Devil’s Lake

Good afternoon from a rare, sunny English city. I hope you’re well.

Today, I’m excited to be reviewing a fantasy/paranormal romance novel, entitled Devil’s Lake, by Angela Merlo. This unique tale deals with themes of anxiety and past trauma, along with delving into mythology later on in the story.

With that said, let’s dive right in.

Story

Devil’s Lake follows Alison, a water-phobic teen, who considers herself ‘broken’ after tragically losing her parents eight years ago. She struggles to come to terms with what happened, until a mysterious friend from her past re-appears, promising to help her overcome her fears.

Characters

Our two main characters are Alison and Philip.

I found Alison easy to relate to. Although appearing anti-social at first, Alison has a lot of things bottled up inside, which lead to intense anxiety and depression. Throughout the story, I watched as she gradually overcame her fears, becoming more bold and open to connecting with others.

Philip, Alison’s childhood friend, makes a sudden re-appearance in her life after she first tries to confront her fears. Both handsome and mysterious, Philip’s personality drew me in as much as he did Alison. However, I wasn’t expecting Philip to be hiding such dark secrets. The way they are divulged throughout the later parts of the story was really well done, and I found myself loving his character even more.

Writing

I loved the author’s writing style. First person, present tense is quickly becoming a favourite style of mine as I really feel like I’m in the scene. The author paints vivid pictures with her carefully chosen words, hooking me in until I was craving to dive into the actual story world, to experience the events for myself.

I also loved how easily I could relate to the character’s difficult feelings of anxiety and depression. Alison’s issues were explored thoroughly as the story unfolded, making for a powerful reading experience.

Quotes

As always, I’d like to leave you with a memorable quote from the book.

‘The light is there, hidden in the darkness. Though I can’t see it, I know it’s there. And I can live in confidence of its presence, even as I walk in darkness. I can live in the hope of the unseen light.
And I will.’

I loved this quote above all others because it represents such a fundamental principal of life as a human. There will be good and bad influences in our lives, and its up to us to find the light within all
of the suffering we endure, so we can continue on our individual journeys.

Overview

Devil’s Lake is one of my new favourite reads of 2019.

This is one I’m definitely going to need a print copy of. I loved the characters, the backstory, the setting, and the mythological twists near the end. Loved every moment.

My rating: 5 stars.

Recommended: For lovers of fantasy/paranormal tales that deal with complex issues such as anxiety and trauma, along with a touch of romance.

If you’d like to learn more about Devil’s Lake, please visit its Goodreads page.
To learn more about author Angela Merlo, please visit her Goodreads page.

Thank you for joining me for today’s review of Devil’s Lake.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it or leaving a comment below.

As always, wishing you a wonderful week,
Dax. xoxo