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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
No matter how far she runs, the forest of Edgewood always comes for Emeline Lark. The scent of damp earth curls into her nose when she sings and moss creeps across the stage. It’s as if the woods of her childhood, shrouded in folklore and tall tales, are trying to reclaim her. But Emeline has no patience for silly superstitions.
When her grandfather disappears, leaving only a mysterious orb in his wake, the stories Emeline has always scoffed at suddenly seem less foolish. She enters the forest she has spent years trying to escape, only to have Hawthorne Fell, a handsome and brooding tithe collector, try to dissuade her from searching.
Refusing to be deterred, Emeline finds herself drawn to the court of the fabled Wood King himself. She makes a deal—her voice for her grandfather’s freedom. Little does she know, she’s stumbled into the middle of a curse much bigger than herself, one that threatens the existence of this eerie world she’s trapped in, along with the devastating boy who feels so familiar.
With the help of Hawthorne—an enemy turned reluctant ally who she grows closer to each day—Emeline sets out to not only save her grandfather’s life, but to right past wrongs, and in the process, discover her true voice.
Review:
I really love novels with the Fae as part of the story. In Edgewood, by Kristen Ciccarelli, the Fae are varied. Some are kind and others are cruel. And there are many other kinds of creatures that create a rich universe for the story. But this is also a novel about the "real" world, where Emeline, the main character, is torn between helping her grandfather, who has dementia, and following her dreams of becoming a famous singer. I found the exploration of Emme's relationship with her grandfather, and how she deals with the guilt of not being there for him, to be the real heart of the story. There is a romance with a human who is living with the Fae, which I found somewhat problematic. And there were some interesting quests for Emme to fulfill which helped keep the book moving. Overall, I would say this would be a good library read.
What I Liked:
World-Building:
I really liked all the various creatures that inhabit the world of the Fae. There is the wood king, who is predictably cruel, and un predictable. But there are also creatures, such as the terrifying fire-horses who can spirit someone away, bog spirits who suck your blood as payment across a body of water, as well as dragons, and many other magical creatures. I liked that some where relatively harmless, but others might kill you without a second thought.
There was also a complex mythology that the people of Edgewood, the small town on the edge of the forest, believe. They make sure to pay tithes to the Fae to keep dangers away. If anything bad happens to someone, the Fae are almost always to blame. Emme doesn't really believe any of it. Which makes the townspeople seem delusional to her. She can't wait to get away from these people!
Characters:
I did like Emme. She was very torn about leaving Edgewood to pursue her dreams of musical superstardom. She knows that she has an abundance of talent, but she is also close to her grandfather, who has raised her. When Emme moves to a large city and see strange things happen when she sings, she wonders if maybe she is having mental issues. She also starts to question all the other compromises she has to make to become a "popular" singer. She is told her own music that she has written doesn't have pop appeal. So she starts using a songwriter, and is more successful. But is this really the kind of music she wants to perform?
Emme's grandfather is the kind of person we all wish we had in our lives. He has raised Emme ever since her mother left Emme as a baby. But her grandfather has taught her about living a life filled with friends and neighbors, so that Emme rarely felt unloved. He is even the one to insist that she leave Edgewood to pursue her music.
What I Was Mixed About:
Tone:
While the book shows Emme as an adult who has had several lovers, it also tries to dial it back when she gets to the world of the Fae. Then,, she refers to a young man about her age as a boy (I'm paraphrasing, but several times Emme says to herself, "Since when do you blush and stammer when talking to a boy, Emme?"). She's not an awkward, inexperienced young teen!
Spice:
Emme is supposed to be nineteen in the book and makes no bones that she is not a virgin. That's fine. Teens have sex, and an nineteen year-old is an adult. However, the book has two sex scenes in it. The scene when she is nineteen gets hot and heavy and then fades to black. But the other scene takes place when she is about fifteen and is a complete, sex on the page, play by play. I personally find it wrong for a writer to describe children having sex. She could have easily been more descriptive during the scene when she was of age. I don't understand why she chose to do this. This is my own opinion and I do not judge others if they disagree with me.
Characters:
I felt that Hawthorne, the young man that Emme meets in the Fae world, was a bit two-dimensional. I get that he needs to be mysterious so that Emme will want to know more about him. But we never learn some key facts about him, such as how he came to be in the Fae world in the first place. He only has one motivation (which I won't spoil by revealing it here), and you never understand what he really wants or what would make him happy.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Author: Kristen Ciccarelli
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Length: 400 pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: I think this is fine to read as a library book but I wouldn't go out of my way to spend money on it.
