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wordsbetweenlines's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
I love her writing. After being obsessed with Crimson Moth and Rebel Witch I was thrilled to start this.
It did not disappoint. The cover and hidden cover are both stunning and then story lived up to it.
It’s got a mix of our world and a fantasy world and what brews in the woods. I loved it. I was immediately drawn in and wanted to hear her voice and feel the chills of the forest.
I also felt so much for Pa, her aching for him felt like my own for a loved one. A beautiful tribute of love.
Read if you enjoyed: Crimson Moth, Spells for Forgetting or A River Enchanted
abbieday01's review against another edition
5.0
I'm sorry - what??? What kind of ending is that? I hated the ending - tragic like all the poetry and songs revealed throughout the book.
I enjoyed this book. The concept is interesting. The characters are good and the story flows very well.
I enjoyed this book. The concept is interesting. The characters are good and the story flows very well.
openbookheartmind's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
tamarasbff's review
5.0
EDGEWOOD is as stunning as its cover. I adore its creepy-gorgeous atmosphere, the way the woods feels like a character, and its deep themes of memory and death and family.
thebookishhermit's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a while to finish this book, but I enjoyed it a lot! There were twists I expected and some that I didn’t. Most of all the end left me wishing the story wrapped up differently but, I get why it ended that way. Especially after reading the author’s note about ubi sunt. Anyway, the ember mares, the lush feeling of that forest world, the romance and the mystery make this book hard to stop reading once it hits its strides. However, it will punch you in the feels and make you feel like the air has been sucked out of you at the end.
worldsunlikeourown's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own.
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emeline wants to become a famous singer and her hard work has finally brought her close to getting a big break when she receives a call from her hometown informing her that her grandfather has disappeared. She returns to Edgewood, a town where mysterious occurrences near the woods are not uncommon and the people are all rather superstitious and firm believers in the magical forces that dwell within. The rumor is that her grandfather has been tithed to the Wood King and now belongs to his court deep in the woods. Emeline has never believed in these stories, but having exhausted all other options, ventures into the woods, determined to get him back, only to find out that all the stories were true.
I was admittedly very nervous to read this book (hence why I put it off until a week before release date) because the last book I read by this author, The Last Namsara, really did not work for me. Luckily, this was a very different type of story to that one, and it caught my interest almost immediately. The world building was beautifully executed and really brings to life the magical forest and all its inhabitants. The parts of the story set in the real world on the other hand didn’t feel as well written and I was just turning the pages until the plot returned to the woods. It has several common fantasy and fairytale tropes, but puts a unique spin on them, resulting in quite a fascinating, not to mention entertaining read.
As for the characters, I have to say I couldn’t really connect with them, and I felt that the characters didn’t have enough depth to them. Some of characters Emeline meets in the Wood King’s court did seem really interesting and it would have been nice if the story had taken time to develop these arcs better. I was also not too impressed with the romance. Initially, it seemed like it had a lot of potential, but there was so much else going on that this arc ended up feeling rushed. My focus was entirely on what would happen next on Emeline’s quest to save her grandfather and how it would all end, so definitely plot over characters with this one.
The pacing was quite good at first, but soon became rather inconsistent and choppy, and it took nearly 40% of the book before Emeline’s quest is finally revealed. Also, the magic system remained extremely vague right to the end, and considering how important a role it played, some clarity on the situation would have been helpful.
Overall, I found Edgewood to be a pleasant read. Despite a few issues, the story was engaging enough for me to keep reading to the end and it was a satisfactory conclusion to this narrative. Fans of these tropes are sure to enjoy this book and I would definitely recommend it!
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Emeline wants to become a famous singer and her hard work has finally brought her close to getting a big break when she receives a call from her hometown informing her that her grandfather has disappeared. She returns to Edgewood, a town where mysterious occurrences near the woods are not uncommon and the people are all rather superstitious and firm believers in the magical forces that dwell within. The rumor is that her grandfather has been tithed to the Wood King and now belongs to his court deep in the woods. Emeline has never believed in these stories, but having exhausted all other options, ventures into the woods, determined to get him back, only to find out that all the stories were true.
I was admittedly very nervous to read this book (hence why I put it off until a week before release date) because the last book I read by this author, The Last Namsara, really did not work for me. Luckily, this was a very different type of story to that one, and it caught my interest almost immediately. The world building was beautifully executed and really brings to life the magical forest and all its inhabitants. The parts of the story set in the real world on the other hand didn’t feel as well written and I was just turning the pages until the plot returned to the woods. It has several common fantasy and fairytale tropes, but puts a unique spin on them, resulting in quite a fascinating, not to mention entertaining read.
As for the characters, I have to say I couldn’t really connect with them, and I felt that the characters didn’t have enough depth to them. Some of characters Emeline meets in the Wood King’s court did seem really interesting and it would have been nice if the story had taken time to develop these arcs better. I was also not too impressed with the romance. Initially, it seemed like it had a lot of potential, but there was so much else going on that this arc ended up feeling rushed. My focus was entirely on what would happen next on Emeline’s quest to save her grandfather and how it would all end, so definitely plot over characters with this one.
The pacing was quite good at first, but soon became rather inconsistent and choppy, and it took nearly 40% of the book before Emeline’s quest is finally revealed. Also, the magic system remained extremely vague right to the end, and considering how important a role it played, some clarity on the situation would have been helpful.
Overall, I found Edgewood to be a pleasant read. Despite a few issues, the story was engaging enough for me to keep reading to the end and it was a satisfactory conclusion to this narrative. Fans of these tropes are sure to enjoy this book and I would definitely recommend it!
karleighreads's review
5.0
Masterpiece. I knew it would be a five star read before I was 60% though. It is the perfect blend of romance and fantasy, with amazing world building. unique and enchanting characters, and many unpredictable twists.
I want more, I want to read it again for the first time, I want to be apart of this world. It has been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a book.
If you are looking for that one book that is going to immerse you into an enchanted wood, curses, and fantastical creatures I can't recommend Edgewood enough. Plus the cover is absolutely stunning.
I want more, I want to read it again for the first time, I want to be apart of this world. It has been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a book.
If you are looking for that one book that is going to immerse you into an enchanted wood, curses, and fantastical creatures I can't recommend Edgewood enough. Plus the cover is absolutely stunning.
rusereviews's review
4.0
Edgewood is a standalone romantic fantasy novel by Kristen Ciccarelli that leans towards an older YA audience (or New Adult, if that's actually a thing). Think rural-fantasy like urban-fantasy. The eBook version is 400 pages. I listened to the audiobook by Macmillan Audio, which clocks in at 13 hours and is narrated wonderfully by Caitlin Kelly. The cover is also stunningly beautiful.
Emeline Lark is trying to make her break as a singer/musician in Montreal, having left her small superstitious hometown to do so. Sometimes when she sings, it seems like the forest of Edgewood comes for her in the form of moss or insects. Then her grandfather, who has dementia, disappears from his nursing home, leaving a mysterious orb on his pillow. Figuring that the stories she was told as a child weren't just superstition, Emeline decides to make a deal with the Wood King for the return of her grandfather. And oops, there's also a curse threatening the entire existence of the Wood King's court and on top of that there's this weird boy who seems really familiar to her.
I want this book to get optioned for a movie, because I need Bill Nighy to play the Wood King.
Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an audio review copy. All opinions herein are my own.
CW: (slight spoilers) mention of unconsensual relationships in the past
Emeline Lark is trying to make her break as a singer/musician in Montreal, having left her small superstitious hometown to do so. Sometimes when she sings, it seems like the forest of Edgewood comes for her in the form of moss or insects. Then her grandfather, who has dementia, disappears from his nursing home, leaving a mysterious orb on his pillow. Figuring that the stories she was told as a child weren't just superstition, Emeline decides to make a deal with the Wood King for the return of her grandfather. And oops, there's also a curse threatening the entire existence of the Wood King's court and on top of that there's this weird boy who seems really familiar to her.
I want this book to get optioned for a movie, because I need Bill Nighy to play the Wood King.
Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an audio review copy. All opinions herein are my own.
CW: (slight spoilers) mention of unconsensual relationships in the past