What Lies Beyond the Veil (Of Flesh & Bone, 1)

Randle (Reign of Stars

There aren’t enough words…

"✨Wow! Wowowowowowowowowow.✨ I have been ENTHRALLED with this book since the first page. SINCE THE BLURB. Adelaide is easily one of the most underrated authors I have read. This book is hands down one of my favorite Romantasy reads EVER. I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC, but I assure you that this review is very much not influenced by receiving the arc. We start the book with Estrella who is a peasant who has gleaned the interest of the Lord of her village. They live in a society that is deeply influenced by the new gods and religion that came about hundred of years ago when the magical barrier was erected between human and fae lands. Estrella, and all humans, have grown up on stories about the fae and their vicious and brutal ways. Wishing to be free, Estrella knows that death may be the only freedom she may ever see to prevent a horrible life serving as Lady to man that has sexually and verbally abused her, her whole life. Through a twist of events, everything changes when the barrier between worlds comes down and she is marked as the mate of a fae. Now she must run and hope she isn’t found by her evil fae soul half. However while on the run, she meets a man who is also marked and begins to fall for him. She must sift through everything she thought she knew and everything she is now learning to figure out the truth about herself and the fae she has been taught to hate her whole life. 🌶This book is steamy, spicy, romantic. It has an incredible magic system, beautiful world building and impressive lore. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and your heart racing. I can’t even tell you how many times my blood was pounding wondering what would happen next. Who we could trust. Worrying about potential betrayal and what is REALLY going on here! This is also beautifully written, so many lines that I highlighted and will come back to time and again. I will definitely read the next book—which comes out in August.. Rude. — and will reread this book for sure and am honestly just still REELING from this whirlwind. How will I wait half a year for the next…????????? *madness sinking in* ["

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February 24, 2022 Verified Purchase

Irena Storm

Fantasy

"Harper L. Woods' ‘What Lies Beyond the Veil’ is a captivating blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure set in Nothrek, a land shielded from the fae by the Veil for 400 years. When the Veil shatters, protagonist Estrella must flee to survive, caught between the fae and the Mist Guard. The story progresses at a steady pace, with the action and romance gradually intensifying. Despite a predictable twist at the end, the storyline of survival and forbidden love keeps readers hooked. Estrella shows potential for growth in future books. She's been through a lot but has not lost her fire. Her behavior is inconsistent at times, which makes her hard to understand. Caelum, her fae-marked savior, adds complexity and chemistry to the story, with their relationship intensifying gradually, especially since the fated mates are out there looking for them to claim them both. The book explores freedom, survival, and the conflict between duty and desire. ‘What Lies Beyond the Veil’ is an intriguing story with a strong fantasy world and promising characters. Despite some flaws, it sets the stage for an exciting series continuation and is a worthwhile read for fantasy romance fans. ["

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June 4, 2024 Verified Purchase

Kindle Customer

Not for everyone, not perfect but really good

"After reading some of the reviews I expected some things to be easy to put together, and they were. But it's my opinion that the obvious secret is meant to be kept from the MC not the reader. This author is too good to miss something obvious like that. And even though it's obvious, the reveal is NOT disappointing. I actually said "oh holy crap" out loud. It's so well written it was like watching a movie. That's the best way to explain it. There were some things that didn't necessarily make me uncomfortable, but things that I'm not into. Like exhibitionism, fluids running down legs, over the top dirty talk that didn't fit the scene or setting. I was concerned that like so many books, this would lose the plot and delve into erotica. The sex certainly picks up, but doesn't overwhelm the story. And at one point the MC comments on the amount of sex and dirty talk. I also read some reviews complaining the MC was weak. Let's be honest, MCs always leave something to be desired. One of my biggest pet reading peeves are never ending inner monologs. That's not a problem here. Her thought process is certainly naive, but I wouldn't call her weak. Being in a sheltered, opressive, abusive life isn't going to churn out an insta-heroine of the ages. Characters are supposed to learn and grow. There's still some secrets to be revealed. I'm looking forward to the next book. I gobbled this one up. If you're looking for a story free smut fest, this isn't the book for you. If you're looking for more of a high fantasy read with intricate details and a creation story even, this is the book for you. Though there isn't any humor and some of the supporting characters are kind of awful people. I feel that should be mentioned. Also, that trope of I don't really serve a purpose but have to come along as dead weight constantly is present here. Hard to escape some of the tropes but the writing here is worth the read. ["

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March 15, 2022 Verified Purchase

A. Williams

An Interesting Read Leaving Room for Character/World Progression

"Review Summary: Not a bad read on KU/Kindle. Does include sex/steam/spicy elements and series does get darker as it continues. Series of 4 books, final book to publish in Dec 23. Full review: Beyond the Veil is Book 1 in the Flesh and Bone series, 3 of which are written and 1 of which is due out Dec 24. The series does include explicit sex/steam/spice, which increases in frequency and scope as the series progresses. Other trigger warnings include issues curse words/foul language, physical and sexual abuse, exhibitionism, elements of captivity, and lack of free will/choice. Book 1 introduces us to Estrella, a harvester that works in a city where the human realm and fae realm meet. Centuries ago a barrier, called the Veil, was erected between the worlds to block out the fae, who reportedly wreaked havoc upon humanity. Once a year, the village conducts a ceremony to supply the necessary power to keep the veil stable. Except this year, something changes, and the Veil falls. Estrella discovers that she is not just the poor harvester she thought she was, but one of the fae marked, which means the correspondingly marked fae is assuredly going to hunt for her. Things are complicated when the human realm’s own soldiers, the Mist Guard, hunt down the fae marked as well. The fae want the marked to increase their power; the Mist Guard want the marked to kill them to prevent it. Running scared with her brother, Estrella has nowhere to go and no time to figure things out. It’s a race for her life to try to outrun both man and fae if she has any hope at all to keep her freedom. During her journey Estrella meets Caellum, another fae marked who agrees to help her. After all, he needs to run too. Only trouble is the longer they run together, the more alluring Caellum becomes, and Estrella doesn’t know quite what to make of things if she’s to guard her freedom and her heart. Beyond the Veil is a lead in to a fated mates style story. If you swap “fae” with “werewolf,” you’ve got a pretty good idea how the series as a whole develops. Book 1 is fun because we get to watch Estrella, navigating a dangerous world with nothing more than the clothes on her back and a borrowed dagger, trying to flee the forces chasing her. Characters do die in this novel, and Estrella is torn between grief over their passing, fear about what might be if she is caught, self-interest vs. helping others, and anxiety about developing further bonds that will likely only serve to hurt or confuse her further. The foreshadowing in the book I think is fairly obvious, but the worldbuilding established throughout the book was fun. The series borrows from a handful of myths and legends, including the Wild Hunt, Norse, Irish, and Celtic legends, and eventually some Greek/Roman influences. Caellum is a decided and unabashed flirt, which Estrella struggles to handle in light of her own history and upbringing. The pair do eventually bond closer, though some moments do feel a little high pressure and manipulative. Worth a Kindle Unlimited Read, library rental, or the $5 e-book buy. Wouldn’t quite pay the $16 paperback cost myself, definitely not the $23 hardcover cost, for this story. Book 2, What Hunts Inside the Shadows, requires Estrella to face some of her own prejudices and the sex/spice/steam increases exponentially…but that is for another review. ["

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November 9, 2023 Verified Purchase