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What Lies Beyond the Realms #1
What Lies Beyond the Realms
Young, beautiful, and without an ounce of magic…
Lyra Lewis, a courageous eighteen-year-old princess, has lived a life of oppression under the rule of her abusive Sorcerer stepbrother and neglectful mother. She meets a mysterious man at a palace banquet—a Faery unlike any she’s ever seen before—but before she can say anything she’s taken away by a dominating Lycan king with dark intentions.
As her stepbrother stages a violent coup, the faery comes to her rescue, setting off an epic journey of self-discovery and adventure. As they navigate through fantastical realms, Lyra learns of the dark secrets of her family’s past, and the powers she may inherit on her nineteenth birthday. With the faery by her side, Lyra must confront her fears and embrace her destiny, no matter how dangerous it may be.
Lyra Lewis, a courageous eighteen-year-old princess, has lived a life of oppression under the rule of her abusive Sorcerer stepbrother and neglectful mother. She meets a mysterious man at a palace banquet—a Faery unlike any she’s ever seen before—but before she can say anything she’s taken away by a dominating Lycan king with dark intentions.
As her stepbrother stages a violent coup, the faery comes to her rescue, setting off an epic journey of self-discovery and adventure. As they navigate through fantastical realms, Lyra learns of the dark secrets of her family’s past, and the powers she may inherit on her nineteenth birthday. With the faery by her side, Lyra must confront her fears and embrace her destiny, no matter how dangerous it may be.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2023
648 people are currently reading
15940 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
April 21, 2025
I was really disappointed with this book, it was so hard to read. I pre ordered this book solely based on marketing and promotions from the author. I didn’t read any reviews until I was about halfway through the book because I was curious if others felt the same way I did. It was marketed as a dark slow burn fantasy romance with fated mates. To me it only ticks the fantasy box. The “fated mates” was only briefly mentioned once in nyxs fathers journal, and never mentioned again. And it wasn’t a slow burn or really even a romance in my opinion. Somethings were extremely drawn out and others were extremely rushed, it felt more like a quotev or watt pad story than a novel. Also there were no trigger warnings, you get thrown into some dark things from the very first page.
~trigger warnings~
-abuse (verbal, physical and sexual)
-sexual assault
-rape
-main character is drugged multiple times
-murder
-animal abuse/ torture and death
These are the ones that I found to be the most triggering.
The very first page she wakes up to being assaulted by her step brother. Most of the men in the book are disgusting. Lyra the main character falls flat. She’s an 18 year old princess who was essentially neglected and locked in a room with very little contact with anyone. Inside and outside the palace. Once she’s out of the palace she drugged and raped multiple times. She seems to be EXTREMELY comfortable undressing in front of men she doesn’t know considering almost all of her interactions with men have been extremely uncomfortable and abusive. She also contradicts herself from page to page. She wants to trust nyx but she can’t, then she tells him she trusts him, then the next page she can’t trust him but she wants to? It was so much back and forth. She goes from being a rape victim and not wanting nyx to touch her on one page and the next she’s getting naked in front of him and letting him finger her?? She keeps things front him and gets mad at him when she finds out he’s keeping things from her. She practically knows nothing about her family lines and there’s never really much back story to why any of the characters do anything. She’s very emotionally unaware and immature. The action and spicy scenes were mediocre at best. Some of the spicy scenes were kind of uncomfortable to read, and reading the word flesh to explain a woman’s body during one of those scenes was off putting. At the end of the book her step brother tortures her little pet and then needlessly murders him. Over all this book was confusing, underwhelming and disappointing.
~trigger warnings~
-abuse (verbal, physical and sexual)
-sexual assault
-rape
-main character is drugged multiple times
-murder
-animal abuse/ torture and death
These are the ones that I found to be the most triggering.
The very first page she wakes up to being assaulted by her step brother. Most of the men in the book are disgusting. Lyra the main character falls flat. She’s an 18 year old princess who was essentially neglected and locked in a room with very little contact with anyone. Inside and outside the palace. Once she’s out of the palace she drugged and raped multiple times. She seems to be EXTREMELY comfortable undressing in front of men she doesn’t know considering almost all of her interactions with men have been extremely uncomfortable and abusive. She also contradicts herself from page to page. She wants to trust nyx but she can’t, then she tells him she trusts him, then the next page she can’t trust him but she wants to? It was so much back and forth. She goes from being a rape victim and not wanting nyx to touch her on one page and the next she’s getting naked in front of him and letting him finger her?? She keeps things front him and gets mad at him when she finds out he’s keeping things from her. She practically knows nothing about her family lines and there’s never really much back story to why any of the characters do anything. She’s very emotionally unaware and immature. The action and spicy scenes were mediocre at best. Some of the spicy scenes were kind of uncomfortable to read, and reading the word flesh to explain a woman’s body during one of those scenes was off putting. At the end of the book her step brother tortures her little pet and then needlessly murders him. Over all this book was confusing, underwhelming and disappointing.
July 5, 2023
Ashley was kind enough to send me a PR Box for an honest review of her debut novel What Lies Beyond the Realms. Thank you Ashley for that.
There were lots of good elements in this book and I wanted to like it. The writing was simple and descriptive to the different places Lyra visited. The story overall seems intriguing with all of the realms and magic system happening. When I was seeing her TikToks about fated mates and some of the tropes involved I was genuinely excited. That being said. There are HEAVY Trigger Warnigs that I feel are not really talked about enough or told to readers:
-Sexual Abuse and assault. Multiple times through the book mentioned off page and on page.
-unknowingly being drugged on page
-physical blood, violence and gore on page
-Family deaths mentioned
-animal torture/death
These are a few things that stood out the most. And I’m not one who typically is triggered by many things. But this book seems to be marketed as a slow burn romantic fantasy. And it has all the heavy topics right from the get go. Literally first page she’s woken up to being assaulted.
In my opinion the abuse did nothing to further the plot. It just tried to make our main character seem childish and put down again and again. It didn’t need to be put on page so much to get the point she was supposed to be the damsel in distress who was unaware in the big bad world of all the other creatures.
There were so many points too where Lyra the main female character could have been made to be stronger but she goes back on herself again and again. She is SA and we see a little bit of an inner monologue of what she’s feeling but not much. Then she gets taken by Nyx (the main male character) and she’s cautious with her. He knows she’s been through it a little rough but not all the details. And she doesn’t want to tell him about the SA. And one page she’s hiding things from him and being uncomfortable telling him not to touch her to two pages later he’s asking for a kiss and they start making out? It wasn’t my cup of tea.
Then go to the end. The plot twist at the end and the death of Chepi did not sit well with me. It felt forced to have a shocked moment and it just made me angry.
I’ve seen lots of people love this book. And maybe it just wasn’t for me! These are all just my honest opinions in exchange for the Book.
There were lots of good elements in this book and I wanted to like it. The writing was simple and descriptive to the different places Lyra visited. The story overall seems intriguing with all of the realms and magic system happening. When I was seeing her TikToks about fated mates and some of the tropes involved I was genuinely excited. That being said. There are HEAVY Trigger Warnigs that I feel are not really talked about enough or told to readers:
-Sexual Abuse and assault. Multiple times through the book mentioned off page and on page.
-unknowingly being drugged on page
-physical blood, violence and gore on page
-Family deaths mentioned
-animal torture/death
These are a few things that stood out the most. And I’m not one who typically is triggered by many things. But this book seems to be marketed as a slow burn romantic fantasy. And it has all the heavy topics right from the get go. Literally first page she’s woken up to being assaulted.
In my opinion the abuse did nothing to further the plot. It just tried to make our main character seem childish and put down again and again. It didn’t need to be put on page so much to get the point she was supposed to be the damsel in distress who was unaware in the big bad world of all the other creatures.
There were so many points too where Lyra the main female character could have been made to be stronger but she goes back on herself again and again. She is SA and we see a little bit of an inner monologue of what she’s feeling but not much. Then she gets taken by Nyx (the main male character) and she’s cautious with her. He knows she’s been through it a little rough but not all the details. And she doesn’t want to tell him about the SA. And one page she’s hiding things from him and being uncomfortable telling him not to touch her to two pages later he’s asking for a kiss and they start making out? It wasn’t my cup of tea.
Then go to the end. The plot twist at the end and the death of Chepi did not sit well with me. It felt forced to have a shocked moment and it just made me angry.
I’ve seen lots of people love this book. And maybe it just wasn’t for me! These are all just my honest opinions in exchange for the Book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2025
Nyx and Lyra
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
✨ Tropes ✨
❤️🔥 Dark Fantasy
🖤 Magic and Realms
❤️🔥 Trauma
🖤 First Person POV
❤️🔥 Touch her and 💀
🖤 Mystical Creatures
❤️🔥 Dark/Light Magic
🖤 Spice
✨ My Review ✨
CHECK THE TWs
I went into this blind. I do not have any triggers and usually check for pitch black, so I felt comfortable diving in.
Let me tell you, the first 30% of this book is wild. Absolutely everything was happening. There where times where I sat to check in with myself because well HOLY SHIT
I do not want to spoil anything, but the beginning had me in a chokehold. I felt every emotion imaginable… happiness, anger, sorrow. I was torn between crying and throwing my Kindle.
The middle 40% is a bit of a lull and focuses more on the relationship building between Lyra and Nyx. It is slower but develops trust, love, and of course the spice kicks in here too.
The final 30% brings the action back. It does not hit as hard as the first part in terms of shock value, but it is still gripping and exciting.
Is this book perfect? No.
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely, yes.
FMC – Lyra: She can be frustrating and a little hypocritical at times, but it makes sense. She has lived a very sheltered life, locked away in a castle with no real-world experience. Her childishness feels realistic, even if it is irritating.
MMC – Nyx: What a sweetheart. We get a few glimpses of his possessiveness, but honestly, I wanted more. There is only one major scene that really shows what he is capable of and HOT DAMN 🥵 I wish we got more of that side of him.
I really wish we had some chapters from Nyx’s point of view.
That said, I have checked the tropes for book two and I am honestly not sure I will continue. It changes to multi POV, which hints at more love interests. That is a struggle for me because book one was clearly building towards Lyra and Nyx being fated mates.
While the term “fated mates” appears in the trope list for this book, it is barely mentioned in the actual story — just once when Lyra reads a journal. You get hints through their behaviour, but it is never openly addressed.
So I am on the fence. I will probably read the reviews from other readers before deciding on book two.
EDIT**** SPOILERS (please don’t continue reading from this point)
Okay… I’ve read the reviews from other readers on book 2 and it’s safe to say I can feel the frustration through the reviews.
Based on the reviews it sounds as though Lyra ends up with someone else and the whole of book 2 and 3 is her effectively flitting between 2 men who are in love with her until ultimately she chooses the other guy.
Honestly this is my own fault I very rarely go in blind like this but do tend to enjoy when I do. I detest when authors do this
So on that note… do I recommend you read this…
The answer is No
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
✨ Tropes ✨
❤️🔥 Dark Fantasy
🖤 Magic and Realms
❤️🔥 Trauma
🖤 First Person POV
❤️🔥 Touch her and 💀
🖤 Mystical Creatures
❤️🔥 Dark/Light Magic
🖤 Spice
✨ My Review ✨
CHECK THE TWs
I went into this blind. I do not have any triggers and usually check for pitch black, so I felt comfortable diving in.
Let me tell you, the first 30% of this book is wild. Absolutely everything was happening. There where times where I sat to check in with myself because well HOLY SHIT
I do not want to spoil anything, but the beginning had me in a chokehold. I felt every emotion imaginable… happiness, anger, sorrow. I was torn between crying and throwing my Kindle.
The middle 40% is a bit of a lull and focuses more on the relationship building between Lyra and Nyx. It is slower but develops trust, love, and of course the spice kicks in here too.
The final 30% brings the action back. It does not hit as hard as the first part in terms of shock value, but it is still gripping and exciting.
Is this book perfect? No.
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely, yes.
FMC – Lyra: She can be frustrating and a little hypocritical at times, but it makes sense. She has lived a very sheltered life, locked away in a castle with no real-world experience. Her childishness feels realistic, even if it is irritating.
MMC – Nyx: What a sweetheart. We get a few glimpses of his possessiveness, but honestly, I wanted more. There is only one major scene that really shows what he is capable of and HOT DAMN 🥵 I wish we got more of that side of him.
I really wish we had some chapters from Nyx’s point of view.
That said, I have checked the tropes for book two and I am honestly not sure I will continue. It changes to multi POV, which hints at more love interests. That is a struggle for me because book one was clearly building towards Lyra and Nyx being fated mates.
While the term “fated mates” appears in the trope list for this book, it is barely mentioned in the actual story — just once when Lyra reads a journal. You get hints through their behaviour, but it is never openly addressed.
So I am on the fence. I will probably read the reviews from other readers before deciding on book two.
EDIT**** SPOILERS (please don’t continue reading from this point)
Okay… I’ve read the reviews from other readers on book 2 and it’s safe to say I can feel the frustration through the reviews.
Based on the reviews it sounds as though Lyra ends up with someone else and the whole of book 2 and 3 is her effectively flitting between 2 men who are in love with her until ultimately she chooses the other guy.
Honestly this is my own fault I very rarely go in blind like this but do tend to enjoy when I do. I detest when authors do this
So on that note… do I recommend you read this…
The answer is No
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2023
Wow!
Lyra, an 18 year old princess, has had a hard upbringing with the death of her father and residing with her neglectful mother and abusive step brother. She is taken by a Lycan where unexpected and upsetting events occur. Ultimately, she is saved by a Fae, Nyx. Together the two go on adventures to learn about her true powers and her family secrets.
I loved this book!! Lyra is a young and innocent character who we get to see grow throughout this book. Nyx is the sweetest fae. His charming attitude and care for our fmc made me fall for him so fast. This book was action packed and had so many plot twists! The romance and the spice was great as well. Already ready for book 2!
Tropes: fantasy/fae, fated mates, mmc is a consensual king, virgin fmc
Tw: rape and abuse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Lyra, an 18 year old princess, has had a hard upbringing with the death of her father and residing with her neglectful mother and abusive step brother. She is taken by a Lycan where unexpected and upsetting events occur. Ultimately, she is saved by a Fae, Nyx. Together the two go on adventures to learn about her true powers and her family secrets.
I loved this book!! Lyra is a young and innocent character who we get to see grow throughout this book. Nyx is the sweetest fae. His charming attitude and care for our fmc made me fall for him so fast. This book was action packed and had so many plot twists! The romance and the spice was great as well. Already ready for book 2!
Tropes: fantasy/fae, fated mates, mmc is a consensual king, virgin fmc
Tw: rape and abuse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️
June 14, 2023
This reads like Lyra is describing her day to a complete stranger. There's no emotion, there's no internal dialogue, she's very one dimensional, and she likes to leave a lot out. I would have liked to have gotten some back story on some of the key characters, but there's nothing.
I know this is this author's debut novel, but she definitely could've used an editor. From run-on sentences to sentences that just don't make sense, and then topics that pop up randomly or get shut down for no reason. It frustrated me and confused me to read.
I know this is this author's debut novel, but she definitely could've used an editor. From run-on sentences to sentences that just don't make sense, and then topics that pop up randomly or get shut down for no reason. It frustrated me and confused me to read.
March 13, 2024
Review 4.5 stars! ❤️ This series is perfect for fans of A Kingdom of Flame and Fury, North Queen and ACOMAF! Tropes included: forced proximity, animal companions, shifters, fae, captive/captor, trauma healing, found family!
The story is intense and addictive from the very beginning! It’s a DARK fantasy romance so definitely check out the trigger warnings (SA). For the first half I couldn’t put the book down, there was so much things happening to Princess Lyra I had to know what was going on!😱
Prepare yourselves for tons of betrayal, family intrigue and trauma healing. The side characters are all amazing and I found myself getting attached (which is dangerous because the author isn’t afraid to kill them off 😂!) An element that surprised me is that the author was able to counter balance the dark situations by including emotional happy moments with lovable side characters. Even through all the dark things the princess goes through she still manages to always find friendship in unique places ❤️ one of my favorite moments is when the fae king barges in to save her from her evil step brother 👀 gave me total ACOMAF vibes!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review
The story is intense and addictive from the very beginning! It’s a DARK fantasy romance so definitely check out the trigger warnings (SA). For the first half I couldn’t put the book down, there was so much things happening to Princess Lyra I had to know what was going on!😱
Prepare yourselves for tons of betrayal, family intrigue and trauma healing. The side characters are all amazing and I found myself getting attached (which is dangerous because the author isn’t afraid to kill them off 😂!) An element that surprised me is that the author was able to counter balance the dark situations by including emotional happy moments with lovable side characters. Even through all the dark things the princess goes through she still manages to always find friendship in unique places ❤️ one of my favorite moments is when the fae king barges in to save her from her evil step brother 👀 gave me total ACOMAF vibes!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy for review
May 19, 2023
Debut author with her release date of 5/30/23. If you are a fan of Fae romance books, this is for you! We follow a young naïve, overly protectived, never left the castle, princess who is thrown into the cruel clutches of the world. After suffering at the hand of her step brother all her life & then she had to suffer through all the horrible brutality of the Wolf king! (Please check your trigger warnings! There is some hard issues that are in the book. Especially if you have suffered abuse please check the trigger warnings.) But when everything seems bleak and out of control, a mysterious dark Fae steps up with the rescue. This beautiful, dark female, Nyx, whisks are lovely Princess, Lyra to his kingdom for protection. What could possibly go wrong or go right? Lyra, our MFC must grow and learn how to deal with tragedy, heartbreak, abuse, and the world outside of the castle. We follow along in her incredible journey, as she learns truths about herself that has been kept secret and locked away from her, her whole life. But why? It is said that she can/will destroy the realms? Prophecies might undo her and the world she lives in. If Lyra can get to the other realm and open the gate, will it save her world or will she bring destruction? Nyx our MMC is everything you dream about in a tall, dark Fae book boyfriend! The dynamics between the two main characters is a lot of fun, and at the same time you want to pull your hair out! Smutty, exciting adventure! Has strong FBAA and ACOMAF vibes for sure! Very fast paced, but a slow burn romance. There is a lot of spicy scenes and in-between, but a reminder to please check your trigger warning 4/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️ (I read really spicy stuff, so this might be a 4/5🌶️ for you.) I received this book as an ARC, but I can assure you all the thoughts in this review are my own. Enjoy and happy reading my bookish friends!
#authoraro#whatliesbeyondtherealms#faebooks#fbaa#acotar#romancebooks#faeromancebooks#fae
#authoraro#whatliesbeyondtherealms#faebooks#fbaa#acotar#romancebooks#faeromancebooks#fae
June 24, 2023
I really tried to give this book a chance but had do dnf at 37%. The major problem for me was the dialogues between the characters and the relationship between Lyra and Onyx. I understand that Onyx was supposed to be the hero, but It all felt very rushed and forced. At times i felt like i was reading a very bad fanfic- the communication did not feel genuine and i could not connect to the characters.
May 31, 2023
I am 37% through and I honestly think this is gonna be a DNF for me…
The initial plot idea is great but so far there’s no connection to any characters. It reads a bit like a diary: this happened then this happened then I did this… but with no emotion or thoughts? Difficult one will update if I decide to carry on reading.
I do love the names and varied creatures! Very fun
The initial plot idea is great but so far there’s no connection to any characters. It reads a bit like a diary: this happened then this happened then I did this… but with no emotion or thoughts? Difficult one will update if I decide to carry on reading.
I do love the names and varied creatures! Very fun
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2023
Wow! I loved this story so much! I received this as an ARC and I am so glad because this book was great! I fell in love with Lyra the fmc right away. I love that her thoughts and feelings were all real and believable all the way through. She has a hard life growing up and experiences a lot of trauma but she remains kind and fighting till the end. She isn’t necessarily strong but she grows and becomes stronger as the story goes on. She is mistreated by men her whole life until Nyx enters and he’s kind and patient with and helps her along the journey.
The attention to detail in this book was amazing and I could picture the story beautifully! The last 100 pages had me gripped and I am dying to see where the story goes next!
This book releases may 30 and I highly recommend you check out this debut book! There’s drama, spice, adventure and twists throughout. There is sexual violence so check your triggers!
January 27, 2024
Wattpad vibes.
June 4, 2023
I received this book as an ARC in a beautiful PR box! The items included were a perfect tie in to the story. What follows is my honest, spoiler-free review of this debut fantasy/romance novel.
I loved this book! It was hard to put down. Ashley’s world building was incredible…her descriptions of magic, characters, creatures and places are so well thought out and detailed. I appreciate her original take on magic and the cultures of the different realms. The plot is action packed, well paced and full of the right amount of twists and spice! (Readers should check trigger warnings as there are some very heavy topics covered.)
Besides the main characters my favorites were Chepi and Twig. They brought the perfect balance of lightness to the story. I also loved the cover…the artwork was so beautiful!
I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
I loved this book! It was hard to put down. Ashley’s world building was incredible…her descriptions of magic, characters, creatures and places are so well thought out and detailed. I appreciate her original take on magic and the cultures of the different realms. The plot is action packed, well paced and full of the right amount of twists and spice! (Readers should check trigger warnings as there are some very heavy topics covered.)
Besides the main characters my favorites were Chepi and Twig. They brought the perfect balance of lightness to the story. I also loved the cover…the artwork was so beautiful!
I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
October 15, 2024
Wow! What a cliffhanger! I can’t wait for the next one. I won a copy of this book in a giveaway and immediately started reading when I received it. I could not put it down! I read it at every free chance I had. I loved everything about the world. The main character goes through so much. I seriously can’t wait until the next book. Definitely check trigger warnings before reading. One of my favorite books of the year so far!
August 3, 2023
no no no no no absolutely not.
May 28, 2023
4 stars…will update my review soon!
May 12, 2023
I LOVED this book!! I received this early as an ARC and I couldn’t contain how happy and excited I was to begin reading it! I love when a book transports you to their world and makes you feel as if you’re right there with the character. That’s exactly how I felt while reading this. I wanted to go explore with Lyra and Chepi. I felt what Lyra felt. The attention to detail that went into creating this wonderful book made it easy to read and hard to put down. This was everything that I look for when I want to read a good book about magic, princesses, and different realms. The only thing I’m mad about is that it was over and I have to wait until the second book comes out! Amazing job Ashley!
June 12, 2023
Holy trigger warnings. I love a good dark romance. But this was not that. The FMC makes really dumb decisions and I was finding it really hard to like her. And then after all of the in depth abuse/rape scenes....I just couldn't even get into the story at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2023
I received an ARC copy of this book, so here are some thoughts I have after reading it without ANY spoilers:
Definitely check our TWs if you're interested in this book and have any triggers- there are instances of SA and some characters are brutally murdered.
I thought the world building of this book was very interesting. You find out more of how the realms and territories are connected as the main character (Lyra) travels, so it never feels overwhelming. The book is super easy to follow- the writing reminds me of fanfiction, but in a good way. It doesn't try to be pretentious; the voice fits the main character and her observations. It is a dark fantasy, leaning more toward the fantasy side but still somewhat smutty.
Definitely check our TWs if you're interested in this book and have any triggers- there are instances of SA and some characters are brutally murdered.
I thought the world building of this book was very interesting. You find out more of how the realms and territories are connected as the main character (Lyra) travels, so it never feels overwhelming. The book is super easy to follow- the writing reminds me of fanfiction, but in a good way. It doesn't try to be pretentious; the voice fits the main character and her observations. It is a dark fantasy, leaning more toward the fantasy side but still somewhat smutty.
June 6, 2023
This book read a little like fanfiction, and not in the good way. Every detail seemed over explained and the method of writing seemed a little repetitive. Like “this is the color of my hair. My hair is pretty. This is the color of my eyes, my eyes are pretty,” type reading experience. I believe I found it through tiktok. I think there was an interesting story in there somewhere but it took a bit of a backseat to the relationship aspects. I don’t even want to get started on that.
June 18, 2023
I waited a few days to process this book before I posted my review. Overall, it wasn’t bad. I’ll finish the story as the author publishes the remaining books in this series.
The story was pretty good, but the timeline of events felt off, and a little rushed. The SA in the book was also a bit excessive. Not the writing of it, just the amount of times the poor FMC is assaulted by different characters.
This is a debut novel, so I’m excited to see how this author grows, as she continues to build this story. It wasn’t the best writing, but I have no doubt that she will only get better from here.
The story was pretty good, but the timeline of events felt off, and a little rushed. The SA in the book was also a bit excessive. Not the writing of it, just the amount of times the poor FMC is assaulted by different characters.
This is a debut novel, so I’m excited to see how this author grows, as she continues to build this story. It wasn’t the best writing, but I have no doubt that she will only get better from here.
September 20, 2023
2.5 stars. Overall, I thought the plot, magic system, and world building in this book were actually quite good. The reason for the low stars is mainly because of the main characters and their relationships: the main love interest (Nyx), the MC (Lyra) and the main villain (Samael). I found the relationship between Lyra and Nyx to be rushed to the point where it didn’t feel believable at all. Lyra and Nyx’s personalities just also felt blah and underdeveloped to me. I also found Samael to be one-dimensional— just a nasty evil person deep down. I like when villains have more developed motivations for their actions than just being evil sadists.
January 13, 2025
This was 90% smut 10% plot. The 10% plot could have been better.
May 30, 2023
Now this is a debut novel!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Man oh man does O’Donovan know how to write herself a wonderful fantasy novel that I had a hard time putting down! This book really had a little bit of everything. And I do mean everything ranging from an interesting spin on the chosen one trope, characters to absolutely loathe, characters you’ll absolutely love, animal side kicks that are so adorable, and so much romance you’ll have heart eyes before the book is done… well until you reach the betrayals.
I will say this though as a warning to readers! This does have a on page scene of sexual assault that could be disturbing to some readers. There is some warning it’s coming before it happens on scene and could be skipped over, but if this is a trigger for you then this may not be the book for you.
All that being said let us jump into the nitty gritty of this review, starting with the plot. I liked the interesting plot in this novel especially its unique take on the chosen one trope. And overall I think this could’ve been a five star book, but I felt I had to take one star away because there were instances where it just seemed like we were info dumped on especially when it came to scenery. That’s not to say that scenery isn’t important to the story but some of it was just like we would get a little to much information about the greenery or scenery around the characters especially in some scenes where the terrain of a certain area was described earlier. Another discrepancy that I had was that there were a few instances where a time jump would happen and then something would happen in the scene with no context for why. As an example there’s a scene where our characters are in a fight, and our main FMC drops her dagger… but then like a page or two later she has the dagger tucked into her boot, even though there was never a mention of the dagger being picked back up. Obviously these are small and opinion based things that may not take away from the story overall for some, they simply did for me and may absolutely be caught by a proofreader as I was lucky to get a ARC copy of this book.
Now onto the characters!! Let’s start off with our MMC Onyx or Nyx as everyone calls him! I absolutely adored and fell head over heels for Nyx, he was the perfect cinnamon roll mixed with German Shepherd book boyfriend!! Ready to let Lyra learn and grow on her own while standing in the wings to take on and protect her from anything he deemed as a threat!! He encouraged her to be open with her feelings as well as making sure she was learning the things that would keep her alive in the end… which is truly what made the cliffhanger for this book so devastating!! Moving on to our main FMC… I liked Lyra, I wouldn’t say I love her just yet but she is certainly getting there. Lyra is young just a few months shy of 19, and while I can accept and expect a few naive decisions and mistakes… Lyra certainly struggled at learning from her previous mistakes. Especially when it came to who she should and shouldn’t trust. Now in the last half of the book she was certainly growing and becoming someone who could stand on her own feet and that definitely saved her because I worried she was not learning from her mistakes at all!! Their romance though really clinched this story for me!! Everything between them started out so sweet and slow and then turned into a burning inferno that you couldn’t help but get caught up in it all!! Overall these characters were great and I truly can’t wait to see what happens next in their story!!
Truly if you’re looking for a unique take on fantasy romance, that will have you hating characters one minute, falling in love the next, and then crying as it all comes to a crashing end then this is absolutely a book that needs to be added to your TBR immediately!!
HAPPY READING!! 📖
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Man oh man does O’Donovan know how to write herself a wonderful fantasy novel that I had a hard time putting down! This book really had a little bit of everything. And I do mean everything ranging from an interesting spin on the chosen one trope, characters to absolutely loathe, characters you’ll absolutely love, animal side kicks that are so adorable, and so much romance you’ll have heart eyes before the book is done… well until you reach the betrayals.
I will say this though as a warning to readers! This does have a on page scene of sexual assault that could be disturbing to some readers. There is some warning it’s coming before it happens on scene and could be skipped over, but if this is a trigger for you then this may not be the book for you.
All that being said let us jump into the nitty gritty of this review, starting with the plot. I liked the interesting plot in this novel especially its unique take on the chosen one trope. And overall I think this could’ve been a five star book, but I felt I had to take one star away because there were instances where it just seemed like we were info dumped on especially when it came to scenery. That’s not to say that scenery isn’t important to the story but some of it was just like we would get a little to much information about the greenery or scenery around the characters especially in some scenes where the terrain of a certain area was described earlier. Another discrepancy that I had was that there were a few instances where a time jump would happen and then something would happen in the scene with no context for why. As an example there’s a scene where our characters are in a fight, and our main FMC drops her dagger… but then like a page or two later she has the dagger tucked into her boot, even though there was never a mention of the dagger being picked back up. Obviously these are small and opinion based things that may not take away from the story overall for some, they simply did for me and may absolutely be caught by a proofreader as I was lucky to get a ARC copy of this book.
Now onto the characters!! Let’s start off with our MMC Onyx or Nyx as everyone calls him! I absolutely adored and fell head over heels for Nyx, he was the perfect cinnamon roll mixed with German Shepherd book boyfriend!! Ready to let Lyra learn and grow on her own while standing in the wings to take on and protect her from anything he deemed as a threat!! He encouraged her to be open with her feelings as well as making sure she was learning the things that would keep her alive in the end… which is truly what made the cliffhanger for this book so devastating!! Moving on to our main FMC… I liked Lyra, I wouldn’t say I love her just yet but she is certainly getting there. Lyra is young just a few months shy of 19, and while I can accept and expect a few naive decisions and mistakes… Lyra certainly struggled at learning from her previous mistakes. Especially when it came to who she should and shouldn’t trust. Now in the last half of the book she was certainly growing and becoming someone who could stand on her own feet and that definitely saved her because I worried she was not learning from her mistakes at all!! Their romance though really clinched this story for me!! Everything between them started out so sweet and slow and then turned into a burning inferno that you couldn’t help but get caught up in it all!! Overall these characters were great and I truly can’t wait to see what happens next in their story!!
Truly if you’re looking for a unique take on fantasy romance, that will have you hating characters one minute, falling in love the next, and then crying as it all comes to a crashing end then this is absolutely a book that needs to be added to your TBR immediately!!
HAPPY READING!! 📖
March 17, 2024
Ashley R. O'Donovan's unputdownable debut fantasy romance novel, "What Lies Beyond the Realms," effortlessly whisks us us in a world of magic, danger and surprising love. Written in a setting of political intrigue and domestic conflict, this captivating story follows Princess Lyra Lewis, a young lady caught in a life of persecution and torture!
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From the start, O'Donovan constructs a compelling and breathtaking story of a realm where faeries, lycans, and sorcerers cohabit among secrets and prophecies. Lyra's hardships with her abusive stepbrother and negligent mother are vividly felt, portraying a moving portrait of determination in the face of tragedy!
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The story takes an exciting turn when Lyra meets a fascinating faery at a palace feast, only to be snatched away by a dark and tyrannical lycan king. As Lyra's fate becomes entangled with that of the kingdoms, she goes on a hazardous adventure of self-discovery and mystery, led by an intriguing faery who unexpectedly becomes her ally!!! This romantasy had me sweeping away to the moon and back!
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The plot focuses around Lyra's budding romance with Nyx, the outrageous faery king. Their connection develops with sensitive and slow-burning intensity, providing moments of warmth and tenderness despite the impending danger of darkness. Despite her early fears and prior traumas, Lyra's journey to trust and empowerment is brilliantly laid out, demonstrating her bravery and inner strength.
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This is an exquisitely detailed fantasy, a riveting page-turner that left me breathless after closing the last page, I'm immediately starting the second book because I'm literally shaking right now! I highly recommend it to every Sarah J Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Stephanie Garber, S. A Chakraborty fans!!!
.
From the start, O'Donovan constructs a compelling and breathtaking story of a realm where faeries, lycans, and sorcerers cohabit among secrets and prophecies. Lyra's hardships with her abusive stepbrother and negligent mother are vividly felt, portraying a moving portrait of determination in the face of tragedy!
.
The story takes an exciting turn when Lyra meets a fascinating faery at a palace feast, only to be snatched away by a dark and tyrannical lycan king. As Lyra's fate becomes entangled with that of the kingdoms, she goes on a hazardous adventure of self-discovery and mystery, led by an intriguing faery who unexpectedly becomes her ally!!! This romantasy had me sweeping away to the moon and back!
.
The plot focuses around Lyra's budding romance with Nyx, the outrageous faery king. Their connection develops with sensitive and slow-burning intensity, providing moments of warmth and tenderness despite the impending danger of darkness. Despite her early fears and prior traumas, Lyra's journey to trust and empowerment is brilliantly laid out, demonstrating her bravery and inner strength.
.
This is an exquisitely detailed fantasy, a riveting page-turner that left me breathless after closing the last page, I'm immediately starting the second book because I'm literally shaking right now! I highly recommend it to every Sarah J Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Stephanie Garber, S. A Chakraborty fans!!!
May 30, 2023
Lyra is an 18-year-old princess waiting for her magic to come in. She’s been sheltered her entire life and has had little interaction with others, save her loyal Chepi and her evil stepbrother. Lyra’s naivete does her no favors as she learns to navigate life outside the castle walls…
Wow – what a story. Lyra has a lot to grapple with as her reality changes before her very eyes. People seem to want to harm her at every turn, but she has no idea why. Nyx is kind and benevolent faery, and very much drawn to Lyra. There are some fun side characters in the story, namely Chepi and Twig. Chepi is a Glyphie, who is both loyal and helpful to Lyra, and was a gift from her late father. Twig is a Twig Wisp who serves Nyx.
The worldbuilding in this novel is incredible. Quite a few places are visited over the course of the story and the vivid descriptions bring the scenes to life. The magic and magical beings are really fun to behold – and it’s interesting how each come into their power at different times in their life and in different ways.
Overall, this is a book I couldn’t put down. I tried to take my time and savor it, but I needed to know what happened next! While there is a bit of a cliffhanger, the story wrapped itself up nicely. I’m very much looking forward to the next installment in this series!
As always, please check the TWs before reading!
Special thanks to the author for this ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.
Wow – what a story. Lyra has a lot to grapple with as her reality changes before her very eyes. People seem to want to harm her at every turn, but she has no idea why. Nyx is kind and benevolent faery, and very much drawn to Lyra. There are some fun side characters in the story, namely Chepi and Twig. Chepi is a Glyphie, who is both loyal and helpful to Lyra, and was a gift from her late father. Twig is a Twig Wisp who serves Nyx.
The worldbuilding in this novel is incredible. Quite a few places are visited over the course of the story and the vivid descriptions bring the scenes to life. The magic and magical beings are really fun to behold – and it’s interesting how each come into their power at different times in their life and in different ways.
Overall, this is a book I couldn’t put down. I tried to take my time and savor it, but I needed to know what happened next! While there is a bit of a cliffhanger, the story wrapped itself up nicely. I’m very much looking forward to the next installment in this series!
As always, please check the TWs before reading!
Special thanks to the author for this ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.
September 27, 2025
DNF at 27%
What the actual f*ck is going on here?!
First of all this books should come with trigger warnings!
• Physical abuse, mental abuse
• rape multiple times
• FMC gets drugged multiple times
• Murder scene
And I am sure there will be other as well.
Also there is no depth to the characters and the whole story just flies by. Doesn't matter how abhorrent it is you get sucked with it.
Personally I read a book to escape reality but how someone can write such horrific things as a fantasy world is beyond me.
The fact that "FEMALE" writers also have to put their FMC through hell and back irks me so much. Like why can't they just keep it level? Yes they can fight and their can be a villain who threatens their land but why the rape thing rubs me the wrong way.
Never thought I would DNF a book but well here we are.
What the actual f*ck is going on here?!
First of all this books should come with trigger warnings!
• Physical abuse, mental abuse
• rape multiple times
• FMC gets drugged multiple times
• Murder scene
And I am sure there will be other as well.
Also there is no depth to the characters and the whole story just flies by. Doesn't matter how abhorrent it is you get sucked with it.
Personally I read a book to escape reality but how someone can write such horrific things as a fantasy world is beyond me.
The fact that "FEMALE" writers also have to put their FMC through hell and back irks me so much. Like why can't they just keep it level? Yes they can fight and their can be a villain who threatens their land but why the rape thing rubs me the wrong way.
Never thought I would DNF a book but well here we are.
July 20, 2023
Okay, let me just say that I am a fast reader. I only just finished it today after more than a month. I had to constantly stop because I did not want to put it on the DNF shelf, hoping that it will get better. Unfortunately, the book wasn't for me.
First of all, I feel like the book is more erotic than a fantasy one. More than half of the book is about the female lead character getting it on. Okay, I get it. She has urges but can we please move on with the story? The "sexy" scenes were more detailed than the story progression. The plot dragged on for so long and I knew it was going to have an unpleasant ending.
Overall, I don't like the plot, the FMC, well.. 90% of it except Chepi. Chepi is a good boy.
First of all, I feel like the book is more erotic than a fantasy one. More than half of the book is about the female lead character getting it on. Okay, I get it. She has urges but can we please move on with the story? The "sexy" scenes were more detailed than the story progression. The plot dragged on for so long and I knew it was going to have an unpleasant ending.
Overall, I don't like the plot, the FMC, well.. 90% of it except Chepi. Chepi is a good boy.
May 16, 2023
Lyra is an 18 year old princess whose basically held captive in her castle until she is saved by the Fae king. While she’s waiting to come into her powers she discovers a prophecy that is her. Will she fall in love? Will she see the prophecy through?
Read
April 8, 2024DNF @ 33%
NOPE.
NOPE.
April 30, 2024
How long it took me to finish this book tells you everything you need to know about it
This book reads like a shitty wattpad fanfic. I’m so sorry
This book reads like a shitty wattpad fanfic. I’m so sorry
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