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A Land So Wide
From the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Roots and Ruin, an irresistible blend of dark fairytale and romantic fantasy set in the beautiful but brutal Canadian wilderness.
Like everyone else in the settlement of Mistaken, Greer Mackenzie is trapped. Founded by an ambitious Scottish lumber merchant, the tiny town on the edge of the American continent is blessed with rich natural resources that have made its people prosperous—but at a cost. The same woods that have lined the townsfolks' pockets harbor dangerous beasts: wolves, bears, and the Bright-Eyeds—monsters beyond description who have rained utter destruction down on nearby settlements. But Mistaken's founders made a deal with the mysterious Benevolence: the Warding Stones that surround the town will keep the Bright-Eyeds out—and the town's citizens in. Anyone who spends a night within Mistaken's borders belongs to it forever.
Greer, a mapmaker and eccentric dreamer, has always ached to explore the world outside, even though she knows she and her longtime love, Ellis Beaufort, will never see it. Until, on the day she and Ellis are meant to finally begin their lives together, Greer watches in horror as her beloved disappears beyond the Warding Stones, pursued by a monstrous creature. Swiftly realizing that the stories she was raised on might be more myth than fact, Greer figures out a way to escape Mistaken for the very first time. Determined to rescue Ellis, she begins a trek through the cold and pitiless wilderness. But Greer is being hunted, not only by the ruthless Bright-Eyeds but by the secret truths behind Mistaken's founding, as well as her own origins.
Playfully drawing from Scottish folklore, Erin A. Craig's adult debut is both a deeply atmospheric and profoundly romantic exploration of freedom versus security: a stunning celebration of one woman's relentless bravery on a quest to reclaim her lost love—and claim her own future.
Like everyone else in the settlement of Mistaken, Greer Mackenzie is trapped. Founded by an ambitious Scottish lumber merchant, the tiny town on the edge of the American continent is blessed with rich natural resources that have made its people prosperous—but at a cost. The same woods that have lined the townsfolks' pockets harbor dangerous beasts: wolves, bears, and the Bright-Eyeds—monsters beyond description who have rained utter destruction down on nearby settlements. But Mistaken's founders made a deal with the mysterious Benevolence: the Warding Stones that surround the town will keep the Bright-Eyeds out—and the town's citizens in. Anyone who spends a night within Mistaken's borders belongs to it forever.
Greer, a mapmaker and eccentric dreamer, has always ached to explore the world outside, even though she knows she and her longtime love, Ellis Beaufort, will never see it. Until, on the day she and Ellis are meant to finally begin their lives together, Greer watches in horror as her beloved disappears beyond the Warding Stones, pursued by a monstrous creature. Swiftly realizing that the stories she was raised on might be more myth than fact, Greer figures out a way to escape Mistaken for the very first time. Determined to rescue Ellis, she begins a trek through the cold and pitiless wilderness. But Greer is being hunted, not only by the ruthless Bright-Eyeds but by the secret truths behind Mistaken's founding, as well as her own origins.
Playfully drawing from Scottish folklore, Erin A. Craig's adult debut is both a deeply atmospheric and profoundly romantic exploration of freedom versus security: a stunning celebration of one woman's relentless bravery on a quest to reclaim her lost love—and claim her own future.
Hardcover
First published September 2, 2025
287 people are currently reading
36922 people want to read
About the author
Erin A. Craig
9 books7,058 followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig has always loved telling stories.
After getting her B.F.A. from the University of Michigan, in Theatre Design and Production, she stage managed tragic operas with hunchbacks, séances, and murderous clowns, then decided she wanted to write books that were just as spooky.
An avid reader, decent quilter, rabid basketball fan, and collector of typewriters, brass figurines, and sparkly shoes, Erin makes her home in West Michigan with her husband and daughter.
To find out more about Erin and the worlds she creates, follow @penchant4words on Instagram and Threads.
She is represented by Sarah Landis at Sterling Lord Literistic.
After getting her B.F.A. from the University of Michigan, in Theatre Design and Production, she stage managed tragic operas with hunchbacks, séances, and murderous clowns, then decided she wanted to write books that were just as spooky.
An avid reader, decent quilter, rabid basketball fan, and collector of typewriters, brass figurines, and sparkly shoes, Erin makes her home in West Michigan with her husband and daughter.
To find out more about Erin and the worlds she creates, follow @penchant4words on Instagram and Threads.
She is represented by Sarah Landis at Sterling Lord Literistic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,124 reviews
March 19, 2025
I am so excited to welcome you to the village of Mistaken! What time is sunset again?
September 7, 2025
Books like this are the main reason I'm abandoning retellings, they make me feel like I'm wasting my time and energy on tales not even the authors themselves seem to care about. At least not care enough to rewrite them decently.
I'm tempted to write a short & brutal takedown of this nonsense, it has everything I hate about retellings and then some of my most loathed tropes, but powering through to the finish line sapped my energy out so much I'd rather postpone it for a while, and go cleanse my palate and cheer myself up with a wholesome lil' girl Classic.
Review to come some day, if I'm in the mood. For now, the 1 star should serve as a clue as to what I thought of this.
I'm tempted to write a short & brutal takedown of this nonsense, it has everything I hate about retellings and then some of my most loathed tropes, but powering through to the finish line sapped my energy out so much I'd rather postpone it for a while, and go cleanse my palate and cheer myself up with a wholesome lil' girl Classic.
Review to come some day, if I'm in the mood. For now, the 1 star should serve as a clue as to what I thought of this.
October 5, 2025
Truthfully, I have no idea what this is about yet lol I just saw that Erin had a new release coming and I requested it.
If you have IG - The aesthetics she has on her page are mint! I'm so excited to jump into this!
I'll update in just a bit with a what to expect list.
Anticipated Pub Date - 09/09/25
Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor (you should consider a law firm 🤭) for the advanced digital copy, all thoughts are my own. 💐
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
If you have IG - The aesthetics she has on her page are mint! I'm so excited to jump into this!
I'll update in just a bit with a what to expect list.
Anticipated Pub Date - 09/09/25
Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor (you should consider a law firm 🤭) for the advanced digital copy, all thoughts are my own. 💐
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
September 4, 2025
A compelling and eerie fantasy, A Land So Wide follows Greer MacKenzie as she defies the forbidden boundaries of her village to rescue her lost love, uncovering dark secrets, sinister plots, and a fate she never expected—all set against a backdrop of haunting magic, intricate world-building, and jaw-dropping revelations.
Firstly, I must admit: Erin A. Craig is one of my auto-read fantasy authors, and I’ll devour anything she writes without even glancing at the blurb. She never fails to amaze me, and I know she’s incapable of writing anything disappointing.
This time, the story follows young Greer MacKenzie, who lives in the small village of Mistaken, protected by Warding Stones and the power of Benevolence. The townspeople offer their blessings in return, believing Benevolence shields them from the Bright-Eyeds—vicious monsters that have claimed lives before. Thankfully, the stones mark the village’s borders, keeping the wild forest and its lurking dangers—Bright-Eyeds, beasts, and other horrors—at bay. Crossing that boundary is forbidden; those who have dared in the past never returned.
Since childhood, Greer has possessed an unusual gift—she can hear people's thoughts, just as her late mother could. She longs to map the borders, explore beyond them, and uncover the unknown, but she remains trapped in Mistaken. Her only solace is her childhood love, Ellis Beaufort, and their shared dream of a happily ever after. Their plan is set: during the village's traditional hunt—a ritual where marriage-age women hide, waiting to be found by their future husbands—Ellis will seek her out. However, her father has other plans, pressuring her to marry Lachlan, a man with ties to her family's fortune.
But on the day of the hunt, everything goes wrong. Instead of finding Greer, Ellis crosses the border—without being repelled by the stones—disappearing into the wilderness. Greer knows this isn’t an accident; it’s a trap, likely orchestrated by her father. Determined to save Ellis, she risks everything, venturing into the forest to bring him back. Yet, as she delves deeper, uncovering the dark secrets of her town and her own past, she realizes the truth may be far more terrifying than she ever imagined. Will she complete her impossible mission, or will she be forced to embrace a destiny that was set for her long before she was born?
Now, I have to say—A Land So Wide is undeniably a compelling read. I adored the first half far more than the second, and while Greer’s love triangle (Even though Greer wasn’t thinking clearly and was lured into something she wouldn’t have done in her right mind.) rattled me, the overall story kept me engaged. The book bombards readers with revelations—some predictable, others utterly jaw-dropping. The world-building is intricate, blending magic, history, and an eerie, claustrophobic wilderness that pulls you in. However, while the pacing kept me turning pages, the sheer volume of twists felt overwhelming at times, and the rushed ending left me slightly unsatisfied.
That said, I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 because, despite its flaws, this was still an enchanting, well-crafted fantasy. And let’s be honest—no one could make me rate an Erin A. Craig book below four stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing a digital review copy of this unputdownable fantasy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Firstly, I must admit: Erin A. Craig is one of my auto-read fantasy authors, and I’ll devour anything she writes without even glancing at the blurb. She never fails to amaze me, and I know she’s incapable of writing anything disappointing.
This time, the story follows young Greer MacKenzie, who lives in the small village of Mistaken, protected by Warding Stones and the power of Benevolence. The townspeople offer their blessings in return, believing Benevolence shields them from the Bright-Eyeds—vicious monsters that have claimed lives before. Thankfully, the stones mark the village’s borders, keeping the wild forest and its lurking dangers—Bright-Eyeds, beasts, and other horrors—at bay. Crossing that boundary is forbidden; those who have dared in the past never returned.
Since childhood, Greer has possessed an unusual gift—she can hear people's thoughts, just as her late mother could. She longs to map the borders, explore beyond them, and uncover the unknown, but she remains trapped in Mistaken. Her only solace is her childhood love, Ellis Beaufort, and their shared dream of a happily ever after. Their plan is set: during the village's traditional hunt—a ritual where marriage-age women hide, waiting to be found by their future husbands—Ellis will seek her out. However, her father has other plans, pressuring her to marry Lachlan, a man with ties to her family's fortune.
But on the day of the hunt, everything goes wrong. Instead of finding Greer, Ellis crosses the border—without being repelled by the stones—disappearing into the wilderness. Greer knows this isn’t an accident; it’s a trap, likely orchestrated by her father. Determined to save Ellis, she risks everything, venturing into the forest to bring him back. Yet, as she delves deeper, uncovering the dark secrets of her town and her own past, she realizes the truth may be far more terrifying than she ever imagined. Will she complete her impossible mission, or will she be forced to embrace a destiny that was set for her long before she was born?
Now, I have to say—A Land So Wide is undeniably a compelling read. I adored the first half far more than the second, and while Greer’s love triangle (Even though Greer wasn’t thinking clearly and was lured into something she wouldn’t have done in her right mind.) rattled me, the overall story kept me engaged. The book bombards readers with revelations—some predictable, others utterly jaw-dropping. The world-building is intricate, blending magic, history, and an eerie, claustrophobic wilderness that pulls you in. However, while the pacing kept me turning pages, the sheer volume of twists felt overwhelming at times, and the rushed ending left me slightly unsatisfied.
That said, I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 because, despite its flaws, this was still an enchanting, well-crafted fantasy. And let’s be honest—no one could make me rate an Erin A. Craig book below four stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing a digital review copy of this unputdownable fantasy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
April 6, 2025
In theory I should go feral over the books by Erin A. Craig with all the fairytale-esque folk horror, but in reality I just never do. I had high hopes for the author's adult debut (more on that later), especially since books about girls being thrown into the wilderness are very much my thing. Mapmaker Greer Mackenzie lives in the small town of Mistaken, close to a forest full of supernatural and very lethal creatures. Fortunately, the town is protected by a benevolent force, ensuring the safety of the residents, but also making it impossible to leave this place. Greer believes in the ways of her people and is dutifully partaking in all the traditions. But even though hers is the most important family in town and she plans a future with the baker Ellis, she is the odd one out in Mistaken. Greer is always hearing and seeing things that no one else can, and she might be deeper connected to the forest than she thought. When the town slowly loses the patronage of the Benevolence and her beloved Ellis disappears into the woods, Greer sets out into the monster filled wilderness. It's a good story for me. Nothing groundbreaking, but with the potential to be my new favorite thing ever because it checks many of my boxes. Creepy woods with creepy monsters, possible body horror, badass girl in the wilds. The ominous atmosphere was pretty good and the creatures were an interesting mix of known folklore. But I expected more. It's not like I disliked the story, but many things bothered me. I think the pacing was my biggest issue. Greer doesn't go into the woods until the 45% mark of the book, and that's literally the one thing I expected from reading the synopsis. Way too much time is spent in the village beforehand, and it basically felt like a super long prologue for the stuff I actually came here for. My second big problem was that I was excited for the author's adult debut, but I just can't see a difference to her YA books. Greer is said to be 27, but she could have been 17, it did not matter. She was the basic YA protagonist. She's special, but most people give her a hard time about it, and of course she would get herself in danger to save the boy she loves. And she still somehow ends up in a weird love triangle situation, don't ask me why. The horror aspect doesn't justify the adult marketing either in my opinion. I liked it, but it was hardly more gruesome than anything I read in YA horror before. Or anything I read from Erin A. Craig before. And then I thought: oh no, we have another adult-book-that's-actually-YA-but-with-more-spice situation here, but that wasn't the case either. It was pretty tame in that regard. So yeah, even after reading the entire thing I can't figure out why this book is considered adult when Craig's other books are not. But I think that also means that fans of the author will not be disappointed in the slightest with this new release. It's a matter of expectations, I guess.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2025
Ahhh, I’m really sad this is not a new favorite of mine! Erin A. Craig is a favorite author of mine, and I always love to support authors from Michigan as well.
I really really liked the first half of this book. Craig sure knows how to write spooky, and I loved the culture of Mistaken, and learning about the curse that befell its people. I was super intrigued with the mystery and finding out about more of the Bright Eyeds and the Benevolence.
However, I did not really like the second part of this book. I think the plot moved slow, with events mentioned on the description of the book not happening until 50% of the way through. I can’t mention due to spoiler reasons, but the mystery element, once revealed, took this book into a direction I did not like.
I love Erin A. Craig and I am so happy she is exploring adult fiction, but this still felt like a YA book to me.
——-
I GOT APPROVED FOR AN ARC VIA NETGALLEY. SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP
I really really liked the first half of this book. Craig sure knows how to write spooky, and I loved the culture of Mistaken, and learning about the curse that befell its people. I was super intrigued with the mystery and finding out about more of the Bright Eyeds and the Benevolence.
However, I did not really like the second part of this book. I think the plot moved slow, with events mentioned on the description of the book not happening until 50% of the way through. I can’t mention due to spoiler reasons, but the mystery element, once revealed, took this book into a direction I did not like.
I love Erin A. Craig and I am so happy she is exploring adult fiction, but this still felt like a YA book to me.
——-
I GOT APPROVED FOR AN ARC VIA NETGALLEY. SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP
March 9, 2025
A Land So Wide is one of the best books that I have ever read! It is beautifully written and had vivid descriptions throughout the entire book. It had everything for me, including the romance, the mystery, the fantasy, the folklore, the darkness! I am in shock at how great this book was! I haven’t read a book by this author, so I was going into it blindly and I am extremely happy that I did! The themes were very well executed and I enjoyed every second of this Canadian wilderness journey it took me on.
This book is about a girl named Greer Mackenzie who lives in Mistaken land. She is confronted by a curse and must navigate her way through it to rescue her one and only true love named Ellis. There is a lot of danger out in the wilderness she must face. Will she be able to confront everything that comes her way? Why was Ellis cursed? What all is out there in Mistaken land? This story is filled with passion as this unfolds. I rate this a high 5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Erin A. Craig, Knopf, Pantheon, and the Vintage catalog for providing me with this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!
A Land So Wide is set to be published on September 9, 2025
This book is about a girl named Greer Mackenzie who lives in Mistaken land. She is confronted by a curse and must navigate her way through it to rescue her one and only true love named Ellis. There is a lot of danger out in the wilderness she must face. Will she be able to confront everything that comes her way? Why was Ellis cursed? What all is out there in Mistaken land? This story is filled with passion as this unfolds. I rate this a high 5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Erin A. Craig, Knopf, Pantheon, and the Vintage catalog for providing me with this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review!
A Land So Wide is set to be published on September 9, 2025
September 2, 2025
･ﾟ 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 ·˚˖‧
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪!
Book aesthetic on Instagram
❝ The truth isn't always right. And, sometimes, the thing that is right, the thing that makes everything else possible, isn't true❞
╰𝚂𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚎╮
✦ Pub Date: 2 September 2025
✦ Rating: 4/5
✦ Genre: Dark fantasy, fairytale
✦ POV: first
✦ Spice: 0/5
✦ Age: 15+
✦ CW: d*ath, bl*od
࣪ ִֶָ 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘 ·˚˖
A town you can never leave. Stones that guard a secret. And a girl ready to cross the forbidden boundary for love—even if something ancient and terrifying awaits her.
·˚˖ 𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ˖˚·
I didn't read the synopsis; it seems I've automatically started picking up everything the author writes. I've read three of her books, and I really love her style!
Book caught my interest from the very first chapters, featuring a little town with its secrets and monsters. An interesting aspect is the hunt, a ritual where girls hide in the forest, waiting to be found by their future husbands. This story really more about inner strength and the fight for freedom.
The plot kept me on edge, with the atmosphere of the cold forest, the sounds of animals... I recommend reading it in the dark! A dark fairytale with elements of folklore, a journey into the unknown for the sake of love. Sometimes you have to step beyond the limits to discover more.
The book is not difficult to read; I just wished for a bit more description of certain details.
When I finished, I felt stunned and a bit shivery. Thats all, finished?...
This book isn’t as scary as House of Salt and Sorrows, but it’s just as atmospheric and dark, with plenty of secrets and magic.
It also reminded me of the series "From" (little bit)
I’m so glad I read this book! Woman, please keep writing because I need more!
·˚˖ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ˖˚·
The heroine didn’t fully grab me, but at least she wasn’t annoying, which is a win. She’ll do anything for the one she loves, even if it means stepping into a place with no way out.
࣪ ִֶָ ⊹ 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 ·˚˖
↠ Forbidden Love
↠ Mysterious Forest
↠ Small Town
↠ Childhood Friends to Lovers
↠ Magic
↠ Monsters
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪!
Book aesthetic on Instagram
❝ The truth isn't always right. And, sometimes, the thing that is right, the thing that makes everything else possible, isn't true❞
╰𝚂𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚎╮
✦ Pub Date: 2 September 2025
✦ Rating: 4/5
✦ Genre: Dark fantasy, fairytale
✦ POV: first
✦ Spice: 0/5
✦ Age: 15+
✦ CW: d*ath, bl*od
࣪ ִֶָ 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘 ·˚˖
A town you can never leave. Stones that guard a secret. And a girl ready to cross the forbidden boundary for love—even if something ancient and terrifying awaits her.
·˚˖ 𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ˖˚·
I didn't read the synopsis; it seems I've automatically started picking up everything the author writes. I've read three of her books, and I really love her style!
Book caught my interest from the very first chapters, featuring a little town with its secrets and monsters. An interesting aspect is the hunt, a ritual where girls hide in the forest, waiting to be found by their future husbands. This story really more about inner strength and the fight for freedom.
The plot kept me on edge, with the atmosphere of the cold forest, the sounds of animals... I recommend reading it in the dark! A dark fairytale with elements of folklore, a journey into the unknown for the sake of love. Sometimes you have to step beyond the limits to discover more.
The book is not difficult to read; I just wished for a bit more description of certain details.
When I finished, I felt stunned and a bit shivery. Thats all, finished?...
This book isn’t as scary as House of Salt and Sorrows, but it’s just as atmospheric and dark, with plenty of secrets and magic.
It also reminded me of the series "From" (little bit)
I’m so glad I read this book! Woman, please keep writing because I need more!
·˚˖ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ˖˚·
The heroine didn’t fully grab me, but at least she wasn’t annoying, which is a win. She’ll do anything for the one she loves, even if it means stepping into a place with no way out.
࣪ ִֶָ ⊹ 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 ·˚˖
↠ Forbidden Love
↠ Mysterious Forest
↠ Small Town
↠ Childhood Friends to Lovers
↠ Magic
↠ Monsters
August 12, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the arc!
🌟🌟🌟/5
I was promised a dark, richly atmospheric fairy tale steeped in Scottish folklore and Erin A. Craig delivered...until she did not. It got off on a great start and then, at what was supposed to be a pivotal moment in the story, started going downhill and just got worse until it ended on a bland note.
The first half was magnificent! It delivered everything I expected from a story like this, with amazing 'small town with lots of secrets' AND 'creepy forests you should better stay away from' vibes. EC's prose was excellent and her storytelling felt very visual. It almost had a folk horror element to it which I loved. I'd give the first half a 4.5/5.
The entire second half didn't work for me. After the sense of dread the first half created, I was ready for creepier vibes and stellar plot twists in the second but I got...THAT instead. The premise mentions Greer escaping into the woods which doesn't happen in the book until around the 48% mark. I wouldn't have had a problem with that if not for how quickly the plot devolved after that. First, there was a lot of wandering around. Then came the love traingle-ish situation which was wholly unnecessary. Greer and Ellis's romance was good enough but Finn gave me the ick. The pacing felt too fast and too slow at all the wrong places. The vibes weren't that great either.
What made the story a complete letdown was how underwhelming the reveals were. I was at the edge of my seat in the beginning, but couldn't take the book seriously when the 'action' finally started. The second half felt like a different book altogether. Characters came and went in a way that made no sense, the climax was atrocious, and Greer's character arc didn't feel complete by the end.
When I read 'Scottish folklore' in the blurb, I was looking forward to something more...folkloric. I had incredibly high expectations from 'A Land So Wide', but was left wanting for more. I'd give the second half a 1.5/5, and the book a 3/5 because of just how good the first half was.
🌟🌟🌟/5
I was promised a dark, richly atmospheric fairy tale steeped in Scottish folklore and Erin A. Craig delivered...until she did not. It got off on a great start and then, at what was supposed to be a pivotal moment in the story, started going downhill and just got worse until it ended on a bland note.
The first half was magnificent! It delivered everything I expected from a story like this, with amazing 'small town with lots of secrets' AND 'creepy forests you should better stay away from' vibes. EC's prose was excellent and her storytelling felt very visual. It almost had a folk horror element to it which I loved. I'd give the first half a 4.5/5.
The entire second half didn't work for me. After the sense of dread the first half created, I was ready for creepier vibes and stellar plot twists in the second but I got...THAT instead. The premise mentions Greer escaping into the woods which doesn't happen in the book until around the 48% mark. I wouldn't have had a problem with that if not for how quickly the plot devolved after that. First, there was a lot of wandering around. Then came the love traingle-ish situation which was wholly unnecessary. Greer and Ellis's romance was good enough but Finn gave me the ick. The pacing felt too fast and too slow at all the wrong places. The vibes weren't that great either.
What made the story a complete letdown was how underwhelming the reveals were. I was at the edge of my seat in the beginning, but couldn't take the book seriously when the 'action' finally started. The second half felt like a different book altogether. Characters came and went in a way that made no sense, the climax was atrocious, and Greer's character arc didn't feel complete by the end.
When I read 'Scottish folklore' in the blurb, I was looking forward to something more...folkloric. I had incredibly high expectations from 'A Land So Wide', but was left wanting for more. I'd give the second half a 1.5/5, and the book a 3/5 because of just how good the first half was.
Want to read
January 5, 2025GIRLLLLLL WHEN ?!?! I can't express how desperate I am for this..
December 26, 2025
I went into this one completely blind, trusting that Erin A. Craig wouldn’t lead me stray, and I was pleased to find a perfectly creepy dark fairytale that kept me hooked from the beginning. 🖤
This author is always so good at making the settings of her books feel very vivid, in this case it was the perfect mix of real world and fantasy, pairing the Canada of the early settlers with Scottish folklore. The ominous and eerie feeling that was present throughout the story was also perfectly done.
For the first half of the book I was intrigued by all the mysteries of the town. I couldn’t predict in which direction the story was going to go next an I loved that! this was my favorite part.
When the mysteries finally begin to be revealed, I admit I wasn’t as thrilled, and in my opinion the final confrontation was the less satisfying part of the book.
My only other criticism is that the main character feels a lot younger than is said to be. I kept forgetting she was supposed to be 27, since too often her thought process and decisions seemed to belong to a teen girl, even though this book is marketed as adult and not YA.
That said, I still enjoyed this book very much! If you liked the previous books from this author you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks to Headline via NetGalley for providing an eARC
This author is always so good at making the settings of her books feel very vivid, in this case it was the perfect mix of real world and fantasy, pairing the Canada of the early settlers with Scottish folklore. The ominous and eerie feeling that was present throughout the story was also perfectly done.
For the first half of the book I was intrigued by all the mysteries of the town. I couldn’t predict in which direction the story was going to go next an I loved that! this was my favorite part.
When the mysteries finally begin to be revealed, I admit I wasn’t as thrilled, and in my opinion the final confrontation was the less satisfying part of the book.
My only other criticism is that the main character feels a lot younger than is said to be. I kept forgetting she was supposed to be 27, since too often her thought process and decisions seemed to belong to a teen girl, even though this book is marketed as adult and not YA.
That said, I still enjoyed this book very much! If you liked the previous books from this author you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks to Headline via NetGalley for providing an eARC
September 9, 2025
moody, atmospheric, and haunting. is there anything better in a fantasy novel?
for my first erin craig novel, I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it and I’m excited to dive into her other works that have been (im)patiently waiting on my bookshelf to be read 🫣
this story follows our main character greer as she embarks on a journey to save her longtime love, ellis from the dark and dangerous woods surrounding the town of mistaken. but not everything is as it seems and as greer continues on her journey, secrets about her family and the origins of her town are exposed, changing everything she thought she knew.
this was so immersive and descriptive where I felt I was right alongside greer traveling through the woods and exploring the world beyond her home.
the characters were fantastic, fully fleshed out with motives that made sense for the story, whether good or bad! and when the third main character gets introduced?? it was the perfect addition to shake up the story and make me question things! I loved that the author chose to take the story in that direction.
highly recommend if you’re looking for a dark folklore-esque story for this fall!
thank you to netgalley, pantheon, and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
for my first erin craig novel, I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it and I’m excited to dive into her other works that have been (im)patiently waiting on my bookshelf to be read 🫣
this story follows our main character greer as she embarks on a journey to save her longtime love, ellis from the dark and dangerous woods surrounding the town of mistaken. but not everything is as it seems and as greer continues on her journey, secrets about her family and the origins of her town are exposed, changing everything she thought she knew.
this was so immersive and descriptive where I felt I was right alongside greer traveling through the woods and exploring the world beyond her home.
the characters were fantastic, fully fleshed out with motives that made sense for the story, whether good or bad! and when the third main character gets introduced?? it was the perfect addition to shake up the story and make me question things! I loved that the author chose to take the story in that direction.
highly recommend if you’re looking for a dark folklore-esque story for this fall!
thank you to netgalley, pantheon, and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2025
A Land So Wide
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑.𝟱
꒰ In the town of Mistaken, you should never forget to return within the town's Warding Stones before the Third Bellowing. Otherwise, it would be too late. The Warding Stones will pull whoever was beyond back to town, whether they wanted to go or not. Greer MacKenzie, daughter of Mistaken's head steward, is a devoted believer of The Benevolence, the force that gifted the town with these Warding Stones that protected them from the notorious Bright-Eyeds from crossing into town. ꒱
Release Date: September 2, 2025 ⟢
⟢ Let me tell you, as soon as I learned that Erin was releasing her first adult novel centered on a mysterious town protected by enigmatic stones that shield its residents from dangers beyond the border, I was instantly captivated. Fans of the TV series 'From' will find themselves drawn in just as I was. For the best experience, I recommend going into this book blind!
Everything about the town fascinated me, from the enigmatic Warding Stones to 'The Hunt'—a tradition Mistaken holds every seven years, where all young men and women participate by running and hiding in the town's Hunting Grounds to find their matches.
As expected from Erin A. Craig, her writing style is eerie yet enchanting. She has truly perfected giving her books a Gothic aura that can really mesmerize you. And you can bet that many of my highlights were about the beautiful sentences and paragraphs she wrote. I was hooked with every page, eager to find out what would happen next for Greer and the town of Mistaken. Wanting to learn more about Mistaken, to find out what happened to the people who escaped the borders, and of course, the Bright-Eyeds.
The characters, however, could have been more polished because they still felt very YA, despite it being Craig's first adult novel. Greer was interesting from the start; although she is the daughter of the town's head steward and a suitable match for the men of Mistaken, she is seen as an eccentric and peculiar by the townsfolk because of her enhanced hearing, to the point that she hears even the quietest whispers. But at 27, she's made some questionable choices and proves herself an unreliable narrator. However, you can understand why she is the way she is, given her sheltered environment and her desire to explore more of the world beyond.
Once we reached Part 2 of the story, the pacing slowed down. While we finally got answers to our questions, I found myself pulled out of the story because it shifted focus to a newly introduced character, their relationship, and details I won’t mention here to avoid spoilers. But it felt quite unncessary or could've given less spotlight than it did. The second half almost felt like a different book or story entirely, and I kept wanting to return to the town that initially hooked me.
If there was one thing I wanted more of in the book, it was moments with Louise, Greer’s best friend. Louise piqued my interest because her personality was the complete opposite of Greer’s. While Greer would pray to The Benevolence and offered gifts, Louise questioned its existence and doubted the creatures haunting the town’s borders. Their friendship captivated me from the beginning, and I wish we saw more of it or more of Louise by the end.
Other than that, this story was one that kept me up at night because it kept me thinking about the possibilities it held. This is my third Erin A. Craig book and definitely not the last! Please make sure to check this book out this coming September 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Headline Books, and of course, Erin A. Craig for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Please remember that this opinion is my own. ⭑
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔
update : i saw erin's post about this upcoming release yesterday and was sooo stunned that i immediately applied, and for some reason, my request was accepted! huzzah! 𐔌՞. .՞𐦯
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑.𝟱
꒰ In the town of Mistaken, you should never forget to return within the town's Warding Stones before the Third Bellowing. Otherwise, it would be too late. The Warding Stones will pull whoever was beyond back to town, whether they wanted to go or not. Greer MacKenzie, daughter of Mistaken's head steward, is a devoted believer of The Benevolence, the force that gifted the town with these Warding Stones that protected them from the notorious Bright-Eyeds from crossing into town. ꒱
Release Date: September 2, 2025 ⟢
⟢ Let me tell you, as soon as I learned that Erin was releasing her first adult novel centered on a mysterious town protected by enigmatic stones that shield its residents from dangers beyond the border, I was instantly captivated. Fans of the TV series 'From' will find themselves drawn in just as I was. For the best experience, I recommend going into this book blind!
Everything about the town fascinated me, from the enigmatic Warding Stones to 'The Hunt'—a tradition Mistaken holds every seven years, where all young men and women participate by running and hiding in the town's Hunting Grounds to find their matches.
As expected from Erin A. Craig, her writing style is eerie yet enchanting. She has truly perfected giving her books a Gothic aura that can really mesmerize you. And you can bet that many of my highlights were about the beautiful sentences and paragraphs she wrote. I was hooked with every page, eager to find out what would happen next for Greer and the town of Mistaken. Wanting to learn more about Mistaken, to find out what happened to the people who escaped the borders, and of course, the Bright-Eyeds.
The characters, however, could have been more polished because they still felt very YA, despite it being Craig's first adult novel. Greer was interesting from the start; although she is the daughter of the town's head steward and a suitable match for the men of Mistaken, she is seen as an eccentric and peculiar by the townsfolk because of her enhanced hearing, to the point that she hears even the quietest whispers. But at 27, she's made some questionable choices and proves herself an unreliable narrator. However, you can understand why she is the way she is, given her sheltered environment and her desire to explore more of the world beyond.
Once we reached Part 2 of the story, the pacing slowed down. While we finally got answers to our questions, I found myself pulled out of the story because it shifted focus to a newly introduced character, their relationship, and details I won’t mention here to avoid spoilers. But it felt quite unncessary or could've given less spotlight than it did. The second half almost felt like a different book or story entirely, and I kept wanting to return to the town that initially hooked me.
If there was one thing I wanted more of in the book, it was moments with Louise, Greer’s best friend. Louise piqued my interest because her personality was the complete opposite of Greer’s. While Greer would pray to The Benevolence and offered gifts, Louise questioned its existence and doubted the creatures haunting the town’s borders. Their friendship captivated me from the beginning, and I wish we saw more of it or more of Louise by the end.
Other than that, this story was one that kept me up at night because it kept me thinking about the possibilities it held. This is my third Erin A. Craig book and definitely not the last! Please make sure to check this book out this coming September 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Headline Books, and of course, Erin A. Craig for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Please remember that this opinion is my own. ⭑
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔
update : i saw erin's post about this upcoming release yesterday and was sooo stunned that i immediately applied, and for some reason, my request was accepted! huzzah! 𐔌՞. .՞𐦯
September 5, 2025
I am so late to the Erin A. Craig game but I’m glad I have finally arrived. Perhaps it’s because she typically writes YA but everything about this book had me intrigued and just in time for her first adult book!
This book has so many aspects that it’s hard to even pinpoint its exact genre but I’d describe it as gothic horror fantasy. There are intense mythological aspects, cult like mentalities, folklore, horror, romance, thriller, mystery and so much more. It’s a conglomeration of everything without missing the focus because this book is FOCUSED.
I loved the characters and the plot and the atmosphere was so unique that I am sure I’ll read every book Erin Craig has to offer.
This book has so many aspects that it’s hard to even pinpoint its exact genre but I’d describe it as gothic horror fantasy. There are intense mythological aspects, cult like mentalities, folklore, horror, romance, thriller, mystery and so much more. It’s a conglomeration of everything without missing the focus because this book is FOCUSED.
I loved the characters and the plot and the atmosphere was so unique that I am sure I’ll read every book Erin Craig has to offer.
June 30, 2025
4.5⭐️! Erin Craig’s writing always manages to transport me into whatever rich, spooky setting she decides to write and A Land So Wide is no different. I appreciated that this book, much like The Thirteenth Child, felt like reading folklore-made-fresh as it borrows from Scottish folklore in unexpected ways. The vibes it’s giving are very much Shyamalan-esque while still being a little romantic and creepy but not gory. If you’re into rich storytelling and eerie forests this book is absolutely for you. Thank you to Pantheon Books and Erin Craig for the ARC! I can’t wait to get my hands on this one when it releases to round out my Craig collection.
March 10, 2025
It has been a WHILE since a book captivated me so much, I didn’t pick up my phone. This book was INCREDIBLE. It was eerie, heartbreaking, suspenseful and everything a book should be.
It’s no secret that @penchant4words is one of my favorite authors, the way she writes is so beautiful and dark and will leave you thinking about her books long after they are over. This is her adult debut, and it was an amazing read! Greer, Finn and Ellis will be living rent free in my mind.
If you love vampires, romance, exploring the unknown and books that pull you in make sure you add this to your tbr immediately! Thank you to @pantheonbooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 9/9
It’s no secret that @penchant4words is one of my favorite authors, the way she writes is so beautiful and dark and will leave you thinking about her books long after they are over. This is her adult debut, and it was an amazing read! Greer, Finn and Ellis will be living rent free in my mind.
If you love vampires, romance, exploring the unknown and books that pull you in make sure you add this to your tbr immediately! Thank you to @pantheonbooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 9/9
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2025
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
I was really, really disappointed in this one. I had such high hopes and the beginning of the book was soooo good. The first ~third of the book was great, unfortunately it started to flounder well before the mid-way part and ended up a poor man's knock off of M Night Shyamalan's The Village.
This book had SO much potential, but it also had a lot of problems. First off, where were the women?? Louise is supposedly Greer's bff, but she's literally only got two scenes in the whole book (not to mention the age difference would have made being bffs their whole life incredibly difficult, so that just never made sense to me). Greer's mom is dead. Martha just up and disappears around 41% never to be heard from again and somehow...Greer isn't bothered by this? The only other woman left is the big bad.
What was the point of Finn?? Honestly, what was the point of most of this plot. It was so predictable and easy to guess. I figured out almost all of it way before it was revealed. The end was so nicely tied up with a bow that it really made the entire book pointless.
At least at the end of Cinderella, she's changed, everyone knows her step mom and sisters are monsters, she's a princess, she gets the prince, etc. etc.
You could cut out the entire story from 38% to 99% and really not have missed anything.
Greer and Ellis are both so bland and boring that this non-plot driven book isn't even character driven.
The only characters that marginally intrigued me were Louise and Norah and their parts were so minuscule they could have easily been omitted.
If you're into vibes and no plot, this book will be a 10/10 for you.
If you LOVED M Night Shyamalan's The Village and want that again, but in book form - you will probably love this book.
Otherwise, read at your own risk of boredom and regret.
I was really, really disappointed in this one. I had such high hopes and the beginning of the book was soooo good. The first ~third of the book was great, unfortunately it started to flounder well before the mid-way part and ended up a poor man's knock off of M Night Shyamalan's The Village.
This book had SO much potential, but it also had a lot of problems. First off, where were the women?? Louise is supposedly Greer's bff, but she's literally only got two scenes in the whole book (not to mention the age difference would have made being bffs their whole life incredibly difficult, so that just never made sense to me). Greer's mom is dead. Martha just up and disappears around 41% never to be heard from again and somehow...Greer isn't bothered by this? The only other woman left is the big bad.
What was the point of Finn?? Honestly, what was the point of most of this plot. It was so predictable and easy to guess. I figured out almost all of it way before it was revealed. The end was so nicely tied up with a bow that it really made the entire book pointless.
At least at the end of Cinderella, she's changed, everyone knows her step mom and sisters are monsters, she's a princess, she gets the prince, etc. etc.
You could cut out the entire story from 38% to 99% and really not have missed anything.
Greer and Ellis are both so bland and boring that this non-plot driven book isn't even character driven.
The only characters that marginally intrigued me were Louise and Norah and their parts were so minuscule they could have easily been omitted.
If you're into vibes and no plot, this book will be a 10/10 for you.
If you LOVED M Night Shyamalan's The Village and want that again, but in book form - you will probably love this book.
Otherwise, read at your own risk of boredom and regret.
July 11, 2025
This happens to me every once in a while - where I see book blurb and I think- this is an obvious winner.
Romantic Fantasy + Gothic Horror vibes? Yes, please.
So maybe I go into it with a high bar, thinking I’ll jump, but it ends up being a game of Limbo and I question myself to DNF it. 🤷🏽♀️ I like to think as an avid reader, I know what I like- but I’m proven wrong sometimes.
Here’s three things that held me back from loving this.
1. Pacing- The book blurb mentions something and it happens way too late in the book.
2. I know this says adult, but it reads pretty YA. 🤷🏽♀️ Don’t get me wrong, there are a few dramatic scenes a few pg-13 like moments, but safer for your older YA reader.
3. Ick Factor- 72% in, I just wasn’t vibing with the FMC’s decision making. Just no, girlfriend. TBH, I think there was a missed opportunity to interweave her best friend stronger throughout.
There is something also very tidy about standalones vs series. And maybe my brain wanted things more complicated (because I have a few “well, what if this happened…” in the ever after, but we’ll never know.)
Romantic Fantasy + Gothic Horror vibes? Yes, please.
So maybe I go into it with a high bar, thinking I’ll jump, but it ends up being a game of Limbo and I question myself to DNF it. 🤷🏽♀️ I like to think as an avid reader, I know what I like- but I’m proven wrong sometimes.
Here’s three things that held me back from loving this.
1. Pacing- The book blurb mentions something and it happens way too late in the book.
2. I know this says adult, but it reads pretty YA. 🤷🏽♀️ Don’t get me wrong, there are a few dramatic scenes a few pg-13 like moments, but safer for your older YA reader.
3. Ick Factor- 72% in, I just wasn’t vibing with the FMC’s decision making. Just no, girlfriend. TBH, I think there was a missed opportunity to interweave her best friend stronger throughout.
There is something also very tidy about standalones vs series. And maybe my brain wanted things more complicated (because I have a few “well, what if this happened…” in the ever after, but we’ll never know.)
July 14, 2025
my friend sent me this book and i thought, hm, perhaps this isn't that bad, but now i'm sure she sent me this book so that we could suffer together. it's a book w an interesting premise and a strong start that quickly spirals into oblivion with plotholes and undercooked side characters that had so much potential.
came for the horror, got a lackluster romance story.
came for the horror, got a lackluster romance story.
July 30, 2025
Thank you so much Headline for the arc!
„This stranger was winter itself, harsh lines,
sharp shadows, and the eerie stillness that grabbed hold of the world after a deep snowfall.“
🌲Secluded settlement
🌲Generational secrets
🌲Canadian wilderness
🌲Enforced matrimony
🌲Folklore creatures
What I liked:
The setting and the vibes were impeccable! A small, secluded settlement on the Canadian coast, surrounded by deep woods and mountains, with barely any connection to the outside world. Besides the wolves and bears, unnatural and violent creatures lurk in the woods, waiting for townspeople to wander too far from their village.
I also enjoyed the glimpses into the arrival of the first settlers. They made the mix of folklore, history, and mystery even more compelling. I could feel the uncanny lure of the almost claustrophobic wilderness throughout the entire book.
What I didn’t like:
The main character is surrounded by a lot of ignorant men who make decisions for her. It starts with her father who believes he has the right to decide whom she marries, and ends with her boyfriend, who makes decisions for their relationship without even including her. I kept hoping she would confront them all at some point. A bit of female rage would have been appropriate. Overall the main character didn’t feel like she was 27; she read much younger. She could easily be a barely 18 YA protagonist.
„This stranger was winter itself, harsh lines,
sharp shadows, and the eerie stillness that grabbed hold of the world after a deep snowfall.“
🌲Secluded settlement
🌲Generational secrets
🌲Canadian wilderness
🌲Enforced matrimony
🌲Folklore creatures
What I liked:
The setting and the vibes were impeccable! A small, secluded settlement on the Canadian coast, surrounded by deep woods and mountains, with barely any connection to the outside world. Besides the wolves and bears, unnatural and violent creatures lurk in the woods, waiting for townspeople to wander too far from their village.
I also enjoyed the glimpses into the arrival of the first settlers. They made the mix of folklore, history, and mystery even more compelling. I could feel the uncanny lure of the almost claustrophobic wilderness throughout the entire book.
What I didn’t like:
The main character is surrounded by a lot of ignorant men who make decisions for her. It starts with her father who believes he has the right to decide whom she marries, and ends with her boyfriend, who makes decisions for their relationship without even including her. I kept hoping she would confront them all at some point. A bit of female rage would have been appropriate. Overall the main character didn’t feel like she was 27; she read much younger. She could easily be a barely 18 YA protagonist.
Read
October 31, 2025Erin A. Craig makes her adult debut with with this atmospheric novel that feels part fairytale, part paranormal suspense, and a little bit coming of age story.
It follows a young woman who lives in an isolated town surrounded by monsters and magic stones that protect them. She's in love with a young man, but her father wants her to marry someone else. She must go through a ritual of being "hunted" with the other young women and married to the first person who finds and claims her. But something goes wrong, and the truth about their town is quite different from what she had been told...
I really loved the setup for this and the main character. The first part of the book in the town, with everything she's dealing with is really compelling. Later in turns into something of a survival story and there are some bonkers twists that really took the story in a direction I wasn't expecting. I feel like I still have questions about these monsters and what exactly was going on, but the novel definitely delivers on moody/gothic atmosphere. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
It follows a young woman who lives in an isolated town surrounded by monsters and magic stones that protect them. She's in love with a young man, but her father wants her to marry someone else. She must go through a ritual of being "hunted" with the other young women and married to the first person who finds and claims her. But something goes wrong, and the truth about their town is quite different from what she had been told...
I really loved the setup for this and the main character. The first part of the book in the town, with everything she's dealing with is really compelling. Later in turns into something of a survival story and there are some bonkers twists that really took the story in a direction I wasn't expecting. I feel like I still have questions about these monsters and what exactly was going on, but the novel definitely delivers on moody/gothic atmosphere. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
October 22, 2025
Oh how I have loved this book! Highly recommended to every reader (college level and older--this is NOT YA) who loves fantasy. I think the adult rating for this novel is honestly spot on. There is no material to which readers under 18 haven't already been exposed, but the concepts, the vocabulary, and even in part, the structure certainly rely on a higher college level of reading. This is a deeply moving novel, one which in my opinion will simply mean more the more one has lived. A quick word on the description "atmospheric." I have seen it described that way multiple times, and I want to clarify that it is not in any way overly descriptive or purple. The prose is as carefully crafted and balanced as is all of her work.
I really owe this novel its due--so I plan to write more extensive review as soon as my busy week is over.
I really owe this novel its due--so I plan to write more extensive review as soon as my busy week is over.
August 31, 2025
When I read “Scottish folklore” in the blurb about this book on NetGalley, I absolutely *had* to have it. I was beyond excited when my request was approved, and I’ve been so looking forward to diving in.
The book starts out with an explanation of how the town of Mistaken came to be, and it’s very pilgrims-colonize-a-new-land-esque. Generations later, we meet Greer, who is 27 and still living in her father’s house. A hide-and-seek type event that occurs every seven years is happening soon, where the eligible young men seek out the eligible young women, and Greer is excited to participate, because she already knows who she wants to find her. It’s the only happiness Greer can hope for, since a ring of stones surrounds the village, literally keeping the townspeople inside. Anyone who spends a night in Mistaken is forever caged within its borders. It’s both a blessing and a curse, since the stones do keep out huge, monstrous, murderous creatures called “The Bright-Eyeds”. However, Greer has a serious case of wanderlust and longs to travel far and wide. Since she can’t do that, she can only look forward to marrying her sweetheart—but something goes wrong, and Greer sees her beloved somehow escaping the pull of the stones and disappearing into the vast forest without a backward glance.
Greer resolves to escape Mistaken, too, and rescue the only man she has ever loved.
But how did he get out?
How will she follow him if the stones pull everyone back at sunset, literally through any obstacle?
All good questions. Read this tale to find out.
It will not go anywhere near your theories, I promise you. It gets pretty weird. I definitely loved the first half and have mixed feelings about the second half. Still, I’m always down for UK folklore and am glad I got to read this.
Thank you to Pantheon for the eARC! All opinions are mine.
WARNING: Spoilers below.
Okay, real talk. The story was A+ until Greer started getting some answers. Info-dumps ensued, and boy, were they some doozies. From the time she meets Noah, Greer is constantly being told crazy things, and she just accepts it. Once they get in the cave, there’s inconsistency after inconsistency. Somehow, Greer is able to avoid detection time and again, when the Bright-Eyeds supposedly can hear and smell things from a great distance. The cloak is anti-climactic, after being hyped up throughout the book, and the way it was found so easily felt like “the book is getting too long, so just put it in his bag so they don’t have to travel to find it”, more than a believable turn of events. I mean, for real, if the monsters were able to steal back the cloak’s power just by drinking her blood, that’s so lame!!
Also, there’s no real explanation given for Greer’s power of screaming…it just IS, and we must accept it. The fact that she was able to simply scream the mountain down and kill everyone at once is extremely anti-climactic, and it’s wholly unbelievable that Ellis would just walk away after being thrown against a cave wall.
I have to say, Noah watching her grow from a newborn to a woman, knowing that he’s promised to her—that’s disgusting. Yuck. It’s giving serious Renesme & Jacob vibes. And then they’re so hot for each other, while she’s searching for the man she wants to spend her life with??
Just…I wish the story had gone in a different direction after Greer left town. I could not suspend my disbelief, and the tidy wrapping up of loose ends felt very hasty.
ETA: I forgot to mention, if you’re desirous to ensure that your adult child never, ever speaks to you again, please take note of Hessel’s actions. Also, that screaming power of Greer’s, if given to every female, would make it so no girl or woman ever got abused again. That would be very handy.
All of this brings my rating down to a 3.5, and that’s only because the first half was so strong.
I very much want to read a sequel, though, so that says something.
The book starts out with an explanation of how the town of Mistaken came to be, and it’s very pilgrims-colonize-a-new-land-esque. Generations later, we meet Greer, who is 27 and still living in her father’s house. A hide-and-seek type event that occurs every seven years is happening soon, where the eligible young men seek out the eligible young women, and Greer is excited to participate, because she already knows who she wants to find her. It’s the only happiness Greer can hope for, since a ring of stones surrounds the village, literally keeping the townspeople inside. Anyone who spends a night in Mistaken is forever caged within its borders. It’s both a blessing and a curse, since the stones do keep out huge, monstrous, murderous creatures called “The Bright-Eyeds”. However, Greer has a serious case of wanderlust and longs to travel far and wide. Since she can’t do that, she can only look forward to marrying her sweetheart—but something goes wrong, and Greer sees her beloved somehow escaping the pull of the stones and disappearing into the vast forest without a backward glance.
Greer resolves to escape Mistaken, too, and rescue the only man she has ever loved.
But how did he get out?
How will she follow him if the stones pull everyone back at sunset, literally through any obstacle?
All good questions. Read this tale to find out.
It will not go anywhere near your theories, I promise you. It gets pretty weird. I definitely loved the first half and have mixed feelings about the second half. Still, I’m always down for UK folklore and am glad I got to read this.
Thank you to Pantheon for the eARC! All opinions are mine.
WARNING: Spoilers below.
Okay, real talk. The story was A+ until Greer started getting some answers. Info-dumps ensued, and boy, were they some doozies. From the time she meets Noah, Greer is constantly being told crazy things, and she just accepts it. Once they get in the cave, there’s inconsistency after inconsistency. Somehow, Greer is able to avoid detection time and again, when the Bright-Eyeds supposedly can hear and smell things from a great distance. The cloak is anti-climactic, after being hyped up throughout the book, and the way it was found so easily felt like “the book is getting too long, so just put it in his bag so they don’t have to travel to find it”, more than a believable turn of events. I mean, for real, if the monsters were able to steal back the cloak’s power just by drinking her blood, that’s so lame!!
Also, there’s no real explanation given for Greer’s power of screaming…it just IS, and we must accept it. The fact that she was able to simply scream the mountain down and kill everyone at once is extremely anti-climactic, and it’s wholly unbelievable that Ellis would just walk away after being thrown against a cave wall.
I have to say, Noah watching her grow from a newborn to a woman, knowing that he’s promised to her—that’s disgusting. Yuck. It’s giving serious Renesme & Jacob vibes. And then they’re so hot for each other, while she’s searching for the man she wants to spend her life with??
Just…I wish the story had gone in a different direction after Greer left town. I could not suspend my disbelief, and the tidy wrapping up of loose ends felt very hasty.
ETA: I forgot to mention, if you’re desirous to ensure that your adult child never, ever speaks to you again, please take note of Hessel’s actions. Also, that screaming power of Greer’s, if given to every female, would make it so no girl or woman ever got abused again. That would be very handy.
All of this brings my rating down to a 3.5, and that’s only because the first half was so strong.
I very much want to read a sequel, though, so that says something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2025
When I saw that I got approved for this arc I started screaming, crying, throwing up! Then I started reading it and continued to scream, cry, and throw up because it was that good! I was actually giddy reading even just the PROLOGUE because that’s how good it was. The setting, the writing, it’s just so VISUAL; it’s hard not to feel nervous as the terrified voyagers navigate through this uncanny land that they are fearful of without quite knowing why, as bloodcurdling cries are heard in the distance. IT’S SO EERIE. IT’S SO FOREBODING. IT’S SO ERIN’S STYLE. I was kicking my feet and squealing at how deliciously dark it was. I love scary shit like this in books ok. Sue me.
The town of Mistaken is the perfect example of the price you pay for greed and the lure of wealth against your best judgement. You learn that veryyyy quickly from the prologue. Mistaken feels claustrophobic and lonely in a similar way as the setting of the village in her creepy Rumplestilskin retelling. I was actually surprised to see in the book’s blurb that this book technically takes place in Canada, because it very much doesn’t feel like it takes place in the real world. But have no fear about that making this book feel any different because it has the same otherworldly feel as her fantasy books do. If the blurb hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have even assumed this took place in the real world.
Erin is nothing if not consistent. Her books are just consistently good and this one is no different. Therefore, if you’ve enjoyed any of her previous books, you’ll like this one too. Her tone is so distinct; I could read 5 pages and pinpoint the fact that it’s her writing because her writing style and tone are so distinct. She’s got such a unique style, where it’s unsettling without being categorized as full on horror. I love that whenever you pick up an Erin Craig book, you always know what kind of vibe and aesthetic to expect because she has such a distinct style and she knows what her audience likes and expects. Even if she veers into something less creepy like in her last release, every books she releases feels distinctly her. (And yes I am STILL emotionally fragile over The Thirteenth Child and no I am not over it or emotionally healed from it!)
Was this as scary as the Sisters Of the Salt books? No, but those books are terrifying as fuck for what isn’t technically considered a horror novel, and that’s hard to top. Nor do I expect it to. I wouldn’t even say it was scary as Small Favors was. But Erin’s writing and world building are SO GOOD, that even as a girl who emphasizes scares when I pick up a book intended to be creepy, I actually didn’t mind it or like it any less because I found it less scary than some of her previous books. Despite taking place in the real world over fantasy and not being as scary as the previous installments, there is still all the gothic creepiness you love and expect in an Erin Craig novel. I will say it does lose some steam after the halfway mark but all in all, Erin never writes a bad book; she’s not capable of it. This has all the elements and dark aesthetics that you’d expect from her writing. Now, I’m ready for Sisters of the Salt book 3!
Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
The town of Mistaken is the perfect example of the price you pay for greed and the lure of wealth against your best judgement. You learn that veryyyy quickly from the prologue. Mistaken feels claustrophobic and lonely in a similar way as the setting of the village in her creepy Rumplestilskin retelling. I was actually surprised to see in the book’s blurb that this book technically takes place in Canada, because it very much doesn’t feel like it takes place in the real world. But have no fear about that making this book feel any different because it has the same otherworldly feel as her fantasy books do. If the blurb hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have even assumed this took place in the real world.
Erin is nothing if not consistent. Her books are just consistently good and this one is no different. Therefore, if you’ve enjoyed any of her previous books, you’ll like this one too. Her tone is so distinct; I could read 5 pages and pinpoint the fact that it’s her writing because her writing style and tone are so distinct. She’s got such a unique style, where it’s unsettling without being categorized as full on horror. I love that whenever you pick up an Erin Craig book, you always know what kind of vibe and aesthetic to expect because she has such a distinct style and she knows what her audience likes and expects. Even if she veers into something less creepy like in her last release, every books she releases feels distinctly her. (And yes I am STILL emotionally fragile over The Thirteenth Child and no I am not over it or emotionally healed from it!)
Was this as scary as the Sisters Of the Salt books? No, but those books are terrifying as fuck for what isn’t technically considered a horror novel, and that’s hard to top. Nor do I expect it to. I wouldn’t even say it was scary as Small Favors was. But Erin’s writing and world building are SO GOOD, that even as a girl who emphasizes scares when I pick up a book intended to be creepy, I actually didn’t mind it or like it any less because I found it less scary than some of her previous books. Despite taking place in the real world over fantasy and not being as scary as the previous installments, there is still all the gothic creepiness you love and expect in an Erin Craig novel. I will say it does lose some steam after the halfway mark but all in all, Erin never writes a bad book; she’s not capable of it. This has all the elements and dark aesthetics that you’d expect from her writing. Now, I’m ready for Sisters of the Salt book 3!
Thank you to Netgalley and Pantheon for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
September 19, 2025
Sometimes I read books a bit outside of my normal range of reading, even though that range is quite wide. This one is described as something I wouldn’t normally tend towards. It was billed as the author’s first adult book, the writing felt like it still falls under the young adult purview.
Without rehashing the plot of the book, I will say there are many things that just doesn’t fit right. The main character, Greer Mackenzie is supposed to be 27, but her character acts like someone much younger. Her best friend growing up is said to be 4 or 5 years younger, which seems a bit of a stretch. Other than the opening scene we really don’t see her again. Also, she comes from the “wrong” family, which seemed to be okay for her father, but her friend’s brother is not someone she should marry? Is the family to be avoided or not?
Also, when did this take place? There were years mentioned, during parts when some history of the town was provided, but left wondering, when is now? It didn’t come together until near the end of the book. There was this forced some type of physical romance into the book that didn’t need to be there. The pacing was a bit off, particularly the last portion of the book. I really disliked how the denouement occurred, and the ending left things open for a possibility of a sequel.
I did get through the book fairly quickly, but mainly because I was listening to it and wanted to get it done, rather than feeling compelled to know what came next. I was worried about this being a “horror” book, but found it was more fairly tale than scary and evil.
Book rating: 2.5 stars
Thanks Pantheon and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book. However, I listened to a published audiobook copy of the book.
Without rehashing the plot of the book, I will say there are many things that just doesn’t fit right. The main character, Greer Mackenzie is supposed to be 27, but her character acts like someone much younger. Her best friend growing up is said to be 4 or 5 years younger, which seems a bit of a stretch. Other than the opening scene we really don’t see her again. Also, she comes from the “wrong” family, which seemed to be okay for her father, but her friend’s brother is not someone she should marry? Is the family to be avoided or not?
Also, when did this take place? There were years mentioned, during parts when some history of the town was provided, but left wondering, when is now? It didn’t come together until near the end of the book. There was this forced some type of physical romance into the book that didn’t need to be there. The pacing was a bit off, particularly the last portion of the book. I really disliked how the denouement occurred, and the ending left things open for a possibility of a sequel.
I did get through the book fairly quickly, but mainly because I was listening to it and wanted to get it done, rather than feeling compelled to know what came next. I was worried about this being a “horror” book, but found it was more fairly tale than scary and evil.
Book rating: 2.5 stars
Thanks Pantheon and NetGalley for an uncorrected electronic advance review copy of this book. However, I listened to a published audiobook copy of the book.
September 9, 2025
Dark fairytale and fantasy romance in one book? Yes please. I must say that this book was a delight to read. I was drawn into this book right from the start and I spent this whole rainy/cloudy day immersed in this world. I went into this book somewhat blind and for that I'm glad as I think it gave me more to ponder about while reading. Greer is a great character and I was feeling what she was going through while discovering secrets about her life and her family. She wasn't sure who she could trust or if she could trust her gut feelings and this helped give the book a bit of mystery because we aren't really sure what is happening either.
To my knowledge this is a stand alone book and it has a great ending but if the author so chose, I feel she could expand upon this story and world. I would most definitely be interested in reading more in this realm. Wonderful storytelling and great world building.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 9/9/25
To my knowledge this is a stand alone book and it has a great ending but if the author so chose, I feel she could expand upon this story and world. I would most definitely be interested in reading more in this realm. Wonderful storytelling and great world building.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 9/9/25
April 26, 2025
I was thrilled to be approved for this ARC, because I was incredibly excited for the premise and especially the setting--a tiny town in the bleak Canadian wilderness, surrounded by enormous trees that bleed red and wholly dependent on the goodwill of some vague Benevolence for survival? Sold. The setting really was excellent and enjoyable to read about, particularly in the first half of the book that takes place in Mistaken rather than in the wilderness outside of it, but the execution of the premise and the characters unfortunately didn't work for me, as much as I was hoping they would.
A Land So Wide is the author's adult debut, and throughout the book I frequently found myself wondering why that choice was made. Not only would this book have worked just fine as a YA (there was one brief sex dream scene that could easily have been removed, and no other adult content), but I really think that the characterizations and dialogue would have worked better that way, I felt from very early on that our protagonist Greer felt significantly younger than her stated age of 27 to me—she’s still living at home, acting like a frightened child around her father, and her romance also reads very much like a high school first love situation that hasn’t really blossomed into an adult relationship yet. In particular, I felt like the “had to wait extra seven years to get married” aspect was really glossed over, as was Greer having to live in a tension-filled house with her abusive father for that long—in real life, that would be absolutely torturous to go through, and Greer's reactions just didn't feel true to that. Having her be a younger YA protagonist would have actually made the emotional stakes of the story match her reaction more closely--as is, she comes off emotionally disconnected from Ellis and incredibly timid, not at all like a woman who's really ready to set out on a journey in pursuit of the life she wants for herself.
As I mentioned earlier, the setting in the first half of the book is much stronger, and I think the pacing also suffered significantly once we followed Greer past the Warding Stones and into the wilderness outside Mistaken's borders. While I expected the story to really take off at this point, instead we kept getting lengthy descriptions of Greer's thought processes beat-for-beat, including her misinterpreting things, reacting to what she thought had happened, and then correcting herself and reacting to what actually happened. I was frustrated every time this happened--I think it was meant to disorient the reader, the way that the woods can disorient you, but it also had the effect of slowing the plot to a crawl and making Greer seem less intelligent than we're told she is (and again, much younger). That said, I did really like in this section of the book that the monsters that have terrorized Mistaken and other settlements aren’t the only source of danger--Greer faces just as much peril from things like the cold, running water, wolves, men, and other real-life dangerous aspects of the woods, which was unexpected and helped ground the story more.
Beyond the pacing issue, the first and second halves of the book also felt really disjointed, almost like entirely separate stories—we get so much set-up about Mistaken, its people, and the way life works there, and very little of it ends up mattering or paying off. Similarly, Greer's characterization doesn't really "stick" throughout the story--she doesn’t seem to miss her friend or grieve any part of her old life, she doesn’t continue making maps or rely on that mapmaking background to help her in her journey in more than a superficial way. Especially when I compared what we knew about Mistaken to the very little detail we get about the rest of the world (except that it’s incredibly dangerous and lonely in comparison), I found myself thinking that while I understand why Greer would want to leave Mistaken, I wasn't convinced that she really wanted to go anywhere else. Unfortunately, this also had the effect of making the world feel very small and limited, which was not what I wanted from a book about a tiny town in an endless wilderness. I don't think it helped that her relationship with Ellis seemed so underdeveloped--as Greer encountered more obstacles in her journey, I just found myself thinking that I didn't buy that she actually loved him enough to do this, or that they were clear enough on the life they wanted together that it made sense for her to risk her life for it. (And Ellis wasn't the only character whose bond with Greer felt underdeveloped--I felt similarly about her friend at home, her father, and the new characters were who introduced after she leaves Mistaken.)
I won't say too much about the direction the plot takes towards the end of the book, except to saw that I did consistently see the plots twists coming and unfortunately felt like the way the storyline wrapped up was overly contrived and didn't feel especially "earned." While there were several moments where it felt like Greer was really in danger, they were always resolved too quickly and far too easily for my taste, with little emotional resonance as a result (even in moments that felt like they were meant to be emotional climaxes of the book). Overall, the main thing that the book had going for it was that the general idea/vibes/setting were so compelling that I really wanted this book to be more enjoyable to me than it was. While I do think that counts for something, the plot and characters unfortunately didn't live up to the potential I thought this book had.
A Land So Wide is the author's adult debut, and throughout the book I frequently found myself wondering why that choice was made. Not only would this book have worked just fine as a YA (there was one brief sex dream scene that could easily have been removed, and no other adult content), but I really think that the characterizations and dialogue would have worked better that way, I felt from very early on that our protagonist Greer felt significantly younger than her stated age of 27 to me—she’s still living at home, acting like a frightened child around her father, and her romance also reads very much like a high school first love situation that hasn’t really blossomed into an adult relationship yet. In particular, I felt like the “had to wait extra seven years to get married” aspect was really glossed over, as was Greer having to live in a tension-filled house with her abusive father for that long—in real life, that would be absolutely torturous to go through, and Greer's reactions just didn't feel true to that. Having her be a younger YA protagonist would have actually made the emotional stakes of the story match her reaction more closely--as is, she comes off emotionally disconnected from Ellis and incredibly timid, not at all like a woman who's really ready to set out on a journey in pursuit of the life she wants for herself.
As I mentioned earlier, the setting in the first half of the book is much stronger, and I think the pacing also suffered significantly once we followed Greer past the Warding Stones and into the wilderness outside Mistaken's borders. While I expected the story to really take off at this point, instead we kept getting lengthy descriptions of Greer's thought processes beat-for-beat, including her misinterpreting things, reacting to what she thought had happened, and then correcting herself and reacting to what actually happened. I was frustrated every time this happened--I think it was meant to disorient the reader, the way that the woods can disorient you, but it also had the effect of slowing the plot to a crawl and making Greer seem less intelligent than we're told she is (and again, much younger). That said, I did really like in this section of the book that the monsters that have terrorized Mistaken and other settlements aren’t the only source of danger--Greer faces just as much peril from things like the cold, running water, wolves, men, and other real-life dangerous aspects of the woods, which was unexpected and helped ground the story more.
Beyond the pacing issue, the first and second halves of the book also felt really disjointed, almost like entirely separate stories—we get so much set-up about Mistaken, its people, and the way life works there, and very little of it ends up mattering or paying off. Similarly, Greer's characterization doesn't really "stick" throughout the story--she doesn’t seem to miss her friend or grieve any part of her old life, she doesn’t continue making maps or rely on that mapmaking background to help her in her journey in more than a superficial way. Especially when I compared what we knew about Mistaken to the very little detail we get about the rest of the world (except that it’s incredibly dangerous and lonely in comparison), I found myself thinking that while I understand why Greer would want to leave Mistaken, I wasn't convinced that she really wanted to go anywhere else. Unfortunately, this also had the effect of making the world feel very small and limited, which was not what I wanted from a book about a tiny town in an endless wilderness. I don't think it helped that her relationship with Ellis seemed so underdeveloped--as Greer encountered more obstacles in her journey, I just found myself thinking that I didn't buy that she actually loved him enough to do this, or that they were clear enough on the life they wanted together that it made sense for her to risk her life for it. (And Ellis wasn't the only character whose bond with Greer felt underdeveloped--I felt similarly about her friend at home, her father, and the new characters were who introduced after she leaves Mistaken.)
I won't say too much about the direction the plot takes towards the end of the book, except to saw that I did consistently see the plots twists coming and unfortunately felt like the way the storyline wrapped up was overly contrived and didn't feel especially "earned." While there were several moments where it felt like Greer was really in danger, they were always resolved too quickly and far too easily for my taste, with little emotional resonance as a result (even in moments that felt like they were meant to be emotional climaxes of the book). Overall, the main thing that the book had going for it was that the general idea/vibes/setting were so compelling that I really wanted this book to be more enjoyable to me than it was. While I do think that counts for something, the plot and characters unfortunately didn't live up to the potential I thought this book had.
December 18, 2025
4.5⭐️
Kolejna niesamowicie klimatyczna powieść od Erin A. Craig!
Jeszcze raz będziemy mogli zanurzyć się w małomiasteczkowej atmosferze i wraz z Greer odkrywać sekrety, o jakich jej się nigdy nie śniło. Będzie duszno, będzie mrocznie i będzie piekielnie wciągająco!
Sama przeczytałam tę książkę dosłownie na dwa razy z gęsią skórką i niezaspokojonym apetytem na więcej..
[ współpraca reklamowa @wydawnictwonowestrony ]
Kolejna niesamowicie klimatyczna powieść od Erin A. Craig!
Jeszcze raz będziemy mogli zanurzyć się w małomiasteczkowej atmosferze i wraz z Greer odkrywać sekrety, o jakich jej się nigdy nie śniło. Będzie duszno, będzie mrocznie i będzie piekielnie wciągająco!
Sama przeczytałam tę książkę dosłownie na dwa razy z gęsią skórką i niezaspokojonym apetytem na więcej..
[ współpraca reklamowa @wydawnictwonowestrony ]
August 26, 2025
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, Anchor, the author, and NetGalley for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.
Erin A. Craig is usually so good at writing creepy, mysterious stories. Her books always have that haunting vibe that pulls you in, and that’s exactly why I picked up A Land So Wide. I expected that same eerie feeling with even more depth, since this is her first adult novel. But sadly, this book really didn’t work for me.
The setting and idea were interesting at first. Mistaken is a small, closed-off town in the middle of the forest, surrounded by Warding Stones that keep the monsters called Bright-Eyeds out. Once you spend a night inside the town, you can never leave. It’s a cool concept, and the way the book opens gives off strong gothic horror vibes. It felt like something big and dangerous was coming. But once the story actually started, it quickly lost its edge.
The biggest problem is the tone. It’s supposed to be an adult fantasy, but it feels just like a YA book. The main character, Greer, is said to be 27 years old, but she acts much younger. She constantly makes decisions that don’t make sense for someone her age. Her reactions and relationships feel like they belong in a teen drama, not an adult horror-fantasy.
And then there’s the romance which honestly made me cringe. Greer and Ellis are meant to be in love, but there’s no spark between them. Ellis has no personality at all, and I didn’t care about their relationship. Then, about halfway through the book, another guy is introduced Noah, and it turns into this awkward love triangle. There’s even a dream scene between Greer and Finn that felt so unnecessary and weird, it completely took me out of the story. It ruined any emotional connection I had left.
Another issue is the pacing. The first few chapters are promising, and the world of Mistaken is creepy and interesting. But after that, the story slows down a lot. Greer wanders through the forest, constantly overthinking everything, and the plot just drags. When things finally do pick up again, they feel rushed and don’t connect well with the rest of the story. It’s like the book couldn’t decide what kind of story it wanted to tell.
The “adult” content is almost nonexistent, and the world outside Mistaken is hardly explored. For a book about escaping into the unknown, it all felt very limited and small. Even the emotional parts, like the losses or discoveries Greer goes through, didn’t hit the way they should have. I wasn’t moved or surprised by anything.
That said, I’ll give credit where it’s due: the atmosphere was great. The setting is vivid and eerie, especially in the first half. The snowy forest, the strange town, the uneasy silence it all had the right mood. But the story itself didn’t live up to that atmosphere. Good vibes alone aren’t enough when the plot and characters feel flat.
In the end, A Land So Wide had a strong start and a great idea, but it just didn’t come together. The characters were underdeveloped, the pacing was off, and the romance felt forced and uncomfortable. It wasn’t scary, it wasn’t emotional, and it didn’t feel like an adult novel. I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t deliver.
If you’re into slow, moody stories with more atmosphere than plot, maybe you’ll enjoy it. But if you’re looking for a deep, exciting fantasy with strong characters and real stakes, I’d say skip this one.
Erin A. Craig is usually so good at writing creepy, mysterious stories. Her books always have that haunting vibe that pulls you in, and that’s exactly why I picked up A Land So Wide. I expected that same eerie feeling with even more depth, since this is her first adult novel. But sadly, this book really didn’t work for me.
The setting and idea were interesting at first. Mistaken is a small, closed-off town in the middle of the forest, surrounded by Warding Stones that keep the monsters called Bright-Eyeds out. Once you spend a night inside the town, you can never leave. It’s a cool concept, and the way the book opens gives off strong gothic horror vibes. It felt like something big and dangerous was coming. But once the story actually started, it quickly lost its edge.
The biggest problem is the tone. It’s supposed to be an adult fantasy, but it feels just like a YA book. The main character, Greer, is said to be 27 years old, but she acts much younger. She constantly makes decisions that don’t make sense for someone her age. Her reactions and relationships feel like they belong in a teen drama, not an adult horror-fantasy.
And then there’s the romance which honestly made me cringe. Greer and Ellis are meant to be in love, but there’s no spark between them. Ellis has no personality at all, and I didn’t care about their relationship. Then, about halfway through the book, another guy is introduced Noah, and it turns into this awkward love triangle. There’s even a dream scene between Greer and Finn that felt so unnecessary and weird, it completely took me out of the story. It ruined any emotional connection I had left.
Another issue is the pacing. The first few chapters are promising, and the world of Mistaken is creepy and interesting. But after that, the story slows down a lot. Greer wanders through the forest, constantly overthinking everything, and the plot just drags. When things finally do pick up again, they feel rushed and don’t connect well with the rest of the story. It’s like the book couldn’t decide what kind of story it wanted to tell.
The “adult” content is almost nonexistent, and the world outside Mistaken is hardly explored. For a book about escaping into the unknown, it all felt very limited and small. Even the emotional parts, like the losses or discoveries Greer goes through, didn’t hit the way they should have. I wasn’t moved or surprised by anything.
That said, I’ll give credit where it’s due: the atmosphere was great. The setting is vivid and eerie, especially in the first half. The snowy forest, the strange town, the uneasy silence it all had the right mood. But the story itself didn’t live up to that atmosphere. Good vibes alone aren’t enough when the plot and characters feel flat.
In the end, A Land So Wide had a strong start and a great idea, but it just didn’t come together. The characters were underdeveloped, the pacing was off, and the romance felt forced and uncomfortable. It wasn’t scary, it wasn’t emotional, and it didn’t feel like an adult novel. I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t deliver.
If you’re into slow, moody stories with more atmosphere than plot, maybe you’ll enjoy it. But if you’re looking for a deep, exciting fantasy with strong characters and real stakes, I’d say skip this one.
April 30, 2025
I'd never read this author before but I'd heard such good things that I decided to try her adult debut. I really enjoyed the first half of the book and the atmospheric, folkloric setting, but the second half lost me and felt like a totally different book. I think if the synopsis had sold me first on selkie vampires, I would have had different expectations going in as paranormal romance is not my favorite genre (except maybe Omegaverse and I have very picky standards with the rest of it, I am kind of burnt out on vampires.)
The first half of the book is set in the town called Mistaken, which is protected by magical stones and beings called the Benevolence that keep the settlement safe from monsters known as Bright-Eyeds. But this also keeps the settlers imprisoned within the town. To keep up birth rates, young people are married off in a ritual known as the Hunt.
I found the part set in the town to be really interesting as someone with a keen interest in cults. The town felt very cultlike and the Hunt felt a lot like state sanctioned rape "for the good of the town," very Handmaid's Tale.
Greer is a 27-year-old who seems naive and immature, but that is understandable given the culture. However a childish spat with her best friend at the beginning left me with that impression and it was hard to shake. Her main problem as a character for me was that she didn't have much agency. I liked how she had strange gifts, made maps and dreamed of traveling, which seemed at odds with her sweetheart's more humble dreams.
She's all set to marry her childhood sweetheart, Ellis, a love interest I found kind of bland and forgettable, at the next Hunt, despite her father's objections. But Ellis offers himself up as a sacrifice to the wilderness and Greer plunges in after him, changing her life forever and everything she thought she knew.
While the first half was slow paced, the second half was Greer wandering around the wildnerness getting attacked and mooning over two men. Not even the love triangle could save this for me though. Her other love interest was a person who had guarded her mother and her from the time she was a baby. Creepy, gross, and he was also bland as a love interest. There was a lot of yearning with no chemistry.
So ultimately this didn't really work for me, but paranormal romance fans may find more to like here. Erin A. Craig fans will likely love this.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The first half of the book is set in the town called Mistaken, which is protected by magical stones and beings called the Benevolence that keep the settlement safe from monsters known as Bright-Eyeds. But this also keeps the settlers imprisoned within the town. To keep up birth rates, young people are married off in a ritual known as the Hunt.
I found the part set in the town to be really interesting as someone with a keen interest in cults. The town felt very cultlike and the Hunt felt a lot like state sanctioned rape "for the good of the town," very Handmaid's Tale.
Greer is a 27-year-old who seems naive and immature, but that is understandable given the culture. However a childish spat with her best friend at the beginning left me with that impression and it was hard to shake. Her main problem as a character for me was that she didn't have much agency. I liked how she had strange gifts, made maps and dreamed of traveling, which seemed at odds with her sweetheart's more humble dreams.
She's all set to marry her childhood sweetheart, Ellis, a love interest I found kind of bland and forgettable, at the next Hunt, despite her father's objections. But Ellis offers himself up as a sacrifice to the wilderness and Greer plunges in after him, changing her life forever and everything she thought she knew.
While the first half was slow paced, the second half was Greer wandering around the wildnerness getting attacked and mooning over two men. Not even the love triangle could save this for me though. Her other love interest was a person who had guarded her mother and her from the time she was a baby. Creepy, gross, and he was also bland as a love interest. There was a lot of yearning with no chemistry.
So ultimately this didn't really work for me, but paranormal romance fans may find more to like here. Erin A. Craig fans will likely love this.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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