Edgewood
A Novel
by Kristen Ciccarelli
Narrated by Caitlin Kelly

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher and a digital copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok first up this is billed as a YA which is sometimes used interchangeably with New Adult but I would specify that this is a New Adult book. When I think of YA I think of something like The Hunger Games, Twilight etc. A book that is more plot heavy, light on the romance and doesn’t include any real romantic interactions that involve much of anything below the waist. A book that can be considered PG or PG13 on the romance end. This is not that kind of book so I would categorize it as new adult which is more or less 18-early 20s and do engage in grown up displays of affection. It is more plot heavy and somewhat light on the romance but the romance is eventually of the 18+ variety.

Now to the plot, the feel of this fantasy is familiar and yet all new with the small town legends of what mysteries exist in the woods just out of sight. It was more suspenseful than I had anticipated and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to puzzle out how this would all work out. While I never spoil and won’t now this is the kind of book where I felt like I needed to debrief with someone afterwards. It’s been a few days and I’m still not sure how I feel about some of the resolutions and discoveries. However it was quite the ride regardless. There is a deep philosophical level at play considering the nature is connections, relationships and what we owe to one another.

I was fortunate enough to read the book and listen to the audiobook. The narrator was exceptional.

Trigger warnings abandonment, Alzheimer’s, hateful gossip, toxic work relationship.

5/5

Music is life for Emeline Lark. Chasing her dream of becoming a singer-songwriter, she left her small town of Edgewood behind, moving to the city. No matter how far she goes however, she's constantly reminded of home. As she performs, with the music coursing through her, she can smell the damp woods of Edgewood; moss and other flora have even been known to sprout from the stage at her feet.

Emeline does her best to ignore it. She feels like in order to succeed, she has break ties with the past. When she receives news from a friend, however, that her beloved Grandfather has disappeared, she hightails it back to join the search. He is the only family she has left; she can't lose him too.

With just days left before Emeline is set to go on her first tour, as the opener for one of her favorite bands, she needs to find Pa quickly, so she can return to the city and the life she's built for herself there. Edgewood is undeniably a quirky little town, full of superstitions. It doesn't take long for Emeline to discover that there may actually be something to all the local lore and thus, a more magical than mundane reason for her Pa's disappearance.

Unexpectedly, she finds herself following her only lead, a mysterious orb left on her Grandfather's pillow, said to be evidence of a tithe paid to the Wood King. Into the woods she goes and a fairy tale is born!

I really enjoyed my time with this audiobook. I knew going in that Ciccarelli's writing is fantastic and that she knows how to sweep her Readers away into another world. I loved her entire Iskari series and feel it's highly underrated in the YA Fantasy space.

In this story, I enjoyed how modern it felt. I actually didn't know too much about it going in and assumed it was set entirely in a Fantasy world. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Emeline is a girl very much of our world, who travels to a magical realm to perform a quest; to find her beloved Grandfather who has been stolen away.

This is one of my favorite set-ups for magical stories. It gives me nostalgic Labyrinth vibes and I'm so here for it. Also, it felt sort of Beauty and the Beast reminiscent as well towards the beginning, which is another one of my favorites. Edgewood gave me many good feels throughout. There was a lot packed into this story; numerous reveals and great growth of character for Emeline.

On a more serious note, I really enjoyed how Ciccarelli explored the relationship between Emeline and her Grandfather. When he started losing his memory, he became unable to live on his own and Emeline had to make the decision to have him placed in a home.

This is such a tough real life issue; one that hits particularly close to home for me. Emeline struggles with guilt surrounding her decision and I appreciated that Ciccarelli included that. Instead of making it glossy and pretty, you could really get a sense of the complexity of Emeline's feelings. This hasn't been as easy for her as it may first appear.

In spite of that heavier points in the narrative, this also managed to be magical and fun. There were many great mythical beings, a deal with the Wood King, a long-standing curse and the truth of Emeline's past coming to light. Oh, and also, a sweet romance. That's probably what some of y'all are here for. It was swoon-worthy, a little heartbreaking, yet also uplifting. It was really good, although not my personal favorite aspect of the overall story.

At this point, I will pick up anything Ciccarelli writes. Her imagery is stunning and she never fails to guide me out of reality for a while.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with an audio ARC to read and review. I'm already excited to see what Ciccarelli comes up with next!!

I listened to an audiobook arc version of this story and the narrator did an absolutely fantastic job. They really highlighted the different characters with their own voices, the scenes all had varying degrees of tension and angst. It was very well done and I recommend going that route if you can!

A beautiful, haunting yet modern story about the fae courts, magic, mythical creatures and love.

This definitely had that lyrical writing that Kristen does so well! I loved the mystery of the forest and the magic intertwined with the main character’s dream of being a famous singer. There’s also family drama with her now missing grandfather, a hunt to find him and a battle within herself of what she’d truly give to keep those she loves safe.

If you like dark magic, angst and love and yearning mixed with being young and wanting to explore the world, see what it has to offer amid dangerous missions, dragons and mythical horses, a magical forest, an evil king and more, you Need to check this one out!

4/5⭐️

I am a big fan of Kristen Ciccarelli's Namsara series, so I was really excited to see that she has a new book set in a new world. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It was fine, it kept my interest, but I won't be running out to buy it.
The book is about Emmaline, who is a singer, and whenever she sings the forest where she grew up comes to her. Then her grandfather (who raised her) goes missing, so she goes home and into the forest to find him.
Overall, I liked the story, though found it quite predictable. Like, the big thing that happens at the end, I knew was going to happen from about the halfway point. Also, Emmaline spends a lot of time making decisions for her grandfather (who I believe has alzheimer's), despite him clearly saying that's not what he wants. And then she gets mad when someone makes a decision for her, because he thinks it's in her best interest. Bit hypocritical there.
There is also a part where a woman has been put under a spell to fall in love with a man, and she gets pregnant by him, which to me feels pretty rapey, but that's never really mentioned? I mean, I get where the story was going with that, but I still didn't like it.
There were some beautiful parts in this book, especially around the love story between Emmaline and Hawthorne. If another book was written in this world/with these characters, I would probably read it, I think? It seems like there is a lot more that could happen with this story.

What a fantastic urban fantasy novel where Emmeline discovers the secrets of the forest, where she meets Hawthorn bd they discover passions, secrets, sacrifices are made and love is found, this book was the perfect blend of Romantasy, it had friendship, family troubles and slips between the real world and the forest, it’s a fight to discover the truth and fight for what is wanted, lyrical and beautiful writing. Loved the narrator

Edgewood is a beautiful fantasy story set on the border and crossroads of a mysterious an enchanted faerie forest and a modern small town in Canada. The story has it all beautifully crafted characters, lyrical writing, an enchanted setting, a dark and looing evil, and even a love story. From the start I was entranced by the way the wood has a hold on Emeline. She is so close to becoming a famous singer with a contract, if only the woods would leave her alone. But they creep upon her every chance she sings. Emeline gets called to the forest to plead with the mysterious and heartless Wood King when her grandfather goes missing from his nursing home having been seemingly collected as one of his tithes. Upon meeting with the Wood King, she strikes a bargain, he will release her Pa, if she becomes his minstrel, pulling her into a terrible curse that is ripping the woods apart. Throughout this novel we meet several characters, each conflicted and with their own agendas. So, who can Emeline trust? Can she follow her heart? The narration was wonderful and truly captured the emotions of the characters.

3.5/5 stars. It took me a while to read this one because it was audio. However, it was a well done fantasy. It had some sexual scenes so warning to those who do not like that content. It could have been a five star with a focus less on the romance and more on the fantasy elements.

EDGEWOOD by Kristen Ciccarelli has it all: beautiful and conflicted characters, enchanted woods, dark evil, and love. I was pulled right into the story from the start. The writing is skilled and stunning. This is a stand-alone story with an emotional ending. This lyrical novel could have a sequel and that would make me happy. I would like to see more of these wonderful characters in the future.

The narration was good and appropriate for this book. The narrator was great at projecting the emotions of the characters.

A beautiful fairytale. Emeline Lark is just trying to make her dreams come true. She is so close to becoming a famous singer with a record contract....if only the woods of her home would let her be. Emeline gets called home to Edgewood, when her grandfather goes missing from his care-home. It seems the Wood King has collected him as a tithe. Emeline agrees to become the Wood King's minstrel in exchange for her grandfather's freedom. She also unwittingly gets pulled into a terrifying curse that is ripping the Wood King, his court and the woods apart. Can Emeline break all the spells before her tour and make her dreams come true?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for this early copy of Edgewood.*

So this is a tough one. I absolutely was into this book in the first half of the story, was looking to be at least a 4 star read and then started to find myself looking at the timer of my audio and wondering how I still had so much left and then just slowly started to drag myself along.

In this book, we follow Emmeline, a musician from a small town in Canada known as Edgewood. Emmeline left her town but something keeps calling her back as whenever she sings, the forest of the town slowly encroaches wherever she is, drawing Emmeline back where she realizes that the stories from her childhood might be more real than imagined.

The first half of this was very interesting with Emmeline being called into this new and different world. We get to meet lots of characters and while the writing isn’t exactly deep, it's still engaging. I really liked her hints at power relating to music and her family dynamic with her grandfather. Her struggles with dealing with an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s was sympathetic and made her motivations powerful. There are mythical beasts and kind of the promise of more insight into this world.

However, we never really get into that promise. The world building is more of a vague outline of ideas. I have no idea how the magic works. It seems like there are going to be lots of mythical creatures and magic but really we get like, three. I had very little understanding of the society that they occupy. It all was just left so empty that I would be the one filling in the blanks. I did not mind this in the first half of the story. In the first half of the story, the characters and plot were interesting enough that all you really need is a vague outline to keep going. But the second half of the story continues with repetitive plot lines (how many times can we get into trouble chasing down sheet music?) and mostly turns into a very disappointing love story.

If you are into the love interest, then I think this story could absolutely shine for you. However, if you found the love interest to be kind of a condescending, controlling, man-child then you probably won’t be entertained by the multiple sequences of them will-they/won’t they that seems to take up most of the second half. There was a bread making sequence that had me questioning my life choices for a few minutes.

I don’t mean this as an insult to either of these books but I feel like this is very much like Twilight with a supernatural background to a centralized love story with the writing being at a similar level. Millions of people like Twilight so I am sure this can have a huge audience as well!

I liked Emmeline, I liked where this story was going, but I didn’t end up invested in the love story which took over everything and the rest of the characters and plot suffered for it to me.

Thanks Netgalley and McMillan Audio for this audiobook! It was narrated by Caitlin Kelly who did a great job!


Spoiler:
I also had a real huge problem with a reveal at the story about the love interest. I think its a pretty big consent issue and solidified my dislike tenfold.

Edgewood is a beautiful fantasy story set at the border of a mysterious enchanted faerie forest and a modern, current-day small town in Canada. Readers who enjoyed the Folk of Air series, House of Hollows, Bone Houses, Small Favors, or House of Salt and Sorrows will thoroughly enjoy this lovely standalone with mystery, suspense, romance, and earth magic. The author builds a vast world in a few hundred pages and characters that you would happily spend several more hours with. The conclusion is both satisfying and thought provoking, making this an excellent choice for reading groups, novel study, or a buddy read. Highly recommended. Kristen Ciccarelli will be on your auto-buy list from now on!

The narrator did an excellent job with Edgewood and has narrated similar works in the past, namely the Folk of the Air series. In my mind, Emeline had a more "mature voice" while Caitlin Kelly's Emeline was decidedly more "teen". Hearing Emeline's words through Caitlin sometimes took me out of the story because I kept hearing Jude's (Folk of the Air). If I hadn't listened to Kelly's narration of Folk of the Air, this would be less of an issue. Nonetheless, I would have preferred a more "adult" voice for 19-year old Emeline.

Stunning world building, beautiful story telling and powerful relationships. Sacrifice, dreams, and love that support and build as well as destroy and corrupt. This modern fairy tale is really a treat.

am normally not a fantasy reader, but will make exceptions for urban fantasy. This kind of toed the line between fantasy and urban fantasy, but I liked it. I thought it started out a bit slow and that some of the romance at first seemed a bit cheesy (almost forced) but I got into it as I started to uncover more of the story between the two romantic leads. The twists and turns are what kept me interested, even if I was able to guess one or two of them myself. I think this is a good book to recommend to older teens with an interest in light fantasy. The age group I buy for skews a bit younger, so I may not buy this for my collection, but I did enjoy reading it myself as I got deeper in. I think the elements I was able to predict come from being a relatively well-read adult, but I feel like the right teen would eat this up.
Emeline Lark is a singer running from what she thinks is just her boring, if somewhat fantasy-obsessed home town. When the fantasy comes to life is when things start to get intense. She discovers the hidden city within the forest ruled by the Wood King. She must rely mainly on her voice to help her get by in this twisted world that has captured the one person she loves: her grandfather. I don't want to go into too much more detail for spoiler reasons but adventure, and romance, ensue.

This book started off slow but then suddenly was fascinating. I was lost in the story of the woods and the curse on the wood king. The author did a great of building an alternative reality and making the characters likable. I do think there could have been more of a love triangle in the situation but all in all it was an interesting read.

this was fun, imaginative. from a fantasy standpoint i was intrigued by a magical world that exists on the same plane as the human world. maybe more of a new-adult title as opposed to young adult?

I really did end up enjoying the mystery and fantasy aspects and uncovering the truth of what was going on in the woods along with Emeline and learning what was real and what was folklore, what happened to her mother, why were the woods cursed, and so many other questions.

I loved that with all the mystery and adventure that the story came to an end in a way that felt happy and that everything was as it was meant to be inside and outside of the woods and that there was hope of a better tomorrow for both.

I also loved the ending giving us a sweet surprise about Hawthorne and giving Emeline the chance at happiness with her soulmate after all they had discovered and gone through to protect each other and those they care most about.

I also really enjoyed Caitlin’s narration of this story as it made it flow so well and made me want to keep listening! She did a wonderful job in differentiation of characters with her voice work to ensure the listener knew even when not specific what character was speaking.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook! I am so thankful to obtain a copy to listen to in advance of its release!

I received an audio ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Emeline wants nothing more than to be a professional musician. She's got the talent and things are finally coming together for her. When her grandfather goes missing, she realizes that her plans might be in jeopardy. Emeline returns home to look for her grandfather, but she is pulled into a fantasy world that she thought was made up. The silly stories and superstitions she grew up with turn out to be true, and she has to enter that world and restore something that was lost to save the ones she loves.

I think alot of YA readers are going to love this. It is a quick and easy read, and has alot of YA tropes that I think younger readers will enjoy. For me it was a bit underdeveloped. The magic system was never really explained and I never really connected with the characters. Emeline is a bit immature for my taste and kept me from fully connecting with this. With this being so heavily character driven versus plot driven, connecting with the characters is really important. I will say that the author did a good job setting the scene, the creatures and scenery were explained with good detail.

Edgewood was a solid YA modern fae story. I hesitate to say urban fantasy because nothing was urban in this book. I really enjoyed the town that lives on the edge of the wood that knows and believes about all the strange beings in their vicinity. That definitely helped me wonder about the MC’s reluctance to give credence to their stories. The fae politics and creatures were abundant, but I would’ve liked a bit more description to envision the whole setting. Overall, I liked this, but the MC was a bit one dimensional, and her romantic endeavors seemed empty or too much. I think this will be well liked by teen readers. The narrator’s voice was excellent.

I ended up DNF'ing this book because the tone was too silly for me. It felt too much like both "Wintersong" by S. Jae-Jones and "The Hazel Wood" by Melissa Albert. I felt like I'd already read it before but.... better.

Edgewood is a standalone romantic fantasy novel by Kristen Ciccarelli that leans towards an older YA audience (or New Adult, if that's actually a thing). Think rural-fantasy like urban-fantasy. The eBook version is 400 pages. I listened to the audiobook by Macmillan Audio, which clocks in at 13 hours and is narrated wonderfully by Caitlin Kelly. The cover is also stunningly beautiful.

Emeline Lark is trying to make her break as a singer/musician in Montreal, having left her small superstitious hometown to do so. Sometimes when she sings, it seems like the forest of Edgewood comes for her in the form of moss or insects. Then her grandfather, who has dementia, disappears from his nursing home, leaving a mysterious orb on his pillow. Figuring that the stories she was told as a child weren't just superstition, Emeline decides to make a deal with the Wood King for the return of her grandfather. And oops, there's also a curse threatening the entire existence of the Wood King's court and on top of that there's this weird boy who seems really familiar to her.

I want this book to get optioned for a movie, because I need Bill Nighy to play the Wood King.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an audio review copy. All opinions herein are my own.

CW: (slight spoilers) mention of unconsensual relationships in the past