One of the highlights of my summer was attending the American Library Association Conference in June, and getting to meet Erin A. Craig in person. Not only did I get my advanced review copy of A Land So Wide signed by Craig, I also got to listen to her speak about the book, and it made me all that more excited to read it. I have read all of her published works so far, and have been enticed and tantalised by cruel and fantastic worlds that ensnare the mind and caution of the dangers of staring into the dark for too long. Her latest story has inspirations of Scottish folklore, but her voice permeates each word to create something wholly new and incredible to read. If you’re into moody stories with a cold atmospheric setting, you’re going to want to get this book onto your TBR list.
I invite you to join me in the settlement of Mistaken, where Greer McKenzie is trapped by the consequences of a greed driven settler around 100 years ago. While the land is rich with natural resources, they come at the cost of wolves, bears, and Bright Eyeds—monsters who have destroyed settlements around them. Except for Mistaken. They are protected by the Benevolence, Warding Stones that seem to loom protectively over the area. Greer is a mapmaker, dreaming desperately of exploring and one day leaving the settlement, though she knows she and her love Ellis Beaufort are destined to a life trapped within the town. When her beloved manages to escape through the Warding Stones, Greer is determined to do the same, and rescue him from his perilous fate. What she doesn’t know is that fate has set her on a course of truths that will change her world forever.
Despite the long summary, this book doesn’t feel like it’s very long. At least, it wasn’t for me. The book is very atmospheric, cold, and moody, much like the town of Mistaken. Greer is an eccentric young woman from the start, different from most in the town, and not satisfied with the status quo. Interestingly, there’s a pretty good exploration of privilege and wealth in this book, due to Greer being the daughter of the wealthiest man in town. Although she starts off a little self-involved at the start, she does have a bit of self-awareness of what her privilege has afforded her. When her love is tested, she also realises the limitations of the privilege and her role in the town. I felt like Greer was strong, if a little reckless, but I grew fond of her. It made a lot of sense how she and Ellis Beaufort fit together. I truly enjoyed their romance, I felt it was woven well into how the rest of the story was laid out.
The inspiration for this book was Tam Lin, which I will admit is not a story that I have previous experience with. When I went back and looked at the fairytale in question, I did feel like it had remnants of the story, but that this was not a retelling of the story. This might bother some that like to read retellings, but if you approach this story without those reservations, it will be quite an enjoyable read. The aspects of the fairytale that I found parallels between were a strong heroine, and a couple of other things that might spoil aspects of the story that I truly enjoyed. What I liked most of all, was the exploration of the Bright-Eyeds. It was a bit of an odd twist that I wasn’t quite expecting, and it made me all the more curious for more lore. Definitely could have been an interesting effect of colonialism. It did give me something to think about once I finished the book.
We wrap this book up with an ambiguously bitter sweet ending that is true to Erin’s previous books. I couldn’t get this book out of my head for several days after I finished it, and wished I could go find another book with similar vibes to it. I genuinely encourage you to grab a copy!
A Land So Wide is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up A Land So Wide? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child comes an irresistible blend of dark fairytale and romantic fantasy. • The town of Mistaken has a secret…and it’s up to one woman to uncover the truth, confront her past, and save the man she loves.
Like everyone else in the settlement of Mistaken, Greer Mackenzie is trapped. Founded by an ambitious lumber merchant, the village 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. Determined to rescue Ellis, she figures out a way to defy Mistaken’s curse and begins a trek through the cold and pitiless wilderness. But there, Greer is hunted, not only by the ruthless Bright-Eyeds but by the secret truths behind Mistaken’s founding and 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 seize her own future.
