I enjoyed the first book of this series, Hush. I was excited for this book as the first ended on a cliffhanger. I was somewhat disappointed in this book however. It felt very bland and predictable. I saw the twists coming miles before they happened. Some I even saw while reading book 1. Predictibility aside, I do love the uninequeness of this world. The idea of writing being a form of "magic" is something I've not seen in other books, amd I loved the symbolism of it. It was nice to see Shae's old life and new life come together. There was some brilliant symbolism in that as well. I do think that this was a good end to the series, and it wrapped the story up nicely. Overall, a solid 3 stars.

Rating : 4 out of 5
Blurbs : 
Dylan Farrow's Veil is the thrilling sequel to Hush, one of the most talked about YA fantasies of 2020.

Shae’s entire world has been turned upside down, and everything she’s ever believed is a lie. More determined than ever, she sets out to the mysterious land of Gondal—a place forbidden to mention and resigned to myth—in search of a dangerous magical book that could alter the fabric of the world.

Following the trail of Ravod, the boy she thought she knew and trusted, Shae discovers there is far more to the young man who stole the Book of Days than she ever realized. Together, with her friends, Mads and Fiona, and a newfound ally in her fierce former trainer, Kennan, Shae crosses the borders of the only home she’s ever had and into a world ruled not by magic, but technology and industry—one fraught with perils of its own.

In a world shrouded in lies, Shae is desperate for answers and to restore peace, but who will lift the veil?

Thoughts : I wished I liked this book more, sadly, I'm not. YA didn't work for me anymore. I can still enjoy this book tho. The characters and their banter are great. A very solid sequel after Hush!

(3.5*) The enjoyable sequel to Farrow's underappreciated Hush. While it didn't hold the same intrigue as its predecessor, it was entertaining and delved deeper into its fascinating world. Circumstances rose to intense highs and ended with a neatly tied bow—an overall satisfying read.

I thought the plot was decent, and I enjoyed the world-building. The characters developed really realistically and nicely. I wish that I had to read the first book first, not read the second book first. It was a bit confusing, as I lacked the context needed to digest some of the story. However, it improves throughout the story. By the end I was more fluent.

What a great book! I can't decide if I prefer this one or the first in the series. Maybe I love them equally well. Buy this book!!!

A satisfying end for our lead characters! We learn more about the blot and the rebellion, experience some twists and betrayals along the way before arriving at a happy ending.

I do want to thank netgalley for the Arc.
I wish I could've gotten into this book, unfortunately, I DNF. I preferred the 1st book of the series. I just wished Dylan Farrow went into depth about the main characters in the story I felt like you didn't know anything about them.

I feel like I should have reread the first book, Hush, before picking this one up. I enjoyed Hush, so I went into this one assuming it would be just as good; I wasn't WRONG, this is a good and enjoyable book, but it is not very memorable or something I want to reread. I feel like the plot was a secondary focus for this book, which I personally don't like since I enjoy when the books I read are plot driven. The characters, Shea and Ravod, feel more fleshed out and developed here, which is nice, but it is a sequel, so it was expected. Overall, I'm glad this is only a duology. I feel like the concept was fresh and fun, I enjoyed the characters, and I had fun reading it.

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

Veil is the sequel to Hush, with both fantasy novels being written by Dylan Farrow. Both books were good, though I agree with other reviewers that this seemed to be the weaker of the two. I wish the author could or would have taken more time to refine the plotting of this one. I do hope to see more from this author as I so appreciate the weaving in of current social issues.

This book ended up being a DNF. Rating is based solely on the content I did read. I ultimately found the pacing and development of the story and/or characters not engaging enough to continue on and finish the complete book.

This duo-logy was definitely top-tier!! Loved the fact that it picked up right where Hush (the previous book) ended!! Although tbh this was a bit confusing for me at the beginning - so definitely revise the first book BEFORE diving in. The ending was SPECTACULAR!!

The world is super interesting, however the plot and flow of the story was a bit difficult to follow. I enjoyed the characters but I wish there was a little bit more of a steady pace. The descriptions and details were enjoyable and creative. I have to say that I liked the 1st book better.

Veil was the absolute perfect ending to the Hush duology! As I dove back into this world, I didn’t need a refresher of what happened in Hush. It all came rushing back as the characters rushed to save their world and each other. The characters are relatable and the premise is so unique. What a satisfying ending!

*Arc provided by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.*

Veil picks up right where Hush left off, which is great if you've just finished book 1. If you're like me and had a decent amount of time between the two it was rather sudden and confusing at times. Due to it's direct pick up and lack of back tracking I encountered times of being entirely lost as to the importance of some character's. Shae was such a strong lead in Hush, but it felt like she was so quick to trust everyone that after the ending of Hush didn't feel right. The best way to describe the pacing of this sequel is similar to when t.v. shows do mid-season finales, Veil is the after the new year counterpart to Hush. 

It was good but I wish the things I loved from book 1 managed to continue into book 2.

Ok first of all, don't like a mid-series cover change.  Second of all, this cover looks EXACTLY like a totally different series so not a fan of that.

Hush was such an interesting first book in this duology and it established a dystopian / fantasy world that had super interesting magic.  Veil took us outside of that world and to a totally new world which didn't really make sense to me.  Why spend time establishing one place only to abandon that place and establish a new place?  

Furthermore, the romance was weird.  It wasn't really romance.  It was enemies to lovers to enemies to kind of friends, to lovers?  The transitions between these statuses were clunky as well.

The ending also felt super rushed, we spent an entire book building to an idea, abandoned it and went somewhere else, then spend 30 pages finishing the idea we started for a WHOLE different book.  Not a fan.

I think this series could have been stronger.  But, I'd read more from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

After discovering that everything she had ever been taught was a lie, Shae sets out to the mysterious land of Gondal with her friends. They are looking for the Book of Days, which was stolen by Ravod. When they go to Gondal, they discover that it’s ruled not by magic like their world, but by technology. Shae is still adjusting to a world with writing and books that is completely different from the world she grew up in. She has to find and use the Book of Days to restore her home. 

This was an exciting sequel to Hush. I liked that it showed the world beyond Montane, the setting of Hush. Gondal closely resembled our real world, with large buildings, technology, and a lack of magic, whereas Montane was a fantasy land. 

I was a little disappointed in the ending. I hoped that it would continue in another book because there is still more to explore in that world, but the epilogue suggested it’s the end of the story. There was an unexpected death that I thought Shae should have had a stronger emotional reaction to. I did like some surprising twists near the end of the story.

Veil is a good sequel to Hush. 

Thank you Raincoast Books and Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book.

A solid sequel to Hush. I have enjoyed getting into this fantasy world. It may not have been as impactful and printed into my brain as others I have read, but I definitely think more people should give this series a chance!

Picking up right after the first you..... In my opinion this whole book didn't really add to the story. I liked the epilogue tho 

I just don't really understand how they crawl thru a drain pipe and get to a "world" thats so much further ahead of the other....but they know about each other.

I mean I get it but I don't. You're telling me no one leaves? Ever

In this sequel to Hush, we round out the duology in a new locale. After enjoying the first in the series, I was disappointed with this lackluster finale.

The first red flag for me was rushed world-building, relying on a basic steampunk vibe. Gondal, a world of wonder that is mysterious and out of reach in the first book turns out to be an urban, industrial foil for the rustic, magical world of the first book. It didn't feel exciting to arrive there with the characters since it lacked anything unexpected or multifaceted to draw the reader into an interesting experience. The fun of fantasy is entering new worlds, but this one doesn't feel fresh or vibrant.

Next, Shae has WAY too much main character energy to the point where side characters sacrifice their well-being in various ways to benefit her with no reciprocal acts on her part. There isn't even the typical ya fantasy sleight of hand whereby our main character has a particular function or ability that must be protected to benefit society. Shae's magic isn't viable for much of the book, and she has no knowledge or skill that sets her apart as valuable. There's nothing to disguise the unbalanced toxicity of her relationships. Unsurprisingly, this lends itself to a surface-level, generic romance plot between a girl-next-door and misunderstood-boy. A secondary sapphic romance could have been cute if it weren't too rushed to mean anything. It came out of nowhere without explanation or even a flicker of emotion to alert us to an inexplicable attachment. It's just suddenly ~there~ and we're all supposed to go along with it. Finally, I was frustrated by several misunderstandings that could have been avoided with basic communication and building a foundation of trust. Romantic entanglements and political actions lead to unnecessary angst when self-centered assumptions hold sway over reality.

The message of the book has to do with taking action to make a revolution happen. You can't trust the agenda of people in power to make decisions that support the downtrodden and mistreated. If the story was more engaging, the characters and their relationships less frustrating, or the world more inspiring, I would have been able to better focus on that message. This was a letdown for me, but I hope that's not the case for all readers.