I think I missed something? This was a confusing read; even the dating methods confused me. *But* with more context, I think it'd be easier to get into?

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a splendid, highly underrated but amazing YA Fantasy book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope others do too. From the beginning, I was hooked, there was a lot of action but I wasn't able to finish it as quickly as I hoped I would. Not because there isn't enough action or it isn't interesting but because I felt as if I needed a break. There are a lot of betrayals, politics, small twists and turns that are sure to keep you interested. And I absolutely loved the friendships in this book! Overall, I enjoyed this thrilling conclusion a lot!
Spoiler: One thing I felt was very unnecessary and incredibly sad was Mad's death because he forever deserved better!

3.75 stars!💖

Veil was amazing I really loved the conclusion I was lucky enough to win an arc from Netgalley and also a paperback arc from Macmillan from Goodreads so I was doubly lucky

I enjoyed this sequel. It was good and interesting but not great. The premise was a little shaky, and the story a little scattered. I liked the characters; I was not into the romance between the MC and the love interest.

I stayed up wayyy too late reading this book and spent even longer figuring out my opinion of it.

But I've concluded that while I was pleasantly surprised by HUSH and excited for its sequel, this one just didn't quite work for me.

This book is still extremely clean. I was led to believe that a romantic relationship between Ravod + Shae was a main part of the plot, but luckily it remained extremely clean (they didn't even kiss!) and open-ended, which I know is maddening to some, but I actually felt it was the best way to pull off romance in this scenario. If Farrow had placed their romantic relationship throughout the story, I personally think it would have distracted too much from the plot and felt too unrealistic. (view spoiler)

Farrow's worldbuilding is unique while still feeling vaguely familiar, it's like a magical spin on the ordinary. Her writing style also works well with the audience and characters, and I especially loved her prose and clever usage of "residue."

I also really sympathized with Kennan (wellll ... before something happened). Okay, I admit it—in the first book, she was my favorite character. There's something about her sarcasm and ... attitude that set her apart from the other characters (who honestly all came across to me as Mary Sues, especially Mads and Fiona). And in this book, we get to see a bit more of that sympathetic, human side I knew she always had.

Anddd ... now for what I didn't like. *hides*

The whole plot felt very disconnected and underdeveloped. I know I read an ARC copy, but the world or the plot didn't feel as fleshed out as the first book—and I still have no idea how the magic worked. 😅 There was less intrigue and mystery, and most of the action happened on the later 3/4 of the story, which as a result caused the ending to feel rather rushed and unrealistic. The main events and conflict of the story were solved way too easily, and the only consistent thread was Shae trying to figure out whether Ravod was trustworthy or not (which of course he is ... because he's nice and has good looks 😆).

Besides, the main plot centers around the characters journeying to Gondal, but personally— Gondal was missing the wonder Farrow could have infused into the setting. It didn't feel special, it literally just felt like our world—well, with more parks.

And the characters. *sighs* We have such an amazing cast throughout this story of characters we didn't see much in HUSH, but they felt underdeveloped to me, all fitting within certain stereotypes. There was nothing more to them, and Mads and Fiona basically felt the same, personality-wise. And Kennan ... well, she's Kennan. The real, truth-seeking Shae we meet in HUSH just isn't the same here anymore. I got the impression she faded into the background, even though she's the POV character.

All this said, I wouldn't recommend this book for readers who find it easy to notice giant plotting issues, because ... as much as I hate to say it— there are a lot of them, and they really pulled me out of the story overall.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

CONTENT WARNINGS: A hand kiss, LGBTQ+ rep between two of the main side characters, violence, and somewhat creepy descriptions of magic

READ & REVIEWED: 11.2.21

I really enjoyed this book. It was well paced and the characters were fully formed. I would enjoy reading other work by this author in the future.

Another wonderful book in the series Hush drew me right in kept me turning the pages and so did Veil.Will be recommending as I did Hush.#netgalley #St.Martins press

Thank you first off to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Next you mush read the first book in the series, Rush, before reading Veil or you will be totally lost.

I started this book and could not follow it as all. I had to go back, purchase and read book one before I could start over to read book two.

That being said, once I bid this I was able to read and enjoy Veil.

Veil begins midway through Rush and tells the story of Shae, a teenage girl with unique magical powers. Share's mother is murdered and both the body and murder weapon disappear, Shae seeks out for the High House and the Bards, to uncover the truth regarding her mother's death. Along the way, she becomes involved in a complex web of secrets and betrayals, while learning that her world is not as it appears.

It is an interesting and action packed book, but read book one first!

This follow up to Hush feels a bit forced and rushed. Even though it did provide some, if not all, of the answers from the abundance of left over questions posed in the first installment, it nevertheless seemed as if many of the main plot points of the novel, including major reveals and plot twists, were glossed over for the sake of stuffing as much as possible into one book as opposed to stretching it out to two or maybe even three sequels. Instead of providing even more depth and layers to the characters, the author chooses to introduce a myriad of new characters that never feel fully fleshed out. The book and, in fact, the duology is entertaining enough but we would have liked a better treatment of the story.

Veil by Dylan Farrow is the sequel to Hush, which came out a couple of years ago. This book continues the story of Shae, about a girl l who discovers she has powers. I don't want to spoil the first book for people who haven't read it, but I thought that the sequel was pretty good and built on the plot of the story. The characters were more realistic and relatable than in the first novel.I loved the beginning as well where their running and you can hear like creepy sounds in the forest really pulls you in as your reading the book through the e reader.

I really enjoyed this book. It picked up right where Hush left off. It had action and adventure. Through most of the book you were questioning what side some of the characters were on. I found th

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Spooky fun read that kept me wanting more!

Veil by Dylan Farrow

9781250235930

384 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books
Release Date: April 26, 2022

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens and Young Adult

In the first book, Shae goes on a quest to find Ravod and the Book of Days. She is traveling with her friends Mads and Fiona and fellow Bard Kennan. They trek to Gondal and see sights they never imagined. Their arduous travels take a toll on all of them but more so for one than the others.

The story is fast paced, the characters are more developed, and it is written in first person point of view. As in the first book, I enjoyed the author’s descriptive style of writing. This story is more than an adventure. It is a story of friendship and relationships that are built on trust and love from a lifetime of experiences together. If you like the Hunger Games and Divergent and other dystopian type stories, you will enjoy this one.

I read Veil, Dylan Farrow's sequel to Hush, courtesy of Net Galley and the book's publisher, Wednesday Books/MacMillian, in exchange for an objective review. Veil continues the story of Shae, a teenage girl who discovers she has unique powers that, as in the first book, are never thoroughly explained. In the first book, when her mother is murdered and both the body and murder weapon disappear, Shae travels to High House and the Bards, who, she hopes, can grant her a telling that might reveal the truth about her mother's death. Instead, she becomes involved in a complex web of secrets and betrayals, while learning that her world is not as it appears.

I have to admit I wasn't sure I was interested in reading Veil after my disappointment in Farrow's Hush. I read it anyway, in hopes of having some unanswered questions of the first book explained. Farrow's first book explored important ideas - the power of words, censorship, misinformation. I had hopes.

My hopes were quickly dashed. Readers who have not read Hush will be altogether lost, as Veil picks up midstory. The action moves quickly, sometimes it's fun to read, but it's altogether baffling. What are the Bards' powers? Where did the power come from? Why? Some people can speak magic, but how? Why have certain words been banned?

Maybe I expected too much. If you simply want to have a pleasant beach read, this would do. It is clear that Farrow has the potential to be a fine writer. However, it is also clear she needs a powerful editor to whom she will listen.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Let's start with the cover. The color pallet is brilliant. The purple gives it a great pop.

The book is well-written and easy to follow. Once I got into it, I could not put the book down. I'll definitely read more books by this author!

I'd definitely recommend this to my friends.

Ok so this was ok. Just ok. I'm glad I read it but I don't think I'll pick it up again in the future. It was a little slow to get into and didn't do a lot to keep my attention. 3.5⭐

Veil is the sequel and conclusion to the story started in Hush. Shae travels to the unknown land of Gondal to catch up with the stolen Book of Days that she believes can change everything for her people. As she encounters many new and previously known people, she must decide who to trust, and what choices will create the end result that frees her people from the tyranny they have been under for years.

I would rate this 3 stars overall. I feel like the plot was good, but my head whipped back and forth so fast with Shae’s constant confusion over friend vs. foe. I also feel her personality changed from the period book, and not for the better. In Hush, she was annoying but stood up for herself, and here it felt like she was constantly second guessing or simply deferring to others. It didn’t contribute to to build up of the ultimate climax well. I also think there were still lots of questions that should have been answered with worldbuilding, and too many instances of unnecessary information that didn’t contribute to the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wednesday Books I can't thank you enough for this ebook widget!

I loved Hush by Farrow! Young Adult Fantasy.... It was a brilliant story!
So when Veil book two came along I was ecstatic!
And it sure doesn't disappoint!

And Shae continues!
Veil is the perfect read! And I had so much fun reading the sequel!.
This was a pretty good dark fantasy novel. It was very action packed and mysterious.
I thought the setting was really fascinating.
I also loved how dystopian this was! I've been falling very in love with those lately and this has that added into the mix!
Amazing, well written, great characters and an ending that was full of fun!
Job well job Dylan this was a phenomenal story!

"Veil" was a fitting sequel. Shae and her friends make it Gondal, a country they were not sure really existed. Gondal is not at all what they expected, both in positive and negative ways. Gondal is technologically advanced, and much of what Shae and her friends witness is strange and confusing -- steam-powered trains, towering buildings, flying vehicles, etc. And of course, everywhere they look they see written language -- signs, posters, menus, books, etc. However, the refugees from Montane are forced to live in underground tunnels, as the Gondalese government does not want to deal with them, or allow them to become citizens.

Shae catches up with Ravod and she finally gets the opportunity to see the Book of Days, which is not quite she expected. It turns out that Ravod has a connection to the General who rules Gondal, giving Shae and her friends the opportunity to enlist assistance in overthrowing Cathal and High House. However, the General's plans for Montane are vastly different from what Shae and her friends hope to achieve, forcing them to attempt to stop both the Gondalese military and Cathal before Montane is permanently destroyed.

The story is fast-paced and keeps the reader engaged. There are some rather good surprises involving relationships between certain characters, and regarding the true identities and the pasts of some of the characters. The author does a good job of portraying Shae's struggles with the ramifications of past actions and the choices she has to make going forward, battling her doubts to reveal her inner strength. The sequel shows the reader aspects of Fiona and Kennan that may be unexpected. The depth of and secret behind Cathal's power is revealed. "Veil" is well worth reading.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.