The Waters and the Wild

September 2, 2019
Lackey and Edghill resume their Bedlam Bards urban fantasy series (after 2016’s Silence) with this lackluster novel, in which a young woman is drawn out of her painful reality and into the deep and dangerous worlds below a scenic lake resort. Desperate to escape her parents’ crumbling marriage, Olivia agrees to join her boyfriend Blake, a school swimming star, and his family at Lake Endor in upstate New York. Blake’s family is dismissive at best, and Blake himself is hardly the person she thought he was. But when Olivia meets lifeguard Dylan Waverly, her summer suddenly gets a whole lot more interesting. Dylan is a Selkie, hiding from his people and their battle for control of the seas. He’s delighted to open Olivia’s eyes to the wonders that live all around her, but their growing relationship puts both Olivia and Dylan in grave danger from mortals and Fair Folk alike. Uneven plotting and narration detract from the impressive worldbuilding, but series fans will no doubt find plenty to enjoy.