Veil of Shadows

Fae of Woodlands & Wild #2

by Krista Street

Elowen’s fate now lies in the hands of her captor, and she must decide if she’ll fight him at every turn or accept that life as she knew it has irrevocably changed.

All my life I’ve been dutiful. Subservient. Accommodating. But I refuse to let that trend continue. Locked away by the notorious Dark Raider, I vow to fight for my freedom . . . no matter the stakes.

But the Dark Raider has a secret I never imagined. He bares his soul to me, and overnight everything changes.

My singular goal now aligns with my captor's, and we band together on a hunt throughout the kingdoms. Both of our fates hang in the balance, and when the Raider reveals his biggest secret of them all, my heart is suddenly on the line.

Yet our hunt proves far more deadly than either of us could have imagined. Now, it’s up to us to stop the malicious darkness weaving through the continent, and we must succeed. Because if we don’t, the kingdoms will fall in ruin and the love I’ve craved will be shattered before it’s begun.


Veil of Shadows is book two in Fae of Woodlands & Wild, a fae fantasy romance trilogy that takes place in Krista Street's Supernatural World. This series contains slow-burn spicy romance, epic worldbuilding, a female fae who's determined to wield her own fate, a ruthless Dark Raider who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and a mysterious ploy circulating throughout the kingdoms.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Enemies To Lovers

434 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2025

About the author

Krista Street loves writing about coming of age characters who fight to find their place in this world while also finding their one true mate.

Krista Street is a Minnesota native but has lived throughout the U.S. and in another country or two. She loves to travel, read, and spend time in the great outdoors. When not writing, Krista is either chasing her children, spending time with her husband and friends, sipping a cup of tea, or enjoying the hidden gems of beauty that Minnesota has to offer.

To connect with Krista more, you can join her newsletter at www.kristastreet.com/contact

You can also find her on:
Facebook (@authorkristastreet)
Instagram (@authorkristastreet)
Bookbub

Reviews

[lari ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The word rutting made me uncomfortable, sorry 😭😭😭

[Mikky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, simple and interesting fantasy romance! Krista Street books are awesome palette cleansers. I'm really enjoying this series so far!

I like how the heroine knows her strengths and weaknesses to the point where she will gladly step aside when crap hits the fan and she knows it won't end well for her. On the other hand, she will fight tooth and nail for something she knows she's capable of doing for the sake of helping everyone out. The hero is great too! He's protective and will lay down his life for her and his friends.

I'm sorry I can't bring myself to write more about this book. I live in Brazil and we're currently going through a heatwave (Dec. 2025). Temperatures have been regularly hitting 38°C (feeling like 40°C) for the past few days. It's been a journey just staying alive. I can feel my brain cells leaving me by the minute in this infernal heat. I feel like I'm being cooked alive in my own body. I've been wanting to rip my flesh from my bones for a few days now. So that's all you'll be getting from me!

[Tessa Saraceno · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was better than the first, still seemed like it could be longer though, and not rush the plot. I will say one of the ~intimate~ scenes freaked me out a little 😂 I do love Jax though and of course will be reading the next when it is released

[Brianne Culbertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s discuss. Overall, easy read. Keeps you engaged. Love a forced proximity and fake dating vibe. It’s like a reality TV show but as a book that is just an easy comfortable read.
BUT I MUST MENTION: that was the weirdest most uncomfortable sex scene. It still makes me cringe a bit. The word “rut” is one of those words that gives you the ick. The book would have been WAY better without that side thing going on. 🌶️🌶️/5 (even though it was weird)

[Kelsey H · Rating 4 out of 5]

FMC - Elowen: 3 🌟
MMC - Jax: 4 🌟
Spice: 🌶 🌶

LIKES: For me, book two was definite improvement over the first! I enjoyed the tension between Elowen and Jax, and the addition of Alec's character was great. He honestly became one of my favorites.

The different types of magic and fae in this world are interesting, and the plot is paced well!

DISLIKES: In book one, there was something off and I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but I figured it out with book two. For being an adult fantasy, it still reads like YA that's trying not to be YA, if that makes sense. Even the spice fell short for me because of it. I think it would've been better to make it a young adult series instead.

While I did enjoy book two more, I don’t feel that strong NEED to finish the series, at least not right now. If the mood strikes me, I might come back to it another time

[Arielle McCall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes books are bad but you read them anyway 🤷🏼‍♀️.

[Michelle Abate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it until I didn’t.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

The definition of repetition

This was obviously a novel split up into three books . I’m almost tempted to dissect this book, remove 90 percent of the repetition just to see how many pages this book actually was.

As for the story, it’s decent. Nothing we hadn’t really read before. An easy read. Entertaining and very cringy if you are a die hard for a gushy male lead and an overthinking female. Not a lot of character depth but that’s what you get from a book like this.

Have to mention : Rutting? The most absolute worse word…

[Stacey W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the plot, good spice, all the tropes and the crossover with other Krista Street books. Can't wait for the next book to be on Kindle 🙌🏼

[Brianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tropey (which I don’t mind when done well) and repetitive, DNF after the first sex scene made me cringe out of my mind. 77% asking the FMC if he can “rut” her nope nope nope

[Rose Joie ☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, similar to a lot of second books in a series, packed a punch. Secrets being revealed, powers and abilities becoming stronger.

2 more days until book three!

[Romance.Booktalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars 🌟

Wow! Just Wow!!!

I'm so blown away by how much better this book is than the first. Krista has really outdone herself with a captivating and entertaining story that had me on the edge of my seat. This book has left me utterly spellbound and the slow-burning tension between the MCs that’s been building since the first book, has finally reached a boiling point, and it was explosive! 🧨 💥

I’m completely invested in this series now. The characters, story, and world building have all come together nicely to create a truly unforgettable reading experience. I’m diving straight into book three to see how it all plays out.

[Sadie Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I read "her eyes bulged" one more time. I also just felt like there was world building in the first book, but not so much in this one. And the FMC truly was the worst. I get trying to make a character naive but she wasn't strong or brave. She was dumb and hollow. "Oh I promise im gonna stay" and then just leaves. My gosh. Also all the tropes again!!!!!

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

read them meh

Storyline feels like pieces are taken from other books. The whole rutting episode as part of mating was base and ridiculous. Now they are off to a far away adventure that you could predict in book one.

[Jessica Anderegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elowen and Jax! Ah! Been waiting to see how spicy things were going to get with them. I mean I saw it coming, but when they did I was like… 😮🫣😍

This story picks right up where it left off and you find out why Jax needed Elowens lorafin skills. I loved reading about their new adventure to the games and trying to find Jax’s missing person. Cannot wait for the last book next month!

Tropes:
Slow burn
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Hero falls first
Fated mates

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

[L J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good reads misleads me again. I limped through the first book. I was hoping the second was better after some world building. It wasn’t. Level 5 cringe.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book feels very different from book one. While book one was unique and refreshing, book two just sort of piles romantasy tropes in and rushed right through them. The moments where you want to seep into, you fly through, and the moments you want to fly through drag a bit.

We do have an interesting twist, and I’m curious to see how the story ends, but I’m not desperate to carry on by any means.

[Phoebe Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Thea · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 definitely some questionable content in the end that gave me the ick

[Michelle K · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book
it was a slow burn , but worth it
I won't give anything a way .....but it's a must read
it's loving, it's fun, it's dangerous, but must of all it's a set of 3 book's
and they move seamless thru each book. (and yes I finally 3 )

[Cornelle Viljoen · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy and fun read. This book has all the elements of a good second book of a romantasy, but I struggled with some elements:
- The author tells us everything, nothing is really shown or left to the reader to interpret and understand themselves.
- There could be more depth in the conflict resolution, it falls a bit flat. The conflict is too easily put aside without there being real growth for the characters or meaningful resolution.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the first book had some interesting potential. This book did not live up to it. I have to say the half-brother plot was uninteresting. In fact, I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more had the impetus for investigating the disappearances on been more about citizens going missing than a relative. I just did not find the relative angle interesting. It felt rather contrived when a prince would clearly have reasons to look into things affecting his subjects. There didn't need that added personal angle that felt rather forced.

Overall, this book didn't live up the potential of the first book, and I think I am going stop reading here. I am finding I am caring less and less about what happens.

[readupbuttercup_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so far!! Krista Street really knows how to write amazing fantasy stories.

Elowen is still fighting for a life that is just hers. She wants a future where she belongs to no one but herself. She trusted that it was so close to happening, but then everything changed once again.

I don't want to give too much away since this is book 2, but just know the drama, romance, and adventure is everything. If you haven't read the first book, then that is a must to continue the story. I am so excited for book three that comes out this month

[kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, fucking sick of toxic ass stockholm syndrome romances where the mmc fucks over the fmc and she just forgives him basically because he's hot and feels kind of bad for fucking her over. Maybe that's what I get for keeping reading after how the first book ended, I guess it was morbid curiosity?

That and the writing reads like it was written for a younger audience, but it has adult content in it so idk.

Added a star because the spice was unintentionally hilarious

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive wording drives me crazy

This series so far is good, but bringing up their Aura every paragraph really started to annoy me and make me mad. If I took a drink every time the word was brought up, I'd be dead. It wasn't brought up as much in the 1st book and if the 3rd has it as much as the second I won't be able to finish it.

[Marta Karolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so disappointed in this series. I read a Court of Winter and LOVED it. This is NOT the same. It’s so slow and barely anything has happened in TWO whole books. 60% of this book is just in Elowen head going over all her immature thoughts. The conversations are repetitive and honestly so boring. I will not be finishing this series.

[Kate Wasion · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot more spice and open door in the second book. It’s a fun read, has all the tropes romatasy readers love. My biggest critique is that these books could use editing, they repeat the same scenario or conversation over and over multiple times in each chapter, we get it, she doesn’t think she is worthy of love.

[Hold-my-beer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filler book :(
A whole lot of nothing. Just skip til chapter 21. You're welcome

[Buscadora · Rating 2 out of 5]

So they are mates. No surprise. Again, the mission to find Bastian is ignored for most of the book. It's more about the slow burn and Elowen realizing they are mates. Not enough substance.

[kathrynwherethehellhaveyoubeenloca? · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy read again, unsure about some of the scenes though lol I wish I could unread the word rutting 😭