I’ve been writing so many reviews recently, but you know that means I’ve been reading a lot. One book off my owned TBR that I got to recently was Lakesedge, so I’m happy to be here with a review of the sequel for you! This was a fascinatingly atmospheric duology with monsters, romance and a demi protagonist! Thank you again to Titan for sending me a copy of this one!
Violeta has made a bargain to escape death, but it means that she must live in the Below with Lord Under. She wants to return to her world, and when she discovers she still has a link with Rowan, she realises that she’ll go to drastic lengths to get back home.
I’m not going into the summary any deeper as this is a sequel. There may be spoilers in this review though, so do be warned. This book is a dual perspective between Violeta and Rowan, so you’ll be happy with whoever you prefer.
I am happy that I read this book, though I’ll be honest, I didn’t quite as enjoy it as much as the first one. This book is heavy on the atmosphere, and it’s definitely what makes it a worthwhile read. If you want a book that feels creepy and dank, but in a way that is beautifully written? These books will definitely give you that. When rating this book, I was definitely giving the writing and atmosphere high scores.
But the story itself?
Honestly, I felt very meh about this one. Which is such a shame as I was really excited about this one. The first book was a solid 4 stars, but this one… kind of had the feel of a second book in a trilogy, yet the events were obviously those of a final book. As duology. But honestly? I think this probably would’ve done better as a trilogy. The events in this book felt too easy and too rushed, and there were aspects of the romance that I’ll get onto in a minute that would’ve made more sense if we’d had another book in the middle with more lead-up. It would have been interesting seeing Violeta recover and get used to this world and the direct aftermath of her leaving on Rowan and Arien. It kind of felt like we were thrown straight into this story, even though it is technically a direct follow-on. It just felt like it was missing something.
What I mean about the romance is that something is growing between Lord Under and Violeta. Did I like them together? Actually, yes. It was kind of toxic and questionable, but I liked their scenes and dynamic. You could see it coming from book 1, but when they’re talking about love? It just didn’t feel realistic. It felt like they’d been together too short a time. Which is a shame, as with more build-up I’d have probably been obsessed, and preferred that over her and Rowan.
All this aside, there were good things. I really liked the familial relationships in book 1, and I continued to enjoy them in this one. Though Violeta isn’t with Arien, you still get to see their love, and there’s some sibling stuff for Rowan too. So get excited about that.
I really did have mixed feelings about this book. I’m still glad I read it, don’t get me wrong. And I’ll definitely be reading more from Lyndall Clipstone. But the book just…wasn’t what I’d hoped.
3/5 Stars
Title: Forestfall
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: Adult
Publisher: Titan
Release Date: Out Now
BUY LINKS
Lace and Dagger Books 