Tenderly, I Am Devoured
An advanced review of the book Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone
Publication date July 1, 2025
"I've seen the cruelty of the mortal world; I have no fear of gods or monsters."
Tenderly, I am Devoured is one of the most beautiful books I have read in the last year. Don’t Let the Forest in meets Saltburn in this stunning gothic YA poly romance.
Lyndall Clipstone’s prose blushes violet through the pages, tugging you into her world and refusing to release you.
The story centers around Lacrimosa, “Lark”, after she is expelled from her boarding school and she returns home to find her family destitute. Lark bravely agrees to marry the swan god that her family worships but all goes awry and her world is further shattered on the night of her betrothal.
Clipstone has worked in a fascinating timeline, playing point of view through ‘then’ and ‘now’ chapters in order to weave Lark’s motivations throughout the story, and reveal her past with her mysterious neighbors, the Felimath’s, and her former best friend from boarding school.
This book hooked me on vibe alone, rolling out cottage core and academia on a velvet carpet, teasing a romance that channels Hades and Persephone with a betrothal to an underworld god with wings of swan feathers, and wrapping it all with the aspects I crave from Saltburn: that deep yearning for forbidden, bloody kisses, and friendless betrayal.
"I know how it feels to love someone who is like poison. To want so desperately to please them, even though it wounds you."
If the vibes won’t get you alone, know that there is a true happily ever after, which feels so rare nowadays. This is an incredibly fast read as it will hook you and you won’t want to put it down, but it’s also a thrilling ride. The stakes are low, as long as you don’t think being trapped between worlds is a terrible fate, and the plot twist will surely make you gasp.
Clipstone truly amazes with her newest title, bringing a stunning and unique queer romance to life, and I cannot wait to see what she reveals next.