The romance between Leta and Rowan is a kind of hate to love because in the beginning Rowan is prickly and rude and basically steals Leta and Arien away in the middle of the night. I hope these two things are given more page time in the sequel. Because of this, there isn’t much time to develop his connection with Leta, nor to explore exactly what he wants from her. Considering that the Lord Under is mentioned in the blurb, he doesn’t actually make an appearance until quite late in the book. Most of it is in the past, but the themes of death permeate throughout the whole story, especially since the god of death is a character. There is a lot of death in Lakesedge, which is where most of the spookiness comes from. I love the way Leta learns to trust Arien’s decisions and his powers over the course of the book. I love messy sibling relationships in books, and Leta and Arien’s was messy in the most beautiful way.

This girl is willing to do everything she can (and even things she can’t) to protect him, and while she does sometimes take it too far it really does come from a good place. Leta’s love for her brother was one of my favourite aspects of the book. Is all revealed? You’ll have to read it to find out! This thread kept an element of mystery throughout the whole novel as you try to figure out exactly what happened in Leta’s past. Leta has vague impressions of their parents, but no more. Neither of them can remember their lives before that moment, or how they ended up alone in the forest. The family aspect was mainly focussed on Leta and her brother, Arien, who were found wandering the forest when they were small children.

Lakesedge is a lot about family, a lot about death, and a lot about romance. But alas, I didn’t keep it for spooky season, and I enjoyed it nonetheless! And also lots of romance, which is always nice in a gothic book if I do say so myself. In some ways, I wish I’d waited until spooky season to read Lakesedge because it is absolutely the perfect read for Halloween! It’s got monster boys, magic girls, underworld kings, spooky forests, and a corrupt darkness. To save Rowan, and herself, Leta must confront the darkness in her past, which includes unravelling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under. There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn… But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.Īs 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. She knows the terrifying rumours about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. How: A copy of this novel was provided by Pan Macmillan Australia for review. What: Lakesedge (World at Lake’s Edge #1) by Lyndall Clipstone

Lakesedge by lyndall clipstone