✩ 3 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Forbidden Love
➼ Secrets & Betrayal
➼ Revenge
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Healing From Trauma
➼ Fate
➼ Fae Royalty
➼ Fae Shifter
➼ Spin Off
➼ Two Separate Parallel Storylines
➼ Dual POV

Initially I really struggled to get into this. Princess Jasalyn’s introduction as a revenge obsessed vigilante felt a little off brand from the previous series and I had forgotten enough to feel a little lost being dropped back into this world. The story is written in Dual POV and switches between Princess Jasalyn and a Fae Shifter named Felicity who are on two separate parallel journeys. They are united under the same purpose but their location only overlaps once making the overall story progression unavoidably slow.

This book was very character driven and while Princess Jasalyn’s role is more integral to the plot, I much preferred reading from Felicity’s POV. What Jasalyn went through was inarguably terrible, but I have to wonder how someone who spent so much time being tortured in a dungeon could be so naive. The only explanation I can come up with for her being so dense and trusting was that she was simply blinded by her hatred of the Fae and her need for revenge. This level of prejudice really doesn’t make for a very lovable heroine and my sympathy for her only extends so far.

The story ended on a cliffhanger for both girls, but I am personally much more concerned about Felicity. 😅 I would have liked to have read more of her and Misha’s story and I will stick it out for their happily ever after. Jas and Hale can get whatever’s coming to them honestly. Those two lying liars deserve each other but I’m sure they’ll get their happy ending too. 😆

Thank you to Lexi Ryan, NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

I was so happy to be back in this world. I didn't find Beneath These Cursed Stars as immediately engrossing as I did These Hollow Vows, but it eventually sucked me in and picked up toward the second half. I'm not sure if it had been too long since I'd read the original duology, but I struggled more than I thought I would with jumping back into the world. I enjoyed both POVs pretty equally, which was nice. I wasn't dying to rush through one to get back to the other. I do think that both Jas and Felicity's voices were very similar, and I wished there had been more stand out differences between the two voices. Overall, I really enjoyed this spinoff and can't wait to read the next book!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is a young adult romantasy spin-off novel coming after These Hollow Vows. The tale is told from two perspectives. This character-driven novel features Jasalyn, the shadow princess, and Felicity, who has assumed Jasalyn’s identity. Both characters are intriguing and have interesting, well-developed backstories.

There admittedly isn’t a lot of world-building in this story and therefore, is best read after the previous duology. There is a fair amount of repetition in this story, but it is also a very engaging, unique concept with twists, turns, suspense, betrayal, secrets and romance. Beneath These Cursed Stars is a quick, entertaining story and one that leads well into a sequel, leaving the reader ready for more. I look forward to more from this author.

So I was between rating this 3 or 4 stars because I was solidly at 3.5 stars for this book. I ultimately decided on 4 because the last 40% of the book was worth 4 stars. It’s been awhile since I read These Hollow Vows, so it took me a bit to figure some things out that would’ve been more clear had I read the duology more recently. The first 60% of this book was slow as it set up the premise of the story, but the last 40% I really enjoyed! I’m super interested in Felicity and her character development- and I look forward to reading more about her. Also- I LOVE Nigel. Some of the reveals at the end of the book were incredibly predictable, but there was one that I didn’t suspect until a few chapter before it happened! All in all this was a fun read, I’m not on pins and needles for the next book, but I am absolutely looking forward to it and plan to read it after that cliffhanger!

Love. Fear. Hope. Betrayal. Although it took me a while to finish it, I enjoyed this story. Dual pov is difficult for me. I found myself gravitating more toward Misha and Felicity than Kendrick and Jas. I look forward to the next book.

Lexi Ryan has an incredible way of making popular book tropes feel fresh! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It was a great read to be back in this world! Granted, I recommend rereading or starting with the Hollow Vows duology first. Beneath These Cursed Stars touched on the prior plots but not enough to fully understand (or trigger memories) as to what occurred.

I’m going to start by saying if you haven’t read These Hollow Vows, turn around and read that duology first! The end of that story will be spoiled in this book and you won’t know who half the characters are!

Now, onto the review.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 ⭐️

Beneath These Cursed Stars picks up a few years after the ending of These Twisted Bonds and follows Jaselyn’s story (Brie’s sister) as she tries to make peace/seek revenge for her torture at the hands of Mordeus. It also has a dual POV with a new character, Felicity, who is on the run from a tangled and mysterious past! No spoilers here though!

My only real issue with this book was the pacing. Not a lot really happens for the first 2/3rds of the book. It feels a lot like it is meant to set up the next book in the series. Lots of plot points coming into play, lots of stories being weaved and it could be confusing at times. I was really excited to read this one but the pacing really killed the vibe for me.

Some of the twists in the book are a bit obvious, but still interesting enough to keep you going. The end of the book was where the real meat was and what an ending it was! There’s not one, not two, not three, but FOUR cliffhangers at the end of this book. I was like this 😱😰😳🤯 the last 60 or so pages with all the reveals and twists and foreshadowing going on. It was insane and left me wanting more! I have questions. I need book two immediately.

I’m also hoping for more Misha chapters in the next book ❤️

There is some slow burn romance in the books, as well as a healthy dose of betrayal 🙃 I’m not sure who hurt Lexi Ryan, but it seems to be a common theme in her books 😂

Final thoughts - I wish the whole book read like the last 60 pages of this one, it would have been a solid read if it did. If you were a fan of These Hollow Vows you’ll definitely want to jump into this one, however don’t expect it to be as action heavy and exciting as THV was!


Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins/HarperTeen and the author for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨

I really really enjoyed this book! I did not realize it was part of a series when I requested to get an arc on net galley so I was a little confused on some things here and there on things that had happened in the previous books so definitely make sure to read the first two books before reading this as things will make more sense. I loved the characters and the story line and can not wait to read the next one as this one ended on a cliffhanger! Great book!

Lexi Ryan apparently does not disappoint. So often the follow-up series will, unfortunately, be lackluster compared to the first, but I’m delighted to report this isn’t the case.

BENEATH THESE CURSED STARS is just as well written as THESE HOLLOW VOWS and THESE TWISTED BONDS. Ryan clearly knows how to plot and pace a captivating story. There are no lulls. And I kept trying to guess the plot twists but couldn’t. In true Ryan fashion, the story, of course, ends in a cliffhanger, but it is still a satisfying ending that only keeps you excited for the sequel.

I loved getting Jasalyn’s story and being in Felecity’s head. Both are such compelling characters with their own secrets. Readers who loved Brie will love them, too!

💍🩸🪄⭐💔

Princess Jasalyn harbors a secret that could spell the end of her realm. She traded her destiny for an enchanted ring, using its power to vanquish her enemies. However, her past returns to haunt her in the form of the dark king Mordeus, a figure from her nightmares, rumored to have been resurrected. Determined to stop him, Jasalyn must navigate the perils threatening both mortal and fae realms to break the curse and defy her fate. It balances romance and adventure, leaving me looking forward to book 2!

It was such a pleasure to return to this world following the end of the duology!

Beneath These Cursed Stars is told in dual POV, through the eyes of Felicity and Jasalyn, as they both struggle with themselves on the path they set out on to seek to complete the missions they've set out on.

It was really nice to see the two characters develop, including their intertwined stories and individual slow burn romances. And who can resist more Misha? The content seemed much darker than the duology but equally engaging. It is a very well written story with both surprising and no-as-surprising plot twists. I had no idea this was set to have a sequel so I was very surprised to be left on a cliffhanger. I can't wait for the next installment!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

This novel was a nice standalone from the previous series with a slow-burn romance. I found the book a little hard to get into for the first bit, and I think the story would have benifitted with a small recap or exploration of the world. Once I did get into the book, I finished it quite quickly. The main character Jasalyn dealt with lots of trauma that was explored in-depth within this series. If you like slow-burn romance(s) and found family, then I reccomend this book.

How refreshing to return to the lands of These Hollow Vows!

I’m so glad we get to know Jas a little better, and I’m really loving Felicity. The spotlight on Misha is a win, too, as he really intrigued me in THV.

We follow our two pov characters: Jasalyn, the shadow princess crippled by fear; and Felicity, a special kind of shifter with ties to Elora. There are rumors of Mordeus’s return from the dead, and the history of Brie and Jas’s human homeland of Elora isn’t what it appears. The lies, power, and oppression are all coming to a head with a group intent on dismantling Elora to restore peace and fairness. This book definitely is buildup for whatever comes next, and I think the resolution for Elora will be heartbreaking.

Lexi Ryan captured so much about trauma, fear, and guilt in her portrayal of Jas. As a reader with my own trauma, it hit pretty hard, but it never made light of these feelings. I’m a little nervous about what comes next. I don’t want Jas to magically be “cured” of the trauma because that to me doesn’t hold as much power as learning to live on despite it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy of this book to read. Unfortunately, it means I have extra long to wait until the next book.

This is a new series set in the same world as Lexi Ryans Hollow Vows Duology. Now while I own that duology I have not read that. I really feel like I should have before reading this. From the beginning we start hearing about some of the events that happened in passing and I feel that this and the world building in the previous books, even though this is a new series, would really have set me up for success in this one. Becuase of this I am goign to go back immediately and read those two and reread this.

I feel like since this is a spin off there was no much backstory about the world itself. There wasn’t much information, especially in the beginning about the humans, fae, faerie. I was a bit lost. I feel like I was thrown into a world I knew nothing about and wasn’t given many answers to. I personally do not think that this should be marketed as a new series, but maybe a continuation of the previous series just with a new pov…. Kind of like SJM does with ACOTAR and Nesta and what she is doing with Crecent CIty. That way people who are coming into this book know that they really should read the other series before this one.

Overall, I did like the idea and the concept of the story. I even liked the characters, but I feel like if I go back and I read the first two books in the previous series and then reread this one my rating will be higher.

I absolutely loved These Hollow Vows and These Broken Bonds. This is the story of Brie's little sister Jas. We get to meet some amazing new characters and also see some our favorite characters from the first 2 books. Beautiful fantasy romance with a hint of darkness. Great story and a bit of a cliffhanger. Can't wait for the next book!

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for an e-ARC of Beneath These Cursed Stars in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Second, I am going to preface this review by saying I did not finish reading These Hollow Vows Duology. I got through the first book, and if my memory serves me correctly it was an okay read, but I ended up not picking up the second book. I definitely felt like I was missing some background knowledge pertaining to certain characters while reading this title, but it was still an enjoyable read for me.

This book follows Jasalyn, the newly crowned Shadow Princess of the Unseelie court, and Felicity, a unique shifter among the fae, who cannot only transform into a person but can also dream their memories. Both desperately want to escape their fates, feel as though they are broken, and are constantly terrified of their truths. Jasalyn finds escape through the use of a magic ring which gives her a deadly kiss and no fear. Felicity has been on the run for three years, using any form but her own. But when an old threat resurfaces, both girls find themselves drawn into a deceptive ploy.

In a Princess and the Pauper type of plot, Felicity becomes Jasalyn and is tasked with seducing the Wild Fae king, Misha to learn his kingdom's secret pathways, Jasalyn joins a band of rebels with a charismatic leader and are intent on overthrowing a neighboring realms unjust rule. I'll be perfectly honest, I didn't really understand the need for the switch besides the romantic subplot, so each girl could be with the designated love interest. And that's the main reason this is a four star instead of a five star read.

The rest of the book- plot, pacing, characters, the world-building (though I do highly suggest reading These Hollow Vows Duology first) was excellent and I found myself flying through this book. And in the end, there were some big reveals which leaves me highly anticipating book two!

BENEATH THESE CURSED STARS

Beneath These Cursed Stars is the third book in These Hollow Vows series. Beneath These Cursed Stars has a beautiful transition since it has been a few years since These Twisted Bonds was released. You are thrown back into the land of the Unseelie, Shadow, Court with some of your favorite characters from the series. I have truly missed being back with Brie, Finn, Misha, and Jas. You will meet some complex and exciting new characters.

Lexi Ryan does it again with the world building in Beneath These Cursed Stars, it is just fantastic and stays true to the These Hollow Vows Series.

In this series you follow the two POVs of Jasalyn and Felicity. Jasalyn is working through the trauma of king Mordeus and is taking revenge on those who hurt her. Felicity is hiding in plain sight from the future that could take away everything she holds dear to her heart. While disguised as Jas, Felicity tries to win the heart of Misha to get the information to save Elora. With the rumor of king Mordeus rising from the dead and a terrible faceless plague sweeping across the Shadow Court, Jas and Felicity take action. Jas works with Kendrick to find out if the rumors of king Mordeus are true.

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was great, the characters stayed true to who they were and the struggles that they suffered through. I cannot wait for the next book to come out! The sharp ending was killer!!! I need the next book now!

5/5 Stars, would recommend. Definitely need to read These Hollow Vows as well as These Twisted Bonds before you read Beneath These Cursed Stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Beneath These Cursed Stars!!

ARC REVIEW

Beneath These Cursed Stars
Rating: 🌟⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ (1.5 spice)

Returning to the world of her duology “These Hollow Vows” Lexi Ryan again brings us a story of that grips from beginning to end. Jasalyn “Jas” hasn’t been the same since Mordeus kept her in his dungeons and has spent that last 3 years pulling away form everyone and everything to keep her fear and pain at bay. But her thirst for vengeance is unquenched and she needs to make the ones who hurt her pay. Equipped with a magic ring that gives her a kiss of death, she begins doing just that. Her actions lead her into the path of an old friend from the dungeons, Hale Kendrick. With Kendrick’s shifter friend Felicity taking her place to avoid suspicion, both women end up in over their heads, not only in terms of feels for the men they’re working alongside but with their actions affecting the rumors surrounding Mordeus. Is he truly resurrected? Who can be trusted? How could he possibly come back?

This book was just so good. I NEED the next one. The banter between Felicity and Misha as well as between Jasalyn and Hendrick is just so good. Excellent chemistry and interactions. You’ll want to kiss and kill both men for different reasons. An amazing addition to Ryan’s book world. I cannot wait for more!!!

Princess Jasalyn has the power of death at her fingertips. She traded her soul for a death-cursed kiss, and after being (mostly) kidnapped, she makes a deal with the rebel leader Kendrick; she’ll help him overthrow the corrupt rulers of his world if he helps her kill the wicked king who haunts her nightmares. It’s supposed to be a simple bargain, but nothing is simple about the way Kendrick makes Jas feel.

To avoid an uproar about the missing princess, Felicity, Kenderick’s adopted sister and a shape-shifter of the highest order, takes Jas’s place. Felicity is sent to live at the court of King Misha and ordered to seduce him to find a portal home. But her feelings start to get too real, and she’s left with an impossible choice: save the kingdom or tell the truth to the only man she’s ever loved?

Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan is everything readers want a YA fantasy to be. There’s banter, loveable characters, forbidden romance, danger, and a dash of hidden loyalties. I’d say it fulfills the traditional YA fantasy almost too well and uses so many tropes that it became predictable. Don’t get me wrong, I had so much fun reading this book. But I also knew exactly what would happen less than a third of the way through. Every twist was so common that it would’ve been more surprising for the twists not to happen. That being said, I still enjoyed my time reading, I just wish the story could’ve been a little more original.

Since this book is told from two perspectives, readers have two very different plot arcs to fall in love with. My favorite storyline certainly belonged to Felicity. I loved watching her deal with who she was and betraying her heart over serving her kingdom. The battle between free will and destiny was expertly done, as was her internal conflict. She wasn’t traditionally strong, yet I loved her ability to understand the people around her and act accordingly. The last fifty pages or so of her story were a bit rushed (I could’ve used a little more development, both with her character and the plot), but the majority of her story was fun.

While Felicity’s arc is set at court, Jas faces her adventure on the road. I enjoyed watching her battle with her power and autonomy, and embrace who she was. Her character growth was off the charts, and watching her deal (or not deal as the case may be) with her trauma truly felt human. I didn’t like that she was so willing to leave her sister behind after spending the first twenty pages professing her love for her sister, but then again, everyone makes mistakes.

The romances in this book were fun but they could’ve been great. Neither couple had chemistry in the beginning, so it was hard to believe that they fell in love. I adored the internal conflict that romantic feelings caused each character and how they each reacted uniquely, but I didn’t fully buy that they were falling in love.

At the end of the day, Beneath These Cursed Stars is a book I’d happily recommend for anyone new to YA fantasy. As a veteran of the genre, I unfortunately didn’t love it as much as I would’ve a few years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun reading this novel. But it was just a little too easy to recognize the story’s flaws.

Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read an advanced readers copy of Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan.
These Hollowed Vows was one of my series from last year so when I saw that Lexi Ryan was coming out with a new series I knew I needed to get my hands on it!
Once I got approved and added it to my Goodreads list, I did noticed a few bad reviews and I got kind of nervous to read it but thankfully I started it and DEVOURED it. I finished it in a day.
My only problem with the book is I felt like it was a book 2. There was no world building, there’s a magic system we know nothing about unless you read These Hollow Vows then you’ll understand a little bit. Abriella is married, defeated a king, and became Queen and Jasalyn has been rescued from evil king and it’s been a few years after that when this book takes place. So much has happened that we know nothing about and it’s done in a way that makes it feel like it should be common sense? Like if we read book 1 it’d make sense but this is book 1…
Once you get passed that, it’s a really good book. I did notice a few spelling errors but that’s about it. The cliffhanger is going to slowly kill me though, especially since I’m going to have to wait another year or two for the next book!
4 stars