What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
**I was provided with an ARC for an honest review.**
If you adore Rhysand, then read this book.
If you fancy the Bargainer series, then read this book.
If you revel in Zodiac Academy, then you already bought this book…. good girl
꧁The Characters꧂
Meet Estrella. She’s conscientious. She’s protective. And she’s angry at how life has constantly given her the short end
same girl
“I was so f*cking tired of being a victim. Of being treated like I was less than the men around me, because they had a piece of meat swinging between their legs.”
Her martyrism for her family endeared me to her but also made me side eye and snitch phrases like “Mary Sue” at the beginning…..
Then the author quickly cranked that sh*t up to 100. 
This is the first book of 2022 that I’ve added to my “Favorites” shelf and I am one picky b*tch so that should say something… Estrella’s development into a violent and defiant POV was constantly entertaining, full of raw emotions. She just so angry and vulnerable about her reality.
Everyone kept fighting her. So she started fighting back muhaha
“You’re a vicious one, aren’t you?” he asked, running his tongue over the top of his perfect bottom teeth.
“Only when it comes to pushy men who seem to think they have the right to touch me,” I snapped, leaning further into the knife against his throat.”
Enter our potential love interest, Caelum.
The world-building, unique plot, and antihero love interest just all hooked me right away. He is a total morally grey character that embraces his monster tendencies in the most wickedly delicious ways.
“I would burn the world to the ground and lay it at your feet if you so much as asked it of me”
I have reread every scene with Caelum. From the sassy banter…
“I wish I was a hydra,” I teased.
“Then I could just swallow you whole and not have to endure your endless hovering anymore.”
“My star, you can swallow me whole anytime you –” I smacked him in the stomach
To the sexy sexy fun times
“These lips were made to moan my name.”
This book is exactly what I’m looking for when I want a hot alpha paired up with an equally violent and sassy heroine.
꧁The Writing Style꧂
Short and shocking which worked very well with Estrella’s POV of everything being new and dangerous that I was immediately immersed into this book world
“Sudden awareness burst through my contentment, the impression of someone banging on the other side of a doorway, though there was none to be found.”
I adore how this first book really set up the heroine. First introduced to the fae world to work on the immediate issue THEN later build-up to the MAJOR plot that the series will be focused on.
That’s just some good g*ddamn writing.
The heroine is my kind of sassy and capable that I can’t wait to get more of. Each obstacle pushed her, forced her to confront her weaknesses then she REFUSED to let that weakness stop her
Overall, I simply loved this book.
For the first of a series, it set up the world beautifully that I cannot WAIT to see where it’s going, and how the author might add some more twists and turns. The love interest was flawed, driven, and I wanted to slap then kiss him at the same time.
“If you can hit me, you can hit anyone,” he said, stabbing toward me with a quick jab. I bent backward to avoid it striking me in the chest. “And I will very much enjoy watching you cut down enemies at my side one day.”
Looking ahead, I have some definite expectations for the sequel. I especially hope the author carefully works to differentiate the cultures and buildup of each fae court, so that they aren’t all basically the same with just a different color scheme *cough pathetic don’t do it*
While the beginning had some basic YA vibes with the setup, it quickly developed into an engaging NA with more sexy, more intriguing, more b*tching characters that I can’t wait to read book two.
For real tho, anyone who reads this book pleaseee message me so I have someone to rave about it with!! 
Cece ❀Rants, Raves &Reviews❀ 