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Veiled: The Shattered Veil Book 1
Not yet published
Expected 2 Mar 26Annalise has spent her entire life surviving her father, the revered sheriff of South Hollow. One violent night, she’s forced to choose between her life and his. Bleeding, terrified, and convinced she’s just murdered one of the most powerful men in town, she and her best friend Matt flee into the storm… only to be caught by the men who should have been protecting her all along.
After the truth is buried under a veil of lies, the judge sentences them to ten years of service in the Thandroanian military—an unprecedented punishment that lands them at Scion Military Academy.
Thrown into a world of dragons, spell casters, and spies—Annalise must become a weapon if she has any hope of surviving the illusion-warped war raging along the kingdom’s southern border after graduation.
*** Veiled is the first book in the Shadowed Veil series, a dark romantasy rife with spies, secrets, and seduction. With a strong-willed FMC, dark humor, kick-your-feet banter, more easter eggs than you can count, and cliff hangers that will make you want to throw your book across the room, this series is perfect for fans of Avalon Tower, Fourth Wing, and Enigma.***
After the truth is buried under a veil of lies, the judge sentences them to ten years of service in the Thandroanian military—an unprecedented punishment that lands them at Scion Military Academy.
Thrown into a world of dragons, spell casters, and spies—Annalise must become a weapon if she has any hope of surviving the illusion-warped war raging along the kingdom’s southern border after graduation.
*** Veiled is the first book in the Shadowed Veil series, a dark romantasy rife with spies, secrets, and seduction. With a strong-willed FMC, dark humor, kick-your-feet banter, more easter eggs than you can count, and cliff hangers that will make you want to throw your book across the room, this series is perfect for fans of Avalon Tower, Fourth Wing, and Enigma.***
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Excuse me! That ending ... And now I have to wait?!
This was such an amazing book. Action from the very first page, the pacing felt natural and the detail was top notch. Background for our FMC gets sprinkled in everywhere so it's not just one huge chunk of development, relationships are developed naturally and the friendships don't feel forced.
You get to learn a lot about the War in Thandoran and some of the tactics used by the Clowessian army. The magic of this world is int resting, some of it tied to dragons, some of it to spells, and some of it to potions and runes. There is set up that feels like its for the next book that only gets brought up once so paying attention to the little details is important.
The spice in this book was stunning a good 4-4.5 peppers. Though our MMC has left me questioning if he deserves Annalise. This book does touch on some heavier topics so please check your triggers. I would 100% recommend reading this if you enjoy dragon riders, fantasy wars, scheming and spies, found family and an FMC who has seen the worst but still believes the best in most people.
This was such an amazing book. Action from the very first page, the pacing felt natural and the detail was top notch. Background for our FMC gets sprinkled in everywhere so it's not just one huge chunk of development, relationships are developed naturally and the friendships don't feel forced.
You get to learn a lot about the War in Thandoran and some of the tactics used by the Clowessian army. The magic of this world is int resting, some of it tied to dragons, some of it to spells, and some of it to potions and runes. There is set up that feels like its for the next book that only gets brought up once so paying attention to the little details is important.
The spice in this book was stunning a good 4-4.5 peppers. Though our MMC has left me questioning if he deserves Annalise. This book does touch on some heavier topics so please check your triggers. I would 100% recommend reading this if you enjoy dragon riders, fantasy wars, scheming and spies, found family and an FMC who has seen the worst but still believes the best in most people.
January 20, 2026
This was pretty good. It gave Fourth Wing / Unbound vibes. It was a good read and I was trapped in it 😊. I would read more by Cooper James.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Where do I EVEN begin?! - this book was SOOOOOOOO good.
What isn't to love? Dragons, the BEST of best friends, and more new best friends forming the BEST found family EVER, magic (though we haven't gotten to see very much of it in use yet), a couple characters that you *REALLY* love to HATE - like I would drive 1000 miles to help take care of them myself if I was lucky enough to be one of the aforementioned best friends. The plot, characters, romance, etc is soooo good, even if a bit messy at times, and with PLENTY of fun, wtf, and also f'd up turns - but it's SOOOOOO freaking good -I NEEEEEEEEEEED book 2 through 15 like RIGHT NOW (fully aware the series is likely a much more realistic 3-5ish, but a guy can dream can't he? :P )
That all said, I need me some answers - Aiden..... what...the....f? that's all I am gonna say, I don't wanna spoil - but that better not be the end of things, and there better be some SERIOUSLY good explanations. That ending - the cliffhanger - like c'mon - what the hell?! - you can't go leaving us like that - and that twist to 13 levels of hell kinda f'd up - I need to see her finish that and be ok, have Matt and Sasha and company be there for her. Again, I need book 2 like right this second :P - waiting months for the next ARC is gonna SUCK, and even longer if I have to wait for 2 to drop.
Also, her and Matt's home town and families - they need some addressing at some point in my humble opinion - but I also wanna know more about the war, why can't she find specific numbers of any losses or missing citizens, why do some records contradict others, is the war legit, or is there a coverup going on? are the citizens being kept in the dark intentionally - for their own good or nefarious purposes? Are they the good guys, or the bad guys? We need to know more - but I hope that worldbuilding and lore is going to be fun to dive into and explore more as Annalise progresses in her time at the Scion Academy and all.
Gods the book was sooooo dang good - JUST the right amount of spice, dark fuckery (pardon my French so to speak, but I can't think of a better way to describe some of the more messed up stuff in her past and a few points in the book), the BEST friends, found family, romance, DRAGONS!!! - did I mention the dragons - of the ones that we meet that are the most memorable, one is a BIG puppy, one's a gorgeous emerald cat, and one is a big bad TERRIFYINGLY moody and tempermental Alpha meanie who's actually a big ole softy - a couple others jokingly like Lee more than their own bonded rider which is hilarious - and brings me to THE BANTER - how did I NOT mention that earlier - the banter is GLORIOUS, HILLARIOUS, and I need more of it! - the amount of times I was literally laughing out loud and just absolutely enjoying Matt, Lee, Josh, James, Sasha, Antonio, etc - the whole gang is AMAZING
Also, on the subject of banter and how awesome Sasha is, the humor in here is PEAK - one specific quote that comes to mind, or rather snippet of a scene, is Sasha taking notes at their first Dragon Riding class and literally scribbling, ""Blinking. Pupils. Got it. Don't Die." Matt hides a grin, "Solid Summary."" - there's MANY other moments, but that one was PERFECTLY timed comedy :P
I literally cannot recommend this enough - I need book 2 asap, will 10000% be buying at least a couple copies of this book/series over time I imagine.
What isn't to love? Dragons, the BEST of best friends, and more new best friends forming the BEST found family EVER, magic (though we haven't gotten to see very much of it in use yet), a couple characters that you *REALLY* love to HATE - like I would drive 1000 miles to help take care of them myself if I was lucky enough to be one of the aforementioned best friends. The plot, characters, romance, etc is soooo good, even if a bit messy at times, and with PLENTY of fun, wtf, and also f'd up turns - but it's SOOOOOO freaking good -I NEEEEEEEEEEED book 2 through 15 like RIGHT NOW (fully aware the series is likely a much more realistic 3-5ish, but a guy can dream can't he? :P )
That all said, I need me some answers - Aiden..... what...the....f? that's all I am gonna say, I don't wanna spoil - but that better not be the end of things, and there better be some SERIOUSLY good explanations. That ending - the cliffhanger - like c'mon - what the hell?! - you can't go leaving us like that - and that twist to 13 levels of hell kinda f'd up - I need to see her finish that and be ok, have Matt and Sasha and company be there for her. Again, I need book 2 like right this second :P - waiting months for the next ARC is gonna SUCK, and even longer if I have to wait for 2 to drop.
Also, her and Matt's home town and families - they need some addressing at some point in my humble opinion - but I also wanna know more about the war, why can't she find specific numbers of any losses or missing citizens, why do some records contradict others, is the war legit, or is there a coverup going on? are the citizens being kept in the dark intentionally - for their own good or nefarious purposes? Are they the good guys, or the bad guys? We need to know more - but I hope that worldbuilding and lore is going to be fun to dive into and explore more as Annalise progresses in her time at the Scion Academy and all.
Gods the book was sooooo dang good - JUST the right amount of spice, dark fuckery (pardon my French so to speak, but I can't think of a better way to describe some of the more messed up stuff in her past and a few points in the book), the BEST friends, found family, romance, DRAGONS!!! - did I mention the dragons - of the ones that we meet that are the most memorable, one is a BIG puppy, one's a gorgeous emerald cat, and one is a big bad TERRIFYINGLY moody and tempermental Alpha meanie who's actually a big ole softy - a couple others jokingly like Lee more than their own bonded rider which is hilarious - and brings me to THE BANTER - how did I NOT mention that earlier - the banter is GLORIOUS, HILLARIOUS, and I need more of it! - the amount of times I was literally laughing out loud and just absolutely enjoying Matt, Lee, Josh, James, Sasha, Antonio, etc - the whole gang is AMAZING
Also, on the subject of banter and how awesome Sasha is, the humor in here is PEAK - one specific quote that comes to mind, or rather snippet of a scene, is Sasha taking notes at their first Dragon Riding class and literally scribbling, ""Blinking. Pupils. Got it. Don't Die." Matt hides a grin, "Solid Summary."" - there's MANY other moments, but that one was PERFECTLY timed comedy :P
I literally cannot recommend this enough - I need book 2 asap, will 10000% be buying at least a couple copies of this book/series over time I imagine.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Veiled was an absolutely incredible journey. As others have mentioned, it gave heavy Fourth Wing inspired vibes with the dragons and the love story and the powers. It's got the magic academy and friendship vibe of Harry Potter. If you love those, this is an absolute must!
Veiled follows the journey of Annalise, our FMC. She faces battle after battle on a journey to survive. Will she make it? Will she find purpose? Will she find love? This thrilling story will leave you aching to read the next chapter to see just what happens next. It kept me up at night needing to get the answers!
As an ARC reader, the editing was in rough shape when I read it. For that, I would normally mark a book down, and in this case it would have received zero stars. However, the author worked diligently to make sure the book was in great shape for all future readers so that it could maintain the 5 star rating that the story itself has earned.
I am dying to read book two. I couldn't have predicted the twists and turns that this story held and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next part!
Veiled follows the journey of Annalise, our FMC. She faces battle after battle on a journey to survive. Will she make it? Will she find purpose? Will she find love? This thrilling story will leave you aching to read the next chapter to see just what happens next. It kept me up at night needing to get the answers!
As an ARC reader, the editing was in rough shape when I read it. For that, I would normally mark a book down, and in this case it would have received zero stars. However, the author worked diligently to make sure the book was in great shape for all future readers so that it could maintain the 5 star rating that the story itself has earned.
I am dying to read book two. I couldn't have predicted the twists and turns that this story held and I can't wait to see where it goes in the next part!
Review of advance copy received from Author
first of all, it has maps, so it's already on to a good start.
This is a fantasy war college academia with dragons and a small amount of magical powers.
Annalise is such a strong and formidable character who has overcome so much pain. paired with Matt, and they make a witty and sarcastic pair who uplift everyone they surround themselves with.
This story is a lot similar with the fourth wing, with bonding dragons, war college, some closely simular names like professor sorenson ( Sorrengail+Riorson) but it's equally its own in the dinamics of the college, her trauma, the relationships she builds, the missions they go on. It's definitely worth the read if you love academia.
The world building was very well done, and although it feels like modern and historic are mixed together, it sort of really works nicely.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
This is a fantasy war college academia with dragons and a small amount of magical powers.
Annalise is such a strong and formidable character who has overcome so much pain. paired with Matt, and they make a witty and sarcastic pair who uplift everyone they surround themselves with.
This story is a lot similar with the fourth wing, with bonding dragons, war college, some closely simular names like professor sorenson ( Sorrengail+Riorson) but it's equally its own in the dinamics of the college, her trauma, the relationships she builds, the missions they go on. It's definitely worth the read if you love academia.
The world building was very well done, and although it feels like modern and historic are mixed together, it sort of really works nicely.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Veiled by @cooper.james.author & I’m here to tell you it didn’t disappoint! If you loved Fourth Wing and Enigma, this book is for you!
My only slight gripe was that the ending felt a little rushed compared to the careful buildup of the rest of the book. I would have loved just a few more chapters to sit with the resolution and see a bit more character fallout.
Overall, Veiled is a fantastic read for anyone who loves a story wrapped in mystery and atmosphere. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from Cooper James in the future!
My only slight gripe was that the ending felt a little rushed compared to the careful buildup of the rest of the book. I would have loved just a few more chapters to sit with the resolution and see a bit more character fallout.
Overall, Veiled is a fantastic read for anyone who loves a story wrapped in mystery and atmosphere. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from Cooper James in the future!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This one grabbed me by the throat and did not let go!
Immediately you are sucked in to Annalise and her life of surviving her powerful, beloved sheriff father, until one brutal night forces her to choose him or her life. The system meant to protect her betrayed her instead. Annalise realizes she can’t just survive anymore, she has to become a weapon.
Lies. A buried truth. Romance. Dragons. Spell casters. Spies. An illusion-warped war. Dark, emotional and action-packed, I give this stars EASY.
Immediately you are sucked in to Annalise and her life of surviving her powerful, beloved sheriff father, until one brutal night forces her to choose him or her life. The system meant to protect her betrayed her instead. Annalise realizes she can’t just survive anymore, she has to become a weapon.
Lies. A buried truth. Romance. Dragons. Spell casters. Spies. An illusion-warped war. Dark, emotional and action-packed, I give this stars EASY.
Review of advance copy received from Author
YALL! This is by FAR one of the best books I’ve read in a LONG time! The pacing, the suspension, the SPICE??? Perfect!! Cooper James takes what you think you know about romantasy and flips it on its head! I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for any future releases from her; she’s definitely made it into my short list of favorite authors!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews