There isn’t any horror to this even though it’s promoted as such. I also couldn’t get into it, the world building feels quite flat. The characters feel as if they’re too similar to each other and at times I forgot who was who when names weren’t said. Just overall a forgettable book to me

I enjoyed this book, though I do have concerns.

Story wise, I loved the premise. At first I thought it was going to follow a Hades and a Persephone vibe, and I was happy that it related in the sense of Lark would be with Therion for 6 months. The author put a really creative twist on it by making it more than just a mortal in love with a god. Lark and Therion are bound to each other, she is his mortal anchor. I found myself surprised at self twists when I thought I knew how it was going to twist!

Now for concerns I have - this book is listed as YA and on Barnes and Noble says it is recommended for ages 14-18. I do feel that the book has adult themes in it when it comes to the romantic interests in the book. While I’m not against YA books that visit LGBTQ+ relationships, I do think introducing polyamorous relationships is a little much. I didn’t like that Lark’s romantic feelings seemed to be so…I’m not sure how to explain it. It seemed like we were introduced to Damson in a way that immediately alluded to Lark being attracted to her. Right away it’s clear that Lark also had some kind of feelings for Alastair, so much so I was sure he was the love interest. But as soon as we meet adult Camille, park immediately has feelings for her. So for me, there was no growth towards feelings. It’s great that Lark so openly accepted the fact that she had feelings for both Camille and Alastair, I just don’t think polyamory should be in books recommended for young adults.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Lyndall Clipstone and to the publisher Macmillan Children’s Group for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

Release date: 1st July 2025 (UK and US)

TW: body horror, death, grief, blood, injury, references to suicidal ideation, abuse, horror

‘Tenderly I Am Devoured’ is the newest standalone from the brilliant Lyndall Clipstone, pulling the reader into the salt sprayed and isolated world of Lacrimosa Arriscane after she is expelled from school and sent home in disgrace to her family. Born and raised beside the beach and cliffs, Lark returns to her house to discover her brothers on the verge of financial ruin, crippled by debts made by their dead parents to the Felimath family, who live in the enormous mansion named Saltswan. Once upon a time Lark and the Felimath siblings were best friends, but not anymore: Alistair broke Lark’s heart and Camille vanished to finishing school. Desperate to save her family’s livelihood, Lark makes a deal to become the bride of Therion, the swan god worshipped by Lark’s hometown, to be taken away to his realm for six months a year. However, her betrothal goes wrong and Lark soon finds herself caught between the furious Therion and reality, fading away from the real world. There’s only one option to help her: the Felimath siblings, and as they dive into the stories of ancient folklore full of gods and monsters while fleeing a religious sect called the Sea Pirates, Lark falls in love with both siblings at the same time. Attempting a ritual to repair the connection between Therion and Lark before she can be lost forever, the Felimaths and Lark accidentally bring something through that is much more deadly.

I was a huge fan of this author’s ‘Lakesedge’ and ‘Forestfall’ so I was delighted to get an ARC for this book, especially because I loved the idea of a complicated polyamorous relationship dynamic, a Gothic setting and world and a woman engaged out of desperation to a god. Lyndall Clipstone has such a dreamy way of writing, it’s like being caught up in a fairytale and there’s always a sense of unreality lurking on the edges. I loved Lark from page one, she’s really struggling since being expelled from her elite school and returning to her home brings back memories best left in the past. She’s got so much to deal with and in a moment of pure desperation, turns to Therion to save her family’s salt mine. Her connection with Alastair and Camille is fraught with old hurts and childhood love turned into something more, I liked how things weren’t simple or easily defined between Lark and the siblings. Camille is softer while Alistair is harsher but they both understand Lark perfectly. The worldbuilding is beautiful, I found that you could feel the sea and the flickering candles down in the cave where they worship Therion. Some of the moments in this book are horror and Gothic at their finest while merging seamlessly with the YA genre. This is a really original take on love and romance, on religion and worship and on identity and self belief- Lyndall Clipstone has written something truly beautiful, terrifying, raw and aching, I loved it and raced through it in a few days.

An absolutely gorgeous tale, Lyndall has such a poetic way of writing every time I picked the book up, I was transported to another realm, I could practically smell the salt and sea air. There was excellent character development throughout the book and there were twists and turns I didn’t expect. This is definitely one of those stories that will stick with me, and one that I wish I could read for the first time again!

3.75

For me, it was all about the vibes & aesthetic in this book.

Dark academia, mysterious, gothic and whimsical, sprinkled with a heavy dose of mythology. I loved the setting and the premise and was obviously drawn in by the beautiful cover.

Overall, the story was intriguing and the plot twists well executed. Sadly, I struggled a bit with the pacing - between around the 30 and 60% marks, I really lost interest and had to push myself to continue. After that, it picked up again and I was able to finish in one go.

The writing is ornate, almost poetic, and beautiful to read! (Although that proved rather hindering while the pace was slow). I enjoyed the images Lyndall Clipstone painted as much as the world she created and its unique atmosphere.

As for characters, they were all intriguing in the different shades and had enough of a contrast to be interesting and discernible. Sadly, for me personally they lacked a bit of debt - particularly Camille and even Lark herself who sometimes felt almost abstract. Like a picture with high transparency and too much filtering through to fully grasp her character.
In terms of relationships and dynamics, I had some trouble. Not at all with the romance choices, but with the fact, without wanting to give too much away, that I really want for Lark to have a real friend. I am very happy about the outcome of all relationships, however unusual.

That all being said, it was a beautiful book! The story, especially how it was resolved, was good, the writing created a beautiful imagery, the characters worked and the atmosphere and vibes carried everything. Some aspects just had me wish for a little more substance.

Read if you like art museums, Persephone, swans, the messy Dracula polycule, books that feel like a fever dream, strawberries.

This book had so much potential! The original plot was great and I wished the author stuck to it. I was loving the gloomy, gothic mythology retelling. Unfortunately, there was a lot going on and multiple sub-plots, we lost the main plot entirely and had a few plot holes! I was left with many questions that were never answered.

I read this book knowing it was a M/F/F, but it still made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t because Lark (FMC) was shared between siblings, but because their relationship didn’t make sense, making their trio dynamic shallow, pointless and unbelievable.

Lark was also hard to like. She craved attention, affection, and validation, and her naive and aloof character made her vulnerable to gaslighting, exploitation, and belittling. I hoped she’d have an arc moment but she didn’t.

If you enjoy complex characters and a story focused on character and relationships rather than plot, this book might be for you.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group & Henry Holt and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity.

This is more a 3.5 ⭐️

This book gave dark academia, gothic romance, and coastal folklore which I totally vibed with. The premise was so interesting and I was super excited to read.

This follows lark on her crazy journey to her betrothal of the god Therion. I am so sad we didn’t get more of therion in this book, but the way he was written was absolutely beautiful. The writing in this book was good and left me wanting more.

The only things I did feel were kind of odd was the switch from first person to third person during the flashbacks, personally I would have preferred one perspective. I also feel like Camille character and in general the romance between her and Lark was underdeveloped. I didn’t feel much chemistry between Lark and Camille. Im down for polyamory but I wasn’t vibing very much with the dynamic between the Felimath siblings and Lark, now a polyamorous relationship between Therion, Alistair, and Lark? SIGN ME UP! Although pacing was a bit slow in the middle it did pick up quickly towards the end. Overall it was a fun read.

Thank you for the ARC!
This is my first book by Lyndall Clipstone and I was impressed with her prose as well as the vibes she conveyed throughout the story.
I thought both the world and characters were well-developed.
The pacing was slow at times, though it wasn’t an issue with keeping my interest. I took a few breaks in reading yet still wanted to come back to it.
The book had decent LGBT representation, albeit not your typical with one person courting a set of siblings (there is not a romantic or intimate relationship between the siblings, as far as I could tell as I know this is a TW for many).

Well written gothic romantasy for YA readers!

The writing style was nice, but the characters were difficult to connect to and the romances felt forced with little to no chemistry. The world building wasn't bad, but I would've liked to see more of it in greater detail.
I really wanted to enjoy this more, but I just couldn't get into it as much as I'd hoped I would.

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this novel! Tenderly, I am Devoured is one of my most anticipated reads for this year. The cover is gorgeous. Massive props to the artist on that one! The description had me from the get go. An underworld diety and a betrothal gone wrong? Sign me up!

Before we get started, some trigger warnings might be a bit helpful to others! I went in blind and was a bit caught off guard. But the novel does touch on physical abuse (the parent/child variety).

The novel is about newly eighteen year old Lacrimosa (Lark) who comes home after being away at boarding school for four years. Nothing in her home is as she remembers it. Her brother's are worn down as their salt mines have quit producing salt. In a stroke of luck that would solve all of their problems, Lark agrees to marry Therion (their sea god) in exchange for the family's mines to flow with sea salt once more. On Lark's wedding night, everything goes wrong. She and her betrothed are attacked by a salt priest. Lark is saved by Alastair, a boy who broke her heart many years ago. Lark teams up with Alastair and his sister Camille to unravel a series of haunting events that happen after the failed wedding night. The first half of the novel is a bit slow. But the latter half of the novel more than makes up for the pacing. The last third of the book had me desperately turning the page. I don't want to spoil it but I loved how Therion and Lark's arc ended.

The Good:
The descriptions of the world and the characters make me feel like I am watching a movie. The setting is very reminiscent of Crimson Peaks (we will get to that later) and the Woman in Black. The eeiry, gothic setting is perfect for an otherworldly dark deity. Therion appears for most of the novel as otherworldly flashes of eyes and disappointment at the betrothal gone wrong. The atmosphere is delightfully tense as Lark, Alastair, and Camille continue to interact with and see visions of Therion, salt, and the sea.

The Romance:
Turning to the romance. I don't mind a "why choose" narrative. The first part of the book definitely made it seem like Alastair and Lark were in the past and Camille was going to be the sole love interest. I loved Lark and Camille's moments together. They were tender and sweet. Lark's moments with Alastair are still haunted by the rejection and renouncement of friendship many years ago. As the novel goes on, Lark realizes that Alastair still has feelings for her and vice versa. This is where it gets messy for me. In one chapter, Lark is kissing Camille and in another she is kissing Alastair. Let's not forget Lark's bridegroom Therion. I was really skeptical of the romance plot because two of the four people (and god?) involved are siblings, but it actually works. There aren't any scenes where Lark and both siblings are intimate (thankfully). She has separate romances with each of them and the romances make sense. I wish we got a bit more build up with Camille and Lark's relationship, but that is just a bit nitpicky.

The Bad:
The flashbacks felt a bit oddly placed and repetitive at times. Most of that is due to the reader being shown the event and then it being explained to other characters in the present day.

Overall, I loved the prose. It is written so beautifully. The imagery makes me believe I am really there. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it!

I've read other works by Lyndall Clipstone and she has solidified herself as a modern gothic queen because THIS RIGHT HERE is so atmospheric, toxic, obsessive, and creepy and... loving. I adored this book.

The book started out amazingly. I like when not all of the details are immediately revealed and there is a timeline jump from the present to the past, and bits are slowly revealed as the present day storyline unravels. It had some mystery, which made me hyper-diligent in my reading because I was actively gathering clues to figure out why certain things were occurring.

The bulk of the writer's writing style was BEAUTIFUL! "There will always be a scar on me in the shape of the truth." She is definitely talented in the way she weaves words to tell her story.

It had so many great moving parts, all parts that gave this story great potential. The plot as a whole is where this book faltered for me. It felt like all of the pieces didn't fit together. The "throuple" situation with the brother and sister duo was icky and weird. There was a moment where Lark is kissing Alistair (the brother) while his sister, Camille, is caressing Lark's neck. It is weird as heck to imagine my sibling and I dating the same person, much less them stroking any part of that person's body while I'm being kissed by them. I just could NOT get on board with this, and it ruined the suspense and slow burn of her and Alistair reconnecting. By the time they kissed, I was so icked out I didn't even care.

This book had a beautiful chance to be a place for young adults who are in these situations, where they're experiencing bisexuality and aren't fully formed in their identities or sexuality, yet, and it could have served as a soft landing place for them to begin to explore those thoughts and feelings conceptually if they weren’t already exploring them on a physical level. But all of the relationships weren’t fully fleshed out. We kept being told about how Lark connected with these characters without the author having scenes to flesh out how those connections were built. As much details were shared about Lark’s relationship with Allistair and Damson, even significantly less was shared about Camille. That relationship surprised me and it didn’t make sense to me. It made me take Lark less seriously.

I LOVED Larks’ brothers. I would not change anything about them. I adored them for their deep love for Lark and the selflessness they showed in caring for her. Her initial anger did not make sense to me, not at the level she harped at her brothers about regarding the secret they were guarding. If they hadn’t done what they did, she would not exist. They were selling off everything in their house to be able to support themselves and support her while she was away at school. They never asked her for a thing. And they not once tried to manipulate or persuade her to marry Therion. SHE did, despite their multiple attempts to dissuade her. So her being mad? It seemed bratty and immature. Feeling like her trust and connection with them was minimally frayed because they withheld that information from her would have made more sense than the temper tantrum she had. They were willing to sell their home and their land so that she didn’t have to be forced into a marriage with Therion. They were not the bad guys. She was a drama queen and unlikeable with how she handled her initial reaction. Again, an unfriendly reaction would, of course, have been warranted. The level at which she blew up did not feel justified.

There was a scene where Hugo, Allistair, Camille, and Lark were having dinner with Allistair and Camille’s cruel father. At some point, the father demands Allistair accompany him upstairs, and it is obvious Mr. Felimath is angry. Lark KNOWS the man is most likely going to physically abuse Allistair. But she decides to make out with Camille first, and THEN go upstairs to try to intercept any abuse that the father might inflict on Allistair. I did not understand HOW she could be slightly in the mood to kiss ANYONE knowing what could possibly be happening to Allistair upstairs. There was no urgency in her trying to get to him. I did really like this line: “I am small and soft, nothing but a fierce heart and a borrowed dress, but in this moment I know I would tear out MARCUS FELIMATH’S throat with my own blunt teeth before I let him put his hands on Alistair again.” (I guess unless it gets in the way of a mini make-out sesh with Allistair’s sister downstairs, but THEN when she's done, she will tear out his throat and blah blah blah.)

The ending of the book began to pick up again. There was another weird moment where Camille and Lark kiss, I think while they’re trying to connect to Therion, and it made zero sense. Everything about those two being romantically involved felt incredibly forced and like she just wanted someone in the book to have a female on female relationship. I felt like Damsen and Lark fulfilled that box if it was something the author was trying to check. Even though they were not a fleshed out couple for me, they made sense to me because Lark was coming off of a rejection and broken heart from the boy she loved, so I was not surprised she latched onto Damesen the way she did.

I would not recommend this book to my friends, fellow librarians, or purchase it. If the hiccups were better developed, this could be an incredible book, and then I’d happily purchase it. I appreciate NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Henry Holt and Co. for the digital review copy of this book in return for my honest feedback.

❝The worst hurt doesn't always come with open violence. Instead, there is a tenderness before you're devoured❞

The pages in the book were pretty as well with doves and floral prints.

Lark starts as a lost soul and I loved the character development. Alastair’s character is heartbreaking and compelling. Their story of self-discovery and sacrifice, mixed with Camille’s sweet tenderness, is beautifully told. The horror elements were full of seafoam and saltwater.

The best way I can think to describe this book is an eerie gothic romantasy . Its descriptions are light and ethereal while its underlying themes drift towards the darker sea so favored by Alastair.

This was deadly slow burn! (but I don't mind that at all !) Some elements felt unnecessary to be so repetitive but I guess flashbacks were needed to help have the element of building to something. Some characters needed to have more character development so the relationships they had with other wasn't made to felt as forced.

all in all this was a good read!

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Ava Reid’s A Study in Drowning, or to those who wished Saltburn had chthonic gods!

Betrothal to a chthonic god (which very Hades & Persephone inspired in its terms)
Lost & lonely characters
Floral gothic vibes
Seafoam romantic horror
Different planes
Complicated family dynamics

i was provided with an advanced read from NetGAlley for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up

This book had everything I should have loved—romantasy, dark academia-meets-cottagecore vibes, haunting family secrets, and gorgeous descriptions of the setting. And yet... I just didn’t feel it. It’s a slow burn (it took me almost a month to finish), but the atmosphere kept me going.

The romance? Didn’t quite spark for me. The characters? Never fully clicked. And the love triangle? Let’s just say, when siblings are involved, my interest rapidly declines.

Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a dark academia story set by the sea. After Lark is expelled, she comes home to find her family struggling financially. In order to save them, she agrees to marry a god. Unfortunately, an unknown enemy ruins her betrothal and puts her and her god at risk of disappearing forever. With the help of her childhood friends, she seeks to save not only herself but pretty much everyone she knows.

I liked the idea of the story and the world building was good. I think the book could have been a bit longer. I would have loved more details about each character and the development of the story overall. I had a hard time being convinced of the chemistry of all the relationships. Lark felt desperate to me, because she was so quick to fall for almost every character introduced.. I know the story is labeled as polyamorous but Lark's affection was so freely given that none of the relationships felt profound enough. There was very little build up and I wanted SO much more for all of them. I really did enjoy the overall atmosphere of the story, but this book just isn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

─ 4,5 ★'s

🦢 childhood heartbreak to lovers
🌊 dark academia vibes but add the haunted sea
🦢 a soft but ambitious & haunted bi FMC
🌊 complicated family dynamics
🦢 romantic folk horror
🌊 eerie gothic vibes
🦢 a swan god!!!
🌊 flower-threaded horror
📌 STUNNING cover
📌 lush prose

It took me a LOOOOONG time to finish reading this book. And that is not because I wasn’t invested or did not like it — I just never felt ready to have it end.

TENDERLY, AM DEVOURED is not necessarily a fast-paced, crazy-action-fights-every-two-pages. Instead, it is more of a softly haunting, feverishly delicious book.

That does not mean the slight horror elements were not scary - it just means they were hidden so well under the atmosphere that they did not feel misplaced or “just to add horror” and more like “these elements HAVE to be here”.
I don’t want to spoil too much so I will say: It felt like I am stuck in this mystical world while unknown presences tug at my consciousness.

Main Character:
LACRIMOSA —

🎀 Lacrimosa (Lark) was so refreshing to see as a main character. She is very sweet and caring but willing to do anything to protect what is left of her family — even if that means marrying a god.

Sometimes, I would have wished to see more of Camille because I was unsure who exactly she is in the beginning, but that did not make the reading experience much worse since I had Lark to obsess over too.

Prose/Writing Style:
TENDERLY, AM DEVOURED is a gorgeously written book. As another writer, Lyndall Clipstone’s prose is to dream for if you desire lyrical and poetic prose. My mouth fell open several times with me thinking, “I need all the books I read to sound like hers.”
TENDERLY dares to walk into the direction of lyrical writing but manages to stop at the right and not reach purple prose level, at least in my reading experience.


(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

4.5 stars

To gather the words in order to portray this book with all the justice is deserves is something I don’t think I can truly achieve but here is my review nonetheless.

It’s not very often I read the acknowledgements at the end of a book but after having the pleasure of chatting to Lyndall with her street team group, I knew it was important to recognise and I’m so glad I did. This book truly captures this raw emotion that was poured into it.

Lyndall has written this tender, gothic folklorish fantasy with refreshing romances with LGBTQ+ representation in our characters who balance the line of selfishness and guilt, hunger for freedom and responsibility. The prose are rich and poetic taking us on this journey as Lacrimosa (Lark) our main character recounts her painful past that feeds into her present - dreaming for a different future that she wants to have chosen and grasped for herself.

There’s chthonic gods, demons, isolating coastal towns, eerie tension and folklorereference wrapped up in this beautiful lyrical writing.

I really loved this book, it felt both heartwarming and heartbreaking reading about Lark, Camille and Alistar (and let’s be fair, the rest of the characters) in this gothic, coming of age story. Watching them discover themselves in their choices, all whilst fighting both inner and physical demons to restore family livelihoods and legacies from ruin.

Truly though, I am devoured !!

(This copy was provided as being part of the Saltswans Street team. Review will be shared across web pages closer to publication date UK)

2.5/5 stars

This is a very moody and lyrical read. Gothic and eerie. That was what intrigued me about the story and ended up being my favorite part! There were a lot of interesting moments but I was confused throughout the story. Some of the story just didn't make sense to me. That might be my fault as a reader-rather than the author's. I don't read a lot of dark academia stories. So I am unfamiliar with the genre. I didn't feel comfortable with the love interest being siblings and if I had known that prior, I probably wouldn't have read this book at all.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Huge thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC! This was such a beautifully written book and I really loved the three main characters, Lark, Alastair and Camille. Some of my favourite chapters were the “flashbacks” to Lark’s time at school, though they were equally some of the most infuriating and upsetting ones. I’m really glad I had the chance to read this ARC and I will absolutely be reading Clipstone’s other books in the future!