Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone Pages: 384
Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) on September 28, 2021
Series: World at the Lake's Edge #1
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Source: eARC from Publisher
Also in this series: Forestfall (World at the Lake's Edge, #2)A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.
There are monsters in the world.
When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.
There are monsters in the woods.
As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…
There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.
Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.
Lakesedge is the first book in the YA paranormal series called World at the Lake’s Edge by Lyndall Clipstone. Lakesedge is perfect for fans of a spooky atmospheric read. I love that this is a series, because I am super interested to see what is in store for the inhabitants of Lakesedge in the next book. This book does have one of my bookish pet peeves and though that did annoy me, I still enjoyed this one overall. I think it will be a big hit for upper young adult readers looking for a creepy read for Halloween time. Lakesedge delivers a great creepy atmosphere.
In Lakesedge we meet our main character Violeta, who takes care of her brother after losing both of her parents. Her brother suffers dark shadows that seem to overtake him at night. When the Lord of Lakesedge, also known as the monster of Lakesedge, sees his shadows he whisks them away to his house and the real mystery of the book begins. I was so intrigued by not only Violeta and Rowan’s backstories but also their mysterious nightmares and the shadows of the lake.
Violeta bugged me a little bit because she falls prey to something I do not like encountering in books. She thinks she has to take on all the burdens of everyone and doesn’t see fit to let anyone else into her plans. Even when she tries to, she only does so half heartedly. This is a pet peeve of mine. There are very few instances where I feel this is justified. Most of the time, it is a better idea to get others involved and not carry the burden, or secret, on your own. I understand why it is a popular plot device, but I do not usually love it. I understand this is a personal preference and I only tell you a) in case that is also your pet peeve but more importantly b) to let you know that I still really liked the book despite that being present. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen with Violeta next. The ending of Lakesedge was a humdinger! The romance was also interesting, but I am intrigued to see what is going to happen on that front in the next book as well. The mystery of Lakesedge was spooky and held my attention(I’m looking at you Lord Under!), and I can’t wait for more.
Jessica @ a GREAT read
Nice review! This one only just started hitting my radar recently. It sounds like an intriguing read. I’m eager to know more about the paranormal aspects of the story that I was hearing about! I might have to pick this one up sooner rather than later! Nice review!