What Hunts Inside the Shadows: The Of Flesh & Bone Series, Book 2

Book Nerd

OK, I really love this series!!

"Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.3 (4.3 out of 5 stars) 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 (3.5 out of 5 chili peppers) In this book you can expect ⭐️Enemies to Lovers ⭐️Fated Mates ⭐️Found Family Dive into a world where love collides with fate, and darkness conceals more than you can imagine. "What Lies Beyond the Veil" takes you on a heart-pounding rollercoaster ride, and its sequel, "What Hunts Inside the Shadows," is an irresistible continuation that left me running to buy book 3 in the series! We join Calelum/Caldris and Estella on a journey that picks up right where we left off, though things aren't as lovely as we remember. Calelum/Caldris finds himself in a complicated situation, leaving us in suspense. Can he salvage his relationship with Estella after such a significant deception? The story unfolds as they travel, much like the first book, and though some readers may not appreciate the constant motion, I, for one, loved every pit stop! This book focused more on the reader witnessing the characters' remarkable growth and development, and I was here for it, cheering them on all the way! Estella's resilience, which we admired in the first book, is even more endearing in this sequel. We join her on her personal journey as she struggled to find herself amidst heartbreak and trust issues, all while grappling with her burgeoning powers(😏). Calelum/Caldris is sweet and his thoughtfulness adds a charming layer to one of our favorite male main characters. I did not think I could love him more but Harper L Woods had to prove me wrong. As a series lover, I'm counting down the days until the third book, eagerly awaiting more adventures in this captivating world! ["

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October 18, 2023 Verified Purchase

Kindle Customer

Holy wow!

"I typically wait until a whole series is released and go back and leave my review on the first book so others who are considering the series can get a more complete review. That's what I look for in reviews as well. Sometimes I'm compelled to leave a review on other books in the series. This is one of those times. Gods this book was good! I didn't know what to expect. I always get nervous about second books. That's usually where a good story takes a bad turn if it's going to happen. This second book was honestly amazing. The writing was art. I see some reviews nicely kind of picking at it because they felt like enough didn't happen or Estrella was annoying and flip floppy. She did flip flop, but it worked for the story. I'm overly sensitive to pointless flip flopping or repetitive inner monolog. I really really hate it. I didn't feel that in this book. It all felt natural like it was a true story and the author was just retelling it if that makes sense. Caelums lines were just beautiful, like poetry. And Estrellas response to them felt so real. I was also worried that the second book would see the plot being forgotten and it would slide into erotica territory. That also did not happen. The spicy scenes didn't overshadow the intricate plot. So for readers looking for a book that revolves around forced situations that are just a Segway for graphic sex scenes, you'll be disappointed lol. I can't say enough about the beautiful writing. The characters feel so meaningful to the story. The relationships she develops outside of the romantic one are meaningful, not just cardboard cutout characters to fill in gaps. I love a story that showcases relationships outside of the romantic one. It lends a healthy feel to the romantic relationship itself. Them being traveling for the whole book was risky. It could have backfired in a major way, but it did not. It really sets the scene for what's to come. I normally read RH and have found myself bored with single romantic interests but this story is so filled with substance I don't find myself wishing for more men just to liven it up. I don't mind cliffhangers. I know a lot of people despise them. I expect them. If I had a tiny complaint it would be the cliffhanger this one left us with as it's kind of a trope. However, that did not take away from the story. I'm dying for the next book! ["

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September 4, 2022 Verified Purchase

A. Williams

Lots of Fae World Building, Chaotic Char Development

"Review Summary/TLDR: Characters do make romantic progress but it is slow, with a lot of back and forth. Estrella develops more of her fae marked abilities but struggles to accept her changes, and to accept Caellum. Obsessive and sub/dom tones begin to rise. Note: This is book 2 in a series. The prior book, What Lies Beyond the Veil, is book 1. Read that first before continuing below. (This review will contain some spoilers re Book 1 events). Same trigger warnings as in book 1 apply, but steam/spice/sexual content is vastly increased. Full Review: What Hunts Within the Shadows is Book 2 of the Flesh and Bone series. Picking up where Book 1 leaves off, Estrella now knows the truth about Caellum. He’s not just a fae marked, he is a fae, her fae, who she was desperately trying to elude all along. What’s worse, he is able to communicate with the Wild Hunt. He and the Hunt begin to shepherd Estrella and the other fae marked back to the fae realm to be reunited with their fae partners. Estrella, already emotionally devastated from the loss of the only family she has ever known, does not take the revelation well. Rejecting Caellum as yet another man who has lied and manipulated her, she rebels against his professions of love and bonding…but…not enough not to sleep with him. Sometimes. Caellum, for his part, tries to be patient. After all, he knows Estrella has been fed horror stories about the fae, fae marked, and fae realm her entire life. Challenging those prejudices will take time, and he’s happy to wait, but his (and the Wild Hunt’s) duty to return the fae marked to the fae realm must go on. He is subservient to Queen Mab of the Shadow Court, and must fulfill his duty. Caellum also wrestles with a new fear: how to keep Estrella a secret from his fae enemies, who will certainly target her to get to him. Meanwhile, the fae-marked caught by the Wild Hunt are not happy with our MC’s testy romance. Between the Mist Guard, the fae, and the Fae-marked who despise her, Estrella is adrift re what she’s supposed to do. When the magic imparted to her by the fae mark begins increasing, and she learns a huge secret about her own history, she’s forced to acknowledge that nothing has ever been what it seemed. Book 2 in this series was both fun and frustrating. First the fun parts: I love the worldbuilding here. I love how the author built up the fae in book one as the big bad scary creatures and slowly introduced us to the idea that all may not be as it seems. I think we were already primed to expect that (fae romance genre, and evil Lord will do that to a reader), but the worldbuilding ramps up in book 2. Caellum doesn’t have to hide who or what he is anymore, so we learn so much more about the fae realm, gods, old histories, how the viniculum and magic works, how the bond works, backstories into the Wild Hunt and some of the rebellion figures, and more. Caellum and Estrella are flanked by characters on all sides of the issues, which means their journey toward acceptance (and the fae realm) isn’t straightforward and easy. However, Caellum is not an ideal MC. He is possessive, obsessive, and sometimes very toxically so. Book 2 really leans into the “touch her and die” trope, with Caellum repeatedly threatening people. There are moments where he loses control of himself, violently so, though never with Estrella. He enjoys dominating Estrella and on more than one occasions there are references to hair pulling and grabbing Estrella’s neck during intimate scenes. He comes off as condescending sometimes, telling Estrella she doesn’t know what she wants, but also has a point that she is so spun up on false propaganda and lies that she can’t make an informed decision. Estrella, for her part, is a jumbled mess of a character. On the one hand, I appreciated that she didn’t just fall for Caellum given her dark and sensitive back story. She was abused by the Lord of her old town, almost died at the hand of her only prior lover, and now the man she thought she could trust has been lying to her all along. On the other hand, Caellum points out that had he been honest from the start Estrella wouldn’t have given him the time of day to show he isn’t the monster she fears him to be…and I can’t help but agree with that. She actively disregards all the good things Caellum has done, so focused on hating him for what he is, that she berates him and comes off as petulant and bratty. She is not good at voicing her feelings and they have at least one session of rage-sex. This improves toward the end of the book but does make the beginning a little painful. Estrella is also constantly flipping between wanting to be treated like everyone else, offended at what is happening to the fae-marked, and wanting to enjoy the warmth, comfort, security and indulgence Caellum provides. She’s very hot and cold: one moment they get along, then they do not. Estrella also keeps having supposed epiphanies that the history she was taught was probably not wholly true, that Caellum does care for her and she should lean into this bond they are developing…and then does a complete 180 and rejects everything all over again. It comes off very two steps forward, one step back, which would be understandable except for the supposed magical nature of this bond and the steps they are taking, and how firmly her character asserts she has changed her position only to renege. As someone who is very much a make-a-decision-and-go, the constant flipping of Estrella’s principles and attitude started to grate on me. We also watch Estrella’s compassion level shift. She goes back and forth between someone who just wants to be “free” and not see people harmed, to a more bloodthirsty version of herself. She does observe that her nature appears to be changing and it scares her, but not enough that she doesn’t lean into her newfound violent abilities when she needs or wants to. I don’t mind that Estrella is getting darker as the series continues and as risks present themselves, but I do question how easily she slides into it given various instances where she demands nonviolence, compassion, or mercy. Estrella additionally discovers that her lustful, sexual urges are changing, and more sub/dom, rough, and aggressive sexual themes are explored in this book, as well as more exhibitionist sexual instances. Caellum remains dedicated to Estrella’s comfort and protective of her safety, and Estrella is a willing participant and enjoys the rough nature of their intimate scenes, but the undertones of toxicity, obsessiveness, and possessiveness and lust-to-love escalate. Another book where worth a Kindle Unlimited Read, an E-book read, or a library rental, but not one where I would pay the full paperback or hardcover price. ["

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November 9, 2023 Verified Purchase

QsMoni

Thrilling second installment I'm this fantasy romance series

"If you haven't read the first book please stop reading this review and go read it. This is a series of interconnected books and the story will he spoiled if you are reading reviews at this point in the series. This second book opens with our Estrella battling the shock, anger and grief that have come with the knowledge of who and what Caelum is. We are along for the ride as Estrella and Caelum (aka God of Death) attempt to navigate the sense of betrayal, frustration, pain, anger, fear etc that has arrived since Caelum's secrets are revealed and Estrella begins to evolve and change in response. As more mysteries from book one are solved, more questions are also created as our two main characters encounter unexpected events and unfamiliar occurrences. This book was well written just as the first was, although the slow burn of book one is no longer a factor and the heat between these two happens more frequently. Like the previous book, this one continues as an adventurous journey of sorts, with our characters encountering all sorts of drama and danger along the way. This is not a book for the faint of heart, the trigger warnings at the start of both books thus far are accurate. Violence, gore, Death, themes of abuse, threats of sexual assault etc are just as consistently represented in this book as the previous one. Looking forward to book 3. Well done. ["

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April 8, 2023 Verified Purchase

ChristinaReads

a decent book 2

"I absolutely loved book 1 and was looking forward to this book. I normally blow through books I am looking forward to but I decided to slow this one down and take my time. Now, I liked this book but it wasn’t as strong as book 1 for me. I have been a fan of Caelum from jump and book 2 did not disappoint. I did not know I could love a MMC as much as him but damn, he got more brownie points from me in his unwavering loyalty to his mate. We get his POV which is perfection. Estrella on the other hand….I hated her up until about 50% of this book. Which was funny because I liked her in book 1. The back and forth of her resolve and wanting to hurt and punish Caelum even though she knew he did everything for her. I am not a fan of that and so, for me this book lost a star. I am a sucker for fated mates and I hate the miscommunication trope and in my opinion the first half of the book was the ugly step child of the miscommunication trope. I loved the humor between the characters. The Wild Hunt had some funny moments and I hope they make an appearance in book 3. It loosened up Estrella’s character with their banter even though I was mad at her character. This book was heavy in the smut. Normally I am not a fan of heavy smut, I like more plot but it actually made sense with who and what Caelum is and what Estrella was becoming. It did get a little too much for me to the point where I was skimming but that is my personal choice. Plenty of people out there like heavy smut, this is for you. It didn’t take away from the story for me. Now, how the heck am I supposed to wait until March for book 3 after that cliffhanger?? ["

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September 2, 2022 Verified Purchase