“The Violet Woods. It’s close enough to my name that it feels even more transient and magical. As though some strange alchemy took a part of me and transmuted it here. I am a girl. I am ink and paper.”

This story is told in first person from the point of view of Violeta Grace, a seventeen-year-old girl who is extremely protective of her brother. Arien is filled with nightmares by night and a strange darkness that spreads over his skin. The people in the village are afraid of Arien and when tithe day arrives and Arien has a manifestation during the events, they encounter Lord Rowan Sylvanan also known as the Monster of Lakesedge. Rowan sees the stains on Arien and offers them refuge in return for his dark magic.

There is a strong romantic element to this fantasy. Rowan and Violeta connect both through their past feelings of guilt over their past choices and their savior complexes. I enjoyed the fantasy world that they lived in and the various other character that lived on the family estate. Violeta has a strong relationship with her brother and develops a friendship with the resident alchemist in Clover. The villain of the piece in Lord Under manages to manipulate both light and dark in a way that makes him both intriguing and grotesque. Looking forward to reading the next part of the story.

Thank you to Bookist First and Henry Holt for a copy provided for an honest review.