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!

Among the Beasts and Briars stole my heart. This book is a beautifully intriguing and twisted fairytale that took my breath away from the very first sentence. It is a gorgeous fantasy with world-building that is haunting and alluring. The plot was fast-paced and never slowed. I loved all the characters—they were all so real and well-developed. Fox is definitely going down as one of my favorites of all time. I WANT MORE! I can't wait to be able to hold this book it was so perfect.

I LOVED this book so much! It was so well written, the pacing was great - the story just kept moving along. I thought the character developments were great, and I loved how the main characters changed throughout the story. I especially loved Cerys, and how she was someone who always took the harder path because the easy one would leave others behind. I cannot wait to *hopefully* see more of these characters! (Please 🤗)

Firstly I gotta gush: THIS BOOK. Hands down this is my favorite story by Ashley Poston. It's creepy (has a lot of Over the Garden Wall and Drustvar (World of Warcraft) vibes). The ambiance is so well done. You can smell the rotting leaves in the woods, feel the fog, see the bent and gnarled trees.

The plot was solid. It's nothing super remarkable, but it was well done. It's a classic curse story with the main character all alone to fix the problems of the world, if they can. Even so, it's good. You really connect with the characters, especially Cerys/Daisy. You get enough time in her world before everything goes topsy-turvy to really empathize with her situation. She's, by all accounts, a normal girl. A gardener's daughter. What can she do to fix the world?

It's fast paced with some sass, heartache, and little hints of romance. My one complaint would be that I would have given maybe 10-20 more pages in the ending just to make everything have just a smidge more of a punch in the gut feeling, show a bit more of the repercussions of stuff. This ending is completed. while there is definitely a tease for an additional story (maybe more??) in this world, you don't need more books to complete this story. It's something Ashley did for her Once Upon a Con series, and I really enjoy it.

Cerys deals with a lot in this, and you see her start out as a super quiet girl. It's been years, but she has trauma. She grows and evolves through the story, overcoming obstacles. No one will save her, so she has to do all the saving herself. She's sweet and means really well. I loved how her magic (this isn't a spoiler; you find out she has it on the first page) was used. Her abilities are not something you would ever think would be much of a help in saving the world, but she uses them throughout the story, and it works well.

Fox was a mess. His character developed much more slowly throughout the story, but he changed and grew too. My one complaint with him was he didn't feel too much like an animal, but very human. I would have liked to have had him use weird words and sounds to try to explain things since he doesn't speak human languages, and have had him use body language to convey things more. In the context of the story, yes it makes sense why he thinks the way he does (more humanistic). I just think it would have been interesting to have him start out more animalistic and then progress to more human through the book.

I really loved this book. It was a fun ride. Just spooky enough to have my pulse racing while tender and also sassy. Fox is the repository of all the sass. 10/10 recommend.