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A review by monetp
Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston
5.0
ARC BOOK REVIEW FOR NETGALLEY
"A gardener's daughter with blood that could raise entire forests?" ~ [b:Among the Beasts & Briars|50622362|Among the Beasts & Briars|Ashley Poston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581362704l/50622362._SY75_.jpg|60423336]
This was my most anticipated book of 2020 and IT DIDN'T DISAPPOINT!!!! I'm still reeling from the perfection of this book. I love this novel's dreamy autumn aesthetic - everything from the beautiful woodland cover to quotes like: "the village was the one I remembered - with its smoky chimneys and brightly covered rooftops and the clock in the town square ringing noon every day, the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls and the high-rising breads from the bakery, the town musician on his fiddle." Who gave this book the right to be so gorgeous?!
An unexpected pleasure of this novel is Cerys and Lorne's dialogue. Their witty and dynamic banter is lovely! Their exchanges were the scenes I lived for. Cerys's chapters were a joy to read; she has such an intelligent, yet a humble way of seeing the world. My favorite line of hers was: "Cryptic undead men were the worst." LOL
As for critiques, I only have one. I didn't like the way Vala's story ended at all...she was one of my favorite characters! However, there is so much to love about this book. I'm kinda curious if the quote, "I nailed my courage to the sticking place" was a "Beauty and the Beast" reference? I'd love it if it was!
This is supposed to be a standalone but the ending really hints at a sequel, so what's up? I'd thoroughly enjoy another book with these whimsical characters! I want to know more about Seren, the Lady of the Wood! Keeping my fingers crossed. Overall I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoyed [b:An Enchantment of Ravens|30969741|An Enchantment of Ravens|Margaret Rogerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486244049l/30969741._SY75_.jpg|51586838], [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824._SY75_.jpg|21905102], [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388519019l/60510._SY75_.jpg|1180409], and the Disney movie "Brave" because Vala reminds me so much of Queen Elinor!
Some of my favorite quotes:
"'Go to sleep, Daisy. Maybe you'll unpack some of those bags under your eyes.'" LOL
"'Oh sure, I'll just ask the ancients if they can wait until we've had our morning coffee before they try to kill us again.'"
"Women were everywhere - brandishing swords in the barracks and debating policies in the streets."
"They were questions I should've been asking before, but my ears had been filled with stories that were lies."
"A gardener's daughter with blood that could raise entire forests?" ~ [b:Among the Beasts & Briars|50622362|Among the Beasts & Briars|Ashley Poston|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1581362704l/50622362._SY75_.jpg|60423336]
This was my most anticipated book of 2020 and IT DIDN'T DISAPPOINT!!!! I'm still reeling from the perfection of this book. I love this novel's dreamy autumn aesthetic - everything from the beautiful woodland cover to quotes like: "the village was the one I remembered - with its smoky chimneys and brightly covered rooftops and the clock in the town square ringing noon every day, the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls and the high-rising breads from the bakery, the town musician on his fiddle." Who gave this book the right to be so gorgeous?!
An unexpected pleasure of this novel is Cerys and Lorne's dialogue. Their witty and dynamic banter is lovely! Their exchanges were the scenes I lived for. Cerys's chapters were a joy to read; she has such an intelligent, yet a humble way of seeing the world. My favorite line of hers was: "Cryptic undead men were the worst." LOL
As for critiques, I only have one. I didn't like the way Vala's story ended at all...she was one of my favorite characters! However, there is so much to love about this book. I'm kinda curious if the quote, "I nailed my courage to the sticking place" was a "Beauty and the Beast" reference? I'd love it if it was!
This is supposed to be a standalone but the ending really hints at a sequel, so what's up? I'd thoroughly enjoy another book with these whimsical characters! I want to know more about Seren, the Lady of the Wood! Keeping my fingers crossed. Overall I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoyed [b:An Enchantment of Ravens|30969741|An Enchantment of Ravens|Margaret Rogerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1486244049l/30969741._SY75_.jpg|51586838], [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824._SY75_.jpg|21905102], [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388519019l/60510._SY75_.jpg|1180409], and the Disney movie "Brave" because Vala reminds me so much of Queen Elinor!
Some of my favorite quotes:
"'Go to sleep, Daisy. Maybe you'll unpack some of those bags under your eyes.'" LOL
"'Oh sure, I'll just ask the ancients if they can wait until we've had our morning coffee before they try to kill us again.'"
"Women were everywhere - brandishing swords in the barracks and debating policies in the streets."
"They were questions I should've been asking before, but my ears had been filled with stories that were lies."