First off let me say I’m pretty sure I would be enthralled by Erin Craig’s grocery list, anything she writes is so good. So when she announced this book I didn’t even care what it was about it was moved to the top of my stack and wow it did not disappoint.

The first half of the book is giving “The Village” or “The Lottery” vibes. We learn about our main character Greer and the small villages customs surrounding daily activities, the frightening creature in the woods, and even marriage ceremonies but the second half is where the thrilling adventure begins and the true story comes out. This is a gothic fantasy and my favorite book from Erin Craig so far!

This book was so dark, twisty, and atmospheric. I will read anything Erin A Craig writes. I loved the concept of this story and it was executed really well. I wish we had gotten a little more Louise. It was really focused on Greer with little focus on secondary characters. I was a little worried I wasn’t going to like the ending but it all worked out.
I think the reason this is in the adult category versus young adult is due to violence or gore.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Pantheon publishing team for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Erin Craig’s writing is absolutely stunning—her descriptions are so vivid and atmospheric that I felt completely immersed in the world of A Land So Wide.

This book is a dark fairytale woven with elements of mystery and horror, and I was hooked from the very first chapter. Greer’s journey is one of determination and discovery, and I loved following her as she navigated the eerie and treacherous landscape beyond Mistaken’s borders. The tension, the stakes, the sense of wonder—it all kept me on the edge of my seat, eager to see where the story would take her.

The blend of folklore, adventure, and romance made for such a captivating read, and the world-building was incredible. The Canadian wilderness setting added an extra layer of beauty and brutality that perfectly complemented the story’s themes of freedom, security, and resilience.

If you love dark fairytales with lyrical writing, high stakes, and an unforgettable heroine, A Land So Wide is a must-read!

A Land So Wide is one of the best books that I have ever read! It is beautifully written and had vivid descriptions throughout the entire book. It had everything for me, including the romance, the mystery, the fantasy, the folklore, the darkness! I am in shock at how great this book was! I haven’t read a book by this author, so I was going into it blindly and I am extremely happy that I did! The themes were very well executed and I enjoyed every second of this Canadian wilderness journey it took me on.

This book is about a girl named Greer Mackenzie who lives in Mistaken land. She is confronted by a curse and must navigate her way through it to rescue her one and only true love named Ellis. There is a lot of danger out in the wilderness she must face. Will she be able to confront everything that comes her way? Why was Ellis cursed? What all is out there in Mistaken land? This story is filled with passion as this unfolds. I rate this a high 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, and the Vintage catalog for providing me with this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!

Firstly, I must admit: Erin A. Craig is one of my auto-read fantasy authors, and I’ll devour anything she writes without even glancing at the blurb. She never fails to amaze me, and I know she’s incapable of writing anything disappointing.

This time, the story follows young Greer MacKenzie, who lives in the small village of Mistaken, protected by Warding Stones and the power of Benevolence. The townspeople offer their blessings in return, believing Benevolence shields them from the Bright-Eyeds—vicious monsters that have claimed lives before. Thankfully, the stones mark the village’s borders, keeping the wild forest and its lurking dangers—Bright-Eyeds, beasts, and other horrors—at bay. Crossing that boundary is forbidden; those who have dared in the past never returned.

Since childhood, Greer has possessed an unusual gift—she can hear people's thoughts, just as her late mother could. She longs to map the borders, explore beyond them, and uncover the unknown, but she remains trapped in Mistaken. Her only solace is her childhood love, Ellis Beaufort, and their shared dream of a happily ever after. Their plan is set: during the village's traditional hunt—a ritual where marriage-age women hide, waiting to be found by their future husbands—Ellis will seek her out. However, her father has other plans, pressuring her to marry Lachlan, a man with ties to her family's fortune.

But on the day of the hunt, everything goes wrong. Instead of finding Greer, Ellis crosses the border—without being repelled by the stones—disappearing into the wilderness. Greer knows this isn’t an accident; it’s a trap, likely orchestrated by her father. Determined to save Ellis, she risks everything, venturing into the forest to bring him back. Yet, as she delves deeper, uncovering the dark secrets of her town and her own past, she realizes the truth may be far more terrifying than she ever imagined. Will she complete her impossible mission, or will she be forced to embrace a destiny that was set for her long before she was born?

Now, I have to say—A Land So Wide is undeniably a compelling read. I adored the first half far more than the second, and while Greer’s love triangle (Even though Greer wasn’t thinking clearly and was lured into something she wouldn’t have done in her right mind.) rattled me, the overall story kept me engaged. The book bombards readers with revelations—some predictable, others utterly jaw-dropping. The world-building is intricate, blending magic, history, and an eerie, claustrophobic wilderness that pulls you in. However, while the pacing kept me turning pages, the sheer volume of twists felt overwhelming at times, and the rushed ending left me slightly unsatisfied.

That said, I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 because, despite its flaws, this was still an enchanting, well-crafted fantasy. And let’s be honest—no one could make me rate an Erin A. Craig book below four stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing a digital review copy of this unputdownable fantasy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

There are many wonderful things to say about this book. For one, it has a wonderful atmosphere. It is whimsical and enchanting in a dark and twisted way. Get as a character is easy to relate to, as she is seemingly stuck in a town full of secrets and rituals. However, there were a few things that were less enjoyable about the story, for one, some of the relationships felt a bit strange, especially towards the end of the story. The twist was good, and the pacing was also fairly decent to keep one engaged throughout the whole story.

I devoured this book. Everytime I thought something was going to happen the Author took us in a different direction. Beautifully written and amazing story! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc.

This is gorgeously written, from the atmosphere to the tug of magic and darkness within the world itself. The best way to describe it is haunting, and it is used to the absolute best of its abilities.

The scream that came out of my mouth when I found out I received a digital arc of this book rivals Greer’s.

Honestly though, I’m so grateful to have been able to read this lovely book early. I’ll read anything Erin Craig puts out. I’m a little sad that I won’t have a new book from her in September but it was definitely worth it.

Erin Craig is unmatched in her atmospheric writing. She immerses you in her stories and makes you feel like you’re in the worlds she creates without it being too lyrical or description heavy. I’ve never read another author that does it as well as she does.

A Land so Wide has the perfect amount of creepy/gothic vibes and I am so here for it. I couldn’t put it down and when I had to, I found myself trying to squeeze in times to pick it up again. There were multiple moments where I audibly gasped and had to cover the bottom of the page to not spoil anything for myself.

Reading A Land so Wide was definitely the highlight of my week.

Anyways, highly recommend!!

Side note: Mistaken reminded me so much of Amity Falls and now I want to do another re-read of Small Favors 😫

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin A. Craig, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC.

This was a very delicious read, I loved the atmosphere so much! It was dark, foreboding, and just the right level of creepy. The story kept me intrigued and entertained throughout, and I enjoyed the ending.

I adored how strong and determined the main character was. She was scared, tempted, and hurt, yet she never gave up. The relationship between Greer and Ellis was sweet and lovely, they treated each other with mutual respect and trust.

I wish I could give this book 5 stars, but I can't. I enjoyed the first 60%, but the remaining 40% felt slightly disconnected from the rest of the story. At 60-70% something happened that scared me and soured my mood a bit - I thought it was the beginning of a love triangle. Even though my fears were eventually dispelled, I found those trianglish bits unnecessary. I also wanted to learn more about the Bright-Eyeds, especially their past/origins.

All in all, I truly enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by this author!

thank you so much for the approval- i cannot wait to dive in, this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year! i will be sure to leave a review on GR/retailers to come! 💞

When I saw that I got approved for this arc I started screaming, crying, throwing up! Then I started reading it and continued to scream, cry, and throw up because it was that good! I was actually giddy reading even just the PROLOGUE because that’s how good it was. The setting, the writing, it’s just so VISUAL; it’s hard not to feel nervous as the terrified voyagers navigate through this uncanny land that they are fearful of without quite knowing why, as bloodcurdling cries are heard in the distance. IT’S SO EERIE. IT’S SO FOREBODING. IT’S SO ERIN’S STYLE. I was kicking my feet and squealing at how deliciously dark it was. I love scary shit like this in books ok. Sue me.

The town of Mistaken is the perfect example of the price you pay for greed and the lure of wealth against your best judgement. You learn that veryyyy quickly from the prologue. Mistaken feels claustrophobic and lonely in a similar way as the setting of the village in her creepy Rumplestilskin retelling. I was actually surprised to see in the book’s blurb that this book technically takes place in Canada, because it very much doesn’t feel like it takes place in the real world. But have no fear about that making this book feel any different because it has the same otherworldly feel as her fantasy books do. If the blurb hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have even assumed this took place in the real world.

Erin is nothing if not consistent. Her books are just consistently good and this one is no different. Therefore, if you’ve enjoyed any of her previous books, you’ll like this one too. Her tone is so distinct; I could read 5 pages and pinpoint the fact that it’s her writing because her writing style and tone are so distinct. She’s got such a unique style, where it’s unsettling without being categorized as full on horror. I love that whenever you pick up an Erin Craig book, you always know what kind of vibe and aesthetic to expect because she has such a distinct style and she knows what her audience likes and expects. Even if she veers into something less creepy like in her last release, every books she releases feels distinctly her. (And yes I am STILL emotionally fragile over The Thirteenth Child and no I am not over it or emotionally healed from it!)

Was this as scary as the Sisters Of the Salt books? No, but those books are terrifying as fuck for what isn’t technically considered a horror novel, and that’s hard to top. Nor do I expect it to. I wouldn’t even say it was scary as Small Favors was. But Erin’s writing and world building are SO GOOD, that even as a girl who emphasizes scares when I pick up a book intended to be creepy, I actually didn’t mind it or like it any less because I found it less scary than some of her previous books. Despite taking place in the real world over fantasy and not being as scary as the previous installments, there is still all the gothic creepiness you love and expect in an Erin Craig novel. I will say it does lose some steam after the halfway mark but all in all, Erin never writes a bad book; she’s not capable of it. This has all the elements and dark aesthetics that you’d expect from her writing. Now, I’m ready for Sisters of the Salt book 3!

Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

🦇 This story was not what I was expecting at all, but it was everything I wanted and needed. It was folklore combined with romance and horror, with poetic writing woven throughout the book. I wanted to read it every chance I could, and when responsibilities kept me from reading, this novel was all I could think about.

🦇 Erin A. Craig has a beautiful way of creating a fictional world that reels you in. Every time I thought I knew what direction the story would go, I'd soon find out I was completely mistaken. I never wanted the story to end...

🦇 The only reason I couldn't give it 5 stars, was because I felt like the last part of the story felt slightly disconnected from the rest, and I wish the romance aspect had gone slightly differently in my opinion. Otherwise, I truly loved this book so much and can't wait to read more by this author! Also, thank you Erin for giving me a new book boyfriend. I absolutely adore Noah Finn. 🤍

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 stars
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✨If you love these tropes, give this book a try:✨

🦇Plot Twists
🦇Love Triangle
🦇Childhood Friends To Lovers
🦇Magic
🦇Quests
🦇Monsters/Mythical Creatures
🦇Forced Proximity
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🦇 A million thanks to netgalley and Pantheon for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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TW: Please be sure to check for trigger warnings. Some triggers include gore, dismemberment, violence, physical assault, etc.

Erin Craig’s settings and atmosphere are always so unique! It was dark, gory, entertaining, and mysterious. I liked Greer as a main character and her story with Ellis. Although, in the last bit it felt like a few events happened just for shock value and the characters moved past it very quickly. Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it

There’s something so intoxicating about the blend of folklore, longing, and the untamed wild, and I was utterly spellbound from start to finish.

I was so incredibly lucky to receive an ARC of this from Net Galley and I don’t think I’ve ever squealed louder at an email, so thank you very much to Knopf and Pantheon for letting me read this piece of art early.

The day that I rate an Erin A Craig book lower than 5 stars, please assume I am no longer me. Everything she has ever written is marvelous and A Land So Wide is no different. Her adult debut had everything I love about her writing, beautifully eerie prose, the ache of a longing love, and above all else a mysterious dark magic.

A Land So Wide takes us to Mistaken, where a colony of people live behind the Warding Stones that protect them from the ravenous Bright-Eyeds, ready to pounce on anyone out after dark. Greer Mackenzie is faithful to the Benevolence, the makers of the stones, and yet she yearns to document the world beyond
their gift.
I have to say- I loved Greer Mackenzie. She was so determined to do what she knew was right and ultimately sure of herself and who she wanted to be. She was not afraid to say what she thought, even in a setting historically where what women think is undervalued. She used her strengths to help her community and pursue the man she loved without thinking about it.
When the man she is to marry, Ellis, disappears past the stones she stops at nothing to find him, and finds out so much about the world she grew up in because of her journey.

I would read this again and again without being bored (and I’m going to when I get my physical copy in September). It just grips you and pulls you in. I savored every single word in these pages and dreaded it being over, but it really, truly was everything I could ask for.

ahhh so excited to have received this arc!! she is one of my favorite authors and this is my most anticipated read of the year ✨ i will be posting my review on goodreads xx