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Beast Becomes Her
Netflix’s Wednesday meets Norse mythology in this gorgeous dark contemporary fantasy following a teen berserkr sent to a secret magical academy where she must unmask the real killer behind the gruesome campus murders or risk becoming the next victim.
Edith has always been a good girl—she has to be, or her foster family might think she’s like her violent father. No matter how much anger simmers inside her, she keeps it buried, hidden…
Until the day she’s pushed a step too far, and that anger comes bursting out in the form of literal claws.
It’s then that Edith learns she’s a berserkr, a descendant of ancient Norse warriors with the ability to turn into animals. To avoid jail for attacking a student, Edith is shipped off to the mysterious Skallagrim Academy. The ancient school is supposedly a haven for people like her, a place where she can learn to control her powers and then push them down so deep that they’ll never come out again.
But someone—or something—is stalking the dark halls of Skallagrim.
On her second night, Edith stumbles upon a gruesome murder and is caught at the scene of the crime by Amund, who is tasked with hunting down wayward berserkir. Now, with Amund suspecting Edith as the killer, she’ll have to catch the real culprit to prove her innocence before she ends up in the hunter’s crosshairs—or becomes the killer’s next victim.
Edith has always been a good girl—she has to be, or her foster family might think she’s like her violent father. No matter how much anger simmers inside her, she keeps it buried, hidden…
Until the day she’s pushed a step too far, and that anger comes bursting out in the form of literal claws.
It’s then that Edith learns she’s a berserkr, a descendant of ancient Norse warriors with the ability to turn into animals. To avoid jail for attacking a student, Edith is shipped off to the mysterious Skallagrim Academy. The ancient school is supposedly a haven for people like her, a place where she can learn to control her powers and then push them down so deep that they’ll never come out again.
But someone—or something—is stalking the dark halls of Skallagrim.
On her second night, Edith stumbles upon a gruesome murder and is caught at the scene of the crime by Amund, who is tasked with hunting down wayward berserkir. Now, with Amund suspecting Edith as the killer, she’ll have to catch the real culprit to prove her innocence before she ends up in the hunter’s crosshairs—or becomes the killer’s next victim.
464 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2026
15 people are currently reading
11291 people want to read
About the author
Crystal Seitz
2 books132 followersA Viking at heart, Crystal battles Crohn’s disease and raids libraries for all the books on Norse mythology she can find. She works in marketing, but only because she can’t be a professional shield-maiden. She has a penchant for mythology, history, and all things creative. When she isn’t writing, Crystal can be found doing archery, drawing, or rewatching Game of Thrones.
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I seriously love a book that has a 'whodunit' plotline with a side of romance. This book had me entertained the entire time! Starting with the introduction of Edith, who is brought to a magical academy to learn how to control the Beast within her.
Little did she know that as soon as she enters, the campus becomes dangerous with murders happening all around her. FREAKING LOVED IT! Edith is a baddie who is afraid of her Beast, but it’s so empowering to see how she slowly accepts who she is and embraces it.
We can’t forget the romance, which is obviously a reason why I read. Even though it was a subplot (for me), it was enough for me to yell at them to finally be together! Not to mention, the person of interest is a hunter, Amund, whose job is to stop Beasts like her who abandon humanity and stay beasts forever (talk about intense).
Anyway, the secret academy + Teen Wolf vibes are super on point here, and the suspense of trying to solve the murders all in one book had me entertained I loved every second! I also enjoyed how the author gave us a dual POV to get both perspectives: someone new entering the academy and the hunter, who is meant to protect the school but is failing to do so.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves a murder mystery, an academy filled with shapeshifters, hunters and witches and can't forget the sprinkle of romance.
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ❀*･ i'm feeling moody and want to tandem my current read so hi 👋
thank you SimonTeen for my eARC!
Little did she know that as soon as she enters, the campus becomes dangerous with murders happening all around her. FREAKING LOVED IT! Edith is a baddie who is afraid of her Beast, but it’s so empowering to see how she slowly accepts who she is and embraces it.
We can’t forget the romance, which is obviously a reason why I read. Even though it was a subplot (for me), it was enough for me to yell at them to finally be together! Not to mention, the person of interest is a hunter, Amund, whose job is to stop Beasts like her who abandon humanity and stay beasts forever (talk about intense).
Anyway, the secret academy + Teen Wolf vibes are super on point here, and the suspense of trying to solve the murders all in one book had me entertained I loved every second! I also enjoyed how the author gave us a dual POV to get both perspectives: someone new entering the academy and the hunter, who is meant to protect the school but is failing to do so.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves a murder mystery, an academy filled with shapeshifters, hunters and witches and can't forget the sprinkle of romance.
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ❀*･ i'm feeling moody and want to tandem my current read so hi 👋
thank you SimonTeen for my eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
જ⁀➴ 4.25 stars
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books and Crystal Seitz for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Beast Becomes Her will be officially published on March 3rd, 2026!
✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧
On today's episode of "Underrated books Kim thinks that are going to fly under the radar in 2026," I present to you Beast Becomes Her. This is the first YA paranormal book I've read in a while that I absolutely loved, and I can't wait for more people to get their hands on it and read it, too.
Edith Holden has spent the majority of her life trying to be the perfect golden child her foster parents expect her to be—star student, star athlete, perfect disciplinary record—so she and her younger sister, Bea, don't get separated. She compartmentalizes her anger and lets it simmer underneath the surface, never letting it show. When a situation at school pushes her too far, and she has to defend herself, she's shocked when her self-defense comes out in the form of claws. She and Bea are whisked away to Skallgrim Academy, a secret boarding school in Iceland for witches, hunters, and berserkir—shape-shifters—like herself and Bea in order to hone her newfound abilities and keep them under control. The problem? She's caught at the scene of a crime on her second night at school by none other than Amund Agnarsson, a hunter whose sole purpose is to kill berserkir like her...except she isn't the killer. Now she has to prove her innocence and fight her growing feelings for Amund, who may not be the cold-hearted killer he makes himself out to be.
Before I go into the review, I just want to say that people should definitely check the trigger/content warnings before proceeding to read. There's a lot of body horror and graphic violence throughout the story, even for a YA book. I've read a decent amount of horror and thrillers in the YA genre, but this one takes the cake so far for the most gore and graphic violence. There'll be a full list of content warnings at the end of my review!
As I mentioned earlier, the book is definitely Wednesday inspired. From the boarding school/academia setting, the gothic atmosphere, and the murder mystery aspect of the plot, it definitely reminded me of the first season of the TV show. I think anyone who's watched the first season, at the very least, will find a lot of the same vibes and even some parallels and similarities in the plot. I don't think I'd go as far as to say that this is a rip-off of the show or a fanfiction of the show, but it's nice to finally read a book where its comparison/pitch lives up to its name. The pacing of the story was pretty good, and I never felt like there was a dull moment. I honestly had a hard time believing that the finished copy of the book is 464 pages long because it never felt that way to me at any point while I was reading.
Another aspect I loved was the Norse mythology woven throughout the story. As someone who loves mythology of all kinds, the one I know the least about is Norse mythology, and I'm not entirely sure as to why, because it's so interesting! I learned a lot about berserkir, seers, witches, and hunters, and the role they all played in Norse mythology. It was so interesting to learn how seiðr (Icelandic for magic) affected each group of people and the consequences of what happens when it's taken too far.
The one thing I loved the most was the amount of female rage that's in this story. I love how explicitly clear the story makes it when it says that the reason why a lot of female berserkir have issues fully transforming is that they have to tap into their anger and rage, and because society tells women that they're not allowed to show that rage, they sometimes never end up doing so. This is the overarching character arc and development for Edith, as she spends most of her time struggling to transform. I love how she learned to accept that anger and rage are a part of everyone and that she's allowed to feel that rage because it makes her human and who she is. This obviously has implications in real life as well, and I believe that I loved this book so much because that's exactly what I needed to read at the time.
When it comes to Amund, I feel like his story is kind of like Edith's in reverse. Instead of letting himself feel rage, I love how he was able to come to terms with the idea that he doesn't need to be this cold, unfeeling person all the time, and he's allowed to stand up for himself and get in touch with a softer side of him. Granted, a lot of this softer side comes out with Edith and seeing his mom and his brother, Nils, but I love how the author tackled two major societal issues with gender roles and expectations and just...absolutely tore it all down. I do feel like Amund felt a little one-track-minded in the beginning of the story where it felt like he was a broken record. His POV was mostly a rinse and repeat cycle of him going on patrol, spying on Edith, reporting back to his dad on what's happening, and then finding another way to disappoint said dad because he would make no progress on catching the killer since he's so set on thinking it's Edith.
Oh, and the romance?! Agh, I love a good forbidden romance, and the tension between Edith and Amund was off the charts. Amund was down BAD for her the entire time, and I'm definitely biased, but I love it when a guy falls first and falls hard. (I highly suggest going to the author's Instagram to find the character art for Edith and Amund because they look so stinking cute together.) There is something significant I need to bring up about the romance aspect of the book, but it is somewhat of a major spoiler. I'll create a spoiler section at the bottom of this review after my pre-read in case you want to know, but I won't include it in my main review.
Last, but not least, I kind of had a feeling of who the killer was way before the book ended. I must admit that I didn't put the pieces together as to how they did it, but I got the right person lol.
Overall, this was a FANTASTIC read and probably one of my favorite books so far of 2026! This was my first book by Crystal Seitz, and I hope to read more from her in the future!
✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧
Trigger/content warnings: toxic masculinity, body horror, graphic violence (recounted and on-page), domestic violence and abuse
⋅˚₊‧ ୨ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ As someone who loves to read about mythology, the one I don't see a lot of is Norse mythology, so I'm picking this ARC up in hopes I get my fix of it and learn a little more about it! This was pitched as Wednesday meets Norse mythology, and as a fan of the TV show, I can't wait to see what this book is all about!💜🐺
Spoiler section: There is a VERY loose love triangle in the story with Edith, Nils, and Amund. Albeit, it's a very one-sided love triangle because Edith admits multiple times that she doesn't like Nils as more than a friend, but Nils is just that one guy who's delulu enough to think he still has a fighting chance.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books and Crystal Seitz for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Beast Becomes Her will be officially published on March 3rd, 2026!
"Maybe anger is a weapon. It can be used to hurt others, but it can also protect you."
✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧
On today's episode of "Underrated books Kim thinks that are going to fly under the radar in 2026," I present to you Beast Becomes Her. This is the first YA paranormal book I've read in a while that I absolutely loved, and I can't wait for more people to get their hands on it and read it, too.
Edith Holden has spent the majority of her life trying to be the perfect golden child her foster parents expect her to be—star student, star athlete, perfect disciplinary record—so she and her younger sister, Bea, don't get separated. She compartmentalizes her anger and lets it simmer underneath the surface, never letting it show. When a situation at school pushes her too far, and she has to defend herself, she's shocked when her self-defense comes out in the form of claws. She and Bea are whisked away to Skallgrim Academy, a secret boarding school in Iceland for witches, hunters, and berserkir—shape-shifters—like herself and Bea in order to hone her newfound abilities and keep them under control. The problem? She's caught at the scene of a crime on her second night at school by none other than Amund Agnarsson, a hunter whose sole purpose is to kill berserkir like her...except she isn't the killer. Now she has to prove her innocence and fight her growing feelings for Amund, who may not be the cold-hearted killer he makes himself out to be.
Before I go into the review, I just want to say that people should definitely check the trigger/content warnings before proceeding to read. There's a lot of body horror and graphic violence throughout the story, even for a YA book. I've read a decent amount of horror and thrillers in the YA genre, but this one takes the cake so far for the most gore and graphic violence. There'll be a full list of content warnings at the end of my review!
As I mentioned earlier, the book is definitely Wednesday inspired. From the boarding school/academia setting, the gothic atmosphere, and the murder mystery aspect of the plot, it definitely reminded me of the first season of the TV show. I think anyone who's watched the first season, at the very least, will find a lot of the same vibes and even some parallels and similarities in the plot. I don't think I'd go as far as to say that this is a rip-off of the show or a fanfiction of the show, but it's nice to finally read a book where its comparison/pitch lives up to its name. The pacing of the story was pretty good, and I never felt like there was a dull moment. I honestly had a hard time believing that the finished copy of the book is 464 pages long because it never felt that way to me at any point while I was reading.
Another aspect I loved was the Norse mythology woven throughout the story. As someone who loves mythology of all kinds, the one I know the least about is Norse mythology, and I'm not entirely sure as to why, because it's so interesting! I learned a lot about berserkir, seers, witches, and hunters, and the role they all played in Norse mythology. It was so interesting to learn how seiðr (Icelandic for magic) affected each group of people and the consequences of what happens when it's taken too far.
The one thing I loved the most was the amount of female rage that's in this story. I love how explicitly clear the story makes it when it says that the reason why a lot of female berserkir have issues fully transforming is that they have to tap into their anger and rage, and because society tells women that they're not allowed to show that rage, they sometimes never end up doing so. This is the overarching character arc and development for Edith, as she spends most of her time struggling to transform. I love how she learned to accept that anger and rage are a part of everyone and that she's allowed to feel that rage because it makes her human and who she is. This obviously has implications in real life as well, and I believe that I loved this book so much because that's exactly what I needed to read at the time.
When it comes to Amund, I feel like his story is kind of like Edith's in reverse. Instead of letting himself feel rage, I love how he was able to come to terms with the idea that he doesn't need to be this cold, unfeeling person all the time, and he's allowed to stand up for himself and get in touch with a softer side of him. Granted, a lot of this softer side comes out with Edith and seeing his mom and his brother, Nils, but I love how the author tackled two major societal issues with gender roles and expectations and just...absolutely tore it all down. I do feel like Amund felt a little one-track-minded in the beginning of the story where it felt like he was a broken record. His POV was mostly a rinse and repeat cycle of him going on patrol, spying on Edith, reporting back to his dad on what's happening, and then finding another way to disappoint said dad because he would make no progress on catching the killer since he's so set on thinking it's Edith.
Oh, and the romance?! Agh, I love a good forbidden romance, and the tension between Edith and Amund was off the charts. Amund was down BAD for her the entire time, and I'm definitely biased, but I love it when a guy falls first and falls hard. (I highly suggest going to the author's Instagram to find the character art for Edith and Amund because they look so stinking cute together.) There is something significant I need to bring up about the romance aspect of the book, but it is somewhat of a major spoiler. I'll create a spoiler section at the bottom of this review after my pre-read in case you want to know, but I won't include it in my main review.
Last, but not least, I kind of had a feeling of who the killer was way before the book ended. I must admit that I didn't put the pieces together as to how they did it, but I got the right person lol.
Overall, this was a FANTASTIC read and probably one of my favorite books so far of 2026! This was my first book by Crystal Seitz, and I hope to read more from her in the future!
✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧
Trigger/content warnings: toxic masculinity, body horror, graphic violence (recounted and on-page), domestic violence and abuse
⋅˚₊‧ ୨ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: ୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ As someone who loves to read about mythology, the one I don't see a lot of is Norse mythology, so I'm picking this ARC up in hopes I get my fix of it and learn a little more about it! This was pitched as Wednesday meets Norse mythology, and as a fan of the TV show, I can't wait to see what this book is all about!💜🐺
Spoiler section: There is a VERY loose love triangle in the story with Edith, Nils, and Amund. Albeit, it's a very one-sided love triangle because Edith admits multiple times that she doesn't like Nils as more than a friend, but Nils is just that one guy who's delulu enough to think he still has a fighting chance.
March 4, 2026
Halfway through I knew, this is going to be one of those books that I’m going to recommend forever.
To say I was addicted is understatement. I was obsessed with everything that was this book. That’s not a simple thing as I always stayed away from YA.
There are a solid plot, murder mystery, suspense, creepy scenes, Berserkers (shifters), witches, seers and hunters. The plot, the characters all were multilayered.
After an incident in her school, Edith Holden an almost 18 years old finds out that she’s not quite human. There is a whole different world out there that humans are unaware of. So in order to master her power she and her sister are shipped off to Skallagrim Academy for the beings like her. But something sinister stalks the halls of academy and Edith becomes the first suspect to the hunters.
I loved Edith. She was fearless, grumpy, a loyal sister and knew what she wanted. Even after the horrific childhood trauma, she always tried to do the best.
Amund Agnarsson is not only one of the top hunter student from the academy but also son of their legendary warrior. He was this tortured hero who is always trying his best to live up to all the roles that’s thrust upon him. He’s broody and courageous and doesn’t trust Edith one iota.
It’s kinda hilarious as both of them are a little interested in each other but would never admit it.
I would recommend reading this book after midnight for all the feels. It was the perfect mix of spooky, creepy and lore. The climax was especially amazing. When the killer and the motive was revealed I was stunned.
It’s also a clean romance and with more emphasis on plot. Romance is secondary but it won’t feel like that.
I loved the writing style. It’s fantastic.
Overall I highly recommend this book.
-Murder Mystery.
-Dark academia setting.
-Feminine rage.
-Slight Love triangle.
-Wednesday meets Norse mythology.
-Werewolves 🐺, witches and hunters.
-Forbidden romance.
-Epic climax.
-Standalone, TW, safe.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
To say I was addicted is understatement. I was obsessed with everything that was this book. That’s not a simple thing as I always stayed away from YA.
There are a solid plot, murder mystery, suspense, creepy scenes, Berserkers (shifters), witches, seers and hunters. The plot, the characters all were multilayered.
After an incident in her school, Edith Holden an almost 18 years old finds out that she’s not quite human. There is a whole different world out there that humans are unaware of. So in order to master her power she and her sister are shipped off to Skallagrim Academy for the beings like her. But something sinister stalks the halls of academy and Edith becomes the first suspect to the hunters.
I loved Edith. She was fearless, grumpy, a loyal sister and knew what she wanted. Even after the horrific childhood trauma, she always tried to do the best.
Amund Agnarsson is not only one of the top hunter student from the academy but also son of their legendary warrior. He was this tortured hero who is always trying his best to live up to all the roles that’s thrust upon him. He’s broody and courageous and doesn’t trust Edith one iota.
It’s kinda hilarious as both of them are a little interested in each other but would never admit it.
I would recommend reading this book after midnight for all the feels. It was the perfect mix of spooky, creepy and lore. The climax was especially amazing. When the killer and the motive was revealed I was stunned.
It’s also a clean romance and with more emphasis on plot. Romance is secondary but it won’t feel like that.
I loved the writing style. It’s fantastic.
Overall I highly recommend this book.
-Murder Mystery.
-Dark academia setting.
-Feminine rage.
-Slight Love triangle.
-Wednesday meets Norse mythology.
-Werewolves 🐺, witches and hunters.
-Forbidden romance.
-Epic climax.
-Standalone, TW, safe.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
Want to read
August 26, 2025I wonder how much of this is just genuine Wednesday fanfic
March 2, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 4 stars
PHEWWW I couldn't put this down! The eerie and atmospheric setting, the ancient magic, the deadly monster on campus, the romantic subplpot 🤌 LOVE.
I really enjoyed Edith's character in all her complexities. The way that Seitz depicted Edith's fears, trauma, tenacity, and ferocity throughout the story is both impactful and truthful.
The story is fast moving and had me in a chokehold almost right away. Although I guessed the main big plot point, I still had the most fun reading this book.
I would have loved to see the romance between Edith and Amund have slightly more depth, and the ending felt rushed to me - perhaps this would have been better as duology? (Or maybe that's just because I want more story)
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the ARC!
PHEWWW I couldn't put this down! The eerie and atmospheric setting, the ancient magic, the deadly monster on campus, the romantic subplpot 🤌 LOVE.
I really enjoyed Edith's character in all her complexities. The way that Seitz depicted Edith's fears, trauma, tenacity, and ferocity throughout the story is both impactful and truthful.
The story is fast moving and had me in a chokehold almost right away. Although I guessed the main big plot point, I still had the most fun reading this book.
I would have loved to see the romance between Edith and Amund have slightly more depth, and the ending felt rushed to me - perhaps this would have been better as duology? (Or maybe that's just because I want more story)
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the ARC!
August 31, 2025
Oh she is overFLOWING with feminine rage and we have nothing but respect for her.
Thanks to the author for the early copy!
Thanks to the author for the early copy!
December 13, 2025
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me an early read.
I was an early reader on her first book, so it's nice that I was given a second book to read early.
I liked that this book featured a PTSD character who doesn't want to change into a werewolf after her father slain her mother. She and her younger sister are then taken to a school in Norway in which they are to learn how to control their powers / capabilities. There are witches, seers, werewolves, and hunters. Some can also learn how to be skilled in these other types while also being a werewolf.
I like how strong minded / willed our female lead is, and her protection is when it comes to her sister. It escalates more when she finds out that someone is killing people off in the various factions throughout the campus. This catches the eye of the hunter that dislikes werewolves, and has a difficult relationship with their father - who is the leader of the hunters.
Most of the book is basically her trying to resist her powers, figure out who the killer is and understand this growing relationship with the hunter who is slowly starting to seem interesting than feared.
The reason I knocked the book down a star is that the sister is talked about a lot but isn't seen much and kind of vanishes through the book.
The book ends where if she wanted to make a second book about the politics / outside world, then I'd welcome it.
I was an early reader on her first book, so it's nice that I was given a second book to read early.
I liked that this book featured a PTSD character who doesn't want to change into a werewolf after her father slain her mother. She and her younger sister are then taken to a school in Norway in which they are to learn how to control their powers / capabilities. There are witches, seers, werewolves, and hunters. Some can also learn how to be skilled in these other types while also being a werewolf.
I like how strong minded / willed our female lead is, and her protection is when it comes to her sister. It escalates more when she finds out that someone is killing people off in the various factions throughout the campus. This catches the eye of the hunter that dislikes werewolves, and has a difficult relationship with their father - who is the leader of the hunters.
Most of the book is basically her trying to resist her powers, figure out who the killer is and understand this growing relationship with the hunter who is slowly starting to seem interesting than feared.
The reason I knocked the book down a star is that the sister is talked about a lot but isn't seen much and kind of vanishes through the book.
The book ends where if she wanted to make a second book about the politics / outside world, then I'd welcome it.
March 2, 2026
ARC review
3.5/5 stars
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are honestly given.
Edith has always kept herself apart, distant from her classmates and foster parents, ever since her father murdered her mother and killed himself. But when an altercation with an aggressive (male, of course) classmate turns violent, she’s forced to acknowledge that she’s more than just a regular human and enroll in a secret magical academy for bersirkir, witches, hunters and seers and learn to control her powers before she becomes something worse. Once there, she has to unravel a mystery steeped in decades old history and solve the murders of classmates in order to secure her safety.
YA fantasy set in a school for magical beings from Norse mythology? Sign me up! Add in a tinge of romance, a ton of found family and I’m a pretty happy reader.
All in all, this was a satisfying read. It’s told in dual POV between Edith and her love interest, Amund (a hunter with an abusive father). I liked both characters but they both had a character trait that also just irked me where they were committed to a chosen path or belief even though it served them no benefits. Why is Edith so dead set on rejecting even learning about her bersirkir abilities, even when they may save her life? She’s so black and white. And Amund is committed to staying with his abusive father and hating the bersirkir even when he knows it’s wrong. I’m coming from a place decades older than these characters though, and this will probably work better for a younger audience than me.
The world building is fantastic and the lore surrounding the creation and history of the magical groups is well explained. And the murder mystery of classmates really amps up the suspense and creates the perfect background to Edith and Amund’s developing relationship! My only quibble with the resolution of the mystery is a personal one - I really hate when the “power of love” is the magical solution. It’s weak and lazy and this has hints of it.
3.5/5 stars
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are honestly given.
Edith has always kept herself apart, distant from her classmates and foster parents, ever since her father murdered her mother and killed himself. But when an altercation with an aggressive (male, of course) classmate turns violent, she’s forced to acknowledge that she’s more than just a regular human and enroll in a secret magical academy for bersirkir, witches, hunters and seers and learn to control her powers before she becomes something worse. Once there, she has to unravel a mystery steeped in decades old history and solve the murders of classmates in order to secure her safety.
YA fantasy set in a school for magical beings from Norse mythology? Sign me up! Add in a tinge of romance, a ton of found family and I’m a pretty happy reader.
All in all, this was a satisfying read. It’s told in dual POV between Edith and her love interest, Amund (a hunter with an abusive father). I liked both characters but they both had a character trait that also just irked me where they were committed to a chosen path or belief even though it served them no benefits. Why is Edith so dead set on rejecting even learning about her bersirkir abilities, even when they may save her life? She’s so black and white. And Amund is committed to staying with his abusive father and hating the bersirkir even when he knows it’s wrong. I’m coming from a place decades older than these characters though, and this will probably work better for a younger audience than me.
The world building is fantastic and the lore surrounding the creation and history of the magical groups is well explained. And the murder mystery of classmates really amps up the suspense and creates the perfect background to Edith and Amund’s developing relationship! My only quibble with the resolution of the mystery is a personal one - I really hate when the “power of love” is the magical solution. It’s weak and lazy and this has hints of it.
January 9, 2026
3.5 stars Rounded up.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book early with an eARC!
I have lots of thoughts on this one. The beginning and end were the best parts. The middle suffered from repetition and a very slow plot.
First, the good parts. I liked Edith. She was an amazing protagonist. I liked the emphasis on women using their anger to become powerful, not hiding it to “be a good girl.” I also really liked the overall theme and the setting / lore. It was SO unique and brilliant! And overall, I just really enjoyed reading most of the book. Even the middle had some good parts.
There may be inferences to spoilers below. If you want to go in blind, don’t read:
Now to the … not so great parts. I was disappointed in the mystery. We had an entire section of the book, at least 30% of it where the team was so focused on one suspect and it was SO obvious he had nothing to do with it. But all the red herrings pointed to him and it was annoying. I knew from the moment his name came up that it was not him. ☠️ So for them to spend that much time on it…. Ugh. They also chose another suspect later solely because that person was the only one they knew with the ability. ☠️☠️☠️ It was the most outrageous misdirection ever.
I also didn’t really like Amund much. Broody dark MMC with a sad past. Typical. He also didn’t have much chemistry with Edith. It was like… almost there but not quite anything. 😅 I didn’t like that their relationship was some sort of innate connection. Suddenly they just “feel right” with each other. But mates never came up so…. Just the power of love? 😅
Overall, I think if you liked Crystal’s first book (Inheritance of Scars), you will like this one. Crystal excels at giving readers a new and inventive storyline in her books! It’s what draws me to her. This is for fans of dark academia, mystery fantasy, and lore building.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book early with an eARC!
I have lots of thoughts on this one. The beginning and end were the best parts. The middle suffered from repetition and a very slow plot.
First, the good parts. I liked Edith. She was an amazing protagonist. I liked the emphasis on women using their anger to become powerful, not hiding it to “be a good girl.” I also really liked the overall theme and the setting / lore. It was SO unique and brilliant! And overall, I just really enjoyed reading most of the book. Even the middle had some good parts.
There may be inferences to spoilers below. If you want to go in blind, don’t read:
Now to the … not so great parts. I was disappointed in the mystery. We had an entire section of the book, at least 30% of it where the team was so focused on one suspect and it was SO obvious he had nothing to do with it. But all the red herrings pointed to him and it was annoying. I knew from the moment his name came up that it was not him. ☠️ So for them to spend that much time on it…. Ugh. They also chose another suspect later solely because that person was the only one they knew with the ability. ☠️☠️☠️ It was the most outrageous misdirection ever.
I also didn’t really like Amund much. Broody dark MMC with a sad past. Typical. He also didn’t have much chemistry with Edith. It was like… almost there but not quite anything. 😅 I didn’t like that their relationship was some sort of innate connection. Suddenly they just “feel right” with each other. But mates never came up so…. Just the power of love? 😅
Overall, I think if you liked Crystal’s first book (Inheritance of Scars), you will like this one. Crystal excels at giving readers a new and inventive storyline in her books! It’s what draws me to her. This is for fans of dark academia, mystery fantasy, and lore building.
December 20, 2025
Beast Becomes Her is everything I ever wanted in a Norse mythological dark academia fantasy story! I am so blown away by how easy it was to get lost in the pages of this sophomore novel by Crystal Seitz. The atmosphere, world building of Skallagrim Academy, the characters and all they went through. It was all exquisitely written and had my heart in a vice grip. I adore the story that Crystal was woven around the lore of the Beserkir and Norse magic seiðr. This is absolutely a 2026 release to have in your lineup, so don’t sleep on it!!!
October 22, 2025
Review TK because it might be spoilery but I enjoyed it a lot!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 3/3/2026. Never having seen Wednesday (hold your shock, I know), the blurb of Wednesday meets Norse mythology for this book meant little to me other than OMG YAS NORSE MYTHOLOGY BESERKERS RAVENS WYRDING which, in all reality, is quite enough for this mythology/folklore geek. Beast Becomes Her revolves around Edith discovering her magical transformative heritage and being shipped off to a magical school in Iceland to deal with it. Of course it is not that simple and she has heaps of traumatic baggage even before she learns she can sprout claws and plopping her with her beloved little sister in a school where murder starts happening is not about to help her state of mind. However, what can a girl do? Two words - Female Rage.
This book leans far into the ways that girls/women are judged and limited and controlled and, to be honest, this is a good and necessary conversation to have. Especially for a YA book. Because things won’t change unless we look them dead in the eye, name them, and fight them. Yes, there are a lot of uncomfortable topics in the book. Domestic abuse (physical, emotional, mental), rape culture (no really does mean no, you know), mental health and self care, identity, trauma. There are trigger warnings, yes, and it is wise to pay attention. However, if you can, I highly suggest you go ahead and read on through them.
From the jump, my heart broke for Edith who has the Good Girl persona down pat as a survival mechanism. Don’t be too loud or too aggressive or too cold or too flirty. Get top grades, be involved, toe the line. Inside, though, she is wound painfully tight and struggles with her suppressed feelings constantly. Despite the efforts of her foster parents and therapy, she cannot move fully away from the murder-suicide of her parents. She is angry but does not feel allowed to be angry. She is afraid and guilty and blames her dad and her mom and herself. Maybe if she was BETTER… Being inside Edith’s head is vividly honest and painful, showing all the ways that not dealing with things and suppressing and playing parts can poison you from inside out. Despite all of these issues, though, Edith loves her little sister deeply and appreciates her foster parents and clings to friends when she finally finds them - even if she keeps walls up. She is loyal and smart and, when she IS stupid, it is the sort of stupid that we know comes from being a teenager, compounded by trauma. Edith is easily the best part of the book and seeing her come into her own and embrace her power and use anger for HER purposes is liberating.
Her counterpart, enemy-to-smoocher, partner-in-detecting Amund the Hottie Hunter is less the best. While his backstory and trauma and psychological scars are intriguing and believable, I found him to be a less engaging character. There is something less consistent to him and less deep. Plus his obsession with Edith being gorgeous etc rings like ticking off a note on a list. Oh, yeah, they have to be attracted to each other! I grew to like him and he does have a decent arc but he definitely is the less interesting part of the pairing.
Props to other characters like Valerie and Kris and Tala and little sister Bea, too. Props to Amund’s dad for being a Grade A Ass, I guess, and various other oppressive, awful male characters. Villainy is most horrific when it is so close to being actual and real. We can laugh at the dark wizard but the dark father figure is less funny.
That said, the one disappointment I had in the book was pacing. Much like the “telling” of how attracted Amund is to Edith feels like a writing trick, focusing on one particular and obvious character as the possible suspect for over 2/3rds of the book is a waste… And ironically had me picking out the real killer much sooner than I might normally have because it felt so forced. It was a believable end but spending that much time on the wrong one leaves the right one like a really rough right turn (unless you live in my weird brain, I suppose).
Overall, this was a fantastic book. Norse mythology, magic, mystery, and Female Rage being the real magical power? Yes, please. A real-time mental shift of how one views a victim, blames a victim, raises and supports a victim? All too timely. No more of this “what was she wearing” or “why didn’t she leave.” F*ck all the way off with that nonsense. Let’s put the blame where it belongs!
This book leans far into the ways that girls/women are judged and limited and controlled and, to be honest, this is a good and necessary conversation to have. Especially for a YA book. Because things won’t change unless we look them dead in the eye, name them, and fight them. Yes, there are a lot of uncomfortable topics in the book. Domestic abuse (physical, emotional, mental), rape culture (no really does mean no, you know), mental health and self care, identity, trauma. There are trigger warnings, yes, and it is wise to pay attention. However, if you can, I highly suggest you go ahead and read on through them.
From the jump, my heart broke for Edith who has the Good Girl persona down pat as a survival mechanism. Don’t be too loud or too aggressive or too cold or too flirty. Get top grades, be involved, toe the line. Inside, though, she is wound painfully tight and struggles with her suppressed feelings constantly. Despite the efforts of her foster parents and therapy, she cannot move fully away from the murder-suicide of her parents. She is angry but does not feel allowed to be angry. She is afraid and guilty and blames her dad and her mom and herself. Maybe if she was BETTER… Being inside Edith’s head is vividly honest and painful, showing all the ways that not dealing with things and suppressing and playing parts can poison you from inside out. Despite all of these issues, though, Edith loves her little sister deeply and appreciates her foster parents and clings to friends when she finally finds them - even if she keeps walls up. She is loyal and smart and, when she IS stupid, it is the sort of stupid that we know comes from being a teenager, compounded by trauma. Edith is easily the best part of the book and seeing her come into her own and embrace her power and use anger for HER purposes is liberating.
Her counterpart, enemy-to-smoocher, partner-in-detecting Amund the Hottie Hunter is less the best. While his backstory and trauma and psychological scars are intriguing and believable, I found him to be a less engaging character. There is something less consistent to him and less deep. Plus his obsession with Edith being gorgeous etc rings like ticking off a note on a list. Oh, yeah, they have to be attracted to each other! I grew to like him and he does have a decent arc but he definitely is the less interesting part of the pairing.
Props to other characters like Valerie and Kris and Tala and little sister Bea, too. Props to Amund’s dad for being a Grade A Ass, I guess, and various other oppressive, awful male characters. Villainy is most horrific when it is so close to being actual and real. We can laugh at the dark wizard but the dark father figure is less funny.
That said, the one disappointment I had in the book was pacing. Much like the “telling” of how attracted Amund is to Edith feels like a writing trick, focusing on one particular and obvious character as the possible suspect for over 2/3rds of the book is a waste… And ironically had me picking out the real killer much sooner than I might normally have because it felt so forced. It was a believable end but spending that much time on the wrong one leaves the right one like a really rough right turn (unless you live in my weird brain, I suppose).
Overall, this was a fantastic book. Norse mythology, magic, mystery, and Female Rage being the real magical power? Yes, please. A real-time mental shift of how one views a victim, blames a victim, raises and supports a victim? All too timely. No more of this “what was she wearing” or “why didn’t she leave.” F*ck all the way off with that nonsense. Let’s put the blame where it belongs!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a NetGalley ARC of this book.
After accidentally attacking another student in a moment of rage, main character Edith is sent to Skallagrim, a magical school in Iceland. When a student is murdered and Edith is found at the scene, she becomes the main suspect. As bodies are discovered across campus, Edith teams up with her new friends to clear her name and discover the true killer.
I was pleasantly surprised by this YA fantasy. The beginning was a bit off-putting in terms of storytelling: Edith has very little backstory before the incident at her school, and the world of magic is introduced to Edith (and her foster parents) with very little fanfare before she is whisked off to magic school. I assumed there would be some kind of pushback from Edith or the adults in her life when they were told that Edith has magical abilities and needs to be sent halfway around the world, but her parents seemed to have no issues with her (and her 10-year-old sister!) being sent to Iceland on their own. After Edith arrives at Skallagrim, however, she is immersed in a new world with magical cliques, love interests, and intrigue and the plot really picks up. While Edith is reminiscent of Enid Sinclair in the show Wednesday, the author covers a lot of weighty topics (feminine rage and toxic family dynamics to name just two) which gives a lot of depth to Edith's character. I appreciated Edith's reluctance to perpetuate the abuse she saw in her early life and how that played out in her relationships throughout the book. Overall, this book was a solid YA magical fantasy murder mystery.
After accidentally attacking another student in a moment of rage, main character Edith is sent to Skallagrim, a magical school in Iceland. When a student is murdered and Edith is found at the scene, she becomes the main suspect. As bodies are discovered across campus, Edith teams up with her new friends to clear her name and discover the true killer.
I was pleasantly surprised by this YA fantasy. The beginning was a bit off-putting in terms of storytelling: Edith has very little backstory before the incident at her school, and the world of magic is introduced to Edith (and her foster parents) with very little fanfare before she is whisked off to magic school. I assumed there would be some kind of pushback from Edith or the adults in her life when they were told that Edith has magical abilities and needs to be sent halfway around the world, but her parents seemed to have no issues with her (and her 10-year-old sister!) being sent to Iceland on their own. After Edith arrives at Skallagrim, however, she is immersed in a new world with magical cliques, love interests, and intrigue and the plot really picks up. While Edith is reminiscent of Enid Sinclair in the show Wednesday, the author covers a lot of weighty topics (feminine rage and toxic family dynamics to name just two) which gives a lot of depth to Edith's character. I appreciated Edith's reluctance to perpetuate the abuse she saw in her early life and how that played out in her relationships throughout the book. Overall, this book was a solid YA magical fantasy murder mystery.
After accidentally attacking another student in a moment of rage, main character Edith is sent to Skallagrim, a magical school in Iceland. When a student is murdered and Edith is found at the scene, she becomes the main suspect. As bodies are discovered across campus, Edith teams up with her new friends to clear her name and discover the true killer.
I was pleasantly surprised by this YA fantasy. The beginning was a bit off-putting in terms of storytelling: Edith has very little backstory before the incident at her school, and the world of magic is introduced to Edith (and her foster parents) with very little fanfare before she is whisked off to magic school. I assumed there would be some kind of pushback from Edith or the adults in her life when they were told that Edith has magical abilities and needs to be sent halfway around the world, but her parents seemed to have no issues with her (and her 10-year-old sister!) being sent to Iceland on their own. After Edith arrives at Skallagrim, however, she is immersed in a new world with magical cliques, love interests, and intrigue and the plot really picks up. While Edith is reminiscent of Enid Sinclair in the show Wednesday, the author covers a lot of weighty topics (feminine rage and toxic family dynamics to name just two) which gives a lot of depth to Edith's character. I appreciated Edith's reluctance to perpetuate the abuse she saw in her early life and how that played out in her relationships throughout the book. Overall, this book was a solid YA magical fantasy murder mystery.
After accidentally attacking another student in a moment of rage, main character Edith is sent to Skallagrim, a magical school in Iceland. When a student is murdered and Edith is found at the scene, she becomes the main suspect. As bodies are discovered across campus, Edith teams up with her new friends to clear her name and discover the true killer.
I was pleasantly surprised by this YA fantasy. The beginning was a bit off-putting in terms of storytelling: Edith has very little backstory before the incident at her school, and the world of magic is introduced to Edith (and her foster parents) with very little fanfare before she is whisked off to magic school. I assumed there would be some kind of pushback from Edith or the adults in her life when they were told that Edith has magical abilities and needs to be sent halfway around the world, but her parents seemed to have no issues with her (and her 10-year-old sister!) being sent to Iceland on their own. After Edith arrives at Skallagrim, however, she is immersed in a new world with magical cliques, love interests, and intrigue and the plot really picks up. While Edith is reminiscent of Enid Sinclair in the show Wednesday, the author covers a lot of weighty topics (feminine rage and toxic family dynamics to name just two) which gives a lot of depth to Edith's character. I appreciated Edith's reluctance to perpetuate the abuse she saw in her early life and how that played out in her relationships throughout the book. Overall, this book was a solid YA magical fantasy murder mystery.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!~~
3.5/5 stars rounded down!
I liked this! The romance was kinda generic, and the mystery dragged on more than it should've, but I could tell the core part of the book had a lot of heart.
I liked Edith's POV a lot more than Amund's, because her growth and gradual acceptance of her berserker side felt a lot more natural and relatable, particularly the bits regarding her embracing the feminine rage. I loved the relationship she had with her family, her sister and foster parents, as well as the friendships she gained while at Skallagrim. Amund should have complimented her, especially considering his half of the story is him dealing with his father's abuse. Plus, he thought and said things that the book was trying to convince you were badass but were actually kinda typical teenage boy cringe. Other than that shared experience, him and Edith don't really have a lot of chemistry. So many of their "romantic" moments felt forced, and their reasoning that they should be together was not really anything other than it felt "right." It didn't really sell it for me.
As for the main mystery, I accurately guessed the culprit much sooner than our leads, which is frustrating considering they fixate on one guy for so long before instantly jumping to someone else because they were the only one our leads knew for certain had a particular power linked heavily to the case. The reveal when it finally happened was not satisfying, whatsoever. Additionally, the culprit was just sorta given a pass because their actions attributed to another character's wrongdoings before getting sent off to get therapy. Mind you, the culprit killed a handful of people, some of which were near and dear to our leads, and would have been the direct cause of many more deaths if Edith and Amund didn't stop them. I dunno, hurt people hurt people, but there are some crimes, I feel, that are less excusable than others.
I also feel the need to say the worldbuilding is pretty decent here, especially for a standalone fantasy. It helped a bit that I was somewhat familiar with Norse mythology (Thank you, Magnus Chase), but the smaller details about Norse runes, magic, and berserkers in general was stuff I wasn't really privy to. But one detail I do find funny is that the lengths that all this magic is concealed from the world, but the most normal people in this book, Edith's foster parents, accept is so readily. It's implied they were magicked into thinking so, but I personally like to believe they're just like that, so ready to accept the weirdness of Norse mythology being real for their daughters' sake.
Overall, this was a decently good read. Maybe I'll read Seitz's debut to compare, but I can only hope to see improvement come whatever she may write/publish next.
3.5/5 stars rounded down!
I liked this! The romance was kinda generic, and the mystery dragged on more than it should've, but I could tell the core part of the book had a lot of heart.
I liked Edith's POV a lot more than Amund's, because her growth and gradual acceptance of her berserker side felt a lot more natural and relatable, particularly the bits regarding her embracing the feminine rage. I loved the relationship she had with her family, her sister and foster parents, as well as the friendships she gained while at Skallagrim. Amund should have complimented her, especially considering his half of the story is him dealing with his father's abuse. Plus, he thought and said things that the book was trying to convince you were badass but were actually kinda typical teenage boy cringe. Other than that shared experience, him and Edith don't really have a lot of chemistry. So many of their "romantic" moments felt forced, and their reasoning that they should be together was not really anything other than it felt "right." It didn't really sell it for me.
As for the main mystery, I accurately guessed the culprit much sooner than our leads, which is frustrating considering they fixate on one guy for so long before instantly jumping to someone else because they were the only one our leads knew for certain had a particular power linked heavily to the case. The reveal when it finally happened was not satisfying, whatsoever. Additionally, the culprit was just sorta given a pass because their actions attributed to another character's wrongdoings before getting sent off to get therapy. Mind you, the culprit killed a handful of people, some of which were near and dear to our leads, and would have been the direct cause of many more deaths if Edith and Amund didn't stop them. I dunno, hurt people hurt people, but there are some crimes, I feel, that are less excusable than others.
I also feel the need to say the worldbuilding is pretty decent here, especially for a standalone fantasy. It helped a bit that I was somewhat familiar with Norse mythology (Thank you, Magnus Chase), but the smaller details about Norse runes, magic, and berserkers in general was stuff I wasn't really privy to. But one detail I do find funny is that the lengths that all this magic is concealed from the world, but the most normal people in this book, Edith's foster parents, accept is so readily. It's implied they were magicked into thinking so, but I personally like to believe they're just like that, so ready to accept the weirdness of Norse mythology being real for their daughters' sake.
Overall, this was a decently good read. Maybe I'll read Seitz's debut to compare, but I can only hope to see improvement come whatever she may write/publish next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Tell me why “good girl who keeps her anger buried” immediately turns into literal claws ripping through her skin.
Edith has spent her whole life trying to be perfect. Quiet. Controlled. Grateful. Anything so her foster family won’t look at her and see her violent father instead.
And then someone pushes her too far.
And the Beast comes out. 🐺
Next thing she knows she’s shipped off to Skallagrim Academy a secret magical boarding school in Iceland for berserkir, witches, hunters, and seers. Very Wednesday coded. Very “something is watching you in the halls at night.” Very my vibe. 🖤
But babe… this is not cozy magic school.
There are gruesome murders.
There is body horror.
There is blood.
And on her second night, Edith finds a corpse and gets caught standing over it by Amund a hunter whose literal job is to kill berserkir who lose control.
And yes. He immediately suspects her.
What I loved most is that this isn’t just a whodunit with claws. It’s a full blown exploration of feminine rage. There’s a line that perfectly captures it:
“Maybe anger is a weapon. It can be used to hurt others, but it can also protect you.”
That’s the thesis right there.
Edith’s entire arc is about learning that her anger isn’t proof she’s broken. It’s proof she’s powerful. And the way the book calls out how society tells girls to swallow their rage so much so that it literally blocks their ability to transform felt so intentional.
Amund’s POV added such good contrast too. He starts off rigid, loyal to his hunter father, convinced Edith is dangerous. But watching him slowly unravel his own black-and-white thinking? Chef’s kiss. And yes, he falls. Hard.😌
The romance is slow burn, forbidden, tension-heavy. Its glances in dark corridors. It’s “I should arrest you” but also “I can’t stop thinking about you.” It’s not the main plot, but it absolutely feeds the fire.
Also? I guessed the killer early… but the how still surprised me, which I appreciate.
If you love:
🐺 magical academies with bite
🖤 feminine rage done right
🩸 dark YA with actual stakes
🔥 hunter x hunted tension
❄️ moody Icelandic vibes
🔪 murder mystery woven with mythology
This one’s for you.
Dark. Gory. Empowering.
And lowkey makes you want to embrace your inner Beast instead of apologizing for her.
Edith has spent her whole life trying to be perfect. Quiet. Controlled. Grateful. Anything so her foster family won’t look at her and see her violent father instead.
And then someone pushes her too far.
And the Beast comes out. 🐺
Next thing she knows she’s shipped off to Skallagrim Academy a secret magical boarding school in Iceland for berserkir, witches, hunters, and seers. Very Wednesday coded. Very “something is watching you in the halls at night.” Very my vibe. 🖤
But babe… this is not cozy magic school.
There are gruesome murders.
There is body horror.
There is blood.
And on her second night, Edith finds a corpse and gets caught standing over it by Amund a hunter whose literal job is to kill berserkir who lose control.
And yes. He immediately suspects her.
What I loved most is that this isn’t just a whodunit with claws. It’s a full blown exploration of feminine rage. There’s a line that perfectly captures it:
“Maybe anger is a weapon. It can be used to hurt others, but it can also protect you.”
That’s the thesis right there.
Edith’s entire arc is about learning that her anger isn’t proof she’s broken. It’s proof she’s powerful. And the way the book calls out how society tells girls to swallow their rage so much so that it literally blocks their ability to transform felt so intentional.
Amund’s POV added such good contrast too. He starts off rigid, loyal to his hunter father, convinced Edith is dangerous. But watching him slowly unravel his own black-and-white thinking? Chef’s kiss. And yes, he falls. Hard.😌
The romance is slow burn, forbidden, tension-heavy. Its glances in dark corridors. It’s “I should arrest you” but also “I can’t stop thinking about you.” It’s not the main plot, but it absolutely feeds the fire.
Also? I guessed the killer early… but the how still surprised me, which I appreciate.
If you love:
🐺 magical academies with bite
🖤 feminine rage done right
🩸 dark YA with actual stakes
🔥 hunter x hunted tension
❄️ moody Icelandic vibes
🔪 murder mystery woven with mythology
This one’s for you.
Dark. Gory. Empowering.
And lowkey makes you want to embrace your inner Beast instead of apologizing for her.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🇮🇸🏰🐺
A great book with hard topics
The plot moved a bit simply and the description spoiled most of it... at least those were my thoughts in the very beginning. You need to get through that and then you'll get an impressively deep and addicting story with amazing characters that crawl into your heart.
It was hard for me to read especially in the start due to the topics like an abusive parent being always on page in one of the povs while I really hate to read about those, even more when they actually are so much in their children's lives. But despite wanting to skip those moments, I couldn't bring myself to tear myself from each. As I said, impressively addictive.
The plot is full of twists and mysteries, that often brought the good kind of surprises. I had my suspicions, but wasn't even in the slightest sure who was the killer and how it all will turn out.
The worldbuilding and local history are quite developed and told in a comfortable pace that holds your interest, making you crave for more. The book lacked in the atmopshere, but compensated with everything else.
I loved the characters, everyone had some tragic history and I became invested in their pain like it was my own. It's great that everyone ended where I wanted them to (well, most of the characters, everything can't be perfect, some sadness meeds to balance everything) and 'the final battle' as well as the ending were exactly as they should be.
It will be out tomorrow, so go read it for a great experience with scandinavic fantasy, heartbreaking romance, deep backstories, murder mysteries, berserkers, hunters, witches, seers, and so much more!
- - -
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!
A great book with hard topics
The plot moved a bit simply and the description spoiled most of it... at least those were my thoughts in the very beginning. You need to get through that and then you'll get an impressively deep and addicting story with amazing characters that crawl into your heart.
It was hard for me to read especially in the start due to the topics like an abusive parent being always on page in one of the povs while I really hate to read about those, even more when they actually are so much in their children's lives. But despite wanting to skip those moments, I couldn't bring myself to tear myself from each. As I said, impressively addictive.
The plot is full of twists and mysteries, that often brought the good kind of surprises. I had my suspicions, but wasn't even in the slightest sure who was the killer and how it all will turn out.
The worldbuilding and local history are quite developed and told in a comfortable pace that holds your interest, making you crave for more. The book lacked in the atmopshere, but compensated with everything else.
I loved the characters, everyone had some tragic history and I became invested in their pain like it was my own. It's great that everyone ended where I wanted them to (well, most of the characters, everything can't be perfect, some sadness meeds to balance everything) and 'the final battle' as well as the ending were exactly as they should be.
It will be out tomorrow, so go read it for a great experience with scandinavic fantasy, heartbreaking romance, deep backstories, murder mysteries, berserkers, hunters, witches, seers, and so much more!
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC REVIEW — Beast Becomes Her by Crystal Seitz
First of all… I need to sit down.
Beast Becomes Her by Crystal Seitz is not just a retelling — it’s a reclamation.
This story takes the bones of a familiar fairytale and strips it down to something raw, aching, and beautifully human. It isn’t about taming the beast. It’s about understanding her. Becoming her. Owning the sharp edges instead of sanding them down to be more “palatable.”
And that? That’s powerful.
The heroine isn’t fragile porcelain waiting to be saved. She is fury wrapped in silk. She is survival with a heartbeat. Watching her navigate her trauma, her power, and her identity felt less like reading and more like witnessing a transformation carved in a firelight.
The romance? Slow-burning. Tension-heavy. Intimate in a way that feels earned rather than rushed. It’s not just longing — it’s recognition. Two souls circling each other, wary and wounded, learning that love doesn’t have to mean surrender.
What I loved most was the atmosphere. There’s a darkness to this book — not overwhelming, but present — like walking through a forest at dusk where you’re not entirely sure what’s watching… but you’re not afraid to keep going.
This story asks:
What if the beast was never the villain?
What if she was simply becoming?
If you love: – Feminine rage
– Fairytale retellings with bite
– Emotionally layered romance
– Heroines who choose themselves
Then you need this on your TBR.
Thank you to the author for the ARC — this one left claw marks on my heart in the best way.
— Muse of Myths 🌿
May we all learn to love the beast within.
First of all… I need to sit down.
Beast Becomes Her by Crystal Seitz is not just a retelling — it’s a reclamation.
This story takes the bones of a familiar fairytale and strips it down to something raw, aching, and beautifully human. It isn’t about taming the beast. It’s about understanding her. Becoming her. Owning the sharp edges instead of sanding them down to be more “palatable.”
And that? That’s powerful.
The heroine isn’t fragile porcelain waiting to be saved. She is fury wrapped in silk. She is survival with a heartbeat. Watching her navigate her trauma, her power, and her identity felt less like reading and more like witnessing a transformation carved in a firelight.
The romance? Slow-burning. Tension-heavy. Intimate in a way that feels earned rather than rushed. It’s not just longing — it’s recognition. Two souls circling each other, wary and wounded, learning that love doesn’t have to mean surrender.
What I loved most was the atmosphere. There’s a darkness to this book — not overwhelming, but present — like walking through a forest at dusk where you’re not entirely sure what’s watching… but you’re not afraid to keep going.
This story asks:
What if the beast was never the villain?
What if she was simply becoming?
If you love: – Feminine rage
– Fairytale retellings with bite
– Emotionally layered romance
– Heroines who choose themselves
Then you need this on your TBR.
Thank you to the author for the ARC — this one left claw marks on my heart in the best way.
— Muse of Myths 🌿
May we all learn to love the beast within.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating: 5/5
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.
Beast Become Her completely consumed me in the best way. This book is dark, emotional, and layered with intensity from the very first page. Crystal Seitz crafted a story that feels both haunting and powerful, and I was hooked the entire time.
What stood out most to me was the emotional depth. This isn’t just a romance, it’s a story about transformation, vulnerability, and confronting the parts of yourself you’d rather keep hidden. The characters are complex and flawed, and that’s what makes them so compelling. Watching their relationship unfold through tension, conflict, and raw honesty made every moment feel earned.
The chemistry is undeniable. It simmers beneath the surface before fully igniting, and when it does, it’s intense and consuming. But what I appreciated most is that the connection goes deeper than physical attraction. There’s emotional weight behind their choices, and you can feel the push and pull as they navigate trust, power, and desire.
The pacing kept me fully engaged. There’s a steady build of tension both romantic and plot-driven that makes it hard to put down. The darker elements add grit to the story, but they never overshadow the heart at its core.
By the end, I was completely satisfied and still thinking about these characters long after I finished. Beast Become Her is bold, passionate, and emotionally gripping, an easy five-star read for me and I will be reading more from this author. This was one of the best Feminine Rage books I have read in a while.
I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review this book.
I received an ARC for my honest opinion.
Beast Become Her completely consumed me in the best way. This book is dark, emotional, and layered with intensity from the very first page. Crystal Seitz crafted a story that feels both haunting and powerful, and I was hooked the entire time.
What stood out most to me was the emotional depth. This isn’t just a romance, it’s a story about transformation, vulnerability, and confronting the parts of yourself you’d rather keep hidden. The characters are complex and flawed, and that’s what makes them so compelling. Watching their relationship unfold through tension, conflict, and raw honesty made every moment feel earned.
The chemistry is undeniable. It simmers beneath the surface before fully igniting, and when it does, it’s intense and consuming. But what I appreciated most is that the connection goes deeper than physical attraction. There’s emotional weight behind their choices, and you can feel the push and pull as they navigate trust, power, and desire.
The pacing kept me fully engaged. There’s a steady build of tension both romantic and plot-driven that makes it hard to put down. The darker elements add grit to the story, but they never overshadow the heart at its core.
By the end, I was completely satisfied and still thinking about these characters long after I finished. Beast Become Her is bold, passionate, and emotionally gripping, an easy five-star read for me and I will be reading more from this author. This was one of the best Feminine Rage books I have read in a while.
I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review this book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A thrillingly magical dark academia that draws you into a tender romance set against the backdrop of some horrific murders.
Edith's terrified to learn that she's a berserker, as her berserker dad killed her mom years ago. Now, she's pulled out of her home with loving foster parents and sent off to Skallagrim Academy, where berserkers and magicians rub shoulders as they learn to control their powers. However, there's another group at school there: hunters, who train to fight berserkers. Should a berserker lose control, the hunters are there to kill them. This is ominous enough to add a ton of tension to the book!
When students turn up dead, Edith becomes a prime suspect. However, she and a hunter, Amund, who's tasked with solving the crimes, find themselves drawn to each other, despite the forbidden nature of their relationship. Hunters and berserkers don't typically mix, for obvious reasons. I loved their scenes! The author does a great job of building the romantic tension between them.
The setting in this novel is almost a character unto itself. There's a forbidden wing of the campus, the seer school, where a huge disaster happened earlier, because of course there is! Some of the best-written, creepy scenes occur there. The author has created a world that I'd love to spend more time in.
If you want a fantasy with a unique take on Norse mythology to get lost in, this is the book for you.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Edith's terrified to learn that she's a berserker, as her berserker dad killed her mom years ago. Now, she's pulled out of her home with loving foster parents and sent off to Skallagrim Academy, where berserkers and magicians rub shoulders as they learn to control their powers. However, there's another group at school there: hunters, who train to fight berserkers. Should a berserker lose control, the hunters are there to kill them. This is ominous enough to add a ton of tension to the book!
When students turn up dead, Edith becomes a prime suspect. However, she and a hunter, Amund, who's tasked with solving the crimes, find themselves drawn to each other, despite the forbidden nature of their relationship. Hunters and berserkers don't typically mix, for obvious reasons. I loved their scenes! The author does a great job of building the romantic tension between them.
The setting in this novel is almost a character unto itself. There's a forbidden wing of the campus, the seer school, where a huge disaster happened earlier, because of course there is! Some of the best-written, creepy scenes occur there. The author has created a world that I'd love to spend more time in.
If you want a fantasy with a unique take on Norse mythology to get lost in, this is the book for you.
Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC read!!!
Ok so I really enjoyed this book. I loved the dark academia, Norse mythology shapeshifters and witches and romance it was all just perfection!
The characters in this book were so well written and I absolutely loved Edith’s character and her development throughout this book with working through her past trauma and grief. Even with the other characters you could see that character development and each character overcoming their own past or their own obstacles.
If you love romance as a subplot you will love this book as well. The romance wasn’t super in your face but it did have some amazing yearning and such amazing buildup In my opinion.
The setting also was absolutely amazing I loved the school with its different sections to me it felt very unique to get those different perspectives and for them to play such a key role in the book. I also loved the sprinkle of horror and suspense throughout the book. Which if you love a good whodunnit then you will also love this book.
My only complaint with this book is that the ending felt kinda rushed. I wish it was just a little bit longer on the end. I also guessed some of the ending really early on which I don’t usually do. That’s not to say I didn’t love the journey to the end. I really enjoyed this story and everything it had to offer the intense parts did their job and while it did have its slow parts it more than made up for it with those intense moments and amazing character development.
Ok so I really enjoyed this book. I loved the dark academia, Norse mythology shapeshifters and witches and romance it was all just perfection!
The characters in this book were so well written and I absolutely loved Edith’s character and her development throughout this book with working through her past trauma and grief. Even with the other characters you could see that character development and each character overcoming their own past or their own obstacles.
If you love romance as a subplot you will love this book as well. The romance wasn’t super in your face but it did have some amazing yearning and such amazing buildup In my opinion.
The setting also was absolutely amazing I loved the school with its different sections to me it felt very unique to get those different perspectives and for them to play such a key role in the book. I also loved the sprinkle of horror and suspense throughout the book. Which if you love a good whodunnit then you will also love this book.
My only complaint with this book is that the ending felt kinda rushed. I wish it was just a little bit longer on the end. I also guessed some of the ending really early on which I don’t usually do. That’s not to say I didn’t love the journey to the end. I really enjoyed this story and everything it had to offer the intense parts did their job and while it did have its slow parts it more than made up for it with those intense moments and amazing character development.
January 16, 2026
Beast Becomes Her follows Edith, a girl with a tragic family history that looms over her shoulder. Desperate to be anything but like her father, she does her best to keep all her emotions quiet and deep inside. When that inevitably goes awry, her and her younger sister are sent to a boarding school for people like her, bersirkr. Of course, to make matters worse, upon arriving, she’s the prime suspect for a murder that she absolutely didn’t commit… right? Together, with her accuser, she’s forced to prove her innocence to keep her place at the only place she can learn to control her anger.
I was obsessed from the first page with this first book. The mystery is so well done, I spent every page theorizing who did it. The clues were so well laid out with enough suspicion on others that I was never completely sure who it was till the end.
I was nervous at the beginning that I wouldn’t be able to forgive Amund but, yeah I absolutely did. The chemistry between the two of them? Oh my godddddddd. Had me kicking my feet giggling, I swear.
The book focuses very heavy on the themes of the cycle of abuse. On continuing the cycle or ending it. Through the book, we see multiple characters struggle with it and doing what they think is right. None of the characters are truly evil, even the antagonists had good features to them. But that didn’t mean the abusive characters aren’t given exactly what they deserve, which was satisfying on every single level.
I loved Inheritance of Scars and I absolutely loved this one too. Crystal Seitz was already an autobuy author and this book 100% cemented it. Absolutely so excited for anything else she writes.
I was obsessed from the first page with this first book. The mystery is so well done, I spent every page theorizing who did it. The clues were so well laid out with enough suspicion on others that I was never completely sure who it was till the end.
I was nervous at the beginning that I wouldn’t be able to forgive Amund but, yeah I absolutely did. The chemistry between the two of them? Oh my godddddddd. Had me kicking my feet giggling, I swear.
The book focuses very heavy on the themes of the cycle of abuse. On continuing the cycle or ending it. Through the book, we see multiple characters struggle with it and doing what they think is right. None of the characters are truly evil, even the antagonists had good features to them. But that didn’t mean the abusive characters aren’t given exactly what they deserve, which was satisfying on every single level.
I loved Inheritance of Scars and I absolutely loved this one too. Crystal Seitz was already an autobuy author and this book 100% cemented it. Absolutely so excited for anything else she writes.
March 2, 2026
This was such a fun read, and it was sooooo Teen Wolf coded 🐺 that it sent me straight down memory lane ✨
I loved the premise and overall plot, and I was entertained from start to finish 📖💫. There were a few predictable moments, but it was well written, and the discovery was part of the adventure, like it was all part of the fun 😉.
Edith has recently discovered some unsettling truths about her origins, and it terrifies her. She does everything she can to repress her anger and keep her Berserker side dormant for as long as possible. But through her mentors and fellow students she realizes that she needs to welcome her feminine rage and use it to thrive. Meanwhile, Amund, a hunter desperate to become someone his father can be proud of, struggles to figure out who he really is, trying to separate himself from his father’s prejudices and find where he truly belongs 🏹.
When they come together to uncover the mysteries of Skallagrim Academy 🏫, they’re forced to put aside their differences 🤝. In doing so, they realize they have far more in common than they ever expected ❤️. Alongside a quirky cast of characters and a classic whodunit murder mystery 🕵️♂️🩶, the story keeps you guessing while delivering plenty of supernatural tension and excitement.
🖤✨ Dual POV
📚 Dark Academia
🕵️♂️ Murder Mystery
❤️🔥 Hate to Love
🔥 Feminine Rage
I wanted to thank Netgalley for this ARC
I loved the premise and overall plot, and I was entertained from start to finish 📖💫. There were a few predictable moments, but it was well written, and the discovery was part of the adventure, like it was all part of the fun 😉.
Edith has recently discovered some unsettling truths about her origins, and it terrifies her. She does everything she can to repress her anger and keep her Berserker side dormant for as long as possible. But through her mentors and fellow students she realizes that she needs to welcome her feminine rage and use it to thrive. Meanwhile, Amund, a hunter desperate to become someone his father can be proud of, struggles to figure out who he really is, trying to separate himself from his father’s prejudices and find where he truly belongs 🏹.
When they come together to uncover the mysteries of Skallagrim Academy 🏫, they’re forced to put aside their differences 🤝. In doing so, they realize they have far more in common than they ever expected ❤️. Alongside a quirky cast of characters and a classic whodunit murder mystery 🕵️♂️🩶, the story keeps you guessing while delivering plenty of supernatural tension and excitement.
🖤✨ Dual POV
📚 Dark Academia
🕵️♂️ Murder Mystery
❤️🔥 Hate to Love
🔥 Feminine Rage
I wanted to thank Netgalley for this ARC
March 3, 2026
I received Beast Becomes Her in return for an honest review via NetGalley.
Edith and her little sister have been living in foster care after the death of her parents and she's determined to no end up like them. When an altercation at school changes everything they are sent off to an Skallagrim Academy to learn to control the berserkr lingering under her skin. While her little sister embraces her new life Edith has spent her who life pushing down who she is and learning control is all that matters.
I love Edith she's such a great character and I really felt that I was able to connect with her. She has two brothers after her affections but that's the least of her worries because after arriving bodies start turning up. Teaming up with Amund the brother tasked with finding the killer they form an unlikely bond. I loved the sweet connection between them and he's totally swoonworthy in every way as a hunter and monster.
This is my first book by the author and after seeing some artwork on Insta I knew I needed to read it and I'm very glad that I did. The book is beautifully written it's an emotional coming of age story with just a sprinkle of romance. I was hooked right from the start and devoured this book in just one afternoon of reading. I loved every moment of the story and I'm obsessed with her storytelling. I'm planning on diving into her other book, and she's going on my autobuy list.
Edith and her little sister have been living in foster care after the death of her parents and she's determined to no end up like them. When an altercation at school changes everything they are sent off to an Skallagrim Academy to learn to control the berserkr lingering under her skin. While her little sister embraces her new life Edith has spent her who life pushing down who she is and learning control is all that matters.
I love Edith she's such a great character and I really felt that I was able to connect with her. She has two brothers after her affections but that's the least of her worries because after arriving bodies start turning up. Teaming up with Amund the brother tasked with finding the killer they form an unlikely bond. I loved the sweet connection between them and he's totally swoonworthy in every way as a hunter and monster.
This is my first book by the author and after seeing some artwork on Insta I knew I needed to read it and I'm very glad that I did. The book is beautifully written it's an emotional coming of age story with just a sprinkle of romance. I was hooked right from the start and devoured this book in just one afternoon of reading. I loved every moment of the story and I'm obsessed with her storytelling. I'm planning on diving into her other book, and she's going on my autobuy list.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you @simonteen #partner for the gifted copy of this eARC!
The second I saw Norse mythology in the description, I was sold. That’s literally all it takes for me. I’m obsessed with it and I have no idea why. You’d think I was part Viking at this point. 😂 Anywho...
I really enjoyed this dark academia, YA fantasy, shape shifting tale. From the start, I was completely intrigued by the world, the backstory and especially the relationships. We’ve got a strong female lead in this one, some seriously gruesome murders and our FMC ends up being the prime suspect in crimes she may—or may not—have committed. 👀
But don’t worry…she has a plan to get to the bottom of it and WOWZA does she ever deliver.
The wolf shape shifting was absolutely badass. While she didn’t love her entire family tree and how she got those capabilities those wolf skills come in very clutch by the end. I also loved how detailed the writing was! This book played out like a movie in my head and when it’s like that I always feel like the author has such a talent for descriptions! The setting, the darkness, the atmosphere…I ate that whole vibe up. Nice work Crystal!
The ending was this whole exciting and nonstop pulse pounding chaos. I ended up getting total whiplash and found myself cheering for how things wrapped up. My only small gripe is that it felt a wee bit too long in places but honestly, the added Norse mythology more than made up for it.
If you love dark academia, mythology and fierce female leads, there’s a LOT to be excited about here.
The second I saw Norse mythology in the description, I was sold. That’s literally all it takes for me. I’m obsessed with it and I have no idea why. You’d think I was part Viking at this point. 😂 Anywho...
I really enjoyed this dark academia, YA fantasy, shape shifting tale. From the start, I was completely intrigued by the world, the backstory and especially the relationships. We’ve got a strong female lead in this one, some seriously gruesome murders and our FMC ends up being the prime suspect in crimes she may—or may not—have committed. 👀
But don’t worry…she has a plan to get to the bottom of it and WOWZA does she ever deliver.
The wolf shape shifting was absolutely badass. While she didn’t love her entire family tree and how she got those capabilities those wolf skills come in very clutch by the end. I also loved how detailed the writing was! This book played out like a movie in my head and when it’s like that I always feel like the author has such a talent for descriptions! The setting, the darkness, the atmosphere…I ate that whole vibe up. Nice work Crystal!
The ending was this whole exciting and nonstop pulse pounding chaos. I ended up getting total whiplash and found myself cheering for how things wrapped up. My only small gripe is that it felt a wee bit too long in places but honestly, the added Norse mythology more than made up for it.
If you love dark academia, mythology and fierce female leads, there’s a LOT to be excited about here.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Crystal's sophomore novel, 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘳, is a magical young adult standalone rich with Norse mythology, a mystery to solve, and a forbidden romance to swoon over. Perfect for fans of Teen Wolf!
When Edith unleashes her inner wolf on a classmate, she's sent to a magical academy in Iceland to manage her inner berserkr. With a murderer loose on Skallagrim's campus, she races to locate the culprit while trying to avoid catching feelings for a handsome berserkr hunter, Amund, who falsely suspects her as the killer.
I enjoyed Crystal's debut, 𝘐𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴, and I was in the mood for a quick and mysterious read, so I decided to pick this book up. The Icelandic backdrop was the perfect setting to read during the brutally cold winter months, and I only wish there had been a more immersive quality to the writing to set the scene.
In general, this book left me wanting more - more character depth, more plot details, more showing! The writing quality wasn't quite what I expected and felt very juvenile. I understand I'm above the target audience, but the voice felt significantly younger than the darker tone was aiming for.
Unfortunately, the concept sounded refreshing, but the delivery of the story fell short of my expectations. However, I think younger reads are more likely to connect with this book!
Thank you to McElderry Books/Simon Teen for the advance reading copy!
When Edith unleashes her inner wolf on a classmate, she's sent to a magical academy in Iceland to manage her inner berserkr. With a murderer loose on Skallagrim's campus, she races to locate the culprit while trying to avoid catching feelings for a handsome berserkr hunter, Amund, who falsely suspects her as the killer.
I enjoyed Crystal's debut, 𝘐𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴, and I was in the mood for a quick and mysterious read, so I decided to pick this book up. The Icelandic backdrop was the perfect setting to read during the brutally cold winter months, and I only wish there had been a more immersive quality to the writing to set the scene.
In general, this book left me wanting more - more character depth, more plot details, more showing! The writing quality wasn't quite what I expected and felt very juvenile. I understand I'm above the target audience, but the voice felt significantly younger than the darker tone was aiming for.
Unfortunately, the concept sounded refreshing, but the delivery of the story fell short of my expectations. However, I think younger reads are more likely to connect with this book!
Thank you to McElderry Books/Simon Teen for the advance reading copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Maybe just being a girl in this world makes me a target."**
PREACH girl, preach. I felt this deep in my bones... 5 stars.
There is so much to say about this book. Definitely check trigger warnings before reading it, as it deals with domestic violence, bullying, and (somewhat gory) death.
But this story is so dang good, y'all.
The book follows the POV of Edith, a beserkr (or berserkir - the book uses both spellings, and since it was an ARC, I'm not sure which one is correct), who wants nothing to do with her heritage and Amund, who leans into his out of fear and misguided love. The plot, itself, is compelling as the two try to solve a series of mysterious murders and attacks on their school's campus. But underneath the main story, what we're really reading is a book about PTSD, acceptance, and how sometimes being broken doesn't mean we can't reforge ourselves into something better - STRONGER.
Chef's kiss, Ms. Seitz. I devoured this book (pun absolutely intended).
--
**Edith, "Beast Becomes Her" by Crystal Seitz
"Maybe just being a girl in this world makes me a target."**
PREACH girl, preach. I felt this deep in my bones... 5 stars.
There is so much to say about this book. Definitely check trigger warnings before reading it, as it deals with domestic violence, bullying, and (somewhat gory) death.
But this story is so dang good, y'all.
The book follows the POV of Edith, a beserkr (or berserkir - the book uses both spellings, and since it was an ARC, I'm not sure which one is correct), who wants nothing to do with her heritage and Amund, who leans into his out of fear and misguided love. The plot, itself, is compelling as the two try to solve a series of mysterious murders and attacks on their school's campus. But underneath the main story, what we're really reading is a book about PTSD, acceptance, and how sometimes being broken doesn't mean we can't reforge ourselves into something better - STRONGER.
Chef's kiss, Ms. Seitz. I devoured this book (pun absolutely intended).
--
**Edith, "Beast Becomes Her" by Crystal Seitz
March 4, 2026
80/100 or 4.0 stars
I am glad I went into this one after only reading the synopsis and nothing more. I had a great time with this new world and characters. I am not sure if this is going to be a standalone book or if the author plans to make this a duology or bigger, but I would definitely read more in this world! It is set at a magical school with beast and witches everywhere, how fun is that?! I would have liked a little more world building in this, so getting more of that with a future book or two would be fun. I will say this is a very slow burn in regards to the female rage, so I wouldn't go into this with expectations of that until pretty far into the book, but there are pockets of that throughout the story. I liked all the main characters, and while it was a little obvious to me what was happening, to a younger or newer reader, the plot twist would be unexpected.
I liked the writing style, and would be interested in reading Seitz debut novel and future works! I would love to get a physical copy of this book when I can to add to my library!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am glad I went into this one after only reading the synopsis and nothing more. I had a great time with this new world and characters. I am not sure if this is going to be a standalone book or if the author plans to make this a duology or bigger, but I would definitely read more in this world! It is set at a magical school with beast and witches everywhere, how fun is that?! I would have liked a little more world building in this, so getting more of that with a future book or two would be fun. I will say this is a very slow burn in regards to the female rage, so I wouldn't go into this with expectations of that until pretty far into the book, but there are pockets of that throughout the story. I liked all the main characters, and while it was a little obvious to me what was happening, to a younger or newer reader, the plot twist would be unexpected.
I liked the writing style, and would be interested in reading Seitz debut novel and future works! I would love to get a physical copy of this book when I can to add to my library!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2026
I'm going to cut to the chase: I wish I like this book more.
When I heard about this book being a mix between Wednesday (on Netflix) and Norse Mythology, I was very drawn to it. I'm a big fan of mythology books and love reading books that were inspired by other stories, but this felt very copy and paste with a couple of key differences. This story is about a girl names Edith discovering she's a beserkir and being sent to a special school filled with other kids with similar powers. Of course, she arrives and there's a murderer on the lose, someone trying to hunt her, lots of new friendships, and a lot of inner dialogue about how much she hates her life, doesn't want to accept who she is, and some of the most simple thoughts I have ever read in first person point of view (from both characters).
This criticism isn't to say I didn't like what I was reading. I enjoyed reading something familiar with different characters and based on a lesser known mythology to the general public. This book very felt too easy to read, especially if this is geared towards the young adult/teenage audience.
ARC from Simon Teen.
When I heard about this book being a mix between Wednesday (on Netflix) and Norse Mythology, I was very drawn to it. I'm a big fan of mythology books and love reading books that were inspired by other stories, but this felt very copy and paste with a couple of key differences. This story is about a girl names Edith discovering she's a beserkir and being sent to a special school filled with other kids with similar powers. Of course, she arrives and there's a murderer on the lose, someone trying to hunt her, lots of new friendships, and a lot of inner dialogue about how much she hates her life, doesn't want to accept who she is, and some of the most simple thoughts I have ever read in first person point of view (from both characters).
This criticism isn't to say I didn't like what I was reading. I enjoyed reading something familiar with different characters and based on a lesser known mythology to the general public. This book very felt too easy to read, especially if this is geared towards the young adult/teenage audience.
ARC from Simon Teen.
March 3, 2026
Received as ARC from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
A YA dark academia fantasy with a murder mystery at the heart of it, all takes place in Iceland with a school that has Norse roots... and berserkers to boot, which I actually haven't had in any of my reads yet. It was definitely really interesting. Also, there is romance but is only a sidebar here, so nothing more than kissing happens.
I think the multiple POVs really helped here, when sometimes they can work against a story, but here you could still feel the full connection to both main characters. Obviously, a little less so with Amund, but he's written stiffly on purpose.
There was quite a lot of repetition in some areas, the kind you normally see in a sequel when they are restating events. Those were a little frustrating in parts since I didn't need a recap of what I just read a few chapters back. And, a few of the wrong conclusions they came to were very obvious, wish those made more sense.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one with the very fully built world and magical system explanations!
A YA dark academia fantasy with a murder mystery at the heart of it, all takes place in Iceland with a school that has Norse roots... and berserkers to boot, which I actually haven't had in any of my reads yet. It was definitely really interesting. Also, there is romance but is only a sidebar here, so nothing more than kissing happens.
I think the multiple POVs really helped here, when sometimes they can work against a story, but here you could still feel the full connection to both main characters. Obviously, a little less so with Amund, but he's written stiffly on purpose.
There was quite a lot of repetition in some areas, the kind you normally see in a sequel when they are restating events. Those were a little frustrating in parts since I didn't need a recap of what I just read a few chapters back. And, a few of the wrong conclusions they came to were very obvious, wish those made more sense.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one with the very fully built world and magical system explanations!
March 4, 2026
ARC 4/5
Secrets. Struggle for control. Magic school. Murder. Lies.
This YA Nordic murder mystery occurs on the campus of a school for those blessed, or cursed, with unique abilities. Witches. Berserkers. Seers, and Hunters. The school is meant to be a safe place to learn to balance your life and abilities, but is a safe haven what Edith will find?
This book is super unique in the way it incorporates Nordic history and mythology. I don’t see it done often (from what I can tell) and I was very intrigued when I initially saw the blurb. This was a great read. It kept me on my toes through the unofficial investigation and surprised me with how unsettling and spooky some scenes were. This is exactly the type of book I would have read back in the day, and I loved channeling my younger self while reading this.
This gave me Teen Wolf vibes, which is exactly why I grabbed it. So I was not disappointed at all.
While being a YA novel, it discusses childhood trauma, childhood abuse, grief, loss, and other heavy topics. So please check the warnings!
Secrets. Struggle for control. Magic school. Murder. Lies.
This YA Nordic murder mystery occurs on the campus of a school for those blessed, or cursed, with unique abilities. Witches. Berserkers. Seers, and Hunters. The school is meant to be a safe place to learn to balance your life and abilities, but is a safe haven what Edith will find?
This book is super unique in the way it incorporates Nordic history and mythology. I don’t see it done often (from what I can tell) and I was very intrigued when I initially saw the blurb. This was a great read. It kept me on my toes through the unofficial investigation and surprised me with how unsettling and spooky some scenes were. This is exactly the type of book I would have read back in the day, and I loved channeling my younger self while reading this.
This gave me Teen Wolf vibes, which is exactly why I grabbed it. So I was not disappointed at all.
While being a YA novel, it discusses childhood trauma, childhood abuse, grief, loss, and other heavy topics. So please check the warnings!
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