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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
I have some Opinions about how I want things to go down in the next book, but something I love is that at this point I'm okay with whatever Selah chooses as far as her suitors/marriage alliances/etc. go, which is a big part of the premise of the book (along with the political implications of those choices). And that's pretty incredible, since in most books I tend to be ride-or-die for a particular ship and then (more often than not) end up bitterly disappointed when that's not what happens.
But with this one, I feel that I know Selah well enough that it's more like she's a friend who I just want to see happy. I.e., yeah, the guy she's seeing may not be someone *I* can imagine being involved with, but he's good, and she's happy, and those are the important things.
I can see how some readers would be disappointed with the heavy emphasis on romance in this book, despite the premise basically telling you that's going to happen. And I get that: I'm generally a fan of romantic subplots vs. ones that are heavily featured in the story. But to me this isn't so much a "which boy will the MC choose?" story, even though those definitely have value.
To me this is a book about being forced into other people's decisions and finding your own path anyway. It's about being backed into a corner by love or duty or fear (of hurting people, of not being good enough) and still finding a way to exercise autonomy. Sometimes you can break the system; sometimes that isn't immediately possible but you can find a way to make your choices matter anyway. That second kind of story is what The Beholder made me think of. **
Full review to come on my channel :)
*Review copy received in a giveaway from the author!
**Oh, and a certain trope was handled in a way I've always wanted to see and it was glorious.
But with this one, I feel that I know Selah well enough that it's more like she's a friend who I just want to see happy. I.e., yeah, the guy she's seeing may not be someone *I* can imagine being involved with, but he's good, and she's happy, and those are the important things.
I can see how some readers would be disappointed with the heavy emphasis on romance in this book, despite the premise basically telling you that's going to happen. And I get that: I'm generally a fan of romantic subplots vs. ones that are heavily featured in the story. But to me this isn't so much a "which boy will the MC choose?" story, even though those definitely have value.
To me this is a book about being forced into other people's decisions and finding your own path anyway. It's about being backed into a corner by love or duty or fear (of hurting people, of not being good enough) and still finding a way to exercise autonomy. Sometimes you can break the system; sometimes that isn't immediately possible but you can find a way to make your choices matter anyway. That second kind of story is what The Beholder made me think of. **
Full review to come on my channel :)
*Review copy received in a giveaway from the author!
**Oh, and a certain trope was handled in a way I've always wanted to see and it was glorious.
Before I started this book for the Fairyloot readalong, all I heard about was how disappointing this book was and how this person I follow had DNFed it because nothing happened and so on and so forth. However, this meant I went into this book with very low expectations and then was pleasantly surprised.
In this book, we are introduced to Selah, the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, though not a princess as such, she still has to find the right person to marry and help her lead. When she gets rejected by her friend, her stepmother sends her out to meet several suitors across the Atlantic. She has to deal with the ship's crew, mostly strangers, as well as handling new cultures and her new potential marriage partners. This is a book steeped in fairytales so there are a lot of familiar tropes here, as well as how the magic fits in.
It's a delightfully light fantasy and I enjoyed reading about how Selah grew as a person throughout the book as well as had to adjust to making her own decisions. I wasn't such a fan of the ending but I did enjoy seeing how Selah reacted to certain events which happened, as well as being introduced to various new suitors. I could guess some of the events that happened but that didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book.
I did like this book but I think I would be wary about the sequel since it looked like the series were going into tropes I didn't particularly enjoy.
3.5 stars!
In this book, we are introduced to Selah, the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, though not a princess as such, she still has to find the right person to marry and help her lead. When she gets rejected by her friend, her stepmother sends her out to meet several suitors across the Atlantic. She has to deal with the ship's crew, mostly strangers, as well as handling new cultures and her new potential marriage partners. This is a book steeped in fairytales so there are a lot of familiar tropes here, as well as how the magic fits in.
It's a delightfully light fantasy and I enjoyed reading about how Selah grew as a person throughout the book as well as had to adjust to making her own decisions. I wasn't such a fan of the ending but I did enjoy seeing how Selah reacted to certain events which happened, as well as being introduced to various new suitors. I could guess some of the events that happened but that didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book.
I did like this book but I think I would be wary about the sequel since it looked like the series were going into tropes I didn't particularly enjoy.
3.5 stars!
4.5 stars!
A buddy read with Eva @ Read While it Rains
A buddy read with Eva @ Read While it Rains
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Book Review
Title: The Beholder
Author: Anna Bright
Genre: YA/Romance
Rating: *****
Review: I knew absolutely nothing about the Beholder going in it and it didn’t really seem like my cup of tea, but I was willing to give it a go. We are introduced to Selah, who is the only daughter of the Seneschal of Potomac, who has to find her perfect match to secure the future of her people, sounds simple enough but I have a feeling there is much more to the story than that alone. I could tell straight away this seems to be a retelling of Cinderella. Selah’s mother passed away and her father remarried, her step-mother obviously dislikes Selah and Selah doesn’t like her either. We learn a little about the way things are done in Potomac, women don’t rule without a man to “lead” them, so it is important that Selah marries a strong man to rule in her father’s place but her chosen fiancé Peter publicly rejects her even though they have been engaged for a while and have known each other for years. When the Council calls a meeting on the matter, Selah’s stepmother Alessandra decides it might be better for Selah to go across the Atlantic to find a husband but Selah herself has no choice in the matter. Scared and upset, Selah is guided by her Godmother Althea who tells her Alessandra is trying to get rid of Selah now she is pregnant herself and there are other plans at work, but she doesn’t know what they are yet. Selah is going to set sail on the Beholder in the morning to a destination unknown to meet a mysterious suitor that her stepmother has arranged.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, I wasn’t completely sold on the ideas the novel is presenting just yet, I am being sucked into the world. While I am not a huge fan of fairytale retellings I do like the subtle twists of the very dark tale from the Brothers Grimm. As Selah begins her journey she is nervous especially since she knows her stepmother doesn’t expect her to return at all. Immediately she has problems with Perrault, who her stepmother choose to come on the journey, he begins bullying Selah telling her she needs to lose weight before she meets her suitors which she refuses to do. However, she does get along well with most of the Beholder’s crew especially Captain Lang, who I can see becoming a love interest for Selah. Selah learns she is travelling to Europe with the first stop being in England, where she will meet a Prince but some of the stops on this tour, Selah isn’t happy about at all. This novel seems really character-driven, but I can see a lot of action taking place later especially once Selah has found a proper love interest. I say proper because I am not counting Peter as we know very little of him and we haven’t seen that much of him at all.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, I was very excited to see where Selah’s journey was going to take her. Selah has been aboard the Beholder for over a month and she has been trying to get one step ahead of her stepmother’s plan. While she is struggling with this due to her rather simple upbringing compared to her suitors she is trying her best. When Selah arrives in England to meet with Prince Bertilak, she realizes most of her options are no good as they are all first in line to the thrones of their kingdoms meaning Selah would never return home, one suitor is fifth in line, but it means passing through the Imperiya which Selah wants to avoid at all costs. Given that state of affairs right now I believes Selah will end up going to Imperiya and beyond to find someone who suits her needs not the needs of her stepmother but the relationship she seems to be developing with Lang is interesting and personally I am rooting for him.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Bertilak seem s like a nice person but Selah is far too wrapped up in her own problems to even remotely notice him. Bertilak also doesn’t pay much attention to Selah who is used to one on one interactions rather than the uproar of court, overall they both seem very disinterested in each other. While Lang takes a step back from Selah, she begins to develop a great friendship with her guard, the kind and thoughtful Bear. Very soon after spending a lot of time together, Selah is beginning to see Bear more as a suitor than the Prince and even decides to spend time with him alone leading them to almost fall over the edge into a relationship. I really like Bear, he is quite childlike but can protect Selah and he never tries to make her perform, to be someone she isn’t, he accepts her exactly as she is and that is what Selah wants most. I really don’t like Perrault as he seems like Alessandra’s lapdog but from what we have learned about him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ha a plan of his own, I also wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up with Selah – an enemies to lovers things which I adore.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, not much seems to be happening, we have been introduced to a lot of characters and there is some development there but there doesn’t seem to be anything exciting moving the novel along, so it is dragging quite a bit. I wasn’t expecting the twists that came here but my god it was brilliant crafted and woven into the story perfectly. It leaves Selah with an opening to return to England but for now she has to head to the Norge where her next suitor awaits who isn’t bound by the responsibilities of a first born son and the last suitor she has before she will have to travel to the Imperiya. The relationship building between Lang and Selah seems completely genuine, but you can’t count on that to steer us in the right direction. Selah also seems to be growing up quickly especially when she realises what Alessandra’s plan might be. If I thought Selah was on a deadline before she is definitely on one now and I can wait to see what happens at the Asgard Fortress.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, I was really eager to see what the Norge had in store for Selah and the company aboard the Beholder. Upon her arrival in the Norge Selah is struck by how much it feels like home yet so different. She is immediately shaken by Torden and how handsome she finds him, but his family is really overwhelming for someone who had been raised in a peaceful environment with no siblings. Torden much like Bear and Lang, seems like a very viable love interest for Selah so I have no clue who she is going to end up with in the end. Out of all the love interests introduced so far Torden is by far my favourite as he sees Selah for who she is and treats her like he would anyone else making Selah feels like she can truly be herself around him, but she is conflicted. I would very happy if she ended up with Torden as I feel he would be a good match for her. I love Torden but the way the society works in the Norge is completely foreign to Selah, but she adapts. Her friendship with Skop is also huge as he begins to fall for Torden’s sister Anya but much like Selah she isn’t free to love who she chooses and that is hard for him, but they help each other through it, even though he threw up on Selah’s shoes.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, there is less than 100 pages left in the novel and I was waiting for things to go horribly wrong especially since this book is the start of a series. Torden and Selah’s relationship is steadily developing, and I can seriously see this becoming something more as Torden almost overshadows Bear in every single way. However, we soon learn that Torden has his own responsibilities and shackles much like Selah despite being the fifth son. We can really see the differences in the upbringing of a lot of the characters, for example, Torden completely misses the fact that Selah has to return to Potomac permanently because she has to take over for her father purely because women don’t inherit positions of powers in Norge, while Selah doesn’t understand why Torden is bound be his responsibility to his family while he is fifth in line for his father’s throne because in her homeland only the firstborn child seems to matter. While Torden and Selah’s romance is developing it doesn’t seem like it can go much further because Torden won’t leave his family and Selah has to return to save her father if she can and succeed him in the future. This means that she will either have to accept Bear’s proposal which I don’t think she will do or carry on her tour to the Imperiya and her next suitor which she has refused to do several times, so I am eager to see how Anna Bright wraps this first installment up. When the true motivations of the characters are revealed Selah has no choice but to head into the Imperiya even though time may be running out for her father and despite leaving Torden behind, she wears his ring and vows to come back for him if she can.
Overall, despite being very slow to start The Beholder was an extremely interesting novel, that focuses on the relationship people can build in very short spaces of time. While this is unrealistic in a way, the development of the characters and everything they go through and then that reveal at the end was beautifully written and presented. If you haven’t read The Beholder then I highly recommend you pick it up as soon as possible. A solid 5* read for me and I can’t wait for the next installment to see where this series goes.
Title: The Beholder
Author: Anna Bright
Genre: YA/Romance
Rating: *****
Review: I knew absolutely nothing about the Beholder going in it and it didn’t really seem like my cup of tea, but I was willing to give it a go. We are introduced to Selah, who is the only daughter of the Seneschal of Potomac, who has to find her perfect match to secure the future of her people, sounds simple enough but I have a feeling there is much more to the story than that alone. I could tell straight away this seems to be a retelling of Cinderella. Selah’s mother passed away and her father remarried, her step-mother obviously dislikes Selah and Selah doesn’t like her either. We learn a little about the way things are done in Potomac, women don’t rule without a man to “lead” them, so it is important that Selah marries a strong man to rule in her father’s place but her chosen fiancé Peter publicly rejects her even though they have been engaged for a while and have known each other for years. When the Council calls a meeting on the matter, Selah’s stepmother Alessandra decides it might be better for Selah to go across the Atlantic to find a husband but Selah herself has no choice in the matter. Scared and upset, Selah is guided by her Godmother Althea who tells her Alessandra is trying to get rid of Selah now she is pregnant herself and there are other plans at work, but she doesn’t know what they are yet. Selah is going to set sail on the Beholder in the morning to a destination unknown to meet a mysterious suitor that her stepmother has arranged.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, I wasn’t completely sold on the ideas the novel is presenting just yet, I am being sucked into the world. While I am not a huge fan of fairytale retellings I do like the subtle twists of the very dark tale from the Brothers Grimm. As Selah begins her journey she is nervous especially since she knows her stepmother doesn’t expect her to return at all. Immediately she has problems with Perrault, who her stepmother choose to come on the journey, he begins bullying Selah telling her she needs to lose weight before she meets her suitors which she refuses to do. However, she does get along well with most of the Beholder’s crew especially Captain Lang, who I can see becoming a love interest for Selah. Selah learns she is travelling to Europe with the first stop being in England, where she will meet a Prince but some of the stops on this tour, Selah isn’t happy about at all. This novel seems really character-driven, but I can see a lot of action taking place later especially once Selah has found a proper love interest. I say proper because I am not counting Peter as we know very little of him and we haven’t seen that much of him at all.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, I was very excited to see where Selah’s journey was going to take her. Selah has been aboard the Beholder for over a month and she has been trying to get one step ahead of her stepmother’s plan. While she is struggling with this due to her rather simple upbringing compared to her suitors she is trying her best. When Selah arrives in England to meet with Prince Bertilak, she realizes most of her options are no good as they are all first in line to the thrones of their kingdoms meaning Selah would never return home, one suitor is fifth in line, but it means passing through the Imperiya which Selah wants to avoid at all costs. Given that state of affairs right now I believes Selah will end up going to Imperiya and beyond to find someone who suits her needs not the needs of her stepmother but the relationship she seems to be developing with Lang is interesting and personally I am rooting for him.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Bertilak seem s like a nice person but Selah is far too wrapped up in her own problems to even remotely notice him. Bertilak also doesn’t pay much attention to Selah who is used to one on one interactions rather than the uproar of court, overall they both seem very disinterested in each other. While Lang takes a step back from Selah, she begins to develop a great friendship with her guard, the kind and thoughtful Bear. Very soon after spending a lot of time together, Selah is beginning to see Bear more as a suitor than the Prince and even decides to spend time with him alone leading them to almost fall over the edge into a relationship. I really like Bear, he is quite childlike but can protect Selah and he never tries to make her perform, to be someone she isn’t, he accepts her exactly as she is and that is what Selah wants most. I really don’t like Perrault as he seems like Alessandra’s lapdog but from what we have learned about him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ha a plan of his own, I also wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up with Selah – an enemies to lovers things which I adore.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, not much seems to be happening, we have been introduced to a lot of characters and there is some development there but there doesn’t seem to be anything exciting moving the novel along, so it is dragging quite a bit. I wasn’t expecting the twists that came here but my god it was brilliant crafted and woven into the story perfectly. It leaves Selah with an opening to return to England but for now she has to head to the Norge where her next suitor awaits who isn’t bound by the responsibilities of a first born son and the last suitor she has before she will have to travel to the Imperiya. The relationship building between Lang and Selah seems completely genuine, but you can’t count on that to steer us in the right direction. Selah also seems to be growing up quickly especially when she realises what Alessandra’s plan might be. If I thought Selah was on a deadline before she is definitely on one now and I can wait to see what happens at the Asgard Fortress.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, I was really eager to see what the Norge had in store for Selah and the company aboard the Beholder. Upon her arrival in the Norge Selah is struck by how much it feels like home yet so different. She is immediately shaken by Torden and how handsome she finds him, but his family is really overwhelming for someone who had been raised in a peaceful environment with no siblings. Torden much like Bear and Lang, seems like a very viable love interest for Selah so I have no clue who she is going to end up with in the end. Out of all the love interests introduced so far Torden is by far my favourite as he sees Selah for who she is and treats her like he would anyone else making Selah feels like she can truly be herself around him, but she is conflicted. I would very happy if she ended up with Torden as I feel he would be a good match for her. I love Torden but the way the society works in the Norge is completely foreign to Selah, but she adapts. Her friendship with Skop is also huge as he begins to fall for Torden’s sister Anya but much like Selah she isn’t free to love who she chooses and that is hard for him, but they help each other through it, even though he threw up on Selah’s shoes.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, there is less than 100 pages left in the novel and I was waiting for things to go horribly wrong especially since this book is the start of a series. Torden and Selah’s relationship is steadily developing, and I can seriously see this becoming something more as Torden almost overshadows Bear in every single way. However, we soon learn that Torden has his own responsibilities and shackles much like Selah despite being the fifth son. We can really see the differences in the upbringing of a lot of the characters, for example, Torden completely misses the fact that Selah has to return to Potomac permanently because she has to take over for her father purely because women don’t inherit positions of powers in Norge, while Selah doesn’t understand why Torden is bound be his responsibility to his family while he is fifth in line for his father’s throne because in her homeland only the firstborn child seems to matter. While Torden and Selah’s romance is developing it doesn’t seem like it can go much further because Torden won’t leave his family and Selah has to return to save her father if she can and succeed him in the future. This means that she will either have to accept Bear’s proposal which I don’t think she will do or carry on her tour to the Imperiya and her next suitor which she has refused to do several times, so I am eager to see how Anna Bright wraps this first installment up. When the true motivations of the characters are revealed Selah has no choice but to head into the Imperiya even though time may be running out for her father and despite leaving Torden behind, she wears his ring and vows to come back for him if she can.
Overall, despite being very slow to start The Beholder was an extremely interesting novel, that focuses on the relationship people can build in very short spaces of time. While this is unrealistic in a way, the development of the characters and everything they go through and then that reveal at the end was beautifully written and presented. If you haven’t read The Beholder then I highly recommend you pick it up as soon as possible. A solid 5* read for me and I can’t wait for the next installment to see where this series goes.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Representation: Side characters of colour
Overall: 4.5-stars
The Beholder was fantastical to me and reminded me of the fairy tales I used to read when I was younger. There was no magic, and no princes were sweeping in and saving the day. But the set-up of the novel: a young girl, heir to the throne, stuck with an evil stepmother who is trying to get her step-daughter out of the way so that her child can take the throne is very reminiscent of Cinderella and other fairy tales. It helps that the heroine, Selah, adores fairy tales, as they were something her, now deceased, mother shared with her. The voyage part of the story is reminiscent of The Odyssey; there’s even a character named Homer. Besides these few details, the story completely diverges as Bright commits to telling Selah’s story.
Read my full review on my blog:
Talk Nerdy Book Blog | The Beholder Review
Mature Themes:
• Allusion to violence
• Heroine is 18 and looking for a husband
Possible Triggers: Yes
• No OTT sad parts
• Heroine suffers emotional abuse from her step-mother
• Heroine's mother died (off-page)
• The Heroine's father is ill
Ending:Cliffhanger
Overall: 4.5-stars
The Beholder was fantastical to me and reminded me of the fairy tales I used to read when I was younger. There was no magic, and no princes were sweeping in and saving the day. But the set-up of the novel: a young girl, heir to the throne, stuck with an evil stepmother who is trying to get her step-daughter out of the way so that her child can take the throne is very reminiscent of Cinderella and other fairy tales. It helps that the heroine, Selah, adores fairy tales, as they were something her, now deceased, mother shared with her. The voyage part of the story is reminiscent of The Odyssey; there’s even a character named Homer. Besides these few details, the story completely diverges as Bright commits to telling Selah’s story.
Read my full review on my blog:
Talk Nerdy Book Blog | The Beholder Review
Mature Themes:
• Allusion to violence
• Heroine is 18 and looking for a husband
Possible Triggers: Yes
• No OTT sad parts
• Heroine suffers emotional abuse from her step-mother
• Heroine's mother died (off-page)
• The Heroine's father is ill
Ending:
Stars: 3.5/5
Can I give this like a 3.7/5? It’s not quite a 4 but it’s also not a 3.5... anyway.
I had high expectations of this book then a follower said it was disappointing... so my expectations changed.
Now for my opinion- it was pretty good. It was well written, for sure but idk about you guys but when there’s too many foreign/ made up words I struggle to understand the book. And there were A LOT of foreign words... I would have appreciated a dictionary or something.
The characters were good- again, a lot of them and a lot of foreign/ unknown names to the point where I couldn’t remember who was who. I would suggest just sticking to a few in the future but it might just be my problem?
I liked Selah as a character and her character development was so satisfying, I was thinking maybe a little rushed but looking back I disagree. I would have liked to see her green thumb more in the last half of the book.
There were a lot of frustrating characters in terms of their opinion ie some patriarchal characters but they were very necessary for the story line- and the plot.
Speaking of plot/ story line- AMAZING. Admittedly far fetched... how many guys can be into one girl, yknow? But I loved the character Torden. What a great guy. Also she falls in love like 3 times in three weeks???? Mmm.
I would recommend this book for YA fantasy lovers- there was a heavy Greek mythology theme towards the end that I loved and enjoyed. There aren’t any explicit scenes but there are references to sex and for that reason I’m going to say 15/16+... deepening on maturity.
Can I give this like a 3.7/5? It’s not quite a 4 but it’s also not a 3.5... anyway.
I had high expectations of this book then a follower said it was disappointing... so my expectations changed.
Now for my opinion- it was pretty good. It was well written, for sure but idk about you guys but when there’s too many foreign/ made up words I struggle to understand the book. And there were A LOT of foreign words... I would have appreciated a dictionary or something.
The characters were good- again, a lot of them and a lot of foreign/ unknown names to the point where I couldn’t remember who was who. I would suggest just sticking to a few in the future but it might just be my problem?
I liked Selah as a character and her character development was so satisfying, I was thinking maybe a little rushed but looking back I disagree. I would have liked to see her green thumb more in the last half of the book.
There were a lot of frustrating characters in terms of their opinion ie some patriarchal characters but they were very necessary for the story line- and the plot.
Speaking of plot/ story line- AMAZING. Admittedly far fetched... how many guys can be into one girl, yknow? But I loved the character Torden. What a great guy. Also she falls in love like 3 times in three weeks???? Mmm.
I would recommend this book for YA fantasy lovers- there was a heavy Greek mythology theme towards the end that I loved and enjoyed. There aren’t any explicit scenes but there are references to sex and for that reason I’m going to say 15/16+... deepening on maturity.