The only reason this gets a star is for the beginning 25% of the book, before the love interest comes in. It was so promising! As for the rest of the book… Sigh. Cringe. Oof. ( )

Absolutely hated the fmc, had to dnf 50% in ( )

What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper Woods is book one of the Of Flesh and Bone series. We start with Estrella, a field hand living near the Veil, a wall of magic that has supposedly protected humans from the Fae. When the Veil falls, Estrella has a Fae mark and is hunted by Fae and humans alike. Mysterious stranger (and also Fae marked) Caelum saves Estrella from the Fae initially but then they are on the run to try to survive. Tropes include hate to love, banter, fated mates, who did this and touch her and die. Please do check content warnings for this 18+ book (there are content warnings for non-spicy topics).

The Lovely: The characters. I liked the FMC Estrella - her independence, stubbornness and drive (although her wishy-washy-ness regarding Caelum wasfrustrating at times). I loved Caelum at first and he quickly became book boyfriend material. However, as he changed, I found myself questioning him and their relationship. I know there was a reason for his change, but now I find myself missing their earlier relationship and what they had.

The Mundane: The plot and tension go off to a slow slow start but then flowed well for the rest of the book. The ending was a surprising cliffhanger and I have no idea of what will come next in book two.

The Dreadful: The world building could be fleshed out a bit more. Physically, the world is set in medieval times with not a lot of visible magic. However, the lore relating to the Fae/gods isn’t explained much (especially as what the humans say isn’t believable). Some of this builds suspense, but it’s also frustrating as the reader is trying to figure out how pieces fit together.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Recommendation: This is, so far, a solid fantasy series if you like Fae, a strong female main character and the fated mates trope. It is dark, mysterious, spicy and emotional, especially the closer you get to the end. If possessive males or dark romance bother you, this is not the book for you. ( )

Yet another dimwit FMC and another arrogant MMC. So many plot holes, zero explanations, zero foreshadowing. I still don’t understand the significance of the so-called wild hunt nonsense.

Not all spice is created equal - the spice falls so flat here, along with everything else. Also, calling the object of your carnal desires “little one” gives major ick!!! 🤮 ( )

I originally DNF'd this book because it felt like I had already read it, and finishing it left me in the same place. Honestly if you've read From Blood and Ash, you've already read this too. The twist at the end wasn't a twist and the plot is very similar. The writing style is very simplistic, the romance between the main characters made me cringe, and I was just bored all around. ( )