Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods

37 reviews

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

2.0

I wanted to read this book because it has been on my TBR for so long and when I was in The Works, the first and second book in this series were on sale for £3 and I thought it would be time. Let me just say, I know why they were on sale. This is the first book ever to give me the ick over the main love interest.  

This book is following Estrella, all her life she has known that the Veil has protected her town from the Fae of Alfhelmr. In their absence, their lives have shifted from decadence and sin to survival and virtue under the guidance of the New Gods. Estrella has spent her whole life tending to the gardens next to boundary between their worlds, but she’s always been drawn to the shimmering magic like a moth to the flame. All of this changes the day the veil shatters and unleashes the fae upon her world again. The magic of faerie marks one they are meant to take, but the Mist Guard protecting the town will kill them before they let them go to the fae. Estrella has been marked so she must flee everything she had ever know, if she wants to live to see her twenty-first birthday. But they can capture her, a stranger named Caelum saves her from the Wild Hunt. He is also fae-marked and on the run, he is able to fight back more than Estrella ever will. They start as a tentative alliance because Estrella’s brother told her not to trust anyone. As the bond strengthens the distrust turns into all-consuming passion and they must trust each other with the fae closing in and evil lurking nearby. Estrella life is on the line and Caelum is everything she should dare to want and a distraction she can’t afford. They can’t stay away from each other, not even with her heart on the line.  

I liked Melian and she got her killed – which I could see coming but hoping it wasn’t going to be the same. She was the only one that was honest and wanted Estrella to think for herself and not let Caelum control her and yet Estrella was completely brained washed. 

I am just wondering if anyone could tell me where the plot is, like expect for her being marked and nearly forced into a loveless marriage, nothing happened. I get that she was on the run but Christ, 250 pages were Estrella and Caelum camping like just get to the haven and the betrayal already. The main love interest gave me the ick, which has never happened EVER. He was a damn control freak who needed to give Estrella some space and trust and when you first meet someone are you calling them little one and my star. No, it was weird, he was creep, and her brother got the creeps so she should have left him. And I still don’t trust him. We had good reason to not trust him which was only a bit predictable. He gave me Tamlin vibes, but they just sped up the process a bit.  

Overall, this book would have put me in a reading slump if I wasn’t reading another book at the same time. It was weird and predictable and there was a few spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes, and it could have been 100 pages instead of 425 pages. Someone needs to tell me if the series is worth it, or should I just get rid of the second book now?  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Sexism, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, War, Sexual assault, and Suicide

jaedyn's review

Needs trigger warnings for abuse, sexual assault, religion-based abuse. It is literally all that is described for the first hour and I’ve given up.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse

jadebear's review against another edition

2.0

It seems as though the author didn't plot out the book ahead of time and made the decision of who the male love interest was about 75% of the way through writing it, but then didn't go back and add in foreshadowing. It didn't feel earned, and then the ending of the book didn't feel earned either. Super unsatisfying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Torture

Moderate: Xenophobia, Body horror, and Blood

ivymaew's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Death, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

kicookie's review

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This was painful.  It actually frustrates the crap out of me.  I struggled through and finished it.  And now I feel like I have to keep going to the next book because I’m invested.  I’m hoping it gets better.  It has too, right???

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

vee79's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Religious bigotry

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

xosirenox's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

shan_lou's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-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? It's complicated

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Misogyny, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

cady_sass's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

2.5

Someone said this book is what you would get if you told an AI to write a fantasy romance, and that’s about all I can say. It’s certainly not very good, the dialogue is cringey and unnatural and there’s zero character development. There just… no depth. But I didn’t HATE it. And now I have to read the sequel *sigh* 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Torture, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Toxic relationship, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, and War

emmacartlidge's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship