Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Publication Date: 30 August 2022
Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: ARC from Publisher
Some oaths can never be broken...
The curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate has been broken, but at great cost. Violeta Graceling has sacrificed herself to end the Corruption. To escape death, Leta makes a desperate bargain with the Lord Under, one that sees her living at his side in the land of the dead.
But this world of souls and mist hides many secrets. And when Leta realises she is still connected to Rowan by a tethering spell, she will risk everything - even her soul - to try and reach him.
Torn between power and love, life and death, Leta struggles to keep hold of her humanity as she falls further and further under the spell of the world Below . . . and the Lord Under.
Forestfall was a gripping conclusion to Lakesedge. In fact, I think I enjoyed this second instalment more than the first book, as I found the relationship between the Lord Under and Leta particularly compelling. The story moved at a good pace, told through Rowan and Leta's alternating POVs, and the prose was atmospheric. My only slight complaint was the number of fragmentary sentences. Some worked well, but others felt awkward and unnecessary, especially when they would have linked cleanly and simply to the preceding sentence. But that's just a niggle I had, slipping into editor mode, and it may not bother other readers as much. Overall, though, this was an enjoyable fantasy duology, noting for potential readers that it's on the darker, more adult side of YA, with a fair bit of violence and some sexual content. It gets 4.5 stars from me.
I received this book as a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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