Not trying to reinvent the wheel, Lyndall Clipstone’s YA gothic romance Lakesedge delivers exactly what you’d expect from the genre. We got a broody monster boy, a drafty manor estate, and a doe-eyed girl in a wispy white nightgown. For fans of stories like Beauty and the Beast and Crimson Peak, this story will feel like the Ikea version. It gets the job done, but not much else.

The story follows orphan Violeta “Leta” Graceling
When her younger brother Arien’s nightmares start physically manifesting in dangerous ways, Rowan Sylvanan, the lord of the land, takes Violeta and Arien into his care at the Lakesedge estate. However, the lord is rumored to be a monster that murdered his entire family as a child in the lake at his estate.

But Leta comes to realize that there are much darker forces about than the monster boy she lives with. Deep in the inky waters of the lake, Lord Under, the king of the underworld, keeps Lakesedge under his control, with Rowan bound to him in servitude.

As Leta continues to fall for the boy she thought was a monster, she finds herself confronting the true monster in the lake to not only save Rowan, but herself.

Now, I am a huge fan of the gothic genre. Jane Eyre, Sweeney Todd, anything by Edgar Allen Poe, I find them all morbidly fascinating. I also love monster boys (shoutout to Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle, Bigby Wolf the Fables comics, and Rook from An Enchantment of Ravens). So this book was immediately a must-have when I caught wind of its existence.

Alas, Lakesedge feels like the Walmart of the stories that have come before it
With that said, just like Walmart, there isn’t anything really wrong with Lakesedge. The setting is honestly one of the strongest components of this story. I love the eerie, inky black lake, and the secret orchard. The manor feels big and drafty, with cozy fireplaces and shadowy halls.

Also, the cast of characters is set up to be perfect for this kind of story. We have a young woman with a dark past and tragic upbringing, a young boy with dangerous powers, a young man who is more monster than human, a cute and bubbly alchemist, a mature, faithful servant, and a terrible enemy lurking in the deep.

Unfortunately, our main protagonists Leta and Rowan feel like cardboard cutouts for what they could have been. Leta is self-sacrificial; that’s about it. She does not care about her well-being or how her being in danger will upset others. As long as she can save who she cares about, that’s all that matters.

Rowan is the classic case of “looks like he could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll,” but we discover that within a few pages of meeting him. There is no long period of distrust or tension around Rowan. Leta discovers that he’s a good guy almost right away. Not to mention there is a healthy dose of instant love. Instead of a young maiden being taken to a spooky manor with a morally grey love interest full of tension, distrust, and mystery, we get a young woman meets a nice man and they now live together and make out.

Not to mention, the side characters are terribly underutilized, despite being the most interesting people in the story. How did Arien end up with dark magic? No idea. This alchemist character comes from a tight-knit society where it is looked down upon to leave the community and serve in an estate. Why did she choose to do that? We don’t get to know.

At least there is one more redeeming factor for this story.

The Lord Under is undoubtedly the best part of the story
His description and mannerisms are chilling, reminding me of the terrifying form of the Beldam from Coraline. His underworld is oddly horrifying and macabre with the souls of the dead trapped instead of dead trees. He is a spooky version of Hades from Greek mythology. I adored his relationship with certain characters. It’s bone-chilling in the best ways. Best husbando in the book, hands down.

To be fair, Lakesedge is only the first novel in a series
I’m sure that will give more time to flesh out characters and answer some leftover questions. Plus, the ending made me want to throw the book across the room in frustration and keep reading at the same time. So, I tentatively await the next installment.

All in all, Lakesedge is like an off-brand oreo–it’s not the best, but it tastes good enough.

<b><i>"I let the power burn through me. Let it burn away all of the helplessness and uncertainty in one brilliant flare before it dims, settling back into the barest glimmer.”</i></b>

<b><u>Summary</u></b>
When Leta and her little brother arrive and Graceling Manor, they are not sure what they are going to find. There are rumors about Rowan, the young lord of the manor, that say he drowned his entire family when he was young, and the estate is now haunted. But nothing is as it seems.

<b><u>Review</u></b>
This was perfectly spooky and creepy! The atmosphere was perfectly gothic and dark. I loved how descriptive and lush everything was. Reading this book felt like stepping through into a dark fairytale. There was a lot of intrigue and mystery surrounding all of the characters. I loved how as the story progressed we learned more and more about the tangled web that Rowan and Leta found themselves in with the Lord Under.

The romance between Rowan and Leta was very tentative and sweet. I loved that she was able to see through the monstrous parts of him to the boy underneath. I felt like it was a realistic portrayal of first love and the rush of emotions that come along with it, especially in a life or death situation. I also want to mention that most of the main characters in this book are queer. I especially appreciated the in depth internal monologue that Leta has in regards to her demisexuality and the way she begins to experience attraction to Rowan.

This story ended on a big cliffhanger and I can't wait to see where the next installment goes!

Oh wow. I don't know which cover I love more. The original version of Lakesedge or the OwlCrate version? I'm leaning towards OC, which is good because that is my copy! Lakesedge is the first in a new series, World at the Lake's Edge, written by Lyndall Clipstone.

Violeta Graceling has long known that there are evil things in this world. Her brother is not one of them, despite the terrors that plague him each night. She's tried her best to keep him safe, but the evil of man always wins out.

Rowan Sylvanan is the one who finds out about her brother's secret – a lord with a terrifying history. Leta can't let this man run off with her brother, so she follows along into the darkness. Only to find a whole new threat.

“There are monsters in the woods, in the world. there’s a monster the shadows, and now it knows my name.”

Wow. I have been craving gothic novels with lots of monsters and magic lately, and Lakesedge sure hit the spot. This is a dark tale, one that isn't afraid to pull readers along for the ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

I might be slightly in the minority here, as it seems like not all readers enjoyed it as much as I did. Maybe I need to up my gothic reading game (actually, I really wouldn't mind doing precisely that!). But I'm going to focus on my opinions for this review.

The introduction immediately snagged my attention. Violeta is a strong and stubborn character; you can tell right away. I adore how loyal she is towards her little brother. Though I can see how she might be off-putting to the characters within this novel, as boundaries are not a thing she cares at all about.

To me, Lakesedge had some powerful and familiar vibes. Mainly Beauty and the Beast crossed with an aquatic version of The Secret Garden. With a bit more magic in the mix, of course. Not to mention a little brother in need of saving (or does he take the place of Belle's father in this comparison? Hrm).

When I first picked up Lakesedge to read, I honestly wasn't aware that it would be part of a series. It wasn't until I reached the conclusion that this fact became blatantly clear, as the world is not done with Violeta. Not yet, at any rate.

"Lakesedge" is the story of Leta and her brother, alone in a distinctly hostile world. Their story takes off with an encounter with the mysterious Rowan, best known for killing his entire family. Rowan promises to help Leta's brother (he has a mysterious affliction) and as it turns out, Rowan's plans have to do with the evil lake that sits beyond his home.

What's good: The story is readable, the question of whether Rowan is evil is pretty clearly put to bed pretty fast.

What's iffy: It's soapy and the storyline of Leta being "called" to the darkness of the water just feels forced, tip-toeing toward making Leta a Chosen One, a tiresome trope in YA/new adult.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC!

An atmospheric, Gothic story, the novel centers around Violetta Graceling, a foundling whose brother Arien possesses a strange, dark shadow magic that disturbs his dreams and terrifies his very religious adoptive mother. But when the lord of the local (spooky, very haunted seeming) estate learns about Arien’s abilities, he’s desperate for the boy to help him mend the dark Corruption that seems to be polluting Lakesedge – and Rowan himself.

Forced to follow her brother to Rowan’s dark and foreboding estate, Leta will learn that many things are not precisely what they seem and, in doing so, will be forced to reveal some secrets of her own.

I wanted to love this one so much! Unfortunately while it was a good story it was a bit repetitive for me. The story stalled out in many places and seemed a repeat/similar to earlier events. I did love the subtle romance of Violeta and Rowen. It was just overall missing the great flow and suspense of a gothic.

If you are looking for a dark, Gothic, haunted romance, look no further! "Lakesedge" is incredibly atmospheric, with fantastic characters and a plot that keeps twisting and turning! Perfect for anyone who loved "The Cruel Prince", ACOTAR, or "These Violent Delights"!

Lakesedge has my vote for best cover of 2021. This gothic cover page grips the audience, and is the perfect color scheme.

Lakesedge is a gothic fantasy following Violeta. She arrives at a haunted estate owed by the mysterious Rowan Sylvanan, who is rumored to have killed his whole family. She expects the home to be filled with terrors and monsters, but not all is as it seems. Rowan is bound to the Lord Under, a death god living in the dark water of the lake. Violeta discovers she has a strange pull towards the Lord Under. What could this mean for her future and the future of Rowan fate?

This is a horrifyingly great autumn read. I will definitely be coming back to this story for future Halloween reads. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at the 60% mark. I loved the premise and the start of the book was really promising. I found the relationship between Leta and her brother very adorable. I liked our love interest, Rowan, in the beginning too. He seemed like a typical tragic figure. Unfortunately the more I read, the more I disliked this book. I tried to push through but this book made me highly uncomfortable since the characters are still minors and the romance was very graphic. This would have worked better as an adult romance. The plot was also very repetitive. Although the gothic elements were strong in this book, I just could not get through the book. The writing wasn't bad and I will be keeping an eye out for anything else this author publishes.

Beautiful writing in a glorious gothic way. A strong and compelling tale that feels timleess yet timely.

3/4

Lakesedge is an alluring gothic romance that drew me in with its hints of haunted estates and old secret gardens. As a lover of all things gothic, Lakesedge initially seemed like a promising read. The atmosphere absolutely hit the mark, a combination both eerie and dark, set on an estate shrouded in mystery. A manor setting has always been top tier for me, so knowing that the plot revolved around unraveling a mystery embedded within made me all the more excited to dive in. Clipstone undoubtedly nailed it with the gothic vibes, enriching the story with dark magic and a search for the end of its corruption. While the setting and atmosphere were stellar, the issue with this debut is that it lacked the depth to back up what it set out to achieve with the plot. The entire book was written in first person, so it fell prey to the classic telling not showing, leading the entire build-up to unexpectedly fall flat. I think the main character Violeta was likable, yet half of her arc involved falling for Rowan, a character whose entire personality was literally just “brooding” and who I did not at all connect with. The romance between them was not there for me either, which furthered my disconnect with the entire storyline. Lakesedge started out on several strong notes, but it was held back by the issues described previously. Honestly, this will still probably hit the mark for a lot of people, especially those that like the brooding love interest and slow drawn-out mystery.

Trigger Warnings: blood, death, gore, body horror, drowning, grief

Review is up on my Goodreads as of 12/11/21

Violeta Graceling has been protecting her younger brother for years; he has occasional nightmares that leave him consumed by shadows when he wakes up. She fears, rightly, her foster mother’s reactions to the darkness, and how others in the village would react. Then the young lord of their valley catches a glimpse of Arien’s shadows when somehow they manifest themselves at the village’s tithe day. He insists on taking Arien back to his manor, and Leta insists on coming with them, which Lord Sylvanan grudgingly allows.

She’s terrified for herself and for her brother because she has heard the rumors about the young Lord Sylvanan: he’s called the Monster of Lakesedge because he drowned his entire family when he was just a boy.

But slowly, Leta learns the truth: Rowan isn’t a cold-blooded murderer; he is bound to the Lord Under, the god of death, to whom he owes a debt. And he is desperately fighting to push back a malignant corruption that is starting to take over parts of the land. He needs Arien’s magic in his battle. But Leta finds herself not only falling for Rowan, but drawn to the Lord Under, to the black waters of the lake next to the manor. To save herself, to save Rowan, to save her brother, and even the land, Leta must face the truth about her own past and figure out how to use what gifts and knowledge she has.

Lakesedge is a serviceable gothic tale. It is sufficiently spooky and has a good storyline. Some of it just got a bit old for me: so much repetition about all the inky-black water, for one, and then the end of this book (the first in a series) seemed to be ending at least two or three times and then reversed course. The pacing didn’t seem quite right at that point. I may or may not come back to read more when a sequel comes out.

Even though I'm rating this 4 stars, I want to reread this because I read this book at the same as other books that were SUPER similar is some of their themes and I think that hindered my enjoyment. So, this rating could go up.

However, this book is great. I loved the atmosphere. Lyndall Clipstone knows how to write a gothic setting. The world is so interesting and excited to know more. It does have a specific event/scene that happens in a lot of YA books around the 70% mark, which has become an interesting thing I've been noticing and I chuckle at.

I would highly recommend this book and I'm excited for book 2!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an early copy of one of my most anticipated books of 2021 in exchange for my honest review.

I adored Lakesedge, it's a wonderfully fresh take on fantasy and features a cursed lake, monsters, and magic. With a Gothic atmosphere and tone paired with compelling and well-written characters, you have a wonderful story. I am so in love with the story and setting that I cannot wait to see what the author gives us in the sequel

Fantasy is a genre I have been really enjoying during the past several months, and I have definitely found a new favorite with Lakesedge! I flew through this book much faster than I was expecting, and I was captivated by the plot after the first few chapters. I didn't want to put the book down, and I loved reading about Violeta and Rowan trying to fix the darkness surrounding them. Although Violeta annoyed me at times because she refused to listen to anyone, she did grow on me, especially as she and Rowan got closer. The romance made me want to cry, and I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel. I'm still so mad about that ending!

Content warning for abuse, loss of loved ones, drowning.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan/Henry Holt and Co. for the ARC of Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone.

A Dark gothic fantasy that had me itching to know it's secrets.

With morally grey, demisexual and uniquely magical characters, I fully enjoyed watching all of their stories unfold. I really liked the story of The Lord Under and his lady of light and how it all tied into the story and characters.

Leta was a great heroine, and I liked her relationships with the other characters and reading about her backstory. I also really liked Roman's character as well, and how his darkness was portrayed. Hid backstory was really dark, unique and interesting.

I'm really interested to see what happens with this story in the next book.

Two children, in desperate circumstances, each, separately, make a pact with the Lord Under, the god of death. One bargains for his own life; the other bargains to save her brother. A decade later, the two come together, by chance, and must deal with the consequences of their bargains, and how those bargains have shaped their lives.

In a fascinating, and sometimes disquieting story, the author weaves a story of love and loss, and of magic gone awry. Join Violeta and Rowan as they explore the outcomes of their choices, and must decide what choices to make, and what new bargains, to move into a future healed from the past.

Thank you so much @NetGalley and @henryholtbooks for gifting me a copy of Lakesedge in exchange for an honest review.

🏯 Mini Review 👩🏼‍🦰
I was so excited when I got approved for Lakesedgeby @lkclipstone At the time, I didn’t know much about it but loved the synopsis. It is the perfect gothic read for October.

Violeta and her brother were adopted after her family died in a fire. Ever since then, she has done everything in her power to take care of and protect him. Even when dark magic seems to leak out of him and he has trouble controlling himself. During the tithe Lord Rowan Slyvanan recognizes this dark magic and wants to take Leta’s brother back to Lakesedge estate. Leta has heard horrible things about Lord Rowan, so there is no way she is letting her brother go with him without her. After much convincing, Rowan gives in and takes them both.

Once at Lakesedge, Leta realizes she has been wrong about almost everything, such as her brother’s magic, the real Lord Rowan, magic in general, and who she is.

I think at the beginning of Oct I was going through a small slump, mostly because I was getting stressed out about my end-of-year reading. So when I started Lakesedge, I was in a blah mood. Lakesedge was really good and had everything that I love in it, but I feel like I kept spacing out while listening to it. So I am for sure going to reread it before the sequel comes out.

If you love a good gothic fantasy, I definitely recommend this book. For right now I’m giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 but I feel like it may change after my reread next year.

This book has such a lovely cover and was so well hyped, but I did not find it very thrilling at all. There is not a great amount of character building aside from the main two characters (one of whom is incredibly dull). The world-building is alright but the plot itself is greatly lacking. The story of the "ruined" magic taking the lake and countryside should be thrilling but just was not executed well.

Lakesedge is a wonderful, original fantasy about a cursed lake featuring monsters and magic. The story is very gothic in atmosphere and tone. The characters are compelling and well-written. The setting is outstanding. The romance is intriguing. Highly recommended!