Beneath The Haunting Sea

Beyond the Shadowed Earth, releases today. It is a companion book to Beneath the Haunting Sea but not a sequel. Set in the same world and the villain that set-off the series of events in Beneath the Haunting Sea, Beyond The Shadowed Earth tells the story of Eda and the price you pay for getting everything you wanted. JoAnna Ruth Meyer set a clear directive in the level of hatred for the readers ability to hate Eda for how the actions she took at the beginning of Beneath The Haunting Sea. 

Her ambition overtook right from wrong. She took something that was not meant to be hers and in doing so she made a dangerous pact with a god to become empress. Beyond the Shadowed Earth picks up almost a decade later with that pact, and her part of the world crumbling around her. And Eda determined to demand what is rightfully hers from the God that has betrayed her. 

As I said when reviewing the incredible Realm of Ash, about Empire of Sand, both those who have read Beneath the Haunting Sea and those who have not will love Beyond the Shadowed Earth. As always, if you have read Beneath the Haunting Sea, yes there is always more to gleam, but you will lose absolutely nothing having not yet read it.

Lush...

No. Not me. Liam? Maybe... I kid. 

Liam would never let himself become a lush. It would cloud calculating nature.

Meyer continues to deliver her beautifully composed prose with a mythology flair that was well received in Beneath the Haunting Sea. She discusses this at length in the Q and A linked above. That rhythm and style plays into the the content and structure of Beyond the Shadowed Earth perfectly. It provides a perfect place for Eda's character ARC and a haunting and frightening place for a God to interact with Eda at times, and then for some beautiful times of reflection and revelation, at others.

Beyond The World...

Just as Meyer's style played so well into the plot and essential action sequences, character reflections, it also played beautifully into how the world was built. Much of the best of parts of Beneath the Haunting Sea was how brilliantly the world was built and I have to say the same about Beyond the Shadowed Earth. The world building was so specific and detailed and the credit has to go to how Meyer writes. There is vivid, painter way with-which Meyer writes. It is a very unique tone and quality that sets her work aside from others. Due to that, her world building is particularly brilliant, coming alive like jeweled tones and gems sewn onto a queens gown. It is almost blinding in its brilliance, really.

Oh Eda...

Will everyone be able to go on this redemption arc with Eda? I don't know. More importantly, whether you are rooting for Eda to come around to the light or fail to a bloody end? You will be compelled by the plot and her story to read Beyond the Shadowed Earth. And considering the palatable hatred I had for Eda going into this book? That is saying quite a bit. 

I don't want to say more than Meyer said in the interview. It is not mine to say too much. But maybe it isn't about whether or not you want her to be redeemed? Maybe it is about whether the author can spin a story web compelling enough that it doesn't matter. It only matters that the reader wants to go for the ride. In Beyond the Shadowed Earth that is what Joanna Ruth Meyer has done. 

*Posted to all sites 1/14 along with Q and A*

Thank you to NG and Page Street Kids for ARC in exchange for honest review

This book starts like it might be pretty good but is so slow. I’m 25% in and it just isn’t drawing me in enough. I would recommend to someone who loves politics.

Though not without flaws, Beyond the Shadowed Earth was, overall, an enjoyable read. Set in the world of Meyer’s debut Beneath the Haunting Sea, this book was ambitious in its coverage; expanding on already established elements and exploring characters previously introduced.

The story focuses on book one’s antagonist, Eda. Intent on taking revenge on the baron who stole her inheritance, a grieving nine-year-old Eda makes a deal with the god Tuer: her life in his service in exchange for the crown. Bargaining with gods, however, are tricky transactions and when Eda fails to fulfill her end of it, she realizes, much too late, that the consequences are bigger than her.

I’m going to be honest. I had a hard time with this book. Yes, the plot was intriguing, and yes, the world building was well done. I loved and enjoyed both elements. I am, however, of two minds about its characters.

Eda, to say the least, is unlikable. She’s selfish, self-centered, naive, and vengeful. She is so blinded by her anger that it clouds her judgment. She bartered with a god, schemed and killed her way to get the crown. She is everything a villain is.

Being unlikeable, though, isn’t the reason why I have conflicting feelings about her.

All throughout the book, things happen to Eda – tough ones. She lost both of her parents at a very young age, was displaced and betrayed and used. Her best friend, the one person she truly cares for, is taken from her all while her hold on her empire slips, her barons making their own moves to grab whatever power they could. All these are meant and should have made me, at the very least, a little bit considerate if not totally empathetic towards her. But it was so difficult to connect with Eda. Her character was shallowly drawn and one-dimensional. There just wasn’t so much to her, no hidden depths. This also holds true for most of the supporting characters, which, for a character-driven story, is a big problem.

Setting my issues with character development aside, I still found many things to like in Beyond the Shadowed Earth.

The world building was exquisite. From its complicated politics to its intricate religion, Enduena was fully alive and I gladly immersed myself in it. The magical and almost mythical nine gods, the center of this story’s religion, was the most interesting part for me, and, admittedly, it was what kept me reading especially when Eda’s story wasn’t progressing much.

Ultimately, even with its share of issues, Beyond the Shadowed Earth was a good read. The conclusion to Eda’s story was satisfying, open-ended enough but with clues that she’s on to the right path. This book is the second of the series, but could pretty much stand on its own. YA fantasy readers, especially the ones that love a good redemption arc will love this story.

TW: Death, Blood, death of loved ones

Rep: Immigration (possibly others that I don't remember seeing)

"She wept, for her sorrow, and for the world's. She would never stop weeping. All the grief of all the world poured through her, eating her, but never consuming her. "

I have a feeling this review is going to be nice short as there was really nothing special about the whole thing. This book is the companion novel to Beneath the Haunting Sea, and you don't have to read the first book to understand this one. 

This book was okay. There was nothing special to it and was missing something. It was probably the interesting characters. Throughout the book, I didn't feel connected to Eda or any of the secondary characters. But there was one thing I noticed. I connected a lot more to Eda than Talia, so I guess that is a good thing? 

Eda was an interesting character as a whole. There was no spark to her whatsoever, but that didn't stop me from finding her interesting. She was determined to be Empress and would do anything she wanted. Even making a promise to the gods, a life to become Empress. 

I loved how it played out and find that it was a minor improvement from the first book overall. 

The one thing I actually liked was expanding the world-building. Meyer expanded on it adding in the gods and their role in the major story and how it affects people. It was a really cool addition that I don't really remember reading anything about! I liked the way the customs and such was a major part and the story felt really fleshed out!

The pacing like wow. It was super slow and I started getting antsy around the halfway point. Nothing happened until like page 250 where it started getting interesting, but the first part was just really meh. I get expanding the world and stuff, but wow was it slow.

Meyer is obviously an incredible talent. After reading her book Echo North, I find that she has built an entirely new and imaginative world for readers in Beyond the Shadowed Earth that is just as captivating.

Meyer excels at world building. Is she doing workshops on this? She seriously could teach a thing or two! The landscape feels rich, the culture is captivating, the mythology is spellbinding!

Eda is not your typical heroine and that one of the many things that makes this book standout from other YA fantasy novels. Eda is selfish. She can be cruel. She’s done some very bad things. She’s pretty unbearable for the first half of the novel and when things start going south for her, the reader really doesn’t feel the least bit sorry for her. The second half of the book is where things really start picking up for the reader! Eda begins to have to face herself for who she is and what she has done and things really get exciting on her quest for vengeance.

I really love the ending and think it wrestles with the idea of what does a person do once they’ve made horrible mistakes and are dealing with some heavy things in the aftermath. Things aren’t always sunshine and roses, but we don’t have to wrestle it alone.

Summary: fantastic world building, good character development, pacing may feel slow at first but picks up in the second half! Worthwhile read for 2020.

In order to read this one in the proper context, I picked up the audiobook of the first installment in the series Beneath the Haunting Sea - which was a brilliant and imaginative story with fairy tale elements, really interesting mythology, and a character worth rooting for. Beyond the Shadowed Earth, however, took an antagonist and, without trying to redeem her personality (she was selfish and petulant and spoiled, when I would have expected her to be driven and ambitious and angry), we're dragged along on her adventure.

She falls for the wrong man and gets tricked at every turn, unable to see the obvious right in front of her. The whole first half is her denying everyone else's good sense and then having everything pulled out from under her. In Beneath the Haunting Sea, this big upheaval happens in the first 10%; in Beyond the Shadowed Earth, you have to wait for almost 50% of the book before the journey begins.

Eda was a character I couldn't engage with. Based on the synopsis, I was very excited to read about a character who would normally be seen as the antagonist, but Eda doesn't have any redeeming qualities. This one also has a lot less of the pretty, descriptive writing that made me really enjoy the first book.

I usually love a book that chooses to have a morally grey (or outright villainous) main character, so this definitely caught my eye, I was excited to find another book, perhaps one that might remind me of Empress of a Thousand Lanterns? 

Unfortunately, this book didn't quite hit the mark for me, and managed to push a few of my 'I just don't like it when' buttons. 

This is most definitely a 'blink and you'll miss it' kind of a book, I had a hard time keeping focussed on the story and I'd have to read pages over a couple of times to get a handle on what was happening, and I'm still not sure I could explain exactly what happened now that I've finished the book. That could always have partly been due to the mood I was in when reading (it was over Christmas after all) but just to warn potential readers to focus in when picking this one up. 

My biggest problem with the story was the decisions that Eda made, I really wanted to like Eda as a character, because of course I love to read ambitious main characters, but Eda kept consistently making really rubbish choices and it was incredibly frustrating. 

Let's be clear, I don't mean that characters should only make good choices, in fact, I think it's better when characters make mistakes. But when a character does something that, to the reader, is very clearly a bad choice (the best example I can give is a spoiler so you'll just have to trust me on this one) I want to be able to rationalise why they made that decision. If I can understand either their motivation or the context in which they are making that choice then I can get on board and when the bad consequences come they don't feel quite so stupid. In this instance, I didn't feel as though I had that with Eda, so instead of feeling for her, I sort of just felt like she deserved what she got (does that make me a bad person?).

There are some world-building elements in this story that I liked, the idea of the Gods was interesting, so perhaps I will check out Beneath the Haunted Sea in the future, but I don't know that I will be re-reading this particular book in the future. I think it will appeal to some but not to all. 

My rating: 2/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher, all opinions are my own. 

Beyond the Shadowed Earth publishes January 14th!

Joanna has made me officially a forever fan after reading her work this year! The way she tells a story and adds twists when you think it’s all wrapping up is so amazing!

This is a companion novel set in the same world as Beneath the Haunting Sea which is the only work I haven’t made it to yet, but I understood this book completely without reading it!

We follow Eda whose worked her whole life to become Empress with the help of the God Teur. She thought when she made the bargain she did it just the right way to where the god couldn’t trick or use her, but was she ever wrong. Eda’s backed into the corner fighting for her crown against allies, enemies of the over country and trying to save her best friend and keep the Gods happy.

Eda’s journey is such a full growth arc that I lived for. We get to see her grow from this selfish scared child to a strong-willed fierce protector of her friends. She matures so much and realizes exactly what is important. The magic and Gods was such a great touch and I loved how it all was woven into the story perfectly. The ending is such a bitter sweet one and I hope to see glimpses of it maybe in another work because this world was wonderfully made!

I wanted so badly to like this book. I'm an avid fantasy reader and even enjoy unlikeable/morally gray characters. I just had a really difficult time getting on board with a sixteen year old getting herself into the situation she did. Beyond that, getting through the story was an exercise in discipline. I'm sure this story will appeal to some, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the advanced copy of Beyond the Shadowed Earth by Joanna Ruth Meyer.

I read the first book and unfortunately, it fell slightly flat for me. I was apprehensive to read the second series but was surprised!

I loved the fact that this book is set in the same world and follows Eda's story. I think the storytelling was much more polished and held my interest. Eda was a terrible character in the first book but we only saw glimpses. This book explores what she actually sacrificed to achieve her goals, and those sacrifices were costly. I did feel like this was a good villain redemption story, but much like Talia, I felt Eda didn't learn as much as I would have have hoped, but not all characters are the same. Not all characters need to be perfect in order to have grown. In that regard, I feel like she is more of the anti-hero. Very selfish and goal oriented, and that's okay! I think that the world building was more fleshed out, the style of writing improved from TELLING to more showing (which is important for my own enjoyment), and the twists were very entertaining.

I think if you like mythology, gods, stories about anti-heros, and most importantly, YA fantasy that is quick to read, then this book is for you! I don't necessarily think you need to read Beneath the Haunting Sea to understand this book, but I enjoyed this one much more having had read it. It is a standalone, but I felt more connected to the world having SEA under my belt.

Overall 3.75/5 rounded to a 4!

A very, very different tale which gave me an extremely unlikable heroine set in a political world of greed and gods, yet had the power to incite my curiosity to know if she got what she deserved.

Eda wanted the throne, she wanted to be an Empress. At. Any. Cost. She poisoned the old Emperor, killed the legal heir, made a deal with the God Tuer and bargained her nest friend's life. Mid story a twist occurred, she lost everything, blamed the god and wanted to kill him. So she went searching out into the world instead of searching within herself.

My first book by Joanna Ruth Meyer, I was quite shocked by the main character's attitude. She bargained with a tricky God and blamed him without realizing the pain and destruction she had caused. The story took quite some dips with Eda being thrown into different situations and adventures. Barring her attitude, I quite liked the author's writing.

The world as we live now, I have met quite a few Edas who would never take responsibility of their actions. Eda was the same until the end. There were a few dialogues in the book as spoken by the gods which enamored me. The plot changed with those, and a new light was shown. I quite liked the initial politics which quite intrigued me the way the winds blew in that land.

This book was Eda's spotlight, and with her attitude it was difficult to like her. The ending felt apt, could have been more dramatic. The story and plot like was good, if the change in the main character had come sooner, I would have liked it more.

Overall, a good plot line which made it interesting.

Beyond the Shadowed Earth had a very strong start for me. I was so very intrigued by Eda, our villainous protagonist. Her ruthlessness and determination made for an unpredictable protagonist, and I found it extremely refreshing. Her villainous traits set Eda apart from the usual heroine, and coupled with an incredible world-building frame and a winning political intrigue, I was hooked.

My problems started more or less when Ileem, the love interest, showed up. As much as I enjoyed reading the interactions between him and Eda, I found that the affection between the two was too quick, and that Eda’s softening—especially with such a quick pace—diminished her villainous allure. Unfortunately, things didn’t get better for me after that. The political intrigue that I was so hooked on at first ended up feeling rushed and ended too quickly. The plot, sadly, became predictable, and the most shocking twist was one that I predicted far too easily.
After the first 50 percent, the book started to drag. Events should have made Eda a more relatable and, perhaps, likeable character, but it wasn’t the case for me. The Eda of the second half of the book was a character I found hard to understand and hardly likeable, because she was so different from the character that was first presented. It didn’t help that the bonds she makes in this part of the book were introduced too late and were too underdeveloped for me to feel invested or interested in them, which made the ending flat and unsatisfactory.

Synopsis/Plot:

Weaving together intricate mythology, political intrigue, and high-stakes adventure, Joanna's complex fantasy is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas.
It has always been Eda's dream to become empress, no matter the cost. Haunted by her ambition and selfishness, she's convinced that the only way to achieve her goal is to barter with the gods. But all requests come with a price and Eda bargains away the soul of her best friend in exchange for the crown. Years later, her hold on the empire begins to crumble and her best friend unexpectedly grows sick and dies. Gnawed by guilt and betrayal, Eda embarks on a harrowing journey to confront the very god who gave her the kingdom in the first place. However, she soon discovers that he's trapped at the center of an otherworldly labyrinth and that her bargain with him is more complex than she ever could have imagined... he always intended for her to free him...or take his place.

My Thoughts:
Joanne Ruth Meyer is a spectacular author!! What I liked most about this book is that...
Even though it is set in the same world as Beyond A Haunted Sea, it follows a different character, and can be read as a standalone novel as well!!
The prose is vivid, and the world building is beautiful and lush. Easy to get lost in!!
The characters were all very unique, and diverse. And I loved their traits. I adore imperfect characters, and the relatability. The author has done a truly amazing job on creating a unique and one-of-a-kind magical system using gods and spirits!! I loved the tale!!

What is this book about? Beyond the Shadowed Earth is a companion novel to Beneath the Haunting Sea rather than a sequel. The story is about Eda, who makes a small appearance in Beneath the Haunting Sea as the antagonist. Here, Eda loses the empire she fought so hard to gain control of and sets out to find the god with whom she made a bargain with years ago.

What did I like? Honestly, the thing I enjoyed the most about this book was Eda. She’s not written to be a very likeable character–she manipulated, lied, and murdered her way to be Empress. She’s selfish and power-hungry, yet it made the story that more intriguing to read. And because she was such a flawed character, it made her growth at the end that more meaningful and satisfying.

What didn’t I like? Parts of the story were slower which made hard to capture my attention, but other parts are very action-packed which makes up for the slower sections.

Overall thoughts? Beyond the Shadowed Earth is another well-written, fantasy story from Joanna Ruth Meyer. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves reading books about flawed characters and redemption stories.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Beneath the Haunting Sea

Author Joanna Ruth Meyer

Release Date January 14, 2020

Description from Amazon

It has always been Eda’s dream to become empress, no matter the cost. Haunted by her ambition and selfishness, she’s convinced that the only way to achieve her goal is to barter with the gods. But all requests come with a price and Eda bargains away the soul of her best friend in exchange for the crown.

Years later, her hold on the empire begins to crumble and her best friend unexpectedly grows sick and dies. Gnawed by guilt and betrayal, Eda embarks on a harrowing journey to confront the very god who gave her the kingdom in the first place. However, she soon discovers that he’s trapped at the center of an otherworldly labyrinth and that her bargain with him is more complex than she ever could have imagined.

Initial Thoughts

I absolutely loved Beneath the Haunting Sea and (despite my initial delay), was super excited to read this book. I love the idea of spin-off or indirect sequels to stories.

Some Things I Liked

Building upon an already rich world. I thought the world, mythology, and religion developed in Beneath the Haunting Sea was so well done. We only got more of that in this story. I love Joanna Ruth Meyer’s writing style.
Villainous lead. I loved that the main character was a villain from the previous book. She wasn’t the main villain, but you don’t like Eda in Beneath the Haunting Sea. I love the idea of a redemption story**cough, cough, Kylo Ren / Ben Solo**.

Cover Art

The cover art on this book is so much prettier than that of the first installment. I hope they redo the cover of Beneath the Haunting Sea to match this cover.

Series Value

I would love to see more books in this series. I feel like Eda has more story to tell and I also feel like we met so many interesting new characters that I’d love to read spin-off stories about.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t love the ending of this book. I loved everything else about this book and I will most definitely revise this rating if a sequel is announced. If this is the end of my beloved characters, I have to give this book a four star rating. However, I love this world and would love to read more about it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer – if, for whatever reason, you read this book first, read the first story in the series! These two are more companions to each other but both are fantastic reads.
Furyborn by Claire Legrand – if you like the idea of a villainous lead, check out this story. The entire premise is based on the idea that one queen will save them and the other will destroy them.
The Weight of a Soul by ElizabethTammi – if you liked the elements of Gods and Goddesses meddling in the mortal world and the bond between sisters. Give this book a try.

DNF at 20%.

I couldn’t get into this book or the world it was set in. I think I could’ve appreciated it more if I had known about the first companion novel and already been introduced to the world.

I did like the strong female main character but it was not the kind of fantasy that I normally enjoy.

Though, I completely recommend for anyone to try it out for themselves!

RATING: 4/5
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Page Street Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book caught my attention not too long ago. I was scrolling the GoodReads list of YA releases for January 2020 - already preparing my #monthlyreleases post, you know - when I stumbled upon it and (of course) fell in love with the cover. Shocking, I know. Anyway, the synopsis intrigued me as well and that's why, when I discovered it was available to request on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. I was lucky enough to be granted an early digital copy and I'm so glad I did, because it ended up being one of the best reads of the year!
It isn't perfect and it isn't one of those books that will have a place in my heart forever - like ACOMAF for example - but it was a solid 4 and I truly enjoyed it.

Let's start with what I liked:
in this story we follow Eda, a girl who lost everything when she was just a kid and thus made a bargain with a god named Tuer: her life at his service in exchange for being made Empress in her lifetime. She wanted power and was willing to do everything to obtain it, even "selling" her best friend's soul to the gods. She becomes Empress as she wished, but things don't go exactly as planned - she's young and the Barons don't respect her, not really. The bargain she made starts showing itself for what it really was and things quickly fall apart. Betrayal, death, sorrow, revenge. These are the main themes of this story.
Eda is one of those MCs that aren't meant to be likable. She's mean, arrogant, self-absorbed, greedy for power, sometimes cruel. The good thing is that you understand why she is that way - her past justifies this path she took, even though it doesn't mean she's right. But you get it, or at least I did, and that made it possible to not completely dislike her. I never truly connected with Eda, never resonated with her, but I understood what she was going through and why she reacted that way, and that made me curious to witness her journey. So, if you like morally-grey characters, Eda is definitely the one for you!
Another thing I much enjoyed was the world-building. It felt complex, detailed and well thought, with lots of interesting traits, cultures, countries. The religious system was also very interesting, even though a bit confusing at times - I wish it was explained a little bit better. The writing style was on point - it flowed easily, but didn't feel shallow. It kinda reminded me of Sarah J. Maas. The book holds a few plot twists. I saw the first of them coming real soon, but it was still a nice touch in my opinion - yes, maybe it wasn't particularly original, but it made sense and it was needed to add depth to Eda's character. Some of the other plot twists were really good!
Generally speaking, the story was very good and it glued me to the pages, always yearning to read the next page and find out what was gonna happen next.

Now, what I didn't like:
to be honest, I feel like this book it's a bit too short. There was room to stretch the story out, to add more detail to the characters, to their stories and their adventures, to their feelings and personalities. If the author did that, I think I would've grown so much more attached to them, which unfortunately didn't happen. Eda is the only three-dimensional character, while the others - despite being pleasant - weren't developed as I would've liked them to be. Some of them, like Niren or Ileem, definitely needed more "screen time", since they play such an important role in the story. Eda too could've used more pages, especially in the second part of the book - the journey she takes to find Tuer should've been much longer, to better show her growth and also to let her build more solid relationships with Morin and Tairin. This is why this book didn't get 5 stars: some things were rushed, things that could've been so much more deep and complex.
Another thing I really want to complain about is how confusing some things were. For example, Eda's origins! SPOILER ALERT We know both her parents died because of sickness - we never get told what sickness in particular, but whatever. We know she somehow manages to fake being the Emperor's heir, but she also says many times that in reality she could actually be his illegitimate daughter. But why? What leads her to think she could actually be her? Which is also how she convinced the people she had to be made Empress, right? But then, later in the book, we learn that she's actually the daughter of Niren's father. What the hell? What about those proofs of her being the Emperor's heir then? Ugh, so confusing! SPOILER END
Eda's time as Empress is also very confusing - since the beginning we know that she lost her parents when she was 9, and that's when she made her bargain with Tuer. But she didn't become Empress immediately after, she had to wait... yes, but how much time? How old is Eda exactly at the moment? Because I couldn't quite grasp it. How many years has she been Empress?
Then there is the labyrinth trope, which I was super excited about - I always love a good maze in my books. The trope is mentioned in the synopsis ( "... she soon discovers that he’s trapped at the center of an otherworldly labyrinth ...") which makes you think it will be a big part of the story, right? Well, it isn't in the slightest. This whole thing about an otherworldly labyrinth ( which isn't really a labyrinth, more like a series of Circles, but whatever ) was incredibly confusing and not very well built. The ending, again, was a bit confusing, bitter and definitely not what I expected. It felt like it was missing something.
Hey, maybe all this confusion is my own fault. Maybe I wasn't able to understand simple things, I always take that into consideration - it happens when you read a book written in a language that isn't your mother-tongue.

So, to wrap up my thoughts: Beyond The Shadowed Earth is a very good book, perfect if you're feeling like reading a quick YA Fantasy that will glue you to the pages without being too intense. But if you're looking for a story where you will grow attached to the characters, this isn't the one for you. It's one of those standalone you enjoy, but quickly move on from, if that makes sense.
Still, a very enjoyable and interesting read, which made me curious to pick up Beneath The Hunting Sea - another book set in the same world.

Though I had trouble with the first few parts of the book, Beyond the Shadowed Earth flaunted exquisite story elements such as the writing style, the plot, and the rich world-building. At the end of it, I can say that I enjoyed reading the book!

I adored the writing style of the author. It was poetic, sometimes haunting, and it was definitely atmospheric. The author also did a great job with the imagery, whether that be a description of the various places and cities or the clothing worn by the characters. It was great!

I struggled a lot with the first few parts of this book, mainly because of the main character. I had trouble liking Eda, connecting with her or relating to her. She was selfish, cruel, and probably conceited as well. I understand that she's a "villainous" lead and I expected as much, but 30% of the time I was just completely annoyed by her attitude and her thinking that I couldn't read continuously. I didn't lose hope immediately though. I hoped for some sort of character development and in a way, there was. Her character went through a journey filled with vengeance, betrayals, lies, sacrifices, and friendship. Do I think her character has been redeemed? Not entirely. But I did love that she was finally on the right path at the end of the book.

As for the minor characters, Ileem was an interesting addition to the mix. Rescarin was annoying, but I loved his part as a "villain". Domin was an interesting kind of character, and I loved the change he went through. I adored Morin and Tainir as well, and what they symbolize what's next for Eda. And Liah, I wanted to know more about her, I was disappointed that I didn't get any more details about her and her story.

I also came to love the plot of this book—it wasn't the usual "I'm going to save my people" kind of plot, instead it was "I'm looking for revenge" and I found that refreshing. I also loved how it was unpredictable at times. For example, I already expected a few of the plot twists, but there were several that really shocked me and I wanted to scream just a little!

The world-building of Beyond the Shadowed Earth is definitely my favorite part. It was rich and expansive, and I loved the idea of the different "Circles". And although this is a companion level, I had no trouble absorbing all details about the fictional world it was set in. All the little tales and myths plus the brilliant imagery were just enough to get me falling for the world-building.

I also liked the insertion of religion into the world-building and the story itself! I'm gonna be honest and say that I'm not the most religious person out there, but I loved the way they talked about the gods and faith here. (I definitely have a couple of lines highlighted!)

Overall, a pretty decent read! 3.5 stars!

“Beyond the Shadowed Earth” follows the ruthless and self made Empress Eda as she races to fulfill her promise to a god. When Eda cannot deliver on time, her quest turns towards vengeance towards the very god who gave and took everything from her.

I was delighted to find strong similarities to C.S. Lewis’ “Till We Have Faces”.
Thankfully, “Beyond the Shadowed Earth” is less dry than Lewis, but also less streamlined.

There is a LOT of world building in this novel, and if makes me wonder if I would have had a better grasp on it had I read the first book instead of starting with this companion novel. With that said, I enjoyed the pantheon, the interactions, and the honest look at what it is to be angry and fighting against the object of your faith.

Eda is a difficult character. She is so very adamant in sticking to what she believes, her own point of view, and refuses to listen to any other opinion or perspective. While it fits this self-made and deeply emotionally scarred young woman, it doesn’t exactly make her easy to follow. At times, I felt as though the reader was given information, only for Eda to completely dismiss it entirely versus exploring it. While I would have liked to see more emotional range from her, I did connect with her more than I thought I would.

In fact, it was the moments where I recognized myself that kept me reading. Those small poignant bits of human connection that comes from truthful explorations of faith, anger, deepest sorrow, and isolation are the strongest part of the book and have endeared me towards both the story and the author.

3.5 / 5 Stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

‘This book gave me so much and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

“Beyond the Shadowed Earth” sees Eda working to fulfill her end of the bargain she made with the gods to become Empress but with her Barons going over her head making deals with foreign governments she finds herself playing a deadly game that could cost her everything she’s ever wanted.

So from the beginning I really loved the mythology in this that plays the biggest role in shaping the characters and influencing them both the good and bad and I think that was done nicely even if the ending left me sort of lost I can appreciate the crafting that went into making each aspect of those stories stand on their own as well as be a piece to a much larger puzzle.

I really loved Eda but I will warn that not many people might join me in this appreciation as she really is quite ruthless but, and please don’t groan at me, you can sum her entire character up into Taylor Swift’s “The Man” and perhaps you’ll love her too. Eda spends a majority of the book making mistakes and fighting harder than everyone to get what she wants even if it leads deadly consequences but to see her go from this all powerful Empress to her most vulnerable and learn from everything that happens along the way makes her a great character that I wish I had a bit brighter of an ending but I can’t discuss that without spoiling too much.

My only critique is some of the magic systems in the book as the beginning seemed somewhat mundane in that the gods had been forgotten and she was trying to restore them to their former glory and therefore power but once she found herself away from the kingdom the magic element became less natural and more convenient as the characters tried to overcome certain obstacles which overall appeared to be a little out of place since so much relied on the politics of war with human soldiers which doesn’t seem like a big deal when you’ve got people who can turn into tigers one town over.

This is a really great read and by an author that has been recommended to me for awhile and I’m hopeful that we can visit with Eda again in the future!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**