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Sometimes destiny is written. Hers was concealed.

When Cate travels from Oregon to university in England, she expects her gravest dilemma to be finding coffee instead of tea, but she’s got bigger problems—much bigger. At Staton University, nothing is quite what it seems.

Even her own identity.

Unbeknownst to Cate, a prophecy deems her as destined to defeat a ruthless enemy in a magical land, placing a target squarely on her back. Now, someone on campus is stalking her, and a narrow escape sends her through a mysterious portal, assisted by two irresistible boys.

Yet the fantastical new world is even more treacherous with rival kingdoms and imminent war.

Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, but what’s a girl to do? A fresh start was all she wanted—a few new friends in the dorms with a trusty latte in hand—not war, an estranged biological father who is king, or a star-crossed love straight out of Romeo and Juliet (hopefully without the dying part).

As the battle looms, Cate must solve the mystery of the prophecy and decide who in her circle is trustworthy before the place she now calls home is destroyed.

<>Don't miss this new Young Adult Romantic Fantasy from debut author SK Horton about first love in a fantastical new world. Featuring swoon-worthy romance, court intrigue, backstabbing villains and so much more, it's perfect for fans of Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood, Lauren Roberts' Powerless, and lovers of all things romantasy!

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2024

205 people are currently reading
12775 people want to read

About the author

S.K. Horton

2 books107 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 448 reviews
Profile Image for giulsxx.
210 reviews245 followers
June 16, 2024
3★

“It’s magical,” I breathed. “As are you.”

first of all i wanted to thank SK Horton for giving me the opportunity to read her book in advance. thank you so much!
then, i’d like to introduce you to this story by telling you that it’s coming out on June 11th from Aethon books and is a YA romantasy. but let’s talk about the plot.



Cate just moved from America to a college in England. she hopes this can be a fresh start. little does she know, a prophecy deems her as destined to defeat a ruthless enemy in a magical land, placing a target squarely on her back. so she has to pass through a portal to another world, but she’s not alone! she has two irresistible boys, Lucas and Daniel, to assist her in this new unexpected life.
falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, but as the battle looms, Cate must solve the mystery of the prophecy and decide who in her circle is trustworthy before the place she now calls home is destroyed.



the pace is fast and the writing is very simple, which makes the book a very fast read. the world building and the magic system are interesting. this story has an aura of mystery which is very curious. it also ends in a cliffhanger so i’m pretty sure there will be a sequel!
the romance is cute but full of cliches i guess, and tbh it didn’t convince me. it felt a lot like a insta love, and i prefer slow burns 2022 giuls is having a heart attack rn.
cate is the classic girl nobody notices but all of a sudden, she’s being noticed by not one but two boys. WHAT? ngl i was really interested in the love triangle SUE ME however, the way she approached the relationships with them is kinda childish. it felt like a stereotype teenage relationship with one of the boys, who was sus asf if you ask me. the other one was like 🧍🏼?
idk, i think i’m too grown up to enjoy this type of romance, but i think a younger version of me would’ve appreciated it more.
the story has a lot of potential but imo it lacks something. it might be me the problem, bc i’m used to heavy fantasy. my tastes changed recently and while before i would’ve eaten this up, rn i still consider it a good read but it’s more for a younger audience.
overall, i think this is more a romance sets in a fantasy world, bc the fantasy element was really not that present. so if you enjoy more romances, this book is for you. however, if you enjoy more a heavy fantasy, this might not be a wise choice.
this is my humble opinion, i suggest you to give this book a chance anyway!
once again, thank you so much SK Horton for the opportunity!



Beautiful wasn’t something I commonly heard about myself except from my parents, but everyone knows parents don’t really count. Was I pretty? Judging one’s own appearance was impossibly linked to the judgment of others. Typically ignored, I’d always assumed my looks hovered around average.

I was falling for him. My heart stirred with the thought of staying in his arms forever. He felt safe. He was brave and kind and sweet, and when I looked at him, he took my breath away. The risk of heartbreak… it was worth it.

“You’re home.” He rubbed his face and smiled sleepily. “No, we’re home.”

The constant ache in my chest every second we were apart, that instantly released the moment I saw him, was all too real. That these feelings had grown so strong after such a short amount of time frightened me. I was too practical to be a love-at-first-sight kind of girl. Yet, what had grown between us was difficult to deny.

Morbidly, it reminded me of my heart, leaving messy dripping puddles of my soul in this godforsaken castle. Someone would eventually wash it away and Terra would go on as if I’d never crossed its threshold, not caring that I had left a part of myself behind.

“We can polish and make you into a diamond today, but we’ll need that grit underneath. A diamond’s only use is to look beautiful. But coal—coal can start a fire. You have enough courage and determination to heat a whole nation, and we’re all relying on that spark. Trust me.” She sat on the bed and placed her hand over mine. “Trust yourself.”
Profile Image for Millie.
252 reviews38 followers
June 21, 2024
✨Arc read✨

2.75
I’ve thought on this and knocked it down a bit…

I honestly don’t know how to rate this so if goes up or down a quarter or something don’t mind that.

PLOT: Cate is a normal often overlooked girl that just started college in England far away from home. But then weird guys start trying to hurt her randomly and these cute boys are paying attention to her. Then one day she almost gets killed by these men and these said boys reveal a secret world to her, one that she is the key to saving.

MY THOUGHTS: Ok this might be pretty long because I have A LOT of thoughts about this book. I could honestly tell this was a debut novel right from the start it didn’t have that confident writing style you see in a lot of Booktok books. A lot of the elements weren’t really fleshed out. If you’ve read the KOLTC series (that was literally my childhood) this book is literally that. ✨She’s not like other girls✨ and ✨no ones has ever paid attention to her before now✨ THERE IS EVEN A FITZ…..AND A KEEFE. I probably would have really enjoyed this book if I read it like 5 years ago…but my reading taste has changed a lot since then. ALSO WHYYY ARE THERE YA PARTS OF THIS AND MIDDLE GRADE PARTS OF THIS. Like it mostly followed the stereotypical middle grade recipe but all the characters were 18 and the romance was NOT middle grade like….what? Please make up your mind, I think this could have been a good middle grade if she just made the romance a bit less, because honestly the romance wasn’t that good, and just make all the characters like 12-16 or something. There, perfect middle grade right there, probably something most early readers would gobble up. To be fair though I’m probably rating this a bit harsh, because I’m kinda in a lit fic/classic mood, not a fantasy mood, I was trying to wait till I was in the right mood to read this and then it never came sooo ya. But besides that I think the pacing was good and the ending redeemed the book a bit. I also related to the main character a lot (she lived in Oregon and loved it before she had to abruptly move I mean…TwInSiEs) and it was pretty fast paced.

Overall I know that there are some younger people on Goodreads or just adults that like middle grade that like series like Percy Jackson and KOLTC and if you are that type of person, yes, you should totally read this book. It just said for people who like Powerless or throne of glass (literally some of my favorite books) and I was like “oH tHaTs mE” BUTTT NOOOOOO THIS IS BASICALLY MIDDLE GRADE, JUST IGNORE THE CHARACTERS AGES.

Sorry if that was kinda long…
Profile Image for Ava ✿ (ia).
207 reviews249 followers
April 6, 2024
3.5

if only this was a fairytale instead of my life

➷ that one book with a ‘I’ve always been different’ girl, a prophecy, somewhat weak world building, and a love triangle consisting of the fmc, a hot dark haired prince, and a cute cinnamon roll blonde. & it is was somehow cliche, but not cheesy.

thanks to NetGalley for an arc, in exchange for a honest review!
Profile Image for Faerie.
119 reviews89 followers
September 13, 2024
"The Concealed" is the action-packed first installment of a compelling fantasy series by S.K. Horton, featuring star-crossed romance, elemental warfare, and dragons soaring through the skies above.

At its heart, the plot takes the heroine on a perilous adventure fraught with treachery, love, war, and boundless magic. Packed with unpredictable twists, this book is a page-turner, keeping the reader hooked until the end.

Central to the story are a diverse array of characters with unique skills, ambitions, and allegiances. Cate emerges as a relatable protagonist navigating numerous setbacks, allowing potential for growth in subsequent installments.

The writing style is contemporary and notably fast-paced, ensuring an accessible, engaging read. The author neatly integrates world-building, lore of the land, and a magical system into the narrative, ensuring a natural flow.

Overall, "The Concealed" is a promising foundation for an enjoyable series, with ample room for further development and exploration as the story unfolds. Those who enjoy young adult fantasy romance are sure to find this an immersive, exciting debut novel.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley, for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Dariasreading.
236 reviews12 followers
Read
March 1, 2024
4⭐️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

You know that tingly feeling you get in your chest when something just hits right? This book did that for me.

The Concealed is a YA romance book that follows Cate a girl off to collage in Britain, little does she know that her true identity is about to be revealed. She’s the chosen one.

This was a fun easy read, I will say it was very YA and I expect that audience is going to absolutely love this thing. The writing was good, the characters were fun, and the world building was pretty good.

I loved how Cate was so human in her reactions to things, she didn’t jump into a new world and immediately become the best at everything, she struggles and she cries and that all made her very relatable.

I’ll be here for the next one!
Profile Image for Danielle Pulliam .
480 reviews77 followers
June 14, 2024
**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑺. 𝑲. 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒐𝒏


Release Date: June 11, 2024


4.5⭐️2🌶


All the love triangle you could ever want! Cate gets accepted for a scholarship at an English College and just arrives when she meets two intriguing men. One dark and one golden, they keep an eye out for her when its apparent a group of kidnappers seem to be after her. She then finds out these two young men are not all they appear to be and whisk her away through a portal to a land of her birth.

The magical creatures and world building in this book is enchanting! I can't wait to read more of Cate's journey, and to see which why her love life goes!

Thank you The Nerd Fam and Aethon Books for the gifted ARC. 
Profile Image for Ashley.
866 reviews116 followers
June 16, 2024
Overall this is an okay YA debut novel. I think after the ending the next book is set up nicely and interested to see where it goes. This is a fast paced read and I found I was able to get through within a few days. The magic and world building are interesting.

The characters were okay I didn't really find anything that wowed me about them. The romance aspect was eh not really a whole lot. Some things were pretty cliche but it wasn't bad.

Overall recommend if you like YA fantasy.

Thank you nerdfam for the gifted e-arc.
Profile Image for Alexa Ilijic.
63 reviews1 follower
May 29, 2024
7 out of 5 stars. Is that enough? Probably not. I freaking loved this book. Absolutely devoured it.

Cate (the fmc) is so relatable as she finds herself navigating a role and a world she knows nothing about. She feels all her feelings, pushes through when she can, and eats bread and cheese alone in her room when she needs to. We'd be besties. I'm always a fan of two love interests, I knew my choice early on! But there's a part of me that doesn't fully trust authors not to bait and switch me (looking at you sjm) so I'm anxious to see how Cate's love story plays out!

This portal aspect reminded me of a recent read, The Lost Story, and there are aspects that remind me of Map of the Otherlands, and even at times Throne of Glass.

My only baby complaint is that the large battle at the end goes so quickly - but truly I loved this book and I cannot wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for Stress Reader.
197 reviews21 followers
July 31, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4

I'm editing my original review, because upon reflection I felt I wasn't fair to the book - or the author. So I did a quick re-read and am updating my review to reflect.

While I didn't love this one, I liked it. It does still read on the younger end of YA, in my opinion - which isn't a bad thing. Just younger YA than I prefer. However, I did enjoy it. I enjoyed in more on the second read, actually.

Synopsis: Cate (FMC) has just arrived in England to attend college, thanks to a scholarship she received. Before she can even make it from the airport to her dorm, usual and unnerving things begin to occur around Cate. It isn't long before Cate finds out about the existence of a Prophecy and that 2 of her classmates were actually sent there from another realm to protect her (Lucas and Daniel). Things change in a BIG way once she's informed of the Prophecy and her role in it, and she's wisked away to a magical land. However, the land she arrives in is gearing up for battle, and Cate has to Solve the mystery of the Prophecy, while trying to figure out who in her found family is trustworthy and who isn't.

The Concealed does have a love triangle, and I feel like those are incredibly hard to pull off well. Or maybe I'm too picky? This was a part of the book I didn't love. Besides feeling more insta-love than I like, Cate is around 18 and I feel like she approached both love interests in ways that make her seem much younger. Again, this could be my age, and maybe if I was much younger it wouldn't feel so immature.

The plot was good, but I wanted more. Maybe a personal issue again, since I typically read more fantasy heavy books. I wanted the book to delve deeper into the world and everything surrounding. I enjoyed the mystery, that was fun and interesting. I loved the Prophecy as well as the magic.

Personally I feel this is more of a romance first, fantasy second. Which isn't bad, and I know many prefer this. I went into it expecting it to be more fantasy heavy. If you enjoy romance set in a Fantasy world with portal magic, give this one a shot. If you're more of a fantasy only or fantasy heavy, you may not love this one.

The pacing was on the fast side, making for a quick read. I can see this being great as a palate cleanser. Nothing wrong with a faster pace, I find them enjoyable personally.

Prose is good, as is the dialogue. Originally I said the writing style isn't for me, and I still stand by that. That doesn't mean the writing is bad, because it isn't - it's good. It's just not written in a way I enjoy reading, and it wasn't written for middle aged people so that isn't a negative. The dialogue sounds more natural to me when read aloud. I recently discovered that with another book whose dialogue I didn't think sounded natural to read. But when spoken aloud, it does. I have no idea how/why, but it's worked for me with a couple different books. Anyway, since that discovery I would say the dialogue is good.

World building is solid. I would've preferred a deeper dive in this area, but for the age range it was written for, I think it has the perfect amount.

The characters felt significantly younger than their 18 or so years, which I didn't expect when I saw it was YA and read the premise. I know some enjoy reading characters that match that, so this would be a hit for those people. This isn't a negative or a positive, just something I feel warrants pointing out.

This is book one in the Heir of Earth and Skies series. It does end on a cliffhanger (a great one). I haven't seen anything regarding a potential release date for book 2.

If you're a fan of middle grade fantasy/romantacy, or very young adult, you might enjoy this one. If you're looking for a simple, straightforward fantasy/romantacy, this might be for you. Although, I would say this is more romance than fantasy, to be clear.

The ending of this book - it's special. It may have been my favorite part. I didn't expect that ending and thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me want to continue the series.

Overall, The Concealed is a pretty good start to a YA romance set in a fantasy world.

If you're like me and middle aged, this may not be the YA fantasy-romance for you. If you're younger than me, you would likely enjoy it and relate to the characters more than I was able. If you enjoy romance set in a fantasy world, give this one a try!

If you enjoyed The Keeper of the Lost Cities, Percy Jackson, or Warrior Cats (except with humans lol) this is similar and you would probably enjoy it.

Thank you The Nerd Fam and Aethon Books for the gifted eARC. This is my unbiased review.

Thank you to @thenerdfam , Aethon books, and SK Horton for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
Profile Image for Aaliyah.
119 reviews25 followers
April 6, 2024
Honestly one of my favorite books. When I think I finally figured everything out they added more. I was always walking on eggshells and holding my breath. The world building was amazing and so were the relationships. This was my first ever romantasy and now I want to read more. There was so much plot and romance and everything I enjoy in a book. DEFINTELY recommend everyone reads this it is so worth it. It was such an easy read that I forgot time was passing. The main character is so easy to relate too. She felt as if she didn't belong, and she won't live up to everyone's expectations. I think we all have felt that way before. I found myself in her. One of the BEST books ever!
Profile Image for Mallorie Goguen.
86 reviews
April 23, 2024
** Thank you NetGalley, S.K. Horton and Aethon Books for giving me a e-book copy for an honest review :) **

I really enjoyed this YA romantasy.

We meet the MC Cate who is embarking on the adventure of a lifetime by going to university right outside of London. She has never left her home in Oregon before so this is exciting yet scary.

Cate starts to learn really big hidden things about herself and where she really comes from. It doesn't seem random that she ended up at this exact school across the pond from where she lives. She meets a couple handsome young lads who immediately become her friends and protectors, but do they already know her?

This story kept me captivated and had beautiful magical world building. I'm sad the magical world isn't a place I could visit. The description was so vivid and detailed I could truly picture what the world must look like.

I would definitely read the next book in the series.
3 reviews
April 4, 2024
It has been awhile since I have read something that has captured my attention from the start and kept me wanting to know what would happen next! This book by SK Horton does just that. From the beginning you are wondering what is going on and then layer by layer you learn why strange things are happening to Cate.
As the story continues you are pulled into another world with Cate and, like her, are left surprised and confused by all that she is experiencing! There are unexpected twist and turns that keep you engulfed in this new world and engaged in the storyline. Cate’s quick wit and likability shines through for an engaging story. Thank you SK Horton and Aethon Books for sending me an advanced copy to read. I cannot wait for Book 2!
Profile Image for Alexsis.
212 reviews81 followers
May 28, 2024
First and foremost, thank you so much NerdFam and SK Horton for allowing me to read this book before in exchange for an honest review.

I had really high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. It’s on par with the “She’s not like other girls” plot and lacked confidence. I hope that the second book provides the confidence from the author and some uniqueness.

I’m not your typical romance girly and couldn’t care less for it, but the romance was very little. It felt very immature and could’ve had a little more umph to it.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book. I do have high hopes for the next one and will read it as I’m curious what will happen next. I think this book is perfect for a younger audience for sure!
Profile Image for Marisa (marisalynnreads).
141 reviews17 followers
January 28, 2025
Thank you, SK, and Plunge into books tours for the gifted ebook and for allowing me to be a part of this book tour!

Magic, dragons, found family, and a love triangle? Count me in!

This was an easy read; the story is definitely aimed at a YA audience, capturing the essence of first love and those instant connection vibes. I felt a connection to Cate, the main female character, because she struggles with anxiety. It’s refreshing to see a young adult book address mental health directly.
Profile Image for Ashley | AshleyTReads.
447 reviews49 followers
Read
May 2, 2025
I had to DNF this one early on.

The story line doesn’t seem bad, but the dialogue is so cheesy. Upon reflection, freshmen in college probably are that cheesy & I bet I would have devoured this book in middle school or high school. I’m just not in the mood for it now.

I definitely would say give this one a try if you’re looking for a quick YA Fantasy about rivals, new magical worlds, estranged parents, and learning more about oneself at a pivotal time in life.

Connect with me on Instagram!
Profile Image for Maria Elena | pagesofmaria.
782 reviews235 followers
June 16, 2024
THE CONCEALED is a YA Portal Romantasy where our protagonist, Cate, travels from the USA to England to attend university, only to discover (thanks to the two hotties at school, Lucas and Daniel) that she is a princess from a parallel world and the one said to bring the end of the evil Embers and unite the two rival kingdoms of Caelum and Terra.

This book has elements that are familiar to fans of the genre, but it still has its own unique spin and voice. I flew through the pages and found it very enjoyable, and I believe readers who love stories like The Princess Diaries (like I do) but with a fantasy twist will love this one. I enjoyed the initial academia setting and the portal magic aspect. Once we travel to the fantasy world, I likes seeing the differences between the two kingdoms and getting to know the players. One of the most interesting characters was undoubtedly Cate’s father, the king of Caelum. He seems to be the most complex character, the one that holds multitudes and isn’t exactly how he first appears to be. I loved seeing how he struggled between being the king but also a father who wants to know his daughter. He was trying, and at times I saw glimpses of the man that would have led Cate’s mother to fall for someone from the rival kingdom.

I also enjoyed the romance between Daniel and Cate. They fall for each other rather fast, but once you learn Daniel’s true role, things get more complicated. In fact they were cute, but I was waiting for the shoe to drop at a certain point (spoiler alert: it does), considering the forbidden element of their story. He’s the Prince of Terra, she’s the princess of Caelum. Their love would likely be opposed by almost everyone in both kingdoms, not to mention that they would be repeating the same history that transpired between Cate’s biological parents. And yet, Cate is supposed to be uniting the two kingdoms. What better way than through love?

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books.
999 reviews49 followers
June 12, 2024
If you are a fan of sweet romances, YA books, and new fantasy series, this book is for you. If you go in thinking it’s going to steam up your night, you won’t have a good night. But I went it without expectations and truly enjoyed it. I flew through this book, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here. Two love interests, a magical new world, secret royalty, more magic, and dragons. Yes, please!

Cate’s life is changing as she knows it. She got a full ride to a university in England, and she packed up and left her home and family in Oregon. But when she gets there, she is pulled towards two different boys. They insist on walking her to class and protecting her, which she isn’t about to turn down considering the incident when she first arrived. But she keeps getting attacked and they break down the real reason she’s here. She is The Concealed, the princess born to rulers from both kingdoms who is prophesied to stop The Embers from destroying their world and unite their kingdoms. No pressure or anything.

Thank you to Nerd Fam for the copy, all thoughts are my own.
Profile Image for Adreanna.
159 reviews6 followers
January 10, 2025
The Concealed by S.K. Horton is a YA fantasy overflowing with star-crossed lovers, betrayals, secrets and a healthy amount of action scenes. This is truly an amazing debut novel that sets the rest of the series up and I can't wait to see where the next book takes Care, Lucas and Daniel.

Cate, the FMC, is very relatable and easy to love. I was completely wrapped up in her story and couldn't put the book down until I knew how it ended. And man did it end perfectly (small cliffhanger but tastefully done). Lucas and Daniel, the MMC's, where night and day to each other and meshed together (rival kingdoms and whatnot).

I never thought I'd like a book that uses cereal as a way to connect the characters but it was a fun little bit and I also loved the little references Cate uses when talking about her life in America. These little bits just made her more relatable.
Profile Image for Jane ☾.
279 reviews18 followers
May 28, 2025
You know what? This was even better than I imagined.

While it did start of a bit cringey (but that specific "Chosen One gets help from 2 cute guys and has to live in a fantasy world without her phone so she's all sassy" type of cringe I devoured, and still do, that was quite popular in the dystopian/fantasy era of the 2010s), it got so much better in the second half.

Certain characters gain more complexity and backstories, Cate actually stops being whiny and starts accepting her role and future in this world and of course, the plot gets even crazier.

I especially liked the way her powers manifested - how she didn't suddenly become this expert, power wielding badass just because she crossed a portal and met a guy. She gradually (and sometimes not knowingly) shows tiny bits of progress and her emotions impact this a lot. It felt reasonable.

I truly hope I get to the sequel some day because this was action packed and super fun!
Profile Image for Brooke Hall.
62 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
This fantasy book felt very different from others that I have read in the sense that it combined our modern world with a fantasy parallel world. It was fun to see mention of things like iPhones and elevators, while also maintaining the whimsicalness of a fantasy world. The fmc was very relatable, and I love that the author was clear on touching on anxiety. While I enjoyed the banter and world building in this book, parts of it felt overdone while the grip on the plot slipped. There were a lot of popular tropes in this book (dragons, forced proximity, found family, etc), but I did feel like the quality of them were overridden by the quantity. Overall, this was an interesting and easy read that I think YA readers will enjoy. Thank you The Nerd Fam and Aethon Books for the gifted ARC.
Profile Image for Miranda Murphy.
36 reviews
March 1, 2025
I received a copy of this book as part of an ARC team. I really enjoyed the storyline. I love the fact that the fantasy world includes modern touches AND Horton explains the reasoning for it. Cate, Lucas, and Daniel are all fantastic characters, and they are easy to like. The way the story progressed throughout was set at a great pace and hooked me in. I cannot wait to read book 2 and see where the story leads and if Cate can control her power or not
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Victoria Worley.
144 reviews
February 1, 2025
Fast Paced YA Novel. Great for getting out of a book slump. Looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Ange Champion.
1 review1 follower
May 25, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ I devoured this book. Really enjoyed the book but wish a few things were different. Spoilers from this point on. I received an ARC in exchange for a review.

The theme is, more! I wanted more! I wanted to know more about Cate and her family in Oregon to build her characters background more. I wanted to know more about the power/magic structure. I wanted more from the build up of Cate and Daniel’s relationship. And the final battle felt rushed. I would have loved another several chapters expounding on the battle and Cate’s eventual use of power. Plus those extra chapters would have given more about the dragons and how the Embers knew about the tunnel system. We heard about Alana training her, and that felt very flat. I wish we could have heard more about Alana and the background of how she was with Cate’s mom. Then spent more time on how Cate was developing her abilities to recognize and use her powers.

I recognize this is book one and there will likely be more to follow. Some of this might carry into another book, but I still would have liked more from this first book. Overall, I enjoyed it. Will I read the next book, should there be one? Yes, I would.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jess.
97 reviews6 followers
May 25, 2024
Thank you to The Nerd Fam and Aethon Books for the gifted arc🫶🏻At the start of this book i was really gripped to the story and I was intrigued from the beginning at where it was going to go and how it would unfold. It has a great storyline, short chapters and it kept me hooked. I liked our female main character’s character development. The downfalls of this book is that it was so insta lovey, and that Cate fmc didn’t have a backbone and she was a little cringe aka- ‘my knees went wobbly at his smile’ like what? I also would’ve loved to have seen more of Cates training and learning of her powers and who to use them and her training the Alana. I would’ve also liked to see Cate and her family back home in Oregon and got to know them a little bit more. And one last thing I would’ve loved to see her development with her father. Overall, as a debut novel I think it was good!!⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Concealed is published on the 11th of June 2024✨
Profile Image for Hannah .
45 reviews2 followers
July 6, 2024
First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Aethon Books for the opportunity to read this galley!

This book snuck up on me and quickly became one of the most outstanding fantasy books I have read this year. As an Oregonian myself, I was easily able to put myself in Cate's shoes. Plus, who doesn't wish to be sucked into a world out of fairytales! I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the second book.
Profile Image for Kathrine.
45 reviews
May 24, 2024
ARC read:

Loved this book! Great character development and world building.

One critique: the beginning of the book includes an assumption that libraries in British universities are quiet. They're not. They're very loud and not actually for individual studying, but more for group sessions, in my experience.
Profile Image for Cecilia.
344 reviews52 followers
June 12, 2024
Fast paced plot. The romance happened quickly as well. I prefer a slow burn but the relationship between Cate and Danielle was so sweet. Reminiscent of first love.

After she arrives in this new world the plot slowed a little and we did get to see more relationship building and her experience of trying to figure out her new world. I really loved the ball and wanted more! There was betrayals and hidden identities mixed with elemental magic and even dragons.

Overall it was a quick and entertaining read. I do believe that it's a great fantasy read for younger readers. It's giving Elite/Powerless vibes.

Read if you like:

🖤 Academic Setting
👑 Magic
🖤 Prophecy
👑 Court intrigue
🖤 Backstabbing villains
👑 Dragons
🖤 First love



Thank you The Nerd Fam and Aethon Books for the gifted ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for betsyyreads.
135 reviews29 followers
February 15, 2024
Thank you Netgalley, S.K. Horton, and Aethon Books, LLC for this Arc in return for an honest review.

2⭐️- The book follows Cate as she heads from Oregon to England where she meets Lucas and Daniel only to learn she is from a different world.

This was a quick YA read, but it did not fully hold my attention. The writing style fell short and felt a little gimmicky to me. It feels like she took tropes she likes and threw them all together. I am sure a lot of readers would enjoy this book, but it feels like she wrote the book to write a book and that it wasn't very original.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Troutner.
31 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2024
2.5 stars, rounded up. I found the world itself fairly interesting and was definitely left wanting to know more about the politics and overall history of the world. Maybe that will be explored further in a future book of the series. The overall plot sequencing, structure and where to cap it off was done well. The book’s subtitle is “Heir of Earth and Sky Book One” (which I just now get the reference for, nicely done). So, I am assuming there are more in the series planned. In a lot of planned fantasy series, it often feels like the major plot archs are mapped out so poorly across the entire series where a book will end with basically nothing happening and the characters spending their time journeying to the next thing or have too much action packed into it and not spaced out well across the series. I don’t feel that way with this book. It was reasonable to have all the major plot points occur in one book. The writing was also very accessible. The way it was written reminded me a lot of the fanfictions I would read in high school, in the best way possible. It was very easy to ust eat up in one sitting.
However, there were some issues. The pacing is off and makes it a little challenging to believe. The way Cate so very quickly and completely trusts Lucas and Daniel, both of whom she only just met, and trusts them with her life when she’s been targeted by other unknown individuals was really hard for me to believe, (not a spoiler, it happens within like the first 3 chapters). There were other pacing issues beyond just relationships developing far too quickly, but I can’t explain them without spoilers. Though I agree with the number of plot points that were in the book, it felt like some pieces should have been longer, especially the beginning journey to the world and the final arch. I’m not sure if there was a publisher limit on the number of pages that impacted this, but it certainly felt that way, especially when the middle arch had the adequate time paid attention to it.
Overall, it was a fine book. I don’t know that I’d pick up another in the series, but it didn’t feel like a waste of time either.
Profile Image for Jenn.
273 reviews
February 6, 2025
Rating: ♾️/5 (seriously!!!)
Spice level: 🫑

I came across this book randomly, but loved that the author has the same l a s t n a m e as my m a i d e n n a m e! Us H0rt0ns are a special bunch, so I was hoping she was just like that! And boy has she proven that to be true!! SK has become a fr!end, and I'm so glad her last name brought us together! ☺️

The Concealed was EASILY one of my TOP reads from 2024. It was SUCH a fun read, and fell in love with so much in the story. Some of us romantic dreamers dream of having Mia Thermopolis (Princess Diaries) moments in life- being told we're actually a princess, or being rescued by a prince, or being told that there's actually another realm, and there's a prophecy about YOU being the thing to defeat a ruthless enemy in a magical land, that's actually the land of your birth. Meet Cate, and that's her (amazing) story.

Add in TWO attractive and irresistible protectors that came from that magic realm to keep you safe and whew you've got a heck of a story!!! As you can imagine, yes, the two protectors and Cate end up forming a love triangle, and I'm sure everyone will have their own opinion about who Cate should end up with...I've made it VERY clear to SK whose team I'm on (which is clearly the RIGHT team!) 😉

This book is marketed as YA romantasy, which I think perfectly describes it, and anyone picking it up and judging it as an adult romantasy, aren't going to have the right expectations going into the story.

And this was ONE OF THE BEST!!!!! Seriously, I cannot describe how much I love this book. Oh and I didn't even mention that there's a dragon named MOLLY in it!!!!!! Like everything about his book is just SO fun and unique and amazing.

And what's even BETTER, book 2 comes out March 25th and I could not be MORE EXCITED to read more about Lucas, Daniel, Cate, and MOLLY!!! 🐉🩷

This book gets ALL THE STARS from me. Infinity. Never ending. Eternal. If you're skeptical of my rating being so high, just READ IT and you'll see for yourself how amazing this story is!!!

Thank you so much to author SK Horton for the gifted copy, all opinions are honest, and my own!
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