Unseen

Queens of Éire

by Christy Healy

Fans of For the Throne and Vespertine will love this dark fairy-tale retelling of the Irish fable of ‘The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood,’ about a desperate young queen who makes a dangerous alliance with the lord of death in order to protect the one she loves, even if it means damning herself.

Riona Ó Conchúir has known death her whole life. The mysterious lord of death has tormented her for years, stealing away the souls of all those she has loved since childhood, demanding that she come and serve him in his shadowy realm, but she has always resisted - until now.

When her daughter falls ill with an incurable disease, Riona at last answers the lord of death’s call and ventures into the hidden realm of the sídhe to offer herself as a servant to him in exchange for her daughter's life. But when he demands that she use the divine magic of her blood to find three legendary objects of power that were once wielded by the gone gods themselves, Riona soon realizes that she will be forced to make an impossible choice:

Her daughter’s life, or the realm of Éire itself.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Romantasy, Romance, Historical Fantasy, Fiction

568 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 26, 2025

About the author

Christy Healy is the author of the adult fantasy novel, Unbound, and its companion novels, Unseen and Undying. She has been a lifelong reader and writer, weaving stories of her own into the myths and tales of the Celtic, Indo-European, and Greco-Roman worlds that she has loved for so long. She lives in North Carolina with her children, her dog, and her husband.

Reviews

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a couple things that threw me off this story.

Firstly, I was so confused why this is listed as the second book in a series. When there’s no mention of that on NetGalley or elsewhere. Apparently the two books are standalone but in the same world.

Secondly, I loved the Irish folklore and mythology, but not having a glossary took me out of the story completely as I had to go wiki/google meanings and translations of prose used. There’s a pronunciation guide, but why not give the definitions of the words as well.

Thirdly, I didn’t connect with or enjoy the time spent with the characters. They just fell flat for me.

Lastly, the story felt a little too long and I unfortunately did lose interest. I think eliminating some repetitious details and sentences could help the pacing.

The author’s imagination, application of history and lore, and personal investment in the story really does shine through. So while this book might not have been for me, others should give it a go! The acknowledgment section was very heartfelt but also full of interesting information on diabetes in ancient cultures.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Pen & Paper LLC for a copy!

[Andi]

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing this as a free read.

Well. I don't know what happened here. I enjoyed the tone of her first book. In this one, I felt really bored by it all.

The book was split into two timelines - the past and present. The past allows us to see how she ended up seeking 'Death' to save her love. The present shows her attempting to seek out the tools needed to save her love. I felt that the characters were pretty boring and just felt like they were written to just show the timeline of the story. I couldn't tell you anything her personality because it was just her reacting to everything people were doing around her in the present and the path.

The character of Death reminded me of if you took Der Tod from Elisabeth and blended him with Jareth from Labyrinth, with a dash of Hades. He lounged everywhere, was bored, was touchy feely, but he lacked any sort of depth and his 'love interest' (?) was not really giving me a reason why he was after her (just that she looked like the previous women he tried to get with).

I made it as far as him telling her what he was looking for and what he was training her to do.

Out of respect for the author I am refraining from rating this book since I did not finish.

[Katicate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to take a step back for a bit and really think about how I felt about this book.

First thing first- I didn't realize this was part of a series until I went to check "reading now" on Goodreads. I instantly checked out the audio book for Unbound and listened to it while reading this one in tandem in case you needed to read the one before the other. You don't.

I enjoyed Unbound and it makes me wonder if I wouldn't have enjoyed Unseen more as an audio book. I struggled through Unseen. I kept putting it down and giving myself a break before picking it back up. Maybe the audiobook where someone is pulling me through the story would have been enough to change my feelings.

This is one of those books that there isn't anything particularly wrong with it. It's a bit boring to me but I'm sure for every one person who was bored there will be someone who loved it. I say if it's something that sounds interesting, give it a go. Just because it didn't strike a cord with me, doesn't mean it won't for you.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unsurprisingly, I loved this! Review to come! 🐦‍⬛

(FINAL REVIEW:)

This was a poignant tale answering the question, how far will a mother go to save her child’s life? It was great to see two returning characters from the first book (though these can be read out of order in my opinion) mingle amongst the new cast, and the story itself is another quest that brings the main couple back together, albeit with some nasty arguments. 🤭

The story follows Riona, the wild granddaughter of Rozlyn and Jamie from the first book in the trilogy. She was a bit harder to love than her grandmother. She aloof and mean to almost all except for her grandparents. While her backstory provides excellent explanation as to why she becomes this way, I still thought it rather harsh and insensitive of her to just keep going at it with her loved ones, even after she apologized to them. I also found it rather odd that she never once came to the conclusion that she had with Conor during her time spent serving the lord of death, and I kept thinking to myself, common girl, it’s literally in front of you! 😓

Conor was such a cinnamon roll of a guy. He’s patient and kind, the exact opposite of what Riona is. I loved the focus of him being a healer instead of the stereotypical warrior and think there needs to be more books of gentle men like him that struggle to fit into the notions of what masculinity were during this time. I personally thought he could’ve been a bit crueler to Riona here and there just to get her mind straight and stop being so selfish half the time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The elements from The Snow, the Crow, and the Blood were wonderfully woven into the plot through little excerpts which I really enjoyed since I’m not familiar with this particular folktale. The reveal just felt so perfect and I’m very excited to see how these events lead up to the plot of the next installment Undying which is coming out next year! 😍

HUGE thank you goes out to the author, Healy for providing me an early copy of her book in exchange for an honest review, and to Pen and Paper and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this at the same time. 😅

Publication date: August 26, so go preorder it now!!!

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️

[Jen Aycock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dove into Unseen after immediately finishing Unbound, and I’m so thankful I did. I was already immersed in the beautiful setting and familiar with a few of the characters from the Irish myths/folklore. I loved how Unseen takes place decades after Unbound, allowing the reader to easily connect with the new cast of characters. It can easily be read as a standalone.

This particular Irish folklore retelling is based off of “The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood,” which is not one I’m familiar with. The lord of death tries catching the eye of a girl throughout her youthful life by ending the lives of those she loves. In order to save her daughter, she enters into death’s world to strike a deal.

Initial thoughts: Riona completely embodies the strong will of a mother. She would greet the lord of death, himself, and essentially sell her soul in order to save her child. Conor is the sweetest cabbage, who would do anything for the woman he loves, including looking past a few deeds that would appear to be unforgivable.

Why I enjoyed it:
*Healy’s storytelling! I love how she drops elements of the original fable all throughout her story.
*multiple time lines
*haunting and beautiful Irish setting
*type 1 diabetes rep
*unusual animal besties
*packed with love and grief

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderfully dark retelling. Prior to this book I had not heard the Irish fable “The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood.
This book instantly drew me in. Avoiding any spoilers here so I will keep things somewhat vague.. The descriptors and the fact that it doesn’t drag out make for the perfect recipe to keep you interested. The characters are well written and I really felt like I could picture them. It was also nice to find a fantasy with a dash of romance. But that the romance and spice did not take over the story. Typically I feel like retellings can just fall flat at times. However, the author knocked this one out of the park.

I was provided an e-ARC of this book by NetGalley. Please know that these thoughts are my own, honest opinions

[Kez Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the intrigue and Irish lore in this. It had some surprising moments, tragic scenes, and explores realms, gods, bargains and sacrifices.
It was a bit hard to follow at times with the skips in timelines, and some areas felt too slow, but I enjoyed the mystery of it and seeing how Ria changes over time and all the challenges and tragedy she faced. It was a very tragic tale of love.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC. Thank you to Tales & Teacups and Christy Heely for this opportunity.

I have rounded up my review to 4 stars, but ultimately I rate this book as 3.75 stars.

I am so interested in different mythologies, legends and fairytales. So the opportunity to read and review this was a no brainer.

At the beginning, I was enraptured. The chapters just flew. Heely writes beautifully and really embodies the story.

However the problems laid around the 60-90% mark. I feel the book was perhaps 100-150 pages too long. Once we caught up to "present day", I feel like the story dragged a touch. It felt like a chore to push on and I started losing interest in the characters. I felt the same conversations were being had over and over.

Nonetheless, I still wanted to see it to the end, despite being able to predict the ending. Predictable does not always mean a bad thing and in this instance, I loved the ending. It wrapped up the story beautifully and has made me consider look further into Irish mythology.

I did enjoy this book to a degree but felt it could've been shorter. I would recommend this book to people who also have an interest in mythology and grimdark fantasy.

[Chelsea]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Unseen by Christy Healy is a third person multi-POV multi-timeline historical romantic fantasy reimagining of The Snow, the Crow, and the Blood. Riona and Conor are childhood friends and have been attracted to each other for most of their lives. Despite their feelings, Riona’s mother, the Queen of the Vale, is determined for Riona to marry a prince and doesn’t view Conor as an acceptable spouse for her daughter. But Conor and Riona start a relationship and have a daughter, a daughter with a destiny similar to her mother’s.

This was the first time I’d heard of The Snow, the Crow, and the Blood so the addition of the bits of the actual legend between chapters helped fill in those gaps. On the surface, it does sound like Snow White because of the color scheme of red blood against white snow and hair as black as a raven’s wing, but it is very different and this is not a Snow White reimagining. It is an Irish myth that has things in common with a Germanic fairy tale which will help readers unfamiliar with the story find some familiar ground, but it will not hit the beats of a Snow White retelling.

The main reason I wouldn’t call this a fantasy romance is because while the romantic relationship is important, I didn’t feel like the falling in love part was the real center of the story nor did I feel that it hit romance genre beats. The center of the story is Conor and Riona’s love, but it’s mostly before and after they got together and after they had their daughter with a bit here and there of when they were together. If readers are not fans of the limitations of romance genre and want a Romantasy that isn’t so much about the romance but is instead about the relationship as a whole between the leads, then this is a good choice.

I thought the multi-timeline aspect was handled quite well. We do open about halfway through the story when Riona sees Conor again for the first time in ten years, ten years she’s been with a druid and assisting the lord of death and ten years without any contact with her daughter. We see Conor and Riona’s childhood as well as part of Riona’s time with the lord of death until we get back to where we opened and then it mostly goes forward with the story from there. This helps explain why Riona is making the choices she does and why Conor still believes that they could have something.

I would recommend this to fans of fairy tale reimaginings looking for something beyond the Brothers Grimm and readers of historical fantasy who want a romantic element in their fantasy without romance genre conventions

[Cristina M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC.

Unseen is a haunting retelling of the Irish legend The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood. Even though it comes after Unbound, it reads perfectly well as a standalone. I really enjoyed stepping into this world, and the way Healy wove Irish folklore through such a dark and atmospheric story kept me hooked.

Riona, was such a strong and determined character. As a mother, her will to face the Lord of Death to save her daughter was moving and powerful. The dual timelines worked well, and I especially liked the mix of eerie folklore, love, grief, unusual animal companions, and even type 1 diabetes representation. The Irish setting was another highlight and gave the story a beautiful, haunting tone.

Where I struggled a little was with the pacing in the middle. Around the 60 to 90 percent mark it began to drag, and some conversations felt repetitive. That said, the ending was heart-breaking and beautiful, and it wrapped the story up in a way that stayed with me.

Overall, Unseen was a strong and atmospheric read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mythology, Irish folklore, and slow but lyrical fantasy with dark edges.

[the society of inkdrinkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Éire 1082, this story is based on The Snow, The Crow, & The Blood, a folktale from Donegal, Ireland. It’s a dire tale that Healy weaves into a captivating retelling. An epic love story is the core of this story between Riona and Conor Riona and Conor’s love story is beautiful, tragic, and filled with insurmountable challenges from the beginning. Riona has lost her entire family and goes to meet the shadowy figure who has been stalking her, Donn. Donn is the lord of death who governs Magh, the land where moral souls pause before crossing over. He compels her to be his servant threatening her daughter’s life. In Riona’s veins flows the blood of gods and powers she learns to harness. Unfortunately, her choices come at a great cost and she must find a way to defeat the lord of death.

I recommend this lovely written novel for science fiction and fantasy readers. This novel is beautifully written with the Irish mythology depicted in characters who feel so real, you are immediately invested in their stories. Morrigan, the goddess of war and death, will leave you terrified and mesmerized.

Thank you Pen & Paper, LLC and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Meghan JaMonkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending utterly destroyed me. 😭 This would have been a five-star read if not for the disjointed time jumping. It could have been written chronologically with a single time jump and been perfect. This retelling of the Irish fable of ‘The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood’ dives deep into Irish folklore in every aspect of the story. The heartache and love in this story are very strong. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Tales & Teacups and Christy Healy for the ARC.

[Coral]

DNF’d maybe a chapter in. Nothing wrong with it necessarily, just not for me. I found it difficult to get into and hard to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Marcella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review TK because spoilerssss but I really enjoyed it!

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

♡ For Greek/Polish scroll ♡

I dnf it at 35%

I was really intrigued by the summary of Unseen, which is why I requested an ARC — the premise had a lot of promise, especially with the idea of a land between life and death and a mysterious lord ruling it. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite land for me.

Let’s start with the characters. I never really connected with any of them. Riona, the protagonist, felt very flat — her personality came across as grumpy and selfish, and not in a compelling or layered way. I struggled to find anything redeemable about her or even a reason to root for her. Donn, the so-called lord of death, should have been intimidating or at least intriguing, but he lacked depth. His presence never felt weighty or meaningful, which is a real letdown given his role.

The only chapters that managed to hold my attention were the glimpses into Riona’s childhood, particularly the haunting sequence of loss as everyone around her died one by one. That part was raw and atmospheric and gave me hope that the book might build on that emotion — but it never really did.

Another big frustration for me was the use of Irish words without providing any kind of context or meaning. While I appreciate the attempt to incorporate cultural elements, it pulled me out of the story every time. If you're going to use another language in a fantasy setting, there has to be a way for the reader to stay grounded, and that was missing here.

Overall, Unseen had a great concept but didn’t deliver in terms of writing, character development, or emotional impact. It just felt like a missed opportunity. I appreciate the chance to read the ARC, but this one didn’t work for me.

૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡

🍓 Polish 🍓
Opis książki Unseen naprawdę mnie zaintrygował, dlatego zdecydowałam się na przeczytanie egzemplarza recenzenckiego. Pomysł miał duży potencjał — kraina między życiem a śmiercią i tajemniczy władca, który nią rządzi. Niestety, wykonanie nie spełniło moich oczekiwań.

Nie związałam się emocjonalnie z żadną postacią. Riona, główna bohaterka, była dla mnie nijaka — sprawiała wrażenie naburmuszonej i egoistycznej, bez żadnych interesujących cech czy głębi. Trudno było mi znaleźć w niej coś, co mogłoby wzbudzić sympatię. Donn, władca śmierci, który powinien budzić grozę lub przynajmniej ciekawość, okazał się równie płaski. Jego obecność nie miała żadnego ciężaru emocjonalnego.

Jedynym elementem, który mnie naprawdę zainteresował, były rozdziały z dzieciństwa Riony, kiedy kolejno traciła bliskie osoby. Tam czuło się atmosferę i ból straty — szkoda, że reszta książki nie poszła w tym kierunku.

Ogromnym minusem było też użycie irlandzkich słów bez żadnego wyjaśnienia. Choć doceniam wplatanie elementów kultury, kompletny brak kontekstu sprawiał, że trudno było zrozumieć, co się dzieje, i wytrącało mnie to z rytmu czytania.

Podsumowując: Unseen miało świetny pomysł, ale nie poradziło sobie z jego realizacją — ani pod względem stylu pisania, ani bohaterów, ani emocji. Dziękuję za możliwość przeczytania ARC, ale to nie była książka dla mnie.

૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡

🍓 Greek 🍓
Η περίληψη του Unseen μου τράβηξε πραγματικά το ενδιαφέρον, γι’ αυτό και ζήτησα να διαβάσω το αντίτυπο για προδημοσίευση. Η ιδέα είχε πολλές δυνατότητες — μια χώρα μεταξύ ζωής και θανάτου με έναν μυστηριώδη άρχοντα. Δυστυχώς, η υλοποίηση δεν με ικανοποίησε.

Δεν κατάφερα να δεθώ με κανέναν από τους χαρακτήρες. Η Ριόνα, η πρωταγωνίστρια, μου φάνηκε εντελώς αδιάφορη — εγωίστρια και γκρινιάρα πριγκίπισσα, χωρίς βάθος ή κάτι που να με κάνει να νοιαστώ για εκείνη. Ο Ντον, ο άρχοντας του θανάτου, που θα έπρεπε να προκαλεί δέος ή έστω ενδιαφέρον, δεν είχε σχεδόν καθόλου παρουσία. Δεν με φόβισε, ούτε με συγκίνησε.

Το μόνο που με κράτησε ήταν τα κεφάλαια από την παιδική ηλικία της Ριόνα, όπου όλοι γύρω της πέθαιναν ένας ένας. Εκεί υπήρχε συναίσθημα, απώλεια, σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα — κι είναι κρίμα που το υπόλοιπο βιβλίο δεν ακολούθησε αυτό το μονοπάτι.

Αυτό που πραγματικά με εκνεύρισε ήταν η χρήση ιρλανδικών λέξεων χωρίς καμία εξήγηση ή μετάφραση. Καταλαβαίνω την ανάγκη για πολιτισμικά στοιχεία, αλλά χωρίς πλαίσιο, ο αναγνώστης μένει εκτός ιστορίας και μπερδεύεται.

Συνολικά, το Unseen είχε μια ενδιαφέρουσα ιδέα, αλλά δεν κατάφερε να σταθεί στο ύψος της. Δεν με κέρδισε ούτε η γραφή, ούτε οι χαρακτήρες, ούτε η συναισθηματική φόρτιση. Εκτιμώ την ευκαιρία να το διαβάσω, αλλά δεν ήταν για μένα.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recommended: ehh
not for fast moving plot, not for high stakes, not for on-page magic. For heavily shadowed mystery and a character you see from multiple perspectives based on the period of her life it's from

Thoughts:
Well, I can't believe it, but I stopped reading this at 60% through. I was so excited for this book and it has just fallen totally flat for me. I had many issues with it, so let me start with some of what is good in it. The way it's written, the language itself, is really lovely. It feels a bit wild and poetic, and it is a fantastic foil to the world presented. There is a ton of folklore and mythology in every bit of this so you can get some familiarity with many of them at a surface level. And.. for me, that's it.

The main issue I have with this is that there is no tension. The main character is sort of both innocent / evil, being presented in the first chapter as this crazy cool magical witch psycho, and then it jumps back in time to her being a child with no evil-ness we can see (though she is an entitled jerk). When we got back to that moment the book started with, it felt SO MUCH FLATTER. It presented as this whirlwind moment in the intro, but once it finally arrived it felt like the characters might as well have been sharing stories over a cup of tea. That's one specific example, but overall there was just so little movement. It also doesn't help that I had no reason to care about her saving her daughter. We never know her, and she goes to such extremes she's literally like "I will let every being in every realm of existence die if I can save my daughter" which I can't really get behind there, lady. So: a weak plot with a character I don't care about.

In a situation like this, the magic can usually save it. But: where is the magic? At 60% through I got probably two cool scenes of magic, and that was it. One was epic as hell, but that was it for reading 352 pages (60%) of this story. That's not really a high enough ratio for me when there wasn't much else keeping me around to begin with. Same with the world lore: it can be interesting, but it vacillated between not being enough of it and being way too fucking much of it.

Case in point are the lengthy pages of a character just telling a story to her as a child. It was such a heavy infodump I just couldn't give a shit. It was like I was a kid at this old man's feet wiggling around impatiently desperately waiting for him to shut up so I can go play outside and do something fun. Just WAY too much of it, and happened several times. Even when the story was interesting, it was annoying because it was just a brief interlude. They end up relevant to the story with some foreshadowing, but boy was it a lot.

And finally, there's no real villain. She's a jerk, but not really a villain. Even the lord of death she binds herself too that is supposed to be so terrible is pretty much completely fine and a chill guy? He is not at all scary, or threatening, or all that evil. His take is that of providing balance with death and it's just an inevitability for all things. Meanwhile she's like "OOOH I CANNAE TRUST 'IM HE BE EVIL HIMSELF" but I'm sitting here like, wait are we talking about the same guy? THAT guy? I'm not convinced.

So. Meh. I guess maybe I will finish this in the future, as it's not BAD but it was also so not-good. It is a slow and plodding neutral, like listening to an Ent or the sloths at the DMV in Zootopia. Oof.

Thanks to NetGalley and IPBA for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review.

[Blurb It Down Official · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unseen by Christy Healy is a haunting, atmospheric retelling that completely captivated me from the first page. Before reading, I hadn’t heard of the Irish fable The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood, but that unfamiliarity made the journey even more engrossing. Christy Healy doesn’t just adapt a myth, she breathes new life into it, crafting a dark fantasy that is as emotionally rich as it is beautifully written.

The story follows Riona, a young queen and one of the last descendants of the gods, whose life is slowly unraveled by grief, duty, and the looming presence of the shadowy Lord of Death. Her childhood friend and lover, Conor, is a gifted healer who grounds the story in quiet emotional depth. The romance between them is slow, aching, and deeply woven into the narrative without overpowering it. This isn’t a love story with fantasy elements, it’s a mythic fantasy that just happens to carry the tragic weight of love.

Healy’s writing is immersive and lyrical, filled with crisp descriptions that never overstay their welcome. The pacing is tight, and the story moves forward with purpose, never dragging or losing focus. One of the standout elements for me was the use of multiple timelines and shifting points of view. We follow Riona and Conor’s shared past, Riona’s surreal experience in the “in-between” as she serves Death, and the present where consequences come due. This nonlinear structure can be hard to pull off, but it works perfectly here, creating a layered and emotionally satisfying narrative.

Riona is a phenomenal protagonist, flawed, powerful, and heartbreakingly human in how much she sacrifices. The moral complexity of her choices, especially when it comes to protecting those she loves, made her feel so real.

And while this is undoubtedly a dark tale, grief, sacrifice, and mortality all play major roles, it’s not without hope. The mythological elements rooted in Irish folklore give the story a timeless quality, while the relationship dynamics and internal struggles keep it grounded in emotional reality.

For readers who like:
- Dark folklore and mythological retellings
- Slow-burn, tragic romances
- Dual POV
- Themes of grief, sacrifice, and self-discovery

Final Verdict
Unseen is easily one of my favorite retellings in recent memory. It balances romance, fantasy, and folklore in a way that feels both timeless and fresh. Christy Healy’s prose is sharp and evocative, and the emotional depth of the characters kept me glued to the page. If you love dark myth-inspired stories that stay with you long after you’ve closed the book, Unseen is not to be missed.

Grateful to NetGalley, Pen & Paper, LLC, and Christy Healy for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

[K.Rafyra · Rating 2 out of 5]

• I received an ARC for this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and I appreciate both your work and commitment to this project. The following opinion is my own and holds no major spoilers. •

• Unseen
• Christy Healy
• Rating: 2/5

One thing about me is that I hate being wrong and so when I started reading this book and I was sure it’d turn into a favorite only to be a disappointment, it really ruined my day.

Unseen is, by the lack of a better word in my vocabulary, a mess. It’s like when you get into an antiquary and there's so much stuff crowded and thrown everywhere that you get super excited at first and then slowly overwhelmed to the point you just wanna leave to stop getting so much random information you didn’t ask for. I have the feeling the author had so many ideas but didn’t wanna stick primarily to any of them and because of that it turned into a confusion of subplots.

This reading was confusing, frustrating and boring. It reads like a first draft for some reason where you have an idea to start writing and then the thing turns into something else and you have no patience to go back and edit it.

This book was sold to me about a mother that’s after her child, and we see this right away in the first few pages. The theme was there and then it was gone.The story goes astray to the point the child isn’t even mentioned for more than half of the book. The “antagonist” that was supposed to be almost like another main protagonist felt like a remix of personalities with no charisma and a dull reason to connect with the FMC.

There’s two timelines in this book, past and present, where the main character is shown both into her childhood/teenage years and now in her adult era. The past timeline is slow and boring and there’s so much repeated information that it almost felt like a filler of some sort while the present timeline takes more than half of the book to get anywhere at all.

I almost DNF this book, but out of respect for those who conceded to me this ARC I pushed my way through sheer willpower. It wasn’t fun at all. I really hope this was better edited to turn into a more cohesive and sturdy story because it has a lot of potential.

[Jennifer (Yodareads) Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first want to thank Christy Healy and Tales and Teacups for an Ebook Advanced Reader Copy.

I am speechless and struggling to find words to describe the emotions I am feeling after finishing this book. I did not expect “Unseen” by Christy Healy to captivate and break me so thoroughly. This is a story about a mother who will do anything to save her child’s life. Literally anything. Riona, the main character, has felt the call of death her entire life, but she has ignored his call until, finally, he begins to call one of the only people she can’t let go, her young daughter.

This book has a lot of Irish folklore/fairytales in it, which was really neat. I have quite a bit of Irish in my blood and have always been fascinated to learn what my ancestors believed in. I also enjoy mythologies in general, so this made the story already extremely fascinating to me from the start. Healy then took all of this and created a beautiful, heart-wrenching story based on a specific fairytale called, “The Snow, The Crow, and The Blood." Even the way she weaved the fairytale into the story while still making it unique was beautifully done.

The characters themselves were also so well done. Riona, little queen, is your typical rebellious princess, but she also has her own personality built from years of losing those she loves. Conor is the bumbling boy who manages to stumble his way into her heart, although she never admits so out loud. He has his own hurts and pains from his childhood but responds so differently to them. It makes the dynamic of their relationship so profound and world breaking. Even death, who we get to be very familiar with, has his own unique attributes that separate him away from what is typically expected.

The story itself was so captivating. Healy goes back and forth in time from chapter to chapter. This gives us insight to understand big things in such an impactful way, but only at the right moment.There’s so much depth and mystery involved. She also describes both the mortal world and the world of the Sidhe in such great detail that I was able to see everything as the characters did.

“Unseen” by Christy Healy is an absolute work of art. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, mythology/fairytale retellings, and mystery. I will give some content warnings. There is quite a bit of cutting (not for self-harm, but other purposes) that could trigger some people, and also a lot of death. There is mild cursing and only closed door romance. If you can handle all of this, then go check out this book! You will not be disappointed!

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unseen is a beautiful and tragic fantasy story about the lengths parents will go to protect their children.

Unseen felt more polished than Unbound, although both stories were good. I just felt like Christy Healy grew a lot as an author between her two books. While Unbound toed the line of romance and tragedy on the romance side of the border, I would never mistake Unseen for romance. Unseen has a very tragic feel overall.

I could tell that Healy used Unseen to process her own trauma of having one of her kids go through a major health scare from type 1 diabetes. It was easy to recognize its description even in fantasy terms, and she writes about it in her author’s note. What this means for the story is that it is very heavy, with the main character having to sacrifice everything to save her daughter.

Although Unseen isn’t romance, it does contain a love story. I LOVE that we got a true cinnamon roll love interest! Conor was the sweetest. He was definitely the most easy character to like. Riona was more selfish and impulsive, and I found myself wanting to yell at her a lot during the first quarter of the book! She was such a mean kid! I actually love how well the author understood how mean children can be, even if they have good hearts overall.

Keeping in theme with the first book, Unseen is told across multiple timelines. I felt like multiple timelines wasn’t as fitting for this story as with the last book, but it was still well done and I like that it keeps the series cohesive.

I don’t think I was the right audience for Unseen. I read for escapism, so this story just made me very sad. I think there are readers who may find Unseen cathartic, or they may appreciate the tragedy of it. Christy Healy writes very vivid, emotional stories, which I can appreciate. She is definitely an author I am going to look out for in the future, but I may have to check to make sure the story isn’t going to be too heartbreaking for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and the author, Christy Healy, for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for review. My opinions are my own.

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[Torill S · Rating 3 out of 5]

2, 5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Paper for the eArc for this novel.

Riona is the grand daugther of a god and born to be the queen of the valley, but when people keep dying around her and the person dearest to her is treathened, she has to make a bargain with death.

I was really intrigued with this book and the premise of retelling an Irish folk tale, in this case The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood. In the first quarter of the book I was hooked on the story and fully invested in Rionas fate. But unfortunately the narrative did not manage to keep me engaged, and the last part was more of a struggle to get trough to the end.

There are several reasons for that:

There is a lot of use of gaelige words and phrases in the book, which in it self is amazing. But when the book only offers pronunciation guides to the words and no translations, I was forced to constantly close the book and go on Google to understand the text. This really broke the immersion for me.

I am all for fantasy novels being set in "olden times" where different historical periods are mixed, but when you decide to place your story in a real time and place (Ireland in the 11th century) I expect historical consistency and accurateness. Some examples from Unseen are: Potatoes and glass panes in windows 5-600 years before it would be possible. Not a single mention of either norse raiders or christianity (I can buy that ancient myths are still alive, but at this point, Ireland has been christian for 400 years). Beds that in one moment has creaky bed springs, and in the next have straw filled matresses.

After a while I also lost the overview of all the faes, gods and under worldly creatures that populated this world. I never really knew the hierarchy between them or understood their place in the narrative. It felt like the author tried to throw as many creatures from irish myth as possible into her novel, but the end result was just that the core story of the book got muddled up.

I will have to commend Christy Healy for taking on the Irish myths, for including the Gaeilge language. She has a very easy and beautiful writing style, but next time I hope she is able to keep herself and her readers on track with her main plot and rooted in a single time period.

[Keturah Sergeant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Setting a tale of love, loss, death and desperation in the roots of Celtic myth was a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, this was so poorly executed. This was a long tale, drawn out far too much, following a young, selfish, unintelligent girl, who unnecessarily sacrifices everything for her daughter, but really for her lover because she doesn't actually care about her daughter, when she and her lover could have just had a conversation and worked together to find a cure to their child's illness instead of her swearing her life to the lord of death who has actively targeted her for years. The narrative flips between the past and present and the MFC is equally annoying in both, she is a bully, she is stubborn in her own opinion on things, doesn't think things through and lashes out at sensible people and sensible suggestions. Why the MMC falls for her in spite of her ruthless bullying, active dismissal of all his views and general derision of him, is beyond me. Of course she is stunningly attractive, and has the blood of the gods in her, but honestly he deserve better and she needed to wise up.

The character development was none existent. Mainly because the MMC decides to accept her point of view, as always, once she dismisses his reasonable argument that she is running away from real solutions for magic and refusing to acknowledge she has wasted her life and the lives of others for nothing. In the end, her attitude, her approach to life, her thoughtlessness remains. She becomes better at killing, but that's about it. She works out the lord of death won't release her, will continue to utilise the threat of her daughter and lover until he is free to destroy the world and she doesn't care. Eventually defeating him wasn't even her goal and was pushed on her by her lover and the Morrigan.

Some of the action was tolerable and the mythological inserts were intriguing enough. The whole book was just dull, the MFC is such an unlikable character and her partner is a push over who retracts his valid opinions in her favour. I wasn't invested, I only finished it because the review programme I used doesn't allow me to DNF.

[Ashton V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautifully written dark retelling! Before reading Unseen I had not heard of the Irish fable ‘The Snow, The Crow, and The Blood’ but I love retellings so I was very interested in this story. I was enraptured from the first page. The writing style is perfect for the storytelling aspect and really immersed me into the story and world. The story centers around young Queen Riona, one of the last descendants of the Gods, and her lover Conor, a healer and friend since childhood. As the story progresses we see Riona slowly lose all of her family and loved ones. The shadowy Lord of Death has been stalking Riona all her life, waiting for her to join him in the in between. When he forces her hand one final time Riona leaves everything and everyone behind to protect her loved ones and becomes the servant of death. But her actions have consequences. As Riona begins to harness her powers and learn from death time is passing quickly for her loved ones. And when Riona learns the truth about The Lord of Death she begins a plan to defeat him once and for all.

I honestly loved so much about this book! The romance between Riona and Conor is tragic and so emotional but is never the main focus of the story. I love that their relationship adds a complexity to the narrative and often is a problem for Riona and Conor to deal with. The Irish myths and fables were amazing to read and learn about as I’m not familiar with very many. I think one of the best things was the use of multiple timelines and pov’s. We see Riona and Conor’s past as they grew up and fell and love, then we see Riona’s time in the in between where time has no meaning, and then we get the present time. I usually don’t like that in books but I thought it fit perfectly with this story. Plus I loved that we got Conor’s pov! Overall this was a beautifully written story that made me fall in love with the characters and this world. This may be one of my favorite retellings!

Thank you to NetGalley, Pen & Paper, LLC, and the author for an advanced copy!

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unseen by Christy Healy is a beautiful and heartbreaking take on the old Irish legend of "The Snow, The Crow and the Blood" and while it is apparently book two in an ongoing series, in my opinion it works perfectly well as a stand alone, as I read it without having read the earlier book and did not feel lost at any point. As someone familiar with Irish mythology and legend I always appreciate seeing it woven into a story, especially when it is done as well as it has been here, but again I think there is enough explanation built into the storytelling to make it work even for those with no knowledge of the subject.
The book has a dual timeline structure, where we follow the main character Riona both as a child and as an adult. Since childhood Riona has experienced more than her share of loss, from siblings and best friends to her beloved grandparents, the grandparents who raised her on stories of her past as part of a family descended from the gods, an ancestry that explains the magic that still runs in her veins and makes her irresistible to the Lord of Death. Despite being warned of the dangers of tangling with this mysterious lord, when her young daughter falls ill Riona seeks him out and makes a desperate bargain to save her life at great personal cost, but can she trust the Lord of Death to keep his word?
This is truly a magical book, filled with lyrical storytelling that meanders and winds its way from past to present and back again, and I was very happy to go along on the journey. The pacing is definitely on the slower side which might put some people off, but personally I liked being able to savour the vividly descriptive writing. There is a romance in the book, but it is slow and sweet and gentle with no on page spice and I thought it added another dimension to the difficult decisions faced by Riona. The ending might be one of the most powerful and beautiful I have read in a long time, but it is also one of the saddest, so reader be warned!
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it mean when my experience with this book was tumultuous because of my aphantasia but would still recommend it to people even though it wrecked me?

I struggled with appreciating the world-building but appreciated the story for what it is and the overall feel of it. While I didn't mind the double timeline and the twists and turns, at many points in the book, I simply stopped reading descriptions of the world and just focused on the dialogue. I know I'm missing out on a lot of the magical aspects of this book, but I simply couldn't continue with those sections anymore. I rarely spend too long on a book unless life gets in the way, but this had me in the trenches.

Now, my aphantasia is by no means my main criticism of the book. I have always struggled with reading fantasy for this reason, and I accept any and all responsibility for requesting this book on NetGalley. After all, the premise of the book was what got me intrigued. And it goes without saying that the author's imagination, how she wove a bit of history (especially with the T1D representation) and lore, and her heart and personal investment in the story really shone through. In terms of writing, I feel like the pacing could have been a little tighter. There were a few scenes that I thought were a little draggy and repetitive. The lord of death at the end I felt could have been much crueler; it felt as though he just said a lot of nothing.

I adore Conor and wept for him. I understood Ria as an outcast and felt for her through all the things she had to go through. I have to say, many who DNF before the 50% mark would miss out on Conor's POVs. I know this counts as a minor spoiler, but as someone who can be aloof and sometimes mean even without meaning to, I know Ria can be hard to love. She is inherently flawed, but it makes more sense as the story progresses. It's just not easy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for giving me a chance to read and review this advance copy.

[Eel Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an atmospheric, emotionally grounded fantasy retelling with deep roots in Irish mythology, and I was instantly hooked. Unseen is steeped in sorrow, sacrifice, and the fierce, enduring strength of love, particularly the kind that can move between worlds.

Riona Ó Conchúir has known nothing but death at her heels; her life marked by loss, her loved ones claimed one by one by the shadowy lord of death who has long pursued her. But when her daughter falls ill with a blood-sickness no one can cure, Riona finally makes the unthinkable decision: to serve the god of death in exchange for her child’s life. From there, we are swept into the hidden realm of the sídhe, lost relics of godly power, and the ever-thickening tangle of fate, myth, and duty.

What makes this story so powerful is the way the narrative jumps between moments in Riona’s life. You’re not just told what she’s lost, you feel it. The time-jumping structure fleshes out her backstory with emotional weight, letting us see how her past shaped her into the woman desperate enough to face gods and monsters for her daughter. There’s also a romantic thread woven between Riona and Conor, who’s been searching for a cure while raising their daughter alone. When she returns after nearly a decade, magic-drenched and worn by everything she’s endured, their shared history brings both pain and hope to the surface.

The writing is lyrical and immersive without being dense. I was turning pages quickly, always eager to see what new twist or mythological reveal would come next. It’s a quiet kind of epic, the fate of an entire realm balanced on deeply personal stakes.

Fans of folkloric fantasy and tragic-hopeful love stories will find something to love here.

A haunting tale about love, death, and what we’re willing to sacrifice for both. Thank you to the Author and Net Galley for the ARC, I am leaving this review with my honest opinion.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Paper, LLC for the ARC!

At this point, I am approximately 30% into the book and cannot confirm if I'll be able to finish the book prior to the August publication date. I am so excited at the premise of diving headfirst into Irish/Gaelic folklore and with a new voice to the genre. However, there are a few editorial changes that I think are crucial in order for this book to get the attention it deserves.

There is no likable, nor interesting character at 30% into the story. Normally a book can survive with a dreaded main character, but only if there is enough invested with the reader to further the plot along. My recommendation would be to continue with the opening scene with Conor and Riona. However, the first dozen chapters should stay within the same timeline; whether that is Riona in Death's Realm or her as a child. The alternating chapters will provide a wonderful juxtaposition later on in the story, but right now Riona is painted as a spoilt, powerful child and the most interesting character is Conor. The Lord of Death isn't even interesting because he's portrayed as a lust addled stalker who has spent a millennial tormenting innocent women in the hopes he finds the reincarnated dame of his afterlife.

At this point, I'd rather read an academic volume on the folklore rather than invest more time with Riona. I had so much hope for this story and while the latter half of the book could be incredible -- there is nothing keeping me in the story. I need the author to decide if she was Riona to somehow be a hero in this story or if she's going to own her own dark power. Her and Conor's child is a non-entity and while great motivation for Riona's choices, everything is just SO SLOW. I know a lot of the pieces, but they're not being strung together and my patience was only willing to progress to the 30% mark.

[Jess23Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received an ARC of this by Christy Healy and Tales and Teacups. This is my unbiased review)

Unseen by Christy Healy first pulled me in by the description and concept for the story. Irish folklore has always been something of an interest for me so this peaked my interest once I saw it come available as an ARC. The idea of the God of Death and an Irish mortal with a hint of godblood in her veins immediately called to me.

The story itself is the bargain of Riona to protect her lover from the God of Death by becoming Death's assistant. Needless to say the story was one that could captivate but the book is long. Very long. I had a difficult time feeling a connection to the characters and even the Irish folklore couldn't keep me wrapped up in what happened next.

Granted the story tries to wrap itself in the idea of a mother going to any means to protect her daughter but honestly so much of this seemed to be focused on Riona's connection to Conor. The whole tropes of grumpy x sunshine, black cat x golden retriever were most certainly prominent while you had the God of Death also seeming to be a dedicated love interest.

While the book wasn't bad to me the most captivating and interesting pieces were the starts to every chapter with pages from The Snow, The Crow, and the Blood. Is it bad of me to have wanted to read that more then Unseen?

I didn't hate the book but it isn't in my top list. It seemed to drag in parts and sometimes I didn't even know what the purpose or point was of some passages. I didn't even realize until going on Goodreads that this was a second book in the series.... so that is something I typically try to avoid if I can.

All the same this is merely my opinion. Some may feel different and love Unseen, some may absolutely despite it. Until next time... Happy Reading!

[Vanessa Lace · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐ 1/5 stars
DNF at 33%

First, I want to thank the author, Christy Healy, the publisher (Pen & Paper LLC), and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Unseen as an ARC.

The premise of this book immediately caught my attention, and I was hopeful going in. I want to be clear: my low rating is not a reflection of the author’s talent. In fact, Healy’s prose is undeniably lyrical, and she demonstrates a strong command of atmosphere and an ability to craft complex narrative threads. That said, this book ultimately wasn’t for me.

From the start, I found the prose-heavy, poetic writing style difficult to engage with. While beautifully written, it simply isn’t my personal preference. I pushed myself to read a third of the book before deciding to put it down—something I rarely do, as I’m usually a completionist when it comes to reading. But I’m in a season of life where, if a book doesn’t resonate with me, I’m allowing myself to step away rather than push through for the sake of finishing.

I do want to acknowledge the story’s strengths. Healy sensitively explores the emotional weight of childhood illness, a topic that isn’t easy to tackle. Riona’s desperation to save her daughter, including her bargain with death, is powerful. I also appreciated the nonlinear storytelling and the shift between time and space (“Neither of the Earth Nor Under It, Not Then Nor Now”), which added a unique, haunting quality to the narrative and showcased Healy’s skill with layered storytelling.

Ultimately, Unseen just didn’t grab me. I admire the author’s ambition and voice, and I sincerely hope others find the emotional resonance and style they’re looking for in this book—even if I didn’t.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Riona Ó Conchúir has known death her whole life. The mysterious lord of death has tormented her for years, stealing away the souls of all those she has loved since childhood, demanding that she come and serve him in his shadowy realm, but she has always resisted - until now.

When her daughter falls ill with an incurable disease, Riona at last answers the lord of death’s call and ventures into the hidden realm of the sídhe to offer herself as a servant to him in exchange for her daughter's life. But when he demands that she use the divine magic of her blood to find three legendary objects of power that were once wielded by the gone gods themselves, Riona soon realizes that she will be forced to make an impossible choice:

Her daughter’s life, or the realm of Éire itself."

The premise of Unseen instantly drew me in—a dark Irish folklore–inspired tale about a land between life and death and the mysterious lord who rules it. The opening is immersive and beautifully written, with atmospheric glimpses into Riona’s tragic past that were among my favorite moments.

As the story went on, the pacing began to drag a bit for me; the dual timelines repeated information, the urgency of the main plot disappeared for long stretches, and some characters lacked the depth or presence I expected.

That said, the ending tied everything together well, and I appreciated the subtle romance that didn’t overshadow the main story.

While it felt too long and occasionally repetitive, Unseen has a strong concept and moments of real beauty that fans of mythology and darker fantasy may enjoy.

Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

Thank you to Tales & Teacups and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.