A review by sophiejatta
What Lies Beyond the Veil by Harper L. Woods

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? No

1.75

I'm giving this it's review based entirely on the premise. The ideas are refreshing and new. Lots of books in this genre recycle the same plot ideas. I found this story refreshing. The world building was brilliant and the background interesting. however the romance in this book was just creepy. I thought it was toxic and dangerous to younger people reading this thinking it's "spicy" and sexy so that makes it okay. Both main character and male love interest are as bad as each other in som respects. At multiple points however the male is deliberately going against the wishes of the female but its portrayed as "sexy". The biggest issue for me however was the clear non consent. It happened a few times. One of which she verbalises not wanting to do the deed with lots of onlookers and he ignors that because she didnt stop washing his wounds when he asked so she knew this would happen. It's was gross. She wanted to help him whilst he was injured and he didn't listen when she said she wasn't comfortable going further in that situation. 
I only carried on because I don't like not finishing books but this was hard. 
I knew it wasn't going to be amazing when within 1 page of the characters meeting they were flirting like they had known each other weeks when a few sentences before he was a risk to her life and within a chapter he was being weirdly possessive and she was being jealous if he even breathed in the same room as another woman. 
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