Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Summary from GoodReads
Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.
PRE-ORDER ON
REVIEW
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Ah, the joy of finally reading about this character that Ashley mentioned as "the fox boy"! Truly this book was a fun and scary ride and I didn't realize how fast I had read it until after three hours.
There is action, adventure, romance, and a great hint of more books coming after this one.
I enjoyed Cerys, her magic, and her willingness to carry maybe one of the hardest missions into the scariest woods. I seriously got vibes of the Forbidden Forest from Harry Potter, mixed with the spirit forest from Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke.
And the fox? Well, let's say that you don't expect that to be the animal's only charm. Witty beyond measure and also filled with the idea of transformation, both spiritually and physically, this new up-coming book by Ashley Poston is definitely one you have to read!
About the author:
Tweet her at @ashposton and read her inner-most rambles at www.ashposton.com.
No comments