From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

This novel was a nice standalone from the previous series with a slow-burn romance. I found the book a little hard to get into for the first bit, and I think the story would have benifitted with a small recap or exploration of the world. Once I did get into the book, I finished it quite quickly. The main character Jasalyn dealt with lots of trauma that was explored in-depth within this series. If you like slow-burn romance(s) and found family, then I reccomend this book.

How refreshing to return to the lands of These Hollow Vows!

I’m so glad we get to know Jas a little better, and I’m really loving Felicity. The spotlight on Misha is a win, too, as he really intrigued me in THV.

We follow our two pov characters: Jasalyn, the shadow princess crippled by fear; and Felicity, a special kind of shifter with ties to Elora. There are rumors of Mordeus’s return from the dead, and the history of Brie and Jas’s human homeland of Elora isn’t what it appears. The lies, power, and oppression are all coming to a head with a group intent on dismantling Elora to restore peace and fairness. This book definitely is buildup for whatever comes next, and I think the resolution for Elora will be heartbreaking.

Lexi Ryan captured so much about trauma, fear, and guilt in her portrayal of Jas. As a reader with my own trauma, it hit pretty hard, but it never made light of these feelings. I’m a little nervous about what comes next. I don’t want Jas to magically be “cured” of the trauma because that to me doesn’t hold as much power as learning to live on despite it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy of this book to read. Unfortunately, it means I have extra long to wait until the next book.

This is a new series set in the same world as Lexi Ryans Hollow Vows Duology. Now while I own that duology I have not read that. I really feel like I should have before reading this. From the beginning we start hearing about some of the events that happened in passing and I feel that this and the world building in the previous books, even though this is a new series, would really have set me up for success in this one. Becuase of this I am goign to go back immediately and read those two and reread this.

I feel like since this is a spin off there was no much backstory about the world itself. There wasn’t much information, especially in the beginning about the humans, fae, faerie. I was a bit lost. I feel like I was thrown into a world I knew nothing about and wasn’t given many answers to. I personally do not think that this should be marketed as a new series, but maybe a continuation of the previous series just with a new pov…. Kind of like SJM does with ACOTAR and Nesta and what she is doing with Crecent CIty. That way people who are coming into this book know that they really should read the other series before this one.

Overall, I did like the idea and the concept of the story. I even liked the characters, but I feel like if I go back and I read the first two books in the previous series and then reread this one my rating will be higher.

I absolutely loved These Hollow Vows and These Broken Bonds. This is the story of Brie's little sister Jas. We get to meet some amazing new characters and also see some our favorite characters from the first 2 books. Beautiful fantasy romance with a hint of darkness. Great story and a bit of a cliffhanger. Can't wait for the next book!

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an e-ARC of Beneath These Cursed Stars in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Second, I am going to preface this review by saying I did not finish reading These Hollow Vows Duology. I got through the first book, and if my memory serves me correctly it was an okay read, but I ended up not picking up the second book. I definitely felt like I was missing some background knowledge pertaining to certain characters while reading this title, but it was still an enjoyable read for me.

This book follows Jasalyn, the newly crowned Shadow Princess of the Unseelie court, and Felicity, a unique shifter among the fae, who cannot only transform into a person but can also dream their memories. Both desperately want to escape their fates, feel as though they are broken, and are constantly terrified of their truths. Jasalyn finds escape through the use of a magic ring which gives her a deadly kiss and no fear. Felicity has been on the run for three years, using any form but her own. But when an old threat resurfaces, both girls find themselves drawn into a deceptive ploy.

In a Princess and the Pauper type of plot, Felicity becomes Jasalyn and is tasked with seducing the Wild Fae king, Misha to learn his kingdom's secret pathways, Jasalyn joins a band of rebels with a charismatic leader and are intent on overthrowing a neighboring realms unjust rule. I'll be perfectly honest, I didn't really understand the need for the switch besides the romantic subplot, so each girl could be with the designated love interest. And that's the main reason this is a four star instead of a five star read.

The rest of the book- plot, pacing, characters, the world-building (though I do highly suggest reading These Hollow Vows Duology first) was excellent and I found myself flying through this book. And in the end, there were some big reveals which leaves me highly anticipating book two!

BENEATH THESE CURSED STARS

Beneath These Cursed Stars is the third book in These Hollow Vows series. Beneath These Cursed Stars has a beautiful transition since it has been a few years since These Twisted Bonds was released. You are thrown back into the land of the Unseelie, Shadow, Court with some of your favorite characters from the series. I have truly missed being back with Brie, Finn, Misha, and Jas. You will meet some complex and exciting new characters.

Lexi Ryan does it again with the world building in Beneath These Cursed Stars, it is just fantastic and stays true to the These Hollow Vows Series.

In this series you follow the two POVs of Jasalyn and Felicity. Jasalyn is working through the trauma of king Mordeus and is taking revenge on those who hurt her. Felicity is hiding in plain sight from the future that could take away everything she holds dear to her heart. While disguised as Jas, Felicity tries to win the heart of Misha to get the information to save Elora. With the rumor of king Mordeus rising from the dead and a terrible faceless plague sweeping across the Shadow Court, Jas and Felicity take action. Jas works with Kendrick to find out if the rumors of king Mordeus are true.

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was great, the characters stayed true to who they were and the struggles that they suffered through. I cannot wait for the next book to come out! The sharp ending was killer!!! I need the next book now!

5/5 Stars, would recommend. Definitely need to read These Hollow Vows as well as These Twisted Bonds before you read Beneath These Cursed Stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Beneath These Cursed Stars!!

ARC REVIEW

Beneath These Cursed Stars
Rating: 🌟⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (1.5 spice)

Returning to the world of her duology “These Hollow Vows” Lexi Ryan again brings us a story of that grips from beginning to end. Jasalyn “Jas” hasn’t been the same since Mordeus kept her in his dungeons and has spent that last 3 years pulling away form everyone and everything to keep her fear and pain at bay. But her thirst for vengeance is unquenched and she needs to make the ones who hurt her pay. Equipped with a magic ring that gives her a kiss of death, she begins doing just that. Her actions lead her into the path of an old friend from the dungeons, Hale Kendrick. With Kendrick’s shifter friend Felicity taking her place to avoid suspicion, both women end up in over their heads, not only in terms of feels for the men they’re working alongside but with their actions affecting the rumors surrounding Mordeus. Is he truly resurrected? Who can be trusted? How could he possibly come back?

This book was just so good. I NEED the next one. The banter between Felicity and Misha as well as between Jasalyn and Hendrick is just so good. Excellent chemistry and interactions. You’ll want to kiss and kill both men for different reasons. An amazing addition to Ryan’s book world. I cannot wait for more!!!

Princess Jasalyn has the power of death at her fingertips. She traded her soul for a death-cursed kiss, and after being (mostly) kidnapped, she makes a deal with the rebel leader Kendrick; she’ll help him overthrow the corrupt rulers of his world if he helps her kill the wicked king who haunts her nightmares. It’s supposed to be a simple bargain, but nothing is simple about the way Kendrick makes Jas feel.

To avoid an uproar about the missing princess, Felicity, Kenderick’s adopted sister and a shape-shifter of the highest order, takes Jas’s place. Felicity is sent to live at the court of King Misha and ordered to seduce him to find a portal home. But her feelings start to get too real, and she’s left with an impossible choice: save the kingdom or tell the truth to the only man she’s ever loved?

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan is everything readers want a YA fantasy to be. There’s banter, loveable characters, forbidden romance, danger, and a dash of hidden loyalties. I’d say it fulfills the traditional YA fantasy almost too well and uses so many tropes that it became predictable. Don’t get me wrong, I had so much fun reading this book. But I also knew exactly what would happen less than a third of the way through. Every twist was so common that it would’ve been more surprising for the twists not to happen. That being said, I still enjoyed my time reading, I just wish the story could’ve been a little more original.

Since this book is told from two perspectives, readers have two very different plot arcs to fall in love with. My favorite storyline certainly belonged to Felicity. I loved watching her deal with who she was and betraying her heart over serving her kingdom. The battle between free will and destiny was expertly done, as was her internal conflict. She wasn’t traditionally strong, yet I loved her ability to understand the people around her and act accordingly. The last fifty pages or so of her story were a bit rushed (I could’ve used a little more development, both with her character and the plot), but the majority of her story was fun.

While Felicity’s arc is set at court, Jas faces her adventure on the road. I enjoyed watching her battle with her power and autonomy, and embrace who she was. Her character growth was off the charts, and watching her deal (or not deal as the case may be) with her trauma truly felt human. I didn’t like that she was so willing to leave her sister behind after spending the first twenty pages professing her love for her sister, but then again, everyone makes mistakes.

The romances in this book were fun but they could’ve been great. Neither couple had chemistry in the beginning, so it was hard to believe that they fell in love. I adored the internal conflict that romantic feelings caused each character and how they each reacted uniquely, but I didn’t fully buy that they were falling in love.

At the end of the day, Beneath These Cursed Stars is a book I’d happily recommend for anyone new to YA fantasy. As a veteran of the genre, I unfortunately didn’t love it as much as I would’ve a few years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun reading this novel. But it was just a little too easy to recognize the story’s flaws.

Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read an advanced readers copy of Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan.
These Hollowed Vows was one of my series from last year so when I saw that Lexi Ryan was coming out with a new series I knew I needed to get my hands on it!
Once I got approved and added it to my Goodreads list, I did noticed a few bad reviews and I got kind of nervous to read it but thankfully I started it and DEVOURED it. I finished it in a day.
My only problem with the book is I felt like it was a book 2. There was no world building, there’s a magic system we know nothing about unless you read These Hollow Vows then you’ll understand a little bit. Abriella is married, defeated a king, and became Queen and Jasalyn has been rescued from evil king and it’s been a few years after that when this book takes place. So much has happened that we know nothing about and it’s done in a way that makes it feel like it should be common sense? Like if we read book 1 it’d make sense but this is book 1…
Once you get passed that, it’s a really good book. I did notice a few spelling errors but that’s about it. The cliffhanger is going to slowly kill me though, especially since I’m going to have to wait another year or two for the next book!
4 stars

I think readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros will enjoy the writing style and storytelling elements used by Lexi Ryan in Beneath These Cursed Stars. However, there was quite a bit of “telling” rather than “showing” due to the fact that this book is tied to another series, and readers might not have read the earlier books. There are also many anachronisms in the story that took me out of the story.

While I was aware that Beneath These Cursed Stars is set in the same world as Lexi Ryan’s These Hollow Vows, the description led me to believe Beneath These Cursed Stars could be read as a standalone. However, I think my enjoyment of the book would have greatly increased if I had read the previous series.

Overall this was good! I would recommend reading the “The Hollow Vows” series first, which this is a spinoff of. Some of the relationship building between characters felt a little rushed but the reveals at the end of the book and the potential for the next book will definitely have me continuing the series.

Rating: 3.75 rounded up to 4

This book is an interesting spin-off from the These Hollow Vows duology. If you haven’t read those, you might find yourself a bit lost. The book follows Princess Jasalyn, who’s dealing with past trauma and using an enchanted ring for revenge, and Felicity, a shape-shifter avoiding a deadly prophecy by impersonating Jasalyn.

The characters are well-developed, especially Jasalyn, whose struggles feel real and relatable. Felicity adds a fresh perspective, and her interactions with the Wild Fae king, Misha, keep things intriguing. The pacing is a bit slow in the middle, which made it hard to stay engaged at times.

The ending, though, is strong and full of twists—holy wow, those last few sentences! Despite some predictable plot points and a feeling that you need to have read the previous books, it’s still a decent read for fantasy fans who enjoy character-driven stories.

If you liked These Hollow Vows, you’ll probably enjoy this one. Just be ready for a bit of a slow burn and some reliance on the previous books for context.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

Ok...yes! That is all I will say for fear of spoilers being spilled. The end....WHAT!?!

The world, the characters, the conflict, the friends to lovers to enemy storylines. YES YES YES!

Thank you Netgalley and Lexi Ryan for this e-ARC. The opinions and thoughts of this book are all my own.

Beneath the Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan is a spellbinding fantasy romance. The story follows a young heroine on a quest to break a curse on her kingdom, blending thrilling action with heartfelt moments. Ryan's masterful world-building and complex characters create an immersive reading experience. The romantic subplot adds depth without overshadowing the main plot, making this book a must-read for fantasy and romance fans alike. Highly recommended!

🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 Stars

Need more now! Beneath These Cursed Stars was absolutely enchanting. Felicity and Jasalyn are beautiful, bad-ass characters with so much depth. The slow burn romance is enchanting. Next thing you know a day has passed and you are left gasping, needing more of their story.

Beneath These Cursed Stars was fantastic. I’ve been meaning to read These Hollow Vows for ages and didn’t realize this was connected further than being in the same world, but that didn’t detract from the story at all. Ryan did a fantastic job painting the story for readers both with and without prior knowledge of the characters.

The dual POV of Felicity and Jasalyn was so good for adding to the tension. Learning more about Jas through Felicity’s eyes was such a unique way to explore a character with such blocked emotions.

The tension was tensioning. It left me wanting more—but in a good way.

I need the sequel yesterday. I can’t wait to find out what else is going on and who is lying—because someone is lying through their teeth!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperTeen for the ARC!

"Beneath These Cursed Stars" by Lexi Ryan is a spellbinding fantasy novel that takes readers on a journey through a world filled with magic, betrayal, and star-crossed destiny. The story follows Elara, a young woman with a hidden magical heritage, and Rylan, a prince burdened with a dark curse. Their paths cross in unexpected ways, leading them to uncover secrets that could change the fate of their kingdom.

Ryan's writing is captivating, drawing readers into a richly imagined world where every detail enhances the immersive experience. Elara and Rylan are complex and well-developed characters whose personal struggles and growing connection drive the emotional core of the story. Their chemistry is palpable, adding a compelling layer of romance to the adventure.

The plot is expertly paced, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing and eager to see what happens next. Themes of love, sacrifice, and the battle between light and darkness are explored with depth and nuance, making the narrative both engaging and thought-provoking.

Overall, "Beneath These Cursed Stars" is a mesmerizing read that will appeal to fans of epic fantasy and romantic adventure. Lexi Ryan delivers a tale that is both thrilling and heartwarming, leaving readers enchanted and eagerly anticipating the next installment.

I’ve never read something so fast!!! I fell in love with this world from the beginning of book one! I was beyond excited when I was approved for this arc!

I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but let’s just say that this is a really cool way to do what’s been done!! I liked Jas’s character before but I love that we get to see her grown up and on the verge of her 18th birthday. To see what she went through at Mordeus’ hands is heartbreaking. It definitely makes me understand why she went the way she did. And Felicity is a new favorite character. I can’t wait to see what becomes of her!! I will say that I hate Hendricks and I’m not sure how much I love Misha anymore.

All I do know is I need book 2 yesterday!!! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!!!

3.5 Stars ! I absolutely loved These Hollow Vows books 1 and 2 so I was so excited when I found out there would be a new series set in the same world. However, I really struggled getting into this book and the characters. It was so slow until the last quarter of the book. I had a hard time connecting with Jas. I preferred Felicity's chapters so much more. I did enjoy parts of it and will for sure be reading the next book in the series. I do recommend giving this a try if you read These Hollow Vows. I think if you have not read those books first then you will be confused about the world they are in, the magic aspect, and the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Teens for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'm having strong deja-vu--I could have sworn I already submitted feedback for this, lol. I didn't like this much. I felt that the plot had strong ideas but ultimately not a ton...happened. There was a lot of repetition from some sort of flat characters, and even though the plot was pretty see-through I was hoping for some interesting moments but the pacing made sure that the momentum of the story was lost. I wish that this had just been a bit more fleshed out all the way through--I wanted more from the characters and the plot. Even though this isn't necessarily the "first" book, I still would have liked a little world-building. As it stands this just really felt like an unnecessary story--there's no character development, or interesting motivations, nothing to justify this story being told.