What Lies Beyond the Veil
- Harper L. Woods
- Albany, WA
- January 19, 2023
GOODREADS BOOK BLURB:
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.
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.
SERIES / GENRES:
FIRST WORDS:
The icy wind of the North whipped through the gardens at the edge of the boundary, blowing toward the shimmering Veil marking where the world ended. Curving and rippling in the breeze, the thin, white barrier extended as far as the eye could see, until it faded into the sparkling sun of autumn.
MY REVIEW:
almost perfect:
☆☆☆☆☆ 4.5/5
Everyone who had any sense hated being so close to the Veil and what it represented. Crafted from the magic of the ancient witches who'd made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us from the nightmares beyond, it was like the thinnest of fabrics blowing in the wind, shimmering with the light of a thousand stars trapped within it. Somehow transparent, and yet not, the mist of the waters beyond provided us with the illusion of being alone in this world.
Even when we were very much not. Even when we'd never been alone.
I did it again. I read the Goodreads reviews and assumed I would end up DNFing What Lies Beyond the Veil before I even started reading it. I’m so glad I didn’t listen.
Yes, What Lies Beyond the Veil is basically From Blood and Ash with fae. No, it’s not like A Court of Thorns and Roses (yet). I’m sorry, but you need more than the presence of fae to compare the two. I might like Estrella more than Poppy, though – she isn’t yet relying on magic to become more and more overpowered. Also, when Estrella tells Caelum that she wants to be free and independent and more than just his property, she actually means it. And while a lot of the smut happens at highly inconvenient times, it doesn’t overwhelm the narrative as it does at times throughout the From Blood and Ash series. Keep in mind, I’ve only read one book in this series compared to four in the other, but I like the direction this is heading.
Yes, What Lies Beyond the Veil is basically From Blood and Ash with fae. No, it’s not like A Court of Thorns and Roses (yet). I’m sorry, but you need more than the presence of fae to compare the two. I might like Estrella more than Poppy, though – she isn’t yet relying on magic to become more and more overpowered. Also, when Estrella tells Caelum that she wants to be free and independent and more than just his property, she actually means it. And while a lot of the smut happens at highly inconvenient times, it doesn’t overwhelm the narrative as it does at times throughout the From Blood and Ash series. Keep in mind, I’ve only read one book in this series compared to four in the other, but I like the direction this is heading.
I was a liability to him, and yet, I couldn’t bring myself to sneak off in the night.
The thought of what he would do when he hunted me down once again was enough to keep me by his side, wondering how my savior had somehow become a morally gray man with no boundaries and a distinct lack of understanding how an actual courtship worked.
You didn’t just decide a woman was yours to protect after a few days spent together.
Right?
Yes, Caelum is pushy and possessive and moves way too quickly (even once you know everything), but it’s basically what’s expected in fantasy romance these days, so I can’t really fault it.
And finally, yes, this is highly predictable. The events in What Lies Beyond the Veil are expected before you even start reading. I still really enjoyed it. I can’t fault a book for being predictable when I’m sneaking quick reads between patients, consuming a few pages in the free moments I have. The writing is sharp, and the pace moves quickly. A lot happens here, and I can’t wait to see how things develop in What Hunts Inside the Shadows.
And finally, yes, this is highly predictable. The events in What Lies Beyond the Veil are expected before you even start reading. I still really enjoyed it. I can’t fault a book for being predictable when I’m sneaking quick reads between patients, consuming a few pages in the free moments I have. The writing is sharp, and the pace moves quickly. A lot happens here, and I can’t wait to see how things develop in What Hunts Inside the Shadows.
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