ARC Review:

A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig

Publication Date: September 2, 2025

Summary from Netgalley:

ARC provided by Pantheon Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

Confession:

I really enjoyed this dark, gothic tale set in the Canadian wilderness and loosely based on Scottish folklore. The atmospheric writing really brought the setting to life, and the main female character was someone I could root for. This story is a nice mix of historical fantasy, horror and romance and the ending will leave you breathless.

Greer is a young woman who has waited a long time to marry the love of her life. I really admired Greer’s determination to marry Ellis, against her father’s wishes, and some of the town’s folks as well. She was a strong lead character that had many strengths, such as her ability to hear things that most people can’t and her ability to create maps of the forest surrounding her village. She does at times maybe read closer to an older teen than a woman approaching 30, this mostly comes out in her inner dialogue at times, but some of this was perhaps due to her living in a secluded village.

I really enjoyed the story’s setting of a remote village set in the wilderness. The village was protected from the creatures called Bright-Eyeds, by a protective ring of stones. But this protection comes with a catch, no one can leave the village after nightfall, or leave permanently. This creates a very closed community that harbors many secrets, especially by the elders. The village’s secrets come into play very quickly as Greer tries to navigate her choices between doing what is safe or doing what she feels is right.

Besides the wonderful setting, the writing is well done too. The pacing is pretty steady throughout the story, and maybe gets a little bogged down in the middle, but I was so invested in the story that I didn’t mind it too much. This author just has such a way with words and her storytelling has such a unique voice, that I always find her stories captivating. This is a unique story, and I loved the creatures that are hiding in the forest. I found them to be very creepy and I worried that there would not be a happy ending for any of the characters.

If you are a fan of this author’s books, then I think you will really enjoy this adult debut. I think older teens will also enjoy this story, as there isn’t anything that stands out as being inappropriate for that age level. If you enjoy dark historical fantasies with a strong cast of characters set in a wilderness surrounded by strange creatures, then this is a story you should be adding to your TBR.