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A review by e_flah
Edgewood by Kristen Ciccarelli
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Edgewood is an atmospheric story that follows Emeline Lark who is on a quest to reclaim her grandfather, Pa, from the Wood King. The story is driven by both Emeline's internal struggle to figure out what really matters to her and also by several external conflicts tied to the faeries that live in the forest of Edgewood.
The prose was my favorite part of Edgewood. Ciccarelli's writing is incredibly evocative and makes the forest of Edgewood a really immersive setting. It was easy to get swept up in the lyrical prose, which also paired well with the tone of the story.
There are a lot of things going on in Edgewood that didn't quite come together into a cohesive story. The first portion of the book is largely character driven but our main character Emeline always felt a bit surface level to me. She defines herself by her love of music and desire to become a big-time musician. For a story where Emeline is a main source of story momentum, I needed more character development in order to care about whether she achieves her goals. Several of the plot points hinge on Emeline's character growth that just didn't seem believable given the little characterization provided.
The external conflicts around the forest of Edgewood and its inhabitants were entertaining. They helped provide some tension in the story and made for a more action-packed back half of Edgewood. There were plot arcs I wish had gotten a bit more attention but I think that's the trade-off of getting a standalone novel.
I would recommend Edgewood to readers who enjoy lyrical prose, slower-paced stories, and/or faeries.
Edgewood is an atmospheric story that follows Emeline Lark who is on a quest to reclaim her grandfather, Pa, from the Wood King. The story is driven by both Emeline's internal struggle to figure out what really matters to her and also by several external conflicts tied to the faeries that live in the forest of Edgewood.
The prose was my favorite part of Edgewood. Ciccarelli's writing is incredibly evocative and makes the forest of Edgewood a really immersive setting. It was easy to get swept up in the lyrical prose, which also paired well with the tone of the story.
There are a lot of things going on in Edgewood that didn't quite come together into a cohesive story. The first portion of the book is largely character driven but our main character Emeline always felt a bit surface level to me. She defines herself by her love of music and desire to become a big-time musician. For a story where Emeline is a main source of story momentum, I needed more character development in order to care about whether she achieves her goals. Several of the plot points hinge on Emeline's character growth that just didn't seem believable given the little characterization provided.
The external conflicts around the forest of Edgewood and its inhabitants were entertaining. They helped provide some tension in the story and made for a more action-packed back half of Edgewood. There were plot arcs I wish had gotten a bit more attention but I think that's the trade-off of getting a standalone novel.
I would recommend Edgewood to readers who enjoy lyrical prose, slower-paced stories, and/or faeries.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship