*A Land So Wide* by Erin A. Craig is a captivating and atmospheric tale that skillfully blends eerie folklore with a deeply personal journey of faith, love, and discovery. Known for her ability to craft unsettling and immersive worlds, Craig introduces readers to Mistaken—a remote settlement where the boundary between safety and terror is as thin as the stones that protect its borders.

Greer Mackenzie, the story’s protagonist, is a compelling and complex heroine. As the daughter of one of Mistaken’s most powerful figures, her devotion to her faith and community is unwavering. Yet, beneath her quiet obedience lies a yearning for more—a desire to venture beyond the confines of her world and see what lies beyond the borders. Her sheltered perspective, even as an adult in her late twenties, adds a unique dimension to her character. Her growth is both gradual and believable as she navigates the dangers that await her beyond Mistaken’s limits.

The novel’s opening is masterfully crafted, with vivid descriptions that evoke a foreboding sense of isolation and unease. Mistaken is a town shrouded in secrets, its people bound to the land by ancient bargains with the Benevolence—mysterious protectors who ward off the terrifying “Bright-Eyed” creatures that lurk beyond the settlement’s borders. The lore surrounding the Reaping and the Hunt adds a chilling authenticity to the narrative, further enhancing the story’s rich, folkloric undertones.

However, the latter half of the book takes a noticeable shift in tone and direction, which may not resonate with all readers. While Craig’s world-building remains intricate, the narrative becomes more focused on the creatures that inhabit the wilds beyond Mistaken. For those who prefer subtle, psychological tension over creature-based horror, this change in focus may feel jarring. The pacing slows, and much of the latter half is spent in Greer’s introspection, which, while offering insight into her internal struggles, occasionally detracts from the momentum established earlier in the novel.

Craig’s transition from YA to adult fantasy is notable, though this story feels tamer in terms of horror and complexity compared to *House of Salt and Sorrows* and *Small Favors*. While *A Land So Wide* introduces darker themes and a more mature protagonist, it feels restrained in its exploration of the more unsettling elements that define her previous works. That said, the conclusion is a stunning culmination of Greer’s journey—emotional, unexpected, and ripe with potential for further exploration.

For readers who enjoy:
- Atmospheric settings with an eerie, folkloric vibe
- Protagonists who balance faith, duty, and curiosity
- Slow-building stories that shift from tension to action
- Fantasies where the danger is both literal and existential

*A Land So Wide* is a thoughtful and atmospheric read that captures the essence of Erin A. Craig’s signature storytelling, even if it takes a different trajectory than some may anticipate. While this story may not have been for every reader, the world of Mistaken holds undeniable intrigue, and should Craig choose to revisit it—perhaps with Lenore’s story—I will be eager to return.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third experience with Erin A Craig; I DNF'd House of Salt & Sorrow and I read Small Favors despite being underwhelmed by the ending. My experience with A Land So Wide was pretty similar to Small Favors.

Lets start with the positives.
EC can craft a freaking atmosphere and that is no joke. The first 70% of this novel was tense and creepy AF.
I love me some historical dark fantasy and, as an example of the sub genre, this slapped.
The dialogue actually sounded like real humans speaking.
The love triangle, a trope I rarely enjoy, did serve a purpose here, despite me finding it ultimately unsatisfying.

Now for the cons.
Neither love interest was particularly fleshed out, especially Ellis, who never displayed one single flaw.
While I did enjoy the build up of tension, this was very slow at the beginning and a bit rushed at the end.
Greer, our FMC, is 27 and I did love seeing an older.protagonist. Unfortunately, I felt she was still written as a significantly younger character than she was meant to be.overall,
I found the ending anticlimactic and largely unsatisfying.

This is largely personal preference, but I feel like EC took a really unique and well crafted concept and brought it to a predictable place. This was the same complaint I had with Small Favor, a unique start that wrapped up in a safe, somewhat predictable ending. I'd love to see what EC is capable of if she wasn't beholden (by her own choice or otherwise) to modern writing trends. Honestly, the parents story was far more interesting than Greer's.....

Overall a good read, but much stronger in the beginning than the end.

Wow!!! Such a beautifully vivid written novel!! I absolutely loved it! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of this book

this book was truly magnificent.
Erin .A. Craig’s writing is truly everything i have ever needed.
5/5 starssss 😭🩷🩷

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig is probably a book I would have put down if I hadn’t gotten an advanced copy because it was so creepy in the beginning. I don’t mind suspense but this was a touch more than I prefer. That being said, I’m glad I finished it.

Greer lives in the town of Mistaken, which is guarded by wards set up by the Beloved. The wards protect the town from the Bright Eyeds. When Greer’s love interest, Ellis, disappears beyond the wards, Greer decides to go after him. Her journey reveals things about her, her family, the town, and the land they live in that she never knew, making for a good adventure. For me, that’s when the story picked up.

The book has several jumps back in time to give historical context for the town and for certain characters. I appreciated the back story. I did feel like sometimes the pacing was off— like at the end of the book, I kept thinking “there’s no way this book will be resolved.” Everything did resolve and I’m actually conflicted on the ending! Another thing I struggled with was that Greer and Ellis were supposed to be late 20s, but felt much younger, with Greer’s father even referring to Ellis as a boy over and over.


The other of Craig’s books I’ve read was The Thirteenth Child, which I enjoyed. This book certainly holds all the magic that The Thirteenth Child does, but with more of an eerie atmosphere.

Another hit from Erin A Craig. This book was a beautiful entrance into the adult fantasy world. I loved the atmosphere, as I do in every one of her books, and the subplot of romance. Autobuy author always!

This is the kind of book that wraps you up and doesn’t let you go. It's great to find a book with a rich setting, but I've rarely been so completely transported into the world of a novel.
Greer Mackenzie grew up in the far Northern town of Mistaken, a logging town with special rules. Those rules keep its residents from falling victim to the evil forces outside its boundaries, but they also keep anyone from ever leaving. Though she has wanderlust, Greer is not one to question the rules, until she sees things that make no sense and has to escape Mistaken to save the man that she loves.
If you’ve read any of Erin A. Craig’s books, you know to expect the slow spread of the supernatural to an ultimate showdown. A Land So Wide reminds me most of Small Favors, set in another cut-off town with its own customs and struggle for survival. A Land So Wide is a book that I highly recommend and look forward to reading again.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for this advance read.

I absolutely adore Erin A. Craig’s writing. “A Land So Wide” is unique and creepy. The monsters were scary and if I were Greer, I would be terrified! Greer perseveres nonetheless. While this isn’t my favorite of Craig’s works, I am positive that “A Land So Wide” will find its audience.

I recommend this book for fans of: M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

A spooky, adventurous tale (with some romance) about a young woman’s struggle with themes independence and safety, growth and stability. Greer yearns for autonomy and adventure but craves the comfort of familiarity. A classic grow where you are or go where you’re not dichotomy. It unfolds in a creepy, isolated village surrounded by wilderness. Replete with grotesque beasties and violent encounters. Greer learns what and who she is and makes decisions about her future. If The Village and True Grit had a book baby.

I love how Erin’s never afraid to kill characters. In every book of hers this has kept me on my toes and guessing. Never predictable!

Dang… I was so close to loving this one!!

The beginning reminded me of one of my favorite movies, The Village, and I was loving every second. Ellis’ and Greer’s relationship was so sweet; I loved Louise and her bad ass attitude. I loved the history and lore of how Mistaken came to be, and even their odd tradition of The Hunt… It was all working for me until it wasn’t.

The story started falling flat for me almost immediately when Finn entered the picture. The lore of the Bright Eyeds really started to get muddled for me, Greer’s transition, and also Elowyn’s lore was a bit much and wasn’t explained well enough for me. Add all that to even more history about the Bright Eyeds and settlers of Mistaken… I was lost. And surely enough, I couldn’t care less how this book ended.

I hate to leave such a negative review, but when I feel a book had tremendous potential but then just lost it all… Well, I hate that more than anything. 🥲

Erin's writing is so beautiful and captivating, vivid, immersive and utterly compelling, I devoured this, definitely for fans of gothic/atmopsheric reads, the world building was rich and intricate!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

I was really, really disappointed in this one. I had such high hopes and the beginning of the book was soooo good. The first ~third of the book was great, unfortunately it started to flounder well before the mid-way part and ended up a poor man's knock off of M Night Shyamalan's The Village.

This book had SO much potential, but it also had a lot of problems. First off, where were the women?? Louise is supposedly Greer's bff, but she's literally only got two scenes in the whole book (not to mention the age difference would have made being bffs their whole life incredibly difficult, so that just never made sense to me). Greer's mom is dead. Martha just up and disappears around 41% never to be heard from again and somehow...Greer isn't bothered by this? The only other woman left is the big bad.

What was the point of Finn?? Honestly, what was the point of most of this plot. It was so predictable and easy to guess. I figured out almost all of it way before it was revealed. The end was so nicely tied up with a bow that it really made the entire book pointless.

At least at the end of Cinderella, she's changed, everyone knows her step mom and sisters are monsters, she's a princess, she gets the prince, etc. etc.

You could cut out the entire story from 38% to 99% and really not have missed anything.

Greer and Ellis are both so bland and boring that this non-plot driven book isn't even character driven.

The only characters that marginally intrigued me were Louise and Norah and their parts were so minuscule they could have easily been omitted.

If you're into vibes and no plot, this book will be a 10/10 for you.

If you LOVED M Night Shyamalan's The Village and want that again, but in book form - you will probably love this book.

Otherwise, read at your own risk of boredom and regret.

5 unapologetic and enthusiastic ⭐️s
I’m sad I got approved for this ARC because I. HAVE. NO. ONE. TO. TALK. TO. ABOUT. THIS.
Everything Erin writes is always gonna hit to me but she really pried my skull open with her talons and hopped inside with this one. This is a dark gothic fantasy fairy-tale retelling and I ate it up - it was haunting, heartbreaking, and enchanting from start to finish. I would expect nothing less from Queen Erin. I was so hooked that for the second night in a row, I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish—on a work night!
This book starts off like the movie The Village. Old-timey town, secluded residents, scary things in the surrounding woods. But that’s where the similarities end - these monsters are real. Greer is living her best life with her soon to be hubby and on the day they’re supposed to be married- bam he somehow walks straight through the town’s protective barrier. He disappears into the woods without a trace, sending Greer on a hero’s journey through the Canadian wilderness. Will a mere human survive it?
This book is a blend of folklore, fantasy, and a bit of horror- the exact mix I keep coming back to Craig for. The last 10% of this book I could not even explain how anxious I was - but in the best way.
I have a few unanswered questions, but I love when the ending is left open just a crack, so the reader can make their own assumptions. Overall, I loved it and I’ll keep coming back for everything this woman writes.
And I can not WAIT for all the fan art.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig.

As always, Erin A Craig knocked it out of the park with a beautiful, albeit creepy story!!! Trust me you will love Greer and A Land So Wide.

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: horror, historical horror, Gothic

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 3/27 and will be posted to my review blog and to Instagram 4/17.

Craig is an autobuy author for me, so I was excited to get approved for this! It's more similar to Small Favors than to the Sisters of the Salt books, but still stands as a unique book on its own.

The book starts off telling the story of Mistaken, how it was founded and the folly of its founder. It's clear from that story that the town has a history of bad luck, compounded by the supernatural entities that lurk in the woods. The narration then turns to Greer, the main character of the story, and her best friend Louise as they scout the edges of the town's territory. With the introduction setup the way it is, we're primed to be on Greer's side when she and Louise argue about whether the Bright-Eyes and Benevolence exist (Louise, whose family needs the food that would otherwise go to offerings for the Benevolence, is less inclined to believe).

Mistaken is an odd little town, aside from it being the only safe haven in this part of the wilderness, it also has all sorts of strange traditions. Such as needing to be inside the town's borders by nightfall, the offerings to the Benevolence to ensure the town's continued safety, and the Hunt, where the eligible young women of the town hide in a field and wait for an eligible young man to find them so they can be wed. Honestly, that might just be the creepiest one for me. Admittedly, the Hunt does have a sweet side, as you might expect, couples plan their strategies together to ensure few surprises come the actual day, so it does tend to be less creepy than it sounds, but still.

In a town full of oddities, Greer is an odd one out. She has extremely sensitive hearing and can often catch whispers when they're across the room from her. She also seems to be one of the only people who longs to leave the town and see what's in the world beyond. Due to this, and in spite of the fact she comes from a founding family, Greer has few friends. I definitely felt for Greer and enjoyed the bits of happiness she was able to find in Mistaken. She's also very headstrong, and I liked reading her determination to find Ellis again after he walks beyond Mistaken's boundaries.

Louise, as mentioned, is Greer's best friend. While I did believe Greer's insistence that the Bright-Eyes and Benevolence were real, I also saw where Louise was coming from at the start of the book. Her family does need the food, and using it as an offering seems like a massive waste. Despite their spat, Louise does come through for Greer when needed, and I wish we got to see more of them together than we did.

Ellis, Louise's brother, is Greer's beloved and the two are planning to marry after this year's Hunt, despite Greer's father's disapproval and Louise + Ellis' families being outcasts in the town. I like Ellis, he's sweet and it's clear from the get-go that he has a big heart. The kind of heart that means he's willing to do self-sacrificial things for his loved ones.

I enjoyed the slow creep of horror as things started to go wrong in Mistaken. Despite Louise's insistence, it's clear that there's something bigger at play here than just stories meant to make kids behave. I would argue that most of the horror does happen within Mistaken's boundaries, but Greer also walks right into it toward the end of the book, determined still to save Ellis.

I will say, I did find the book to be predictable and had most of the twists figured out well before Greer even really started thinking about them. That being said, this is still an entertaining read and I enjoyed it a lot.

A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig is an absolutely mesmerizing novel. As a huge fan of Erin's previous works, I was thrilled to dive into this one, and it did not disappoint. The world-building is beautifully detailed, and the characters feel so real, with a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Erin’s ability to weave emotion, mystery, and adventure together is truly unmatched. If you loved her earlier books, this one is a must-read!

From the unsettling Canadian landscapes to the mysterious monsters lurking in the woods steeped in Scottish folklore, A Land So Wide is enthralling. I was pulled in immediately and even had chills by the end of the prologue. It definitely feels less scary than her other books (Sisters of the Salt for sure), but still deliciously chilling.

Greer lives in the town of Mistaken protected with a magical barrier from the monsters in the woods as long as you're back by sunset. Reading it gave me goosebumps without feeling like reading a horror. It's something you want to delightfully devour in the dark. When Ellis leaves the town safety and disappears into the woods, Greer follows her love with determination to bring him home regardless of the monsters in the woods. Secrets about the town's founding and the monsters themselves come out in wonderful twists. It's everything you want. The first half was very spooky and by far my favorite. The second was far less terrifying but no less entrancing. The way Craig writes is phenomenal.

I'm obsessed with the eerie atmospheres and twisted fairy tale retellings that Erin A. Craig creates and she is my auto read author. I was beyond thrilled when I got approved to review this book. This Scottish folklore retelling is one I will be telling everyone about.

Thank you Netgalley, author Erin A. Craig, Knopf, Pantheon and the Vintage catalog for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Land So Wide is set to be published September 9, 2025 so mark it down as your next spooky autumn read.

CW: adult genre, some language, sex and gore

4.5⭐️

I was so incredibly surprised and elated when I was approved for this ARC. I am so very honored to be trusted with an early copy from one of my favorite authors.

Erin A. Craig has such a talent for very creepy immersive tales. Fairytales with the teeth left in. This was such an amazing blend of gothic and wilderness which is new for me. No foreboding mansion or castle, just the cold hard wilds of Canada.

I was sucked into this story from the start. I do have to say it lulled out for me with the pacing in the middle but it definitely picked up a second wind and built to quite the explosive finale.

I loved our main character Greer. She is flawed, she is filled with hope and she does not give up on those she loves. I don’t usually enjoy a preexisting romance in fantasy books; I like to see the development. But this one was done in such an artful way and I really liked Greer and Ellis’ dynamic.

Lots of revelations throughout and I don’t want to spoil anything but quite a few unexpected twists. I loved learning new lore and seeing familiar fairytales (i.e. Tamlin) being retold in such a masterful way.

I would recommend this to any gothic horror lover who would like a slight twist on the setting, any fans of The Village, and of course if you loved Craig’s previous works this is a good entry to the lexicon.

Definitely not for the weak of stomach!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pantheon Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

3.5⭐️ might round up to a 4?? I’m actually unsure how to rate this…

This is a perfect read for Autumn. Especially when it’s cold, rainy, and dark.

Mistake is a small village where after dark, nobody can leave. The stones protect the people from the bright-eyed creatures who would devour them. Greer’s beloved goes missing. Somehow he is able to leave. She goes on a journey to find him.

There’s mystery, love, betrayal, hidden identity, and more.

The beginning was slow, but picked up about halfway for me.

There were some things I liked, and some I didn’t. I’m conflicted.



Thank you Netgalley for an eArc!

First, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I was so excited to be able to read my favorite YA author's adult debut before it was released!

No one, not a single soul, creates environments and moods like Erin A. Craig. I cannot sing enough praises for her atmospheric writing that makes it so easy to imagine where you are. Her MCs are also absolutely wonderfully written. Dynamic, realistic, strong, glorious women are hallmarks of her books, and Greer is no exception. I loved her spirit, her drive, her love, and her discoveries. She was so easy to root for. As far as the story goes, I really enjoyed the whole lore that influenced the town's behaviour and customs. I thought Craig did a great job providing details and hints to the realities of the town throughout so that when truth was revealed, it all made sense. The story was intriguing and well paced.

If I had a criticism, it would be the that the ending is open-ended and open to some interpretation, which is maddening (in a good way, at least to me), and she can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that was Craig's intention. The ending will definitely keep you thinking about the story and wondering what is to come for Greer. (Though I'd be totally OK if Craig decided to write another chapter and tell me exactly what it all meant!)

***

Welcome to the small community of Mistaken, a land established by a greedy man who wanted to claim the resources for himself, not knowing (or perhaps ignoring) the dangers his choices would put everyone in. Generations later, Greer's life is contained in this town by warding stones that, as the stories go, were given to the community by the Benevolence to keep Mistaken safe from the Bright-Eyeds, creatures who decimate entire communities. She's decently content with her live here, having found the love of her life in Ellis Beaufort. However, she's always been intrigued by what is on the other side of these stones. When Ellis mysterious wanders beyond the stones, Greer is determined to find him and bring him home, but tracking him puts her in danger of coming across the creatures she's been afraid of her whole life. It's her love for Ellis that pushes her beyond the boundaries to track him down, but the farther she gets from Mistaken, the more she discovers the truth of her life, her family, and her town's history.

Truly a wonderful work of Craig's imagination. I loved it.