Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary audiobook of this title. All thoughts are my own.

I hadn’t heard much about this book before I picked it up, and what I got wasn’t what I had in mind at all. I went in thinking this would be a modern horror story set in Appalachia. Instead, the book takes place in the 1700s and leans much more into fantasy than horror. It wasn’t a bad read by any means, but it wasn’t quite the experience I was hoping for either.

The setup is intriguing. The town of Mistaken is isolated, surrounded by warding stones that protect the people from terrifying creatures called the Bright-Eyeds. The catch is that the stones also trap everyone inside. No one who spends a night in Mistaken can ever leave. That claustrophobic concept immediately reminded me of The Village. We have a small community clinging to tradition, scared into submission, handing out offerings, and fearing what lurks in the woods beyond.

The main character, Greer, is a mapmaker who longs for something more. On the day she’s supposed to start her life with Ellis, the love of her life, he’s taken beyond the warding stones. Greer sets out after him, defying the rules of Mistaken and uncovering truths about the village and herself. It’s an adventurous premise that combines folklore with romance, and there are some great moments of tension and atmosphere along the way.

That said, the story dragged in places for me. The lore and world-building were solid, and I liked the bigger themes about freedom versus security, but I never felt fully connected to Greer or her journey. I also felt the story dragged in places. It was one of those books where I appreciated the story and what the author was going for but didn’t feel swept up in it. This is also an adult book, but it reads very YA (or at least it did to me).

One highlight was the narration. I listened to the audiobook, and Cecily Bednar Schmidt did a wonderful job. Her performance gave the characters texture and helped carry me through parts where I might have set the print version aside. Having her voice bring the story to life kept me engaged while I did housework and yardwork, turning something mundane into something immersive.

This one kind of sits in an in-between space for me. It has strong writing, interesting folklore, and a powerful atmosphere, but it didn’t quite click on an emotional level. If you’re a fan of dark fantasy with a historical setting and don’t mind a slower pace, you’ll probably connect with it more than I did. If you’re going in expecting straightforward horror, like I was, you may walk away a little underwhelmed. This isn’t a book I’d rush to recommend to everyone, but for the reader who enjoys folklore-inspired fantasy with romance woven through—it will hit the mark.

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