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deafandbookish's review against another edition
5.0
God's, palaces, mountains and so much more. This book was slow at the beginning but after a certain chapter, it picked up so much that I held my breathe at times.
I received an ARC from Page Street Press in exchange for my honest review.
I received an ARC from Page Street Press in exchange for my honest review.
adourinqly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I like this lesser than Echo North & Wind Daughter frankly speaking. Throughout reading the book, I had a burning hatred for Eda. Her choices were beyond stupid but at the same time I feel like Niren to me thought she was better than Eda because of her 'greater purposes'. A little annoying.
I wish there was more clarification on what Eda became eventually, and why was the One involved in her ending.
I wish there was more clarification on what Eda became eventually, and why was the One involved in her ending.
books_over_everything's review against another edition
4.0
**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**
Title Beneath the Haunting Sea
Author Joanna Ruth Meyer
Release Date January 14, 2020
Description from Amazon
It has always been Eda’s dream to become empress, no matter the cost. Haunted by her ambition and selfishness, she’s convinced that the only way to achieve her goal is to barter with the gods. But all requests come with a price and Eda bargains away the soul of her best friend in exchange for the crown.
Years later, her hold on the empire begins to crumble and her best friend unexpectedly grows sick and dies. Gnawed by guilt and betrayal, Eda embarks on a harrowing journey to confront the very god who gave her the kingdom in the first place. However, she soon discovers that he’s trapped at the center of an otherworldly labyrinth and that her bargain with him is more complex than she ever could have imagined.
Initial Thoughts
I absolutely loved Beneath the Haunting Sea and (despite my initial delay), was super excited to read this book. I love the idea of spin-off or indirect sequels to stories.
Some Things I Liked
Building upon an already rich world. I thought the world, mythology, and religion developed in Beneath the Haunting Sea was so well done. We only got more of that in this story. I love Joanna Ruth Meyer’s writing style.
Villainous lead. I loved that the main character was a villain from the previous book. She wasn’t the main villain, but you don’t like Eda in Beneath the Haunting Sea. I love the idea of a redemption story**cough, cough, Kylo Ren / Ben Solo**.
Cover Art
The cover art on this book is so much prettier than that of the first installment. I hope they redo the cover of Beneath the Haunting Sea to match this cover.
Series Value
I would love to see more books in this series. I feel like Eda has more story to tell and I also feel like we met so many interesting new characters that I’d love to read spin-off stories about.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t love the ending of this book. I loved everything else about this book and I will most definitely revise this rating if a sequel is announced. If this is the end of my beloved characters, I have to give this book a four star rating. However, I love this world and would love to read more about it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer – if, for whatever reason, you read this book first, read the first story in the series! These two are more companions to each other but both are fantastic reads.
Furyborn by Claire Legrand – if you like the idea of a villainous lead, check out this story. The entire premise is based on the idea that one queen will save them and the other will destroy them.
The Weight of a Soul by ElizabethTammi – if you liked the elements of Gods and Goddesses meddling in the mortal world and the bond between sisters. Give this book a try.
Title Beneath the Haunting Sea
Author Joanna Ruth Meyer
Release Date January 14, 2020
Description from Amazon
It has always been Eda’s dream to become empress, no matter the cost. Haunted by her ambition and selfishness, she’s convinced that the only way to achieve her goal is to barter with the gods. But all requests come with a price and Eda bargains away the soul of her best friend in exchange for the crown.
Years later, her hold on the empire begins to crumble and her best friend unexpectedly grows sick and dies. Gnawed by guilt and betrayal, Eda embarks on a harrowing journey to confront the very god who gave her the kingdom in the first place. However, she soon discovers that he’s trapped at the center of an otherworldly labyrinth and that her bargain with him is more complex than she ever could have imagined.
Initial Thoughts
I absolutely loved Beneath the Haunting Sea and (despite my initial delay), was super excited to read this book. I love the idea of spin-off or indirect sequels to stories.
Some Things I Liked
Building upon an already rich world. I thought the world, mythology, and religion developed in Beneath the Haunting Sea was so well done. We only got more of that in this story. I love Joanna Ruth Meyer’s writing style.
Villainous lead. I loved that the main character was a villain from the previous book. She wasn’t the main villain, but you don’t like Eda in Beneath the Haunting Sea. I love the idea of a redemption story**cough, cough, Kylo Ren / Ben Solo**.
Cover Art
The cover art on this book is so much prettier than that of the first installment. I hope they redo the cover of Beneath the Haunting Sea to match this cover.
Series Value
I would love to see more books in this series. I feel like Eda has more story to tell and I also feel like we met so many interesting new characters that I’d love to read spin-off stories about.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t love the ending of this book. I loved everything else about this book and I will most definitely revise this rating if a sequel is announced. If this is the end of my beloved characters, I have to give this book a four star rating. However, I love this world and would love to read more about it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
Beneath the Haunting Sea by Joanna Ruth Meyer – if, for whatever reason, you read this book first, read the first story in the series! These two are more companions to each other but both are fantastic reads.
Furyborn by Claire Legrand – if you like the idea of a villainous lead, check out this story. The entire premise is based on the idea that one queen will save them and the other will destroy them.
The Weight of a Soul by ElizabethTammi – if you liked the elements of Gods and Goddesses meddling in the mortal world and the bond between sisters. Give this book a try.
openmypages's review against another edition
4.0
“After that, gods keep you.”
No, Eda thought, gods beware of me.”
---------------------------------------
Beyond the Shadowed Earth is an epic story of pride, greed and ego. When Eda ascends the throne she does so through deception and a poorly thought out deal with a god. The book is split into three parts and during the first book, I felt like that person in the back of the theater during a slasher movie, screaming “don’t open that door!” Eda is young and ambitious but is not wise and it shows. Squabbling between her advisors and ill advised friendships have her life in turmoil. But her faith in her god and his word is strong. The naivety of youth really bites back for this poor haughty soul.
---------------------------------------
“It is our choices that make us, Edna. What we choose to do with the things the gods give us.”
---------------------------------------
By part 2 – Eda’s poorly chosen alliances have burnt her and she is left with nothing but a taste for vengeance. Her faith is demolished and she means to exact revenge for the turn of fortune she has received. Her Frodo-like journey begins to the Circles beyond the World to confront the god who has seemingly forsaken her. I enjoyed the journey and some of the other worldly creatures that she encounters. But, I’m not sure if she learned her lesson about trusting people too quickly. I also feel like in general when faced with adversity the answer always popped up a little quicker than I’d like.
--------------------------------------
“Just take care, my dear, that thing you think you’re seeking is not the thing you actually find.”
--------------------------------------
In part 3, all is revealed. We begin to understand how Eda’s origins have impacted the course of her life and journey. She has an amazing character arc and the story wraps up in a beautiful satisfying way.
All this book was missing was a map! I loved the world and its complexity but dang did I wish I had a beautiful map to be referring to along the way. There was even a whole chapter in a map shop and it had me longing for one HARD!
I don’t know why more people aren’t buzzing about this book, if you love fantasy built around a world of petty, vengeful gods and naïve, stubborn humans then you should pick this one up! It gets 4.5 stars from me.
No, Eda thought, gods beware of me.”
---------------------------------------
Beyond the Shadowed Earth is an epic story of pride, greed and ego. When Eda ascends the throne she does so through deception and a poorly thought out deal with a god. The book is split into three parts and during the first book, I felt like that person in the back of the theater during a slasher movie, screaming “don’t open that door!” Eda is young and ambitious but is not wise and it shows. Squabbling between her advisors and ill advised friendships have her life in turmoil. But her faith in her god and his word is strong. The naivety of youth really bites back for this poor haughty soul.
---------------------------------------
“It is our choices that make us, Edna. What we choose to do with the things the gods give us.”
---------------------------------------
By part 2 – Eda’s poorly chosen alliances have burnt her and she is left with nothing but a taste for vengeance. Her faith is demolished and she means to exact revenge for the turn of fortune she has received. Her Frodo-like journey begins to the Circles beyond the World to confront the god who has seemingly forsaken her. I enjoyed the journey and some of the other worldly creatures that she encounters. But, I’m not sure if she learned her lesson about trusting people too quickly. I also feel like in general when faced with adversity the answer always popped up a little quicker than I’d like.
--------------------------------------
“Just take care, my dear, that thing you think you’re seeking is not the thing you actually find.”
--------------------------------------
In part 3, all is revealed. We begin to understand how Eda’s origins have impacted the course of her life and journey. She has an amazing character arc and the story wraps up in a beautiful satisfying way.
All this book was missing was a map! I loved the world and its complexity but dang did I wish I had a beautiful map to be referring to along the way. There was even a whole chapter in a map shop and it had me longing for one HARD!
I don’t know why more people aren’t buzzing about this book, if you love fantasy built around a world of petty, vengeful gods and naïve, stubborn humans then you should pick this one up! It gets 4.5 stars from me.
jelliclecax's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sometimesleelynnreads's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Page Street Kids for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
Okay.
First of all, I really don’t think that I could be in Eda’s situation, although a part of me does feel like I can be ruthless to get what I want. Maybe. Sometimes. In my dreams. Not sure.
But could you freaking imagine bartering away your best friend’s soul in order to get what you want? Like, this is your best friend, and you just up and gave their soul away to the gods because you want to have power. I’d rather barter my own soul away if it came down to it, because I couldn’t do that to a best friend. No way, no how. And if I were tricked into it, then I’d feel even worse because then I would look like a total jerk.
I would BE a total jerk, there is no other way around that.
This works out in my favor because this is more of a companion novel than a sequel. And you KNOW I’m going to need to read that first book because – whoa buddy this one had me on the edge of my couch and I almost fell over many times. I didn’t feel lost trying to jump into a world that I didn’t know about from prior experience, and I’m so glad for that. It would have made it harder for me to enjoy the novel, feeling like there were people telling an inside joke without giving me the back story. Rude much? Am I right?
But no. This book was great. Eda’s character was very, very interesting to me and she gave me morally gray vibes. I mean, I don’t know if I could straight up ask some deities for control over half the world, you know? Because as Rumple always says:
Which means we know something bad is going to happen in order to get something of this magnitude. There’s just no escaping it.
And boy do I love a good “villain”. Apparently Eda is more of a villain in the debut novel, and now I’m even more into her than I was before? If that’s even possible? So yeah, I need to read the first book – well you know what I mean – because if this kind of takes place before that one, then I can totally see WHY Eda would be considered the bad guy.
Okay.
First of all, I really don’t think that I could be in Eda’s situation, although a part of me does feel like I can be ruthless to get what I want. Maybe. Sometimes. In my dreams. Not sure.
But could you freaking imagine bartering away your best friend’s soul in order to get what you want? Like, this is your best friend, and you just up and gave their soul away to the gods because you want to have power. I’d rather barter my own soul away if it came down to it, because I couldn’t do that to a best friend. No way, no how. And if I were tricked into it, then I’d feel even worse because then I would look like a total jerk.
I would BE a total jerk, there is no other way around that.
This works out in my favor because this is more of a companion novel than a sequel. And you KNOW I’m going to need to read that first book because – whoa buddy this one had me on the edge of my couch and I almost fell over many times. I didn’t feel lost trying to jump into a world that I didn’t know about from prior experience, and I’m so glad for that. It would have made it harder for me to enjoy the novel, feeling like there were people telling an inside joke without giving me the back story. Rude much? Am I right?
But no. This book was great. Eda’s character was very, very interesting to me and she gave me morally gray vibes. I mean, I don’t know if I could straight up ask some deities for control over half the world, you know? Because as Rumple always says:
Which means we know something bad is going to happen in order to get something of this magnitude. There’s just no escaping it.
And boy do I love a good “villain”. Apparently Eda is more of a villain in the debut novel, and now I’m even more into her than I was before? If that’s even possible? So yeah, I need to read the first book – well you know what I mean – because if this kind of takes place before that one, then I can totally see WHY Eda would be considered the bad guy.
syren96's review against another edition
3.0
When I requested this I somehow missed that this was the second book in a trilogy. While I missed a little bit of backstory/world-building I didn't really feel that this had a negative impact. There was nothing wrong with this book, but there was nothing to make it stand out from many similar YA Fantasy series for me either.
rhappe13's review against another edition
3.0
**I was sent an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Sooo apparently this is a companion novel, which I didn't realize when I had requested it from NetGalley. Thankfully it didn't impact my reading experience at all; there were only a few times that I thought something could have been expanded on/felt incomplete, and now I realize it was likely addressed in book one. Oops, I have no idea how I missed this!
Regardless, this was a pretty quick read filled with complex characters, interesting world-building and folklore, and some interesting lessons. I did feel like some parts were drawn out, I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters, and the plot didn't feel as high-stakes as it seemed it was supposed to be. I'm interested in reading the first book to learn more about those incomplete pieces, but it isn't very high on my tbr. Still, I really enjoyed the world-building in this book and would recommend it to lovers of fantasy with folklore vibes mixed in.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2020/01/15/beyond-the-shadowed-earth/
Sooo apparently this is a companion novel, which I didn't realize when I had requested it from NetGalley. Thankfully it didn't impact my reading experience at all; there were only a few times that I thought something could have been expanded on/felt incomplete, and now I realize it was likely addressed in book one. Oops, I have no idea how I missed this!
Regardless, this was a pretty quick read filled with complex characters, interesting world-building and folklore, and some interesting lessons. I did feel like some parts were drawn out, I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters, and the plot didn't feel as high-stakes as it seemed it was supposed to be. I'm interested in reading the first book to learn more about those incomplete pieces, but it isn't very high on my tbr. Still, I really enjoyed the world-building in this book and would recommend it to lovers of fantasy with folklore vibes mixed in.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2020/01/15/beyond-the-shadowed-earth/
_ckarys's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ebook copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Beyond the Shadowed Earth had a very strong start for me. I was so very intrigued by Eda, our villainous protagonist. Her ruthlessness and determination made for an unpredictable protagonist, and I found it extremely refreshing. Her villainous traits set Eda apart from the usual heroine, and coupled with an incredible world-building frame and a winning political intrigue, I was hooked.
My problems started more or less when Ileem, the love interest, showed up. As much as I enjoyed reading the interactions between him and Eda, I found that the affection between the two was too quick, and that Eda’s softening—especially with such a quick pace—diminished her villainous allure. Unfortunately, things didn’t get better for me after that. The political intrigue that I was so hooked on at first ended up feeling rushed and ended too quickly. The plot, sadly, became predictable, and the most shocking twist was one that I predicted far too easily.
After the first 50 percent, the book started to drag. Events should have made Eda a more relatable and, perhaps, likeable character, but it wasn’t the case for me. The Eda of the second half of the book was a character I found hard to understand and hardly likeable, because she was so different from the character that was first presented. It didn’t help that the bonds she makes in this part of the book were introduced too late and were too underdeveloped for me to feel invested or interested in them, which made the ending flat and unsatisfactory.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Beyond the Shadowed Earth had a very strong start for me. I was so very intrigued by Eda, our villainous protagonist. Her ruthlessness and determination made for an unpredictable protagonist, and I found it extremely refreshing. Her villainous traits set Eda apart from the usual heroine, and coupled with an incredible world-building frame and a winning political intrigue, I was hooked.
My problems started more or less when Ileem, the love interest, showed up. As much as I enjoyed reading the interactions between him and Eda, I found that the affection between the two was too quick, and that Eda’s softening—especially with such a quick pace—diminished her villainous allure. Unfortunately, things didn’t get better for me after that. The political intrigue that I was so hooked on at first ended up feeling rushed and ended too quickly. The plot, sadly, became predictable, and the most shocking twist was one that I predicted far too easily.
After the first 50 percent, the book started to drag. Events should have made Eda a more relatable and, perhaps, likeable character, but it wasn’t the case for me. The Eda of the second half of the book was a character I found hard to understand and hardly likeable, because she was so different from the character that was first presented. It didn’t help that the bonds she makes in this part of the book were introduced too late and were too underdeveloped for me to feel invested or interested in them, which made the ending flat and unsatisfactory.
brit_stanford_'s review
adventurous
emotional
medium-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? Yes
5.0