We don’t get to choose the burdens we bear, only how we bear them.

Jaslyn was first introduced in the These Hallowed Vows series as sister to Abriella, now Queen of the Unseelie Court. It’s several years after Abriella defeated the false king Mordeus and rescued her sister from his clutches. Jaslyn was horrendously tortured by Mordeus, and now has the fear and hatred and scars to show for it. A deal with a witch provides Jaslyn with the ability to move forward, but it comes at a cost that may be too high to bear. Kendrick, someone she need within Mordeus’ dungeons, has his own quest, to defeat the Elora Seven and take his rightful place as the chosen King of Elora. He has many secrets that if they come to light, might alter the trust Jaslyn has placed in him. While Jaslyn is helping Kendrick on his quest, Felicity is holding her place in the Wild Fae Kingdom with Misha. It is only a matter of time before her disguise is discovered, and what will Misha do when he finds out about her ruse?

Fear isn’t a measure of cowardice, and pain isn’t a measure of weakness. You’re brave and strong and anything but broken.

So much is going on in this novel! It is essential to read These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds since these two books handle the bulk of the world building that Beneath These Cursed Stars Depends on. Lexi Ryan does a phenomenal job in weaving multiple points of view into an intriguing tale of secrets, betrayals, and heartbreaks. The cliffhangers that this book ends on are insane! I counted at least 5 loose ends that I must know the resolution to.

The winds are changing, and our fates with them.

I wish I hadn't requested this title, because my experience with Beneath These Cursed Stars is very much a "me" thing and not a "book" thing. I ended up DNF'ing it around 10% for a few different reasons. The first: I didn't know this was a companion title to the author's first series, which were very much not-for-me books. I'm not usually a good fit for fae as fantasy creatures (versus fae as folkloric and mythical beings), which was a big part of the reason These Hollow Vows didn't work for me. Had I know this book took place in the same world, I never would have downloaded it for review.

The second reason comes up in the very first line of the book, in which the perspective character, Jasalyn, refers to a man or male character as a "male." I know that Sarah J. Maas popularized this kind of phrasing, but it is a particularly strong ick for me and not one I can get usually get past. That was the case with Beneath These Cursed Stars. While I'm sure it's a good book for a lot of readers, I am very much not the intended audience, and if I had continued reading, I know it would receive a low rating from me. I want this book to find its readers, so for that reason, I've decided to put it down.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Was very excited to get to read this new spin off from Lexi Ryan as I enjoyed her original fae duology very much.
This was also good for a spinoff. It didn’t capture me as much as the original duology, but that’s probably personal preference. Ryan continues to be a fantastic writer! I enjoyed the romantic subplots, though the book overall felt more YA than NA like the original, and that’s part of what left it lacking a little for me personally.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a great addition to Ryan's previous fae romances. I enjoyed being back in the Fae courts with some familiar characters. Will the human and fae realms be able to find a balance before it's too late? I felt like this could have been wrapped up in one novel, but I will definitely read the next installment.
The romance in this story is mostly off the page giving this novel more young adult vibes; however, I would recommend this for more mature young adult readers.

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.

This was fine. Lexi Ryan is a good writer, but a lot of these tropes feel overdone at this point. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't groundbreaking by any means.

It’s not often that a spinoff is as good or better than the original series. But Beneath These Cursed Stars is just that!!

This is absolutely a 5 star read and probably my favorite of 2024.

I had hoped Lexi Ryan would do a spinoff and I’m so grateful she did! I’m honestly blown away by how great this book is from start to finish. I can usually guess an ending but I didn’t see this coming at all!

I desperately need the next book!

I loved the original duology, and this is a fantastic continuation of this world. I loved Jas and Felicity, both are so complex. Like the previous books, this book ends on a massive cliffhanger, I cannot wait to continue.

The writing was good and I enjoyed it much more than her other series. I will say that. I was unaware that it took place in the same world but I don't think it’s too confusing if you haven’t read it before.

Jas is the the scared and quiet sister. The one that everyone thinks is broken. She spends her days hiding away in her room, afraid of human touch and connection. Traumatized by her time in the dungeons. But is she as fragile as everyone thinks she is?

This book follows Jas and a new character Felicity in their struggle to overcome and overthrow a dark group that is plaguing their lands.

Felicity is a very complex character that has so much depth to her. Plus her ending is 😱😱

Very different from the Hollow Vows series but in the best way possible! Lexi Ryan keeps true to the series but makes it fresh and fun.

Beneath These Cursed Stars begins three years after the duology These Hollow Vows ends. In this book we follow Princess Jasalyn on her quest for revenge, alone by choice at first, but soon finds herself among others with a similar objective. Before she joins their cause, she finds herself face to face with a man for Jas’s past that she could never forget…

At the same time, we journey with Felicity, a shape shifter who is now tasked with impersonating Princess Jasalyn during her absence. Felicity takes the task of spending time with the Wild Fae king under this guise, attempted to sus out information that would be useful to the group’s efforts. But while posing as Jas, Felicity and the king develop undeniable feelings…

With hearts and lives on the line, this story is far from over.

I am SO happy to be back in the world I came to love in THV and TTB. While I feel like you can come into BTCS without the knowledge of the previous duology, I HIGHLY suggest you read it. Both for helpful context, avoiding spoilers, and because it’s amazing! This one took me a second to get into, but once the dust settled, I was invested.

Jas and Felicity were both compelling POVs, but I did enjoy one more than the other. The plot was easy enough to follow along and even though I was able to put the pieces together earlier on, I was really pleased with how everything unfolded. I loved having two separate romance plots going on, the more the merrier! It’s not a Fantasy Romance without a cliffhanger, so while I’m over the moon that I got early access to this book, I’m PISSED I have to wait that much longer for the sequel!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is out July 30, 2024.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I ate up Lexi Ryan's Hollow Vows duology, so when I saw that this was a related book, I was very excited. The story continues several years after Hollow Vows with the sister of original duology's main character. Abriella may now be queen, but her sister Jasalyn is still in pain over her time spent in the false king's dungeon. In order to try to overcome some of her trauma she allows a faerie who can take on her likeness to take her place while she goes with a band of people trying to free her home realm. I wish I could say that I loved this book as much as I loved the original duology, but I did not. I could not like Jasalyn, nor did I warm to any of her traveling companions. I did love getting to see more of Misha and his interactions with Jasalyn's double, Felicity, were the highlights of the book for me. There was no filler in the story, but it seemed to drag somehow. I will highly anticipate any other fantasy that Ryan gives us, but this one was a miss for me.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! The ending is intense!! It’s quite fast paced and would make your heart just goes right in your throat. It’s absolutely epic and is filled with plenty of plotting, romance, mystery, amazing word building, emotional and a thrilling ride!!

Absolutely adored this book! I loved the first two in the series and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. Ryan did not disappoint, I may have even loved this one a little more. The drama, deception, magic, mystery, and slow burn romance, all made for a wonderfully fun read.

I really enjoyed this book. It left off on such a cliffhanger and I can see it definitely continuing into a series - at least a duology. It took me a little bit to get into, but once I did, I finished it quickly. I liked the world she created with different kinds of fae and humans interacting. I bonded with the characters although Jas did annoy me a bit with her coldness towards her sister, but with all of the trauma she dealt with, it was understandable. I would recommend this book to other fantasy readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books!
This is actually the first Lexi Ryan book I’ve read, so I felt like I might have been missing some of the undercurrent between certain characters, BUT…I enjoyed this book so much I want to go read the Hollow Vows series AND desperately want the author to give us another book, because we were truly left hanging!

This is a spinoff of These Hollow Vows. This book follows Jasalyn (the sister of the FMC from the first two books) and a shape-shifter named Felicity. You read the the point of view of both girls. There is romance and fantasy in the book. The premise of the story is interesting, it is about the villain from the previous book making a comeback. However, I feel like the story just lagged and lacked in some places.

I love Lexi Ryan. It was so nice to be back in the these hollow vows universe and I could not be happier!

Dual lead sister energy! Enjoyed the two main leads. Anyone who is a fan of the author's previous YA duology These Hollow Vows will for sure enjoy this one. Adding this to our "to-buy" list.

I loved this book. I also loved These Hollow Vows; so this was such a fun spin off. I recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a fun romantasy. I thought there was a lot of character development and backstory, some of it heartbreaking. Lots of action and just the right amount of romance. I am definitely interested to see what Lexi Ryan writes in the future. She’s one to look out for. 5 ⭐️

I was so excited about this book, but it unfortunately was a struggle to get through. I felt like it needed a lot more backstory in order to care about the characters and understand more what is going on.