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The Veiled Realm #4
A Veil of Dusk and Deceit
The glamour is back… and with it, so is the High King of Avarath.
The fae prince, Nyx, has finally achieved what he and the others set out to do so long ago, but this time, it was not Delphine whose life ended on the High King’s altar.
It was her brother’s.
With the High King awoken, all of Avarath and the human realm sits on the brink of war, with only one hope to save them. There’s a loophole in the deal the high king once made with the humans, but in order to fulfill it, they’re going to risk the wrath of yet another faerie court.
For there are three high courts of
The Court of Avarath.
The Court of Elysia.
And the Court of the Afterworld.
Avarath was lucky that the final king of faerie turned a blind eye to the first war, but Avarath’s luck has run out.
One by one, the princes of Avarath fall to the glamour, to duty, to fate—until even a king crumbles, too. By the time that war is truly upon them, Delphine has finally come to understand what it is to now be fae, too.
If only she’d been cursed, instead. That would have been simpler.
Then, at least, the whole of fate wouldn't rest on her shoulders, and hers alone.
The fae prince, Nyx, has finally achieved what he and the others set out to do so long ago, but this time, it was not Delphine whose life ended on the High King’s altar.
It was her brother’s.
With the High King awoken, all of Avarath and the human realm sits on the brink of war, with only one hope to save them. There’s a loophole in the deal the high king once made with the humans, but in order to fulfill it, they’re going to risk the wrath of yet another faerie court.
For there are three high courts of
The Court of Avarath.
The Court of Elysia.
And the Court of the Afterworld.
Avarath was lucky that the final king of faerie turned a blind eye to the first war, but Avarath’s luck has run out.
One by one, the princes of Avarath fall to the glamour, to duty, to fate—until even a king crumbles, too. By the time that war is truly upon them, Delphine has finally come to understand what it is to now be fae, too.
If only she’d been cursed, instead. That would have been simpler.
Then, at least, the whole of fate wouldn't rest on her shoulders, and hers alone.
274 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2023
217 people are currently reading
2004 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 18, 2023
sos
please hire an editor. there are SO many typos and grammatical errors throughout all 4 books it immediately pulls you out of the story every time you come across one.
these books are SHORT. so short that it could have been condensed into one book because we still haven’t completed the tasks presented to us in the first book!!
most of the pages are filled with the same internal monologue over and over and over again. there’s zero chemistry between the characters, their conversations read like a courtroom transcript.
i started the series last year so i had to continue with all of the books because i can’t leave things unfinished, but it was kind of dreadful.
please hire an editor. there are SO many typos and grammatical errors throughout all 4 books it immediately pulls you out of the story every time you come across one.
these books are SHORT. so short that it could have been condensed into one book because we still haven’t completed the tasks presented to us in the first book!!
most of the pages are filled with the same internal monologue over and over and over again. there’s zero chemistry between the characters, their conversations read like a courtroom transcript.
i started the series last year so i had to continue with all of the books because i can’t leave things unfinished, but it was kind of dreadful.
August 18, 2023
Man this series declined hard thru each book and unfortunately the fourth did not save it at all. I am truly shocked and appalled that there are so many typos in this book. Like, basic grammar and editing mistakes, but also whole genders of character being changed paragraph to paragraph and plugging in the wrong name during dialogues? Cringe and hard to follow. Little to no character development. Booktok really led me astray for this one I’m so disappointed bc the concept is really cool but very poorly executed.
May 30, 2024
Finally done with this series for now, although I kinda got more into it by book four 👍
Delphine gets a ‘big’ surprise in this one, so I guess the next one could be even better 🤞
As the High King stirs, the realms of Avarath and the mortal world find themselves on the precipice of conflict - which I’m guessing will be the main focus of the next book.
This series has its flaws! ..but it kinda grows on you. It will never be a favorite of mine, and I doubt I will ever reread it - yet I don’t regret reading it... That said, it will not be one of the fantasy/romance series I recommend if anyone asks. 😅
3.5 - 3.75 ⭐️’s
Delphine gets a ‘big’ surprise in this one, so I guess the next one could be even better 🤞
As the High King stirs, the realms of Avarath and the mortal world find themselves on the precipice of conflict - which I’m guessing will be the main focus of the next book.
This series has its flaws! ..but it kinda grows on you. It will never be a favorite of mine, and I doubt I will ever reread it - yet I don’t regret reading it... That said, it will not be one of the fantasy/romance series I recommend if anyone asks. 😅
3.5 - 3.75 ⭐️’s
March 27, 2023
I’m disappointed
Some how, so much happened but in the very same breath nothing at all happened. Honestly I’m just continuing this series because I want to see how it’ll conclude. When I started reading this series I never would have imagined it would be so drawn out. We’ve been left with yet another needless cliffhanger and for what reason. Frankly I’m getting a little bored at this point. The premise of these books has the potential to be so engaging and enticing. But the continuous short blocks of storytelling with constant cliffhangers hinders the plot and the reader’s engagement in my opinion
Some how, so much happened but in the very same breath nothing at all happened. Honestly I’m just continuing this series because I want to see how it’ll conclude. When I started reading this series I never would have imagined it would be so drawn out. We’ve been left with yet another needless cliffhanger and for what reason. Frankly I’m getting a little bored at this point. The premise of these books has the potential to be so engaging and enticing. But the continuous short blocks of storytelling with constant cliffhangers hinders the plot and the reader’s engagement in my opinion
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November 8, 2024DNF. I gave up when I realised there was another book after this one... First book was OK but it just kept going downhill. I'm marking it as read because I feel like I've earned it.
April 10, 2023
In this 4th installment of the series the group makes it to the Sand Court…and that’s it. While there are smaller internal conflicts throughout, there’s is no buildup of the final conflict coming in the last book, except at the very end.
I’m gathering that this series is supposed to be a Why Choose setting, but Delphine strikes me as nothing more than selfish and unable to make a decision. She expects all of these Fae princes to take care of her and throws a temper tantrum when she doesn’t get her way, and the reader doesn’t get to see much in the way of her character developing.
While not a series that I’m enjoying overly much, I’m way too far in to stop now. The conclusion is yet to come.
I’m gathering that this series is supposed to be a Why Choose setting, but Delphine strikes me as nothing more than selfish and unable to make a decision. She expects all of these Fae princes to take care of her and throws a temper tantrum when she doesn’t get her way, and the reader doesn’t get to see much in the way of her character developing.
While not a series that I’m enjoying overly much, I’m way too far in to stop now. The conclusion is yet to come.
November 30, 2023
I cannot believe I pulled through this one, as much as I can’t believe that there is supposed to be a fifth instalment of the series. Please let it end, let the suffering be over. This series has been underwhelming at best. Reading through those four books has felt like reading that one fanfiction you just know is going to suck humongously but you already went through all the good ones so you torture yourself with it because there is nothing actually interesting left. You simply cannot write a good fantasy series with only barely 300 page novels, there’s no time for world building, character development, setting up plot points or anything that would make it enjoyable.
October 12, 2023
DNF at 90%. These typos are bad. Like bad bad when you mix up character names. And felt like nothing was happening. Just them traveling from one court to the next. No character development, no plot development, no action.
April 2, 2023
DNF at 50%
November 7, 2024
This author can go piss up a wall.
So lazy with plot and grammar. The inconsistencies were wild - forgetting your own characters names during scenes? Getting them confused? Changing what they look like every few seconds?
Holy shit.
You can get anything published.
So lazy with plot and grammar. The inconsistencies were wild - forgetting your own characters names during scenes? Getting them confused? Changing what they look like every few seconds?
Holy shit.
You can get anything published.
September 29, 2024
bad 👎🏼
February 11, 2025
I put this book down in frustration so many times. At one point she confused two of the princes and put the wrong name in the dialog 🫠 It’s like every thought she has gets written even if it makes no sense, sometimes more is not more.. And Nyx is still a blubbering idiot.
June 20, 2024
I tried to be lenient with the amount of typos and grammatical errors in all of these books, but I just can’t let it go when you use the WRONG name of one of your MMC’s.
Like did ANYONE proofread this?
Also for the love of god, this storyline is just so convoluted? Like trying to mesh 18 different ideas.
Like we have half a book about a collar that blocks magic and how it can’t be undone, and then just a quick sentence that’s like “oh! We took care of it”
HOW WHY … this whole series is about magic and we can’t even get an explanation about the magic being used?!
and suddenly there is a god when there has been absolutely NOTHING about gods?
I can’t. Also, even the spice is kinda bad. Which I wouldn’t normally be so picky about, but this author tries to say she is a spicier Sarah Maas? Literally that’s her entire instagram. Like no honey… just no.
Like did ANYONE proofread this?
Also for the love of god, this storyline is just so convoluted? Like trying to mesh 18 different ideas.
Like we have half a book about a collar that blocks magic and how it can’t be undone, and then just a quick sentence that’s like “oh! We took care of it”
HOW WHY … this whole series is about magic and we can’t even get an explanation about the magic being used?!
and suddenly there is a god when there has been absolutely NOTHING about gods?
I can’t. Also, even the spice is kinda bad. Which I wouldn’t normally be so picky about, but this author tries to say she is a spicier Sarah Maas? Literally that’s her entire instagram. Like no honey… just no.
April 13, 2023
Love the story, don't love the grammar errors
Delphine and the prince's story is great, I've read all through books 1-4 in a week. A Veil of Dusk and Deceit left me feeling like this book was written in a rush and barely edited. There were many sentences that didn't make sense, or needlessly used the same word or phrase twice. There were spelling errors, wrong word spelling use (ex. 'undo' where it was meant as 'undue'), and a paragraph where one prince is speaking yet it says a different one's name, one who isn't even in the scene. It was pretty disappointing to be distracted from the story with errors in seemingly every chapter.
Delphine and the prince's story is great, I've read all through books 1-4 in a week. A Veil of Dusk and Deceit left me feeling like this book was written in a rush and barely edited. There were many sentences that didn't make sense, or needlessly used the same word or phrase twice. There were spelling errors, wrong word spelling use (ex. 'undo' where it was meant as 'undue'), and a paragraph where one prince is speaking yet it says a different one's name, one who isn't even in the scene. It was pretty disappointing to be distracted from the story with errors in seemingly every chapter.
June 5, 2024
Honestly forced myself to finish this book, depending on how long the last one is I don’t know if I will read it. Okay I probably will only because I have read four out of the five books.
It is so slow and hardly any romance. I love the storyline and the twist but it isn’t enjoyable to keep me interested.
Wish me luck on the fifth book. Praying for more romance and that Waylan comes back more. Really reading it for him and Caladmir.
Also the amount of grammatical errors in this book is sad. Hire an editor or have a few people read it first for those specifically so they can be fixed.
It is so slow and hardly any romance. I love the storyline and the twist but it isn’t enjoyable to keep me interested.
Wish me luck on the fifth book. Praying for more romance and that Waylan comes back more. Really reading it for him and Caladmir.
Also the amount of grammatical errors in this book is sad. Hire an editor or have a few people read it first for those specifically so they can be fixed.
May 2, 2023
I'm disappointed. Not much happened. I find myself annoyed with Delphine. She gets jealous at the thought of the princes with other women menawhile she is leading on 4 guys. She says she loves and chooses each of them. Either have an open relationship or don't. It's hard to take any of the characters feelings and motives seriously. The sex scenes are rushed, no build up. She's just ready to go, and it's always amazing. I was enjoying the overall story but even that fell short this book.
June 6, 2023
I AM SO GLAD I knew there was a fifth book, bc if i had gone into this book expecting closure I would have been devastated.
The book had such good pacing, and i enjoyed the dynamics between Seren & Calmadir a LOT.
The book had such good pacing, and i enjoyed the dynamics between Seren & Calmadir a LOT.
June 1, 2023
A fourth book, a fourth time of Caldamir being a cuck. Still reading tho so girl’s getting the bag. 20 books to 50k going strong I guess
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2025
Love:
This instalment really deepened the series in the best way. The expansion into new territories—particularly the Sand and Sea Court (however briefly we were in it) —was rich with intrigue, culture, and vivid scenery. The worldbuilding continues to shine, drawing us deeper into a realm that feels both immersive and mysterious. The pacing was well-balanced, offering action, political tension, and emotional scenes in equal measure. Relationships also took on new shades of complexity, and it felt like every decision carried weight (especially Armene’s decision but I won’t say too much to avoid spoilers!).
Don’t Love:
While the story itself was gripping, a handful of minor spelling and grammatical errors occasionally pulled me out of the moment. They didn’t ruin the experience by any means, but they were noticeable and a bit distracting in an otherwise polished narrative.
Final Thoughts
A Veil of Dusk and Deceit is a compelling continuation of an already enthralling series. With its expanded world, deeper emotional stakes, and evolving characters, it left me hungry for more. If the previous books lit the spark, this one stoked the flames. It was definitely my second favourite in the series (Truth and Trickery will always take that top spot). Minor editing issues aside, it’s an engaging read I’d recommend to anyone following the series. I am definitely excited to be jumping into the fifth and final book - blood and braver - and I can’t wait to experience the ending to such an engaging series!
Favourite Quote
You’re not the only one allowed to suffer for the cause, you know.
Favourite Chapter
3
Character Spotlight: Caldamir
Caldamir was a standout in this book. We’ve seen hints of his strength and conviction before, but this instalment showcased not just his physical endurance, but also his emotional resilience. As the world shifted around him he remained a steady force even when fighting battles no one else could see. His willingness to keep fighting added layers to his character. This book offered a deeper look at his internal struggles and the choices that define him. It was powerful, and his growth felt earned.
This instalment really deepened the series in the best way. The expansion into new territories—particularly the Sand and Sea Court (however briefly we were in it) —was rich with intrigue, culture, and vivid scenery. The worldbuilding continues to shine, drawing us deeper into a realm that feels both immersive and mysterious. The pacing was well-balanced, offering action, political tension, and emotional scenes in equal measure. Relationships also took on new shades of complexity, and it felt like every decision carried weight (especially Armene’s decision but I won’t say too much to avoid spoilers!).
Don’t Love:
While the story itself was gripping, a handful of minor spelling and grammatical errors occasionally pulled me out of the moment. They didn’t ruin the experience by any means, but they were noticeable and a bit distracting in an otherwise polished narrative.
Final Thoughts
A Veil of Dusk and Deceit is a compelling continuation of an already enthralling series. With its expanded world, deeper emotional stakes, and evolving characters, it left me hungry for more. If the previous books lit the spark, this one stoked the flames. It was definitely my second favourite in the series (Truth and Trickery will always take that top spot). Minor editing issues aside, it’s an engaging read I’d recommend to anyone following the series. I am definitely excited to be jumping into the fifth and final book - blood and braver - and I can’t wait to experience the ending to such an engaging series!
Favourite Quote
You’re not the only one allowed to suffer for the cause, you know.
Favourite Chapter
3
Character Spotlight: Caldamir
Caldamir was a standout in this book. We’ve seen hints of his strength and conviction before, but this instalment showcased not just his physical endurance, but also his emotional resilience. As the world shifted around him he remained a steady force even when fighting battles no one else could see. His willingness to keep fighting added layers to his character. This book offered a deeper look at his internal struggles and the choices that define him. It was powerful, and his growth felt earned.
August 16, 2024
DNF @ 87%
I'm usually someone who continues reading, no matter what. If it has multiple books in the series, I finish all of them no matter what... Until now. UGH.
I enjoyed the first book and even the second but with each new book the storyline gets jumbled around and it feels like it's just trying to waste time and stretch out the series. Most of this book could've been reduced to 3 or 4 chapters in another book.
I just couldn't do it. I was borrowing this book from the library and had to renew it TWICE to try and get through it! In the end, I just decided it wasn't worth my time anymore and I shouldn't have even gotten as far as I did. I was continually counting down the pages in a chapter (because I only stop at the end of a chapter, unless it's an emergency) so I could put it away and read something else.
I was seriously disappointed in the downflow of this series and will not be reading the next installment. While I did enjoy some of the characters, their development was lacking. I would've liked to see these characters do so much more than what they were doing.
I'm usually someone who continues reading, no matter what. If it has multiple books in the series, I finish all of them no matter what... Until now. UGH.
I enjoyed the first book and even the second but with each new book the storyline gets jumbled around and it feels like it's just trying to waste time and stretch out the series. Most of this book could've been reduced to 3 or 4 chapters in another book.
I just couldn't do it. I was borrowing this book from the library and had to renew it TWICE to try and get through it! In the end, I just decided it wasn't worth my time anymore and I shouldn't have even gotten as far as I did. I was continually counting down the pages in a chapter (because I only stop at the end of a chapter, unless it's an emergency) so I could put it away and read something else.
I was seriously disappointed in the downflow of this series and will not be reading the next installment. While I did enjoy some of the characters, their development was lacking. I would've liked to see these characters do so much more than what they were doing.
October 21, 2023
A Vail of Dusk and Deceit picks up right after Delphine loses her brother and discovers her fae powers. This book focuses on an impending war and continuing to solve the riddle of the original deal made with Alderia.
What I like - with the glamour back, the descriptiveness of the way the glamour works was nice.
What I don't like - towards the end the book had many grammatical and story line related mistakes. For example, when they are in the Sea Palace with Tethys all of a sudden in the writing Delphine is talking with Armene. A few instances of those and you lose your audience.
All in all, 3 stars for me. I think the writer and style is getting better, which is something you see with other authors like Sara J. Maas, where the original series is a little juvenile but then subsequent series and books start to pick up on world and character building. This is a great quick read in YA.
What I like - with the glamour back, the descriptiveness of the way the glamour works was nice.
What I don't like - towards the end the book had many grammatical and story line related mistakes. For example, when they are in the Sea Palace with Tethys all of a sudden in the writing Delphine is talking with Armene. A few instances of those and you lose your audience.
All in all, 3 stars for me. I think the writer and style is getting better, which is something you see with other authors like Sara J. Maas, where the original series is a little juvenile but then subsequent series and books start to pick up on world and character building. This is a great quick read in YA.
April 9, 2023
While I enjoyed the book, so much happened yet so little happened… We didn’t really get to see much action in terms of moving the plot along so I feel like this was a filler book, almost as if 75% of it could have been condensed. I did enjoy it however and I will continue to read the series simply just so I can see where it goes. There were also some grammatical errors just as in the other books, however I didn’t notice as many in this one. **spoiler** I was also pleasantly surprised to see the return of my favorite demon ◡̈ overall I’d give this book 3.5 stars. And I will say that the ending was definitely a surprise!!! Interesting twist but I wish it hadn’t ended on another cliff hanger
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2024
For the love of all things fae. Please hire an editor. Or if you have one. A better one? I love the plot of these books but all the spelling errors and grammatical errors pull me right out of the book. There was even a section that the wrong prices name was used in a scene. Like… bro. I wanted to love this. I loved the first 3 the spelling and grammar errors were minimal. But they have grown with each book and this one was the worst. I’m going to read book 5 but only for the sake of finishing what I started. 💔
April 12, 2023
I enjoyed the book, but i felt this could have been combined in another as it mainly was just a whole bunch of info to fill up space between the ending conflict. It takes place mainly in the sand court and Delphine is trying to figure out her powers. There really isn’t a lot going on until the ending and then it ends on a cliffhanger and you don’t really get much. I am invested and will definitely read the final book in the series, this one just wasn’t my favorite.
September 10, 2023
I pushed through reading this one because I thought it was the last book in the series, I'd already read the first 3 books, and I thought it'd be worth it to push through to see how the series ended. That was especially hard because I have quite a lot of books on my TBR I'm excited to read. After finishing, I wish'd I'd just went ahead and DNF'd- lots of typos, felt like nothing happened, and honestly felt like a waste of time and disappointing.
October 20, 2023
Actually enjoyed this series more than I thought. Didn’t realise it wasn’t finished. Looking forward for the final book. Can understand some bad reviews. The typos are absolutely awful on KU.
But I enjoyed the story. It was easy to read. Read all four within 3 days. Was easy to follow and I liked the build up. Hoping there is an improvement for the final instalment. Don’t know when it’s due for release though?
But I enjoyed the story. It was easy to read. Read all four within 3 days. Was easy to follow and I liked the build up. Hoping there is an improvement for the final instalment. Don’t know when it’s due for release though?
August 1, 2024
I really enjoyed the first two books of the series, but felt it kind of dragged and was a bit repetitive 3-5. There were also a lot of mistakes, wrong character names and typos (would be awesome if Kindle had a way to flag this if you pick them up as a reader, I know sometimes indie authors can't afford editors). I think it would absolutely slay as a trilogy with some good editing and proof reading.
August 12, 2024
Editing
I have really been enjoying the plot of this series. I love the constant push and pull in different directions as it progresses and the twists that have occurred, especially in this book.
My one big concern is the editing. There are some sentences that have certain words repeated and not cleaned up, towards the end Armene’s name is placed where Tethys’ should be, etc. I would strongly recommended one more set of eyes to look over this book before it goes to publishing.
I have really been enjoying the plot of this series. I love the constant push and pull in different directions as it progresses and the twists that have occurred, especially in this book.
My one big concern is the editing. There are some sentences that have certain words repeated and not cleaned up, towards the end Armene’s name is placed where Tethys’ should be, etc. I would strongly recommended one more set of eyes to look over this book before it goes to publishing.
August 19, 2024
I just can’t get past the ENORMOUS amount of grammatical and overall editing (or lack thereof) in this book. It’s a shame because I really enjoy the storyline, but putting the spelling errors aside, it completely takes you out of the story when genders of characters are switched, wrong names used for characters in a scene, etc. Only my inability to leave the last book unread (OCD) will have me reading the last book while praying the author took more care to edit it.
June 2, 2023
I really wanted to like this book (and the entire series) but this book was just so rushed and bad.
There are dozens and dozens of grammatical errors, incorrect names (meaning, Tethys is supposed to be talking and instead it says “Armene looked into my eyes as he spoke.”
It’s drawn out, with little plot, no action, and the spicy scenes are terrible.
There are dozens and dozens of grammatical errors, incorrect names (meaning, Tethys is supposed to be talking and instead it says “Armene looked into my eyes as he spoke.”
It’s drawn out, with little plot, no action, and the spicy scenes are terrible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews