Happy Tuesday y'all! I really wanted to read and review Edgewood last week (you know, when it actually came out), but then life got in the way, so instead, I'm reviewing it for y'all today! Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Edgewood! This book was so good and different and I really loved it!
Edgewood 4/5 stars
Summary from Goodreads:
No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.
When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.
Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar.
With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.
Haunting and romantic, Kristen Ciccarelli's Edgewood is an exciting novel from a bold, unforgettable voice in fantasy.
Oh man y'all, I loved so much about this book! The whole idea of the Wood King's court and how the towns and villages on the border of the court had to pay tithes to the Wood King or face the consequences was so great. I loved the creatures in this book- especially the ember mares- and there were so many things that were so well done! There were parts that I really didn't like, but they came more towards the end (so pretty much the last quarter of the book is where I had the most issues), so I won't go into too much detail there, but I felt like we got so much great detail and lyrical prose for the first 3/4 of the book and the problem statements etc that I think the solution and the final battle, the real resolution and the 5 month later ending all deserved that kind of attention too. Now don't get me wrong, the last 1/4 was still fun to read, it just wasn't as fun as the first 3/4 of the book. Characters wise, I really liked Emeline, her grandfather, Hawthorne, Sable, Rooke, and Grace (whew, that's almost our whole cast of characters, but they were all so good). They were so well written and I felt like you could really understand why they did certain things and what made them tick. I already gave y'all my pacing thoughts, but in general, plot wise, I liked it! I really, really liked the world building and the magic system, so that was definitely my favorite part. Overall, I definitely think y'all should check out Edgewood and grab it today!

Edgewood was wonderful. I read it twice, back to back. There are so many wonderful details you might not notice the first time. The prose was beautiful and worked well with the wonderfully gothic atmosphere.
This is one of those books that you will want to spread read through and not put it down for a second just to find out what will happen, as well as take your time reading, savoring the story and characters.
It's taken me a few days to write a review because it left me with a haunting dream-like feeling that I just wanted to sit with for a while.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys beautiful writing, a wonderful setting that is a character itself without being overbearing, and fully developed characters that don't feel "perfect" or "completely evil" but instead have as many facets to their personality as any real person.

This book has all of my favorites in it! Do you ever walk through the forest and feel the magic, feel that you are being watched with every rustle and breeze.

Well this book definitely put names and images to all the feelings I feel when I go into the forest.  With the small town Edgewood with their superstitions and fantastical stories.

Emeline's story started off with her leaving her singing career right before her tour started, to go look for her grandfather who went missing.

She found a tithe marker and met a strange boy in the process but continued on getting stuck in the court of the Wood King. The whole court and forest is under a curse.

But what we think we know and what actually happens we find out later are not the same.

A book of whimsy and danger turns into a story of heartbreaking and tender love. The love that can turn even the most weathered heart. A love that remembers when you can't. A love that breaks the cycle and heals the wrongs done.

This book was so beautiful!

I loved that this book was inspired by the authors grandfather who was starting to forget everything. It's so hard losing someone you love before your eyes but they are still there. 

There are so many whimsical beautiful pieces I wish I could point out but I feel I would ruin the narrative. But I hope you pick up this book.

Thank you netgalley and wednesdaybooks for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

It’s a tough publishing world for fantasy novels out there. At best, you can dance to the tune of a slightly different drummer as you try to bob and weave your way through well-trodden paths forged by authors innumerable that have come before you. At worst, you end up being completely derivative to the point where some readers can point out exactly where this plot point and this type of narrative element became popular in recent years and how your novel sounds just like this other author’s novel. At the very worst, you could have your readers know exactly how your book is going to go and how it will end before they are even 25% of the way into it, causing them to be bored for the other 75% of it.

Sadly, that was my story while reading this book. By 25% in, I knew all I needed to know about this book and knew it would be too long. I was correct. I knew the characters were shallow, numbered too many, and I wouldn’t come to care for any of them. I knew the narrative style was immature for my tastes and I would tire of it. There were no surprises and only choice after choice that mirrored so many books that have come before it.

I also argue that this book doesn’t know if it wants to be YA or NA. That’s not a good thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for early access to this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. In exchange for my fair and honest but low-rated review, this review will only be posted here on NG so as to not reflect poorly on the title or publisher on social media or bookseller websites.

This latest by Kristen Ciccarelli is a dark, romantic and dangerous tale of a young woman (look at that gorgeous dress she’s wearing on that cover!) who must journey to the fantastical land bordering her home town of Edgewood, to rescue her missing and ailing grandfather. She encounters terrifying beings, a creeping sickness swallowing the woods, gorgeous, mercurial individuals, and a stranger both supporting her and seemingly thwarting her efforts to save her grandfather.

There was so much that should have captured me in this story, but I found that didn’t happen. The book started out well, then I gradually began getting bored as I was predicting story beats and twists, and I never warmed to the main character. I really wanted to love this, as I liked Ciccarelli’s “The Last Namsara”, but I guess this book wasn’t for me. Tthough I think the author did a good job of conveying the pain of not being recognized by someone one deeply cares about.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Sometimes there are books that reach inside you, tear out your heart, then return it to you forever altered. This, for me, is one of those books.

I wasn't sure about it at first. It seemed very YA love triangle which I personally can't stand but it very quickly turned out to be not that.

I loved Edgewood. I loved the people who lived there. I loved the woods and I loved the shiftlings and I loved Emeline and Hawthorne. I loved how unpredictable the story is, how it kept shifting and changing and breaking its boundaries. I loved the music and the magic. I was utterly transported while reading and I can feel the forest and the magic waiting at the edges of my vision. The writing was beautiful and magical and perfect.

I would recommend it to people who loved Wintersong and The Light Between Worlds and An Enchantment of Ravens. Books about magic and boundaries and finding where you belong.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an e-arc for review.

Edgewood is the latest novel to come from the mind of Kristen Ciccarelli. I'll admit that I haven't read anything else by her but after this? You better believe her books are going on my 'auto-read' list!

Emeline Lark has one dream – to turn her passion for music into a career she can be proud of. However, the woods of her home keep calling her. Edgewood keeps calling her. Every time she sings, the woods creep into her world, and she doesn't understand why.

When her father goes missing, Emeline knows it is time to head home. She hopes against all odds that the townspeople are wrong – that the Wood King hasn't tithed her father. But it doesn't take long for her hopes to crumble, throwing her into an adventure full of magic, curses, and retribution.

"The Wood King was an ancient creature who resided deep in the woods-or so Pa and all his neighbors believed. This king demanded quarterly sacrifices from those living on the border of his eldritch forest: tithes that kept them safe from him and his bloodthirsty monsters."

Edgewood was precisely the right book for the mood I've been in this week. It's magical and ethereal, and while it does have curses and magical beings, it didn't get as dark as most other fae novels I've been reading lately.

That isn't to say that Edgewood doesn't hate teeth – it most certainly does. There are heavy and somber tones in this novel. One would expect the sort of tones alongside a plot revolving around curses, memory loss, and lost loved ones.

Emeline's story is fascinating. Both the music and the woods call to her. Yet she has felt the need to choose one over the other her whole life, for she cannot have a great music career in the woods, and vice versa. While her choice is more extreme than most of us will ever have to deal with, there is still something very human in her need to decide.

Speaking of humans, the magical beings in this book surprised me. I won't discuss them too much, so there is no need to worry about spoilers. But I will say that while some evil creatures were in the mix, most of them were surprisingly open and welcoming. It allowed for a beacon of light in this tale. Little details such as this made the story overall much brighter than it otherwise could have been.

Part of me is very sad that Edgewood appears to be a standalone novel, as I did find myself enchanted (pun not intended) by this world. I would give anything to see more from it and hope that we'll find a way to visit it again.

Emeline Lark has big dreams of being a singer and on tour, but she is using a crutch not to sing her songs. There is also this element when she sings the woods creeps into the world, so she guarded her music, guarded her dream, and has walked away from the creepy superstitions of her hometown about the woods. This was beautiful tale weaves fairies, music, lost memories, and family into a story set in the creepy Edgewood. The turmoil that our character goes through, and she navigates the realm of the wood king and puts everything on the line to save her grandfather, makes for a delightful fantasy read. Edgewood is perfect for fans who love music, family, and enchantment.

Two years ago, Emeline Lark left her small town of Edgewood to move to Montreal to pursue a career in music. But when she hears that her grandfather–her last remaining family–has gone missing, she’s compelled to return to find him. Her grandfather suffers from dementia, and she’s worried that he’s wandered into the woods. Nobody else seems to be trying to find him. The neighbours all say that he was tithed by the Wood King, but Emeline doesn’t believe in the stories that she grew up listening to. So, when she heads into the woods to search for her grandfather, she’s far from prepared when she steps into the world of ember mares, shiftlings, and other mytholological–yet dangerous–creatures.

This book has it all. It’s a fantasy, a coming of age story, and a romance. It’s a story of family and love and betrayal. It’s one of those books that’s on the cusp of being young adult and new adult, and I can see why it was marketed as young adult, because of the strong self-discovery themes.

This book gave me serious The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert vibes. Like Emeline, the reader is not sure of what is real and what is merely fiction. The stories that Emeline grew up listening to in Edgewood are just that–stories. Or are they?

The author has created a dynamic and rich world that she’s managed to establish in a single novel, standalone, that wasn’t at the expense of developing characters or an intricate plot. Emeline is a strong heroine whose passion for music has begun to dwindle as she spends more time in the industry. Nobody has interest in her music, so she’s been singing songs written by someone else, and it seems like a little piece of her dies every time she forces herself to conform to what show business demands of her. Despite her ambition, she loves her grandfather beyond all else, and she will do whatever it takes to rescue him from the Wood King, even if it means putting her future at risk.

I loved the creativity of the world and the themes of forgetting that are prominent throughout. Ciccarelli ties in real-world issues (her grandfather has dementia) into this theme, which has fantastical explorations as well, which I won’t delve into because of spoilers. I will say that the unifying theme is what gave me chills towards the end of the book (good chills!) and it transforms a young adult fantasy/romance novel into a work of literature.

Edgewood book cover surrounded by Grimms Fairy tales, white candles, pine cones and beige flowers

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

That cover is an absolute work of art, isn't it? Honestly, I didn't even read the description as I was so won over by the artwork.

Edgewood is a YA fantasy surrounding aspiring songstress Emmeline Lark. Emmeline had left her small town and her elderly grandfather behind in order to chase a musical career but the woods are calling her back. This she could probably avoid but when her grandfather goes missing, Emmeline realizes that she must return home. Her neighbours swear that her grandfather was taken as a tithe to be paid to the Wood King. But Emmeline tries to play down the continuous superstitions until she too is taken by members of the forest.

Although not a genre that I often find myself lost in, Edgewood came with a cast of characters- Hawthorne, Rook, Pa, Sable and Emmeline that I grew to love. Emmeline's struggle for identity and belonging in terms of both her career and her personal life drew me in. I found it quite easy to read and ended up reading it in one sitting. This will certainly be a book that will delight the young and the young at heart.


Publication Date 01/03/22
Goodreads review published 06/03/22

By the end of this novel, I was charmed (definitely not cursed) by Kristen Ciccarelli's latest YA fantasy set in a fae forest and the human community that touches it. Initially, I found myself distracted by some repetitive language in the establishing chapters. But as the narrative picked up, and 19-year-old folk-rock singer Emeline Lark regained her true voice among the fae, I became more invested in the story and Emeline's supporting characters -- friends and family, fae and human. The strongest thread in this novel is that of memory loss and purpose. In the author's note, Ciccarelli writes, "I was first introduced to the concept of ubi sunt in a grade eleven history class. The Latin fragment, which translates to Where are ... ? ... is a motif found in literature that meditates on the evanescence of life and our inevitable mortality." This adds thought-provoking depth to the novel, which also earns points from me for its romantic elements. A side, rather than the main course, the love story enhances the book, but does not cloy or hog the focus.

[Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book.]

Emeline Lark keeps returning to Edgewood forest. It's haunted by ghost stories and tall tales, and she was determined to avoid superstition. Her grandfather disappeared, leaving an orb behind in his nursing home room. Finding him in Edgewood involves making a deal with the fabled Wood King; her grandfather can go free in exchange for her voice. This puts her right in the middle of a curse and the stories she worked so hard to avoid.

From the start, with creeping things responding to Emeline's voice as she sang, the dread of the stories from her youth, and the vague sense of wrongness in her hometown, this book hooked me in. Nineteen-year-old Emeline tried hard to make it as a singer, which is difficult, and her grandfather with dementia is her only family left. His disappearance draws her back in spite of herself, and she won't let him be collected as a tithe. With this in mind from the start, we can accept a lot of weirdness before she confronts the Wood King and deal with the fae.

Emeline has a strength of will in trying to deal with the fae of the forest and pushing herself to face the hometown she had left. The relationships she has with the other characters in the book, human or fae, all show different facets of her and the stubbornness she has within her. We also see how she deals with adversity and the secrets that others had kept from her. She has difficult choices and realizations to make along the way, culminating in the decision that makes up the climax of the book. (no spoilers, even if you can probably guess what it will be from the start!) I was touched by her determination and drive, and the love she has for her grandfather even when he can't remember her. The author had based that part of her book on real life, an even more emotional facet for this story. It's a beautiful tale, and one I think many other readers will enjoy just as much as I did.

There is something about a book with a creepy Forrest centered in a small town’s folklore. That immediately caught my attention, and I have to say the description does not do this book justice. The characters are wonderfully written, with a diverse cast. I absolutely adore Pa, and wanted to just hug him. Emeline is such an intriguing character to me, and the development of her being throughout the book was well crafted. The use of music and musical magic was a refreshing theme and incorporated really well. Everything about this book was magical, attention grabbing, and well written. The folklore added fun elements of spooky and ancient magic, while still allowing for the story to keep parts that remained believable. I will shave reading through Kristen’s backlog of books after this beautiful story.

This book was a roller coaster ride for me. Before diving into my thoughts, I will throw out a quick disclaimer: this was my first YA Fantasy book (I've read others considered "fantasy" but not true to their genre). Initially I found the book to be odd, I wasn't sure how I felt about the opening chapters. I was confused about the whole "I sing and grass and bugs appear concept" but once again I think that has more to do with my lack of familiarity with the genre. I almost DNF'd the book at around 10% but because I hate even the thought of doing so, I persevered. Once I got to around 20%, that's when I really started to enjoy it. I think what really drew me into this book was the relationship between Hawthorne and Emeline. I loved how protective he was of her and I just love the whole enemies to lovers trope. I also seem to enjoy books set in royal courts... However this book has certain pots against it. One of the reasons I initially disliked it, centered around the writing style. It took me a minute to get used to the high school level writing. Second initially, I didn't really see how or why Emeline was so attached to her grandfather. Their relationship wasn't really explained so it felt hollow. Like we are simply supposed to take her at her word without any context whatsoever. Next I disliked the main character herself. You're literally 19yrs old and talk about the fact that you've hooked up with all these guys??? WTH? If Emeline was 30, ok. But 19? I did end up DNF'd the book later on. Here's why: the sex scenes. The reason I like to stick to YA is to avoid "steamy" scenes that are so common in adult novels. Well I guess I was wrong about that! I would not recommend this book for anyone under 18... Overall I liked the book but ultimately was really disappointed in the mature content.

There’s so much to love about Edgewood. There’s the whole urban fantasy vibe, which I love to read about in general but something about this book didn’t quite work for me. I liked the plot which was very interesting to say the least but I wasn’t a huge fan of Emmeline as the main character. I found her a little bit annoying, to be honest. Slow burn enemies to lovers is usually either a hit or miss for me and while I liked reading about it in this book, I was still just mostly …bored. I just don’t think this book lined up with my personal expectations and what I was looking for but it may work for someone else so I do recommend checking it out.

2.5 ★

this was okay ig..

i think the biggest problems i have with this book are just personal preferences, so i could definitely see other people enjoying this much more than i did.

now, that biggest problem for me was how plot-focused and atmospheric this book was. see, now if you're sitting there wondering why the frick i'm saying that like its a problem, then you'll probably like this book.

i am a HUGE character-driven person, and as long as the characters are solid, i will almost always love the entire book.

but the characters in here fell.. flat. i couldn't really connect with any of them. i was getting so bored. there was too much fluff with the flowerly prose, and the slow-paced plot just didn't really excite me.

and don't even get me started on the ending. i don't even know how to describe my own feelings.

this was not necessarily a bad book; just not my personal preference

I love Kristen Ciccarelli’s writing! I loved the Last Namsara trilogy! This book was pretty hard to get into in the beginning but once I did I enjoyed every moment. I will say that I did see the plot twists coming but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy them. This ended in a way that I believe it is a standalone but if there were other books in this world or about any of the side characters I would love to read them!

Emeline Lark- singer, granddaughter of Ewan Lark, runaway from her life in Edgewood. But when her grandfather disappears, she must go back to Edgewood, and to the woods holding creatures she no longer believes in.

This novel took me a moment to get into. The story begins with Emeline singing and seeing woods sprout as she does so. It was mildly confusing since it took a few pages to explain how she had left. But after a couple chapters, it was hard to put this book down.

The magic of the Edgewood area was intriguing and fantastic. The woods are rotting due to a curse and the tithes the humans give are not helping anymore. Emeline gets dragged into this world to help her grandfather, who has gone missing.

I loved the use of Emeline's music in this. When she creates songs she connects own memories to them. This was a neat way to introduce characters and how she felt about them, helping to create more dimensions. There are multiple revelations that happen due to songs, and I loved how this theme was used continuously.

I did guess what part of the twist was, but there was more to it that kept me reading. The ending is a touch bittersweet. But I am glad that this story is a standalone.

The thing about Kristen Ciccarelli’s books is- they instantly captivate, with beautiful prose and immediate intrigue you can’t help but devour their books.

Edgewood was no exception. I absolutely loved this enchanting, lush tale and everything about. It’s one of those YAs that has all the components it takes to make me fall in love. A slow burn enemies to lovers romance, a mad king, a curse, and such an interesting take on fae!

Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli is a young adult fantasy full of mystery and intrigue. I thought this was a good fantasy, and I can see others enjoying it as well. I recommend this book to teens or anyone who wants to enter a different world.