3 reasons Lakesedge is an absolutely perfect read for spooky season

It’s October, which means that readers everywhere are busy looking for a little something extra spooky for their TBR piles. And while Lyndall Clippstone’s Lakesedge may have technically hit shelves at the end of September, it’s an absolutely perfect book to dive into as the nights get longer and the leaves start to turn.

An atmospheric, Gothic story, the novel centers around Violetta Graceling, a foundling whose brother Arien possesses a strange, dark shadow magic that disturbs his dreams and terrifies his very religious adoptive mother. But when the lord of the local (spooky, very haunted seeming) estate learns about Arien’s abilities, he’s desperate for the boy to help him mend the dark Corruption that seems to be polluting Lakesedge – and Rowan himself.

Forced to follow her brother to Rowan’s dark and foreboding estate, Leta will learn that many things are not precisely what they seem and, in doing so, will be forced to reveal some secrets of her own.

Here are three reasons you should add Lakesedge to your spooky season TBR.

Lakesedge has serious Crimson Peak vibes

Look, if what you need to read during this month is a big, swoony Gothic tale, Lakesedge is the book for you. From the gorgeously decrepit titular mansion that all the locals are afraid to go roo near, to the black lake that surrounds it and the mysterious yet deadly Corruption that has blighted the land, everything about this story’s setting is rich and atmospheric.

There are hidden, bedraggled gardens and walls that occasionally appear to weep dark water, along with secret rooms, billowing gowns, and strange altars. Plus, there’s the mystery of what precisely happened to the family that once lived there. Local rumor insists that Rowan killed his parents and brother in the walls of Lakesedge – but did he? And if he didn’t….what happened to them?

Lakesedge features a swoony Gothic romance

No one who reads the description of Lakesedge should be surprised at the revelation that an attraction will develop between Violetta and Rowan. After all, that’s almost what’s always at the heart of these stories, a girl who finds herself tempted by the darkness of this seemingly otherworldly location.

Lakesedge riffs on familiar tropes from Beauty and the Beast and the Greek myths of Hades and Persephone as Rowan suffers through the sacrifices he must make to control the dark lake and Leta struggles to figure out a way to save both her brother and this strange boy she’s come to care for. Though their relationship moves rather rapidly from pointed bickering to intense makeout sessions, the characters have great chemistry with one another and their similar backgrounds (sacrifices meant to save others going horribly wrong) makes them unexpected kindred spirits.

Lakesedge offers some intriguing  fantasy worldbuilding

The worldbuilding of Lakesedge is one of the book’s strongest elements – and something I can’t wait to see expanded upon in the sequel. The world’s unnamed religious system is especially intriguing, from its complex seasonal rituals and magical gifts to its dual worship of a Lady of LIght and a Lord of Darkness.

Yet, the Lord of the Dead is not just a removed guardian of the underworld but a darkly powerful and manipulative being with an agenda of his own. (Though we don’t quite know what that is as yet.) He makes life-altering deals with desperate children, claiming much of their lives in exchange for saving someone they love. He has a specific and eerie connection with Leta,  and rules over a shadowland of dead souls trapped in trees. Creepy much?

Lakesedge is available now. Let us know if you plan to give it a look.