This is a companion novel to the These Hollowed Vows novels. This was as exciting and gripping as the These Hollowed Vows novels but I must admit that I liked the characters a little less which is why this is a 4 stars rather than a 5.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novels in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, but I have to say, the way the reader is thrust into the action, I genuinely thought I’d missed something. I’m not kidding when I say I stopped reading to check if I’d missed a previous book in the series because I felt like I had no idea who anyone was or what had happened.
I then discovered it’s “standalone” but in the same world as her previous two books, which makes a whole lot of sense. Suffice it to say, I think this would be more enjoyable/easier to follow if you’ve read the other books! (These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds)
However, despite this, I did still really like the book and in a way, I’m now of the opinion that the lack of explanation was intentional, given it’s told from the the MC’s POV and this becomes clearer as the book progresses.
I thought the tension and the relationship development was really good, I really connected with Jas as a protagonist and the pace was good. The worldbuilding was good, the politics of the world are really interesting, even without the context of the other books!
I’d recommend this to fans of all things faerie, but can see it appealing particularly to fans of Sarah J Maas.

Did I enjoy "Beneath These Cursed Stars"? Yeah, for the most part. The world-building was interesting, and I liked how the two main characters had their own journeys that still connected in meaningful ways.

That said, I didn’t feel super attached to the characters, and some parts of the story felt a bit rushed or overdone. The ending also didn’t have the impact I hoped for—it felt a little too predictable.

But overall, it’s a fun read. If you’re into fantasy with a mix of adventure and drama, you’ll probably enjoy it. Just don’t go in expecting it to blow your mind.*

I read the previous book by this author and although I liked that story better, it was nice to return to this amazing world full of magic and unusual characters.

I did read this, but it was some time ago now, I gave it a 2.5 or 3 stars, I found it quite a slog to get through and found it a tad boring at times. I did agree I felt like the reader just dropped us into a world which very little backstory (I think the idea is you would already have read about the world in these Hollow vows) However this is marketed as a stand alone which is what I took it for.

I've been reading this book for months now, and I'm ashamed to admit it.
I started it with high expectations, after having read the previous two books, but it turned out to be a complex journey.

The author not only immersed us in the wonderful world she had already created, but presented it to us through new eyes. I was delighted.
She mixed new elements with glimpses of characters we already knew and loved. In other words, she had the opportunity –and took it– to insert a wide variety of tropes: everything you could ask for in a romantasy book is on these pages.

Unfortunately, although the premise was incredibly tempting… I didn't fully enjoy its execution. There were moments when I found the plot was too slow, or the things happening felt forced. And yes, I do have favorites regarding which POV I liked best

Overall, it was a nice book and I liked it, just not as much as the previous ones.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

One thing I love is a good fantasy I love a book that can make me forget what's going on in the world and go into an imaginative world where the impossible happens and you meet characters and creatures you would never meet for real and this book had ot all

Jasalyn and Felicity's story continues one of my favorite series and I was absolutely into it! While we had a love triangle in the “Court of Sun” dilogy, it is now about two parallel love stories and I can't say which was more beautiful - because both couples had their own problems, heart-pounding moments and touching moments. Betrayal is a word that is discovered here in different ways and I have to say that none of the characters was neglected and I can also say that there was enough tension, spine-tingling scenes and nice reunions. I think I'm rooting for Misha and Felicity a little bit more because the upcoming feelings between them are different than they are with Kendrick and Jasalyn. The storylines of the previous series are incorporated here and I really loved seeing familiar faces again. The end - uhh, that was really hard because you got twice the dose. That's why I'm now even more curious about the sequel, which didn't come quickly enough!

I was really disappointed in this book! I really enjoyed the original These Hollow Vows duology but the spark of those books just wasn’t there in this one for me!

I struggled to connect with the characters & didn’t really empathise with any of them which is always a bad sign for me. The plot felt like it lacked something? Like it wasn’t finished fully? I’m not 100% sure to be honest! The “twist” at the end I saw a mile away too, it felt very obvious.

I know that this is technically a sequel to the previous books, but as it follows a different set of characters I would have expected a bit more of world set up for anyone picking this up without having read the other 2 book, but if anyone picks this up who hasn’t I think they would struggle as you’re really thrown in the deep end!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a great read for anyone who loved the first duology These Hollow Vows. We get a dual POV of the two FMCs and follow their individual romantic storylines. I was rooting for everyone so hard but you just know something is going to get in the way and that last 10% did not go well for the poor main characters. The cliffhanger left me eagerly awaiting book 2!

Ich hab das Buch gekauft ohne wirklich zu lesen, worum es geht. Daher war ich überrascht, dass es in der gleichen Welt spielt wie These Hollow Voss. Es schadet auch nicht, wenn man die beiden Bände davor gelesen hat, man kann es aber auch ohne Vorwissen lesen. Man taucht wieder in die altbekannte Welt ein und findet sich in der Geschichte von Jacalyn und Felicity wieder. Ich mochte vor allem die Storyline von Felicity. der Cliffhanger am Ende macht viel Vorfreude auf Band zwei diesem Teil der Serie. Ich kann es nur empfehlen und habe das Buch regelrecht verschlungen.

When I found out that Lexi Ryan was writing more books in this fantasy world, I was really excited since the previous duology was a favorite of mine.

In this book, two histories and lives run in parallel: Princess Jasalyn and her secret life trying to get justice for her suffering… and shape-shifter Felicity, who is escaping from what seems to be her destiny. Both lives are heavily linked and full of mysteries to unfold.

I really enjoyed all the little pieces of information and the character interactions, the buildup and the secrets. I also loved to hear more about the Wild Fae King Misha and to know the intriguing new characters… including Jasalyn’s love interest. The setup was great and I am thoroughly ready for book 2.

Thank you to the author and Hodder & Stoughton for providing an early copy of the ebook through Netgalley. I alternated between reading and listening the acquired audiobook copy and the narrators were really good.

Audiobook: 4/5
Overall book: 4/5

Okay, it was not as bad as These Twisted Bonds, but it was still impossible to read in my opinion. Those characters were absolutely blank. There we have basically two main characters Jas (Brie's sister) and Felicity the shape-shifter, and, god, BOTH OF THEM HAD ZERO PERSONALITY. Same problem with love interests. How can I read a romantasy book if I don't care about any character? We don't know almost anything about magic, world structure, politics of the human world, etc., you just read and hope that the author will tell you at least something. There are no plot twists or any interesting moments either. It's just EXTREMELY boring, meh.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc

I tried to give the author a second try but again I’m not a fan of the way the book is written unfortunately

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

In Beneath These Cursed Stars, we follow Jasalyn and Felicity, two young women on a mission to save the future of the fae and the human realms.

How do I start this… Why did no one advertise this book as a spin-off of the Hollow Vows duology? For once, I read the synopsis, and there was literally no information on it, so I just assumed it was a different series set in another world. But as I was searching information for this review, I stumbled upon some reviews saying that they loved going back to the Hollow Vows world, and I was like… wtf? So not only I read this book without knowing there were two books to read before (that are on my TBR, I just wanted to read this one to know if I like the author's writing), but I also got spoiled on many things that happened in those two books.

Aside from that, I fairly enjoyed the story, even without reading the first two books. The plot was good, full of surprises and twists, yet I found it boring at times because I felt completely lost. There were very few elements of worldbuilding (now I know why), and some things were left unexplained (now I know why too). I definitely preferred to read Felicity's side of the story and found myself sometimes skimming Jasalyn's point of view just to go back to Felicity's. I'll probably read the sequel when I'll finish These Hollow Vows.

Original rating: 3.5 stars, taken down to 2.5 stars because of bad advertising and Hodder's incessant bad formatting of ebooks. I am petty and I know it, but it just happens too often.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a captivating romantic fantasy that serves as a spin-off from her These Hollow Vows duology. This one set up the high expectations I had from her earlier words and delivered a fun and engaging story. This installment sets up the next part of the journey perfectly, laying the groundwork for what promises to be an exciting continuation. Overall, Beneath These Cursed Stars is a fun, emotional, and satisfying read. It weaves romance and fantasy with Ryan's signature flair, making it a must-read for fans of her previous works and those who enjoy immersive, character-driven stories. If you loved the These Hollow Vows series, this spin-off is sure to captivate you. I’m excited to see where the adventure goes next!

Okay so, 1. I'm soooo happy we got another book in this world, and will be getting at least one more (but I'm rooting for three, minimum) and 2. I WAS NOT READY FOR THE PAIN???

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a spinoff from These Hollow Vows, and I can't even begin to explain how excited I was to learn that Misha will be getting his own story, though not in the way I was expecting.

Because, you see, we don't just follow him and Felicity, but also Jasalyn and Kendrick. It's a dual PoV, switching between the two girls. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd like Felicity, but she really grew on me, and I ended up liking her PoVs more than Jasalyn's. And yes, Misha was probably a part of the reason why, I won't lie.

I'd suggest you read the duology first, even though you COULD read this as a standalone, but it's better to read it from the beginning to avoid any spoilers. And I think you'd have a better time getting into this one if you already know the world and its characters, because not a lot of it is explained here.

You can also see the writing style evolve with each book, it's so much better now than it was before. The pacing could be worked on a bit more, however.

The book moved the fastest at the start, and at the very end when I physically couldn't stop reading. It was so good!!! The ending alone I'd give five stars to, the betrayals were all just perfect, and PAINFUL. We were expecting one of them yes, but the other...I did not see it coming whatsoever, and I really should have.

Somewhere around the halfway point I was wondering if this was all going to end in one book, and I'm glad it hasn't, even if I have to suffer until the next one. I'm hoping Sebastian gets his own duology as well.

I'm going to make a lot of people upset with what I say next but...I honestly liked both romances here a lot more than Brie's with Finn and Seb. Gasp. Shock. I KNOW, I KNOW, OKAY, but the heart wants what it wants, and my heart wants more of Misha, so...

I just feel like we got more development? Even if both romances were happening at the same time, they worked for me, it didn't feel like they were happening too fast, and I definitely noticed the chemistry.

I also really enjoyed the healing themes woven throughout. Both Jas and Felicity haven't had easy lives, but Jas especially has so much trauma because of what she went through, it was nice seeing her slowly starting to heal. And Felicity, seeing what she saw from Jasalyn's past, is probably the only one who truly understands her. I'd love to see them having a long talk in the next book, and becoming the best of friends.

The plot was really interesting too, mostly carried over from the past books, but I love seeing new aspects of the world I haven't thought about before. It gives me hope that when Sebastian's turn comes, there will still be stuff left to explore.

And no, I won't give up on a Sebastian book, thank you very much. I begged for a Misha book, I got a Misha book, now I also need a Seb book for my life to be complete.

Overall, Beneath These Cursed Stars was such a fun read, I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. If you liked the first duology, you'll like this too, and if you felt just okay about it, I'd say still give this one a chance, it might surprise you.

*Huge thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this, it was great to be back in the world and see the characters from the previous duology again. That being said you don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. I can’t wait for the next book!

I loved to meet the characters of the first series again and get to know them better, but I also think that readers who haven`t read anything from Lexy Ryan yet are going to enjoy this book.
I really liked the main characters and I can*t wait for the second book.

I love Lexi Ryan’s books and this one is no exception!!

A well written Fae romantasy, with a great plot. It’s easy to read and to understand the world. I highly recommend to anyone that loves fantasy with romance!!