I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher allowing me a chance to read this book.

I enjoyed some of the bits of the previous book, though as I write this review I am trying to figure out what exactly I had liked about it. Probably the dynamic between the characters and the overall feel behind it - the intent of writing a story where women are silenced.

Reading this book I have to ask - where did that all go? It just became a mess of a tale where the strength of the prose and why it was being written vanished. I also had spent so much time away from the world that the real danger and plot was lost on me.

The blot, sadly, is still unexplained as it was and just doesn't make sense on what it is and what its purpose is to this world. Is it evil? Is it good? Is it neither? What exactly is it trying to be?

I think if there is a fanbase for this story I won't be a part of it.

I really enjoyed reading this sequel to Hush, the first book in this duology! It captured my attention and was well written for a new-ish author!
While Veil surprised me with some of the twists and turns it made, I wasn't completely invested in the love interest for some reason.
Overall I had a good time exploring the author's world she created, and would read this series again!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for gifiting me an ARC in exchange ofr an honest review!

i also received an ARC of Hush in 2020, and I was so excited to read it. I mean, have you seen Hush's cover? But it had been a bit of a let down. It was a strange novel, very unique in the YA Fantasy realm, so I wasn't sure what to think of the sequel.

BUT I wanted to give Veil a chance, because there were parts of Hush that I liked.

Unfortunately, Dylan Farrow's writing might not be for me. IT was a very ocnfusing read, and part of me wish I'd looked back of Hush to understand what was going on. On the other hand, it made it very clear to me that the series and author just aren't for me.

I loved the premise, and I love anyhting with Bards, but it's honestly just a really ocnfusing and slightly baffling world. I just could not get into these book. I liked parts of book 1, but book 2 was rather ocnfusing altogether.

A coming of age, social norm challenging, magic filled telling of adventure. This is the second book in the series. I have not read the first and I was able to read this one as a stand alone. The telling centers around the character of Shae, a 17 year old trying to find her place in the world while also trying to save the home and people that she loves. She sets off on a journey with her closest companions trying to find a solution and chasing after someone who betrayed her and stole special item. This book is a clean read and has both heteroromance and same gendered romance. The author also includes a non-binary character and women who take on non-traditional roles. While significant, the romance is not the main focus of the storyline.

After also getting to read Hush through NetGalley, I was excited to get to read the sequel. It had been a while and honestly, I could have used a little more recap in this installment. I know big infodumps of back story aren't good, but there were times reading veil when just a sentence or two of detail about preceding events would have been helpful. Otherwise I enjoyed Veil, but maybe slightly less than Hush.

This is the first book by Dylan Farrow i read. I can definitely say that i enjoyed it. You do not need to read the first book to enjoy this one. I found the book fairly fast paced and kept me wanting to find out what happens next. I struggled with some of the back and forth between of main characters but it also felt real as many interests go that way. We are interested and become friends, something happens, we forgive or accept it and the cycle starts again. There was something missing that i couldn't quiet identify that prevented me from getting lost in the book but it was still very enjoyable and well written. The interesting futuristic perspective which the unique way of looking at magic did not disappoint. I definitely want to go back and read the first installment from the book and see what else i can gleam that I missed.

I did not realize this was the second in a series. It didn't really work as a standalone. Perhaps I would have liked it better if I had read the first.

I really had high hopes for this book because I LOVED the first book, Hush. Unfortunately, I had some big problems with Veil. I honestly almost DNFed and would have for sure if it wasn't an ARC that I received for my honest review. Okay here we go...

I really took issue with the overt political views that were expressed through much of the book. When I read fantasy, I'm reading for an escape from everything that is happening in the world; Dylan Farrow apparently could not resist bringing all of her views on immigration and the government into her book. Reading is a coping skill and a way for me to take a breath and relax, not a way for me to immerse myself in politics that I'm trying to escape.

Another thing I took issue with in this book was the lack of relationship building. I never felt connected to the MC's love interest. I couldn't fathom why she had so little self respect as to keep throwing herself at someone who showed no interest in her besides throwing her some bread crumbs every now and then and betraying her almost every chance he got.. I was not into this "romance."

Lastly, part of what got Hush such a high rating from me was how different and unique the magic system was. Veil took all of the magic of Hush and crushed it thoroughly. I missed the magic, and when that was taken, my interest all but vanished.

Okay so now that you have my unabashed thoughts... I'll tell you who would potentially love this duology. This book is for you if you aren't set on magic, love dystopian, and love politically charged action packed stories.

This one was a bit better than the first one, but it still missed the mark. The idea of magic through ink and words had SO MUCH POTENTIAL and just fell flat with this series. This installment brings us into a technofuture world of industry, which just takes a bit shit on the magical aspect for me and ruins the ambiance. There's still no romantical action if that's what you're after. This series was certainly well-marketed to a specific audience, noting the brooding bad boy love interest, but it doesn't deliver. It wasn't bad, but it was completely forgettable.

Veil picks up right where Hush left off, but it never felt like a sequel. Instead, it felt like the second half of the first book that had to be cut for size reasons. You're thrown into the story and - if you're like me, retaining very little information about book one - you spend a large portion of this book lost and confused, trying to remember why this or that detail is important.

By the time this gets better and you've found your footing, the book is close to complete.

While Hush was a rather formulaic book that was bolstered by the overall message and unique aspects that Farrow incorporated into it, Veil felt formulaic and disoriented without truly matching the poignancy of book one.

It truly felt like we spent more time with Shae pining over/hating [Character] than actually being in the world. After the wonder and mystery around Gondal, the readers should be able to feel that wonder and instead - personally - I found every scene we were there to be dry.


I know it may sound like I hated this, but I didn't. I'm just simply let down after my enjoyment of book one. I would still recommend this duology, especially to younger YA readers that haven't had this story structure oversaturated for them yet.

Dylan Farrow is a gifted writer and I'm excited to see where she goes from here. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me.

Actual rating: 3.5 rounded up

To be honest I went to this book blindly after reading the first book and it did take me by surprise. I expected a bit more romance for this portion but the sequel did fit my exceptions from the first book. I adored the ending and it's delighted writing. Some of the scenes in the book were warm and fuzzy plus it was understanding. I still did enjoy the book though, the main couple chemistry was adorable.

Big thanks for Netgally for the arc!

Decent - I probably should have re-read the first book, this one really isn't a stand alone.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I came into this book hoping for a fulfilling extension of Hush and was sorely disappointed. As this is a sequel, I will not summarize the storyline in an effort to reduce spoilers. Shea didn't feel like the same character I met and loved in Hush and the side characters felt like they lost their personality and were written only as foils. I was dissatisfied with the progression of the story and lost interest several times during the course of the book. If I wasn't reading this to write a review I would have DNF'd it in the first 50 pages.

Overall, I wish more time had been taken to explore the side characters as this would have greatly helped my enjoyment of the book as well as (surprisingly) a little less action to focus on that development.

I apologize to the author, but after reading 34% of this book, it will have to be filed as a DNF for me.

"Veil" drops us directly into the world where "Hush" left off. Without some sort of reminder of what happened in the previous book, I was unable to get back into the story. Even at 34%, I can't quite remember what went on in the first book and how it applies to this one. I think because of this, I couldn't get into the main character's quest or understand her history and motivation. There is a brief characterization of the four characters that are traveling at the beginning of the story, but only a general sense of who they were.

I think that people that can remember "Hush" and want to see what happens next may enjoy this as a follow-up. I remembering liking "Hush" and having a whole bunch of questions at the end... but I do wish I remember what those questions were. The answers may not happen for me, but I hope that others will enjoy this book more than I did.

This book was brilliant. Definitely all I had hoped out of a sequel to a wonderful first book. Magical. I'll be waiting for the next big thing from this author.

While YA fantasy is not my typical genre I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed this book. Veil has a great premise and kept me hooked the whole way through. When I had requested I unfortunately did not realize that it was a sequel, however I actually did not have that much difficulty following along and understanding the book as the author would revisit the past book and explained what happened prior. I was able to pretty much fill in the gaps with her vivid descriptions and that helped tremendously. I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of books such as Hunger Games and Shadow and Bone, however I really suggest that you read the first book, which is what I'm going to do.

Thank you St. Martin press and Netgalley for an early ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was enjoyable but did not enjoy It as much as the first. It answered a lot of the questions I was left with after the 1st book but mostly in the end and rushed the answers. It was fast paced and action packed more towards the end of the book. Don’t think this would be a series I would reread though. Not an all time favorite but enjoyed reading nonetheless

While there is definitely good material here, I was at least vaguely lost through most of the book simply because the author didn't retell enough of the first installment for me to dive in without a reread (that I failed to make time for). So, there were references to events I couldn't recall the significance of throughout.

I loved Hush and went into this book with high expectations. Sadly, Farrow has let me down. But, while this was not as interesting and gripping as its predecessor, Veil is still an entertaining and exhilarating read, and I believe that if you go into this book with no expectations, it will be one of your favourite books of 2022!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love love loved Hush and Veil was such a great follow up. I am dtill obsessed with the idea of tellings and love her old world/new world set up. Great read, recommend