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Another Beast's Skin #1
Another Beast's Skin
After the death of her anthropologist father, Neysa puts her currency trading career on hold to move from Los Angeles to coastal England. The friends she makes in town give her a new sense of self, but quickly entrench her life in a plot to stabilize the Veil which divides both the human world of science and the Fae realm of magic. What Neysa never expected was that this may have been her father's plan all along, and that perhaps Neysa was designed for more than the human world alone. In this fantastical world, we find Neysa's anxiety of soldiering through the world, unaware of who she truly is, and the boundaries she surpasses once her true self is realized. Love, death, blood, and friendship all combine in Another Beast's Skin, taking us from the rugged English coast, throughout Eastern Europe, Peru, Los Angeles, and into Aoifsing, the realm that will suffer along with our world if the Veil cannot be stabilized.
Centuries ago, four crystals of varying strengths and properties were placed in epicenters around the globe. The stones were localized to keep both the human world safe from chemical destabilization, and the Fae realm from the scourge of magic altering physics. In the past century, several stones have been misplaced, causing trans-realm repercussions. Three Fae have been stationed to find the crystals and balance the energies of the Veil. Once Neysa becomes a part of this group, it seems her association with Aoifsing may be mapped in her stars. Strong female friendships, sibling camaraderie, steamy romance, physics, and battle strategy all come together to weave a new tale of intelligent fantasy.
Centuries ago, four crystals of varying strengths and properties were placed in epicenters around the globe. The stones were localized to keep both the human world safe from chemical destabilization, and the Fae realm from the scourge of magic altering physics. In the past century, several stones have been misplaced, causing trans-realm repercussions. Three Fae have been stationed to find the crystals and balance the energies of the Veil. Once Neysa becomes a part of this group, it seems her association with Aoifsing may be mapped in her stars. Strong female friendships, sibling camaraderie, steamy romance, physics, and battle strategy all come together to weave a new tale of intelligent fantasy.
390 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2021
17 people are currently reading
2146 people want to read
About the author
Jessika Grewe Glover
7 books112 followersJessika Grewe Glover grew up along the humid shores of South Florida, eventually marrying her British husband and moving to Los Angeles, where they live with their two teenage children and rescue bulldog. Jessika writes multiple genres from literary to speculative fiction. When she is not writing or reading, she can be found traveling, creating art, making chocolate dragons, and bantering in song lyrics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
March 19, 2022
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley (thank you GenZ Publishing). All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🆗 World-building
🆗 Characters
🆗❌ Relationships between characters
❌ Plot and writing
❌ Romance/Love triangle
DNF at 65%
1.5 stars
There are many things that are not consistent in this story. The ideas are there, but the execution and the plot are quite underwhelming.
Neysa is 35 and divorced, yet I felt like I was reading the story of a young adult who’s somewhere between 18 years old and 22 years old. She (quickly) becomes friends with a group of locals, and they all just tell her their secrets with almost no prompting. They tell her their whole story, and of course, they also tell her that she’s fae, like them. She learns that the Veil between the human realm and the Fae realm is wearing thin, and it’s her job to fix it with a few magic crystals (because of course, she’s very special, and “not like the other girls”).
The first part of the book is disorganized. It hops from scene to scene with no transition and some things also just happened with no real explanation and were never talked about after, so it created some confusion. There is also kind of an info-dump at first, instead of a plot developing.
The characters are also quite flat and ordinary. On top of being bland and unoriginal, the main character seems to make many decisions in her life based on… nothing. You know the “I don't know why I did it, but I did" kind of decisions that did not help me connect with the characters at all.
The romance also seems juvenile, and not what I would expect from a 35 years old who’s been married before. There is a kind of love triangle, but it’s weird, and honestly, just a distraction from the main plot, especially since the characters are just bland and I don’t really care about them and who they end up with.
This book has potential, some ideas are good and with some editing, it would be better, but as it is right now, I couldn’t get into it and enjoy it at all.
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🆗 World-building
🆗 Characters
🆗❌ Relationships between characters
❌ Plot and writing
❌ Romance/Love triangle
DNF at 65%
1.5 stars
There are many things that are not consistent in this story. The ideas are there, but the execution and the plot are quite underwhelming.
Neysa is 35 and divorced, yet I felt like I was reading the story of a young adult who’s somewhere between 18 years old and 22 years old. She (quickly) becomes friends with a group of locals, and they all just tell her their secrets with almost no prompting. They tell her their whole story, and of course, they also tell her that she’s fae, like them. She learns that the Veil between the human realm and the Fae realm is wearing thin, and it’s her job to fix it with a few magic crystals (because of course, she’s very special, and “not like the other girls”).
The first part of the book is disorganized. It hops from scene to scene with no transition and some things also just happened with no real explanation and were never talked about after, so it created some confusion. There is also kind of an info-dump at first, instead of a plot developing.
The characters are also quite flat and ordinary. On top of being bland and unoriginal, the main character seems to make many decisions in her life based on… nothing. You know the “I don't know why I did it, but I did" kind of decisions that did not help me connect with the characters at all.
The romance also seems juvenile, and not what I would expect from a 35 years old who’s been married before. There is a kind of love triangle, but it’s weird, and honestly, just a distraction from the main plot, especially since the characters are just bland and I don’t really care about them and who they end up with.
This book has potential, some ideas are good and with some editing, it would be better, but as it is right now, I couldn’t get into it and enjoy it at all.
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September 22, 2021
Honestly, I fell in love with the book cover and the title of the book.
The blurb had me expecting an adventure story with the search of crystals and protection of veil, but Another Beast’s Skin had so much more to offer. Part 1 is focussed on the realization of Neysa’s truth in a small village called Barlowe Combe, Part 2 takes the reader into Aoifsing, the fae realm, and Part 3 again back to the human world, with the search of stones spread out across all 3 parts whilst also taking the reader trapezing across a lot of countries.
Neysa has been training with swords and knives all her life without knowing the reason why. Once the twins, Silas and Corra with their cousin Caderyn helps Neysa in understanding the fae world, she commits herself to fight for their cause of the fae.
There’s so much to love in this story, the fae world, and its description, the relationship between Cade and his cousins which felt warm and loving, Reynard who at times feel like a slimy villain, but is a character which grows on you, the deep friendship between Neysa and Corra and the love she feels for Silas each part induces a cuddly feeling.
I have read quite a lot of fantasy novels, though stories with the world of fae have been in a lesser number. This should have been an exciting read for me considering the subject but there is so much going on in the story that I lost interest in certain parts. The main plot focussed on Neysa coming to terms with her identity was excellent but then the plots having the council elders and the travails faced by Neysa in Aoifsing, the search of the stones everything became a lot of information to process thru. The love between Neysa and Cade develops well but again there’s a spark missing in their relationship. It could be me, but just couldn’t connect to the character of Neysa, who is a 35-year-old divorcee but at many points of the story, there’s an immaturity to her decisions.
I am probably reading a lot of fantasy novels and the reason why instead of a fantastic experience, the story felt good but failed to engage me completely. But if you are a fan of a fantasy world with the fae, then this book should definitely interest you.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Gen Z Publishing, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
The blurb had me expecting an adventure story with the search of crystals and protection of veil, but Another Beast’s Skin had so much more to offer. Part 1 is focussed on the realization of Neysa’s truth in a small village called Barlowe Combe, Part 2 takes the reader into Aoifsing, the fae realm, and Part 3 again back to the human world, with the search of stones spread out across all 3 parts whilst also taking the reader trapezing across a lot of countries.
Neysa has been training with swords and knives all her life without knowing the reason why. Once the twins, Silas and Corra with their cousin Caderyn helps Neysa in understanding the fae world, she commits herself to fight for their cause of the fae.
There’s so much to love in this story, the fae world, and its description, the relationship between Cade and his cousins which felt warm and loving, Reynard who at times feel like a slimy villain, but is a character which grows on you, the deep friendship between Neysa and Corra and the love she feels for Silas each part induces a cuddly feeling.
I have read quite a lot of fantasy novels, though stories with the world of fae have been in a lesser number. This should have been an exciting read for me considering the subject but there is so much going on in the story that I lost interest in certain parts. The main plot focussed on Neysa coming to terms with her identity was excellent but then the plots having the council elders and the travails faced by Neysa in Aoifsing, the search of the stones everything became a lot of information to process thru. The love between Neysa and Cade develops well but again there’s a spark missing in their relationship. It could be me, but just couldn’t connect to the character of Neysa, who is a 35-year-old divorcee but at many points of the story, there’s an immaturity to her decisions.
I am probably reading a lot of fantasy novels and the reason why instead of a fantastic experience, the story felt good but failed to engage me completely. But if you are a fan of a fantasy world with the fae, then this book should definitely interest you.
Many thanks to Net Galley, Gen Z Publishing, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
This review is published in my blog Rain'n'Books, ##Goodreads, ##Amazon India, ##Book Bub, ##Medium.com, ##Facebook, ##Twitter.
April 13, 2021
Man, oh man, I loved this book!!! I honestly don’t understand the other poor reviews. But, again, we all like different things! Cheers to verity . . . and commas . . . and exclamation points!!!
But really, I honestly loved this book. It is in no way perfect, but the story is on point and it met my five-star requirement by keeping me up all night reading. There were a few moments in the first 30% of the story where I did think it was a little information overload and slow. But this only happened a couple times and for only a couple pages at a time. It was never unneeded information either; first book world building and all that.
Glover’s imagination to create this story is on point. I just love the uniqueness of it, and I am a complete sucker for when urban fantasy meets high fantasy.
So can we talk about Neysa? She is our MC and such a relatable character! (Side bar, I LOVE WHEN THE MC IS OVER 30!!!) One thing that was not 100% clear for me in the book description was if it had a love triangle or not. Since I am not a fan of them, I am happy to report . . . not really? HA! There are aspects that could be considered a love triangle, but at its core it is decidedly NOT A LOVE TRIANGLE! Thank the heavens.
But that ending is making me twitchy and I need book two NOW! So, can yall go read it ASAP so we can talk about it?
But really, I honestly loved this book. It is in no way perfect, but the story is on point and it met my five-star requirement by keeping me up all night reading. There were a few moments in the first 30% of the story where I did think it was a little information overload and slow. But this only happened a couple times and for only a couple pages at a time. It was never unneeded information either; first book world building and all that.
Glover’s imagination to create this story is on point. I just love the uniqueness of it, and I am a complete sucker for when urban fantasy meets high fantasy.
So can we talk about Neysa? She is our MC and such a relatable character! (Side bar, I LOVE WHEN THE MC IS OVER 30!!!) One thing that was not 100% clear for me in the book description was if it had a love triangle or not. Since I am not a fan of them, I am happy to report . . . not really? HA! There are aspects that could be considered a love triangle, but at its core it is decidedly NOT A LOVE TRIANGLE! Thank the heavens.
But that ending is making me twitchy and I need book two NOW! So, can yall go read it ASAP so we can talk about it?
May 19, 2021
Thanks so much to GenZ Publishing for providing this eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! :)
1.5 stars
In the nicest way possible, this was a train wreck. We had the potential for a solid ya fantasy but unfortunately this missed the mark for me. I appreciate what Glover was trying to accomplish here, however, the vast majority read like a very rough draft to me, almost... incomplete? I feel that as it is currently, Another Beast's Skin would definitely benefit from a few more revisions and edits to strengthen the overarching world building, magic system, character depth as well as inter-character relationships.
The plot
The story follows Neysa (35) who moves back to England following the breakdown of her marriage and loss of her father. There she meets and (almost immediately) befriends a quirky local trio, that we quickly learn are on a mission to protect and restore the (damaged) veil that divides the realms.
Beyond this the plot felt incredibly disorganised and hard to follow. The most consistent aspect of this story was its inconsistency, things felt like they were happening on all sides with little to no cohesion. The plot pacing itself was also rather funky, quickly switching between feeling slow and tedious to things moving so fast it felt that I'd missed a page. Major plot points and events that we'd been building up to and preparing for were almost dismissively glossed over, to the point that I didn't even realise it was the 'big moment'. Nothing felt high stakes, which detracts heavily from my investment in a fantasy read.
My biggest issue were the plot holes, inconsistencies and poorly explained magic system. This is where I feel Glover could really up the ante. I spent the vast majority of this book thinking what on earth is happening? How does that work? Since when could character x do that? Few things felt adequately explained and that really took away from the overall enjoyment. We seesaw between info dumps and half explained flashbacks, also falling into the plot convenience trap. We learnt about characters' powers, gifts and talents as and when they needed them which is a definitely pet peeve of mine.
The writing style
I don't usually make a separate section for this but thought it's worth noting that I really didn't gel with Glover's writing style. I found it quite frustrating because while I do appreciate Glover's impressively extensive vocabulary, I do feel it's a fine line before you rear into giving off a pretentious vibe. Sometimes simplicity is what's needed.
It didn't help that everything felt very... on the nose? I'm more a fan of covert, implicit and inferred messages and storytelling, I don't enjoy being hand held and directly led to and told things. Very 'tell-me' rather than 'show-me'. To the point where characters would assume or do things that seemed to obvious it had my trust issues sky high (for what turns out no reason). It just felt a little juvenile throughout I guess.
The characters (and romance)
That note leads up seamlessly into character discussions. Straight up, I expected more from a mid 30 year old protagonist. Neysa jumps between being pretty self-aware to very woe-is-me rather quickly and for little to no reason. She gives off very strong 'not like other girls' cause she's oh so very special vibes, which isn't bad in itself and is very common in ya fantasy, but I just found her to be very much the opposite. She just happened to have all these useful and convenient things happen to her rather than because of her.
I've already forgotten most of the other characters, which I feel is pretty telling regarding the strength of their personalities. I did quite like the twins, I felt that they had an element of flare, drama and general substance. Though they were very much used as plot devices, only useful in the first half of the book, then all but discarded for the latter half. I wasn't convinced by Cade's character, and really didn't click with him as a love interest. He didn't seem to have a personality trait beyond brooding and glaring. I needed more character development to feel anything for him.
Notice the lack of a separate romance section, that would be because I didn't feel it warranted one. I found the almost love triangle rather superficial, I didn't feel any connection to or between characters. Their romance felt rather forced with little to no grounding or explanation beyond prolonged eye gazing and very sudden lust. While it was ultimately a slow burn, as I felt so unconnected to the plot and characters that it just didn't really do it for me.
1.5 stars
In the nicest way possible, this was a train wreck. We had the potential for a solid ya fantasy but unfortunately this missed the mark for me. I appreciate what Glover was trying to accomplish here, however, the vast majority read like a very rough draft to me, almost... incomplete? I feel that as it is currently, Another Beast's Skin would definitely benefit from a few more revisions and edits to strengthen the overarching world building, magic system, character depth as well as inter-character relationships.
The plot
The story follows Neysa (35) who moves back to England following the breakdown of her marriage and loss of her father. There she meets and (almost immediately) befriends a quirky local trio, that we quickly learn are on a mission to protect and restore the (damaged) veil that divides the realms.
Beyond this the plot felt incredibly disorganised and hard to follow. The most consistent aspect of this story was its inconsistency, things felt like they were happening on all sides with little to no cohesion. The plot pacing itself was also rather funky, quickly switching between feeling slow and tedious to things moving so fast it felt that I'd missed a page. Major plot points and events that we'd been building up to and preparing for were almost dismissively glossed over, to the point that I didn't even realise it was the 'big moment'. Nothing felt high stakes, which detracts heavily from my investment in a fantasy read.
My biggest issue were the plot holes, inconsistencies and poorly explained magic system. This is where I feel Glover could really up the ante. I spent the vast majority of this book thinking what on earth is happening? How does that work? Since when could character x do that? Few things felt adequately explained and that really took away from the overall enjoyment. We seesaw between info dumps and half explained flashbacks, also falling into the plot convenience trap. We learnt about characters' powers, gifts and talents as and when they needed them which is a definitely pet peeve of mine.
The writing style
I don't usually make a separate section for this but thought it's worth noting that I really didn't gel with Glover's writing style. I found it quite frustrating because while I do appreciate Glover's impressively extensive vocabulary, I do feel it's a fine line before you rear into giving off a pretentious vibe. Sometimes simplicity is what's needed.
It didn't help that everything felt very... on the nose? I'm more a fan of covert, implicit and inferred messages and storytelling, I don't enjoy being hand held and directly led to and told things. Very 'tell-me' rather than 'show-me'. To the point where characters would assume or do things that seemed to obvious it had my trust issues sky high (for what turns out no reason). It just felt a little juvenile throughout I guess.
The characters (and romance)
That note leads up seamlessly into character discussions. Straight up, I expected more from a mid 30 year old protagonist. Neysa jumps between being pretty self-aware to very woe-is-me rather quickly and for little to no reason. She gives off very strong 'not like other girls' cause she's oh so very special vibes, which isn't bad in itself and is very common in ya fantasy, but I just found her to be very much the opposite. She just happened to have all these useful and convenient things happen to her rather than because of her.
I've already forgotten most of the other characters, which I feel is pretty telling regarding the strength of their personalities. I did quite like the twins, I felt that they had an element of flare, drama and general substance. Though they were very much used as plot devices, only useful in the first half of the book, then all but discarded for the latter half. I wasn't convinced by Cade's character, and really didn't click with him as a love interest. He didn't seem to have a personality trait beyond brooding and glaring. I needed more character development to feel anything for him.
Notice the lack of a separate romance section, that would be because I didn't feel it warranted one. I found the almost love triangle rather superficial, I didn't feel any connection to or between characters. Their romance felt rather forced with little to no grounding or explanation beyond prolonged eye gazing and very sudden lust. While it was ultimately a slow burn, as I felt so unconnected to the plot and characters that it just didn't really do it for me.
July 31, 2021
I haven’t struggled to finish reading a book in a while. I requested this arc because the description sounded really interesting but have been regretting my decision ever since. I even considered not finishing reading this several times, but since I received this in exchange for an honest opinion I decided to push through. This book was a mess from the start. I’ll try to leave this as spoiler free as possible, so please bear with me.
In Another Beast’s Skin, Neysa decides she needs to start fresh after going through a divorce and losing her father. She then travels from Los Angeles to England, where she meets a family that quite literally transports her to another realm.
As we know from the description of the book, Neysa travels to the coast of England where she meets a family from another realm. Said family then tells her that they know she’s part fae and Neysa just goes along with it without ever questioning anything or showing any interest of getting to know her heritage. Is she part fae because of her parents? Her grandparents? Who wants to know anyway, right? She just weirdly trusts them with everything, even without actually knowing them.
The world building could have been awesome, but it was mostly just confusing. The author just seemed to throw a bunch of scenes together that, in the bigger picture, didn’t make a lot of sense. I found myself rereading sentences a lot because there was too much info dumping. I couldn’t quite understand how the magic system works. For instance, when Neysa found out about the stones. How did she figure out how to tap into them? One minute she can’t make them work then, after Silas, she can magically (no pun intended) use them, but we never got to know how or why. And this was something that happened constantly throughout the book. Things would happen and I felt that we were supposed to know why that was happening or how, but we never got to read about it.
After one specific fighting scene, there was something mentioned that I didn’t remember reading about. So, I went back to the start of said scene, reread it and still couldn’t find what was mentioned a few pages ahead. Why are they talking about it as if we’ve just read it?
For some reason, I also found the fae world to be a lot like ours and couldn’t picture it as being this magical place. The fae realm was also… a lot. A lot of places, descriptions, and people to memorize in only a few pages. A drawing of a map of the fae world at the beginning of the book would be very helpful to check back and situate ourselves. When Neysa travelled to the realm for the first time there were so many places that I couldn’t keep track of where they were for the most part.
The characters were very one dimensional. The only emotion I felt was annoyance reading how dense Neysa could be for the most part. She is the typical character that everyone thinks she’s pretty except for her, and every guy seems to fall for her a few seconds after meeting her. I didn’t really care for the others either. Not even for the whole we’re-written-in-the-stars arc. For the whole book it was as if I was reading about teenagers instead of 30 year (or a few centuries) olds.
Speaking of the characters, the attempt at a love triangle was unnecessary. If Neysa knew who she was in love with, why did the author keep throwing the other person around if it ended up leading to nothing? And “Maybe I want to be in bed with you, but it’s only because I love you as my friend”? Hum, what?
Lastly, can we please acknowledge that “bad guys” can still be villains without having to (try to) sexually assault or abuse other people?
This book unfortunately wasn’t for me, but if you think you will enjoy it, you should give it a chance.
I received this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and GenZ Publishing!
In Another Beast’s Skin, Neysa decides she needs to start fresh after going through a divorce and losing her father. She then travels from Los Angeles to England, where she meets a family that quite literally transports her to another realm.
As we know from the description of the book, Neysa travels to the coast of England where she meets a family from another realm. Said family then tells her that they know she’s part fae and Neysa just goes along with it without ever questioning anything or showing any interest of getting to know her heritage. Is she part fae because of her parents? Her grandparents? Who wants to know anyway, right? She just weirdly trusts them with everything, even without actually knowing them.
The world building could have been awesome, but it was mostly just confusing. The author just seemed to throw a bunch of scenes together that, in the bigger picture, didn’t make a lot of sense. I found myself rereading sentences a lot because there was too much info dumping. I couldn’t quite understand how the magic system works. For instance, when Neysa found out about the stones. How did she figure out how to tap into them? One minute she can’t make them work then, after Silas, she can magically (no pun intended) use them, but we never got to know how or why. And this was something that happened constantly throughout the book. Things would happen and I felt that we were supposed to know why that was happening or how, but we never got to read about it.
After one specific fighting scene, there was something mentioned that I didn’t remember reading about. So, I went back to the start of said scene, reread it and still couldn’t find what was mentioned a few pages ahead. Why are they talking about it as if we’ve just read it?
For some reason, I also found the fae world to be a lot like ours and couldn’t picture it as being this magical place. The fae realm was also… a lot. A lot of places, descriptions, and people to memorize in only a few pages. A drawing of a map of the fae world at the beginning of the book would be very helpful to check back and situate ourselves. When Neysa travelled to the realm for the first time there were so many places that I couldn’t keep track of where they were for the most part.
The characters were very one dimensional. The only emotion I felt was annoyance reading how dense Neysa could be for the most part. She is the typical character that everyone thinks she’s pretty except for her, and every guy seems to fall for her a few seconds after meeting her. I didn’t really care for the others either. Not even for the whole we’re-written-in-the-stars arc. For the whole book it was as if I was reading about teenagers instead of 30 year (or a few centuries) olds.
Speaking of the characters, the attempt at a love triangle was unnecessary. If Neysa knew who she was in love with, why did the author keep throwing the other person around if it ended up leading to nothing? And “Maybe I want to be in bed with you, but it’s only because I love you as my friend”? Hum, what?
Lastly, can we please acknowledge that “bad guys” can still be villains without having to (try to) sexually assault or abuse other people?
This book unfortunately wasn’t for me, but if you think you will enjoy it, you should give it a chance.
I received this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and GenZ Publishing!
July 25, 2021
2.2 stars
It is so sad when good plots were written in many sorts of wrong ways. I can't help but be sad and sometimes whimper and make a face while reading this book because of a lot of 'this-could-have-been-better-if' moments I had until I finished the whole book. It's such a shame, such a pity, and such a waste of good story to be written like this. Not to mention a waste of time for readers.
There were so many unnecessary information and so less vital information and had huge information dump at the same time. Glover could not deliver the proper or exact atmosphere/vibe that she seemed to intend on a lot of parts in the book. I mean, like there are so many parts that are fast, and supposed to be dangerous and life-threatening but as a reader you couldn’t feel/imagine all those things while reading them maybe because of a lack of more fighting parts, or maybe the writing is bad and described those parts lamely, or those supposed to be nerve-racking parts were just LAME?
It has a complex history of its magic and the magic systems feels like EEHH? It's like unique but not interesting enough. Feels like I have been sitting through a lesson of history about a world I don’t know about and not interested knowing more about.
The MC is adult 35 y/o but I felt like she is a teenager. I have always been an avid YA reader and this is my first adult read, so I thought at first the fault on this one is on me, but having read the reviews of others here in Goodreads, I realized we have the same sentiments.
Honestly, I read it again from the start before I finished it during my first read, deciding that maybe I will at least like it if I start all over again. And I admit I did find some tiny tiny likable parts in the story that made me really smile (the friendship, the enemies to lovers of the MCs), but even those could not diminish the many faults in writing I encountered throughout finishing this book.
And it took me a long time to finish this book that I really got frustrated because I am so stubborn not to have DNFed books and because I just want to finally get through this so I can move on to my next ARC. I got delayed in my reading schedule because of this.
Thank you to GenZ Publishing for the e-ARC thru Netgalley. This review is based in an advance reader's copy, so there might be some changes in the published book.
It is so sad when good plots were written in many sorts of wrong ways. I can't help but be sad and sometimes whimper and make a face while reading this book because of a lot of 'this-could-have-been-better-if' moments I had until I finished the whole book. It's such a shame, such a pity, and such a waste of good story to be written like this. Not to mention a waste of time for readers.
There were so many unnecessary information and so less vital information and had huge information dump at the same time. Glover could not deliver the proper or exact atmosphere/vibe that she seemed to intend on a lot of parts in the book. I mean, like there are so many parts that are fast, and supposed to be dangerous and life-threatening but as a reader you couldn’t feel/imagine all those things while reading them maybe because of a lack of more fighting parts, or maybe the writing is bad and described those parts lamely, or those supposed to be nerve-racking parts were just LAME?
It has a complex history of its magic and the magic systems feels like EEHH? It's like unique but not interesting enough. Feels like I have been sitting through a lesson of history about a world I don’t know about and not interested knowing more about.
The MC is adult 35 y/o but I felt like she is a teenager. I have always been an avid YA reader and this is my first adult read, so I thought at first the fault on this one is on me, but having read the reviews of others here in Goodreads, I realized we have the same sentiments.
Honestly, I read it again from the start before I finished it during my first read, deciding that maybe I will at least like it if I start all over again. And I admit I did find some tiny tiny likable parts in the story that made me really smile (the friendship, the enemies to lovers of the MCs), but even those could not diminish the many faults in writing I encountered throughout finishing this book.
And it took me a long time to finish this book that I really got frustrated because I am so stubborn not to have DNFed books and because I just want to finally get through this so I can move on to my next ARC. I got delayed in my reading schedule because of this.
Thank you to GenZ Publishing for the e-ARC thru Netgalley. This review is based in an advance reader's copy, so there might be some changes in the published book.
April 27, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Another Beast's Skin had potential to be a great book. It's just disappointing that nothing really happened in the first half of this book. We do get a ton of information dropped onto us though. So eventually the pace picks up and we get some action around the half-way mark. I just feel like the balance was off in this and if all the information was spread throughout the book - I think I would have liked this a lot more. It just felt like a lot to handle in the beginning in my opinion.
As for the characters, they were okay. I'll admit that some things still confuse me now about them but they were alright. Borderline likable but I couldn't really connect with them. Then there's the romance and eh, it was okay. Not really a big fan of love triangles but once that got out of the way - the book was more enjoyable.
I also wanted more than what I got (romance-wise) between two people. Maybe I will in the next book but I'm not sure at this point. They had their cute moments though.
In the end, I just have unanswered questions right now about how this actually ended.
Another Beast's Skin had potential to be a great book. It's just disappointing that nothing really happened in the first half of this book. We do get a ton of information dropped onto us though. So eventually the pace picks up and we get some action around the half-way mark. I just feel like the balance was off in this and if all the information was spread throughout the book - I think I would have liked this a lot more. It just felt like a lot to handle in the beginning in my opinion.
As for the characters, they were okay. I'll admit that some things still confuse me now about them but they were alright. Borderline likable but I couldn't really connect with them. Then there's the romance and eh, it was okay. Not really a big fan of love triangles but once that got out of the way - the book was more enjoyable.
I also wanted more than what I got (romance-wise) between two people. Maybe I will in the next book but I'm not sure at this point. They had their cute moments though.
In the end, I just have unanswered questions right now about how this actually ended.
December 6, 2023
I read the new edition (republished in 2023 by the author herself) and this book deserves so much more recognition. This was an amazing story to read with rich worldbuilding. I love how history and science are intertwined in the story. The romance is also woven into it.
What I love even more is that the main character is in her thirties (I want more books like that. We need more books like this)! Her growth throughout the story is interesting to follow and I also relate to parts of it. Neysa is definitely one of my most favourite characters and I can’t wait to read book 2.
What I love even more is that the main character is in her thirties (I want more books like that. We need more books like this)! Her growth throughout the story is interesting to follow and I also relate to parts of it. Neysa is definitely one of my most favourite characters and I can’t wait to read book 2.
April 26, 2021
I liked the overall story of this, it just started out so slow and gave us a huge information dump which really bogged it down. It was all telling and no showing and a poor choice. So much talk of the fae culture and history, especially at the beginning, will turn readers off. This should be spread out through the story and cut down as not all of it seemed that relevant.
I enjoyed seeing Neysa discovering who she is and what she's capable of. She's a strong woman and an awesome fighter. Her relationship with Cade was cute, although I wish we'd seen them together more. Her friendship with Silas was fun but I didn't like the bits of romance between them and felt it was unnecessary. They were always better as friends and going down that path felt off.
The ending sort of wrapped up but also left an opening. Now that we know about the fae and Neysa's heritage, maybe the next book will have more action?
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to GenZ Publishing and NetGalley for the copy.
I enjoyed seeing Neysa discovering who she is and what she's capable of. She's a strong woman and an awesome fighter. Her relationship with Cade was cute, although I wish we'd seen them together more. Her friendship with Silas was fun but I didn't like the bits of romance between them and felt it was unnecessary. They were always better as friends and going down that path felt off.
The ending sort of wrapped up but also left an opening. Now that we know about the fae and Neysa's heritage, maybe the next book will have more action?
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to GenZ Publishing and NetGalley for the copy.
April 11, 2021
I received an eARC of this book from GenZ publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone and other than the free book, I was not compensated in any way.
This book is a fantasy filled with intrigue, peril and romance. Neysa is a divorcee who travels to England after the death of her father. She rents a cottage to get away from Los Angelas to get over the feelings of being devastated and broken. While visiting a pub she meets Silas and Corra who are brother and sister. They introduce her to their cousin Cade. Neysa finds out that they are all Fae warriors who enlist her help to solve the problem of a failing veil. Whithout her help, the failing veil could have catastrophic consequences to the human world.
I LOVED this book. Everything about it sings to me. The world building and magic system were very well don and it made me want to be in the story. I literally could not put this book down! Neysa has been through a lot and I love how she does not feel sorry for herself. She is strong and wants to live her life without feeling destroyed all he time. This book is NA or adult for the violence during some battles. There is a romance aspect to the book but it does not overshadow the main story. This is the first book in this series and does end up in a semi cliffhanger. The story does have a conclusion but flows nicely into he next book.
This book is a fantasy filled with intrigue, peril and romance. Neysa is a divorcee who travels to England after the death of her father. She rents a cottage to get away from Los Angelas to get over the feelings of being devastated and broken. While visiting a pub she meets Silas and Corra who are brother and sister. They introduce her to their cousin Cade. Neysa finds out that they are all Fae warriors who enlist her help to solve the problem of a failing veil. Whithout her help, the failing veil could have catastrophic consequences to the human world.
I LOVED this book. Everything about it sings to me. The world building and magic system were very well don and it made me want to be in the story. I literally could not put this book down! Neysa has been through a lot and I love how she does not feel sorry for herself. She is strong and wants to live her life without feeling destroyed all he time. This book is NA or adult for the violence during some battles. There is a romance aspect to the book but it does not overshadow the main story. This is the first book in this series and does end up in a semi cliffhanger. The story does have a conclusion but flows nicely into he next book.
January 6, 2024
DNF at 25%
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
2 stars because the idea of the book was really good!
I was really excited about this book because here we have faes and the main character is supposed to have 35 years old. However, the book didn't reach my expectations. The writing was good but the story was a mess. First 10% of the book I didn't understand what was happening because it was just random situations glued together. I didn't feel a connection with any characters and they all felt the same. I especially didn't like Silas because the only interaction he had was to say profanities.
Another part that I didn't like was the other 15% that I read when the other 3 characters tell MC about their life and story and that she is "the chosen one". It was boring and honestly, I would prefer another book that could describe the "before" with some action and storytelling instead of the usual explanation from the characters.
There is another point that I didn't like and it was the MC and her love interest. It was so fast and stupid that it felt cringe. And she never acted like a 35-year-old person, she felt like a teenager for me.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
2 stars because the idea of the book was really good!
I was really excited about this book because here we have faes and the main character is supposed to have 35 years old. However, the book didn't reach my expectations. The writing was good but the story was a mess. First 10% of the book I didn't understand what was happening because it was just random situations glued together. I didn't feel a connection with any characters and they all felt the same. I especially didn't like Silas because the only interaction he had was to say profanities.
Another part that I didn't like was the other 15% that I read when the other 3 characters tell MC about their life and story and that she is "the chosen one". It was boring and honestly, I would prefer another book that could describe the "before" with some action and storytelling instead of the usual explanation from the characters.
There is another point that I didn't like and it was the MC and her love interest. It was so fast and stupid that it felt cringe. And she never acted like a 35-year-old person, she felt like a teenager for me.
April 23, 2021
I was worried at first because the first about 25% of the book was just a character and information dump. I felt lost and was invested enough to care about the information given. After that point the writing changed and I was caught up in the story and characters. Story seemed to find it's feet and was steady paced. As I read further I really enjoyed Neysa and Caderyn's developing relationship. I am looking forward to the next one.
September 27, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and GenZ Publishing for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest review!
3.5 stars
I'm sorry for this crazy long review, damn!
💎 The story 💎
After losing her father and getting divorced, Neysa decides to move back to the UK. She meets an interesting new group of friends, who are more than they seem. She doesn't just learn about a whole other world, she also learns more about her past and where she came from.
First of all, I honestly don't get all the bad reviews on this. I loved this story! Sure, there were some aspects of it that I didn't like, but overall, I really enjoyed it. I'll just discuss some of the things that bothered me first. When I started the story, I immediately felt like I was missing something; Neysa was already talking with Corra and Silas and it felt like I was missing info about how they met and stuff like that. Then, when they started to explain everything; the information about Corra, Silas and Cade their backgrounds kinda went past me after a while, the entire different realm was explained in like 3 chapters, so that was a huge information dump. Another thing that confused me was that most of the story was told from Neysa's POV, and then there suddenly were 2 chapters from Silas and Corra's POV. Either just change that to Neysa's POV or add more chapters from their POV's, because it was just so random? Also, in the Silas chapter; since when does Silas say 'aye' so often? He never did in past conversations, and also not after that chapter? Kinda weird - does him being fae make him a pirate as well?😂
I loved the little random geology and history facts, I don't know if they were all true, but I honestly felt like I learned stuff from this booknot that I still remember it all. The physics talk with Shannon had me zoning out though, I hated that subject in school. I was however wondering why no one thinks it's weird that Neysa can feel the stones..? There are quite some things that seem weird to me, but apparently not to the other characters, like She discussed it with Cade for a short while after it happened, but it just wasn't mentioned by the others. I'm sorry, is that not a crazy big reveal? Why does everyone act like it's not a big deal?? In line with that, the whole stone thing was over and done with quite suddenly. They were searching for the stones for the entire book, and then Hm, I don't know, but that seemed off to me.
Although I enjoyed the story, I can't say that the was very surprising to me. From the first second that we met him, there was already foreshadowing of him Same goes for Ewan, That's another thing that bothered me so much, why would they send not one, but TWO That's just weird??
Lastly, the end. I hate cliffhangers, so I don't really love how this ended. I also kinda hate how they keep saying ‘beastie’ like it’s some cute little puppy? I don't know man, but that's not some cute little puppy. I am interested to see where the story will go from here though, and I can't wait for the next one! This rant has been going on for too long already, so on to the characters.
💎 The characters 💎
🗡️Neysa🗡️
I liked Neysa a lot! First of all, I'm glad that she’s already 35, since it's so different from the usual 20-something year old main characters. It was later mentioned that she was 31 though, so I'm guessing there was a mistake in there somewhere? She's obviously quite strong, and I loved how she already learned how to fight from her dad, that was so cool! I also loved the development of her relationship with Cade, because she didn't take any shit from him, even when they were involved with each other. I loved that, because she was still her ownstubborn person. I do want to talk about a certain scene with her and Cade in Bulgaria (I think?). There was another scene like it a little while later, and that was a lot more believable, so I don't get why this one had to be in there as well?
🔥🩹Cade🩹🔥
This broody guy was great, and I enjoyed his relationship with Neysa so much! The mental communication was starting to annoy me at first though. He says he can sometimes hear snippets of her thoughts, but he can basically hear them all, since he basically answers every thought that she has. I hated that he got to hear her thoughts, but she couldn't hear his, so The sexual tension was killing me, I actually screamed when Speaking of, I definitely wanted more details in the sex scenes lmao, but I'm just like that. I absolutely adore these two, and I can't wait to see how everything will turn out. Oh, and I love the dogs as well :')
🌧️🏹Other characters🌊🧝🏻
Let's talk about Silas first, because that guy broke my freaking heart. I. Love. Him. I'm not going to lie, I want to start a petition to make this a reverse harem series, so Neysa ends up with Silas as well. Shit, did I feel bad for the guy. I'm not sure if I can see him with anyone else, besides maybe Reynard - I'm not sure about that yet. I just want him to end up with Neysa too.. Although I wanted to kill Reynard at times, I really enjoyed him. He's a good character, and I can't wait to find out more about him. I actually liked the other guard dude - Cyrranus - too, I feel like Neysa has that 'love power' thingy, because everyone just falls in love with her or something. Corra was cool as well, and I definitely hope she'll end up with Ewan. I can't wait to see more of their powers and how everything will turn out!
💎 The writing 💎
I had to get used to the writing at first; there are sometimes words that are unnecessary difficult, but I felt like that disappeared after a while. I somehow had some troubles with some of the time jumps in between chapters, makes it confusing to see where we've ended up now and what exactly had happened. There were some mistakes in writing as well, I bookmarked all of the ones that stood out, so Jessika please contact me for more information on those.
💎 Overall conclusion 💎
Although there were some things about the story that bothered me, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's an easy read, and I love the characters. I honestly had a lot of trouble with putting it down, and I can't wait to read the next one!
3.5 stars
I'm sorry for this crazy long review, damn!
💎 The story 💎
After losing her father and getting divorced, Neysa decides to move back to the UK. She meets an interesting new group of friends, who are more than they seem. She doesn't just learn about a whole other world, she also learns more about her past and where she came from.
First of all, I honestly don't get all the bad reviews on this. I loved this story! Sure, there were some aspects of it that I didn't like, but overall, I really enjoyed it. I'll just discuss some of the things that bothered me first. When I started the story, I immediately felt like I was missing something; Neysa was already talking with Corra and Silas and it felt like I was missing info about how they met and stuff like that. Then, when they started to explain everything; the information about Corra, Silas and Cade their backgrounds kinda went past me after a while, the entire different realm was explained in like 3 chapters, so that was a huge information dump. Another thing that confused me was that most of the story was told from Neysa's POV, and then there suddenly were 2 chapters from Silas and Corra's POV. Either just change that to Neysa's POV or add more chapters from their POV's, because it was just so random? Also, in the Silas chapter; since when does Silas say 'aye' so often? He never did in past conversations, and also not after that chapter? Kinda weird - does him being fae make him a pirate as well?😂
"I am no one's but my own. My own beautiful disaster."
I loved the little random geology and history facts, I don't know if they were all true, but I honestly felt like I learned stuff from this book
Although I enjoyed the story, I can't say that the was very surprising to me. From the first second that we met him, there was already foreshadowing of him Same goes for Ewan, That's another thing that bothered me so much, why would they send not one, but TWO That's just weird??
Lastly, the end. I hate cliffhangers, so I don't really love how this ended. I also kinda hate how they keep saying ‘beastie’ like it’s some cute little puppy? I don't know man, but that's not some cute little puppy. I am interested to see where the story will go from here though, and I can't wait for the next one! This rant has been going on for too long already, so on to the characters.
💎 The characters 💎
🗡️Neysa🗡️
I liked Neysa a lot! First of all, I'm glad that she’s already 35, since it's so different from the usual 20-something year old main characters. It was later mentioned that she was 31 though, so I'm guessing there was a mistake in there somewhere? She's obviously quite strong, and I loved how she already learned how to fight from her dad, that was so cool! I also loved the development of her relationship with Cade, because she didn't take any shit from him, even when they were involved with each other. I loved that, because she was still her own
🔥🩹Cade🩹🔥
This broody guy was great, and I enjoyed his relationship with Neysa so much! The mental communication was starting to annoy me at first though. He says he can sometimes hear snippets of her thoughts, but he can basically hear them all, since he basically answers every thought that she has. I hated that he got to hear her thoughts, but she couldn't hear his, so The sexual tension was killing me, I actually screamed when Speaking of, I definitely wanted more details in the sex scenes lmao, but I'm just like that. I absolutely adore these two, and I can't wait to see how everything will turn out. Oh, and I love the dogs as well :')
🌧️🏹Other characters🌊🧝🏻
Let's talk about Silas first, because that guy broke my freaking heart. I. Love. Him. I'm not going to lie, I want to start a petition to make this a reverse harem series, so Neysa ends up with Silas as well. Shit, did I feel bad for the guy. I'm not sure if I can see him with anyone else, besides maybe Reynard - I'm not sure about that yet. I just want him to end up with Neysa too.. Although I wanted to kill Reynard at times, I really enjoyed him. He's a good character, and I can't wait to find out more about him. I actually liked the other guard dude - Cyrranus - too, I feel like Neysa has that 'love power' thingy, because everyone just falls in love with her or something. Corra was cool as well, and I definitely hope she'll end up with Ewan. I can't wait to see more of their powers and how everything will turn out!
💎 The writing 💎
I had to get used to the writing at first; there are sometimes words that are unnecessary difficult, but I felt like that disappeared after a while. I somehow had some troubles with some of the time jumps in between chapters, makes it confusing to see where we've ended up now and what exactly had happened. There were some mistakes in writing as well, I bookmarked all of the ones that stood out, so Jessika please contact me for more information on those.
💎 Overall conclusion 💎
Although there were some things about the story that bothered me, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's an easy read, and I love the characters. I honestly had a lot of trouble with putting it down, and I can't wait to read the next one!
"If it were easy, it wouldn't be worth fighting for."
September 11, 2021
I just couldn't get into it sorry.
May 2, 2021
"You are like this great ocean, and I had fought to stay above the water, but all I want is to drown in you."
The moment this book landed on my device, I began to read it. I was so intrigued by the blurb and I was in the mood for a fae romance, so the timing seemed right.
I really enjoyed this book! I had a feeling I would. Especially, the second half. It has great atmosphere and lore and I loved the romantic push and pull. The world and mystery (which was gritty in all the right ways) really had me flipping the pages...not to mention a sexy emissary! Actually, the whole gang was pretty great. I was so intrigued by it all. I ate up the passion in this book.
I truly want to give this book 5 stars, and I would for the latter part. Actually, it was great. However, I really struggled with the first 20-30% of this story. The flow was clumsy and it felt like a jumbled information dump. It was too much too fast. The foreshadowing was a little heavy handed as well. Also, the style was really hard to swallow (even though the premise was fantastic), because there was a SO MUCH telling in this information dump and almost no showing at all.
That being said, I carried on, and I'm glad I did because once the information and introductions were made for the most part, the story really found its rhythm, which gives me great hope for the next book in the series...WHICH I CAN'T wait for.
So in this case, if you are like me and having trouble getting through the start, I say stick with it...it's temporary. And then you will be like me and have trouble putting it down!
I definitely recommend this for readers who enjoy adult fae novels with alternate realms and human crossover plots. It touches on a lot of familiar aspects I've read in other novels that I've enjoyed.
Here's looking forward to book 2!
Thank you netgalley for the advance copy.
The moment this book landed on my device, I began to read it. I was so intrigued by the blurb and I was in the mood for a fae romance, so the timing seemed right.
I really enjoyed this book! I had a feeling I would. Especially, the second half. It has great atmosphere and lore and I loved the romantic push and pull. The world and mystery (which was gritty in all the right ways) really had me flipping the pages...not to mention a sexy emissary! Actually, the whole gang was pretty great. I was so intrigued by it all. I ate up the passion in this book.
I truly want to give this book 5 stars, and I would for the latter part. Actually, it was great. However, I really struggled with the first 20-30% of this story. The flow was clumsy and it felt like a jumbled information dump. It was too much too fast. The foreshadowing was a little heavy handed as well. Also, the style was really hard to swallow (even though the premise was fantastic), because there was a SO MUCH telling in this information dump and almost no showing at all.
That being said, I carried on, and I'm glad I did because once the information and introductions were made for the most part, the story really found its rhythm, which gives me great hope for the next book in the series...WHICH I CAN'T wait for.
So in this case, if you are like me and having trouble getting through the start, I say stick with it...it's temporary. And then you will be like me and have trouble putting it down!
I definitely recommend this for readers who enjoy adult fae novels with alternate realms and human crossover plots. It touches on a lot of familiar aspects I've read in other novels that I've enjoyed.
Here's looking forward to book 2!
Thank you netgalley for the advance copy.
April 28, 2021
Unfortunately I had to stop reading this just before the half way point. In my opinion this read as author self insertion.
I am told in the story Neysa is 35, divorced, and had an adult career. The plot, however, leads me to believe she's somewhere between 18-21. She makes instant friends who a local group and who then spend an abundance of time with her and immediately tell her their secrets. Others around her treat her like a young adult and the romance does not read like a romance between experienced adults.
What I'm told about Neysas life makes me think we're in a fairly modern timeline, but everyone's super into sword play and that's never commented on as a unique hobby, there's also no mention of technology. The start of the book Neysa is meeting up with her new friends in a pub and wasn't sure which pub but didn't call or text to clarify? Yet her career means our timeline is at least past the 1980's.
Honestly my issues with the books are things that could have been solved fairly easily by a few notes from a good editor - mainly significantly aging down the main character, but those issues combined with the mass info dumps made this story not enjoyable for me.
I am told in the story Neysa is 35, divorced, and had an adult career. The plot, however, leads me to believe she's somewhere between 18-21. She makes instant friends who a local group and who then spend an abundance of time with her and immediately tell her their secrets. Others around her treat her like a young adult and the romance does not read like a romance between experienced adults.
What I'm told about Neysas life makes me think we're in a fairly modern timeline, but everyone's super into sword play and that's never commented on as a unique hobby, there's also no mention of technology. The start of the book Neysa is meeting up with her new friends in a pub and wasn't sure which pub but didn't call or text to clarify? Yet her career means our timeline is at least past the 1980's.
Honestly my issues with the books are things that could have been solved fairly easily by a few notes from a good editor - mainly significantly aging down the main character, but those issues combined with the mass info dumps made this story not enjoyable for me.
May 3, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and GenZ Publishing for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I am always in for fae's stories and this book was specially attractive to me because the main character was not a teenager (a nice change!) however, most of the time she felt like one.
Although the premise seemed like something I'd enjoy I was unable to connect with the story and characters. The introduction is done too fast, we don't really get a chance to get to know the main characters before the big reveal. There is also too much info dump, and considering we didn't have the chance to get to connect with the characters it turned me off completely from the story.
The second part of the book is a bit chaotic, I'm honestly not sure what was going on. There's a lot of action that seems a bit pointless, and then there's a weird attempt of a love triangle. (Although it is pretty clear who's the real love interest.) The guy seems to not care about Neysa and suddenly they are crazy in love and destined to each other. The whole destiny thing is a bit cliché and it doesn't really seem to affect the main plot. I have to say the romance reminded me a lot of another series about faes.
It is a shame I didn't get to enjoy this book, the author did seem to have put a lot of thought into the world building and the premise was intriguing. However, the weird pace and too much tell don't show threw me out of the story.
There's a part of the book where a character speaks in Spanish. It's just a few lines but the very obvious grammatical mistakes lead me to believe there wasn't much editing, maybe with a good revision it could improve a lot and be far more enjoyable.
I am always in for fae's stories and this book was specially attractive to me because the main character was not a teenager (a nice change!) however, most of the time she felt like one.
Although the premise seemed like something I'd enjoy I was unable to connect with the story and characters. The introduction is done too fast, we don't really get a chance to get to know the main characters before the big reveal. There is also too much info dump, and considering we didn't have the chance to get to connect with the characters it turned me off completely from the story.
The second part of the book is a bit chaotic, I'm honestly not sure what was going on. There's a lot of action that seems a bit pointless, and then there's a weird attempt of a love triangle. (Although it is pretty clear who's the real love interest.) The guy seems to not care about Neysa and suddenly they are crazy in love and destined to each other. The whole destiny thing is a bit cliché and it doesn't really seem to affect the main plot. I have to say the romance reminded me a lot of another series about faes.
It is a shame I didn't get to enjoy this book, the author did seem to have put a lot of thought into the world building and the premise was intriguing. However, the weird pace and too much tell don't show threw me out of the story.
There's a part of the book where a character speaks in Spanish. It's just a few lines but the very obvious grammatical mistakes lead me to believe there wasn't much editing, maybe with a good revision it could improve a lot and be far more enjoyable.
April 4, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. I can't wait to read the sequel. This is a story about growth and finding yourself, about moving on and about finding your family (which doesn't have to be blood related).
It starts a bit slow but it's because Grewe Glover is setting the scenery. And what a world building it is! Grewe Glover does an impressive job with the imaginary world, that feels like reality, and the characters that are relatable and loving. You can feel that the author put in a lot of time researching. It's meticulous, everything from the language, the culture and the scenery. The imaginary world is so vivid, I can almost touch it. This definitely brings the story to life.
The pace is perfect, in my opinion and the writing effortless. The main character, Neysa, is an adult (I loved that), she is relatable and I loved seeing her grow and blossom. The love story was building up throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing it developing. The fouus is not on the romance but it's giving you all the butterflies.
Highly recommend this one.
It starts a bit slow but it's because Grewe Glover is setting the scenery. And what a world building it is! Grewe Glover does an impressive job with the imaginary world, that feels like reality, and the characters that are relatable and loving. You can feel that the author put in a lot of time researching. It's meticulous, everything from the language, the culture and the scenery. The imaginary world is so vivid, I can almost touch it. This definitely brings the story to life.
The pace is perfect, in my opinion and the writing effortless. The main character, Neysa, is an adult (I loved that), she is relatable and I loved seeing her grow and blossom. The love story was building up throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing it developing. The fouus is not on the romance but it's giving you all the butterflies.
Highly recommend this one.
November 6, 2021
I never stick to a genre as I more geek out on the writing, and as I was gobbling up Another Beast’s Skin I wanted to call it women’s literary fiction fantasy.
At the center is Neysa, newly divorced and reeling from her beloved and mysterious father’s death (what single dad globe trots his young daughter to strange destinations and insist she be skilled in swordplay?) and she finds her entire existence defined by her guarded social/emotional trappings.
What woman then wouldn’t be a little mystified then when she deeply and instantly connects with three strangers and begins to discover they unknowingly hold secrets of her past that her father protected her from?
So begins the adventure we get to ride along with!
At times Neysa’s quest reminded me of the sexy James Bond movies I’d watch. Just sayin’ ⚔️
She also gets a swoon-worthy soulmate out of the deal (but not without lots of snarky banter, jealousy, angst, bullheadedness and misinterpretation of motives!) 🖤
At the center is Neysa, newly divorced and reeling from her beloved and mysterious father’s death (what single dad globe trots his young daughter to strange destinations and insist she be skilled in swordplay?) and she finds her entire existence defined by her guarded social/emotional trappings.
What woman then wouldn’t be a little mystified then when she deeply and instantly connects with three strangers and begins to discover they unknowingly hold secrets of her past that her father protected her from?
So begins the adventure we get to ride along with!
At times Neysa’s quest reminded me of the sexy James Bond movies I’d watch. Just sayin’ ⚔️
She also gets a swoon-worthy soulmate out of the deal (but not without lots of snarky banter, jealousy, angst, bullheadedness and misinterpretation of motives!) 🖤
May 12, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and GenZ Publishing for the eARC of Another Beast’s Skin. This review is my personal and honest opinion.
I absolutely loved this book! The ending shocked me. I can’t wait for book two! I loved the science and crystals and elements. I thoroughly enjoyed Neysa’s relationships. I enjoyed the pacing and the whole plot. I really enjoyed the romance in this book. Neysa has a past and her reluctance to have another romantic relationship is realistic. The build up to her love interest is swoon worthy.
The beginning was a bit slow; there is a world to build and a magic system to explain. I haven’t read a book with this kind of magic system before. The science intertwined with magic kept me going throughout. The title of the book is a bit confusing for me; I understand it, but it doesn’t stand out to me.
Overall, I highly recommend this book!
I absolutely loved this book! The ending shocked me. I can’t wait for book two! I loved the science and crystals and elements. I thoroughly enjoyed Neysa’s relationships. I enjoyed the pacing and the whole plot. I really enjoyed the romance in this book. Neysa has a past and her reluctance to have another romantic relationship is realistic. The build up to her love interest is swoon worthy.
The beginning was a bit slow; there is a world to build and a magic system to explain. I haven’t read a book with this kind of magic system before. The science intertwined with magic kept me going throughout. The title of the book is a bit confusing for me; I understand it, but it doesn’t stand out to me.
Overall, I highly recommend this book!
November 6, 2023
I love when stories begin at the end of one’s comfort and surety, when the journey starts at the point in one’s life where all is lost and nothing but hope lies ahead.
Here is such a story, where reality entwines with fantasy, portraying the ups and downs of lives and hopes had.
The intricacy behind the fantastical worlds and the sciences within them speaks volumes of the author’s passion behind this story and these subjects.
The characters, the romances, and the heart of this book are all powerful, impressive forces.
Here is such a story, where reality entwines with fantasy, portraying the ups and downs of lives and hopes had.
The intricacy behind the fantastical worlds and the sciences within them speaks volumes of the author’s passion behind this story and these subjects.
The characters, the romances, and the heart of this book are all powerful, impressive forces.
September 16, 2021
Thank you to GenZ Publishing for letting me read an ARC of these amazing book by Jessika Grewe Glover!
“Once in another realm… there was a little moon of a child”
“I’d spent enough time in old, English buildings that they didn’t spook me.”
“I needed to bring myself to the here and now”
The excitement I felt when I started reading this book was something that didn’t fade up until the very end ,when, with a terribly cruel cliffhanger, the author decided to promise me a future for this story and this amazing characters that I want to read right now !!
Fans of fae, twists of fate, warrior princesses and princes, mystery surrounding family members and close friends, badass female main characters, and a romance that will make you feel butterfly in the stomach … this book is for you all !!
While picturing a main character with everything a normal woman can experience , like dealing with panic attacks, the author describes a beautiful and heartbreaking development of what it means to feel like a stranger , like you don’t belong up until the moment when you start feeling like you finally do !
I deeply love each and everyone of these characters and, to be completely honest, some side ones were way more interesting than expected !
And I won’t even start on the dark, mysterious and enchanting male character that despite my best efforts , I couldn’t help but fall for … hard.
“I couldn’t help the smile, thinking of this legendary fae male reading Tom Clancy”
“Your beautiful eyes may get stuck like that”
This is a story of magic, fae , lost family and found friendship , love that is written in the stars and so much more.
I read it in a day because the truth is … I just needed the first 10 pages to love it.
The writing style makes it easier to get into it and to follow the storyline even through the numerous visions we experience with our protagonist , a strong, kind woman who is discovering her truth in the most unexpected of ways with the help and some very unexpected friends !
“There was magic in that room. In those people”
“Perhaps the most shocking thing to me as the story concluded was that I was not at all surprised to hear any of this.”
“You are a fighter. Act like it”
“I am no one’s but my own. My own beautiful disaster”
“Once in another realm… there was a little moon of a child”
“I’d spent enough time in old, English buildings that they didn’t spook me.”
“I needed to bring myself to the here and now”
The excitement I felt when I started reading this book was something that didn’t fade up until the very end ,when, with a terribly cruel cliffhanger, the author decided to promise me a future for this story and this amazing characters that I want to read right now !!
Fans of fae, twists of fate, warrior princesses and princes, mystery surrounding family members and close friends, badass female main characters, and a romance that will make you feel butterfly in the stomach … this book is for you all !!
While picturing a main character with everything a normal woman can experience , like dealing with panic attacks, the author describes a beautiful and heartbreaking development of what it means to feel like a stranger , like you don’t belong up until the moment when you start feeling like you finally do !
I deeply love each and everyone of these characters and, to be completely honest, some side ones were way more interesting than expected !
And I won’t even start on the dark, mysterious and enchanting male character that despite my best efforts , I couldn’t help but fall for … hard.
“I couldn’t help the smile, thinking of this legendary fae male reading Tom Clancy”
“Your beautiful eyes may get stuck like that”
This is a story of magic, fae , lost family and found friendship , love that is written in the stars and so much more.
I read it in a day because the truth is … I just needed the first 10 pages to love it.
The writing style makes it easier to get into it and to follow the storyline even through the numerous visions we experience with our protagonist , a strong, kind woman who is discovering her truth in the most unexpected of ways with the help and some very unexpected friends !
“There was magic in that room. In those people”
“Perhaps the most shocking thing to me as the story concluded was that I was not at all surprised to hear any of this.”
“You are a fighter. Act like it”
“I am no one’s but my own. My own beautiful disaster”
September 22, 2021
I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw the mention of Fae in the synopsis. I am a complete sucker for all things Fae! Unfortunately this book was not it for me.
Although the plot had a lot of potential, nothing really happened for a good portion of the book. We were given so much information about the world and the history of it that I reached a point where I wasn’t taking any of it in.
The characters were in their early to mid-thirties but they acted like teenagers. It was difficult to connect with any of them and I wasn’t really concerned what happened to them. Though they did become more likeable towards the end.
There was so much building up of the plot and then towards the end it just fizzled out and ended so quickly, I was left with even more questions than I started with.
However, I did start to enjoy the story towards the end and I am interested to see what the second book has in store.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Although the plot had a lot of potential, nothing really happened for a good portion of the book. We were given so much information about the world and the history of it that I reached a point where I wasn’t taking any of it in.
The characters were in their early to mid-thirties but they acted like teenagers. It was difficult to connect with any of them and I wasn’t really concerned what happened to them. Though they did become more likeable towards the end.
There was so much building up of the plot and then towards the end it just fizzled out and ended so quickly, I was left with even more questions than I started with.
However, I did start to enjoy the story towards the end and I am interested to see what the second book has in store.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2022
Glover did a fantastic job setting up each twist and turn! I loved the sweeping landscapes, the immersive setting, the fiery protagonist, and the beautifully intricate magic system. This book was a rush of adventure and a fantasy lover's dream book! Our protagonist is whip smart and relatable while still bearing the mantle of MC goals and energy. She has incredible agency and self possession that is so refreshing! Cadeyrn and Silas have been become the newest additions to my book boyfriend list and I can't wait to see what happens next after that killer cliffhanger ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2022
A beautifully descriptive atmospheric fantasy. Having characters older in age was refreshing and made them more relatable, and the history and culture of each destination was carefully and thoughtfully well-done. The fight scenes were excellent and felt extremely realistic. You can tell how much research went into the crafting of this novel! I can't wait to get my hands on the next one to see what happens.
May 11, 2021
It seemed interesting but it didn't live up to the premise. The mc being 35 and divorced instead of a teenager was a nice change for a fae story but she felt like one 95% of the time.
We don't get to know the characters through the story and there was massive info dump. She knew she was fae so fast (too fast in my opinion), in 40 pages she learns she is fae and the ones she just met were telling their whole story and secret, it felt far too easy. All the characters were kinda the same to me and were very blurry to recognize, they didn't have real personality. The love triangle was completely unnecessary, the love interest was obvious and was distracting from the plot.
Also it is said to be set in the modern world but they don't ever use phones, sword fighting seems very common for a modern world but there is no comment on it.
i think it deserves good notes from an editor and it could have been much better and less confusing with editing
We don't get to know the characters through the story and there was massive info dump. She knew she was fae so fast (too fast in my opinion), in 40 pages she learns she is fae and the ones she just met were telling their whole story and secret, it felt far too easy. All the characters were kinda the same to me and were very blurry to recognize, they didn't have real personality. The love triangle was completely unnecessary, the love interest was obvious and was distracting from the plot.
Also it is said to be set in the modern world but they don't ever use phones, sword fighting seems very common for a modern world but there is no comment on it.
i think it deserves good notes from an editor and it could have been much better and less confusing with editing
June 24, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and GenZ Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 out of 5 Stars
(5 Stars - Amazing, I really enjoyed the book.)
"You are like this great ocean, and I had fought to stay up above the water, but all I want is to drown in you."
Another Beast's Skin by Jessika Grewe Grovel was an interesting fantasy romance. It followed Neysa who moves to coastal England after a divorce and the death of her father. She quickly befriends Corra, Silas, and Cade and learns they are from a Fae realm. The Veil between the realms is failing because the crystals that kept it secure went missing, Neysa and her friend's journey to find the crystals and repair the Veil.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the use of the crystals was an interesting concept. It had a really fun world-building and magic system however the world-building was interesting all though at times a little confusing. I found the first portion of the book to be a little bit of an information overload that had me skimming over things. However, the second half of the book really picked up in the action. Admittedly, I am confused by the ending, and a few things went unexplained, but I hope this will be clarified in a sequel and thank god the ending wasn't a devastating cliff-hanger (I've had enough of those lately!).
The main character, Neysa, was a decent protagonist however throughout the book it felt like she was younger than her mid-thirties. It felt like she could have easily been in her early twenties. She has a job but never seems to be working, and generally behaves similarly to protagonists in YA or NA stories who are 18 - 22 years old. The other characters were also enjoyable to read however, there were 2 chapters at the beginning where it jumped to their point of views which just felt a little out of place? Like that scene could have been done just from Neysa's point of view, although I understand the author probably wanted readers to better understand the characters' emotions and thoughts, which is why she probably used their POVs.
The story does have a little bit of a love triangle in it however it refreshingly wasn't dramatized, it didn't take up the whole book. In fact, it was resolved quite quickly. It was barely even a love triangle, more just the acknowledgment of someone else's feelings towards her.
It was a very good read, one that I can see myself rereading in the future and recommending to people who like Fae Romance stories. I am very glad to have gotten the chance to read this.
5 out of 5 Stars
(5 Stars - Amazing, I really enjoyed the book.)
"You are like this great ocean, and I had fought to stay up above the water, but all I want is to drown in you."
Another Beast's Skin by Jessika Grewe Grovel was an interesting fantasy romance. It followed Neysa who moves to coastal England after a divorce and the death of her father. She quickly befriends Corra, Silas, and Cade and learns they are from a Fae realm. The Veil between the realms is failing because the crystals that kept it secure went missing, Neysa and her friend's journey to find the crystals and repair the Veil.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the use of the crystals was an interesting concept. It had a really fun world-building and magic system however the world-building was interesting all though at times a little confusing. I found the first portion of the book to be a little bit of an information overload that had me skimming over things. However, the second half of the book really picked up in the action. Admittedly, I am confused by the ending, and a few things went unexplained, but I hope this will be clarified in a sequel and thank god the ending wasn't a devastating cliff-hanger (I've had enough of those lately!).
The main character, Neysa, was a decent protagonist however throughout the book it felt like she was younger than her mid-thirties. It felt like she could have easily been in her early twenties. She has a job but never seems to be working, and generally behaves similarly to protagonists in YA or NA stories who are 18 - 22 years old. The other characters were also enjoyable to read however, there were 2 chapters at the beginning where it jumped to their point of views which just felt a little out of place? Like that scene could have been done just from Neysa's point of view, although I understand the author probably wanted readers to better understand the characters' emotions and thoughts, which is why she probably used their POVs.
The story does have a little bit of a love triangle in it however it refreshingly wasn't dramatized, it didn't take up the whole book. In fact, it was resolved quite quickly. It was barely even a love triangle, more just the acknowledgment of someone else's feelings towards her.
It was a very good read, one that I can see myself rereading in the future and recommending to people who like Fae Romance stories. I am very glad to have gotten the chance to read this.
July 15, 2021
Please don't rely too heavily on other reader's opinions on this book. You should definitely check it out for yourself if it's something that interests you. With that - This is my own personal opinion and my thoughts after reading 'Another Beast's Skin'.
I really enjoyed this book and the characters that Jessika has created. I loved how she incorporated things like crystals and elements into the story and the characters. Even better? She included SCIENCE. As an environmental scientist as a profession, I love coming across a novel that includes these elements. It was a bit slow in the beginning but once the story unraveled, I was hooked. There is a lot of world-building and the magic system to be discussed, which is what most readers love when they start a book series. Being able to understand and get into the author's head to let the world construct around you is always the best. The romance isn't as spicy as I like it, but that's not the point of the book. It's about character development and the journey of Neysa. She is developing and this story followers her hardships and her reluctance to give her heart away to just anyone. I really enjoyed the way the author took this story and developed it into something that was emotionally relatable. I am eagerly waiting for the second book because that ending was...*deep sigh*.
Thank you, Jessika for the eARC, and thank you NetGalley for sending me my second eARC.
I really enjoyed this book and the characters that Jessika has created. I loved how she incorporated things like crystals and elements into the story and the characters. Even better? She included SCIENCE. As an environmental scientist as a profession, I love coming across a novel that includes these elements. It was a bit slow in the beginning but once the story unraveled, I was hooked. There is a lot of world-building and the magic system to be discussed, which is what most readers love when they start a book series. Being able to understand and get into the author's head to let the world construct around you is always the best. The romance isn't as spicy as I like it, but that's not the point of the book. It's about character development and the journey of Neysa. She is developing and this story followers her hardships and her reluctance to give her heart away to just anyone. I really enjoyed the way the author took this story and developed it into something that was emotionally relatable. I am eagerly waiting for the second book because that ending was...*deep sigh*.
Thank you, Jessika for the eARC, and thank you NetGalley for sending me my second eARC.
July 22, 2021
Another Beast's Skin
by Jessika Grewe Glover
The whole book was little hard to read, the plot and story in my opinion moved a little too quickly making it hard to understand, Saying that I did really enjoy reading it, it has a great storyline that made it enjoyable to read.
The main character (Neysa) moves to England after a messy divorce pair with the death of her father, she decided she needed a change of view and a new start.
She immediately meets (Corra) (Silas) and (Cade) who all turn out to be Fae on a quest to find missing crystals that holds up a vile to the Fae realm.
They tell Neysa that she is part fae and that they need her help to find the stone’s.
Neysa takes this all in very well and gets to work preparing for the possibility of a war between the Fae beyond the vile.
Good thing her father got her into sword fighting since she was young, it becomes clear that her father new about her Fae DNA and about the missing stone’s.
The enemy is close at hand and Neysa finds herself fighting for her and her friend’s life more than once.
highly recommended this book for lover's of adult fantasy books.
by Jessika Grewe Glover
The whole book was little hard to read, the plot and story in my opinion moved a little too quickly making it hard to understand, Saying that I did really enjoy reading it, it has a great storyline that made it enjoyable to read.
The main character (Neysa) moves to England after a messy divorce pair with the death of her father, she decided she needed a change of view and a new start.
She immediately meets (Corra) (Silas) and (Cade) who all turn out to be Fae on a quest to find missing crystals that holds up a vile to the Fae realm.
They tell Neysa that she is part fae and that they need her help to find the stone’s.
Neysa takes this all in very well and gets to work preparing for the possibility of a war between the Fae beyond the vile.
Good thing her father got her into sword fighting since she was young, it becomes clear that her father new about her Fae DNA and about the missing stone’s.
The enemy is close at hand and Neysa finds herself fighting for her and her friend’s life more than once.
highly recommended this book for lover's of adult fantasy books.
October 29, 2023
3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
While the last section of this novel was great, the first 20-30% of Another Beast's Skin was, as others have said, a bit info-dumpy. In addition to the info, there are several places with a bit too much direct characterization for my taste. However, as mentioned, the ending did leave me wanting more. I grew to care about Neysa over the course of the novel, and pity her because of what she's been through.
There are several paces that I, personally, would have loved more drama. But I love action sequences and always want to feel more of the fear and shock and overwhelm in those.
Overall, this was a great debut novel and I'm excited to follow Gover's career and am definitely curious what all will go down in book 2 after where book 1 ended.
While the last section of this novel was great, the first 20-30% of Another Beast's Skin was, as others have said, a bit info-dumpy. In addition to the info, there are several places with a bit too much direct characterization for my taste. However, as mentioned, the ending did leave me wanting more. I grew to care about Neysa over the course of the novel, and pity her because of what she's been through.
There are several paces that I, personally, would have loved more drama. But I love action sequences and always want to feel more of the fear and shock and overwhelm in those.
Overall, this was a great debut novel and I'm excited to follow Gover's career and am definitely curious what all will go down in book 2 after where book 1 ended.
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