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ameserole's review
3.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Veil is the second installment within the Hush duology. In this, we are following Shae on her adventure to find a magical book. At times, I didn't really understand the decisions they were making. Then how they easily trust people just made me want to roll my eyes. Still, they were young so it's easy to see how naive they could be.
Then there's the mysterious Gondal. We finally see this place and I was little underwhelmed by it all. The people there were not making the best decisions either. I also wasn't prepared for certain betrayals to come up either. Still, they happened and the adventured continued.
In the end, all I can say is that this was pretty interesting to read. I definitely feel like I should have re-read the previous book before jumping into this one. Since I didn't, I'll admit that I was a little confused for a good part of this book. Once things started to make sense, well, the pages continued to turn at a much faster rate. I'm happy that I got the chance to jump into this and will look forward to next book Dylan writes!
Veil is the second installment within the Hush duology. In this, we are following Shae on her adventure to find a magical book. At times, I didn't really understand the decisions they were making. Then how they easily trust people just made me want to roll my eyes. Still, they were young so it's easy to see how naive they could be.
Then there's the mysterious Gondal. We finally see this place and I was little underwhelmed by it all. The people there were not making the best decisions either. I also wasn't prepared for certain betrayals to come up either. Still, they happened and the adventured continued.
In the end, all I can say is that this was pretty interesting to read. I definitely feel like I should have re-read the previous book before jumping into this one. Since I didn't, I'll admit that I was a little confused for a good part of this book. Once things started to make sense, well, the pages continued to turn at a much faster rate. I'm happy that I got the chance to jump into this and will look forward to next book Dylan writes!
abrittlebee's review
3.0
While I had mixed feelings about Hush, Veil was a vast improvement. It was fast-paced, adventurous, fantastical, and managed to further build out a unique world with a well laid out magic system. If only Farrow had avoided the urge to try and bookend it so tidily.
In all honesty my only real gripes with Veil were the odd intro sequence and the epilogue. The intro sequence consists of a series of journal entries from Shae’s mother, detailing her reasons for being in Aster and then skipping to several years later, right before her death. These letters are basically an ill-conceived vehicle for unnecessary exposition that no one asked for. They have almost nothing to do with the story, and instead seem only to relate to peripheral plot points that were already addressed in the first novel.
Similarly, the epilogue, which takes place 20 years after the conclusion of the novel, is a scene in which an instructor is quizzing his class on the aftermath of the final battle. Like the letters, it is entirely unnecessary and is only there to prove all the characters went out and did what they said they would, and also who ended up marrying who. It was pointless. I would have much rather just imagined what happened to them all instead of receiving a rapid fire, point form summary.
In my opinion, these narrative bookends kind of ruined this novel for me. They were so distracting and left a bad taste in my mouth because of my absolute detestment of exposition dumps. My advice, if you enjoyed the first novel then I would definitely read this one—but maybe just skip these parts. You’ll be better for it.
In all honesty my only real gripes with Veil were the odd intro sequence and the epilogue. The intro sequence consists of a series of journal entries from Shae’s mother, detailing her reasons for being in Aster and then skipping to several years later, right before her death. These letters are basically an ill-conceived vehicle for unnecessary exposition that no one asked for. They have almost nothing to do with the story, and instead seem only to relate to peripheral plot points that were already addressed in the first novel.
Similarly, the epilogue, which takes place 20 years after the conclusion of the novel, is a scene in which an instructor is quizzing his class on the aftermath of the final battle. Like the letters, it is entirely unnecessary and is only there to prove all the characters went out and did what they said they would, and also who ended up marrying who. It was pointless. I would have much rather just imagined what happened to them all instead of receiving a rapid fire, point form summary.
In my opinion, these narrative bookends kind of ruined this novel for me. They were so distracting and left a bad taste in my mouth because of my absolute detestment of exposition dumps. My advice, if you enjoyed the first novel then I would definitely read this one—but maybe just skip these parts. You’ll be better for it.
adventure_in_books's review
3.0
This is a really hard review for me to write. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year! I loved the first book SO much. However this one just left me out to dry.
The author kept the style of writing the same but the story just left a hole in my heart. It just didn’t fit with the first book. It was disconnected from the first book. The story started out so original and exciting but as we continue the story in this book it’s become predictable and mundane. We spent so much time learning and building something to have it ripped away and be almost pointless. So as a reader I can’t help but feel frustrated. It’s unfortunate that transition from book to book was disjointed.
In short:
Did I like it ? Not really. Wish the first book was a stand alone.
Would I recommend it? If you read the first … your going to read this one but beware it may not be what your looking for.
Would I read more but this author? I’m not sure now.
The author kept the style of writing the same but the story just left a hole in my heart. It just didn’t fit with the first book. It was disconnected from the first book. The story started out so original and exciting but as we continue the story in this book it’s become predictable and mundane. We spent so much time learning and building something to have it ripped away and be almost pointless. So as a reader I can’t help but feel frustrated. It’s unfortunate that transition from book to book was disjointed.
In short:
Did I like it ? Not really. Wish the first book was a stand alone.
Would I recommend it? If you read the first … your going to read this one but beware it may not be what your looking for.
Would I read more but this author? I’m not sure now.
trisha_thomas's review
3.0
I think if I'd read this one much closer to book 1, I would have loved it. But as it stands, there was little I remembered from book 1 so I started this one just a bit lost. But it wasn't too hard to catch up.
I really liked Shae in this one. I feel like she's done some work and really starts to change her view. She still makes mistakes, puts trust where she shouldn't, but she does start to make the hard decisions and I liked her growth.
I really loved getting to know Keenan, Fiona and Stot. They were great additions to the story and added some levity and humor to the MC and the quests. This one felt very much like a RPG quest to retrieve a book in a far away land and I enjoyed the adventure of it. My favorite part was the epilogue.
This was a quik, highly entertaining duology. I enjoyed it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
I really liked Shae in this one. I feel like she's done some work and really starts to change her view. She still makes mistakes, puts trust where she shouldn't, but she does start to make the hard decisions and I liked her growth.
I really loved getting to know Keenan, Fiona and Stot. They were great additions to the story and added some levity and humor to the MC and the quests. This one felt very much like a RPG quest to retrieve a book in a far away land and I enjoyed the adventure of it. My favorite part was the epilogue.
This was a quik, highly entertaining duology. I enjoyed it!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
sarag19's review
3.0
***ARC received from Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***
Veil picks up right where Hush ends, Shae and her group is escaping the wrath of High House to track down Ravod and the Book of Days. Her journey takes her with strong allies Fiona and Mads along with hesitant ally Kennan to Gondal, the mysterious city that offers freedom from those escaping their city. I reread the end of the first book just to refresh myself on it and it was needed as Veil is a direct continuation of Hush.
Most of this story is set in Gondal, a country nearly the opposite of Montane. Where one relies on magic or telling, Gondal relies more on technology and advancements. For what we got one Montane in the previous book we get very little from Gondal. There is the potential there to explore this new world but it never gets more than potential. This is the most frustrating part to me, this book is filled with potential there are so many interesting story lines to be explored but they never go anywhere. The characters feel flat compared to the previous book. I still liked all the characters, by the end even Kennan had grown on me as she finally found a place that allowed her to do what she did best without feeling like she had to constantly keep everyone at arms length. I wish the same could be said for Mads and Fiona, I liked them in Hush but they felt like they were mostly there to prop up Shae instead of add to the story.
When Shae and the group arrive in Gondal they realized the stories that have been whispered don’t match up with the truth of the situation. I felt like the book really glosses over a lot of parts simple because the plot doesn’t allow it the time it needs to develop. The group is sold as chaotic, barely managing to get anything done without petty squabbles to so hyper focused they can take on their own military in a matter of days it just doesn't make any sense. There are relationships that seem to just come out of nowhere and while they are sweet I can’t tell if Shae was just oblivious and since we are in her POV we didn’t see it or it just wasn’t ever there. The end of the book was so rushed that there is nothing satisfactory about the conclusion to the conflict. The way the book meanders through all its possibilities I felt like this was setting up a third book instead of a rushed conclusion.
Hush felt like a personal story Dylan Farrow wanted to tell, the strength of finding your own voice when so many in power want nothing more than to silence you. Hush hit me with emotions, seeing Shae discover her own strength and yet Veil fell flat. It felt like it was just checking off the boxes for YA fantasy book. For a book that is longer than the previous book it doesn’t properly use its time to tell a well fleshed out story that builds to a satisfactory conclusion.
Hopefully just a case of the second book slump because Dylan Farrow is a good writer and the potential is all there, I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.
Veil picks up right where Hush ends, Shae and her group is escaping the wrath of High House to track down Ravod and the Book of Days. Her journey takes her with strong allies Fiona and Mads along with hesitant ally Kennan to Gondal, the mysterious city that offers freedom from those escaping their city. I reread the end of the first book just to refresh myself on it and it was needed as Veil is a direct continuation of Hush.
Most of this story is set in Gondal, a country nearly the opposite of Montane. Where one relies on magic or telling, Gondal relies more on technology and advancements. For what we got one Montane in the previous book we get very little from Gondal. There is the potential there to explore this new world but it never gets more than potential. This is the most frustrating part to me, this book is filled with potential there are so many interesting story lines to be explored but they never go anywhere. The characters feel flat compared to the previous book. I still liked all the characters, by the end even Kennan had grown on me as she finally found a place that allowed her to do what she did best without feeling like she had to constantly keep everyone at arms length. I wish the same could be said for Mads and Fiona, I liked them in Hush but they felt like they were mostly there to prop up Shae instead of add to the story.
When Shae and the group arrive in Gondal they realized the stories that have been whispered don’t match up with the truth of the situation. I felt like the book really glosses over a lot of parts simple because the plot doesn’t allow it the time it needs to develop. The group is sold as chaotic, barely managing to get anything done without petty squabbles to so hyper focused they can take on their own military in a matter of days it just doesn't make any sense. There are relationships that seem to just come out of nowhere and while they are sweet I can’t tell if Shae was just oblivious and since we are in her POV we didn’t see it or it just wasn’t ever there. The end of the book was so rushed that there is nothing satisfactory about the conclusion to the conflict. The way the book meanders through all its possibilities I felt like this was setting up a third book instead of a rushed conclusion.
Hush felt like a personal story Dylan Farrow wanted to tell, the strength of finding your own voice when so many in power want nothing more than to silence you. Hush hit me with emotions, seeing Shae discover her own strength and yet Veil fell flat. It felt like it was just checking off the boxes for YA fantasy book. For a book that is longer than the previous book it doesn’t properly use its time to tell a well fleshed out story that builds to a satisfactory conclusion.
Hopefully just a case of the second book slump because Dylan Farrow is a good writer and the potential is all there, I look forward to seeing what she writes in the future.
philliesfemme's review
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
vivienned's review
4.0
I didn’t read the first book in this duology, but I may in the future. I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and Dylan Farrow does a great job writing in details from previous events of the first book when it’s relevant. So, it’s safe to say that you don’t need to read book one to enjoy this one. As the characters travel and discuss Montane & Gondal, we follow them into different areas and politics & immigration play a big part. All in all, it was an easy read, but I wanted more magic than politics.
What stood out most for me is her world-building and how engaging the story was. I really love the way Farrow describes things – I felt like I could easily imagine the scene and be immersed in it. There could have been much more character building or relationship building between the group, but it may have already been covered in the first book and I missed it. The relationship between Shae and Ravod are conflicting and most of the book is Shae’s internal struggle on whether she trusts him. Romance is very much put on the side as the blot and Refugee camps takes precedence. I felt like I favored the side characters more than the main ones, and Shae spends most of her time lost in thought. Kennan was badass, Fiona so sweet, Stot compassionate, and Mads a reliable friend. However, the story was full of intrigue from one chapter to the next and I kept wanting to find out what happened next.
What stood out most for me is her world-building and how engaging the story was. I really love the way Farrow describes things – I felt like I could easily imagine the scene and be immersed in it. There could have been much more character building or relationship building between the group, but it may have already been covered in the first book and I missed it. The relationship between Shae and Ravod are conflicting and most of the book is Shae’s internal struggle on whether she trusts him. Romance is very much put on the side as the blot and Refugee camps takes precedence. I felt like I favored the side characters more than the main ones, and Shae spends most of her time lost in thought. Kennan was badass, Fiona so sweet, Stot compassionate, and Mads a reliable friend. However, the story was full of intrigue from one chapter to the next and I kept wanting to find out what happened next.
paperwitches's review
2.0
Unfortunately, I expected much more from this book., especially looking at that beautiful cover. Instead, it was very much a generic YA novel that could be extremely confusing - even for those who have read Hush from 2020. I feel like the target audience is for young teens.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
booksintheirnaturalhabitat's review
3.0
Veil is the second book in the Hush series. If you haven’t read Hush, now is your chance to avoid being spoiled - Veil picks up where it ends.
Shae is in pursuit of the Book of Days after Ravod betrayed her. She and her friends find themselves in Gondol, a place that was only a fantasy in her mind. Everything becomes more complicated and there’s a lot at stake to prevent the death of her former town.
I again loved how fast-paced this series is. There were a couple of surprises that I was slightly suspicious of but didn’t fully catch on to. And a lot of action and determination!
I would suggest this one for true YA readers or older readers looking for a fast read while battling for what they think will save everyone.
Thanks to @netgalley , I received a complimentary copy of this book. The review expresses my own personal opinions.
Shae is in pursuit of the Book of Days after Ravod betrayed her. She and her friends find themselves in Gondol, a place that was only a fantasy in her mind. Everything becomes more complicated and there’s a lot at stake to prevent the death of her former town.
I again loved how fast-paced this series is. There were a couple of surprises that I was slightly suspicious of but didn’t fully catch on to. And a lot of action and determination!
I would suggest this one for true YA readers or older readers looking for a fast read while battling for what they think will save everyone.
Thanks to @netgalley , I received a complimentary copy of this book. The review expresses my own personal opinions.
mcbeezie's review
3.0
I wanted to love this sequel, but I only ended up liking it. I did really enjoy the ending but I was left wanting something slightly different in the first part of the book. If you've read the first one, definitely pick this up.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.