if you are looking for YA Gothic Fantasy then this book is for you! This book was so different! I loved the characters and the imagery throughout the book but the story fell a bit flat. I was expecting more romance between Rowan and Violeta which didn't happen! I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would but I will still continue the series.

as an enjoyer of gothic romance elements, lakesedge sounded very promising. but alas.

yes we have a lonely but beautiful mansion, the "monsters", the sense of eeriness but it all lacked the mysterious aura to complete the atmosphere. everything felt... shallow, like a bunch of tropes the author wanted to write about and dumped them together without any significant story. the plot felt repetitive, i wasn't invested in the romance either — oh everyone thinks this guy is a monster and he tells me to believe that but he saved me once so i don't think he's bad at all and i'm going to figure him out but what if he really is bad?! yeah, no.

written in 1st person, it was really difficult for me to like the protagonist because it was all tell and no show and leta is just a stupidly brave and self sacrificing character. there wasn't any build up either to keep me invested. the entire story is majorly underdeveloped — characters, setting, plot.

maybe some will like it, if you want to read about a flat mc who is scared of her magic and falls for this dark brooding dude with dark magic but personally i was disappointed.

This was a super quick, fun read, teeming with magic and delicious darkness. There are plenty of moments where Leta finds herself in creepy, seemingly haunted scenarios that leave the reader wondering just what the heck is truly going on at the Lakesedge estate. And how is Leta tied into it all? I loved watching Leta’s character change and grow. She has to come to terms with her brother’s magic and letting him grow into the role he is destined to play, while simultaneously revealing little bits and pieces about her role in everything as well. Rowan, as a love interest, was wonderfully mysterious, though some of his mystery led to their relationship not feeling quite as well developed as I would have liked. I would gladly have read a longer book to feel completely assured of Leta and Rowan’s relationship. It’s pretty decent as is, I just wanted even more.

Towards the end, all is revealed and I really loved the direction it took. There was a lot going on and it all seemed to unfold fairly quickly, but I enjoyed the way it all worked out.

I ended up DNFing this book around 50%. I tried to pick it back up around four or five times but I just could not get in to it. The premise sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately I found the characters frustrating and borderline annoying.

As a big fan of gothic novels, especially now at the spookiest time of the year, I went into this with high hopes. I have to be honest and say I’m a little disappointed and really, kind of bored by the end.
I felt as though I must have missed a few pages at some points because as I was reading, some things just weren’t making sense. I found the cyclical nature of the corruption and the rituals over and over again kind of monotonous, and never really felt connected to any of the characters. The romance just also didn’t do it for me, and Rowan just seems like another misunderstood broody LI. The thought of something happening with the Lord Under in the sequel also doesn’t excite me like it usually would.

I'm going to be straight and say I didn't really like this. The plot was incoherent to me and there didn't seem to be much world building. The book needs more editing if anything.

I absolutely loved it! I've not read any gothic fantasy in the YA genre so it might be why I liked it so much... As this is a debut novel I'm excited and scared to see what this author brings us after the sequel next fall (I'm kind of scared for that one too). The plot twist at the end and then that cliffhanger ending. I don't think I can wait a year to find out what happens next. This book took me on a roller coaster ride with my emotions. Leta got on my nerves just a tad at times but the character growth really made me like her. Rowan is an amazing character he also had a lot of character development which I liked seeing (I think he is my favorite) and The Lord Under I have no words to describe how interesting a character he was. Everything about this book once immersed in it was so well described from the characters to the belief system and plot. I definitely recommend this for anyone who likes fairytale-esque books, wandering halls of a seemingly empty mansion, dark magic, gothic settings, characters with interesting backstories, or if you read and liked the Cursebreaker series by Brigid Kemmerer (s0me elements reminded me a lot of that series). The writing style is beautiful as well. I need to order a hardback copy for my bookshelf ASAP!
Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Henry Holt and Co. for giving me a chance to read this book!

The beautiful cover and the description of this book as “a lush gothic fantasy” gave me such high hopes. Sadly, I don’t think this book can really be described as gothic. A surface-level aesthetic attempts to capture a gothic look, but none of the usual tropes usually associated with a gothic novel are present here. A creepy house does not a gothic novel make.

I did love the romance between Leta and Rowan. However, every time I started to feel connected to their love story, their constant need for self-sacrifice ruined it. After the 10th, “he’s going to kill my brother, I must sacrifice myself,” I was over it. Lena also can’t seem to let go of the idea of Rowan as a “monster” even when she sees evidence to the contrary again and again.

The magic connected to the lake and Rowan is all wrapped up in a complicated and never-ending cycle that isn’t explained well. The language is also very repetitive. Rowan is constantly referred to as a “monster” or “wrong” that it became so distracting after a while.

I did like the explanation of alchemy concerning Arien’s magic. It reminded me of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha. However, I wish there was more explanation of how his magic was able to help the corruption.

I also really liked the LGBTQ representation. But even this is glossed over quickly and doesn’t help us understand the character better.

Overall, there was so much potential here, but I wanted more in some places and less in others. I will still be reading the 2nd installment in the series, and I think other YA fantasy fans will enjoy reading this during the spooky season.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for providing me to with an ARC of Lakesedge.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a way to kick off spooky season! This read was hauntingly good. I couldn’t get over it. I was sucked in from page one and didn’t stop until I finished. Incredible!!

Title: Lakesedge
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Pub. Date: September 28, 2021
Rating: 3.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was one of my most anticipated reads for the latter half of 2021 and it didn’t meet my expectations. While it wasn’t a bad book and the ending had me a bit emotional, I was kind of bored through the whole thing. I really didn’t get the vibes I was hoping for and expected.

I’m really bummed I didn’t love this book as much as I was expecting to. I know people who absolutely loved it and that cranked up my excitement. But I don’t know if it was the format, or the fact that I listened to parts of it on audio, but it really didn’t do much for me. Will I be reading the next book? Probably. I’m interested in seeing where the story goes – what’s in store for Violeta and the rest of the cast. The ending definitely had me the most engaged – it leaves you wanting more.

I love dark, atmospheric gothic books. Especially this time of the year. While I don’t like horror or being scared in general, I do love a book that wigs me out a bit and makes me want to put on a flowing dress and run barefoot through an abandoned manor.
Also, if you throw in monsters and a personification of Death – I’m sold.
But this book really didn’t have me sitting on the edge of my seat, or mildly wigged out. I was just kind of meh about it. Not good, but also not bad. I don’t know if my expectations were too high, or if I just wasn’t in the mood, but I was almost counting minutes until the book was over.
I love the anticipation and tension that builds in these kind of gothic horror books – and I just didn’t really feel any of it with this book. I also think that this book should have been NA. It felt like it was supposed to be NA.

I also really didn’t like the MC. I don’t think she’s an unlikable character – I can see her strengths. I just thought she was annoying. I can appreciate her wanting to protect her brother, but it’s like her whole personality and I wasn’t feeling it.
I also didn’t love the relationship between Violeta and Rowan – I didn’t buy into it. It felt too obvious. She had better chemistry with her brother, and the Lord Under. I liked that Rowan was misunderstood but fully embraced the monstrous persona. And I did like that their character arcs kind of mirrored each other. I think they complimented each other pretty well, I just didn’t love the romantic chemistry. Maybe I needed more screen time, or more tension between them – but they just felt a little flat. Up until the ending, and then I could have sworn I would die for them.

God, I hope the next book features some kind of relationship with the Lord Under. You can’t give me a Death God and not expect me to fall for him – regardless of how bad he is. Maybe that’s weird to hope for, but it’s a whole other more dangerous dynamic. An enticing dynamic. I just want to see how it goes. The whole ending was probably my favorite part of this book. Not because the book was ending, because suddenly the tension racketed up and the stakes were serious. It hooked me. I was finally actually invested in what was happening. For the ending alone, I’d pick up the second book. I just wish the whole book had, had that vibe for me.

I wanted so badly to love this, and rave about it. But I’m just kind of whatever about it. Definitely read it if you’ve been looking forward to it. Give it a chance and hey, buy it for the cover alone, because it’s fucking gorgeous. I’m looking forward to seeing what Clipstone writes in the future and I’ll be checking it out.

I really enjoyed reading this book which is about a girl named Violeta who arrives at Lakesedge estate where there is a monster that drowned his family. Now as she falls for Rowan she realized he is connected to the Lord Under and must save him and herself. The writing was really beautiful and dark. The setting of Lakesedge was well described and I loved how dark the estate was. The plot structure was well written where the darkness starts from page one that starts many conflicts in the story. I do have to say that the pacing was rough where as the beginning and middle were perfect but the ending was rushed. Other then that everything was well done and also the world building was well structured.

I enjoyed the characters in this book and the main character is Violeta. I loved her bravery and how she tried to protect her brother at all costs. Such an amazing sister! She had great character development in the book. Then there is Rowan who is an amazing grey character that you will fall in love with. He is majorly involved in the book and also has character development. There aren’t many side characters in the book but the ones included were majorly involved with the story. I do have to say that Violeta’s brother kind of annoyed me as where at one point he would be mad at his sister but the next he’s okay. Then there is the villain , the Lord Under, who is amazing! Kind of reminds me of Hades. There is also romance which is enemies to lovers.

The ending I have to say was rushed and not the best. I think there is going to be another book but I don’t know where it will pick up from. I still enjoyed the story of the book even though I had some problems with it. I think this is a perfect book for fall and I can see what the hype is all about. I recommend this to fans of Claire Legrand and Kat Ellis.

*Received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I ended up DNF'ing this book about halfway through, I just started losing interest and never picked it back up🤷‍♀️

The beginning of it was intriguing, but as the story went on it just got a bit boring for me sadly😔

Lakeside is beautifully written, and creates a rich and intriguing world. I especially love the exploration of the character's religion, and the duality of life and death. I love the romance, especially how the characters challenge each other and make each other better. The magic system is so interesting, and I love the MC's devotion to her brother.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Violeta Graceling travels with her younger brother, Arien, to Lakesedge estate, expecting to be at the mercy of the Monster of Lakesedge. The lord of the estate, Rowan Sylvanan, is said to have drowned his parents and brother in the lake. However, once she arrives, neither lord nor lake are what they seem. She discovers that Rowan has a connection to the Lord Under, a sinister death god that makes bargains for a terrible price. She vows to save Rowan, the estate, and herself, all while discovering why she is also being drawn to the Lord Under.

I was so, so hopeful for Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone, a novel that promised to be about monsters and magic, told in a lush gothic style—but was it truly a gothic work in the end?

My verdict is that, no, it’s not gothic enough to be called a gothic novel. It has some of the trappings, of course. There is a neglected mansion with a creepy lake; there are foreshadowing nightmares, high emotions, supernatural activity, and of course a romance. But it’s missing key elements to tie it all together, and without them, the novel sadly lacks substance.

First, there is no real mystery or suspense. What mystery there could have been is given away in the official synopsis of the book alone, and what isn’t can barely be considered mysterious or suspenseful. There is no climactic reveal. There is no wife in the attic, no surprise incest, no hauntings by the ghost of one’s daughter, not a single moment that finally exposes the truth of the horror and monstrosity the characters have been facing. Instead, you’re told about what it is and what the stakes are from the beginning, one after the other as they become relevant, and without that mystery, the plot turns into a slog. You’re just reading ritual, failure, ritual, failure, waiting for the version that will finally take—and guess what? You’ll know what version that will be, too.

Second, there is no real development of a villain, something that far too many YA novels lately are completely neglecting in general. Gothic fantasy and romance should be the one place where authors have free reign to do whatever they please with a villain, but even Lakesedge takes the safe and easy road. The book focuses too much on the formless Corruption in the lake and not enough on the Lord Under for the latter to be the believable True Villain of the story. Rowan, especially, becomes nothing more than a blameless victim rather than the Byronic anti-hero he starts as.

Yes, the so-called Monster of Lakesedge is just a dude. A boy to be precise. Yes, we are back to the “he’s a monster but he’s a boy” thing. I won’t lie; I was really hoping the rumors about Rowan were absolutely true, that he had deliberately done what everyone accused him of doing. Even if he wound up regretting it in the present, it would’ve been so novel, having a male love interest with a bit of spice to him. It also, funnily enough, would’ve made the book more gothic. He would’ve been more of a Mr. Rochester by maybe, consciously, doing a bad thing, even just one bad thing.

Sadly, he is just a victim of his ill-made bargain rather than someone who deliberately fell into and chose to conduct immorality despite knowing the consequences. He even starts off as a bit of an ass but instantly turns into a soft boy because the heroine has a few bruises on her wrists. The instant switch of personality made the blossoming romance between them boring and too fast to be considered earned, steamy, or full of doomed, unwanted longing in any real capacity. The book even tries to do a thing where Rowan and Violeta hate each other at first before just as quickly yanking it back. Either commit, or don’t.

As for Violeta, I started off caring about her so much. That feeling wavered the more I read, and once she crossed into the mindset of “I alone can do this. It’s the only way,” my only question was, “Why?” She and the plot completely lost me at this point, and I threw my hands up and wondered why the other characters were even here. That included her brother, who was so dear to her at the beginning. I mean, they grew up weathering parental abuse together. Arien still matters to her, but I learned then that their sibling bond didn’t have much substance past the first third of the book. That wasn’t the real point of Violeta’s journey or even what the plot truly cared about.

In fact, the further you read, the more you realize that pretty much none of the other cast members (Clover, Florence, Arien) matter compared to Violeta. Rowan matters less and less as the story progresses as well. I kept getting Clover and Florence mixed up because I didn’t understand why they were there or what they truly added to the plot.

There is some LGBT representation, but it is so negligible it’s barely worth mentioning. Just a throwaway line that Rowan is bisexual and tiny, unmemorable scenes of Clover having a crush on Thea in the village. I think they might hold hands at one point; I truly can’t remember. Another review also claimed that Violeta is demisexual, but I did not pick up on that at all (even though I tend to lean that way myself), so can I even call that representation if I didn’t even notice?

The writing is generally fine. It’s descriptive enough and conveys Violeta’s emotional state easily, but it is very typical of what YA is putting on the market now. You can expect lots of repetition to convey emphasis but which too often runs counter to that very emphasis. Too many “ands” between nouns instead of the blessed comma. Lazy descriptions of repeating a word to emphasize how the state of something is—”cold and cold and cold”—instead of being more creative. If you like this writing style, you’ll likely love the book, but I have seen it too much recently to find it shiny and new anymore. I’m rather tired of it.

I likewise found myself tired of Violeta transforming into the new “it’s my choice” female character we have now. It’s replacing the Strong Female Character™ at this point. Look, I get it. Consent is sexy or whatever, but the “it’s my choice” mantra is getting so old to read. It’s lazy female empowerment, and seeing as how Violeta is the kind of character that does do whatever she wants without anyone really stopping her or truly contesting her, it’s also a bit meaningless.

It also made it very funny when she turned to the Lord Under with righteous fury at one point, claiming how he tricked and deceived her. But, sis, I thought it was all your choice? What do you mean? lol. You chose to bargain with him, you chose to be here, and you chose to trust him despite admitting you shouldn’t. Why is it never a female character’s fault for her own actions anymore?

I kept wondering where the Darkling energy was that other reviewers mentioned. At what point did a Darkling and Alina moment happen in this book? Just having characters with light and shadow magic isn’t enough nor is it the point. For anyone here to be the Darkling, they have to be evil and sexy, subject to mortal greed, ambition, and excuses for being evil for the greater good, but armed with immortal power. That’s not quite the Lord Under in his aloof, alien nature as a death god, and it definitely isn’t soft boy Rowan.

It’s quite a shame because glimmers of the world-building did intrigue me. There isn’t too much world-building here admittedly because the world is very, very narrow, but even hearing mentions of alchemist culture, recognizing the dual worship of the Lady and the Lord Under, and seeing what the world Below was like was scintillating. I wish more had been devoted to these things than constantly describing what the Corruption was like.

Truthfully, the only way I’d be interested in the sequel is if the Lord Under played a much bigger role and if his and Violeta’s bond actually deepened beyond being convenient for the plot. I need to understand why she’s actually different compared to Rowan or anyone else in regards to this death god and why this bond between them formed in the first place. That sole mystery was the one thing that wasn’t adequately touched on or answered, and I fear that Lakesedge thought it was. Otherwise, it’s a miss for me.

When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem. As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…

We’re getting into spooky season so I was so excited to dive into a spooky, gothic fantasy novel. This book did not disappoint. The plot is dense with creepy scenes, surprising twists, and heart-pounding tension. I was disappointed by some slower moments where the narrator explains too much about her and her brother's past early on, but these sections were fewer and far between the longer the story went on.

The main character Leta is a relatable protagonist, through her skepticism and cautiousness throughout the story. Although, this same aspect also makes her frustrating at times because she refuses to see the obvious. She has a sweet relationship with her brother and intriguing chemistry with her love interest.

I love gothic settings because I’ve always had a fondness for gloomy days and dark castles. So this setting was so satisfying, especially as the weather around me starts to drift into fall. Moreover, the magic system of this world was a delight to discover. The rules are slowly revealed to the reader at the same time as Leta learns of them, which is something I love to see in a fantasy novel.

Lakesedge is the first book in the World of Lakesedge series by debut author Lyndall Clipstone. This book is a great read for fans of gothic fantasy and romance. It does have moments of gore and explicit descriptions of wounds. Additionally, the book ends with an intense cliffhanger and the next book will not be out until October 2022. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

SPOILER ALERT!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK!! And this book cover is to die for!

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This book instantly drew me in, I got to explore through the eyes of our main character and this is always my favorite way to discover these details of the story and, it was done very well in this book. I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and Fierce Reads for the ARC!

I have such mixed feelings about this one. I did truly like the plot, but it needed a lot more detail. A bit more information about the gods, the magic, and the world itself would have been helpful before being shoved right into the middle of the story.

Violeta was likable, but the relationship with Rowan sort of came out of no where. It definitely could have used a lot more build up.

I am curious what happens next, so I do plan on reading book two once it’s released!

All in all, an intriguing debut!

I’m not sure how to review this one because it was just not for me. It was a dark gothic tale that half the time I didn’t know what I was reading. I did enjoy Violeta’s love for her brother and her fierce protection over him. Rowan was a dark swoony character but in the end it just wasn’t exciting enough for me.

When I first saw the cover reveal for this book I was entranced and couldn't wait to pick it up. It was giving me Gothic romance vibes and I wanted to see how this was put into a young adult novel. That being said, I think that this might have done better as an adult Gothic romance but as it was I was bored with this book and found it lacking. The world itself felt underdeveloped and I was left constantly wanting to know more. They worshiped a light goddess and their "hell" was lived in by a supposedly evil god called the Lord Under but past that I knew next to nothing about the religion or culture of this world. YA fantasy doesn't always have incredibly in depth systems but this was giving me nothing. There was magic and alchemy involved with said magic but nothing really came of this, the powers that were needed were mentioned and then the plot would just move on. I understood that at the heart of it, Lakesedge was a character driven story but with the plot as it was, I didn't connect with any of the characters.

Lakesedge followed Violeta (Leta) Graceling and her younger brother Arien after they've been taken back to an estate with Rowan, a boy known simply as a monster, to help deal with a corruptive magic. I wish I could say more but that's genuinely all that happened. Throw in a little angst and Leta's sacrificial martyr complex and that's all this book was. Each of the characters were so two-dimensional and even Rowan, who was supposedly a monster to everyone he encountered, was a complete bore. I was extremely disappointed in who Leta was as a person because at the heart of it, I knew that the author probably meant to give Leta pure intentions by doing everything she could in order to save everyone but herself but it came across rather poorly. I'm unsure if this book is supposed to be an overall portrayal of a battle with mental illness but if it is, I think it was not done justice.

Leta was characterized in a way that she was unable to think past the actions she was currently taking. She had a very traumatic life but it broke my heart to see how she would throw away anything in order to take care of everyone BUT herself. This is the first book in a series so I'm hoping that things change in future books but I feel like the wrong message was portrayed for those that may pick this up and also see an overall theme of mental health. It's a battle that often feels impossible and I kept waiting for Leta to realize that what she was doing was hurting others more than it was helping them but that never ended up happening. Arien, her brother, was so mature and knew what he was getting into and yet Leta still wouldn't allow herself to step back and allow other people to help. This is an incredibly unhealthy mindset and I don't want people to step away from this book thinking that they have to suffer alone.

I was really hoping for a grand Gothic setting with some angst and romance added into this story. Instead, we were presented a depressing, self sacrificing main character in a cast of characters that all fell flat. Everything about this book felt underdeveloped from the setting and characters to the plot and fantasy elements and it was a pretty big disappointment unfortunately.

Wow! This is the first YA Gothic book I have read and I was super impressed. The ideas in the story are very original, which is such a breath of fresh air from all the fae stories currently churning around out there. I feel like I could’ve gotten to know the characters more, but I did enjoy the slow unravel of who they were that the author provides.
I look forward to reading the second book. When I started it I didn’t realize it was a part of a series, but now I’m glad to see more of the characters and the magical world the author has introduced.