Gothic fantasy and romance should be the one place where authors have free reign to do whatever they please with a villain, but even Lakesedge takes the safe and easy road. Second, there is no real development of a villain, something that far too many YA novels lately are completely neglecting in general. You’re just reading ritual, failure, ritual, failure, waiting for the version that will finally take-and guess what? You’ll know what version that will be, too. Instead, you’re told about what it is and what the stakes are from the beginning, one after the other as they become relevant, and without that mystery, the plot turns into a slog. There is no wife in the attic, no surprise incest, no hauntings by the ghost of one’s daughter, not a single moment that finally exposes the truth of the horror and monstrosity the characters have been facing. What mystery there could have been is given away in the official synopsis of the book alone, and what isn’t can barely be considered mysterious or suspenseful. But it’s missing key elements to tie it all together, and without them, the novel sadly lacks substance.įirst, there is no real mystery or suspense. There is a neglected mansion with a creepy lake there are foreshadowing nightmares, high emotions, supernatural activity, and of course a romance. My verdict is that, no, it’s not gothic enough to be called a gothic novel. I was so, so hopeful for Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone, a novel that promised to be about monsters and magic, told in a lush gothic style-but was it truly a gothic work in the end? She vows to save Rowan, the estate, and herself, all while discovering why she is also being drawn to the Lord Under. She discovers that Rowan has a connection to the Lord Under, a sinister death god that makes bargains for a terrible price. However, once she arrives, neither lord nor lake are what they seem. The lord of the estate, Rowan Sylvanan, is said to have drowned his parents and brother in the lake. Violeta Graceling travels with her younger brother, Arien, to Lakesedge estate, expecting to be at the mercy of the Monster of Lakesedge. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended Readers: Young adult readers who like emotional stories Notable Notables:Original fantasy world, a death god is here

Lakesedge book