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Veilbreak
Not yet published
Expected 9 Jan 27SOME THREADS, ONCE PULLED, CAN UNRAVEL EVERYTHING.
Ten years ago, Freya Holm burned down a Helix Industries lab, surviving an injection of Veil-thread—strange matter harvested from another dimension. Helix assumed there were no survivors.
They were wrong.
For the next decade, Freya lived in hiding in Stockholm, repairing whatever came through her workshop. But when a midnight raid forces her to unleash the power born from that night, Helix discovers their lost subject is still alive.
Now, with rogue mercenary Alexei revealing Helix is draining Veil-thread from a girl named Eva, Freya and Alexei are hunted across Europe as they race to reach her before it's too late.
Ten years ago, Freya Holm burned down a Helix Industries lab, surviving an injection of Veil-thread—strange matter harvested from another dimension. Helix assumed there were no survivors.
They were wrong.
For the next decade, Freya lived in hiding in Stockholm, repairing whatever came through her workshop. But when a midnight raid forces her to unleash the power born from that night, Helix discovers their lost subject is still alive.
Now, with rogue mercenary Alexei revealing Helix is draining Veil-thread from a girl named Eva, Freya and Alexei are hunted across Europe as they race to reach her before it's too late.
386 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 9, 2027
About the author
T. J. Spyres
1 book3 followersT. J. Spyres is a fantasy author and the writer of Veilbreak. He has always had a knack for writing stories ever since he was little. Originally from Florida, T. J. earned his bachelor’s degree in Public Health before turning his focus toward writing and bringing his stories to life. Veilbreak is the first novel in his planned series, following Freya Holm as she confronts the secrets of her past and the strange dimension that changed her forever. When he isn’t writing, T. J. can usually be found reading fantasy, staying active in the gym, and trying new recipes in the kitchen. Follow him on TikTok at @tjspyresbooks.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
What did I think?? IT LITERALLY HAD ME HOLDING MY BREATH!
This story will have you missing your old stuffed animals, and texting your friends that you love them just because. It's now one of my all time favorite books. There is not a world where you regret reading this. It's a story about a girl and her teddy bear toppling a regime with some of the most compelling characters you will ever meet. Each page is gripping and keeps you wanting more. You want tension? Check. You want complex and intriguing lore? Check! Unforgettable magic systems and genuine comedic relief? Check and check!! It has almost anything you could want in a contemporary dystopian, and then some!
I am so unbelievably honored to be able to review this for you all before it comes out! YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK. Freya and all of her new companions will stay with you even when you aren't reading. Be prepared for the best rollercoaster of the year. There are quotes from this book that will be permanently tattooed on my skin, and you know what...you are gonna have to read it to find out why.
This story will have you missing your old stuffed animals, and texting your friends that you love them just because. It's now one of my all time favorite books. There is not a world where you regret reading this. It's a story about a girl and her teddy bear toppling a regime with some of the most compelling characters you will ever meet. Each page is gripping and keeps you wanting more. You want tension? Check. You want complex and intriguing lore? Check! Unforgettable magic systems and genuine comedic relief? Check and check!! It has almost anything you could want in a contemporary dystopian, and then some!
I am so unbelievably honored to be able to review this for you all before it comes out! YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK. Freya and all of her new companions will stay with you even when you aren't reading. Be prepared for the best rollercoaster of the year. There are quotes from this book that will be permanently tattooed on my skin, and you know what...you are gonna have to read it to find out why.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS PREMISE! A girl infused with mysterious interdimensional matter, a sinister corporation, a dangerous race across Europe, and a teddy bear helping topple a regime? Yes Please! Veilbreak grabbed my attention with Freya’s tragic past, her extraordinary powers, and Helix Industries’ horrifying experiments. I loved the blend of science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian action, especially the gripping chase to save Eva before it is too late. The worldbuilding had me curious, and the action felt so cinematic that I could picture everything unfolding right in front of me. I also enjoyed the character dynamics and those softer moments that reminded me there is so much heart beneath all the chaos. I did wish that conflicts had not dragged on and the romance felt more natural, but the explosive action and fascinating premise kept me invested. I finished wanting MORE of this world and its unforgettable characters!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
October 10, 2026
Thank you so much to T. J. Spyres and his team for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. 🤍
Veilbreak was such a fun read! The magic system is really really unique. I was such a fan of the idea of their powers manifesting because of a trauma they experienced. I really enjoyed the scenes of the characters explaining this process!
Speaking of characters, I was attached almost instantly to Freya. I really love her a lot as a main character (despite the terrible decisions she sometimes makes 😭). The dynamic she and Alexei have is really great! And don't get me started on little Bruno!!!
The overall story (and the idea of Helix) was really interesting and the ending left me really wanting more. I'm really excited to see where this series goes. What a wonderful debut from Spyres! ✨
Veilbreak was such a fun read! The magic system is really really unique. I was such a fan of the idea of their powers manifesting because of a trauma they experienced. I really enjoyed the scenes of the characters explaining this process!
Speaking of characters, I was attached almost instantly to Freya. I really love her a lot as a main character (despite the terrible decisions she sometimes makes 😭). The dynamic she and Alexei have is really great! And don't get me started on little Bruno!!!
The overall story (and the idea of Helix) was really interesting and the ending left me really wanting more. I'm really excited to see where this series goes. What a wonderful debut from Spyres! ✨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Twelfth House Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
A solid debut with a strong start. I was completely hooked for the first 50%, quite literally flying through the pages because I was so invested in where the story was headed. The book thrusts you straight into a huge blow-up with no explanation, and while you have no clue what’s going on, you’re desperate to find out what happens and how these characters will survive it. That build-up was very exciting, and the writing was easy to sink into, but the second half did lose some of that momentum for me.
What kept me turning pages was the Veilthread storyline, and I was especially intrigued by how Helix was tied into it all. The magic itself is unique, and although we don’t get the full picture of what it is and what it can really do, that sense of mystery piqued my interest, at least in the beginning. I also enjoyed the setting. The characters travel across Europe, mostly through Germany with a little Sweden and Denmark sprinkled in, and I loved seeing parts of the continent that rarely get the spotlight in books. The wintry backdrop was a bonus, too, since I will always appreciate a winter setting. Bruno was another fun surprise (I would love to be able to do that), though I wish we’d been given a bit more explanation of how exactly he came to be.
When it comes to the characters, Freya is a compelling MC to follow, and you can tell there is so much more of her we haven't seen yet. Alexei was an interesting character as well, and he raises just as many questions. Beyond those two, the rest of the cast remains pretty mysterious, even to the reader. The introductions to the side characters showed so much promise, which is exactly why it was disappointing to spend so little time with them and then lose a whole chunk of the book without them in it. Because the story moves so quickly instead of easing you in with character building, I never had enough time with the whole group to form a solid opinion of them. There is also the teensiest, most minuscule crumb of a possible future romantic relationship, and while this is a fantasy book through and through, it could be a nice addition if it’s developed well in the next book.
Where the book fell short for me was the relationships. Because the pacing was so rapid, the bonds between Freya and the others never had the space to take root. Some of them had known each other for roughly a day and were in tears over her the next, which made the more emotional moments feel unconvincing. This book could have definitely benefited from a dual or multi-POV format, particularly for Alexei, who clearly has his own storyline running in the background. Whenever Freya was separated from the group, I felt like I was missing a huge piece of the puzzle regarding the other characters. The second half introduced so much new information and characters that I finished with a lot of unanswered questions and the sense that I had missed explanations along the way. I also would have loved more context on Freya’s past to make sense of it all. I’m sure a good portion of this is setup for the sequel, but in the moment it left me feeling a little lost 😭
Despite some small frustrations, I’m curious to see where the series goes and would definitely recommend reading.
A solid debut with a strong start. I was completely hooked for the first 50%, quite literally flying through the pages because I was so invested in where the story was headed. The book thrusts you straight into a huge blow-up with no explanation, and while you have no clue what’s going on, you’re desperate to find out what happens and how these characters will survive it. That build-up was very exciting, and the writing was easy to sink into, but the second half did lose some of that momentum for me.
What kept me turning pages was the Veilthread storyline, and I was especially intrigued by how Helix was tied into it all. The magic itself is unique, and although we don’t get the full picture of what it is and what it can really do, that sense of mystery piqued my interest, at least in the beginning. I also enjoyed the setting. The characters travel across Europe, mostly through Germany with a little Sweden and Denmark sprinkled in, and I loved seeing parts of the continent that rarely get the spotlight in books. The wintry backdrop was a bonus, too, since I will always appreciate a winter setting. Bruno was another fun surprise (I would love to be able to do that), though I wish we’d been given a bit more explanation of how exactly he came to be.
When it comes to the characters, Freya is a compelling MC to follow, and you can tell there is so much more of her we haven't seen yet. Alexei was an interesting character as well, and he raises just as many questions. Beyond those two, the rest of the cast remains pretty mysterious, even to the reader. The introductions to the side characters showed so much promise, which is exactly why it was disappointing to spend so little time with them and then lose a whole chunk of the book without them in it. Because the story moves so quickly instead of easing you in with character building, I never had enough time with the whole group to form a solid opinion of them. There is also the teensiest, most minuscule crumb of a possible future romantic relationship, and while this is a fantasy book through and through, it could be a nice addition if it’s developed well in the next book.
Where the book fell short for me was the relationships. Because the pacing was so rapid, the bonds between Freya and the others never had the space to take root. Some of them had known each other for roughly a day and were in tears over her the next, which made the more emotional moments feel unconvincing. This book could have definitely benefited from a dual or multi-POV format, particularly for Alexei, who clearly has his own storyline running in the background. Whenever Freya was separated from the group, I felt like I was missing a huge piece of the puzzle regarding the other characters. The second half introduced so much new information and characters that I finished with a lot of unanswered questions and the sense that I had missed explanations along the way. I also would have loved more context on Freya’s past to make sense of it all. I’m sure a good portion of this is setup for the sequel, but in the moment it left me feeling a little lost 😭
Despite some small frustrations, I’m curious to see where the series goes and would definitely recommend reading.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow, this was super fast paced and entertaining!
Quick synopsis: Freya has been on the run/in hiding for the last ten years. Alexei finds her and they both realize they're on the same side and have to go on the run together to save a girl held captive in a research lab.
This reminded me of Jason Bourne meets Robert Langdon (Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, etc). The action starts up right away and takes you through the first few chapters quickly. The next thing to typically happen in this genre is a "cool down spell" where the main characters have time to breathe and discuss their plans and who they are/their backstories, etc. This doesn't happen in Veilbreak, and I was left feeling a little at a loss as to where they were going, why and who they were to each other. Freya somehow trusts Alexei immediately and this isn't well established (as a woman reading the initial encounter between them, I was shocked she allowed a strange man into her shop so late at night and locked the door behind him - I would have been on my guard, possibly with a knife hidden in my hand waiting for him to attack - and also probably would not have even been open at 11pm given that I was a solo woman running a shop).
I found myself asking a few questions while reading that took me out of the story - if Freya escaped the research facility at 15 and made her way to Stockholm, where are her survival skills? She follows Alexei without question. Also, why doesn't Freya try to change her appearance at all (eg. wig, hair dye, hat, etc)? Why are they in Europe? Everywhere they go they all speak English by default, which is not typical in my experience. So if they're all going to speak English, why not just situate this in the US or the UK? Also, once they get to Julian's, they are in hiding, but Julian asks Freya to go on an outside errand? With no disguise?
I really enjoyed the pacing of this adventure and can see the appeal!
Thank you NetGalley and Twelfth House Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own
Quick synopsis: Freya has been on the run/in hiding for the last ten years. Alexei finds her and they both realize they're on the same side and have to go on the run together to save a girl held captive in a research lab.
This reminded me of Jason Bourne meets Robert Langdon (Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, etc). The action starts up right away and takes you through the first few chapters quickly. The next thing to typically happen in this genre is a "cool down spell" where the main characters have time to breathe and discuss their plans and who they are/their backstories, etc. This doesn't happen in Veilbreak, and I was left feeling a little at a loss as to where they were going, why and who they were to each other. Freya somehow trusts Alexei immediately and this isn't well established (as a woman reading the initial encounter between them, I was shocked she allowed a strange man into her shop so late at night and locked the door behind him - I would have been on my guard, possibly with a knife hidden in my hand waiting for him to attack - and also probably would not have even been open at 11pm given that I was a solo woman running a shop).
I found myself asking a few questions while reading that took me out of the story - if Freya escaped the research facility at 15 and made her way to Stockholm, where are her survival skills? She follows Alexei without question. Also, why doesn't Freya try to change her appearance at all (eg. wig, hair dye, hat, etc)? Why are they in Europe? Everywhere they go they all speak English by default, which is not typical in my experience. So if they're all going to speak English, why not just situate this in the US or the UK? Also, once they get to Julian's, they are in hiding, but Julian asks Freya to go on an outside errand? With no disguise?
I really enjoyed the pacing of this adventure and can see the appeal!
Thank you NetGalley and Twelfth House Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Veilbreak was, all in all, a pretty fun read. It's fast-paced, and manages to avoid dragging out the exposition without leaving you clueless, which is always nice to see in a fantasy. You're thrown headfirst into the plot from the very first few chapters. The author does a good job of writing out fight scenes—every confrontation has this little cinematic touch to it. Combined with the nature of the plot (a little bit of being on the run, a little bit of a heist) it feels a bit like sitting through an action film at some points.
The characters were...barely compelling, which I must admit is also very action movie, so if you're used to those you won't really mind this. The ensemble cast was fun! I have my complaints but I still found their dynamic sweet—the sequence of chapters towards the end of part 2 especially so. There are, however, certain inter-character conflicts that are dragged out in a way that feels monotonous and repetitive. They're also resolved in a way that wasn't really to my tastes. Lots of song and dance around apologies/forgiveness where I couldn't help but think: "Girly, please, there are bigger problems at hand!!!!"
I'd also like to talk about the romance, which. How do I best put this. I remember telling a friend that it could be a beautiful love story if it weren't destined to be a romance, which I think summarizes it pretty well. Every time there's a blatant wink-wink-nudge-nudge towards their romance, it feels like their usual existing chemistry drops to the negatives, which is pretty ironic.
The book starts losing steam around the third act—there's a very sudden change in their scenario and I felt like the pacing went a little screwy there. Additionally: lots of ethical dilemmas and moral quandaries which are also approached in the way I described as monotonous above. Thankfully, it goes back to business by the fourth part (I'm always a sucker for a good shootout).
To summarize: not as good as it could be, but enjoyable nonetheless. The characters felt a little weak, but the plot manages to make up for it.
The characters were...barely compelling, which I must admit is also very action movie, so if you're used to those you won't really mind this. The ensemble cast was fun! I have my complaints but I still found their dynamic sweet—the sequence of chapters towards the end of part 2 especially so. There are, however, certain inter-character conflicts that are dragged out in a way that feels monotonous and repetitive. They're also resolved in a way that wasn't really to my tastes. Lots of song and dance around apologies/forgiveness where I couldn't help but think: "Girly, please, there are bigger problems at hand!!!!"
I'd also like to talk about the romance, which. How do I best put this. I remember telling a friend that it could be a beautiful love story if it weren't destined to be a romance, which I think summarizes it pretty well. Every time there's a blatant wink-wink-nudge-nudge towards their romance, it feels like their usual existing chemistry drops to the negatives, which is pretty ironic.
The book starts losing steam around the third act—there's a very sudden change in their scenario and I felt like the pacing went a little screwy there. Additionally: lots of ethical dilemmas and moral quandaries which are also approached in the way I described as monotonous above. Thankfully, it goes back to business by the fourth part (I'm always a sucker for a good shootout).
To summarize: not as good as it could be, but enjoyable nonetheless. The characters felt a little weak, but the plot manages to make up for it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
★★★★¾ (4.7.5/5)
Thank you to T. J. Spyres and Twelfth House Press for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Starting off, the cover is BEAUTIFUL. As for the novel itself, I was impressed with this book as an ARC reader, especially because it is a debut novel. The magic system was very unique and I think that is what enticed me the most. I was pulled in immediately with how each character's power was connected to their trauma/emotions. That element of the story was easily one of my favorite parts.
I also really enjoyed the cast characters and loved getting to learn more via backstories as they were introduced throughout the novel. Bruno was such a highlight for me (I'm a simp for familiars). His scenes always had me smiling to myself. There were so many adorable moments, and I NEED more Bruno in the next book!
I am also a sucker for a slow-burn romance. I could definitely see the spark between Freya and Alexei starting to form by the end of the story, so I am excited to see how their relationship develops.
I did however, want a little more time spent exploring the world and the magic system, since I found that aspect the most interesting, but it did not take away from the story as a whole.
Overall, this was a creative take on urban fantasy. I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes next, especially with the cliffhanger!
Thank you to T. J. Spyres and Twelfth House Press for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Starting off, the cover is BEAUTIFUL. As for the novel itself, I was impressed with this book as an ARC reader, especially because it is a debut novel. The magic system was very unique and I think that is what enticed me the most. I was pulled in immediately with how each character's power was connected to their trauma/emotions. That element of the story was easily one of my favorite parts.
I also really enjoyed the cast characters and loved getting to learn more via backstories as they were introduced throughout the novel. Bruno was such a highlight for me (I'm a simp for familiars). His scenes always had me smiling to myself. There were so many adorable moments, and I NEED more Bruno in the next book!
I am also a sucker for a slow-burn romance. I could definitely see the spark between Freya and Alexei starting to form by the end of the story, so I am excited to see how their relationship develops.
I did however, want a little more time spent exploring the world and the magic system, since I found that aspect the most interesting, but it did not take away from the story as a whole.
Overall, this was a creative take on urban fantasy. I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes next, especially with the cliffhanger!
October 19, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
First of all I wanted to say the cover is absolutely gorgeous.
Personally I loved the idea of the main character being on the run. This was interesting and pretty good. Unfortunately for me I don’t think this was the book for me. I don’t think I was ever fully invested in our FMC and I was actually wondering what she went through prior to this book.
I’m hoping the author released like a .5 version before this book to see if we can get her story because that is what I’m mostly interested in.
On the other hand she was not insufferable and I can appreciate that, she was actually quite likable.
I do want to say that the magic system is unlike anything I’ve read and I, definitely intrigued to see where the author takes it in the next installments.
Looking forward to the next book because that cliff hanger left me on the edge of my seat!
First of all I wanted to say the cover is absolutely gorgeous.
Personally I loved the idea of the main character being on the run. This was interesting and pretty good. Unfortunately for me I don’t think this was the book for me. I don’t think I was ever fully invested in our FMC and I was actually wondering what she went through prior to this book.
I’m hoping the author released like a .5 version before this book to see if we can get her story because that is what I’m mostly interested in.
On the other hand she was not insufferable and I can appreciate that, she was actually quite likable.
I do want to say that the magic system is unlike anything I’ve read and I, definitely intrigued to see where the author takes it in the next installments.
Looking forward to the next book because that cliff hanger left me on the edge of my seat!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews