Sadly it's one of those times when I find myself not connected to the characters or the story at all... I blame my expectations.
World building was beautiful but unfortunately not enough to make me love the book.

I got through this book much quicker than I thought and it was great 😍 the world building is done well and Hannah really grew on me! Well worth checking out!

I am looking at my rating for this book and I am torn, because there are so many things I loved about this book, but there were a few issues I had with it that I feel that I need to talk about too. So, if I am being extra picky it's probably more like a 3.75 star - it's so nearly a 4 star but because of the issues, which I will talk about now, I feel like really can't give it 4 stars. 

I want to start with what I loved about the book. I loved the title, it sounds so magical doesn't it. I loved the setting and the whole idea of the story. I loved the magic and the information we were given about Aerisia and it's inhabitants. I was really interested in reading about the different peoples mentioned, from the Moonkind to the Simathe. I also loved the fact that the protagonist, Hannah, was a person from Earth, familiar with the same things we are, and familiar to us because she is from the same place that we, the readers are. To then thrust Hannah in to the middle of a medieval-esque fantasy world, made for a very interesting read. 

I found Hannah interesting and frustrating in equal measure. It was interesting to see how she coped with the sudden change from Earth to Aerisia. I found my self wondering what I would do in a similar situation. Though I also found her a bit rash, a bit impulsive,I don't think this was down to age, I think it was her personality. I could feel her frustration throughout the book at the lack of clear answers she was being given and I felt it too, as no-one seemed keen to give her any clear answers at all and each answer she got just created more questions.

I guess, it was the lack of answers which drove most of her ill-conceived escape attempts, and she did manage to get herself in a fair amount of trouble. Hannah was rescued most of the time, by her protector the High Lord of the Simathe, but it was also nice to see that she was able to save herself too. She was brave as was as impulsive. Hannah seemed to spend most of the book resisting what was happening to her, it felt very much as thought she was never truly in control (I guess that's maybe part of being at the centre of a prophesy. It felt very much like she was pulled along by the plot (or other characters) rather than having much of an impact herself. I am hoping that in later books as she learns more about herself and the world she is in she becomes more of an influence on her own destiny and her surroundings rather than the other way round. 

Hannah's instant distrust of the Simathe was a little uncomfortable for me, if I am honest but I guess that it was a necessary in a way to help with the plot of the book. I found the fact that people (and their behaviours) were very much defined by their races, (which seemed to be mainly down to hair and eye colour) a little bit frustrating too. I wanted more depth, I wanted to get to know more characters. I like people/characters to be individuals and the Simathe, especially, seemed as though they were all carbon copies of each other on a number of occasions. I hope that we get to know them all a little better in the later books. 

My main issues was not with the over all plot, which I really did like. And I can't wait to see where the story goes in the next too books. I think my main issues was with the writing style in places. Every now and again a word was used which was so jarring that it pulled me out of the story. I felt that some of the words Hannah used in her mental dialogue were not what I would expect to see her as using. I also found her mental inner dialogue a little bit antagonistic. At one point in the story she 'talks' to herself about how she had never been a geek but she would fit right in now (due to what she was wearing) and there was a dig about geeks/nerds which seemed a bit of an out of place, random dig, which seemed a bit out of character for Hannah. Again, this and a few other occasions like it, kicked me out of the story for a minute. 

I also want to mention that towards the end of the book there is a fairly graphic scene of attempted rape, I am not going to give details but I feel I need to mention it so that people are prepared if they are wanting to read the book. I would suggest a content note at the beginning of the book would be a good idea. 

Overall I found  Aerisia: Land Beyond the Sunset to be an enjoyable read and I can't wait to see what happens in the next two books of the trilogy.

There's a lot of world building here, and this book definitely suffers from "first in series" syndrome where it's mostly packing information in without any real activity going on. So far so good, it's rather slow but again - first book. I don't like Hannah. She's a spoiled brat, ungrateful, and self centered. I understand she's in a strange land, scared etc but she's quite rude even when people try and be nice to her and she willfully endangers others. I'm interested in reading more because I liked the High Lord. He's the "type" I go for and that's literally the only reason asides from enjoying the world setting.

Sarah Ashwood’s ‘The Sunset Lands Beyond’ trilogy, book one ‘Aerisia: Land Beyond The Sunset’ is an other worldly adventure. An adventure in a world of magic, prophesies, legends, immortals, and other worldly beings existing just beyond our world’s sunset.
Hannah Winters is a young college student just trying to figure her place and purpose.
When she is taken from her world by a magical being to another of wonder and magic, she losses her family and all she knows.
She is thrust on a path to save a world and its people as a foretold heroine with special gifts that are suppose to help her fight the Evil that wants this new world.
Not knowing what to believe in, even with proof before her eyes. Not believing she could be this savior, this Artan of legend, even when the Evil is trying to sway her to its side or take her life. She will need to stop resisting and start learning what she is if she is to survive and defeat the Evil.
A good read for quiet evening.

A fun and fresh read with a very likeable lead lady, a fantasy must read!!!!!

I really like the story.The world of Aerisia and its magic is captivating.