I was really excited to get approved for an ARC of Beneath These Cursed Stars, I enjoyed These Hollow Vows & These Twisted Bonds so I was looking forward to returning to the world and characters, particularly Misha!

Unfortunately, I struggled with Beneath These Cursed Stars, it didn't help that there's literally no recap or world-building, we're thrown straight into the world with no explanations at all. I had to go away and read a quick recap but I'd be totally lost if I read this book by itself first.

The story is split between two main characters, Jasalyn and Felicity. Jasalyn has been through a lot and she's dealing with heaps of trauma so hers isn't the cheeriest POV to be in. Felicity's was better and I really enjoyed her plotline with Misha but neither one of the two girls is particularly standout - they're both quite boring.

I struggled with the pace of the story too, not a lot actually happens. It's pretty slow in the middle and I didn't find myself wanting to pick the book up, it did pick up towards the end I enjoyed it a lot more when reveals started happening and the action started. I just felt that I was finally getting into it and things were starting to happen and then the book ended and we're left waiting for the sequel.

It's a shame because there was so much potential here, it just felt slow and boring. I will read the next book because I want to know what happens with Misha but if it wasn't for him I don't think I'd be bothering...

This review is for Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan which releases in the UK on the 30th July! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this authors previous series set in the same universe, These Hollow Vows, so as soo as I saw this was set in the same universe but focusing on the younger sister instead, I was so excited!!

And this does live up to the hype! It brings you back to the characters you meet in the first book, whilst also introducing you to a lot more newer characters who come from the same home world as our previous main character! There’s two POV’s this time, of Jaslyn who we’ve seen before, but also Felicity, a new and exciting character with a lot of hidden secrets! Mischa (my darling, perfect man) is featured a lot more in this novel which I could not agree more on, and I somehow fell more in love with him than I was before. The dynamics between all the characters felt a lot more real in this book compared to the two in the previous series, and it feels like a lot more is at stake for them. You also see a lot more darker topics, showing what Jaslyn suffered in the dungeons when she was captured and tortured in the previous series. You see her battle with her mental health and struggling to come to terms with the terrible things that did happen to her. It’s a little darker, but the topic is handled super well.

The world building and pace was as good as the first two novels set in this world. It was easy to read and you’re always kept on your toes till the massive, devastating reveal at the end that someone has been decieved. The one thing I didn’t like was that this book was just very much a set up for the second book, when this could have been such an amazing book in its own right without the author having to do that. And leaving us on that big of a cliffhanger??? Criminal.

I love this world, and cannot wait to see what the next book brings! Would highly recommend this series to any fantasy romance lovers out there!

First I just want to say that I have not previously read the The Hollow Vows duology so this might have had an impact even though there’s nowhere specifically to state that I should read prior.

This book was a fun read! The romance was fun and I was invested in Felicity and and Misha, they definitely were my favourite POVs. Their romance felt natural and genuine and not forced. I liked Jas and her POV however it didn’t grip me as much as Felicity’s. At some points I was reading a little quicker to get to the next chapter.

My only issue which is why I don’t think I can give this book a proper review is that I really think you need to read the original duology before this. There are characters that you are expected to know as they’re not really properly explained, and the world building is a little lacklustre as if it’s expected you to know already so the entire premise leaves you a little confused.

Once I get round to reading the duology to gain some context I will definitely give this a re read and no doubt my rating will be higher.

When I requested this e-ARC, it wasn't mentionned anywhere that this book is set in the same universe as These Hollow Vows, which characters you've already seen. No mention anywhere in the blurb, on goodreads or netgalley. I HAVEN'T read this duology. So I can really say that this book probably has no interest at all if you haven't read these books : there's no worldbuilding at all as you're supposed to know it, there's things talking about that you *know* you're supposed to know and understand like it was mentionned in previous serie, that you're supposed to have read so there's no need to explain here again.

So yeah, it turns out that I've had no interest in the worldbuiling, as it's pretty much absent. I haven't had any interest in the characters, as it feels like you're catching up with them since the last books, that you're supposed to have encountered them already and be attached to them : here, you don't get attached as the characters are pretty blant and mainly works on "omg it's been so long since we're seen this character".

And it was SO BORING! There's not much happening really? Not much from Felicity nor from Jasalyn's side, and in the ends nothing much has been done and solved, to be continued in the next book! It feels like you've been stopped in the middle on the book.
There's a little bit of tiny and quick action in the last 20% and some revelations but even I have guessed them so I can't imagine how predictable it is to those who are used to this universe...
The side who got me the most interested was Felicity's, it was a bit more interesting and having more actions and importance, so it felt tiresome to get back to Jasalyn (and her non-evolution)'s POV.

It really feels like a bonus book that is meant for those who have read These Hollow Vows, like a book 2.5 or even a book 3, and has no interest at all being read as its own... and yet, it's sold as if, which I disagree.

4 ⭐️

I really wish I had known this was a duology before I read it because damn that cliffhanger is a killer for both MCs.

I love jas and felicity, both POVs give such sad backstories, and seeing them come into their own as it progresses was wonderful. Both of their powers are really interesting to read also.

As far as love interests go, both the males here are great, but of the two, I'd prefer Misha. He's just so sweet, and I love that he even encourages his former wife to pursue his sister since he knows they were in love. That is a man committed to finding happiness for those close to him. Both romances feel real and are well done.

Plotwise, I think we get some really good moments, and the pacing is good. It does jump around a little, but there's a lot to get in there so I can deal with it. You can see how the authors writing has progressed from the original duology, I definitely prefer this story, but maybe that's down to how much I love our main characters and the lack of love triangle.

I'm excited to read the sequel, which surprised me, but I just need to know how this story ends.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Lexi Ryan, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This was an interesting read. There was mystery and intrigue around every corner, with a need to find answers between each page. Having not read the initial duology since they came out, I was very lost in the beginning and had to catch myself back up. I feel reading the initial duology is pivotal to understanding this instalment. However, I honestly didn't enjoy this like I did the main duology. The pacing was painfully slow for my personal liking and there was a lot of repetition that didn't do the book any favours. I ended up having to skim read some parts to get over pages of things that were already explained earlier on in the book. And it was easy to predict what would happen in the end.

I liked learning more about Jasalyn, the struggle with the trauma she's been through was well written and it did give an insight into the atrocities she experienced in These Hollow Vows. But I found her lacking in personality and just going along with whatever anyone told her without any logical decision making except for when she utilises magic. I did prefer Felicity's POV much more because it was so intriguing to get an insight into a new character who has to hide her power and be something she's not, which definitely helped keep my interest.

Overall, this was an okay read. I can see how people will like this instalment and despite my initial thoughts I would recommend if anybody enjoyed the main duology.

When I first heard that there would be more books in the same universe of These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds, I got really excited, cause I loved that duology and was really looking forward to reading more about these characters and this world. However, this book felt quite different to me in terms of plot and pacing, and even though the premise had me intrigued about the direction the story would take, I ended up having mixed feelings about it.

Some of the chapters of this book follow Jasalyn, Brie’s little sister who was kidnapped by Mordeus in the previous duology and is now dealing with the aftermath of what she was subjected to during her time as a captive. The book explores in detail how that affected her, which I feel is important, but at the same time felt a bit repetitive and made the book’s pacing drag. The other chapters are told from the perspective of a new character, Felicity, who has run away and is hiding in the Unseelie Court. Felicity is an Echo, which means she can take other people’s forms, and she will have to make herself look like Jasalyn and infiltrate king Misha’s palace to look for a portal while the real Jasalyn joins Kendrick, Felicity’s stepbrother, on a different although related mission. I won’t reveal more than that, but I felt that the balance between romance and plot was a bit off. And even though the book focused more on the romantic relationships, there was something lacking there too.

What I enjoyed the most about the book where the dynamics between the secondary characters from Kendrick's party. I found them very interesting, thought they had a lot of potential and really liked all their interactions. There are also a lot of great thoughts and statements made throughout the book that made me stop and think. And I would like to know how the story moves on, so I’ll probably pick up the next installment. But this one lacked the fast pace I expected and dragged a bit too much. I think a few more action would’ve benefitted it a lot and balanced out the more introspective parts, that were still necessary but felt like too many.

Full disclosure: I had not read the previous books, I just liked the sound of this book but that ended up working against my reading experience. There didn’t seem like much world building and the magic system came across as a ‘clearly you read the previous books so I don’t need to re-explain it’ … except I needed that.

I did enjoy the writing style, I thought there was great potential here but this book needed to be marketed stronger that it is a sequel/spin-off

Having read and loved These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds I couldn't wait to dive back in to the fae realms and all the drama and politics that goes along with it. I would highly recommend reading the authors previous duology before starting this, and as it had been a couple of years since I'd read them I did have to find a recap online.

That being said Beneath These Cursed Stars did not disappoint and I loved reading from Jasalyn's perspective.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the chance to read Beneath These Cursed Stars.

Actual Rating: 4.25 Stars

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a spin off story from These Hollow Vows, mainly following Princess Jasalyn who has been armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death's kiss and Felicity who is a shapeshifter fated to kill her father. Their path cross when the rumours of King Mordeus's resurrection spread through the court.

I would recommend reading These Hollow Vows duology before reading this book as you will gain more understanding on the characters, especially Jasalyn. There isn't much worldbuilding within this book either and I feel like that main comes from These Hollow Vows, so if you haven't read the duology beforehand then you would miss out on the world.

But either way, I found this book really enjoyable and I love Misha's character so much. He deserves to find love just like everyone else, I was really hoping for him and Felicity, I still am to be honest. I'm also looking forward to reading more about Kendrick and his crew, even if they did feel a little copy and paste from Finn's crew. I'm also intrigued about Felicity and her power with how that's going to come into play more in the next book (plus her relationship with Misha).

And that ending!! I need the second book in my hands right now. How am I supposed to wait?

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book “Beneath these cursed stars” can be read as a standalone, however it contains major spoilers from the author’s previous duology. Before requesting this arc, I had no idea that this was the first instalment in a spin-off duology, which may be the reason it took me a while to get into the story. I read the first book of the first duology but not the second and final.

The world building is very minimal, if you didn’t read the previous books (or it has been a while since and don’t really remember) it’s hard to understand the magic system and how the world works.

Also, it felt like the character and their relationships had very little depth to it, not to mention character development.

It took me a while to get me interested in the story and I have more a curiosity of how is going to end than that anticipation. It could have been a little better overall.

Arc generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Beneath these cursed stars
I did not enjoy These Hollow Vows so I never continued on to finish the duology. It felt like the author grabbed a pile of tropes and threw them into a pot with a bunch of annoyingly predictable characters and forgot to add an interesting plot.

Had I known that Beneath these cursed stars was a spin off set in this same world I wouldn’t have attempted to read it. So… take my opinions with a grain of salt as my reading experience of this book was set up to fail right from the start.

So… what on earth was going on? There was absolutely no world building, which I assume was due to it being a spin off from the original duology, but even so, wouldn’t it be helpful to pull new readers in with just a hint of some understanding about what was going on?

Jas was particularly annoying main character, which I usually don’t mind but only when there’s other likeable characters, an interesting plot or some other redeeming qualities within the story for me to invest in. I would have enjoyed her more if there was character development… but it seemed to instead be a lacklustre romance to lead her story.

I know that many people enjoyed the original trilogy and it felt similarly written so if that was you, then I think you’d also like this one.

A book will never be for everyone and it wasn’t for me. I committed to sharing my thoughts when I was given an ARC on NetGalley and although I didn’t like it, I do hope that others do.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is YA romantasy gold standard. The dual POV creates this timeline for two romances and plot developments, I literally was sucked in and had to read this in one sitting. Overall it’s a fun story, there’s hidden identities and action scenes that create some tension and keep the pace flowing well. There isn’t much world-building, this is a spin off after all. I didn’t feel I needed much world-building and I haven’t read the other duology. This was because I was more focused on the characters and plot points. Some of the writing is beautiful and lyrical, there’s tender moments. There are also a few twists, they may not be shocking but it’s entertaining and provides that cliffhanger effect. Definitely will be picking up the next book and other works by this author now. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

First off, I did really enjoy this story. I liked all of the characters and was rooting throughout for both of the romances as they developed. Jasalyn, Kendrick, Felicity and Misha were interesting characters that I became invested in their stories.

However, I did find myself very confused at some points. I didn't realise this was a spin off to another series by the author so I felt like big chucks were missing around certain characters pasts and the start of this story. I would assume if you have read the other series, these gaps would have made sense and I have been wanting to read that series, so will do so and then I would like to reread this to see if it makes more sense to me! I also found the switching of characters and timelines hard to follow at some points but i'm not sure if that's just down to the format of the 'ARC' document. Despite not fully understanding parts of the story, I did enjoy it overall and would love to learn more about these characters. I felt immersed and didn't want to put the story down. The overall enjoyment is worth the 4 star rating but I wish some parts around Jasalyn's life were clearer and that I wasn't left feeling I needed to have read a series first for this new series to make sense.

It was marketed to me as a 'new series' but very much felt like a continuation and I think it could have been made clearer to readers its a spin off.

Absolutely magnificent. First of all, thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This has been one of my favorite fantasy books this year. The pace is so comfortable, I absolutely loved the characters and couldn't stop reading. I started the book as soon as I received the approved message and I spent the next 7 hours reading it nonstop.

Note: I didn't read These Hollow Vows / These Twisted Bonds before so I know that there are some parts of the worldbuilding that I missed, but this book can be read as a standalone and I swear that if you enjoy fantasy books with a quest and some romance in it you are going to love it!

Also, the book has a dual POV but it's not between the main couple as I was expecting but with another character that has her own story and it intertwines with the previous one. It's interesting and gives you an unique point of view of the book that I wasn't expecting but loved.

and THAT ENDING. I NEED the next book. It was amazing how the mystery was being explained little by little and how everything made sense when reaching the end. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end.

5/5

4 stars
TW; flashbacks to main character trauma in captivity, and PTSD symptoms
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

I'm vocal about how much I love the These Hollow Vows duology. I've recommended it to so many book friends and convinced non-readers to pick it up, that's how much I enjoyed it. So naturally, when the arc applications opened for Beneath These Cursed Stars, you best bet I was instantly in there and hoping to get my copy - I even did a happy dance when I got it. Why am I telling you all this and not starting my review? Well, I overhyped this for myself. I was anticipating falling back into this world that I loved and having the best time, when in reality, I spent a great portion of this book struggling to read it.

This might take me a bit to unpack. The world still feels like Faerie. Even without Abriella's narrative, there are still characteristics and world-building parameters that come as a comfort. Whilst we're getting to see more regions through Jasalyn and Felicity's separate journeys, for the most part, the foundation felt familiar. Aside from Misha, though, that's where the comfort ends. I spent a good deal of the first portion confused by the humans having magic (spoiler: I forgot that in book 1 a main character was posing as a human mage, and I didn't connect it until I was a bit further in), and feel this could have done with a bit more structure. It was often very convenient how much these humans could achieve in a land of fae magic, and didn't have enough rules for it to make sense to me. They could do *insert magic here* to serve the current storyline and that fell flat for me. Admittedly, the whole cadre following Kendrick and Jasalyn felt like a copy-and-paste job of Finn's group of loyal misfits. I wasn't convinced they held their own weight in this book to feel different in any way, aside from being human.

To add to this, Jasalyn and Kendrick were characters I spent most of the book exasperated by. For the longest time, Kendrick had no personality, just said whatever Jasalyn wanted to hear, and whilst that works perfectly for the clever ending (seriously, I forgot how Ryan builds everything up and shocks you with the revelations), I felt no connection to him and would often be rolling my eyes. Jasalyn was the bigger crime, however, and maybe this stems from being a character I had little interest in the first series, but I found her unlikeable from start to finish. I grasped she was recovering from the trauma she went through in Mordeus' captivity, but her actions and opinions only made me frustrated whenever it switched back to her narrative. And because she is more of a focus than Felicity was, the reader spends more time in her company, and I genuinely was bereft that this was the book we got whenever in her POV.

Thankfully, Felicity was an absolute delight to read. Her narrative had intrigue around her rare magic, a mystery to uncover for why she was hiding, and pros and cons for her personality that had to remain hidden when taking on another form. She was complex but longed for something simple - to be accepted as herself. I loved that she got to spend time with Misha, and even though their storyline and eventual angst felt predictable, I appreciated the journey. Whenever the story spent time with Felicity and Misha, it felt like things were moving along at a good pace. Both the emotional and physical connection between the pair was well written and leaned towards what I love about THV. I am most excited for this pair and how they will navigate the revelations and new obstacles at the end of this book in the sequel.

I touched on it before, but the last portions of this book left me with my mouth agape. I felt like in my fit of despair, I hadn't realised what Ryan was truly building in the seemingly nothingness of Jasalyn's POV, and I'm happy to admit I was impressed by the twist - and annoyed I didn't see it coming. This, along with Misha and Felicity, are the main reasons my rating bumped up to 4 stars.

Personally, I feel like Beneath These Cursed Stars feels incomplete in its formula. It reads as if it were edited down to fit into this book, not truly allowing the characters to have enough room to express themselves in a believable pattern. There were inconsistencies, and frankly, the changing between Jasalyn and Felicity was jarring and threw off the development of their individual stories often. However, I'm hopeful that the hard work has been done and from where we're left at the end of this book, Ryan has plenty of opportunity to dive deep into the character growth and storyline trajectory without these strange impasses along the way.

I absolutely love These Hollow Vows so was really excited to find out another book from the same world and featuring many of the same characters was coming - and it didn't disappoint.

This story follows Jasalyn rather than Abriela as she tries to come to terms with everything she went through while being held captive by Morbeus. It takes place 3 years after the events in These Twisted Bonds so Jas is soon set to turn 18.

I did initially struggle to get into the book at the start just as I got back into the world and tried to remember exactly where we left off. I think re-reading the first duology would have been a good idea but ultimately, the story jogged my memory enough that I was able to get into it.

The pacing is excellent. I believe this is another 2-book story, which stops things from dragging. This does mean that the characterisation and introduction to new characters is quick, but it's done without info dumping.

The book is written from two people's points of view, which is great as you get two sides of the same story and there is so much more at steak than simply what Jas is doing. This again helps with pacing and further world-building - as well as introduces another element of mild spice.

I did find part of the plot a little bit predictable but it didn't hamper my enjoyment at all. In fact, I ended up getting excited the closer to working it all out the characters got.

I'm now absolutely desperate for the next book because it ends on a cliffhanger and I need to know what happens as soon as possible.

I am already counting down the days till the next book.

This had be gripped and I could not put down I read in 2 day. It’s set 3 yrs after the events in these hollow vows and follows Jas and she navigates her trauma following her captivity.

The depiction of Jas of trauma is done so well and that it’s still lasting years later to often in fantasy characters are over it of quickly.

I love the new characters we have introduced of Felicity and after the cliffhanger can’t wait for the next book.

thanks to netgallley for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

🚨Disclaimer: I did NOT read the other duology before this one, so I may have missed out on some important information and/ or world building 🚨

This book was pretty quick and easy, and overall I enjoyed myself.

However, I do have a few problems with it.

⤿ The world building in this was not great. I'm not exactly sure what was going on, and things could have been a lot more expanded on.

⤿ The relationships & characters were lack lustre and emotionless. I kind of felt like an outside perspective while reading this, like everything felt sort of disconnected. There was supposedly 2 love stories going on, and to me they lacked any kind of love and emotion. It was all soooo bland!

⤿The repeated use of "females" and "males". This is very nitpicky, I KNOW but omg, nothing in this world annoys me more, than when a man refers to a woman as a "female". she is NOT a science experiment. Stop referring to her as such.

⤿Everyone seems to say that the betrayals were super easy to predict. I didn't really see them coming, but that might come from the disconnect I had with the story.

Anyways, you might like this book more, if you liked the other duology. Overall, this was fine.

I’m not sure what it is about this book but I could not get into it and ended up DNFing at about 15%. I tried to read her other series and just did not gel with it unfortunately. I’m sure other people would really like it but it’s not for me.