One For Sorrow

The Veil #5.5

by Pippa DaCosta

Read after Ties That Bind #5 The Veil Series to avoid major series spoilers.

‘Routine call,’ Ryder had said. But when Muse arrives at the abandoned house, there’s nothing routine about the demon waiting inside. His trap is set, and he knows the Mother of Destruction has one weakness:

Akil.

(A collection of bonus scenes from the Veil Series, including the all-new short story, One For Sorrow)

Includes stories:
One For Sorrow
Alone Time
In conversation with Akil
She Burns

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Demons, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Adult, Short Stories

45 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2015

About the author

Two-time DragonCon Finalist & Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semi-finalist--- "Wait a second. Let's cut to the chase. I write kick-ass urban fantasy & sci-fi novels with conflicted characters, breathless action, and no-holds-barred dialogue. My books may not leave you feeling all fluffy and warm inside, but they will excite you. There will be plot-twists, angst, probably a few dead bodies, and very likely your favorite character will turn out to be the bad guy. Don't say I didn't warn you..."

www.pippadacosta.com

(I review on Goodreads as a reader, not a writer. Reviews here are my personal opinion, not a professional one).

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I'm not entirely sane when it comes to anything and everything Pippa DaCosta. You have been warned.

Oh please don't tell me my rating surprises you! This is The Veil, people! This is Pippa DaCosta! Of course I'm giving this 5 stars! *eyeroll* Okay Sarah, be patient, be lenient, try to understand. Most of the poor souls who are reading this review probably haven't read this series yet. Sigh. What sad, pointless, dismal lives they must lead. They don't know about Muse! They don't know about Stefan *swoons*, the Icicle Prince! They don't know about Akil *faints*, the Asshole Demon Prince! This calamitous situation has to be remedied at once! Make haste, make haste, you poor, clueless souls! Read The Veil! You need it in your life!



Oops. I think I just kind of got ahead of myself right there didn't I? I'm supposed to tell you about this book in particular and The Veil in general before I tell you to read them, right? Right. So sorry about that. I did warn you that my two little grey cells tended to short-circuit when it came to Pippa DaCosta, so you shouldn't be surprised. Okay, let's see. What can I possibly say about this amazing-incredible-awesome-OMGIcan'tBreatheRightNow-flabbergasting-DamnI'mHyperventilatingAgain-astonishing-BloodyHellThisIsTooGoodToBeTrue series that I haven't said before? Now let me think for a second… Err… Surely there must be something… Err… Please give me another second… Err… Sorry, this doesn't seem to be working.



See? It's no use. Especially since I've been suffering from The Veil/Muse/Stefan/Akil/The-Freaking-Awesomeness-Of-It-All-withdrawal symptoms since the final instalment in the series was published last April *starts sobbing uncontrollably* Okay Sarah, get a grip. You are strong. You can do this. Of course you can. So. Moving on. As I was trying to say saying, The Veil came to its conclusion OMG OMG OMG, I can feel it coming again, I don't think I can hold off much longer...



Dammit Sarah, will you just STOP IT once and for all! You're boring these poor, clueless souls to death here! We apologize for this unexpected interruption. This review will resume shortly. Well it should. Hopefully. Let's try and do this again shall we? So. Moving on. As I was trying to say saying, The Veil came to its conclusion last April. Much heartbreak and despair ensued. Until Pippa DaCosta announced she had some unfinished business with Muse and her world. Not the Hey-I-Finally-Decided-The-Series-Wasn't-Finished-Yet type of unfinished business, thankfully enough. I HATE authors who can't let go of a series and drag it on and on and on *waves at Jennifer Estep* Anyway, this was to be the Oh-Look-I-Have-A-New-Short-Story-And-A-Collection-Of-Bonus-Scenes-From-The-Veil-For-You type of unfinished business. Much hysterical screaming and delirious fangirling ensued. Did you think I'd use yet ANOTHER fangirling gif here? Nope. I knew you were expecting it, so I chose not to go for it. Muhahahaha. Guess what? I lied. Muhahahahaha.



So. To the task at hand, One For Sorrow. A short story and three bonus scenes from The Veil. YES, finally, the Muse fix all of us addicts had been impatiently waiting for. I'd love to give you a detailed synopsis of these stories. But I won't. Out of the goodness of my very kind heart. Because spoilers and all that. No wait, that isn't right. What I meant to say was: because SPOILERS and all that. Oh yeah. As usual, Pippa DaCosta knows how to pack a punch. And, as usual, she cannot be trusted. Damn, the woman loves to play with my poor nerves.

► One For Sorrow , the main short story in this collection, starts innocently enough with Muse and Ryder going demon hunting. And them BAM! Expect the unexpected. The story is fantastic, exciting, fast-paced, action-packed and a little heartbreaking. Why heartbreaking? Because of things that were and no longer are. That's all you'll get from me. Not a word more. Nope. Suffice it to say that this is one of the best short stories I've ever read. Yes it is.



See? Even Sherlock agrees. Well Sherlock also happens to think the Icicle Prince should have made an appearance here and Sherlock is a little frustrated right now. But Sherlock ALSO happens to think this will be a great excuse for Pippa DaCosta to write another short story featuring the Icicle Prince EXTENSIVELY. And you know what? Sherlock is always right. Ha.

► Now for the bonus scenes from The Veil. I LOVE them all. Obviously.

① Alone Time is a sweet story featuring Muse the Lil' Firecracker and Ryder. Yes, I know, I just used the words 'sweet', 'Muse' and 'Ryder' in the same sentence. No, I am not drunk. No, I am not high. Yes, this story is pretty sweet. Well what I consider sweet anyway. Which might not be sweet at all to most other people. Anyway, I love Muse and Ryder together. And I LOVE what a pain in the ass Ryder can be. And I LOVE Muse, forever and always. But I didn't really need to say that, did I? Oh well. ✉ Personal message to Pippa DaCosta: I think Ryder needs to have a series of his own. Thank you.

② She Burns. I think Pippa DaCosta picked the wrong title for this one. Seriously, this one should have been called I Burn. Because Muse as seen from Stefan-The-Icicle-Prince's POV? Damn. I love the way this woman writes. Damn. This is amazing. Damn. The Icicle Prince is hot. Damn. Major swooning going on right there. Damn.



③ In conversation with Akil. Pippa DaCosta having a conversation with Akil the Prince of Greed a.k.a. everyone's favourite assholish Prince of Hell? Very, very cool. KMM tried to do this with Jericho Freaking Barrons but it wasn't that convincing. This right here is very, very convincing. And major swooning happened –again- while I was reading this. Up to the point where Pippa DaCosta started threatening Akil, that is. That woman! The nerve! How dare she threaten to delete the untrustworthy Prince of Ulterior Motives?! He might be an arrogant, greedy, uncaring asshole but I LOVE him, Pippa! You can't do this to him! You can't do this to me, you heartless woman! I might go slightly nuclear on you if you do.



✎ Note to self: okay, menacing one of your favourite authors with bodily harm might not be the brightest idea you've ever had. You still want Pippa DaCosta to write amazing stories don't you? Right, that's what I thought. Now go punch a tourist or two something to release all that pent-up outrage, indignation and utter resentment.

Now were was I? Oh yes, the conversation with Akil. Well to be honest I don't have much more to say about it. And I guess it all comes down to this:

He is a trap. What you see is not what you get.

►► And that, ladies and gentleman, is The Veil in a nutshell. And it's one of the best series I've ever read. So read it. NOW.

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.



✎ Prequel: Wings of Hope ★★★★★
✎ Book 1: Beyond the Veil ★★★★★
✎ Book 2: Devil May Care ★★★★★
✎ Book 3: Darkest before Dawn ★★★★★
✎ Book 4 Drowning in the Dark ★★★★★
✎ Book 5 Ties that Bind ★★★★★

[★Moonrise · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS!

One for Sorrow is a book of short stories that adds depth and insight into the lives of Muse, Stefan, Akil, and other beloved characters from Pippa DaCosta's fantastic urban fantasy series, The Veil.

Arriving at an abandoned house in Boston, Muse and Ryder discover there is nothing routine about the demon inside. Haunting images of a past inhabitant force Muse to call upon her demon strength and human emotions, as she confronts a situation like no other. We learn how Muse responds to a common holiday tradition, with unexpected consequences. And catch up with the formidable, and always intriguing ice-demon, Stefan.

"I can protect her from everything...but me."

With spellbinding tales and a character interview, fans of the Veil series will thoroughly enjoy this action packed, fast paced companion to the series. Get ready for some surprises, and lots of demon magic! Loved!

Note: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenny Whetzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a couple of short stories so it does not take long to finish it. I rated it as only three stars because it is just a tease! Haha! It was nice to read a little more of her work but it made me want more. Haha like the Prince (well Princess in my case) of Greed --I want moooooore! But I have never been one for short stories.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

You need a fix for your "The Veil" addiction - you've come to the right place. Or not. Because at the end you only crave more. Oh well I guess I'll go through the painful withdrawal process once again *shrugs*

Three bonus scenes and a short story is what you get from this book. Three scenes that make you combust on top of an amazing short story that opens all the wounds left from Ties that Bind. As if I wasn't in enough pain. But it's a sweet type of pain, you know the one that makes you come back for more time and again. Because how else would you get a few more pages with the Prince of Greed?

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pippa DaCosta gives fans one last hurrah with the characters of the Veil series, in this little collection of short stories. It’s meant to be read after last novel in the series, and in the first two stories, shows that life goes on for Muse and her family even after the last big battle was won.

“One For Sorrow” gives us a slice of life for Muse as she hunts a lower-level demon who is more than she bargained for. Her mission takes her into an old home of Akil’s and the events give us some insight to her current frame of mind and how she is dealing with the loss of her former mentor and friend. Ryder is in this one, too. It’s a little bittersweet, but ultimately shows us that Muse and her friends are going to be ok.

“Alone Time” is another Muse and Ryder short and really gives a real window into their friendship. It’s Christmas and Ryder realizes Muse has never celebrated before. He gives her a little surprise that touches her in a way neither expects.

“She Burns” is a Stefan point of view, but it’s from earlier in the series. You see how his demon views Muse. It’s cool, but felt a little out of place among the other stories.

And then there is “In Conversation with Akil.” Very meta. It’s the author “interviewing” the character, I guess at a point in time at the beginning of the series. Maybe hardcore Akil fans will love it just because he’s in it, but it felt silly to me. This one little short was not my cuppa tea, but it was cool reuniting with these characters one last time.

Rating: B

[Meigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of The Veil series who need some more Muse and Ryder in their lives :)

One for Sorrow is a collection of bonus scenes, a short story, and a lovely interview with Akil, my personal favorite from this entire series (of course, that little bonus was my favorite in this collection).

One For Sorrow is the short story in the collection, bringing Muse and Ryder together to catch a class C demon in an abandoned house in Boston.

Alone Time is a super quickie featuring Muse and Ryder and some fireworks. Not that kind of quickie, and real actual fireworks. Super short, but I love me some Muse and Ryder. Especially when they work together.

She Burns was an interesting look at Muse as her demon through the eyes of Stefan. I'm not overly fond of Stefan, but it was certainly interesting to see what he sees when he looks at Muse.

In Conversation with Akil is the last part, but it must be read first. Akil demands it and wouldn't have it any other way.

I recommend that One for Sorrow be read after the final book in the series. There are a few things that may spoil the series, so it's best in this case to read in order.

[Jeanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

First the mandatory warnings & disclaimer then a brief review.

Disclaimer: I received this arc from the author Pippa DaCosta in return for an honest review. However as always I purchased the kindle version mostly for my own greedy reasons. In Akil's words, I want it all.

Warning: Do not read this if you've never read the Veil series. Do not read this prior to completing the 5 book series, it contains massive spoilers. Don't expect an in depth story this is mostly for preexisting fans who miss playing in the world & or its characters.

Review: I didn't read this 30 + page book in order. I'm a massive fan of the Prince of Greed & so I went straight to the back of the book to get reacquainted with Akil's interview (Pippa kindly included this in the end of a previously purchased book in this series). I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time. "In conversation with Akil" was dual POV Pippa (author) & Akil (demon prince)
I think Pippa got it right when she realized The Prince of Greed's interview wasn't going to go in any predetermined fashion.

“I’m beginning to appreciate getting answers out of Akil is like pushing water up hill. The second you think you have him, he slips around behind you, and the answers become questions all over again.” - Pippa

Next I read "Alone time". This was told in 1 POV (Muse). This story is set during the holidays & it involves Beer, Ryder, sparks & Muse's first time.... For details you'll have to read the story.

“I’d never really done Christmas. The years I’d spent with Akil didn’t count. The only religion he got behind was the worship of his own ego.” -Muse

The most insightful story IMO was the one told from Stephan's POV "She Burns". Pippa did a masterful job describing Stephan's feelings towards Muse. Sometimes all those adjectives an author includes in her descriptions serve nothing more than to remind readers they have a fantastic vocabulary. Pippa's use of adj.... meant something & served a purpose. However, I still dislike that particular halfling.

“We are enemies. Opposites. An immovable object and an unstoppable force.”- Stephan

Up to this point all these additional scenes & shorts Pippa previously made available for free. Some in forms of bonus material on purchased books (arc's didn't include any of the above material) or free on her website. What a doll right? I know feel appreciated as a fan anytime i get a little something extra. The new material in this compilation was "One For Sorrow". This was told 1POV (Muse) & it was another truly insightful story. It dealt with Muse's love/attachment to Akil & how she's dealing with it after the events in book 5. It also provided an update on what's keeping her busy now that the Veil is closed.

Overall I rate this book a strong 3.5 stars. Keep in mind this book is under 40 pages. I can't get into a story under 100 pages. I think others may rate it higher depending on how much of the material is new to them. I like Muse will always have an unhealthy attachment to Akil, & so I'll end this confessing to Pippa i'm suffering from the shakes, have no energy, can't concentrate. It's clearly a case of Akil withdrawal & only you can help me. Please please please don't take Akil away from me.

Do I recommend this: Yes but please read in order
Prequel Wings of Hope
Beyond the Veil
Devil May Care
Darkest before Dawn
Drowning in the Dark
Ties that Bind

[Heather the Queen of (Smut)Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well hell, that was like when you finally get your hands on that damn Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks (psssst, I hate seasonal favorites) you've been waiting all year for and you look down and wonder where the hell it went so fast. It's sooooo good but over way too quickly. All it did was make me want more. But it did solidify Pippa Dacosta as my current drug of choice. I need more of this world and more Akil. That dude could be the Prince of my Happy Box any day.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM TIES THAT BIND (the 5th Veil series novel.)

For the last 5 months and 20 days, I've been suffering from book boyfriend withdrawal. Because that's how long it's been since I read the final Akil - aah, Veil book - knowing it was over, but praying that Pippa would change her mind and bring back my darling demon prince & favorite half bloods. And voila; here it is, a sequel novella from Muse's POV.

I was sucked right back in, only to find that Muse misses Akil (almost) as much as I do.
The veil might be closed, but there are still demon squatters on the human side of the veil. (YAY! But more about that later...) When one of them decides to impersonate Akil, all bets are off. The ex mother of destruction is ready to exterminate the offending demon, with her trusty (or not) Ryder by her side. Good to know everyone's doing okay. ☺

Reading about him now that he's gone, was was bittersweet, but knowing that he lives on in Muse's memories is comforting. Of course, I still hope he'll be back someday. (Just call me mrs. Greed!)

This novella also serves as a crossover of sorts to Pippa's new spin-off series; Chaos Rises. Because, we know there are other demons out there, waiting to have their stories told: Li'el, I'm ready for you! *grins*

Oh, and Pippa: the next time you schedule an interview with demon royalty; give me a heads up. I'd love to come along as your (drooling) backup reporter;-)

~Thank you, Pippa, for the eArc of One for Sorrow.~

[Kat Desi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas came early! I had NO idea that there was going to be a new Muse book - rather, a short story collection. I told the author that I wasn't ready to let go of Muse and Akil and everyone else yet, so you can imagine my delight when I received this copy.

Let's see, what's there for me to say about these stories, this series? None that I haven't said before. I'm a HUGE fan of this author and ALL of her work so far. She writes so amazingly in regards to plot, worldbuilding, character development, etc. Fans of the series, you REALLY don't want to miss out on this, especially if you're still stuck in the world of The Veil like moi!

This ARC was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Sharon L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is the thing. If you haven't read the books in the series (all of them) than this collection of shorties will be a major spoiler to all kind of things.

Akheel's mind, the ending of the books (in a semi way) and other things.

So you really should read this one delicious piece that reveals so much about the characters only after you finished Ties that Binds.

That would be the smart, reasonable thing to do.

but Sharon you read it after reading the first book...

True, but I'm the spoiler queen. I do not care for spoilers (I'm a twisted way, I enjoy them). Moreover, for me it it's always the way and the characters. Way more than the end game. Of course, there are times when the end game is just as important (knowing the end game at times saved me from books I wouldn't love).

Now, thus little piece is just great. We get a little inside Stefan's head. We see Muse's life after the ending of Ties that Binds- the simplicity of them after all she went through, and her complicated feelings.
We learn of the Akheel, the prince of greed, with his mysterious ways and how he never reveals anything.

And, of course, we get to some fun times full of fire and sparks and just a little mischief and quite a lot of friendship. Some "normal" moment.

Just great.

A copy was provided by the author (the amazing Dacosta) in exchange for an honest review.

[Mikky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at:


This was awesome! I am a very big fan of 'The Veil Series' By Pippa Dacosta and this story gave me just enough immersion in the story's world to get me hyped for the spin-off series that will be 'The Chaos'.

In the short story 'One For Sorrow', Muse is just as kick ass as ever! I love her personality and her being a good-as-far-as-a-half-demon-half-human-can-be is an added bonus to me. Akil makes an almost appearance (read the story and you'll know what I'm talking about), which did get me excited. I have a love/hate relationship with him as a character. Ryder was interesting. I still love his one liners.

In 'Alone Time', we get to see a different side to Muse and Ryder's friendship which was sweet. I knew their friendship developed into something "deep" over time, but that story just put the bow on it.

In ' She Burns", we get inside Stefen's head and I was totally on board with this. It was incredible!! I am Team Stefan and I was always curious as to what was going on in that head of his when he came back (read the series BEFORE reading this story!). I am one happy camper!

In the last story 'In Conversation With Akil' things take a turn. I was thoroughly creeped out by every aspect of it. Though I have to admit it was a crazy and an original (to me at least) take on an author and his/her characters.

Over all, this was an awesome collection of stories. It will make a fabulous addition to an already incredible series.

My Favorite Quotes:

"'Well this isn't creepy at all.' All it needed now was a clap of thunder and a few streaks of lightning, and I'd be starring in my own bad horror movie."

"Maybe I did have family. Surly, straight-shootin', pulls-no-punches kinda family. The best kind."

"One wing, Ryder. One. Wing. I'm starting to take it personally."

[Dana aka ♥Belladonna♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

SQUEE!

Just in time for my birthday! A little Muse and Ryder vignette. Yay!



Actually, this is a Veil series collection of short stories that includes One For Sorrow, Alone Time, She Burns, and In Conversation With Akil.

I'm a big fan of The Veil series and was sad when it ended. So, for me, the star of this collection is One For Sorrow. We get a peek at Muse and what she's been up to since the conclusion of the series. And, naturally, she's still a demon slaying badass.



But, I was totally floored when I realized One For Sorrow was the perfect setup for a spin-off series! It looks like we haven't seen the last of this world after all. Chaos Rises, the first book in the spin-off series, Chaos, will be released in 2016! And I am absolutely giddy that I don't have to say goodbye to this world just yet.

One For Sorrow is an absolute must have for Veil fans. And, if you haven't read The Veil series yet, shame on you. Go grab your copy of Beyond The Veil and get started. You won't be sorry.

The author provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm absolutely heartbroken that the Veil series has finished so of course I was thrilled that Pippa DaCosta released this extra collection of short stories and snippets featuring our favourite characters. This novella will contain spoilers for Ties That Bind though so please don't read until you've finished the rest of the series.

This anthology includes four different stories:

1. One for Sorrow - A really fun little story about Muse and Ryder going demon hunting together, it's a nice little addition to the series although it did leave me hoping we'd get to see more of Stefan and Akil since they were absent in this one.

2. Alone Time - Another Muse and Ryder short, this one set around the holidays, I love the banter between these two and it's so nice to see how strong their friendship is.

3. She Burns - finally, FINALLY we get to see a bit of Stefan's point of view. It definitely wasn't long enough (well it wasn't the length of a whole book so of course that's not enough Stefan!) but it was fantastic & I loved every minute of it.

4. In Conversation With Akil - This was a really cleverly done interview between Pippa DaCosta and Akil that was really amusing.

I loved this novella and my only complaint: I wanted more! I guess that's not much of a complaint though, more of a compliment about how much I love this author and this series.

[Laura Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but a little spooky and a little sweet. A great hair of the dog for my book hangover. Just enough Muse to make me stop missing her... For now. Gosh I love this series.

[Heather Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Akil is back.

No, not really. Sorry. But Muse is. This short captures the spellbinding atomosphere that is the Veil effortlessly. The words are all silky and delicious. Rather like a couple of demons I could mention...

What can I say? It's perfect, sassy and brilliant...and incredibly poignant. Love the Art Deco, 30s theme. (It's an obsesssion of mine as well, check out Pippa's board on pininterest for the proper atomosphere).

There's also bonus material; a scene from Stefan's POV from the first time he and Muse went to the lakehouse. And Pippa's interview with Akil. The snippet below kinda sums him up in 5 lines.


"I am the Prince of Greed. The clue is in the name."
"You want it all?"
"I do." Fire touches his eyes.
"Are you ever satisfied?"
"No. That is my curse."


That's our boy. And it's so nice to visit him again, or at least his memory. ;)

Soooo, if the Veil series ever becomes a TV show, who would be your pick for the Prince of Greed, huh? Huh?

Personally, Sasha Roiz's my Akil. *siii-igh*

I can't pick a Stefan, I adore him too much in my head, tho' Heath Ledger would have been damn near perfect...

[Amy Braun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of short stories surrounding Muse, ONE FOR SORROW was the longest of the bunch. It talked a lot about Akil, so I wasn't as into it as I wanted to be. That said, I thought the second story was cute and was happy to revisit Stefan, but it was the last story I enjoyed the most. It was a nice bit of fan service from DaCosta, and I was pleased to read this short collection.

[Iris Hunter (InstagramREADS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great series, Cant wait to read the next installment.
I am not so fan of the 0.5 releases but it is a necessary fix to please the reading cravings of this series!

[Katheyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One for sorrow and three for the road

Muse journey came to an end with the final installment in “The Veil” series (Ties That Bind), but Pippa DaCosta knows her fans, so she gave us “One for Sorrow” (believe I appreciate the pun), a very short - barely 45 pages – compilation of four stories that can be read as a sort of ‘deleted scenes” from the previous books. The book includes “One For Sorrow”: Muse answers a routine call, to find out the call is not routine at all; “Alone Time”, set between ‘Beyond the Veil’ and ‘Devil My Care’, a holidays’ story with explosive consequences; ”She Burns”, deleted scene from ‘Darkness Before Dawn’, that offers an insight into Stefan thoughts; “In Conversation with Akil”, self-explanatory and set somewhere between “Beyond the Veil” and ‘Devil May Care’. A nice addendum to the series, that offers some new knowledge on the main characters.

“The Veil Series” by Pippa DaCosta is an amazing mix of epic and urban fantasy that mixes arc-storytelling with crossed-up plots pertinent to each book. “The Veil” features a dark urban fantasy verse, in which the human and the demon realms are situated on both sides of the Veil, which keeps both realms separated and prevent demons from indiscriminate crossing into the human world. Charlie Henderson aka Muse is a captivating heroine, whose enormous character development throughout the series is both amazing, comprehensive and fully credible at all times. Muse is the quintessential embodiment of the underdog, fully relatable from the very first installment in the series. Her hero’s journey follows a classical format, that is nevertheless high original in its implementation, entertaining at all times and fully satisfactory from the beginning until the very end.

The series is fast-paced, action-packed, with complex and captivating characters, enjoyable interactions, a wonderful, mesmerizing, riveting dark verse, interesting, carefully constructed and while fully differentiated between human and demon realm, coherent and extraordinary credible by the rules of UF.

Pippa DaCosta’s writing style is fresh, rich and descriptive, without ever becoming overwhelming. Her easy-to-follow narration allow the reader to submerge into the verse and accompany Muse/Charlie in her ride to freedom, while enjoying every step of the way.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

four shorts in the Veil verse.

1. One For Sorrow - Muse is called to an abandoned house to dispatch a demon on the wrong side of the veil, but everything about this house makes her think about Akil. [I miss him, and clearly so does the author ]
2. Alone Time - Ryder tries to teach Muse about the holidays, by setting things on fire.
3. She Burns - Stefan (Ice) pov, at least i think so, of being with a half demon of fire.
4. In conversation with Akil - author interviews him; yeah... she misses him so much.

reminds me how excellent this series was.

4 stars

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

This has confused me now. I get that Ryder and Muse aren't a couple? The way I read this, she is in Love with the real deal, Akil! As she should be, Ryder can't hold a candle to Akil (Mammon). Loved the interview. Bring Mammon back, please.

[daphne ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the whole Muse series

Really enjoyed the character development and interactions. Twists and plot turns aplenty. I recommend this series of you are looking for an interesting weekend read.

[Greyscotty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting insight into some of the characters.

[Yesenia Vazquez-Ailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done

If you miss the muse series and want a trip back to her world, you have to read this collection of short stories

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 4 short stories after the other books - very short and so not the angst of the rest of the series.

The title story was the longest and definitely the best of the set.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

just a good fun, well-written read

Wanted to explore urban fantasy, so chanced upon this book, if chance it was

Pippa DaCosta writes well, very well.

[Louise Cromie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love!

Four short stories all set around our favourite demons.

Firstly One For Sorrow - the imagery is so vivid I'm right there in that 1930's house, the glitz of the era party, seeing the ravages of time, and the view... The view shared over decades by Akil & Muse. I think that caught me the most.... The poignancy of that moment.

It's great to see the relationship between Ryder and Muse after the closing of the veil.

It's only short but it's a great one!

Next Alone Time - I'm not going to go into details on this other than the description of Muse and the fireworks and Ryder's glimpse of her in this way - actually brought tears to my eyes - it was beautifully written.

Next short is She Burns.... It might be the painkillers I'm on but this took me a while... Again, beautifully written but it took me a few going overs to figure out to whom the the thoughts belonged and where they fitted in... However I'm confident I've figured it out (making the struggle for power, natural elemental repulsion and love all the more intense) I'll leave you to come to your own conclusions on this!

Finally... In conversation with Akil ( you lucky lady!!) fabulously done... A few sneaky peaks into Akil we didn't know. I love how this plays with your mind, is it an insight into our author? Do these characters summon her into their worlds and she's mearly there to record the facts or does she summon them on to the page and give them their lives to live.



This was advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

[Mollien Fote Osterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Provided by Pippa DaCosta. Honest review done by Mollien without influence from publisher or author.
I was so excited to see that Muse was going to make an unexpected return to the world of my kindle. I along with others have missed the characters of the Veil that have become some of my favorites. I can not give you a synopsis of these short stories without ruining the experience for the reader. I will tell you that Akil sort of makes a reappearance and leave it at that. Thank you for One For Sorrow. Love the cover it is beautiful. The story was too short for my addiction. Please, we have an unsatisfied ache for the heat that only The Prince of Greed can provide
Unfortunately, this tease was not enough to satisfy my hunger. 2016 is just around the corner Chaos Rises is on the way.
Mollien Alpha Book Club

[Jana Gundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Veil series and I was looking forward to more glimpses into Muse's world. Her and Ryker have a great relationship and in the short story, this was explored. Ryker sends her on a call and she meets up with a bigger demon than she planned to. This demon can cast illusions and he decided to bring a certain favorite demon prince back! It was so heart wrenching to read Muse's thoughts and feelings about Akil but so good at the same time. It hurts so good would be an appropriate phrase. She does resolve some things in her mind and that was nice to read about as well.

Bonus Stories:
I always love a different POV and especially Stephan's! These were great and I enjoyed them

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received ARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a treat for those of us who love Muse, Akhil and the company of the demons and half bloods. After finishing The Veil series I still wanted more of Muse and Akhil and I was very excited about One For Sorrow. And this short stories collection did not disappoint. Being greedy as I am, my only complaint is that I wanted more of Akhil. When it comes to Prince of Greed, less is not more, more is more :-)