Sadly this sequel missed the mark for me. The writing was excellent, but the characters just didn't feel the same as in the first book. I highly recommend the first book but have very mixed feelings about this.

I am so thankful to Lyndall for the contest that allowed me to read this book early. I absolutely adore the Lakesedge world and this series, so was thrilled to receive this book. I will forever love this series. I loved the upside down feel of the underworld and loved the Hades and Persephone trope. Leta is one of the strongest female characters I’ve ever read and I adore her. I love this book and while forever gush about this series!

A gothic romance, it wasn't my cup of tea, but teens would probably enjoy it. Pair with other supernatural romance books if you're interested. One thing I did really like was the great job the author did with the atmosphere. The book's setting had such a sense of place, which isn't always true in books, especially YA.

I DNFed this book. I can barely remember what the book is about I wish I could. This book is good for some readers and not for me.

The stunning conclusion to the Lakesedge duology. I absolutely adored this book! I’m going to miss the world and the characters so so much and I kid you not I cried when I finished the book, I was that sad it was over.

good book and really enjoyed the characters and their journey. I liked the romance.. I enjoyed how the characters grew in the book and what happened.

In a world where monsters lurk, Lyndall Clipstone offers stories that dig deeper than the abominable layer that we all hide under. Life is a dirty, gritty business. Not all happily ever afters are easy breezy, and some might just leave your heart hurting along with the characters. Violeta and Rowan are tethered to one another through the magic they wrought together, and that single cord reaches into the void and echoes back. The Lord Under is meant to be the villain, but what if...what if he's more than we first think?
I love how the story plays out in Forestfall. It's dark and mysterious, with enough tug-of-war between love and hate that it becomes a delicious story that I never wanted to end. This book explores the lengths people will go for the people they love. What would you sacrifice for one more chance at forever? The world Below is a dangerous and foreboding landscape that lends itself well to the story and amplifies what it means for the setting to bring ambiance to life.

Lyndall Clipstone continues to write books about girls who like to kiss monster boys and I pray she never stops. I loved every bit of the eldritch magic, the dark gods, the Hades and Persephone allusions, and the theme that we can love things at their darkest without sacrificing our own light. I truly loved this "day after the deal with the devil" book and cannot wait to follow Clipstone wherever she takes readers next.

If you're looking for a darker romance (and I mean strictly in the YA/thematic sense where none of the love interests are Captain America types) then please give this duology a turn. It's truly immersive and atmospheric. I walked alongside Leta hand in hand as she battled and journeyed her way through the Lord Under's realm.

Summary:
At the lake's edge, I made my promise. In the forest, I will fall.

The curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate has been broken, but at great cost. Violeta Graceling has sacrificed herself to end the Corruption.

To escape death, Leta makes a desperate bargain with the Lord Under, one that sees her living at his side in the land of the dead. And though he claims to have given her all he promised, Leta knows this world of souls and mists hides many secrets.

When she discovers she is still bound to Rowan, Leta goes to drastic lengths to reforge their connection. But her search for answers, and a path back home, will see her drawn into even more dangerous bargains, and struggling to resist the allure of a new, dark, power in Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone.

I ended up skimming this book because it was just not interesting to me. The main character was impulsive and never considered others as she barrelled through the story. There was no growth from the first book. Honestly, there were many parts where I have no idea what was happening. The "lyrical" prose made parts of the book unreadable for me.

This was the perfect follow up to Lakesedge and i’m so sad the series is over. i fell in love with that characters and plot all over again

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, MacMillan Childrens/Henry Holt & Co for this eARC for review.

3.5-3.75 Stars

There were a lot of things that were unique about the story. And while I enjoyed the ending it took a while to get there. I wish she focused more on the gods and other minor characters as opposed to the love triangle. Clipstone doesn't shy away from the gore and dark elements and I appreciated that about her writing. The atmosphere and the lore are probably the best things in this duology for me.

Forestfall is a stunning gothic romance that brings this duology to a close. It leaves off right after the events of Lakesedge and keeps you on your toes from the first chapter.

I loved to see all of our favorite characters come back and they way we were able to grow deeper into each of them. The world building in the World Below was just so striking that I could see and almost feel everything that Leta was. The emotions and tension throughout this book were so palpable that I just couldn't get enough of them. The love/hate between Leta and the Lord Under was outstanding. The arch and need for home, the mental stress of giving yourself to darkness to get back to your loved ones, and the bonds that were forms are just some of the best parts of this book.

Rowan is still one of my top boy/monster crushes. I love that he does not shy away from the fact that he is a monster and he embraces those dark parts on him. Also the little bit of steam you get in this book is "chefs kiss!"

Thank you Lyndall Clipstone, Netgalley and Macmillan Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A tantalizing and eerie sequel to "Lakesedge." "Lakesedge" is one of the most compelling gothic horror stories I've read; there's a contemporary-ness to it that makes the language digestible but the story is still mysterious enough to be compelling. "Forestfall" does a remarkable thing in making an outstanding follow-up sequel to a gothic horror story. I don't know about anyone else but I've never been able to find a series within this genre - usually, it's just a standalone book. Without using annoying tropes or the standard cliches, "Forestfall" is a must-read story for all fans of the genre!

This volume, like the first of the duology, is a somewhat disquieting book, dealing, as it does, with life and death, the transitions between them. Forestfall picks up where Lakesedge leaves off, with Violeta in the word Below, dealing the Lord Under, the god of death, while Rowan seeks to control the remaining corruption in his veins, and tries desperately to bring Violeta back to world Above. Full of love, longing, and sacrifice, this volume will not appeal to everyone; it is a softly sad novel in many ways, for all that the characters are striving for life. It deals with mature themes of life, loss, death, love, and memory, and can be difficult to read at times. Recommended for high school and adult readers who enjoy intricate stories that evoke strong feelings.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I also wanted to thank Lyndall Clipstone for giving their readers a chance to win some awesome swag. I was one of the chosen to receive a very cool Influencer box. It was my first one ever and I adore it.

Forestfall is a gorgeous story with gothic romance influences and beautiful writing. I recommend the Lakesedge duology to everyone looking for a fall/autumn read through out the year. I love the characters and the world building is exquisite.

4.5 stars

a fantastic sequel that is beautiful written a gothic , its lovely to see these familiar characters in the second book and she how they have all grown , the workd bulding and setting is fantastic and it has a real gripping pace to the story , sucha fab duology that will continue to stick with me

It did not meet my expectations. I wasn't a huge fan of the first book but I was curious to see how this sequel would play out. But sadly I felt indifferent for most of the book. Also, I don't like The Lord Under being brought up as a love interest since Letta is a minor girl. It's just a big NO for me. So, I didn't enjoy the scenes between these two characters.

I don't think it's a bad duology, I would recommend it to readers who like gothic romance and well-set stories. Only it wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, MacMillan Childrens/Henry Holt & Co for this eARC for review.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Unfortunately I've had to "pause" on this book for now. I was really enjoying the beginning, but around 50% I truly started to notice that the dialogue and action scenes were starting to get fairly repetitive. I'm also struggling a bit through Rowan's chapters, due to the writing style for his "voice". Also, as someone with ADHD, seeing that chapters are consistently 18 min-24 min long really made it hard to not dread reading and to keep getting through things that didn't seem to actively progress the story. I still really enjoy this world and want to finish the book, but I think I need to read a few other things and come back to this later.

Thank you to Lyndall Clipstone, the author, to Titan Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Forestfall is the beautiful, romantic ending to the Lakesedge duology and it gave me everything I wanted. After the end of the first book and her terrible sacrifice, Violeta finds herself in the World Below alongside the God of Death, the Lord Under. Their relationship blossoms as Leta comes into her power and turns into a bittersweet romance caught between gods. At the same time, Rowan- the monster boy of Lakesedge- battles frantically to keep his and Leta's connection alive when everyone else believes her dead. This was the first time we saw Rowan's perspective and I enjoyed the glance we got into his own memories of the first book and his personal relationship with both the Lord Under and Leta.

I adored all of this book, from the gorgeous prose to the characters and to the idea of Leta coming back from beyond death itself for Rowan. I was surprised by the ending but glad with how things resolved. If you want to read a dark, lyrical duology set in a forest with monster boys and all too human gods, then the Lakesedge books are for you!

As with the first book in this gorgeous duology, Forestfall is filled with vivid descriptions of the magical surroundings of the world under and the emotions and feelings of Leta and Rowan, and even the Lord Under, himself.

Leta seems torn between the Lord Under and Rowan, though she has a clear favorite. She may resign herself to the Lord, given that Rowan seems out of reach, but she still feels deeply for Rowan. Rowan seeks her out, pulling at the connection between them in an attempt to bring her back, believing he can still reach her.

The Lord is a lonely creature, guiding souls into the underworld in his way. I’m still not sure how that works, but Leta caught on pretty quick. She finds the magic intuitive and easy to make, which I found a little odd. Leta can perform magic easily, even the magic of another world. She doesn’t need a guide, just vague explanations. Perhaps that’s just how the magic works, through feelings and intentions. But there are also the sigils she used in the world above, which she melded with the magic below. Her magic is of creation and nature and it’s quite beautiful and well described throughout.

There is a lot of gore and blood, as well as death, which is somewhat expected given the fact that this book is set in the underworld. Rowan still struggles with the darkness he harnessed in in Lakesedge. Leta is only beginning to understand the sacrifices necessary to survive in the underworld.

The ending was entirely too easy. Leta using her powers to get what she needed without hardly trying was not the fight I wanted. With the struggles in the middle, I expected there to be a greater sacrifice. The struggles revolved around Leta and Rowan attempting to find each other, though separated by the barrier between worlds. Leta coming into her power, and Rowan making sacrifices as he did in Lakesedge, infusing his body with darkness in an attempt to find Leta. I enjoyed reading about Rowan’s point of view more, because it roped in Clover and Thea, as well as Arien. I wanted to hear more about his growing powers and Clover and Thea’s relationship.

A big moment happened off screen and it felt like a cheap tool to create suspense and mystery around a major plot point. When other things had been described in great detail up to that point, it just messed with the flow of the story and caused confusion.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys love triangles and talks of the underworld. People who like unreliable narrators with too much power and no idea how to use it. The prose is gorgeous, making picturing the world above and below easy to do. I advise that readers keep in mind various trigger warnings: blood, gore, sexual content (mild), entrapment, kidnapping (kind of), captivity, self-harm, amongst others.