Publication: 12th October 2021 – Titan Books
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.
Lakesedge is an engrossing and dark fantasy novel, the first book in what promises to be a brilliant duology, about a young woman who would do anything to protect her younger brother, even allying with a monster.
Violeta “Leta” Graceling has always taken care of her brother Arien. They live in an isolated cottage with the cruel woman who adopted them after the death of their parents. Dark shadows live inside Arien’s body and Leta lives in fear that someone is going to find out and kill Arien.
One day, in their village, Lord Rowan Sylvanan – also known as the Monster of Lakesedge – comes to collect tithes. Everyone knows what he did to his family, and when he discovers Arien’s secret and wants to take him back with him to Lakesedge Estate, Leta has no choice but to go with them to his big and solemn house. Here, Leta discovers that Rowan is not the monster everyone believes and that there is a powerful curse that haunts them all.
Lakesedge is such an intriguing and thrilling story. There is magic and alchemy, family curses and gods of death, and, of course, fantastic chemistry and romance between the heroine and the villain(-who-is-not-a-monster-after-all). The characters are all captivating and engaging, especially Leta. She is a brave, strong, and determined protagonist, ready to sacrifice herself to the darkness and death to save the people she loves.
Lakesedge is a well-written, compelling, and dark gothic novel that ends with a cliffhanger that makes me impatient to read the sequel! Highly recommended!!!
A huge thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.
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, where she tends her own indoor secret garden. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram @lkclipstone and at lyndallclipstone.com
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