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Of Flesh & Bone #1
What Lies Beyond the Veil
Once, we’d worshipped them as Gods.
For nearly 400 years, the Veil has protected us from the Fae of Alfheimr. In their absence, our lives have shifted from decadence and sin to survival and virtue under the guidance of the New Gods. I’ve spent my entire life tending to the gardens next to the boundary between our worlds, drawn to the shimmering magic like a moth to the flame.
Then, we died on their swords.
All of that changes the day the Veil shatters, unleashing the fae upon our world once again. The magic of faerie marks those of us they mean to take, but the Mist Guard protecting Nothrek will kill us all before they let the fae have us. There’s no choice but to flee everything I’ve ever known, not if I want to live to see my twenty-first birthday as a free woman.
Now, they’ll claim what’s theirs.
But before they capture me, Caelum saves me from the Wild Hunt. Fae-marked and on the run, he is able to fight back in ways I only dream of. From tentative alliance to all-consuming passion, our bond strengthens as the fae close in and evil lurks ever nearer. With my life on the line, he is everything I shouldn’t dare to want and a distraction I can’t afford. I can’t seem to stay away, not even with something greater on the line.
My heart.
Author’s Note: This book is intended for readers who are 18 and older. It contains mature language, graphic violence, and explicit content with darker elements. This is book one in a series and ends in a cliffhanger.
For nearly 400 years, the Veil has protected us from the Fae of Alfheimr. In their absence, our lives have shifted from decadence and sin to survival and virtue under the guidance of the New Gods. I’ve spent my entire life tending to the gardens next to the boundary between our worlds, drawn to the shimmering magic like a moth to the flame.
Then, we died on their swords.
All of that changes the day the Veil shatters, unleashing the fae upon our world once again. The magic of faerie marks those of us they mean to take, but the Mist Guard protecting Nothrek will kill us all before they let the fae have us. There’s no choice but to flee everything I’ve ever known, not if I want to live to see my twenty-first birthday as a free woman.
Now, they’ll claim what’s theirs.
But before they capture me, Caelum saves me from the Wild Hunt. Fae-marked and on the run, he is able to fight back in ways I only dream of. From tentative alliance to all-consuming passion, our bond strengthens as the fae close in and evil lurks ever nearer. With my life on the line, he is everything I shouldn’t dare to want and a distraction I can’t afford. I can’t seem to stay away, not even with something greater on the line.
My heart.
Author’s Note: This book is intended for readers who are 18 and older. It contains mature language, graphic violence, and explicit content with darker elements. This is book one in a series and ends in a cliffhanger.
439 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2022
12905 people are currently reading
187858 people want to read
About the author
Harper L. Woods
16 books5,691 followersHarper L Woods A pseudonym used by Adelaide Forrest. Harper L. Woods is the fantasy romance pen name for USA Today Bestselling dark romance author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,821 reviews
February 26, 2022
This is the second time I’m writing this review because goodreads crashed the first time so buckle in because I’m already annoyed.
This book was something, a very mediocre something. From the get go our main character was a carbon copy of every other female mc in the fantasy genre right now. The book also holds some very clear similarities to other popular books, to the point where it seems to have very clearly borrowed other elements. Nobody owns any plot point or genre, but the similarities here were a bit too much for me to brush off, but I’ll let you decide that for yourself.
This book starts off in the human realm, where our main character is going to be sacrificed to keep up the Veil—a magical boundary separating themselves from the fae. The stakes are high, but by 30% in the stakes are gone. The author is constantly telling us how high the stakes are without backing any of it up. There was quite literally no plot in this book. It was practically just the main character camping for 300 pages.
For a romance, the love interest was absolutely unlikeable. I felt like I was being gaslit into thinking there was any chemistry between him and the mc. This guy also literally called her “Little One” That’s like a nickname you would give a child, and the fact that he also uses it in a sexual context??? He also constantly objectified the main character and made her feel stupid for any concern she had. Just look at this excerpt from the book:
“Have I ever made you feel like you do not have a choice with me? In fact, I would say I’ve been very accommodating, allowing you to make your choice about whether you wanted me or not,”
Am I supposed to find this romantic…? This book had absolutely no redeeming qualities and I will never get the years this took off my life back.
This book was something, a very mediocre something. From the get go our main character was a carbon copy of every other female mc in the fantasy genre right now. The book also holds some very clear similarities to other popular books, to the point where it seems to have very clearly borrowed other elements. Nobody owns any plot point or genre, but the similarities here were a bit too much for me to brush off, but I’ll let you decide that for yourself.
This book starts off in the human realm, where our main character is going to be sacrificed to keep up the Veil—a magical boundary separating themselves from the fae. The stakes are high, but by 30% in the stakes are gone. The author is constantly telling us how high the stakes are without backing any of it up. There was quite literally no plot in this book. It was practically just the main character camping for 300 pages.
For a romance, the love interest was absolutely unlikeable. I felt like I was being gaslit into thinking there was any chemistry between him and the mc. This guy also literally called her “Little One” That’s like a nickname you would give a child, and the fact that he also uses it in a sexual context??? He also constantly objectified the main character and made her feel stupid for any concern she had. Just look at this excerpt from the book:
“Have I ever made you feel like you do not have a choice with me? In fact, I would say I’ve been very accommodating, allowing you to make your choice about whether you wanted me or not,”
Am I supposed to find this romantic…? This book had absolutely no redeeming qualities and I will never get the years this took off my life back.
February 24, 2022
never trusting tiktok again. wtf was that. AND THE WRITING??? yeah ok
August 4, 2022
if you are looking for a new fantasy book where humans are at the mercy of the fae and a romance is influenced by a bond, then this is everything you will want! its predictable, but entertaining. which is exactly what i expected this to be.
i mean, that cliffhanger reveal at the end wasnt a reveal. everything can be figured out from pretty much the third chapter. but that didnt ruin the story for me. if anything, it made me much more observant, picking up on the “hints” that were scattered throughout, to see if the MC would catch on. she didnt, so the ending was indeed a shock for estrella. lol.
cant wait to see how she is going to deal with everything in the next book!
↠ 4 stars
i mean, that cliffhanger reveal at the end wasnt a reveal. everything can be figured out from pretty much the third chapter. but that didnt ruin the story for me. if anything, it made me much more observant, picking up on the “hints” that were scattered throughout, to see if the MC would catch on. she didnt, so the ending was indeed a shock for estrella. lol.
cant wait to see how she is going to deal with everything in the next book!
↠ 4 stars
August 24, 2022
What Lies Beyond the Veil? I'll tell ya. Lots and lots of filler.
What even was this book? If ACOTAR and FBAA were put together in a bland way.
The book starts off so well. The first five chapters are well written and interesting. It hyped me up so much. This is what happened afterwards- the author lost the plot. She didn't know how to carry the characters, they're just going along doing nothing but smirking at each other occasionally. The book basically felt like one huge filler. There's literally nothing of substance happening for about 75% of the book. The pacing was so incredibly slow, I had to take so many breaks in between 🥲
The world building is incredibly weak and there's little clarity. The spice is written with heart, the romance is written with heart, but the rest comes across as bland.
We have such a badass FMC who holds so much potential but it's all wasted.
The love interest, Caelum is charming and radiates alpha male energy. The two together make a pretty good couple. The characters are the reason why I give it two stars.
The big reveal was predictable, I was able to see it miles ago.
I probably would still read the sequel, because of the ending which I really liked but not with high expectations.
What even was this book? If ACOTAR and FBAA were put together in a bland way.
The book starts off so well. The first five chapters are well written and interesting. It hyped me up so much. This is what happened afterwards- the author lost the plot. She didn't know how to carry the characters, they're just going along doing nothing but smirking at each other occasionally. The book basically felt like one huge filler. There's literally nothing of substance happening for about 75% of the book. The pacing was so incredibly slow, I had to take so many breaks in between 🥲
The world building is incredibly weak and there's little clarity. The spice is written with heart, the romance is written with heart, but the rest comes across as bland.
We have such a badass FMC who holds so much potential but it's all wasted.
The love interest, Caelum is charming and radiates alpha male energy. The two together make a pretty good couple. The characters are the reason why I give it two stars.
The big reveal was predictable, I was able to see it miles ago.
I probably would still read the sequel, because of the ending which I really liked but not with high expectations.
April 26, 2025
**I was provided with an ARC for an honest review.**
This book is unapologetically dark romance fae trash… So let’s get into it
꧁The Characters꧂
Meet Estrella. She's conscientious. She's protective. And she's angry at how life has constantly given her the short end
same girl
But also is what I'm looking for when I just want a quick easy hot alpha paired up with an equally violent and sassy heroine. Estrella's development into a violent and defiant POV was constantly entertaining, full of raw emotions. She just so angry and vulnerable about her reality.
Everyone kept fighting her. So she started fighting back
The world-building, unique plot, and antihero love interest all hooked me right away. He is a total morally grey character that embraces his monster tendencies in the most wickedly delicious ways
꧁The Writing Style꧂
Short and shocking which worked very well with Estrella’s POV of everything being new and dangerous that I was immediately immersed into this book world
Im going to list its flaws with the astrix of *i saw the shortcomings and literally did not give a sh*t.
✨Cliche✨ This is a dark fae romance book. It will contain every fae alphahole trope from jealous motherf*cka to i will protect you even from yourself. Either ya like it or ya dont.
✨Human✨ The heroine is painfully human so she makes lots of stupid decisions and is the last f*cking person to realize anything.
✨Basic✨ There is no subtle foreshadowing. We allllll know whats coming but we still have to GET there through the story line that seems to be building up to — hopefully something more magical ?
Looking back, this book really felt more like a prequel than a main event. There was so much set up and predictions. Family secrets . Identity foreshadowing . Secrecy .
I mean those are all really great plot points!! But we never get anywhere with them in this first book :(
This first book really just set up the heroine. First introduced to the fae world to work on the immediate issue THEN later build-up to the MAJOR plot that the series will be focused on.
Overall, I simply adored this book despite critiques.
The heroine is my kind of sassy and capable that I can't wait to get more of. Each obstacle pushed her, forced her to confront her weaknesses then she REFUSED to let that weakness stop her
For the first of a series, it set up the world that I cannot WAIT to see where it’s going, and how the author might add some more twists and turns. The love interest was flawed, driven, and I wanted to slap then kiss him at the same time.
While the beginning had some basic YA vibes with the setup, it quickly developed into an engaging NA with more sexy, more intriguing, more b*tching characters. For me, how the sequel is developed will decide whether this was a one and done, or a Rhysand-sneaky plotting-human standing up for herself- kind of series.
For real tho, anyone who reads this book pleaseee message me so I have someone to rave about it with!!
This book is unapologetically dark romance fae trash… So let’s get into it
꧁The Characters꧂
Meet Estrella. She's conscientious. She's protective. And she's angry at how life has constantly given her the short end
same girl
"I was so f*cking tired of being a victim. Of being treated like I was less than the men around me, because they had a piece of meat swinging between their legs."Her martyrism for her family endeared me to her but also made me side eye and snitch phrases like "Mary Sue" at the beginning.....
But also is what I'm looking for when I just want a quick easy hot alpha paired up with an equally violent and sassy heroine. Estrella's development into a violent and defiant POV was constantly entertaining, full of raw emotions. She just so angry and vulnerable about her reality.
Everyone kept fighting her. So she started fighting back
"You're a vicious one, aren't you?" he asked, running his tongue over the top of his perfect bottom teeth.Enter our potential love interest, Caelum.
"Only when it comes to pushy men who seem to think they have the right to touch me," I snapped, leaning further into the knife against his throat."
The world-building, unique plot, and antihero love interest all hooked me right away. He is a total morally grey character that embraces his monster tendencies in the most wickedly delicious ways
“I would burn the world to the ground and lay it at your feet if you so much as asked it of me"
꧁The Writing Style꧂
Short and shocking which worked very well with Estrella’s POV of everything being new and dangerous that I was immediately immersed into this book world
"Sudden awareness burst through my contentment, the impression of someone banging on the other side of a doorway, though there was none to be found."And now the critiques…
Im going to list its flaws with the astrix of *i saw the shortcomings and literally did not give a sh*t.
✨Cliche✨ This is a dark fae romance book. It will contain every fae alphahole trope from jealous motherf*cka to i will protect you even from yourself. Either ya like it or ya dont.
✨Human✨ The heroine is painfully human so she makes lots of stupid decisions and is the last f*cking person to realize anything.
✨Basic✨ There is no subtle foreshadowing. We allllll know whats coming but we still have to GET there through the story line that seems to be building up to — hopefully something more magical ?
Looking back, this book really felt more like a prequel than a main event. There was so much set up and predictions. Family secrets . Identity foreshadowing . Secrecy .
I mean those are all really great plot points!! But we never get anywhere with them in this first book :(
This first book really just set up the heroine. First introduced to the fae world to work on the immediate issue THEN later build-up to the MAJOR plot that the series will be focused on.
Overall, I simply adored this book despite critiques.
The heroine is my kind of sassy and capable that I can't wait to get more of. Each obstacle pushed her, forced her to confront her weaknesses then she REFUSED to let that weakness stop her
For the first of a series, it set up the world that I cannot WAIT to see where it’s going, and how the author might add some more twists and turns. The love interest was flawed, driven, and I wanted to slap then kiss him at the same time.
"If you can hit me, you can hit anyone," he said, stabbing toward me with a quick jab. I bent backward to avoid it striking me in the chest. "And I will very much enjoy watching you cut down enemies at my side one day."Looking ahead, I have some definite expectations for the sequel. I especially hope the author carefully works to differentiate the cultures and buildup of each fae court, so that they aren’t all basically the same with just a different color scheme *cough pathetic don't do it*
While the beginning had some basic YA vibes with the setup, it quickly developed into an engaging NA with more sexy, more intriguing, more b*tching characters. For me, how the sequel is developed will decide whether this was a one and done, or a Rhysand-sneaky plotting-human standing up for herself- kind of series.
For real tho, anyone who reads this book pleaseee message me so I have someone to rave about it with!!
May 4, 2022
2 ⭐️ Interesting fantasy world but predictable storyline, incredibly sexy moments but sometimes cringy
Trigger Warning (18+): abuse, grooming, molestation (mentioned), violence, death of character (side)
Summary:
"You're going to break me"
"No, Little One. I'm going to love you. Until you forget what it is to hurt and then long after that. Until the scars you wear like armor have faded from memory, and only we remain."
For nearly 400 years, the Veil has protected humans from the Fae of Alfheimr. Until one day, it shatters, unleashing fae upon the world again.
Estrella spent her entire life tending to Lord Byron's gardens in Mistfell during the day and receiving private lessons from him and his tutors at night. But once the barrier between the two realms is broken, Estrella's life is forever changed. Marked as a mate to one of the fae, she must flee to save herself from being hunted down by the Mist Guard, protectors of the human realm, as well as the Wild Hunt, a group of fae from the Shadow Court.
Before either can capture her, another fae marked named Caelum saves her, and together they seek protection with the Resistance. But their alliance quickly turns into a passionate romance that may consume them both.
*This story ends on a massive cliffhanger
My Thoughts:
If you're a fan of JLA's From Blood and Ash and enjoy dagger to the throat meetings, fated mates, forced proximity, 'touch her and die', 'who hurt you', possessive alphaholes, exhibitionism, praise k!nks, and breeding k!nk, you may like this.
What I liked:
The world-building. This is an interesting world full of Primordials, Gods, Fae, witches, and humans. By the end of book one, we have some background about the history before the Veil, but most of it is told from the human's perspective, so I'm curious to learn about it acording to the Fae. I'm also excited to see what life in the fae realm looks like!
The banter was great at times. Estrella is feisty and Caelum is very persistent. All he wants to do is protect her but she's very untrusting, so whenever he pushes, she pulls. But goodness does Caelum say a lot of great things. For example: "If this is what your hate feels like, then I can't wait to feel your love."
Caelum calling Estrella 'My Star' was so sweet. This is the cutest nickname, especially since Estrella means star in Spanish. But he also calls her, 'Little One' a lot which I didn't like so much because it reminded me of Marvel's Thanos calling Gamora 'Little One'. lol
The sex scenes were intense and steamy. Literally steamy because most of them happen in hot springs. This story is definitely 18+ with lots of sexual tension and graphic sex scenes.
What I didn't like:
Storyline is extremely predictable. There wasn't a single plot twist that surprised me. It felt like the author was spoon-feeding the reader to the point where it was obvious where the story was headed. I felt like I was being told more than I was being shown. However, it’s still an enjoyable ride.
Some of the words and phrases used were too modern or relative to our world. For example: 'ew', 'gross', and 'you're a d!ck'. Whenever used, I was taken out of the fantasy story.
Other words and phrases used throughout the story were cringy, especially sexual ones. 🙈
For example:
- "It was safe to say, my vag!na was unfortunately off-limits."
- "I like my intestines in my stomach and not shoved into my lungs. You just keep that thing away from me."
- "He tore another woman in two with his monumental c0ck?"
- "I'm not above punching you in the d!ck."
- "I don't even mind that your p*ssy is probably still filled with his c*m from when he made you scream this morning. It feels better that way." (This one in particular, is supposed to gross you the f*ck out but it was too much).
- "Show me my f*cking c*nt. Show them what they will never have."
- "I'll fill you with so much of my c*m that they can smell it on you tomorrow and remember exactly who you belong to.
- "I want you to come. I want to clench that tight little p*ssy around my c0ck and milk the c*m from my balls until it's dripping down your thighs."
- References to Estrella's vag!na after sex as a "battered p*ssy" or "poor p*ssy"
Jensen trying to force Estrella to be a lady of the night did nothing to further the story. I hate useless plot points. And this was obviously done to piss off Caelum and have him show everyone in the Resistance that Estrella is his...which he does when he literally f*cks her in the communal hot springs baths. It just felt cheap.
The exhibition was fine but didn't quite align with Caelum's character. He is so protective of Estrella and didn't want anyone to touch or think of her sexually, but he's suddenly okay with the entire Resistance watching him claim her? I feel like this was only added to shock the reader instead of actually providing any real value towards the romance or story.
Overall, I was intrigued by the storyline and worldbuilding, however, the characters and romance fell short for me. Regardless, I am curious as to what happens next, so I may read the next book.
Thank you Harper L. Woods for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
Trigger Warning (18+): abuse, grooming, molestation (mentioned), violence, death of character (side)
Summary:
"You're going to break me"
"No, Little One. I'm going to love you. Until you forget what it is to hurt and then long after that. Until the scars you wear like armor have faded from memory, and only we remain."
For nearly 400 years, the Veil has protected humans from the Fae of Alfheimr. Until one day, it shatters, unleashing fae upon the world again.
Estrella spent her entire life tending to Lord Byron's gardens in Mistfell during the day and receiving private lessons from him and his tutors at night. But once the barrier between the two realms is broken, Estrella's life is forever changed. Marked as a mate to one of the fae, she must flee to save herself from being hunted down by the Mist Guard, protectors of the human realm, as well as the Wild Hunt, a group of fae from the Shadow Court.
Before either can capture her, another fae marked named Caelum saves her, and together they seek protection with the Resistance. But their alliance quickly turns into a passionate romance that may consume them both.
*This story ends on a massive cliffhanger
My Thoughts:
If you're a fan of JLA's From Blood and Ash and enjoy dagger to the throat meetings, fated mates, forced proximity, 'touch her and die', 'who hurt you', possessive alphaholes, exhibitionism, praise k!nks, and breeding k!nk, you may like this.
What I liked:
The world-building. This is an interesting world full of Primordials, Gods, Fae, witches, and humans. By the end of book one, we have some background about the history before the Veil, but most of it is told from the human's perspective, so I'm curious to learn about it acording to the Fae. I'm also excited to see what life in the fae realm looks like!
The banter was great at times. Estrella is feisty and Caelum is very persistent. All he wants to do is protect her but she's very untrusting, so whenever he pushes, she pulls. But goodness does Caelum say a lot of great things. For example: "If this is what your hate feels like, then I can't wait to feel your love."
Caelum calling Estrella 'My Star' was so sweet. This is the cutest nickname, especially since Estrella means star in Spanish. But he also calls her, 'Little One' a lot which I didn't like so much because it reminded me of Marvel's Thanos calling Gamora 'Little One'. lol
The sex scenes were intense and steamy. Literally steamy because most of them happen in hot springs. This story is definitely 18+ with lots of sexual tension and graphic sex scenes.
What I didn't like:
Storyline is extremely predictable. There wasn't a single plot twist that surprised me. It felt like the author was spoon-feeding the reader to the point where it was obvious where the story was headed. I felt like I was being told more than I was being shown. However, it’s still an enjoyable ride.
Some of the words and phrases used were too modern or relative to our world. For example: 'ew', 'gross', and 'you're a d!ck'. Whenever used, I was taken out of the fantasy story.
Other words and phrases used throughout the story were cringy, especially sexual ones. 🙈
For example:
- "It was safe to say, my vag!na was unfortunately off-limits."
- "I like my intestines in my stomach and not shoved into my lungs. You just keep that thing away from me."
- "He tore another woman in two with his monumental c0ck?"
- "I'm not above punching you in the d!ck."
- "I don't even mind that your p*ssy is probably still filled with his c*m from when he made you scream this morning. It feels better that way." (This one in particular, is supposed to gross you the f*ck out but it was too much).
- "Show me my f*cking c*nt. Show them what they will never have."
- "I'll fill you with so much of my c*m that they can smell it on you tomorrow and remember exactly who you belong to.
- "I want you to come. I want to clench that tight little p*ssy around my c0ck and milk the c*m from my balls until it's dripping down your thighs."
- References to Estrella's vag!na after sex as a "battered p*ssy" or "poor p*ssy"
Jensen trying to force Estrella to be a lady of the night did nothing to further the story. I hate useless plot points. And this was obviously done to piss off Caelum and have him show everyone in the Resistance that Estrella is his...which he does when he literally f*cks her in the communal hot springs baths. It just felt cheap.
The exhibition was fine but didn't quite align with Caelum's character. He is so protective of Estrella and didn't want anyone to touch or think of her sexually, but he's suddenly okay with the entire Resistance watching him claim her? I feel like this was only added to shock the reader instead of actually providing any real value towards the romance or story.
Overall, I was intrigued by the storyline and worldbuilding, however, the characters and romance fell short for me. Regardless, I am curious as to what happens next, so I may read the next book.
Thank you Harper L. Woods for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
March 4, 2022
Was this a great book? No.
Will I read the sequel when it comes out in August? Probably 😂
If you’ve read the From Blood and Ash series by Jennifer Armentrout you’ve basically already read this book.
- Adventurous but sheltered heroine repressed by society
- Creepy nobleman who beats her and makes advances toward her
- Violent, morally grey hero from another land disguised as a human
- They fall in love while on the run
- They have hot sex without her knowing who he really is
- Everything blows up and the truth comes out during a skirmish in the village where they’re staying
- They’re fated mates and the mating bond requires them to travel back to his homeland
- Heroine is pissed and betrayed and wants to stab him
- She has to drink hero’s blood to heal her injuries
- Hero rips out a guy’s heart with his bare hands
- Super steamy scene at a hot spring
- There’s an army of undead skeleton soldiers
- And a complicated family tree of primals, gods and demigods
Are we missing anything? 😆
Not the best writing either, but the tension between the two of them was enough to make me want to read more. I feel like the part of the book when they were on the run, and just chatting and falling for each other, was the highlight for me. Although Caelum became more and more possessive and dominant as time went on and that was a little creepy. Makes sense, now that we know who he is.
Just an okay read 🤷🏼♀️
Will I read the sequel when it comes out in August? Probably 😂
If you’ve read the From Blood and Ash series by Jennifer Armentrout you’ve basically already read this book.
- Adventurous but sheltered heroine repressed by society
- Creepy nobleman who beats her and makes advances toward her
- Violent, morally grey hero from another land disguised as a human
- They fall in love while on the run
- They have hot sex without her knowing who he really is
- Everything blows up and the truth comes out during a skirmish in the village where they’re staying
- They’re fated mates and the mating bond requires them to travel back to his homeland
- Heroine is pissed and betrayed and wants to stab him
- She has to drink hero’s blood to heal her injuries
- Hero rips out a guy’s heart with his bare hands
- Super steamy scene at a hot spring
- There’s an army of undead skeleton soldiers
- And a complicated family tree of primals, gods and demigods
Are we missing anything? 😆
Not the best writing either, but the tension between the two of them was enough to make me want to read more. I feel like the part of the book when they were on the run, and just chatting and falling for each other, was the highlight for me. Although Caelum became more and more possessive and dominant as time went on and that was a little creepy. Makes sense, now that we know who he is.
Just an okay read 🤷🏼♀️
December 16, 2024
I really wanted this to be better 😭 The dialogue between the characters cringed me out and the pacing was so weird. It went from 0-100 so many times. The spice was…graphic. The plot twist was predictable straight from the jump. Not for me.
September 24, 2022
This was simply a bland, boring fae version of FBAA, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞, 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜, 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭. 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞. The only difference was the amount of gaslighting from that creepy MMC, and since it was also compared to ACOTAR I really hope for my sanity that Caelum is her Tamlin. Otherwise calling that relationship romance is just sad, disappointing and very concerning. Frankly at this point you just need to read my review for We Hunt The Flame, everything i said there still applies here and then some. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐞.
March 3, 2022
I'm sorry, but I can't find anything better to say other than this is cringe. DNF at 41%.
September 27, 2023
4.5/5 ⭐
2.5/5 🌶️
If you enjoy dagger to the throat, fated mates, forced proximity, 'touch her and die', 'who hurt you', possessive alphaholes, exhibitionism, praise kinks, and breeding kink, this book is for you. It’s spicy and dark and foreboding. The connection between Caelum and Estella is palpable. I just wish the series was completed before I stumbled upon this first book. Overall this was such a fantastic book that you’ll love and by the end you’ll wish the second book would release already!
Quotes:
“Never hesitate to own your love for them, and to make it known that you miss them every day.”
“Because life isn’t always tidy. We don’t always have the answers we want, and love isn’t always pretty,”
“I’ll be your God any day, my star,”
“You’re so pretty until you speak,” I said, smiling at him sweetly. “Do try not to ruin it.”
2.5/5 🌶️
If you enjoy dagger to the throat, fated mates, forced proximity, 'touch her and die', 'who hurt you', possessive alphaholes, exhibitionism, praise kinks, and breeding kink, this book is for you. It’s spicy and dark and foreboding. The connection between Caelum and Estella is palpable. I just wish the series was completed before I stumbled upon this first book. Overall this was such a fantastic book that you’ll love and by the end you’ll wish the second book would release already!
Quotes:
“Never hesitate to own your love for them, and to make it known that you miss them every day.”
“Because life isn’t always tidy. We don’t always have the answers we want, and love isn’t always pretty,”
“I’ll be your God any day, my star,”
“You’re so pretty until you speak,” I said, smiling at him sweetly. “Do try not to ruin it.”
February 26, 2022
Was looking for something to get out of a reading slump. This book makes me forget why I like fiction at all. The main love interest is abusive and a Grade A creep, the worldbuilding is absolute shit all the way down, and if you’re going to make pleasure/animal instincts/feral attraction such a big part of a book, at least make it goddamn interesting. I skipped all the *spicy* scenes. Bc I hated the mc and love interest so much. Just save yourself the time and don’t read this poorly written romanticization of abuse. God. Gonna go scrub my eyes out now.
February 24, 2022
I had such high hopes. This was an absolute disappointment. It stripped all the good parts of from blood and ash, an ember in the shadow, A court of thrones and roses and made just an absolute mess of a book.
The plot? Literally what was it?? Why was he pretending to be human? Literally no motivation? Why didn’t he bust up and cut some people like the amazing men he has attempted to emulate? At least make it worth my time!
The main character, Estrella? I’ve never wanted to strangle someone. She was so annoying with his inner monologue of “he’s gonna sleep around” and shit. GIRL YOUR BROTHER TRIED TO KILL YOU MAYBE FOCUS ON THAT. Not to mention how dumb she was, HE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT HUMAN.
I hated the sad attempt of originality with Norse mythology. Literally Norse has multiple afterlife’s and Hel did not give a fuck you to Odin with her father to be ignored and replaced with Tartarus. Also THEY HAVE A LITERAL PLANET FOR BAD ELVES THAT ARE ALL ABOUT THE SHADOWS. Like why?? Why bother with this half assed Norse Myths.
The relationship was all over the place due to shoving other peoples works on them. I hated it. It wasn’t natural, it was messy and forced.
The lack of subtle foreshadowing also really made me bored out of my mind. I forced myself to read this absolute waste of time.
I have no good things to say about this
The plot? Literally what was it?? Why was he pretending to be human? Literally no motivation? Why didn’t he bust up and cut some people like the amazing men he has attempted to emulate? At least make it worth my time!
The main character, Estrella? I’ve never wanted to strangle someone. She was so annoying with his inner monologue of “he’s gonna sleep around” and shit. GIRL YOUR BROTHER TRIED TO KILL YOU MAYBE FOCUS ON THAT. Not to mention how dumb she was, HE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT HUMAN.
I hated the sad attempt of originality with Norse mythology. Literally Norse has multiple afterlife’s and Hel did not give a fuck you to Odin with her father to be ignored and replaced with Tartarus. Also THEY HAVE A LITERAL PLANET FOR BAD ELVES THAT ARE ALL ABOUT THE SHADOWS. Like why?? Why bother with this half assed Norse Myths.
The relationship was all over the place due to shoving other peoples works on them. I hated it. It wasn’t natural, it was messy and forced.
The lack of subtle foreshadowing also really made me bored out of my mind. I forced myself to read this absolute waste of time.
I have no good things to say about this
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2022
i don’t know how to explain this in the right words, but it feels like recently i’ve read a million new adult fantasy books that follow what i personally like to call the “acotar formula” and this book did exactly that.
it wasn’t a TERRIBLE book, but it definitely wasn’t amazing either. it was pretty much the walmart version of acotar and fbaa soooo yeah. i did really enjoy it for the first 40% before it started to fall flat for me, so i’m not sure if i’ll be reading the next book in the series. (2.5⭐️)
(i also completely guessed the alleged “plot twist” but it seemed really obvious to me?? if you’ve read this book please let me know what you think)
it wasn’t a TERRIBLE book, but it definitely wasn’t amazing either. it was pretty much the walmart version of acotar and fbaa soooo yeah. i did really enjoy it for the first 40% before it started to fall flat for me, so i’m not sure if i’ll be reading the next book in the series. (2.5⭐️)
(i also completely guessed the alleged “plot twist” but it seemed really obvious to me?? if you’ve read this book please let me know what you think)
Read
April 13, 2022I rarely ever DNF a book but this is just not for me. Don't go by me I have a low tolerance for men who use their power to treat women like shit.Its not the main character but it puts a bad taste in my mouth so it's better I stop now. Until next time Luv's💋💕
April 22, 2022
2🌟
okay if you loved From Blood and Ash & ACOTAR but wanted it darker, then this is the book for you. the concept of a veil separating mortals from the fae is interesting. in this universe, all the histories and war stories paint the fae as evil creatures. this book is a bit slow but I pushed through hoping it would set up a lot of amazing stuff for future books
i love the world building, writing style, and attention to detail. the close proximity where the MC and love interest have to work together is my favorite. it gave me all the romance i could ever ask for, including fated mates concept, but I hated the love interest so much.
the love interest started becoming two-dimensional to me with his overprotectiveness in the last quarter of the novel. and then all the protective comments slowly started becoming a bit sexist and very controlling. it had me hoping a second love interest would come in a swoop the MC away, but I don't think that is happening considering how this book ended. idk if I will read the second one, still hoping we get someone new.
okay if you loved From Blood and Ash & ACOTAR but wanted it darker, then this is the book for you. the concept of a veil separating mortals from the fae is interesting. in this universe, all the histories and war stories paint the fae as evil creatures. this book is a bit slow but I pushed through hoping it would set up a lot of amazing stuff for future books
i love the world building, writing style, and attention to detail. the close proximity where the MC and love interest have to work together is my favorite. it gave me all the romance i could ever ask for, including fated mates concept, but I hated the love interest so much.
the love interest started becoming two-dimensional to me with his overprotectiveness in the last quarter of the novel. and then all the protective comments slowly started becoming a bit sexist and very controlling. it had me hoping a second love interest would come in a swoop the MC away, but I don't think that is happening considering how this book ended. idk if I will read the second one, still hoping we get someone new.
July 6, 2024
I really wanted to like "What Lies Beyond the Veil" by Harper L. Woods, but I can only give it 2 stars. The book's idea was interesting, and the world and magic were cool. But for me, the execution wasn't great.
The biggest problem was that the rest of the book wasn't as well put together, making it hard to care about the characters or the story. Plus, about 60% of the book felt like it dragged on with repetitive stuff, so I ended up skimming a lot.
Also, the sexual scenes really surprised me and not in a good way. I'm not into that kind of thing, so it made the book pretty unpleasant to read.
In the end, it had a lot of potential but didn't quite get there. If the author had worked on it more before publishing, it could have been a 5-star book for me.
TW: Abuse, grooming, humiliation, molestation, full of toxicity, sexual exhibition and suicidal thoughts.
The biggest problem was that the rest of the book wasn't as well put together, making it hard to care about the characters or the story. Plus, about 60% of the book felt like it dragged on with repetitive stuff, so I ended up skimming a lot.
Also, the sexual scenes really surprised me and not in a good way. I'm not into that kind of thing, so it made the book pretty unpleasant to read.
In the end, it had a lot of potential but didn't quite get there. If the author had worked on it more before publishing, it could have been a 5-star book for me.
TW: Abuse, grooming, humiliation, molestation, full of toxicity, sexual exhibition and suicidal thoughts.
April 1, 2023
Let me grab my spyglass and my binoculars, because I'm on a mission to find this book's plot. Oh wait! There isn't one. And if there is you already know how everything's going to go down because you've read it 393793 times before, namely in FBAA mostly. Throw a little bit of the ACOTAR world in there and you're good to go.
Just know this review comes right after I finished the book and it might be a little all over the place. I just couldn't sit down and write a proper one, because this book frustrated me. Also, it contains spoilers, I guess.
Man, this is a poor man's From Blood And Ash with a little ACOTAR and a Shadow In The Ember thrown in there for good measure. It's like the author took the good and compelling plot points from these books, smashed them all together and created this...very mediocre - actually mediocre is a complement, so I'm going to with bad, super bad book.
And don't even get me started on the characters. Estrella annoyed the hell out of me, because she was trying to be something and that something was Poppy, but she lacked the charm Poppy has in my opinion. The FMC here tried to be as violent and stubby as Poppy is, bit she didn't manage it because it was written oh so poorly. In the beginning it's mentioned that a guard had taught her a few moves to defend herself and then later in the book miss ma'am turns into an experienced fighter taking two grown men down without any proper training. A lot of telling and not enough showing, that's what that was.
Now, Caelum the love interest is just...bland for me. He spews pretty words every time he opens his mouth that are what's supposed to make him endearing and charming and whatnot, but he has no personality whatsoever except being possessive of Estrella.
Also, everyone and their grandmother could see that twist at the end coming from a mile away because we've read it before and the world building was so underwhelming. What the hell was the purpose of those lists at the beginning when they served no purpose at all? Huh??? What???
And on a last note, there were like no side characters. There were, but none that were close to the main leads as their friends of something and that bored me, because the story progressed at such a slow pace, Estrella and Caelum met at around 30% and then they just travelled until the 70% mark, and it was just so boring with just the two of them, because they didn't do or talk about anything of substance. Yeah, Cealum told her a couple stories and one was relevant at the end, but that's it. And even that was predictable as all hell. Also, the romance progressed at a weird pace. They said I love you way too fast even for a book about fated mates.
I will continue with the next one out of curiosity to see if anything changes, but not yet. I feel drained.
Just know this review comes right after I finished the book and it might be a little all over the place. I just couldn't sit down and write a proper one, because this book frustrated me. Also, it contains spoilers, I guess.
Man, this is a poor man's From Blood And Ash with a little ACOTAR and a Shadow In The Ember thrown in there for good measure. It's like the author took the good and compelling plot points from these books, smashed them all together and created this...very mediocre - actually mediocre is a complement, so I'm going to with bad, super bad book.
And don't even get me started on the characters. Estrella annoyed the hell out of me, because she was trying to be something and that something was Poppy, but she lacked the charm Poppy has in my opinion. The FMC here tried to be as violent and stubby as Poppy is, bit she didn't manage it because it was written oh so poorly. In the beginning it's mentioned that a guard had taught her a few moves to defend herself and then later in the book miss ma'am turns into an experienced fighter taking two grown men down without any proper training. A lot of telling and not enough showing, that's what that was.
Now, Caelum the love interest is just...bland for me. He spews pretty words every time he opens his mouth that are what's supposed to make him endearing and charming and whatnot, but he has no personality whatsoever except being possessive of Estrella.
Also, everyone and their grandmother could see that twist at the end coming from a mile away because we've read it before and the world building was so underwhelming. What the hell was the purpose of those lists at the beginning when they served no purpose at all? Huh??? What???
And on a last note, there were like no side characters. There were, but none that were close to the main leads as their friends of something and that bored me, because the story progressed at such a slow pace, Estrella and Caelum met at around 30% and then they just travelled until the 70% mark, and it was just so boring with just the two of them, because they didn't do or talk about anything of substance. Yeah, Cealum told her a couple stories and one was relevant at the end, but that's it. And even that was predictable as all hell. Also, the romance progressed at a weird pace. They said I love you way too fast even for a book about fated mates.
I will continue with the next one out of curiosity to see if anything changes, but not yet. I feel drained.
May 8, 2023
May 8 2022 -
Why yes this is the second time this year that I'm reading this book. No, I will not be taking any questions. Yes, this has become a comfort series of sorts for me. No, I don't know why. Yes, I will be rereading the rest and then finally picking up book #3.
This is still a fantastic story that gets 5 stars from me ♡
_____________
Mar. 11 2022 -
Re-read #1: URGH, I still love this so much! I re-read it to get ready to get into the next book and I adored every moment. The suspense, the intrigue, oh my! I loved how the heroine rationalized away all the "coincidences" about the hero and any indication of something being slightly off about him. Like you go girl! The hero's sexual innuendos are gold and I love that even through it all he's SO emotionally available that it's disarming. Though on my second read though I did come across someone saying that another person had "eerie mismatched eyes" as a negative trait. In this house, we don't shame people for things they can't help. Heterochromia is a genetic mutation and it's not indicative of someone being good or bad. It just is. It's pretty cool if you ask me *shrugs*
_____________
Sept. 12 2022 -
Originally posted at:
Content Warning/Trigger Warning:
Considering how Jennifer Armentrout's Blood And Ash series has been my absolute favorite these past few years I really, really, really loved this book! It's very reminiscent of BAA in terms of the similar setting and tropes. Though I will say that I saw the twist in this one coming from a mile away while with BAA it caught me completely by surprise.
The heroine has gone through some very tough and unfortunate situations. The first 6 or so hours of this book are rough due to that. Considering how she was brought up I can understand how naive and trusting she is with the hero. I still disagree with the end her brother had. I'd also like to know what happened to the place she lived in and how her mother is doing.
The hero comes off as being a very powerful and assertive man. He's cocky and sure of himself. It took some time for me to start questioning the level of power he had but after those doubts were sown I just *knew* what was coming. He's conniving and sneaky and I kinda sorta love him? He'll burn down the world if it means the heroine stays safe. I still hate the lies even if by omission but there's a way past this... right? RIGHT?!
The ending was not what I was expecting. Now I just want to know what happens next! Where the story takes off from here. I'll definitely be reading the next book!
The Audio Book:
The narration was great! There were no weird noises in the background. All the characters were distinguishable from each other.
_________________
Sept. 6 2022 - I'll just leave my 5 stars for this book here before I write up my full review! I just finished this book and OMG it's a new favorite! It's VERY reminiscent of Jennifer Armentrout's Blood And Ash series! Considering how BAA has been a favorite of mine these past few years I really loved this one! Full review coming next week!
Why yes this is the second time this year that I'm reading this book. No, I will not be taking any questions. Yes, this has become a comfort series of sorts for me. No, I don't know why. Yes, I will be rereading the rest and then finally picking up book #3.
This is still a fantastic story that gets 5 stars from me ♡
_____________
Mar. 11 2022 -
Re-read #1: URGH, I still love this so much! I re-read it to get ready to get into the next book and I adored every moment. The suspense, the intrigue, oh my! I loved how the heroine rationalized away all the "coincidences" about the hero and any indication of something being slightly off about him. Like you go girl! The hero's sexual innuendos are gold and I love that even through it all he's SO emotionally available that it's disarming. Though on my second read though I did come across someone saying that another person had "eerie mismatched eyes" as a negative trait. In this house, we don't shame people for things they can't help. Heterochromia is a genetic mutation and it's not indicative of someone being good or bad. It just is. It's pretty cool if you ask me *shrugs*
_____________
Sept. 12 2022 -
Originally posted at:
Content Warning/Trigger Warning:
Considering how Jennifer Armentrout's Blood And Ash series has been my absolute favorite these past few years I really, really, really loved this book! It's very reminiscent of BAA in terms of the similar setting and tropes. Though I will say that I saw the twist in this one coming from a mile away while with BAA it caught me completely by surprise.
The heroine has gone through some very tough and unfortunate situations. The first 6 or so hours of this book are rough due to that. Considering how she was brought up I can understand how naive and trusting she is with the hero. I still disagree with the end her brother had. I'd also like to know what happened to the place she lived in and how her mother is doing.
The hero comes off as being a very powerful and assertive man. He's cocky and sure of himself. It took some time for me to start questioning the level of power he had but after those doubts were sown I just *knew* what was coming. He's conniving and sneaky and I kinda sorta love him? He'll burn down the world if it means the heroine stays safe. I still hate the lies even if by omission but there's a way past this... right? RIGHT?!
The ending was not what I was expecting. Now I just want to know what happens next! Where the story takes off from here. I'll definitely be reading the next book!
The Audio Book:
The narration was great! There were no weird noises in the background. All the characters were distinguishable from each other.
_________________
Sept. 6 2022 - I'll just leave my 5 stars for this book here before I write up my full review! I just finished this book and OMG it's a new favorite! It's VERY reminiscent of Jennifer Armentrout's Blood And Ash series! Considering how BAA has been a favorite of mine these past few years I really loved this one! Full review coming next week!
February 27, 2022
So the one that recommended this book, said that the world building was seamless and not complicated at all. Which okay, it wasn’t complicated, but I think because it took from so many other books that everything was familiar. Another thing is that I do not enjoy having to always go back to the beginning pages and read the list of characters or whatever else the author wants us to know, but its not so mentioned in the book. And the world itself, meh, it was very lacking. And the instant love trope, was not it here.
The characters were not lovable. I wouldn’t say at all, because I did finish the book, but they were quite annoying.
Especially I would say Estrella. She was so annoying. The point was to make her soft, but she’s tough, and how she is this “feminist” and whatever. But she was annoying, and gullible, naïve. She blindly believed in her brother, left her mother behind without too much thought, did all these spur of the moment actions, while continuing to believe the fae are bad. ALSO THE FACT SHE NEVER THOUGHT HE IS HER MATE?????????? HOW DENSE DO YOU HAVE TO BE? Shes just very dense. Very gullible. I don’t know how else to explain her. Just very annoying. And the narrative felt like, im not like other girls, from both mcs actually.
The brother!! omg, so the beginning really was forced and quite hurried I think. Just seeing the interactions between brother and sister, it was just blleh. He cares for her to keep her away from the fae, and doesn’t like it when she goes out at night, but doesn’t ask questions on what lord Byron does with her in private?????? Then the mother, I get it that she was sick, but not caring at all with what happens to her daughter? For two children being able to hide the abuse Estrella suffered? I get that it might happen, but it just was not written well.
Now on to Caelum. He was infuriating. We know hes the love interest, and that they are attracted to each other. But with the writing, it just agh, to me, it was borderline, the nice guy narrative, where they try to persuade you to have sex. And honestly, the fact that he was blonde. BLONDE!!! Or the fact he constantly calls her Little one. Omg that was so bad. It just insinuates a lot of things. It is not as endearing or sexy as one might think. First of all, its little one. That does not seem very age appropriate. And second of all, when all he says is little one, and rarely says her name. BLLEH.
ALSO, at some point, he’s like ive been very accommodating with you, letting you choose if you want me or not. TF IS THAT?? If you have to mention it like that, it makes it all invalid. You’ve manipulated her into saying yes?? That’s the vibe it gave. And she just falls for that. OMG UGHHH ILL STRANGLE THIS MAN
The characters just fall flat. It doesn’t come natural, it doesn’t flow.
And the plot… was there even a plot?? Everything happened fast, and at the same time, nothing really happened. The first chapters which went by quickly, Estrella leaves her city, and then the rest is her and Caelum camping around, and meeting the rebels basically. And the truth coming out. That’s it.
The characters were not lovable. I wouldn’t say at all, because I did finish the book, but they were quite annoying.
Especially I would say Estrella. She was so annoying. The point was to make her soft, but she’s tough, and how she is this “feminist” and whatever. But she was annoying, and gullible, naïve. She blindly believed in her brother, left her mother behind without too much thought, did all these spur of the moment actions, while continuing to believe the fae are bad. ALSO THE FACT SHE NEVER THOUGHT HE IS HER MATE?????????? HOW DENSE DO YOU HAVE TO BE? Shes just very dense. Very gullible. I don’t know how else to explain her. Just very annoying. And the narrative felt like, im not like other girls, from both mcs actually.
The brother!! omg, so the beginning really was forced and quite hurried I think. Just seeing the interactions between brother and sister, it was just blleh. He cares for her to keep her away from the fae, and doesn’t like it when she goes out at night, but doesn’t ask questions on what lord Byron does with her in private?????? Then the mother, I get it that she was sick, but not caring at all with what happens to her daughter? For two children being able to hide the abuse Estrella suffered? I get that it might happen, but it just was not written well.
Now on to Caelum. He was infuriating. We know hes the love interest, and that they are attracted to each other. But with the writing, it just agh, to me, it was borderline, the nice guy narrative, where they try to persuade you to have sex. And honestly, the fact that he was blonde. BLONDE!!! Or the fact he constantly calls her Little one. Omg that was so bad. It just insinuates a lot of things. It is not as endearing or sexy as one might think. First of all, its little one. That does not seem very age appropriate. And second of all, when all he says is little one, and rarely says her name. BLLEH.
ALSO, at some point, he’s like ive been very accommodating with you, letting you choose if you want me or not. TF IS THAT?? If you have to mention it like that, it makes it all invalid. You’ve manipulated her into saying yes?? That’s the vibe it gave. And she just falls for that. OMG UGHHH ILL STRANGLE THIS MAN
The characters just fall flat. It doesn’t come natural, it doesn’t flow.
And the plot… was there even a plot?? Everything happened fast, and at the same time, nothing really happened. The first chapters which went by quickly, Estrella leaves her city, and then the rest is her and Caelum camping around, and meeting the rebels basically. And the truth coming out. That’s it.
February 2, 2025
Edit 8/22/22
“If this is what your hate feels like, then I can’t wait to feel your love.”
I thought I’d do a reread just before book 2 comes out next week! I forgot how much I loved the world building in this book. Estrella is from ultra religious, misogynistic society steeped in poverty that completes yearly human sacrifices. On the day she is supposed to die, the misty veil separating the fae and human realms falls and all hell breaks lose. On her journey to escape, she meets the handsome and dangerous stranger, Caelum, who, like Estrella, is fae marked and destined to a mate with a fae.
Their journey for survival and to find safe shelter is so much fun to read. Caelum is hot af and Estrella is a smart and independent woman who sometimes makes mistakes but I love her anyway. Their tension and banter is one of my favorites to read.
“I promise you, my heart beats for you.”
There is so much mystery and ways book 2 can go! The cliffhanger is INSANE and I need book 2 in my hands immediately next week 😭
Edit 8/4/22
Should I reread this before book 2?? It’s so formulaic but it was such a fun ride 🤔
4✨
Okay so this was good. The beginning, to me, felt a little slow and took me a little to get invested. By 50%, not a whole lot had happened, but the last 25% got me super invested.
Solid fantasy read with fae/human mates, inter-species war, witches, gods, and a violent FMC threatening to stab the love interest several times per chapter. The dynamic between Estrella (AMAZING NAME) and Caelum gave me Poppy/Cas vibes from From Blood and Ash.
Mild spoilers below:
There was so much foreshadowing. I knew I figured it out pretty soon after they were introduced because it was glaringly obvious. However! The twist and reveal at the end was so much better than expected.
“If this is what your hate feels like, then I can’t wait to feel your love.”
I thought I’d do a reread just before book 2 comes out next week! I forgot how much I loved the world building in this book. Estrella is from ultra religious, misogynistic society steeped in poverty that completes yearly human sacrifices. On the day she is supposed to die, the misty veil separating the fae and human realms falls and all hell breaks lose. On her journey to escape, she meets the handsome and dangerous stranger, Caelum, who, like Estrella, is fae marked and destined to a mate with a fae.
Their journey for survival and to find safe shelter is so much fun to read. Caelum is hot af and Estrella is a smart and independent woman who sometimes makes mistakes but I love her anyway. Their tension and banter is one of my favorites to read.
“I promise you, my heart beats for you.”
There is so much mystery and ways book 2 can go! The cliffhanger is INSANE and I need book 2 in my hands immediately next week 😭
Edit 8/4/22
Should I reread this before book 2?? It’s so formulaic but it was such a fun ride 🤔
4✨
Okay so this was good. The beginning, to me, felt a little slow and took me a little to get invested. By 50%, not a whole lot had happened, but the last 25% got me super invested.
Solid fantasy read with fae/human mates, inter-species war, witches, gods, and a violent FMC threatening to stab the love interest several times per chapter. The dynamic between Estrella (AMAZING NAME) and Caelum gave me Poppy/Cas vibes from From Blood and Ash.
Mild spoilers below:
There was so much foreshadowing. I knew I figured it out pretty soon after they were introduced because it was glaringly obvious. However! The twist and reveal at the end was so much better than expected.
September 14, 2022
What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods is the first book in a dark romance fantasy series on kindle unlimited. The second book in the series comes out in August 2022.
The plot: Estrella is a peasant in a small town with her brother and her ill mother. She is forced into hard labor by the Lord of her town, Lord Byron, and has been sexually harassed and physically abused by him since she was a child. Her town is next to the Veil, a magical wall that separates the land of the humans from the land of the Fae. When the Veil shatters after 400 years, Estrella's world is thrown into chaos - she is Marked, a human fated to be the mate to a Fae. Hunted by both humans and the Wild Hunt, a group of ghostly Fae that seek to capture the Marked, she and her brother will have to do anything they can to survive.
Review: I have really mixed feelings about this one! There were parts I liked but the love interest was a little too *rah rah alpha male* for me. For example:
Saying THIS before sex: “Have you healed yet, Little One? Because I’m going to break you again"
Ew ew ew ew ew
AND THEN IN THE SAME SCENE responding to her saying she loves him with: “I know you do, Little One" and “Now you come for your God.” Who seriously refers to themself as someone's god during sex?? A little over the top.
Like I get that he's a Fae and an alpha and blah blah but he just came off as super arrogant to me. I don't really get why they loved each other, outside of their ~mating bond~ and mutual attraction. Consent was dubious, as she didn't really know who she was agreeing to have sex with, and this wasn't explored in a way that really resolved it. I liked the love interest more after reading a bonus scene with his POV but couldn't help comparing this to the numerous books by Sarah J Maas that manage to have alpha heroes that are also working to temper their darker Fae natures and seem to have actual reasons for liking their partners. I'm much more into the idea of mates as a matching up of ideal partners than of a drive to be together that seems to be based on almost nothing.
All in all, this probably should be a 3 star read, but the truth is that I still really enjoyed reading it!
🤷♀️
Soo... 4 stars!
Warnings: graphic sex, child abuse, physical abuse, death, torture
The plot: Estrella is a peasant in a small town with her brother and her ill mother. She is forced into hard labor by the Lord of her town, Lord Byron, and has been sexually harassed and physically abused by him since she was a child. Her town is next to the Veil, a magical wall that separates the land of the humans from the land of the Fae. When the Veil shatters after 400 years, Estrella's world is thrown into chaos - she is Marked, a human fated to be the mate to a Fae. Hunted by both humans and the Wild Hunt, a group of ghostly Fae that seek to capture the Marked, she and her brother will have to do anything they can to survive.
Review: I have really mixed feelings about this one! There were parts I liked but the love interest was a little too *rah rah alpha male* for me. For example:
Saying THIS before sex: “Have you healed yet, Little One? Because I’m going to break you again"
Ew ew ew ew ew
AND THEN IN THE SAME SCENE responding to her saying she loves him with: “I know you do, Little One" and “Now you come for your God.” Who seriously refers to themself as someone's god during sex?? A little over the top.
Like I get that he's a Fae and an alpha and blah blah but he just came off as super arrogant to me. I don't really get why they loved each other, outside of their ~mating bond~ and mutual attraction. Consent was dubious, as she didn't really know who she was agreeing to have sex with, and this wasn't explored in a way that really resolved it. I liked the love interest more after reading a bonus scene with his POV but couldn't help comparing this to the numerous books by Sarah J Maas that manage to have alpha heroes that are also working to temper their darker Fae natures and seem to have actual reasons for liking their partners. I'm much more into the idea of mates as a matching up of ideal partners than of a drive to be together that seems to be based on almost nothing.
All in all, this probably should be a 3 star read, but the truth is that I still really enjoyed reading it!
🤷♀️
Soo... 4 stars!
Warnings: graphic sex, child abuse, physical abuse, death, torture
February 25, 2022
Started off with potential.. really struggled with getting past the second half of the book. Felt like maybe it was trying too hard to be/give ACOTAR and blood&ash vibes. It read more like a bad fanfic.
July 11, 2024
the worst decision of my life was to buy the whole fucking series
March 5, 2023
One of the best fantasy books I've read this year.
⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult Fantasy Romance
∘ Dark - beware
∘ Fae
∘ Gods
∘ Morally Grey Character
∘ Hot 🔥 scenes
∘ Great Worldbuilding
∘ Religious purity culture (ugh)
⤏ Tropes:
∘ Enemies to Lovers
∘ Fated Mates
∘ Only one bed
∘ Knife to the throat
∘ "Touch her and you die"
∘ "Who hurt you"
⤏ Trigger Warnings: grooming, verbal and physical abuse (not the male lead), blood, assault of a minor, ritualistic sacrifice, suicidal thoughts, graphic violence & sexual content, cliffhanger
⤏ Summary
The Veil has separated Fae from the human's realm for over 400 years. Until one day it shatters.
The fae are free again and looking for the fae-marked. Every human has been warned about how vile and cruel creatures fae are.
Estrella is on the run from the Fae and she's helped by Caelum, a man who saves her from the Wild Hunt. But time is running out.
⤏ Plot/Writing
If you've read From Blood and Ash you'll definitely notice many similarities, and if you loved FBAA I think you'll love this one too.
When I tell you I couldn't put this down, I'm not lying. I got hooked from the very first chapter.
In the beginning I was so angry with what was happening and what this girl had to endure, but it only got more exciting after the Veil fell.
⤏ Worldbuilding
I absolutely loved the worldbuilding. It was well described, many details and the things we find about the fae and their world are really interesting.
We have the fated mates trope, which is a common concept we encounter in fae books and I've grown to expect it in these books, and here the mates are marked.
⤏ Characters
∘ Estrella
Living in a world where women are only meant to marry and bear children, she's had a lot to deal with in her life. She's trying to protect her family, seemingly naïve and fearful, she turns out to be a great character — brave, kind and sassy (just how I like them, heh)
∘ Caelum
This man had my heart from the very beginning — one of my favorite morally grey characters.
I like how possessive and protective he is of Estrella, he'd literally burn the world down for her. He's loyal and won't let any harm come to her — "Touch her and you die" trope right here.
⤏ Romance
The sexual tension was over the roof.
Caelum didn't hesitate to make his intentions clear to Estrella and I love when men do this — no beating around the bush and he never once pushed her.
Their romance relationship had a good start, the attraction was there from the beginning, but given the situation, it didn't develop until a little later.
I really liked their chemistry and how the romance was handled in this book. Also, expect some spicy 🔥 scenes.
P.s. He calls her My Star 😭
⤏ Conclusion
Expect a catchy story with a morally grey love interest and steamy romance. If you're a fan of From Blood and Ash give this one a try.
That was a cruel way to end a book and I need the next one ASAP.
«⋯ Of Flesh & Bone ⋯»
#1 What Lies Beyond the Veil — 5🌟
#2 What Hides Inside the Shadows — *tbr
#3 What Lurks Between the Fates — *tbr
⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult Fantasy Romance
∘ Dark - beware
∘ Fae
∘ Gods
∘ Morally Grey Character
∘ Hot 🔥 scenes
∘ Great Worldbuilding
∘ Religious purity culture (ugh)
⤏ Tropes:
∘ Enemies to Lovers
∘ Fated Mates
∘ Only one bed
∘ Knife to the throat
∘ "Touch her and you die"
∘ "Who hurt you"
⤏ Trigger Warnings: grooming, verbal and physical abuse (not the male lead), blood, assault of a minor, ritualistic sacrifice, suicidal thoughts, graphic violence & sexual content, cliffhanger
⤏ Summary
The Veil has separated Fae from the human's realm for over 400 years. Until one day it shatters.
The fae are free again and looking for the fae-marked. Every human has been warned about how vile and cruel creatures fae are.
Estrella is on the run from the Fae and she's helped by Caelum, a man who saves her from the Wild Hunt. But time is running out.
⤏ Plot/Writing
If you've read From Blood and Ash you'll definitely notice many similarities, and if you loved FBAA I think you'll love this one too.
When I tell you I couldn't put this down, I'm not lying. I got hooked from the very first chapter.
In the beginning I was so angry with what was happening and what this girl had to endure, but it only got more exciting after the Veil fell.
⤏ Worldbuilding
I absolutely loved the worldbuilding. It was well described, many details and the things we find about the fae and their world are really interesting.
We have the fated mates trope, which is a common concept we encounter in fae books and I've grown to expect it in these books, and here the mates are marked.
⤏ Characters
∘ Estrella
Living in a world where women are only meant to marry and bear children, she's had a lot to deal with in her life. She's trying to protect her family, seemingly naïve and fearful, she turns out to be a great character — brave, kind and sassy (just how I like them, heh)
∘ Caelum
This man had my heart from the very beginning — one of my favorite morally grey characters.
I like how possessive and protective he is of Estrella, he'd literally burn the world down for her. He's loyal and won't let any harm come to her — "Touch her and you die" trope right here.
"I would burn the world to the ground and lay it at your feet if you so much as asked it of me."
⤏ Romance
The sexual tension was over the roof.
Caelum didn't hesitate to make his intentions clear to Estrella and I love when men do this — no beating around the bush and he never once pushed her.
Their romance relationship had a good start, the attraction was there from the beginning, but given the situation, it didn't develop until a little later.
I really liked their chemistry and how the romance was handled in this book. Also, expect some spicy 🔥 scenes.
P.s. He calls her My Star 😭
⤏ Conclusion
Expect a catchy story with a morally grey love interest and steamy romance. If you're a fan of From Blood and Ash give this one a try.
That was a cruel way to end a book and I need the next one ASAP.
«⋯ Of Flesh & Bone ⋯»
#1 What Lies Beyond the Veil — 5🌟
#2 What Hides Inside the Shadows — *tbr
#3 What Lurks Between the Fates — *tbr
February 28, 2022
3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
“Come out and play with me, my star. I know you’re in there somewhere, burning away where you think no one can see you. Imagine how brightly you’d shine if you embraced all that fire.”
Looking for a Fae fantasy romance with unique world-building? What Lies Beyond the Veil delivers that with a spicy slowburn romance and top it with an exciting cliffhanger at the end.
Fans of ACOTAR and From Blood and Ash will definitely enjoy this!
“If this is what your hate feels like, then I can’t wait to feel your love”
I will breakdown my reasoning for rating this book a 3.5 star-rating although it started out with a 4.
• The world-building is brilliant and I am disappointed that I was not given enough. Within this world there is the human realm (Notherek) and the fae realm (Alfheimr) separated by a magical barrier known as the Veil. For 400 years, the Veil protected the humans from the Fae of Alfheimr, who used to hunt humans who were their mates and claim them.
Another element I loved about the world-building is the hierarchy of gods and fae and the Wild Hunt. The concept of the Mating Bond is interesting and it's marked by a unique tattoo on the human and their fae mate. I really hope the author takes advantage of the world she introduced and expands it for the reader, this is what I'm looking forward to the most in the sequel.
• The main heroine, Estrella Barlowe of Mistfell, lives in a corrupt society that have such a misyigynstic views of women and are often treated as broodmare. I found her to be a reliable narrator as she does not shy away from viewing the ugliness of her reality. Estrella did not live an easy life and had to endure so much. I liked her but she did eventually follow the mold of the snarky heroine that I felt became a repetitive characteristic in most fantasy romance heroines these days.
• The romance started out great and I was still invested in it. The banter between the couple is top-notch and they had such a sizzling chemistry. My only complaint is it felt to me they confessed their love for one another too quickly. You may ask how spicy this is—you'll be delighted to hear that it rewards you with a few spicy scenes and I'll put it at 3.5/5 spice level.
• I saw the plot-twist coming and while it was predictable but it made me excited for what will happen in the sequel.
• Now, my biggest issue with this book is the time they spent running away. At first I was fine with it because I was waiting for what the next chapter will lead up to but then it took more time and I was waiting for a change of scenario. It was just the two of them most of the time and their dialogue.
I still have my hopes up for the sequel because this book has the potential to turn out to be a favorite of mine.
Trigger Warnings: Religious purity culture - Verbal and physical abuse (not the male lead) - References to grooming behavior & assault of a minor by an authority figure (not the male lead) - Ritualistic Sacrifice - Suicidal thoughts & ideation - Graphic violence -Graphic sexual content.
“Come out and play with me, my star. I know you’re in there somewhere, burning away where you think no one can see you. Imagine how brightly you’d shine if you embraced all that fire.”
Looking for a Fae fantasy romance with unique world-building? What Lies Beyond the Veil delivers that with a spicy slowburn romance and top it with an exciting cliffhanger at the end.
Fans of ACOTAR and From Blood and Ash will definitely enjoy this!
“If this is what your hate feels like, then I can’t wait to feel your love”
I will breakdown my reasoning for rating this book a 3.5 star-rating although it started out with a 4.
• The world-building is brilliant and I am disappointed that I was not given enough. Within this world there is the human realm (Notherek) and the fae realm (Alfheimr) separated by a magical barrier known as the Veil. For 400 years, the Veil protected the humans from the Fae of Alfheimr, who used to hunt humans who were their mates and claim them.
Another element I loved about the world-building is the hierarchy of gods and fae and the Wild Hunt. The concept of the Mating Bond is interesting and it's marked by a unique tattoo on the human and their fae mate. I really hope the author takes advantage of the world she introduced and expands it for the reader, this is what I'm looking forward to the most in the sequel.
• The main heroine, Estrella Barlowe of Mistfell, lives in a corrupt society that have such a misyigynstic views of women and are often treated as broodmare. I found her to be a reliable narrator as she does not shy away from viewing the ugliness of her reality. Estrella did not live an easy life and had to endure so much. I liked her but she did eventually follow the mold of the snarky heroine that I felt became a repetitive characteristic in most fantasy romance heroines these days.
• The romance started out great and I was still invested in it. The banter between the couple is top-notch and they had such a sizzling chemistry. My only complaint is it felt to me they confessed their love for one another too quickly. You may ask how spicy this is—you'll be delighted to hear that it rewards you with a few spicy scenes and I'll put it at 3.5/5 spice level.
• I saw the plot-twist coming and while it was predictable but it made me excited for what will happen in the sequel.
• Now, my biggest issue with this book is the time they spent running away. At first I was fine with it because I was waiting for what the next chapter will lead up to but then it took more time and I was waiting for a change of scenario. It was just the two of them most of the time and their dialogue.
I still have my hopes up for the sequel because this book has the potential to turn out to be a favorite of mine.
Trigger Warnings: Religious purity culture - Verbal and physical abuse (not the male lead) - References to grooming behavior & assault of a minor by an authority figure (not the male lead) - Ritualistic Sacrifice - Suicidal thoughts & ideation - Graphic violence -Graphic sexual content.
August 24, 2022
(4,5 stars)
"I would burn the world to the ground and lay it at your feet if you so much as asked it of me"
This was a really enjoyable read. I loved the world building in this book, it feels like it is set in the middle age with the whole book feeling a bit like ACOTAR from the start. The FMC Estrella kind of reminds me of Feyre in the beginning with her wandering the forest at night, which is forbidden by the king.
The King really was something else in this, also the whole "lost purity thing" and now won´t be able to get married is quite sexist, but hey, like I said, I feel like this is middle age times.
I really liked the bickering and flirting between the FMC and the love interest. It normally consists of Estrella threatening Caelum and him absolutely loving it and flirting back at her. The only thing I didn´t really like was the nickname "little one" but hey that is personal preference.
Also Estrella girl, please for the love of god just say "dick", I promise the word won´t hurt you. You don´t have to call it "prized flesh" and "his basilik", that´s even more weird.
"Who did this to you? Who the fuck hurt you?"
Yes you read that right, we do have the Who hurt you trope in this, so that earns plus points as well.
Overall this book was really fun and I really loved the chemistry between Estrella and Caelum. The plot twist at the end was obvious and you could see it coming but the book was really good nevertheless. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
"I would burn the world to the ground and lay it at your feet if you so much as asked it of me"
This was a really enjoyable read. I loved the world building in this book, it feels like it is set in the middle age with the whole book feeling a bit like ACOTAR from the start. The FMC Estrella kind of reminds me of Feyre in the beginning with her wandering the forest at night, which is forbidden by the king.
The King really was something else in this, also the whole "lost purity thing" and now won´t be able to get married is quite sexist, but hey, like I said, I feel like this is middle age times.
I really liked the bickering and flirting between the FMC and the love interest. It normally consists of Estrella threatening Caelum and him absolutely loving it and flirting back at her. The only thing I didn´t really like was the nickname "little one" but hey that is personal preference.
Also Estrella girl, please for the love of god just say "dick", I promise the word won´t hurt you. You don´t have to call it "prized flesh" and "his basilik", that´s even more weird.
"Who did this to you? Who the fuck hurt you?"
Yes you read that right, we do have the Who hurt you trope in this, so that earns plus points as well.
Overall this book was really fun and I really loved the chemistry between Estrella and Caelum. The plot twist at the end was obvious and you could see it coming but the book was really good nevertheless. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
April 29, 2022
Booktok lied to me again.
*Pretends to be shocked*
*Pretends to be shocked*
July 20, 2023
This book started out so strong... and then just went downhill.
✅ THE SETUP AND initial chapters were so good! I felt really invested in this world and wanted to see Estrella break free from her unfortunate situation. And then things got even more interesting once the Veil shattered and she would up on the run... up until we meet Caelum. I don't think I've ever been less excited about a MMC.
❌ CAELUM WAS SUCH A CRINGE love interest. Like if a real person said half the shit he did I would just be standing there with my mouth open in shock. His dialogue and one-liners were so creepy and I just could not get into it.
❌ MOST OF THE BOOK was sooo boring. Like most of it was just them walking around, hiding, getting into a skirmish, walking around again. The ‘point’ of the story and overall goal wasn’t super clear and wasn’t developed enough to keep me interested.
🆗 IT GOT A LITTLE MORE interesting with some new characters introduced later in the book. But it still wasn’t enough for me. There was an especially misogynistic characters introduced, and I think the point was to emphasize feminism by giving Estrella a chance to stand up for herself, but all these conversations just made me cringe so much.
Overall, this book wasn’t for me but I can definitely see the appeal for some people I guess. If you like your fantasy romances with more alpha love interests that are direct and very ‘to the point’ with what they want to do with you, then I think you might like this. I think I like a little bit more slow-burn in my romances though 😆
✅ THE SETUP AND initial chapters were so good! I felt really invested in this world and wanted to see Estrella break free from her unfortunate situation. And then things got even more interesting once the Veil shattered and she would up on the run... up until we meet Caelum. I don't think I've ever been less excited about a MMC.
❌ CAELUM WAS SUCH A CRINGE love interest. Like if a real person said half the shit he did I would just be standing there with my mouth open in shock. His dialogue and one-liners were so creepy and I just could not get into it.
❌ MOST OF THE BOOK was sooo boring. Like most of it was just them walking around, hiding, getting into a skirmish, walking around again. The ‘point’ of the story and overall goal wasn’t super clear and wasn’t developed enough to keep me interested.
🆗 IT GOT A LITTLE MORE interesting with some new characters introduced later in the book. But it still wasn’t enough for me. There was an especially misogynistic characters introduced, and I think the point was to emphasize feminism by giving Estrella a chance to stand up for herself, but all these conversations just made me cringe so much.
Overall, this book wasn’t for me but I can definitely see the appeal for some people I guess. If you like your fantasy romances with more alpha love interests that are direct and very ‘to the point’ with what they want to do with you, then I think you might like this. I think I like a little bit more slow-burn in my romances though 😆
Read
December 28, 2022DNFing this at around 30% before it puts me in a slump.
It isn't really that bad, but it feels slow and action-packed all at the same time. It doesn't hold my interest for more than a few pages at the time, but I don't feel like abandoning it for good so... dnf-for-now shelf, meet book.
It isn't really that bad, but it feels slow and action-packed all at the same time. It doesn't hold my interest for more than a few pages at the time, but I don't feel like abandoning it for good so... dnf-for-now shelf, meet book.
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