This book is the perfect amount of fantasy and spice. Although the plot can become predictable, the characters and the cliff hanger keep you engaged!

This is one of those books you’re torn how to review. The split is with the romance vs literally everything else. The world building is so great and I felt like I was pulled into this magical world but dang was the romance so toxic. I’m hoping we find a different direction in the next one but I’m jumping in.

This book follows Estrella who is on the run after she is marked but she meets Caelum who would do anything for her. I have seen this series a lot and let me say it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the storyline and was obsessed with the plot. I do have to say that the world was a bit confusing in the beginning because there was a lot of info dump but you begin to understand the more you get into it. The pacing was fast with action packed scenes. This book is told from Estrella’s pov.

Estrella is the FMC who was a gardener but is a marked fighter. I love how strong she is and doesn’t let the men take advantage of her. There was development with her character but I know there will be more in the future. Then we have Caelum who is a marked is on the run. He would do anything for Estrella. He’s a morally grey, anti hero. There are many side characters that come in go throughout this book but so far none that I have seen who will be in book 2. The romance is enemies to lovers, fated mates, and who hurt you with very steamy scenes.

The ending was well done but the plot twist was predictable from the beginning. This book is very similar to FBAA, The Bargainer, and ACOTAR. I didn’t mind the similarity so I ate this book up. I am very excited to read book 2 and see where the story goes. I recommend checking this book out especially if you loved those series.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This book definitely drew me in with the magic!

For centuries, the Veil kept the fae away, but when it shatters, everything changes. Marked by magic and hunted by those who fear it, the heroine is forced to flee. Her only ally is a mysterious, battle worn stranger who may be just as dangerous as the world closing in around them.

The world building was great and the characters had depth. There is plenty of magic, mystery, and tension!

I love how it showed the struggle to unlearn everything you’ve been taught your whole life and decide who you really are when everything falls apart!!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

3.5 stars

I was very intrigued when I first heard about What Lies Beyond the Veil and the Of Flesh & Bone series as a whole. Sure, I’ve read plenty of other books about Fae and humans, but the religious human culture (and hopefully a fight against the corrupt nature of it) as well as the veil or boundary between human and Fae lands are what drew me in. The promise of romance and spice were an added bonus!

As I started What Lies Beyond the Veil, I found the world easy to understand, the pace to be decent, and the female MC to be likeable. The setup was engaging, and I appreciated how quickly the story established the stakes. The early chapters kept me interested, and I was excited to see how the romance and world-building would develop.

Then the pace changed, and I found it a little more difficult to stay focused as I felt it had slowed down quite a bit and became repetitive. I also wasn’t sure how to feel about the male MC when he was introduced, and that didn’t really change for the rest of the book. My feelings about the female MC also changed due to how she was written—she seemed inconsistent, which I suppose is a human trait, but it just bugged me in this case. Some of the things both the female and male MCs said also pulled me out of the story on a few occasions.

I did make a prediction around a quarter of the way into the book, and that’s the main thing that kept me going… to see if I was right! I’ll continue with the series because I’m curious about where it’ll go and want to learn more about the world the author created. I also hope that the characters might redeem themselves for me? There were enough intriguing elements in What Lies Beyond the Veil to make me want to see how everything unfolds in the next three books.

2.5 stars

What the hell. There were moments I enjoyed. But if this is meant to be a romance it is freaking TOXIC. I despise Caelum maybe more than Tamlin. And that's saying a lot, but these two are two peas in a freaking pod. I hate the nickname little one and also my star tbh. I hate his behaviour, how he treats her, gaslights her and straight up just lies to her. They don't even actually know anything about eachother but are madly in love. Gah. Puke. And the subtle suggestions throughout make the ending so obvious. .. will I keep reading this series? Yes. Only because Im hoping Caelum isn't her true love interest 😂

Book received free for review.

I gave this a low 3, I enjoyed aspects of it like the world building. I thought it was very interesting we were getting a lot of lore about the fae world through the beginning. I think it was well plotted with things being set up at the start for the end.

However the relationship just never really sold me it was very insta love. And just never developed very well. Which really holds this book back for me. Even with a good plot when you're reading a book about romance you need to love the two characters together.

I will be interested in trying more from the author

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I've heard such great things about this series and when I was offered the chance to read them as they were re-released I jumped on it!

I think i would've liked this better tho if it hadn't felt like a carbon copy of every other romantasy fae book out there. Yes this is a "darker" romance but ehhh. Ill read book two and see how I feel.

I wasn't sure what to expect except that I saw the hype for this author's previous work and these editions are gorgeous! My main issue with What Lies Beyond the Veil was the pacing. It felt very much like the first chapters were a blink and you miss it whirlwind. There was a frenzy of action and even though most of it was in the synopsis, I still got whiplash when the Veil crumbled. Similarly to this, part of the tension is from the before the Veil came up, after it was erected, and then what happens when it falls again. But we got such a small snapshot of the earlier two, I had a problem establishing myself in the world.

This book caught me off guard. As someone who has tried but never really clicked with Romantasy, I was thrilled to fall in love with this one almost immediately. It has the perfect blend of worldbuilding and layered characters with hilarious dialogue and a solid balance between the fantasy and romance genre elements. I was intrigued right off the bat and heavily invested throughout. The pacing was stable, the story is addictive. I’m excited for more of this series and will be checking out more from this author in the future.

Okay, babes, if you haven’t read What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods, what are you even doing? This book? A whole vibe. A whole mood. It’s got everything—magic, mystery, and that tension that makes you feel like your heart might just leap out of your chest at any moment. The characters? Iconic. Estrella is strong and fierce, and Caelum? Brooding and irresistible. The chemistry between them? Scorching hot. You’ll be screaming, “Just kiss already!” or “Fight it out!” either way, you’ll be hooked. And plot twists? Wild and kept me fed. Ready for a wild ride? Grab this book and get lost in a world of magic, danger, and passion. What Lies Beyond the Veil is a must-read.

I really enjoyed this! The plot was interesting and the two main characters were swoony. Excited to read book two!

I loved this introduction to the series and Harper L Woods. Estrella is a fantastic MC and the world-building is super fun. The power systems are interesting and the hint of magic and what's to come kept me wanting to keep reading. While it had a bit of a slow start for me, there was a lot I really loved about this book and I am very eager to continue the series.

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods!

“You’re so pretty until you speak,” I said, smiling at him sweetly. “Do try not to ruin it.”

This was one of my favorite reads a few years ago, and reading it again was such a fun experience! This spicy Romantasy definitely deserves more hype than it has received, and I am so excited it is getting republished. It is sort of like ACOTAR (shadow daddy, morally grey, touch her and die, fae/human realms) meets FBAA (fun adventure, fated mates, miscommunication/hidden identity). While it is a bit predictable, I still ate this one UP! Highly recommended!

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

When I saw that book 4, What Sleeps Within the Cove, along with rest of the series was available on NetGalley, I knew this was the perfect time to complete a reread. So, this is not the first time I've read the series; however, my memory is absolutely terrible, I remembered basically nothing about the books, hence, the reread.

The Veil is all that protects the mortal world from the Fae of Alfheimr. But when the Veil shatters, the Fae return for the mates, and the Guard will do whatever it takes to stop the fae from taking what belongs to them.

This book was a good start to the series for me. i really enjoyed the lore building done through storytelling, since history has been mostly hidden from the masses, rather than info dumping by the main character.

The story is mostly a cliche carbon copy of many romantasies right now, which I'm not opposed to; they are cliche for a reason, it works. However, I really, really disliked the how the MMC treated Estrella, mostly due his nickname for her; "Little One". Just really gave me the ick.

Obviously, I'm continuing the series, since I'm so excited for book 4. I would recommend this book for romantasy fans, but definitely consider reading the trigger warnings first.

This book sets up the world, its’ lore and magic for the remainder of the series so it sometimes feels weighed down by the history through storytelling and myths. I liked the characters but had a hard time believing their instant connection. It is definitely spicy towards the end.

This is one of those reads that there’s a lot to love, but there are also some things that had me wanting to hit my head against the wall. Starting with what I enjoyed — I thought the premise of the story was interesting. In general, I liked the world building. I also found the FMC to be interesting. I liked the idea of romance between characters being based on a bond. While the plot was predictable, it was also enjoyable and entertaining for me. I guessed the big reveal pretty much from the moment the character appeared on the page. What I struggled with, though, was the hyper focus on the MMC’s groin and the nickname ‘little one.’ Overall, I was entertained by the story, and I plan to continue with the series.
Overall rating: 3.5⭐️