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the_books_music_life's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
(So, I do have a question but it is spoilerly and at the very end, so if someone could answer that would be great.)
I LOVE the brief bsexual rep we got with Rowan. I feel like I don’t see bisexual rep in the books I read. Maybe I’m just reading the wrong books, who knows; but I was very happy to see it.
The love the setting, the atmosphere was stunning and the way it was described I could imagine it so easily. The characters are another thing I like, although, I did have my issues with somethings. I love Rowan and Leta’s relationship, It did develop a little fast but that’s to be expected in a duology. The slight slow-burn of it was enjoyable to read. Rowan as a character is something I really loved, he’s complex and allows/lets the world and people see him the way they want to, but when we get to learn more about Rowan and his past you ca understand why he is the way he is. I also love the sibling dynamic between Arien and Leta, it was so sweet and you can tell how much they mean to each other.
I feel iffy on the price Leta had to pay, it felt like too much and not enough at the same time. Maybe that was just me.
Now I do have slight issues with pacing, it felt both rushed and too slow. Leta fell into many of the cliches with older YA of always having to do it yourself and alone. I felt like certain scenes were trying to be more dramatic than they actually were and it threw me off a few times. But the last chapter was so dramatic it had me rolling my eyes a few times; don’t get me wrong I love drama, but when it’s done right. Some of the word choices the author used were a little bit cringe worthy with how dramatic they were.
But, overall I did really enjoy this book, the writing was good, I enjoyed the characters, the different types of relationships etc.
Was it explained why Leta would see, summon, and go to the World Below? Did I miss that explanation? Could someone explain it to me?
I LOVE the brief bsexual rep we got with Rowan. I feel like I don’t see bisexual rep in the books I read. Maybe I’m just reading the wrong books, who knows; but I was very happy to see it.
The love the setting, the atmosphere was stunning and the way it was described I could imagine it so easily. The characters are another thing I like, although, I did have my issues with somethings. I love Rowan and Leta’s relationship, It did develop a little fast but that’s to be expected in a duology. The slight slow-burn of it was enjoyable to read. Rowan as a character is something I really loved, he’s complex and allows/lets the world and people see him the way they want to, but when we get to learn more about Rowan and his past you ca understand why he is the way he is. I also love the sibling dynamic between Arien and Leta, it was so sweet and you can tell how much they mean to each other.
I feel iffy on the price Leta had to pay, it felt like too much and not enough at the same time. Maybe that was just me.
Now I do have slight issues with pacing, it felt both rushed and too slow. Leta fell into many of the cliches with older YA of always having to do it yourself and alone. I felt like certain scenes were trying to be more dramatic than they actually were and it threw me off a few times. But the last chapter was so dramatic it had me rolling my eyes a few times; don’t get me wrong I love drama, but when it’s done right. Some of the word choices the author used were a little bit cringe worthy with how dramatic they were.
But, overall I did really enjoy this book, the writing was good, I enjoyed the characters, the different types of relationships etc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Body horror
Minor: Suicide attempt
siglerbooknook's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I honestly don't know how to review this book. Even at the end I was still confused, like I was missing some important part of the story.
Lakesedge felt like a scrapbook dedicated to Hades and Persephone, Alice in Wonderland, love triangles, and quippy one liners, but the person making the scrapbook was high.
I enjoyed the little details of the book and there is nothing inherently wrong with the writing style, but somehow it still felt incomplete and discombobulated. The romance was sweet but came at the most unexpected moments. Same with the quippy dialogue: it made me smile, but came after such intense scenes that it gave me whiplash.
The premise held so much promise and I definitely enjoyed the twists and turns of how we got to the end, but I feel like I still don't understand anything that happened or why.
Overall it was not a bad debut novel and I may read it again to see what I missed before attempting book two.
Lakesedge felt like a scrapbook dedicated to Hades and Persephone, Alice in Wonderland, love triangles, and quippy one liners, but the person making the scrapbook was high.
I enjoyed the little details of the book and there is nothing inherently wrong with the writing style, but somehow it still felt incomplete and discombobulated. The romance was sweet but came at the most unexpected moments. Same with the quippy dialogue: it made me smile, but came after such intense scenes that it gave me whiplash.
The premise held so much promise and I definitely enjoyed the twists and turns of how we got to the end, but I feel like I still don't understand anything that happened or why.
Overall it was not a bad debut novel and I may read it again to see what I missed before attempting book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Self harm
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Blood
Minor: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
czoltak's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Blood, Self harm, and Child abuse
jwhitlow91's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Body horror, Self harm, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit
Minor: Suicide attempt and Sexual content
elwan_enchanted's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Death of parent, Gore, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Vomit, and Suicide
kdez's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
Moderate: Sexual content, Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Gore
r_a_bell's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book read like a 2012 self-insert watt pad fanfic, especially in the beginning. There’s a lot of build-up with no delivery and it seems like instead of letting the story speak for itself, the author instead just tells you how you should feel about the story.
At the beginning, the main character refer to the (initial) antagonist as “the monster” constantly. After hearing a single rumor about him, being told that he’s called a monster and having like 2 interactions with him. It’s like it was just easier to have the main character keep calling him a monster instead of actually illustrating it and leading you to that conclusion yourself. The entire book just felt like it was trying to hard to be dark and scary, without actually delivering.
My biggest complaint, though, is the descriptions throughout do not line up. When I read, I have a movie that plays in my head of what’s going on in the book. And the way actions were described, it completely took me out of the story almost constantly! For example, if it describes two characters in the same room, at first it will describe them as being on opposite side of the room, and then 2 seconds later it’ll be saying that character A grabbed Character B’s hand. When did they cross the room?? Did I miss something or do they just have super long arms??
My final note:there’s supposed to be a love triangle in this?? The third person in the supposed love triangle is only actually in a scene maybe 3 times. And the way it’s described it felt my creepy and weird than anything. Reading it, I kept thinking to myself “does the author mean for it to sound like the main character is kind of into him??” Nothing about it seemed intentional.
At the beginning, the main character refer to the (initial) antagonist as “the monster” constantly. After hearing a single rumor about him, being told that he’s called a monster and having like 2 interactions with him. It’s like it was just easier to have the main character keep calling him a monster instead of actually illustrating it and leading you to that conclusion yourself. The entire book just felt like it was trying to hard to be dark and scary, without actually delivering.
My biggest complaint, though, is the descriptions throughout do not line up. When I read, I have a movie that plays in my head of what’s going on in the book. And the way actions were described, it completely took me out of the story almost constantly! For example, if it describes two characters in the same room, at first it will describe them as being on opposite side of the room, and then 2 seconds later it’ll be saying that character A grabbed Character B’s hand. When did they cross the room?? Did I miss something or do they just have super long arms??
My final note:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Vomit, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Blood, Death, Gore, and Suicide
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Abandonment
haley49's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved the atmosphere and characters. They all felt sympathetic and realistic, especially when making frustrating decisions! I really liked the main couple and enjoyed their journey together. They had a beauty and the beast feel that was well-done. That said, this book had parts where I felt like I was missing something and there were a few moments where J was confused. I also wish the secondary characters, particularly Violeta’s brother got more time to shine. Overall, a great read with some surprisingly heart-tugging moments that left me emotional on these characters (Leta and Rowan’s) behalfs. I hated Leta’s sacrifice though! I found myself wishing she died rather than give up her memories! That hurt😭😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, and Body horror
Moderate: Self harm, Death of parent, Vomit, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide attempt
andi's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
i definitely should’ve given up on this book, but i kept hoping it will get better. spoiler alert, it didn’t.
lakesedge promised a gothic fantasy, with monsters and magic – but it was lukewarm at best. the plot was repetitive, falling into the same, annoying romance tropes. i was in a constant state of frustration while reading the book – which, by the way, almost put me in a slump as i had no motivation to continue.
the feeble attempt at creating a monstrous love interest was a failure. we’re constantly told both by leta – the main character and by the cast of side characters that the love interest is a monster, and yet we’re shown no proof to back up that claim. rowan doesn’t act like a monster or as a villain at all and yet everyone will continue to view him like one. which got on my nerves after the first 5 times we’re reminded that he’s a monster.
the magic part was so underwhelming – the novel keeps going back and forth between attempting at fixing the thing with magic and failing. and that goes on for a good part of the story, without it really explaining the magic system to us or any motivation for why they’re doing the same thing over and over again and expecting it to work. i also didn’t really grasp why arien’s shadows did anything for the corruption.
another choice i didn’t quite understand is how the big reveal is approached. this huge, important aspect is just casually thrown in as if leta just remembered it – but i don’t think this is something you could ever forget. like she conveniently forgot this detail until it was useful and then magically remembered it. because that makes an awfully lot of sense.
the story could’ve done with the relationship between leta and rowan – it felt forced. they barely knew each other and yet they’re ready to die so the other person lives after a month or so of living in the same house. they had a couple interactions, but i don’t feel like those backed up their relationship that much- since they hated each other for the first week of them living together. i honestly think leta had more chemistry with lord under than with rowan. rowan’s character is very flat, in my opinion. he’s nothing but the misunderstood love interest and i hoped the book would commit to him being morally gray, but nope – he turns soft very fast because love magically heals all that trauma.
leta, the main character, is probably a character i’ll never forget because she annoyed the living hell out of me. we’re told that she’s brave and strong and yet she never rises up to that description. she’s so immature and she constantly acts on impulse, without actually thinking about what she’s about to do or about consequences. arien, her 13yo brother, had a better personality than she did – he was more mature, more contained in his actions. leta constantly tries to sacrifice herself for the sake of saving everyone else, but this saviour complex of hers got really tiring, really fast. she’s exhausting to read about.
the side characters had almost no point in this novel, they were severely underused. they show up a couple of times and i honestly forgot who’s who at some point because they are in so little scenes – both clover, the alchemist, and florence – the maid (i think??) added nothing to the overall story. arien had a bigger presence, but i think he’s there as a reason for leta to sacrifice herself. other than his shadows, we know nothing about him. the book also features some LGBTQ rep but it’s just glossed over so truly not memorable at all – there’s a line about rowan kissing a boy when he was little and a scene with clover’s girlfriend. and that’s it.
the book also doesn’t focus on worldbuilding at all – it’s all vague and underdeveloped. which is a shame, because the setting would’ve been really cool if the author paid more attention to crafting it. it’s been pitched as a gothic novel, but it barely dips its toes in the genre. the gothic aspect is surface-level. i also wish we would get more information about lord under and the corruption – but both show up when it’s convenient.
also, i’m really mad at how leta went on and on about how badly of an idea trusting lord under was and then she does exactly that and gets mad when it doesn’t end well. miss girl, what??? what did you expect?? why are you surprised the literal incarnation of death tricked you?
alas, lakesedge tried to do too many things at the same time. it had a lot of potential, but it ended up being such a disappointing read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, and Self harm
natreviews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So I got this book from Owlcrate and I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. The story is nice and simple, but is also dark. It's a mix of a couple of different fairy tales (Beauty and the Beast and
The Myth of Hades and Persephone were the ones I picked up on), and twists it with it's own story.
The main weaknesses in this book is the time jumping can be a bit confusing (not the worst I've read, but a lot of character feeling changes happen in those time jumps) and the enemies to lovers trope isn't great. After reading books like Queen Takes Rose and Survival Instincts, I'm worried that the straights aren't getting the same level of quality with this trope. It's mainly I hate him, but he's hot so might as well rather than anything being developed over time.
I saw that this is planned to be a series, so I might just have to pick up the next book whenever it comes out.
The main weaknesses in this book is the time jumping can be a bit confusing (not the worst I've read, but a lot of character feeling changes happen in those time jumps) and the enemies to lovers trope isn't great. After reading books like Queen Takes Rose and Survival Instincts, I'm worried that the straights aren't getting the same level of quality with this trope. It's mainly I hate him, but he's hot so might as well rather than anything being developed over time.
I saw that this is planned to be a series, so I might just have to pick up the next book whenever it comes out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, and Self harm