Paranormal/Fantasy Romances are some of my favorite kind of stories to read, but with editing, blogging, and teaching, I don’t read as many as I would like to, so when I saw that Sawyer Bennett, an author I love, was writing a series with those elements, I knew I needed to sign up. And I’m already fascinated by the world she’s created and the characters whose story is playing out amongst the pages of this book but also the entire series, which means that everything will be revealed in due time, but when it finally is, I know it will be epic so that’s what has me holding on and waiting, perhaps too impatiently, to see how it all unfolds.
Finley Porter is an interesting heroine. She’s always felt different, always felt like she didn’t belong in the life that she was living, no matter how much she tries to fit in or play the part. Her reality is not real and despite her desire to avoid seeking answers to who and what she is, there’s no stopping her from being thrust into a world unlike she’s ever seen - one filled with ‘realms and veils, light and dark, fae and daemons, gods and angels.’ But what that means for her and her ‘otherworldly’ skills is too soon to tell because her abilities put her in a rather precarious position - one that she doesn’t quite know how to handle, so it will be interesting to see how she traverses this new existence and what it means for those around her because seeing through the veil is both complicated and dangerous.
There’s still a lot to learn about Carrick Byrne. I can’t quite get a read on this man and everything that he is. It seems like he has ulterior motives, but that might just be because he says and does things that don’t make sense, like there’s a hidden meaning that Finley needs to wait out the answer for, but what that will mean for her is still unknown. I don’t trust him, but I think that’s deliberate on both his and the author’s parts because behind the veil, beyond humanity, is a ton of otherworldly creatures in existence that have a stake in everything and his role in both their world and Finley’s is complicated by his attraction to her, even if he doesn’t think he can have her.
World building is crucial in a series like the Chronicles of the Stone Veil, which means that some readers might find the pacing a bit slow in the beginning, but, to me, it’s necessary. The supernatural elements need to be examined with a broad brush and developed in the same way so that a somewhat clear vision exists and will carry through to the books after this one. There are a ton of secrets and unknown in book one, which makes sense since the focus of the entire series will be on Finley and Carrick and the things that happen beyond the veil and there’s no telling how entrenched these two characters will not only become in the world but also with each other.
4 Poison Apples