The Girl From Beyond the Veil

by Kate Seger

A girl torn between worlds. A realm waiting for its chosen one.

Arianette could not help but be drawn to the strange music in the forest during the Rite - when the Veil between worlds is at its thinnest.

After being lured into the war-ravaged Ethereal Realms by a shadowy woman and bound by a bargain with a wayward fae lord, Arianette finds herself torn between two worlds as she tries to solve the mystery of her origins... before the Fae Courts burn.

When the truth is revealed about who—and what—Arianette is, she must decide if she will follow the course written in her stars.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks, Fae, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2023

About the author

Kate is a book worm, dog mom, and world-builder, living on the banks of the Hudson River in NY. Her #lifegoal is to be kidnapped by the Fae or stumble into a portal and be transported to a magical land.

A lover of mythology and fairy tales, Kate writes YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Her first novel, "The Wood Witch's Daughter," just launched on April 20th!

She has since thrown herself into the chaotic mayhem that passes for her writing process in an attempt to write the sequel.

Reviews

[Arianne Laporte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the story idea was truly promising, but it wasn’t well executed. The characters all lacked depth in terms of personality and it felt as if things went by too quickly for the characters' reactions to be realistic.

The following will contain spoilers.

I’m feeling truly torn to give this book only a 3 stars because it had so much potential. I think the whole world building and storyline was genuinely very interesting, but throughout the many grammatical mistakes, to the way that no suspense was held because we knew everything before Arianette knew herself simply by reading Muirgan’s POV, the story sort of lost it’s appeal. Furthermore, the characters all seem to have a short temper, and it was really hard to get attached to any of them when I felt like I didn’t really know any of them at all. Also, Braedin and Varik are both IN LOVE with Arianette after speaking to her like 3 or 4 times… This annoyed me so much, they are only in love with her appearance at this point. And Arianette wasn’t really a kind person. She was always rude and mean, only to apologize each time afterwards.

Finally, I think what I disliked the most about this book was how Arianette was destined to follow fate and just, forced to be with Varik even if she didn’t even truly want to. I found this disturbing, to think that the only reason she was with him was because they were mated and maybe even that he used magic to lure her. If that is not manipulation, control and even violation, I don’t know what is.

[Denielle Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

writing was great, editing/proofreading not so much

I’ve never read a book with so many errors. Made me want to toss my kindle across the room. I don’t think I can handle a second!

[Trista · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun read and has potential but it felt more like I was reading a fan fiction than a published story. I’m interested to read more by this author because the potential is there. It also doesn’t feel like it was edited in anyway before being released because the amount of errors was astounding.

[Shauna Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! So well-written with dynamic characters and a compelling storyline, I couldn’t put it down. Seger is a wonderful storyteller and I’m looking forward to future installments in this series!

[Gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great fae plot but the timeline seemed a little rushed. This had incredible potential and with a little more depth could have been on par with ACOTAR

[Katie Coree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read.

Love the character development! Would definitely recommend to a friend! I like the various characteristics of the different courts and fae.

[Cat's Bookery · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this free on Kindle and stopped at 66%

Certain parts of this story felt unnecessary where other parts felt rushed. I couldn't connect with the characters. It was as if their personalities shifted to what was needed for the story rather than developing them into their own person.

I may give this another try in the future, but as of right now, I am choosing to DNF

[Cassie Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

About half way through the character development seemed to go in many directions and then double back - not sure what everyone’s purpose is. I liked it at first but then a whole bunch of nothing happened?

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl From Beyond The Veil is the first book in the Ethereal Realms series. It is a fantasy featuring Arianette Gracelilly. She was raised by her mother Amabella, a wood witch who used all manner of things which grew in the forest to tend to the ails of the people in Onerth. Amabella taught her daughter all she knew, including to avoid the woods during the Rite, when the Veil could be weakened and fall. On one such night she finds herself being called to the woods. She find a woman who introduces herself as Lorna Blackburn. Arianette is familiar with the Blackburn name, and knows they are the ruling fae of the Court of Shadows. There aren't supposed to be any fae in Onerth so what does this mean? She doesn't really have time to process before Lorna sends her to the Court of Sky in the Ethereal Realms.

It is there that she meets the Skylord, Varik, and his brother, Braedin Redwing. She leans that there is a prophecy about the Legion Queen, and they believe her to be that person who will unite the courts along with the elven peoples, and save them from the threat of Ereda Blackburn, the Shadow Empress and Lorna's sister. This is all too much for Arianette. She's just a simple mortal girl who even lacks the minimal magic her mother once wielded. How could she be their saviour? And if that weren't enough, it seems she and the Skylord are fated mates. All she wants it to go home, but that's not an option.

I love a good fantasy tale. Arianette was a relatable character as she has grown up with a set of beliefs that then get turned upside down. She has to come to terms with having been lied to by her mother, as well as not understanding how she is supposed to play this role of Legion Queen. She experiences a litany of emotions, and it makes perfect sense. I especially enjoyed when she finally embraced her destiny and shut everything else off. It completely changed her character.

Varik left much to be desired as a MMC, but given that he and Arianette are bound, I'm hoping he does a lot of growing up in the next book. I want to love him, but at the moment, I'm not there. I'm more intrigued by Braedin, even though I find him to be somewhat lackluster as well.

I love Lorna's character, and hope we see more of her in book 2. As for Muirgan, Arianette's aunt, I'm holding judgment until I see what action she takes. I feel like there is more to her, but time will tell.

Rise Of The Legion Queen is expected later this year. I'll definitely be adding that one to my TBR!

[Sarah Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Seger’s “The Girl From Beyond the Veil” was a really interesting book, and I thought it was a good read as well! The world building was amazing, and I was intrigued by the plot from the start. We have Arianette, a young woman who thinks she’s the mortal daughter of a wood witch, except she turns out to be so much more. Arianette really was a complex character, I felt as though she had a lot of layers that I couldn’t wait to unwrap. The other characters I liked were Varik and Lorna. Varik is the Skylord and Lorna is loyal to him despite hailing from the Court of Shadows. I also really enjoyed Muírgan Vivane’s POV. To sum it up, I thought this book really set the stage for what’s to come… I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Marion Linke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book on Stuff your Kindl day and didn't expect much. But I must admit, that I really liked it. The writing might not be perfect and there are some inperfections in the editing. But the story really captured me and I am looking forward to reading the next part.
Spoiler Alert!
I liked particularly the ending, where she embraces her power and her task ahead - but also expresses, that by doing so there is not more room for love left. And I can relate - when you need to step up and be the strong person for others, you can't hold everything in you.
I truely hope that we can see her development in this series - and hopefully also to finding love inside of her again.

[Nic Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot in this book is really interesting and a good one. The world building is well thought through and I always love a book which has fae and different courts. The pacing is good and kept me interested. It is quite a fast paced read which was exactly what I was in the mood for.
 
I liked the different characters and following their storylines. I especially liked some of the character develop and seeing people really come into their own.
 
There is some work to do for the editing in this story which was a bit distracting but the story kept me gripped and the author’s writing is good.
 
Overall an enjoyable read

[D. Bohica · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Girl From Beyond the Veil" by Kate Seger is an exciting story about mystery and finding oneself. Emily, the main character, discovers an old mirror that takes her to a magical world. There, she learns about her family's past and a prophecy that connects both worlds. Emily meets mysterious people and faces tough challenges but discovers her own strength and purpose. One of the coolest parts is when she looks into the mirror for the first time and enters the magical realm, feeling both amazed and scared. The book is just over 300 pages and is a thrilling read that keeps you hooked with its mix of adventure and self-discovery.

[spaghootlesreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl From Beyond the Veil was an enjoyable read with a mixture of fantasy, fated mates, mystery, and good development! Our FMC is determined to seek answers about who she, even when the answers bring her to realm that seems dangerous, and her fate is unknown.
There is a bunch of mystery involving her true nature and what her role is in the fate of the fate courts.
This story was fast paced, and the characters kept your attention throughout. If you love a world building, unknown destiny, and fated mates story, this is for you!

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see the potential with this book that I got on stuff your kindle day. I always love a mix of different fantasy elements and descriptive writing, however I didn’t love that fate played such a big role in Arianette’s decision- making as I prefer a strong FMC. I wish there was more character development and at times the grammatical errors left me confused as I found it a bit hard to read. I commend the author for taking on such a big endeavor and wish her much success in the series!

[Kelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing series starter!! This story had such imaginative world and character building. The pace was perfect, not too fast but never boring and packed with plenty of detail but not overbearingly so. The way the story moved along kept me enthralled the whole time, and the ending left me dying for the next book. If you love books about destiny, prophecy, and fate along with a little bit of fae courts and romance - definitely read this book.

[Amy Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read from this author and it did not disappoint completely. I enjoyed it to where I would like to read the second book when it comes out, but not so much where I would read more from the spinoff series this author has. This genre isn't my typical preference but I like to change it up every now and then as a sort of pallet cleanser.

[Caroline Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started I was enjoying this quick read - I liked the imagery and the story. It started getting muddy towards the middle of the book and felt like it went from a quick read to missing details and lacking depth of characters. I am going to continue to the next book and hopefully see more detail!

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. But the book is not done editing. The chemistry between every character is laking. The author changes her mind and modified the name of one lord from Annakin to Alain… The dialogue between the 2 mains characters that are supposed to be fated do no feel like they are fated. I really hate to dnf a book. 189 pages in and I’m done. I just got the ick over something.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Portal fantasy, fated mates, self-discovery.

Interesting characters. Intriguing plot twists. Definitely set the stage for the series!

[Cathi]

Dnf
It was boring

[JLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% not my usual genre but I adore this author and always buy her new releases to support her. This book is my favorite fantasy romance I've read to date.

[Brittany Weems · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

The plot was intriguing but the story was rushed, there were quite a few grammar and spelling errors, and the characters and world were underdeveloped.

[Ghosty]

DNF @ 13%
I’m not counting this in my reading challenge this year unless I go back and reread 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Peyton McCain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not interesting enough for me to want to read the next book, but I’m not really sure why

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically, it’s a 2.5. Decent story. Too many typos.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating beginning to a series I cannot wait to continue. I was immediately sucked in by Arianette and cannot wait to see how her character develops in the next book (I won’t spoil anything). Love triangles, betrayal, self discovery, and a world divided by a veil. This book will help the SJM hangover you’ve had since finishing Empire of Storms!

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is was an overall interesting read! There is world building, character building and a tragic downfall to the Realm that had brought our characters to the breaking point that they are at in the present.

In this book you’ll find:
-fated mates
-destiny
-fae, elves, mortals
- hidden powers
- court conflict

[Booked By Raven Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting fantasy read. I enjoyed the storyline and the twists along the way. The worldbuilding was great. The characters have a lot of layers to them and are relatable. I’m not completely sold on Varik yet but I am intrigued to learn more about him. I lovedddd Lorna’s character, she is a very strong character despite the way she is treated. I’m intrigued enough to see what happens in the next book!

[Arizona Farr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read! I liked the love triangle. And I’m excited to read the second book.