This is one of those books where I feel guilty rating it low because I see the potential, and I see how close the author is to making her mark, but still, I can't bring myself to rate any higher because, despite the beautiful cover, the story was lacking in every aspect possible.

I felt as though I were watching Among the Beasts & Briars unfold from behind a glass wall. I could vaguely see what was happening, but it was of no significance to me. The characters were nothing but names, the plot twist could be seen from a mile away, and the story was so slow that it kept me wondering when the "real" action would begin. But it never did begin, it just dragged on until the very end where I was supposed to feel elated, but instead felt nothing.

It's not a bad book- it just feels incomplete.

Perhaps because this was an advanced reader's copy, and was not through the final editing, I found the writing to be choppy and simplistic. I love fairy tale retellings and any stories that resemble fairy tales, but this one fell flat for me. The first=person narration of Cerys was overdone. I found the character to be flat and one-dimensional. I did not see any growth in the characters except in a superficial love story. Poston's stories in a more realistic genre are better.

This book is magical. It reminds me of a less scary version of Uprooted by Naomi Novik. The pacing is wonderful and the magic is awesome. I really like how creative Cerys is with her magic. The bear and Fox are appealing characters as well. I'd definitely recommend this book to those looking for a fantasy adventure story.

Among The Beasts & Briars is for anyone who wants the undead in their fairy tale, some complexity in their fantasy monarchy; who dreams of saplings taking root in their blood. A little bit of romance, facing of fears, running in terror.

I was engrossed from the first page: the initial descriptions were evocative; the past tragedy is teased just long enough to be intriguing but not so long as to feel like something important was being hidden or ignored. There's a whole lot of world built very quickly and it's very evocative. This has the feeling of a fairy tale from the first line and I love it.

The friendship between Cerys/Daisy and Fox feels tender and genuine, it shows the little things that add up to being a complex but overall great rapport. They share the narration pretty evenly and the handoffs between perspectives feel natural, like it's time for the other one for a bit before switching back. The way Fox is handled felt really good. He’s aware of how he’s changed and he isn’t instantly okay with it. The dysmorphia he experiences can map onto a variety of real-world experiences but the sense of wrongness he describes felt very familiar to me. Now, whether you like the resolution will depend a great deal on what kind of catharsis you’re looking for. For this story, not trying to be an analog for anything, the resolution is amazing, I love everything about it. It fits the characters, it fits the plot, it makes sense and I love what it did. If you’re very invested in one outcome or another for Fox, I don’t know if you’re in the half who will be elated or disappointed.

The story feels very complete, and while I definitely want to find more by this author I'm very content with the time spent here. I think it's just the right amount of attention and emphasis for this narrative.

CW for body dysmorphia, death.

“Just” a gardener’s daughter, Cerys is looking at a peaceful, simple future as the royal gardener to her about-to-be crowned best friend, all in the shadow of the darkly magical Wildwoods. When the uneasy truce between the Woods and Cerys’s village is broken, Cerys ventures into the dangerous woods to save those she loves. With her is a fox named Fox who has his own secrets. Told in alternating points of view, this YA fantasy is a delightful magical journey about believing that you can be the hero, about facing those nightmares you’d rather forget, and about owning up to and reconciling with history, on both a personal and a grander scale. It is reminiscent at times of The Waking Land (Callie Bates), Uprooted (Naomi Novik), and a little bit of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Hayao Miyazaki).

Among the Beasts and Briars is exactly what I look for in a fantasy book. Romance, adventure, angst. The only downside is at the beginning I thought I had the twist figured out and then I thought I was wrong, only to be right. Very fun and hopefully we will get a sequel.

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Let me start by saying that this book has some SERIOUS cover game!!! Its just SO pretty and perfect and immediately eye catching. Fortunately, the INSIDE of the book is just as amazing as the outside. No surprise, as Ash Poston never fails to deliver.

The story was unique and intriguing and it kept me on my toes from start to finish. Cerys was a great main character with some pretty cool magic! Fox was everything you expect from a fox, and so endearing! There were so many big plot twists in this story, and the author laid the breadcrumb trail for the reveals perfectly.

I can't wait to have this in my hands, and am crossing my fingers that we see a companion novel (did I detect a hint for this?!) in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc.
All in all this was a delightful little YA fantasy read about royalty with a magic crown, an evil forest, and a mysterious and city in the forest.
The magic from the crown makes their kingdom flourish and keeps the evil forest at bay, but on the night of the princess’ coronation, the forest attacks and forces the royal gardener’s daughter, who also has magic of her own within her blood, to take the crown and her pet fox and flee, trying to reach the city in the woods in order to save her kingdom from the wood curse.
I loved the protagonist, Cerys, and Fox. Both of them were so cute. I liked how their faults weren’t shied away from. I also loved how lgbt+ couples felt so normalized within the book, with casual mentions of a wlw wedding, Cerys encouraging her father to dance with a man, Wen and Petra... which is really how it should be in all books, yet still so rare.
My only complaint was that it felt like the ending was tied up too quickly, as in, the solution to the conflict was quite suddenly figured out, resolved, and then there was the epilogue. It almost felt like a slightly different ending was hinted at, but then it had to be cut short.
But it was a quick read and ends on a very happy, fulfilling note so I would recommend for those looking for a fast and fun fantasy read about an evil forest.

A solid book. I needed a book that wasn’t a series and this is what i got. The story line was solid and the characters were real. There were some predictable twists but still good. Not an amazing book but if you are looking for something to read that has some mystery, creatures and just a bit of romance this is the book for you. I like the fairy tale aspects of it. I would recommend this book for sure.

Cerys is a girl with magic in her blood; her magic stems from a curse that killed her mother and her friends. A curse that, for hundreds of years, has been believed to be extinct while the Forest lies dormant. When a new Queen is crowned, the horrors of the forest come to life and set Cerys on a journey to save herself, her kingdom, and those she loves. Poston’s magical and evocative prose takes us along on this electric journey with her new take on classic fairytales. With wonderfully developed characters and a beautiful sense of world-building, getting lost in this book was just the treat I needed! I cannot wait to get my hands of more of Ashley Postson’s work after reading this.
HINT: read past the acknowledgments for a sweet surprise 😉

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books - Balzer + Bray in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Cerys lives in the peaceful Aloriya until one day darkness rises in the woods and Cerys is reminded of the day she lost everything including her mother and her friends When a new queen is crowned and darkness acends from the woods, Cerys is in danger and relies on her magic, wit and her fox friend as she searches for the Lady of the Wilds and save Aloriya once and for all. Every page was a surprise and it is easy to get lost in a book like this. I'm curious to see how our teen book club will take to this book and how our community will respond to it.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

A perfect spin on the classic fairy tale - this book encompasses everything a young woman needs to inspire her. The young protagonist is everything you need in a role model. The twists and turns in the plot keep all readers engaged and wanting a sequel until the very last moment.

Beautiful, evocative, with unique, engaging characters, this story is perfect for lovers of the old tales and and mysteries even older.

This book caught my attention as I’ve heard such great things about Ashely Poston’s writing, but I had always hesitated as I’m a fantasy lover. When I saw that she was *finally* writing something that was truly fantasy I squealed. Among the Beast and Briars was truly a fairytale fantasy! It had all the ideal ingredients to make the perfect tale - a reluctant heroine, a dark forest, spells, a castle, a curse, and talking animals. I usually hesitate when it comes to fairytales, as they are usually retellings and those tend to get a bit stale, so I was DOUBLY excited when I saw this one was an original story.

What we got is a wonderfully descriptive book with an immersive story that sweeps you away to a faraway kingdom, Aloriya, which is under duress while we fight with Cerys to free those she loves from a curse.

Cerys is the daughter of the royal gardener and destined to follow in her father’s footsteps and tend to the royal gardens when he retires. At a young age, she lost her mother and her friend, the crown prince, and his guard to the cursed forest that looms on Aloriya’s border. Miraculously, her and her best friend, Princess Anwen, survived the encounter with the forest beasts, but Cerys doesn’t escape unscathed. After her near-death experience, she learns that her blood holds magical powers and she can cause plants to grow with just a drop of blood.

As time passes, people learn to live with the cursed forest that imposes itself on their kingdom - until the King dies and Princess Anwen is crowned queen. Her coronation is interrupted by a magical attack by the monsters of the forest and all are lost to the power they wield - except Cerys and her fox friend who escape right into the forest. When Cerys accidentally spells her companion, Fox, to become human her world is flipped upside down as they race towards the kingdom deep in the forest hoping to find a way to save Aloriya and those she loves.

Among the Beasts & Briars primarily takes place in the cursed forest with Cerys and Fox running for their lives. It’s creepy and atmospheric in the best ways! While I didn’t find myself being actually terrified (and I read this at night) it does leave you with an overall enjoyable but creeped out vibe especially when they encounter the ancients and their monsters. It’s engaging and scary enough to make you read as fast as you can while hoping for the best resolution for Cerys and friends.

My one critique of the book is I found both Cerys and Fox to be a little juvenile in their speech and actions. While it is a fairly medieval fairytale, the characters said some overall modern phrases that removed me from the story a few times. And while their individual character arcs are fairly predictable, I really don’t think Poston’s intention was to hide what’s happening to them, and therefore, I won’t fault her for it.

I encourage all lovers of fairytales and fans of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Spinning Silver to pick up Among the Beast & Briars when it releases October 20th. It’s truly a fantastic fall read!

Another gem from Ashely Poston. A recommended purchase for public YA and high school fiction collections.

Didn't love it. Predictable. The fox prince is a furry thing. The cover is pretty, but this book has nothing new in it.

Part fairy tale, part zombie story this book was a quick enjoyable read. It was refreshing to read an entire fantasy start to finish in one book (and in one sitting). I wasn’t quite sure of the interest level (and time period) because I was thrown by the more modern day curse words randomly tossed in such as the f-word and s-word. I’m not prudish by any stretch but I could have done without. I did appreciate the casual normalization of LGBTQIA+ relationships.

I swear, it's as though every single time I read a new Ashley Poston novel, I fall more and more in love. And the funny thing is that the books she writes always have some sort of element to them that would typically make me steer clear away from it. But somehow they just keep getting better and better. I said it with <em>Bookish and the Beast</em> some months ago and I'm saying it with <em>Among the Beasts & Briars </em>now. This is Poston's best book to date. In fact, something that blew my mind completely out of the water and everything else is the fact that I fell so in love with this book I actually found myself referring to it as my new favorite book. Now, I'm still massively in love with Marissa Meyer's <em>Cress </em>and <em>The Lunar Chronicles</em>, but this book? It's right up there with those ones for me.

<b>The truth is...I picked this book up for the fox.</b>

I saw the fox on this cover and, despite my NetGalley ban, instantly requested it without any further information. I remember feeling excited when I realized that this was written by an author whose books I'd genuinely enjoyed in the past. Considering I had only ever read Poston's <em>Once Upon a Con </em>series, I genuinely wasn't quite sure what to expect from <em>Among the Beasts & Briars.</em>

In fact, just due to my associations for the word Briar and my knowledge that Poston has done retellings in the past, I kind of expected this to be a retelling of <em>Sleeping Beauty</em>. Either way, I knew I was going to read the story at the end of the day. I'd read anything for a fox.

<em>Among the Beasts & Briars</em> follows Cerys, the daughter of the royal gardener who lost both her mother, her young friend the Crown Prince, and their friend and guard at a young age to the beasts of the forest. Of everyone involved in the incident, only Cerys and Princess Anwen survive. Years later, when the old King dies and Princess Anwen is to become Queen, the monsters of the forest see it as an opportunity to attack now that no one is using the power of the magical crown to hold them back.

Soon Cerys and her fox companion find themselves braving the horrors of the forest in order to break a centuries-old curse to save her kingdom, her family, and the only people she's ever loved.

<b>The Beasts</b>

I am <em>not</em>, I repeat <em>not</em> the kind of person who likes anything scary, horror-esque, creepy, or bone-chilling.  Stories like that are most likely to result in me noping my way out of sight rather quickly, much like this fox. As a result of this, it's actually pretty surprising that I fell in love with this novel as much as I did. You see, <em>Among the Beasts & Briars</em> is very much an incredibly <em>scary</em> story. So much to the point that I had to find a <em>less</em> scary place in the book to stop <em>and</em> watch a happy show that one time I decided it would be a great idea to read it before bedtime. Quite simply, I am not the kind of person who enjoys stories like that.

And yet there was something so immensely compelling about this book, to the point that I actually found myself loving how scary it was. The dark and extremely disturbing monsters that peppered the pages of this book left you wonderfully terrified and engaged. The fear you feel is visceral and gripping, this way largely because Poston has managed to get you so invested in her characters in such an incredibly short time. In an astounding turn of events, you find yourself invested not only in Cerys and her charming fox companion but in the very beasts that haunt her as well.

<b>The Briars</b>

Though I will say that many of the plot elements in this novel are fairly easy to predict--for example, I knew right away what the secret was behind the fox--there are still enough mysteries surrounding them to keep you guessing. While you might not wonder <em>what</em> the secret is, you'll certainly find yourself wondering how it will be revealed to the characters. And, in that sense, the predictability is wielded expertly.

It helps, I think, that the plot itself is so fascinating and the characters so easy to fall in love with. Even the monsters, whom I never once would have expected to love, I did. I found myself desperately praying for a resolution for them, very pointedly wishing for specific outcomes. One such character that I loved who periodically broke my heart and built me up with hope was Seren. And even now I still feel in a sort of limbo with how much I loved him.

Of course, then there's always Cerys and her fox, both perfect in their own respective ways. I adored these characters. And it's a good thing, too, because they were the primary focus of the entire novel. You become incredibly invested in Cerys and the fox early on and spend each moment of the book falling more and more in love with them. Their drives, their personalities, their <em>histories</em> just filled me with so many feels that I didn't have the slightest idea what to do with them...other than spend literally all night--a work night, mind you--to finish the book.

And then there's Anwen who, while I did not have as strong of feelings as those I felt for Seren, makes you shake with fear whilst simultaneously inciting you to sob with hope and despair. <em>Damn</em>, this character was <em>so friggin' scary</em>. And yet you were <em>constantly</em> wishing for her wellbeing.

<b>Among them all.</b>

The stakes in this novel are incredibly high, which builds in readers an intense sense of urgency and concern for the characters. I don't think I spent a single moment of this novel <em>not </em>tensing up over something. The read was such a whirlwind, so amazing that I was enticed to preorder myself a copy immediately after finishing it. I'm probably going to be buying the audiobook as well.

I cannot stress enough how amazing this book was, how beautiful the story, or how affecting the characters are. Pre-order links are available below. I could not recommend a book more.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊

Among the Beasts and Briars is a story of transformation and development, about embracing yourself flaws and all, about having self-worth and taking risks. Cerys is the daughter of the royal gardener and destined to replace her father when he retires. Years ago, she and her best friends, the prince and princess, were involved in a terrible tragedy, and only the princess and Cerys survived. The prince, their guard, and Cerys’ mother perished to the woods by which they lived. However, Cerys has constant reminders of that fateful day, including the scar on her neck and new magical powers, which enable her to enhance nature.

On the princess’s coronation day, the wood monsters from their past reemerge and destroy everything that Cerys loves. Her only choice? To run into the cursed woods that she escaped from years before. With the help of her trusty fox and a brave bear, Cerys decides to travel deep into the mysterious and deadly woods to find the lost city of Voryn, where she hopes to find a way to help her friends, family, and kingdom.

This is an easy story to get lost in. From the first pages, Poston immerses the reader into this fantastical world where royalty has power, wild woods are dangerous, animals seem to know more than humans, and monsters lurk around every corner. The story is fluid and well-paced, and the writing is beautiful. I love the vivid descriptions that drew me into a fantastical and frightening world.

The characters are another highlight of the novel. Cerys is a smart and resilient protagonist who doesn’t realize her own power. Her fear of the outside world and the unknown battles with her desire to explore and have freedom of choice. She repeatedly alludes to the fact that she is insignificant, easy to forget, and bound for a dull future, which conflicts with her desire for adventure and her true nature. She is a loving daughter, a true friend, and a kind person who feels and loves deeply, and her interactions with others, as well as her actions, show just how remarkable and memorable she is.

Cerys underestimates herself many times, but what I like is that, as she goes on this physical quest, she also goes on an emotional journey. She learns to trust her instincts and have more faith in herself, and I love that! Though they spend much of their journey fleeing and frightened, it is also on this journey that Cerys and her friend Fox learn more about themselves than they ever expected.

Fox is my favorite character in the novel. Funny, sassy, and clever, Fox goes through so many obstacles. His most difficult is trying to adjust to life as a human. Having feelings, walking on two legs, feeling uncomfortable in his own skin, dealing with the ramifications of his actions, and facing his fears are just a few of Fox’s struggles. He is a flawed character, often acting on impulse and behaving selfishly, but he learns, and he changes. Plus, his witty banter, especially with Cerys and the bear, is fantastic!

My other favorite part of the story is the romance. I don’t want to reveal too much, but the way that this couple feels about each other is so lovely and genuine. I just love the budding feelings that this couple experiences, and their reactions to their growing feelings are priceless. Though they are not without their problems, they have a strong connection, and they are stronger together than they are apart.

Among the Beasts and Briars is a great standalone story that will appeal to YA fantasy readers who enjoy immersive worlds and amazing characters. With a well-paced plot, suspenseful action, fantastic characters, a unique setting, and great morals, this book is a treat to read. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Everything about this was so adorable! Well, there were some dark parts, but not too dark, and I love dark, so even those parts were adorable on their own ways. Loved the bone-eaters!

The story moves fast as you try to figure out the curse and the history along with Cerys. Speaking of Cerys, the characters really shine. All of them have well-developed backstories that make them real as well as integral to the plot. The bond between friends is a theme that is tested at a few places between different characters with profound emotion. I loved Fox, especially as he tries to adjust to some changes. The story of Fox surprised me in a wonderful way as things were revealed. I think I was as slow as Cerys in picking the hints. ;) The friendships and way things wind together makes for some pretty intense parts toward the end as everyone was forced to face who they are, monsters, or heroes.

The entires premise of what happened with the curse was very cool as was the imagery. This is a fairytale style story with a perfect amount of dark to make it appeal to broad range of readers. I loved it!