I really loved that we got more of this world! I did however feel that there would be no picking this one up without reading the first two. There also seemed to be too much to continue off of the first two books to not have more dialogue from the first fmc and mmc.
I also felt like I would rather have the two povs be two separate books. It took me while to get into that. I would rather have just Jasalyns pov through the whole book. That would have helped me get through much faster. And I would have liked Felicity’s pov as her own book. Overall I liked it, but felt like it was just missing those few points to really make it stick.

ARC Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Beneath these Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan

Jasalyn is a human girl living among the fae, her sister is queen, and she is dealing with some major PTSD after being trapped and tortured by Mordeus. With her 18th birthday swiftly approaching, her impending shift to a Faerie is highly anticipated by those around her. Jasalyn is a shell of her former self and she is about to face more challenges than she ever deserves.

Before reading this book I decided to read These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds to get a good background, as it takes place shortly before Beneath These Cursed Stars. I think I may have enjoyed this one more without doing that. It’s also marketed that it is unnecessary to read those before this one. Changing gears and following a new character was difficult at first. Things seemed so vastly different as far as the history and character personalities, but after a while the story found its groove for me.

The series as a whole is a solid romantasy with cute couples galore. The different POVs in this book were enjoyable. Felicity and Jasalyn are such different people and it made for a more interesting reading experience. Im so glad to get more Misha and the Wild Fae Lands in this one. I loved Jasalyn’s character growth, and meeting a whole new cast as well. I am looking forward to reading more in the next book.

Thank you @netgalley and Harper Collin’s for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book takes place after Ryan’s previous duopoly- These Twisted Bonds. Which I read in 2021/2022. Honestly, I didn’t remember much from the duopoly except that I had overall enjoyed it, and I think this book would have benefited from a recap of major events of that series. I often felt very confused, especially regarding the politics of the human realm. I think anyone who hadn’t read the previous series would be completely lost.

Jasalyn wasn’t my favorite protagonist- she has been through hell but comes across whiny and selfish. We get another POV in this book- Felicity, and I thought her story was much stronger and I was far more invested in her journey. I also had some issues with the pacing of this book, it’s extremely slow going and it took me much longer to read through than a typical YA.

Overall, if you enjoyed These Twisted Bonds, you could give this one a try and hopefully enjoy it more than I did! Thank you to @netgally and Harper Collins for this ARC for review.

2.75 stars

First of all, thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing this ARC!

To start with the things I enjoyed: it was an easy, fast-paced read, and I thought that the dual POVs were handled pretty well- especially considering that Felicity impersonating Jas could have made it much more confusing than it was. I struggled to get into it in the beginning and was pretty convinced that I wouldn’t be picking up the next book, but I’m reconsidering after that ending! The plot kept me engaged and I’m intrigued to find out what happens to Felicity, specifically.

Now, as someone who hasn’t read the books that this spins off of, I felt like I was thrown into the world with little to no real explanation, which was a bit confusing. I wasn’t aware that there were other books so closely tied to this one (oops) and the author clearly expected me to have read them, but if it isn’t a series, then I think it needs to stand on its own two legs a little bit more. I could handle the references to events that clearly happened in the other books, but I think it would’ve been beneficial to spend a bit more time building the world here, too. Although, ironically, I also found that there was far too much overly obvious explanation in this book. I would have appreciated maybe a slightly slower beginning in order to more seamlessly weave in some of the necessary details about the world and the characters’ pasts. I also found a lot of the world that I did get exposed to fairly unoriginal, so that may have contributed to that feeling like I was missing something. Unrelated, but I also reeeeally struggled with some of the dialogue that just felt very cheesy and stiff.

Overall, I think I’ll consider checking book 2 out from my library when it releases if only to find out what happens, but I would definitely hope that some of the issues with dialogue and world building (/its continuation) are addressed more.

Beneath These Cursed Stars blew my mind in the best way. I enjoyed the 3 year time jump.
The cliffhanger at the end truly has me chomping at the bit for the next book (in true Lexi Ryan fashion, might I add)
I read this book so fast and I can’t wait to read it again.
I can’t wait to continue in Jas and Felicity’s journey through this world.

BENEATH•these•CURSED•STARS✨
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Beneath These Cursed Stars in a new spin off duology by Lexi Ryan. (These l Hollow Vows was a 5 star read for me, so I was super excited to get my hands on this book.)
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Beneath These Cursed Stars is a dual POV story following Princess Jasalyn and Felicity, a shape shifter. When news that the evil king Mordeus has been resurrected, Jas and Felicity both have a mission to bring him down once and for all.
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✨YA romantasy
✨dual POV
✨forbidden romance
✨hidden identity
✨forced proximity
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I found that I was more invested in Felicity’s storyline because, hello, Misha…😍
I did find the magic system a bit confusing at times, I will however read the next book, because holy CLIFFHANGER.
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Thank you @netgalley and @harperteen for the opportunity to read and review this book. It releases 7/30
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Princess Jasalyn has an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, enabling her to assassinate her enemies. Shape-shifter Felicity is trying to avoid the prophecy saying she will kill her magical father. When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread, Felicity takes the princess' form as Jas hunts Mordeus along with Kendrick. Felicity gets closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Both girls have their hearts on the line with this mission, and the future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance.

This must be the start of a duology or trilogy, because it ends on a cliffhanger. Jasalyn is tormented by memories of her time of being tortured by Mordeus before her sister and allies rescued her from those dungeons. Her time is now spent using her enchanted ring to kiss-kill Mordeus' followers, and a supposed plague is now present in the country. Kendrick, who was once imprisoned in those dungeons as well, is working with a team to find a weapon to kill Erith, head of the Magical Seven keeping Elora under his thumb. This same man is Felicity's father and once had worked with Mordeus. Felicity is prophesied to kill him, but she doesn't want to be part of that prophecy. She kept herself hidden, but Kendrick needs her to take on the princess' form to find the location of the Hall of Doors that can get him and his team to find the magic sword that can kill Erith and restore the queendom of old.

Got it? Because as convoluted as it initially sounds, the different courts and kingdoms are not necessarily different. Each one has a particular territory, and most don't want Mordeus back. But he has followers who are rumored that he will be resurrected, and the former followers are stirring up trouble for Jesalyn's sister, the Queen. She'd rather kill Mordeus' followers to get a measure of power back after being tortured so much, and she trusts in Kendrick's plans. Felicity doesn't mean to get closer to Misha because Jesalyn wouldn't, but she is drawn to him anyway. As the novel continues, both discover new information they hadn't been aware of before, and we the reader can draw the conclusions that they can't. There's a bigger plot at work, one that neither knows about but is drawn into just the same. It's an engrossing story and will be a fun summer read.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is the start of a new These Hollow Vows spin-off series. As someone who did not read the original duology, I thought that Ryan reminded the reader of enough world-building to understand what was going on, but it wasn’t very fleshed out.

The story itself is dual POV between Jasalyn and Felicity. They both undergo missions that risk their lives as well as their hearts (that’s right, we get two romances!). The romances themselves were fun. The book is focused on the romances, making it dialogue heavy and slow-paced. The heaps of secrets in this book really slowed down the plot as well. Only the reader has all the details at once, as no one wanted to truly work together and share information. I personally prefer a bit more external motivation and action sequences, but folks who like character-driven narratives will like this one.
Of the two POV’s, I really appreciated Jasalyn’s emotional journey in this book. She starts off riddled with anxiety and depression and trades her life for a magical ring that grants her emotional stability and death’s kiss. Over the course of the novel, she questions her fear, anger, and prejudice and realizes that maybe she traded away her future too quickly. Healing from trauma is a major theme, which I enjoyed.

I think if you’re a romance fan and love slow burns that you’ll love this book, but I personally wished it was a bit faster paced.

I had previously read and enjoyed the These Hollow Vows duology and was very excited to come back to this world and continue on a new adventure.

This book did not disappoint! I had sooo much fun with this and the plot. It gave me all the vibes that I was wanting from a YA fantasy. At times it even gave me Harry Potter vibes haha. I know I should’ve expected it but gahhh why did it have to leave on such a cliffhanger!? Also really enjoyed all the twists and turns.

I was thoroughly entertained and can’t wait to read the second part… when it is coming out!!!??

Beneath These Cursed Stars is an exciting and magical story full of curses, revenge, and romance.

Several years after the events in These Hollow Vows/These Twisted Bonds, Princess Jasalyn has been struggling. Not feeling like she fully belongs in Faerie, but also not feeling like she can go home to the human world, she is avoiding everyone and stays in her room. But what her sister doesn't know is that with the help of a magic ring, she is sneaking out at night and killing those who harmed her when she was locked in Mordeus's dungeons. Rumours abound that Mordeus has been resurrected, and Jasalyn is on a deadline to seek her revenge before her 18th birthday. When an old friend, Kendrick, seeks her out requesting her help, Jasalyn agrees, and a shapeshifter Felicity takes her place at the palace. Felicity, impersonating as Jasalyn, is staying with Mischa, the king of the Wild Fae. When both girls start to fall for the handsome and charming yet forbidden men, they begin to wonder if the stars have cursed them after all.

This was a fun YA fantasy read. While it is a standalone, there are elements that are easier to understand if you have read the earlier duology. I enjoyed the previous books, so revisiting this world was exciting, and I enjoyed the new characters and challenges. It was a little confusing to follow at times, because of the hidden/switched identities, but I enjoyed both Jasalyn's and Felicity's storylines. The romances were sweet and picked up more in the second half of the book. There were some exciting twists and reveals as the story progresses. As a YA book, the characters are young and are still learning about who they are and how they fit into this world. Beneath These Cursed Stars does end on quite the cliffhanger, so I am super excited to see what happens in the next book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan was a phenomenal YA fantasy!
The spellbinding characters and clever storylines made for an absolute stellar story!
The banter, wonderful characters and forbidden romance was so well done.
I was literally hanging onto every word.

Thank You NetGalley and HarperTeen for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I was so happy to be back in this world and with these characters! I really enjoyed Jaslyn’s and Felicity’s POV and I’m intrigued what is to come in the next book with the cliffhangers at the end. Would recommend!

I was super excited to not only get this ARC, but that this book was even written. I loved the These Hollow Vows and was sad it was only a duplogy. This book goes back to that world and works to uncover more secrets with tons of twists. There was also an ending I did not see coming. The book releases this Tuesday.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a spin off story from These Hollow Vows. Loved being back in this world.

If you love
>YA fantasy
>Multiple POV
>Secret identities
>Magic & prophecies
>Found family
>Who did this to you?
>Forced proximity
>Bonded companions (a little goblin you can call on for portal travel & wisdom)

I was so excited that Lexi Ryan was taking us back to the world of Faerie. I'm excited to read the next book. Jas and Brie are different, but also similar in the fact that they tend to run toward danger. I like that instead of redoing the love triangle, she instead has two female leads with their own love interest. It was nice to see Finn and Brie as well and some of the other characters we love.

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an e-arc of this novel*

4.5 stars - As someone who adored “These Hollow Vows” and “These Twisted Bonds” I was beyond excited when I saw this book was coming out and I wasn’t disappointed. Initially I was a bit concerned about how the dual pov was going to work but the storylines connected perfectly and kept me extremely entertained. In case you don’t believe me, I read 65% of this book in one sitting. It was so interesting to see Jas’s story and hear her pov from the events that occurred in the other two books and how they’ve led her to be who she is now. As for Felicity’s pov, I was initially nervous that I would be bored but who can be bored when Misha is around? In all seriousness, I really enjoyed both povs from this book. I won’t spoil anything but just know that the tropes in here are perfect (and not just the romance tropes). Also, the ending?!? I truly can’t wait for the next book!

Thanks again to NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an e-arc of this novel!

When I received the ARC of "Beneath These Cursed Stars," I was already a devoted fan of Lexi Ryan's work, but I had no idea what an incredible journey I was about to embark on. If you're familiar with Ryan’s previous duology, "These Hollow Vows," you'll be thrilled to know that this book is a riveting spin-off that seamlessly extends the magic and intrigue of that beloved series.

The story picks up three years after the events of "These Hollow Vows," focusing on Jasalyn, Abriella’s sister. After a harrowing captivity by the malevolent King Mordeus, Jasalyn’s trauma has morphed into a powerful, vengeful force. Armed with a magical ring that grants her siren-like abilities, she seeks retribution in a way that is both haunting and exhilarating. Her night-time escapades and her use of the ring’s dark powers create a suspenseful backdrop for her character's arc.

Kendrick, a key figure from Jasalyn’s past, reappears with a crucial mission. His realm is in peril, and the Oracle has foretold that Jasalyn is essential to their salvation. With a complex blend of prophecy, secrets, and a touch of romance, Kendrick and Jasalyn’s journey unfolds, filled with plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. The dynamic between them is electric, and their evolving relationship is beautifully portrayed amidst the chaos.

In a clever twist, Jasalyn’s absence from her sister Abriella is masked by Felicity, Kendrick’s shapeshifting adopted sister. Felicity's role as a stand-in leads to unexpected romantic developments of her own in the Wild Fae Kingdom, where she finds herself entangled with Misha. This subplot adds an additional layer of complexity and emotion to the narrative.

Lexi Ryan masterfully blends fantasy, romance, and suspense, creating a world that is both immersive and enthralling. Her signature cliffhanger ending leaves you eagerly anticipating the next installment. If you were enchanted by "These Hollow Vows," "Beneath These Cursed Stars" will captivate you with its depth, surprises, and unforgettable characters. Ryan’s skillful storytelling ensures that this spin-off is not only a worthy successor but a must-read for fans of the series.

Beneath These Cursed Stars is considered a stand alone novel. However, I do feel like reading These Hollow Vows prior to this book makes it a little easier to understand. This book gave me Throne of Glass vibes from the minute I picked it up (in a good way). I loved the dual POV and slow burn romance. The concept was really interesting and the plot/ character development was good. However, did find my self skimming at times due to some repetition and some of what I felt were unnecessary conversations.

This book contained tropes and themes like:

✅ Slow Burn
✅ Dual POV
✅ Secrets and Betrayal
✅ Trauma and Revenge
✅ Forbidden love



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Thank you to NetGalley and all involved in allowing me to read this book before release day.

Link to my Goodreads review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6708435410

beneath these cursed stars is a spin off series from the these hollow vows duology. i was unaware of this before i requested it so for the past MONTH i forced myself to read that prior to this and i would just like my TIME and MONEY back. that duology was mid to begin with and this was honestly so extremely boring. if this wasn't an arc i would've dnf'd it 15% in. i did not like jasalyn then and i do not like her now.

i do not recommend this unless you loved these hollow vows and im so confused as to why this is marketed as its own series when its clearly obvious you need to read the duology first and its apart of the same universe. the math isn't mathing. anyways what a waste of time and do not recommend.

thank you the netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

After reading and loving These Hollow Vows & These Twisted Bonds I was excited to be in this world again. For readers who haven't read those yet, I would highly encourage it. I know this is marketed as a spin off but I feel like it is really needed to grasp what is going on with our characters and to understand the world they live in and all the trials they have already endured. I loved how unique this story was in that we are following two main characters with hidden identities. In each P.O.V. we are getting a story complete with its own love interest. Both of our main characters are in a race with the clock to reach certain goals so that keeps the tension high. Another compelling aspect is that both leading ladies have hidden identities making their growing attraction for the men in their lives even more complicated. So many questions need to be answered and that is what kept me turning pages.

This story picks up several years after These Hollow Vows & These Twisted Bonds. We are following Princess Jasalyn who was a human prisoner of Mordeus in the dungeons where he did unspeakable things to her. This has scarred her in many ways and has led her to be withdrawn even from those she loves. In her desperation to curb her fear and regain some of her power she felt she lost at the hands of Mordeus she obtains a magical ring. The magic ring offers deaths kiss but with it comes a great cost. Once rumors arise that Mordeus has been resurrected she decides she can no longer live in fear and sets out to end him once and for all. At the same time we meet a shapeshifter Felicity who has been running from her destiny. She agrees to take Jasalyn's place and pretend to be the princess who is being sent to another kingdom. With Felicity taking the form of the princess so she can hunt Mordeus, Jasalyn teams up with Kendrick a boy from her past who she feels helped save her during her time in the dungeon. Felicity has her own task in getting closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Both ladies are on a timetable that is only further complicated by their hearts longing for men they shouldn't want.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will can't wait to find out what happens with Jasalyn & Felicity. The cliffhanger has me anxious to continue with their story.