis, disappears past the stones she stops at nothing to find him, and finds out so much about the world she grew up in because of her journey.

I would read this again and again without being bored (and I’m going to when I get my physical copy in September). It just grips you and pulls you in. I savored every single word in these pages and dreaded it being over, but it really, truly was everything I could ask for.

ahhh so excited to have received this arc!! she is one of my favorite authors and this is my most anticipated read of the year ✨ i will be posting my review on goodreads xx