Blog Tour – Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

**Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review from as part of a tour from TBR and Beyond Tours.**

Tour Schedule

Title Lakesedge
Author Lyndall Clipstone
Release Date September 28, 2021
Date Finished September 14, 2021

Description
Content Warnings: Emotional and physical abuse by a parent, Body horror, Gore and blood (including description of wounds), Emesis, Discussions of death and grief (no on-page deaths), Descriptions of drowning and deep water, Drowning-related imagery Self-injury (in the context of a curse that requires regular physical sacrifices), suicidal ideation

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.

Initial Thoughts
While making a Hades and Persephone cheat sheet, I discovered that this book is, in fact, an H&P retelling. And that totally piqued my interest. I was also eager to read something for spooky season.

Some Things I Liked
Historical fantasy vibes. One of my favorite things about this book is that it is set in a fictional world but it feels historical. If you like A Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth, you’ll love this book.
The romance. The romance in this book was really well done. Our main characters are definitely both carrying a ton of emotional baggage but I loved the way they found comfort in each other.
Representation. I really loved this element. This book covers numerous representations and I really liked how they were all handled. I can’t wait to see how the different threads play out as far as items set up in this book. I can’t say much more because of spoilers.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
Leta annoyed me at times. She was hasty and rash and often messed things up for everyone else and then was like “well, you should have told me I was about to mess everything up.” Please note, I know this is a YA book so the main character is bound to make mistakes but, I think what annoyed me about Leta at times was her reaction to said mistakes. She read as immature in some scenes and mature in others.

Series Value
There must be a sequel to this book. There just must be. I need it. The ending left me wanting so much more. I can’t wait to find out what happens.

Final Thoughts
I really liked this book. I loved the H&P vibes, the romance, and the spooky elements. I am definitely interested in continuing this series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51591631-lakesedge 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250753392 
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lakesedge-lyndall-clipstone/1136522298 
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Lakesedge-Lyndall-Clipstone/9781250753397 
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/lakesedge/9781250753397-item.html?ikwid=lakesedge&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=c59743ed99919d43e481c08229b3e14a 
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250753397 

About the Author

Author Links
Website: https://lyndallclipstone.com/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lkclipstone 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lkclipstone/ 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19961105.Lyndall_Clipstone 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/0gxn0wis8o3rxehef08vh0ows?si=76816ab4b25d45d5&nd=1