You know those books you want to work for you, but don’t? That’s what happened with me and What Lies Beyond the Veil. There were all the right elements, but for some reason we just didn’t click. For me, the main issue was pacing which did get ironed out eventually, but a bit too late for me. Keep reading my book review of What Lies Beyond the Veil for my full thoughts.
Summary
Once, we’d worshipped them as Gods.
For nearly 400 years, the Veil has protected us from the Fae of Alfheimr. In their absence, our lives have shifted from decadence and sin to survival and virtue under the guidance of the New Gods. I’ve spent my entire life tending to the gardens next to the boundary between our worlds, drawn to the shimmering magic like a moth to the flame.
Then, we died on their swords.
All of that changes the day the Veil shatters, unleashing the fae upon our world once again. The magic of faerie marks those of us they mean to take, but the Mist Guard protecting Nothrek will kill us all before they let the fae have us. There’s no choice but to flee everything I’ve ever known, not if I want to live to see my twenty-first birthday as a free woman.
Now, they’ll claim what’s theirs.
But before they capture me, Caelum saves me from the Wild Hunt. Fae-marked and on the run, he is able to fight back in ways I only dream of. From tentative alliance to all-consuming passion, our bond strengthens as the fae close in and evil lurks ever nearer. With my life on the line, he is everything I shouldn’t dare to want and a distraction I can’t afford. I can’t seem to stay away, not even with something greater on the line.
My heart.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
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.
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To really understand why everything in the “pre” stage is so awful, I needed a bit more world building of the actual religions and systems of power. I definitely got the abusive nature of the system because that is established. But I never got a clear sense of the way power works and the shape of this new religion to even feel the tension within the world which is a fulcrum of the story. Another element I didn’t jive with was the interaction between our MC and the super protective character which comes traipsing in. I just had a difficult time understanding their relationship beside their raw physical chemistry – which felt super sudden considering the circumstances.
Overall?
All in all, I was just looking for a bit more depth in the relationships and the world to find it believable. It’s hard when there are so many changes immediately within the story. Some time beforehand going into the actual world – which is one of my favorite elements – would have done the story some good. While everyone isn’t reading for the same things, that’s one of the things I like. If you’re reading for the pure characters and physical tension, then this still might be your cup of tea. Find What Lies Beyond the Veil on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.