Lakesedge

By Lyndall Clipstone

A stunningly written, lush dark fantasy perfect for fans of A Curse So Dark and Lonely and Uprooted.
There are monsters in the world.
Violeta Graceling has spent her life in an isolated cottage, trying to protect herself and her beloved younger brother Arien from their adoptive mother's twisted cruelty. A cruelty driven by the mysterious shadows that unwillingly spill from Arien's hands, spelling dark magic and an even darker underworld.
To escape means taking a position at the haunted estate of Rowan Sylvanan—the so-called "Monster of Lakesedge"—who comes seeking Arien's dark magic. The monster who, it is whispered, stalks the halls of his manor and the shores of the blackened, cursed lake.
Yet as Violeta investigates Lakesedge's tragic history, she discovers that its prickly, standoffish lord is far from a monster, but an orphaned boy not much older than she is. As their friendship blossoms, Violeta learns the tragic truth of Rowan's curse and his fateful bargain with the Lord Under. To save Lakesedge, she must make a bargain of her own with the fiendish being who rules over the world Below.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Titan Books
• Release date: Oct 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781789096897

Lyndall Clipstone

Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian who grew up running wild in the Barossa Ranges of South Australia, she currently lives in Adelaide, Australia, where she tends her own indoor secret garden. She is the author of Lakesedge and Forestfall.

Reviews for Lakesedge

[andy5185 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is just dripping with gothic creepiness and I LOVE it. It has it all and more - the dark mansion, magical battles, a tormented hot brooding man, a scary but sexy king of the underworld and last but not least the brave and self sacrificing main character of Violeta who both frustrated me and wowed me. The book cover art perfectly captures the goth romance feel of the story. Highly entertaining, I look forward to reading more from this debut author.

[sennebec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a book that can fool you for the first several chapters. However, it does not disappoint after you realize what's at the core of it. There's plenty of tension after Violetta learns what's facing her and her brother when they reach the estate, and the supporting cast is pretty solid, even the most evil one. It is complex and ends on a major cliffhanger. I will be extremely interested in what comes next.

[librarianryan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There is some debate if this is “gothic”. To me, yes. I find it very reminiscent of the look and feel of Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak. Lakesedge is a “poisoned” estate. The lake is black and dangerous and has caused the death of many people. And the rumor is that Rowan, the current lord of the land, used the lake to kill his family. All most anyone really knows is that he is dark, mysterious, and moody. Violeta is just a young woman trying to protect her brother from a world that does not know or understand him. Leta doesn’t really know him either. She just knows he has nightmares. But these are more than nightmares. It is his dark alchemist powers that are growing everyday, and Rowan needs his help to drive bac the poison at Lakesedge. But this story is so much more than that. Leta herself is very special as well, she can call to the Lord Under. He saved her years ago when she was driven from her home with her young brother. And now he is back, and will complicate things at Lakes Edge. I really enjoyed this book. It was haunting and dark, and as mentioned before it feels like Crimson Peak, crossed between A Court of Mist and Fury. Huh? That’s right. Rowan and Lord Under remind me a bit of Tamlin and Rhys. (Please be aware I have only read the first book of that series). One thinks the other is evil, but still needs their help to keep a kingdom peaceful or at least under control. The sequel to this is out soon, and based on blurb alone, I feel it may go the way of ACTAR, but I sure hope not. I loved the quite story between Leta and Rowan. It has its dark parts, and two people finding light in each other. The side characters are just as compelling. We shall see where the story goes, because unfortunately, this one ends on a cliffhanger.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the World at Lake’s Edge duology. I borrowed this book as an ebook from the library.Thoughts: I enjoyed this but didn’t love it. This is one of those very dramatic dark gothic types of reads. The premise is that Violeta Graceling is desperately trying to protect her brother, Arien, from the shadows that haunt him. This is when Rowan shows up and demands that Arien accompany Rowan to Rowan’s estate. The rumors surrounding Rowan are dark and vicious but Violeta and Arien have no other options as the villagers start to turn against Arien and his dark shadows.I did like the imagery here and the dark gothic tone to it all. Unfortunately, the book felt a bit unfinished as well. The world isn’t built out very well. We know there are alchemists and possibly other types of magic? However, the story is very secluded to Rowan’s estate and this makes the world feel small and underdeveloped. The characters are okay. Violeta (Leta) and Rowan are both a bit overly dramatic for me. I kind of dig Rowan’s dark, wounded, savior vibes but he is just sooo stereotypical for this type of story. I also got a bit sick of Leta’s savior complex; she was constantly putting herself in crazy dangerous situations to help those she loved and it was just so repetitive that it made her character feel a bit flat.The writing style is very lush and descriptive but also felt a bit immature to me. The story could have been tighter, the plot more complete. This also ends at a very big cliffhanger which I am not a fan of. I did enjoy the alchemical magic and the Lord Under though.My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the tone, the gothic darkness, and the alchemical magic here. Leta and Rowan’s relationship is about as darkly gothic wounded feeling as they come. However, the world building was thin, the characters lacked dimension and everything about this felt a bit unfinished and overly dramatic. I am on the fence about whether or not I will read the next book in the series.

[avanders_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was pretty terrible — super weirdly repetitive and clichéd and oh-so-tropey. And it’s *not* gothic or modern gothic… though certain obvious elements have been shoved into the story to make it appear so. But it got the extra star for being such a quick and easy read. Deserved? Idk, maybe not…. ;p I really start to wonder if I’m too old for YA… but when I think about Six of Crows, Nyxia, and other well-written YAs, I think, “no, this just isn’t good.”

[lea.pearl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Get ready for a throw-the-book-across-the-room cliffhanger! Ugh!Lakesedge is a beautifully gothic tale indeed! It's moody, macabre, murderous, and mysterious...exactly what I hoped for from this book! The world building is gradual and no small detail is spared. The characters and relationships therein are well-built and it felt easy to watch their stories unfold.Unfortunately for me, I found myself getting lost and a bit confused by the writing at times almost like I couldn't ground myself easily in the story. I can't exactly put my finger on why...maybe it just doesn't flow as well as it could?Overall, though, a great read and I'm desperate for the next installment!Thank you Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the e-ARC via NetGalley to read and review honestly.