Edgewood

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

My rating: 4.6 out of 5

Music, magic, and memories.

Emeline is a singer, hopefully, one who is about to get her best and biggest break into the music industry. Right before that momentous event, a family emergency pulls her back home, to a small rural superstitious town that Emeline had gladly left far behind years ago. A place steeped in stories of Wood kings and magic and dangerous creatures that surely don’t exist and certainly aren’t the cause of her grandfather’s disappearance.

When Emeline returns to her hometown, she’s forced to confront stories she grew up believing, but long since outgrew. But real life events may force her to reconsider her beliefs in legends, between truths and falsehoods, and most of all, to dig up curses and forgotten memories.

The prose here was lush and beautiful. I fell easily into this story and finished it in nearly one sitting. The forest and all its magic, beauty and curses, were vividly depicted. I liked the characters and their close relationships between friends, family, and even neighbors that were practically family. The setting mixed nicely between the magical world in the forest and some bits in Montreal. It didn’t feel like the typical urban fantasy though. The modern and magical worlds were kept very separate from each other.

I enjoyed the way the theme was presented here. It’s about memories and how they shape our lives and bind our relationships with those we love. It was a good deep theme, presented in a wonderful fantasy package. It was shown from various perspectives how important memories are in our lives – from Alzheimer’s, to one’s memories created with friends and loved ones. It was a unique theme, and it added a lot of depth to an otherwise wonderful story.The plot had some nice twists and some dark buried secrets. The romance was nicely done and didn’t overwhelm or become the focus of the story. The writing was nice and very atmospheric. I could feel the words come to life around me, see the stampeding flaming horses, hear the trees in the forest… It was an absorbing story and a very enjoyable experience.

While she starts the story as a skeptic of all things magic, Emeline’s path leads her into the forest bordering her hometown and entry into another world. There, she meets friends – old and new, uncovers secrets and buried memories, and will eventually have to choose between magic and love or her dream career.