Edgewood, Kristen Ciccarelli 

In a world where magic is possible, Emeline doesn’t want to believe it exists. But when her grandfather goes missing, she gets drawn into the world she’s denied for so long. I hadn’t read Ciccarelli before, but I saw this book was available to request, and the cover and blurb had me hooked. Ciccarelli writes a wholesome feeling story with a character that sees the best in people.

The curse on the land is creative and fun, and while it’s easy for the reader to see what is happening before the reveal, it doesn’t hamper the enjoyment factor at all. The thread of romance in this didn’t go the way I wanted it to because I wasn’t Hawthorn’s biggest cheerleader, but I think it went the way it needed to. Other reviews have labeled this a standalone, but there is so much more that can be done, with some plot points that feel unfinished. Overall, this is a fun read that will appeal to many readers with the varying tropes and genre mashups. Thank you, St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books, for sending this along.

Edgewood is available for preorder on Amazon, Bookshop, and B&N, it releases March 1st.

Read this review on Goodreads and Bookbub.

About the Book:
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.

Haunting and romantic, Kristen Ciccarelli’s Edgewood is an exciting novel from a bold, unforgettable voice in fantasy.