Wow! It was simply a perfect conclusion, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending than this one!! The story was gripping and the characters were strong yet fun to read about.

The sequel to the gothic fantasy, Lakesedge, Forestfall. picks up right after Leta and Rowan have been separated. Forestfall continues gothic atmosphere with Leta confined to the world of Lord Under this time. . I loved Lord Under and his relationship with Leta. There were some slow parts that were dragged out more than they needed to be but overall a great conclusion to the duology!

An emotional and thrilling conclusion to Lakesedge, Forestfall weaves together magic, longing, love and family. As Violeta finds herself bound to the Lord Under after saving the worlds Above and Below, Rowan is desperate to bring her home. Connected by threads of their last spell, Violeta and Rowan must find the strength to make their way back to each other -- even as the forest gods and Violeta's growing feelings for the Lord Under work to keep them apart.

Forestfall is the second book in this series. I had not read the first, but this book is well-written, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I look forward to more from this author.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

I read LAKESEDGE by Lyndall Clipstone and couldn’t put down, so disappointed when it ended. I couldn’t wait for FORESTFALL to see what happened to Violeta, to Rowan, even the Lord Under. FORESTFALL did not disappoint. I don’t want to give anything away in this review. But again, I was swept away by the beautiful, lush darkness of Clipstone’s language, of the worlds she creates. Her characters’ passion, the longing fills every page. I also love the found family within her books as well as the love of family. The world and inhabitants of Lord Under’s realm haunted me even after I finished the book.

I adored Lakesedge so much, but had trouble getting into Forestfall. It was quite drawn out and probably wouldn't have benefited better as an epilogue at the end of the first book. I did appreciate the continued dark gothic atmosphere.

I loved Lakesedge with a passion after reading it. I was obsessed with, I had not had such a hard time putting down a book in so long. Therefore, it pains me to say that I did not feel the same about its sequel Forestfall. I was beyond excited to be granted access to the sequel before it’s official release, however, the excitement was short lived. While the book started out and ended on a high note, everything in the middle was mediocre, and left me not wanting to read it. While I love a slow build up in novels, this one just did not have a worthwhile ending to satisfy me as a reader. However, my love for the original novel and the characters remains. The book did feature a few moments I liked, they just weren’t enough. But, the writing style was as superior as in the debut novel, so I am still intrigued as to what Lyndall Clipstone will publish next. Whatever it is, I will definitely be excited to pick it up, regardless of my feelings towards Forestfall.

I was super excited to see this title available on NetGalley. Did I cry a little bit when I found out I was auto-approved by the publisher and able to start reading it? Immediately. If I didn’t have to go to work, would I have finished this book in one sitting? Absolutely. And how did I finish the book, you ask? Crying happy tears because it was so beautiful.

I fell completely in love with this world after getting the OwlCrate version of Lakesedge, and couldn’t wait to dive into this work and continue the story. It did not disappoint! The story is hauntingly beautiful, and full of twists and turns. I love how the author leaned in to readers’ favorite characters and allowed them to all be fully fleshed out with their own stories and things to figure out. She also surprised us a few times with new details or characters that were fantastic!

A lot of this book takes place in the World Under, and we get to explore that world in depth. Leta has to spend time figuring out who she is and what she wants, and of course, how to keep everyone she loves safe without giving more of herself up. I was very worried about how this book would turn out for much of the book, but I should’ve known better! The book wrapped up in a way that leaves most characters feeling settled and happy, but some readers may be disappointed about the fate of their favorite character.

I think the hardest part of finishing this book will be having to wait for so long to get a finished copy! I’m excited to see all of the illustrations and special details the author adds to the book. I can’t wait for more people to be able to read this book and finish the series!

I loved Lakesedge and was so excited to read Forestfall. It picks up right after Lakesedge and gets even more dark, gothic, and atmospheric. We see the Below, more of the Lord Under, and his relationship with Leta.

We get Rowan and Leta’s POV and with each decision they made, I couldn’t help compare them to Sam and Dean from Supernatural, always sacrificing themselves for the other/to help the other.

I wasn’t sure how everything would play out, and was still hoping for some 6 month split for a Persephone nod, but I loved how it ended.

Clipstone’s writing is once again lush and immersive and Forestfall was a great follow up to Lakesedge.

This is a lush gothic tale with the return of beloved characters, our complex and precious Leta and Rowan. Having the dual povs made this book feel like it was uprooted and then dragged back deeper into the ground to a world of dreams and nightmares entwined with dark blood. The Lord Under and his dark magnetic pull is back and with more monsters to meet in the sorrowful depth of the World Below. A forest of crimson, mist-covered trees of the realm of the dead. I was wanting to learn more about these new monsters, but obviously grateful for more scenes of the Lord Under instead.

My heart fluttered with moths throughout this story with every push of survival and sacrifice for our beloved protagonists. We were sucked into the darkness, the moth lights guided us through each twist and turn, through the fight and surrender in the most cunning ways. This was truly a bittersweet tale.

If you love gothic tales, fascinated by alchemic magic and death, love and sacrifice of raw characters, monstrous passion that haunts you and pulls you toward dark forests, then these books are for you.

*Remember to look up trigger warnings on the author’s website.

Thank you to Lyndall Clipstone for this e-arc!

I think I loved this even more than Lakesedge! It was even darker and even more twisty! The character development was also top notch. I really like how the romance evolved from all angles and how I couldn't predict what would happen next. I'll be excited to read anything else Lyndall Clipstone writes going forward!

Lyndall Clipstone wrote one of my favorite books of last year: Lakesedge. A stunning, atmospheric, gothic story about a townsgirl named Leta and the monster in the woods.

I was ecstatic when I was able to get an e-arc of Forestfall, my most anticipated sequel of THIS year. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the chance to read this.

Forestfall picks up where Lakesedge left off, with Leta dealing with the decision/sacrifice she made to save those she loves and Rowan's grief over losing her. We get two POVs throughout this book from Leta and Rowan. Our supporting cast grows and new monsters/Gods get introduced to us, which I really enjoyed.

Leta is adjusting to her new live in the World Under and her the new dynamic in her relationship with the Lord Under. I really enjoyed seeing her relationship with the Lord Under grow and their dynamic shift as she comes to understand her feelings for him and his power. She continues to be the tough, headstrong, independent character she has been throughout Lakesedge, but we also see her struggle with the decision she's made and the ones she makes in this book to get back to her home.

I know he's the villain, but I love the Lord Under. He's such an interesting character and his dynamic with Leta I found charming.

Clipstone's rich, lush, atmospheric writing continues through this book as I hoped it would. It was overall a strong sequel and I look foward to seeing what else she writes.

I have been looking forward to reading Forestfall since I finished Lakesedge. I started following the author on social media to track when arcs would be released. When I got approved for one I was over the moon.

I did prefer Lakesedge, but I still really enjoyed Forestfall! I think the reason why I did not like this one as much because there was no true relationship between Leta and the Lord Under, but yet they were in love? It didn’t feel authentic.
The story itself was marvelous! I truly didn’t know how it would end, which is my favorite type of book.
This author write absolutely beautifully. I really appreciate how carefully she chooses each word.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Forestfall was truly everything that I wanted out of a sequel to Lakesedge: namely, even more of the world Below, the Lord Under, and his sexy teeth and claws. Plus, a Rowan POV! What more could you ask for?

As always, Lyndall's prose is lush and beautiful, drawing you in from page 1 and refusing to let go until the very end. I devoured this book in two sittings, and still find myself thinking of it afterward.

Forestfall introduces a gorgeous underworld setting, new characters that will have you on the edge of your seat, warring gods, found family round 2, and a romance that literally transcends the boundaries of life and death. It feels a little less gothic and a little more Hades and Persephone than book 1, which suits the book perfectly—and the conclusion is satisfying and bittersweet in all the right ways. I already can't wait to reread!

There are some books, that has the capability to keep us hooked from the very start and this book was one of those. Ugh I really loved and enjoyed it. I really like the whole set up and the world the author has created, the exceptional word building and the amazingly loving, brave and sassy characters. It’s a definite 5 stars read for me.

So I didn't know that this was a sequel, so I had to read the first book along with this one. I was happy to do so as I really connected with and fell in love with the characters and the world. I thought this was a really fresh take on fantasy and has so many interesting elements to it.

A worthy sequel and finale to Clipstone's debut Lakesedge! The writing is very atmospheric, and it takes the whole Hades and Persephone/Beauty and the Beast retelling a little further by exploring more of the Lord Under and the world Below. I do wish it had explored more of Leta's relationship with the Lord Under, but with all that said, it was a solid sequel, and fans of Lakesedge will not be disappointed.

This was such a good read!! I really loved the unique characters and the smooth plotline. I was never bored because the story kept moving at a great pace. This was a great book and I highly recommend this to everyone. Great book!

Questionable gods, questionable romances, questionable powers—what isn't there to love here?

There are some mild Lakesedge spoilers in this review so reader beware. Although, if you haven't yet read the first book but are looking at second book reviews first, I really can't help you.

Anyway, can we just take a second to appreciate that cover? Clipstone really hit the jackpot with such gorgeous and ethereal covers. They capture the vibes of the series so well. Just truly immaculate.

Now, the review! This picks up shortly after the events of Lakesedge. Leta has given up her life to save her friends and family at the lake shore, and now she dwells with the Lord Under in the world Below. And she is not making life easy for him. She is not a girl to be caged, and really it's foolish for the Lord Under to think he can try to do just that. She thwarts him and defies his orders every chance she can, because she isn't dead like all the other souls in the forest around her, and she will do whatever it takes to get back to Rowan and Arien.

I found this book brought about an interesting shift in character arcs. Leta barely had any power in the first book, and what she did have was hardly worth using. Here, she's gotten a taste of what could be and now she is hellbent on reclaiming her power. She goes to incredible lengths to make this happen, sacrificing bits and pieces of herself along the way.

What's fun about this is that we get Rowan's POV! Rowan alone knows that Leta isn't dead through the spell mark that ties them together. He continually gets visions where Leta comes to him, and he can feel her, touch her. As such, he turns his efforts to a dangerous idea: searching for a way to get that terrible poison back inside his veins so that it might bring him closer to Leta. I really liked his POV. It was nice to see inside his head, and I found his chapters to be quite snappy.

As I hoped, we are introduced to a few new monsters slash gods in the world Below. They create an interesting development in the world-building and make things difficult for Leta. There is a huge chasm between who she can trust, should trust, and has to trust, and it was entertaining to see how she navigates every sacrifice and bargain she makes.

I think what kept me from enjoying this as much as Lakesedge is it didn't feel as grounded. It took a little too long to get going and for me to tap into what the goals of everyone were. But given how strong the atmosphere of the book is and the characters we gather our bearings with, I don't think that will bother a lot of people.

The moral of the story is that I will read whatever Lyndall Clipstone chooses to publish next.