DNF at 22%. This book has not engaged me and the language used is. . . ick at best. For example, “since my breasts were dangling flesh ornaments with tips that did nothing for him.” And “cock pocket”. I loved the premise of this book but the writing style is coming off as young.

3 stars and confusion

This book had a great hook — Atlantis ruled by water fae, a lost heir, political tension, some grief, some magic. I went in really excited. And to be fair, the first chunk of the book delivered. The last bit too. But everything in between? That’s where it lost me.

Asherah, our main character, had potential, but I couldn’t connect with her the way I wanted to. I didn’t feel much for her or the other characters, even when the stakes were high. The romance took over a lot of the plot, and it happened way too fast for me to care — especially when there was literally the fate of humanity hanging in the background. I wanted her to explore the world more, react more, do more.

The writing was a bit uneven — some lines really worked, others felt awkward or out of place. Some dialogue felt more modern than the world around it, which made the tone wobble a bit.

That said, I loved the queernorm world, the way mental health and bodily autonomy were treated with care, and the ambition of the story. It’s clear the author has a big vision, even if it didn’t fully come through for me this time. I didn’t love the book, but I’m curious enough to continue and see where it all goes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quick Summary: An Atlantian fantasy romance

My Review: The Veiled Heir by S.T. Fernandez is book #1 in The Heir of Atlantis series. It was released in 2024.

About the Book: "Heir to a Fae throne she didn't know was hers. A daunting task to save humanity. A passionate love nurtured through her grief.

Asherah Delmar... is thrust into an ancient world she thought to be a myth.

With the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders, an inexplicable connection to the Commander of the Guardians, Draevyn Eliron, may be the only thing holding her together."

In My Own Words: A young royal, who just so happens to be an elemental water fae, is raised among humans. On the day of her mother's death, she learns about her special heritage, as well as about the challenges that she, her people, and all humanity face. With her close family and committed allies, she does everything in her power to claim her rightful place as queen.

My Final Say: This was a fantastic story! It had great characters, sensational lore & mythology, incredible world building, and non-stop action. There was an element of mystery and an ongoing threat of the unknown that drove the story forward. The protagonists were plentiful. The politics, prophecies, ceremonies, and plan of action were tremendously revealing. The love between the leads was intense. I cannot wait to see what comes next. Well done!

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

Entertaining
Great world building
Action-packed
Page-turner
Wonderful characters
Steamy
Easy-to-read
Original
Unpredictable
Twisted
Romantic
Tear-jerker

Other: Readers who enjoy supernatural fantasies, fae romances, fated mate love stories, royal/bodyguard matches, hidden identity scenarios, and underwater mystery/adventures will appreciate this one.

Rating: 4.25/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA to A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Status/Level: 🔱❤️🌶️

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Azalea Press), and to NetGalley. Thank you for providing access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review. I look forward to continuing with this series.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review.

DNFed at about 50%. I really tried to get through this one but it just didn’t hold my attention. The story wasn’t particularly bad, though it was incredibly predictable. There were lots of slow points, especially during the MFC’s lessons about their people, so I skimmed a lot of that.

The language is startlingly young teenage and horrendously cringey in multiple places – anything between ‘his succulent lips’ (Has anyone ever said that ever? Ew.) to ‘cock pocket’ (I mean, come on.) and I just died laughing. To be fair, this might have been edited out since I received the ARC.

I did enjoy how diverse the cast was and the views on gender in the Queendom. It was a nice take on the lost city of Atlantis, and the general world building was done well.

I would say a younger audience would enjoy this, but to be aware of the trigger warnings and spice level for sure. If you enjoyed Rhapsodic, I feel like the vibe was similar to how I felt reading that, and maybe I would have finished it if I was in my mid-teens.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc, unfortunately this book was not for me. i felt like some of the dialogue didnt flow well and it really took me out of the story. that's just a personal thing tho, i would still recommend this to others

There were far more triggers in this book than I was comfortable with, and the listing for the book did not indicate this. I would recommend NetGalley include a section from the author at the bottom of the listing either including the triggers or a note that there are significant triggers since we cannot sample the book before requesting.

Anything Atlantis and I'm hooked!
This book offers a unique blend of fantasy and romance, immersing us in a vivid underwater kingdom.

Asherah Delmar, discovers her true identity as the heir to the Queendom of Atlantis following her mother's sudden death, leading her to discover her secret heritage and the realm of Water Fae, a whole new world to her.

I thought there were some really rich descriptions of the underwater world Ash was thrust into and the pacing was really good to start with going into the new world but then fell a little flat with a lot of description which i found a bit hard to keep reading but i wanted to find out what happened and I'm glad I did!

Thanks to Netgalley and Azalea Press for an e-arc of the Veiled Heir.


***Spoilers ahead in this review so proceed at your own risk.

This book wasn’t bad, but it had one too many tropes for me. I found myself wanting to DNF it so many times, but I ended up reading it just to see if I was right about things and I was. Just wasn’t sure how it was going to get there at some moments.

I think I’m over the bond mates/chosen one trope and that’s on me, not the book or the author are at fault for me picking this up.

If you like fated mates, the chosen one, heir who didn’t know about the secret fae world, evil power hungry enemy, etc then you will eat this book up. I also liked how it's a retelling of Atlantis and how they are water fae and all the elements are ruled over by different factions of fae. There was some interesting world building and I liked seeing how the politics and powers were intertwined around Atlantis and other queendoms, which I hope there is more of in the next book.

With that though, there were just a number of things I just didn't care for and there was one part though, that made me want to instantly DNF: an imprinting type scene. The MMC “felt this pull towards something” and turns out he discovered the queen had had a baby and he knew that he would do everything to protect her. I didn’t like it in twilight and I don’t like it here, or any other books that do this.

Okay well here ends my chaotic thoughts on this. I will say I’m still interested in reading her other works though. So take that as you see fit.

The premise of Atlantian fae caught my attention immediately when I read the blurb for this one! The world building was fascinating and detailed yet easy to follow, so I had no trouble immersing myself in the story. The court politics were probably my favorite aspect of the book.

While the romance felt a bit too instalove for my taste, the story was so captivating that I didn’t mind. I appreciate how unique this was, and after that ending I know I’ll be picking up book 2 when it’s available!

**Thank you to Azalea Press for the free copy. All opinions are my own**

The Veiled Heir was definitely worth the read. The world-building was rich and immersive, and I found myself drawn into the complex relationships and political intrigue. The characters were well-developed, and I appreciated the slow-burn tension that kept me hooked throughout and it was an engaging and satisfying story. If you enjoy fantasy with layers of mystery and depth, this book is a solid choice. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next!

I was super excited for this one. I love tropes that revolve around seemingly ordinary people suddenly finding out they have magic, or a whole other life they were supposed to live. I was drawn in right off the start. I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters but liked them enough to have it not distract to much from the over all story. I wasn't a huge fan of the romance part but that's more a me thing since I am not really into insta love. I think that the best thing about this book is the over all inclusiveness and its take on mental health. The middle of this book kinda dragged a bit for me I just felt that the pacing backed way off. Oh my gosh though that ending! I am interested to see how book two goes!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This story is filled with many things, Hidden identities, Dark secrets, mystery, action, personal growth, a complex web of magic, political drama, satisfying twists etc. I loved the main characters so much. One of my favourite scenes from this book is the part where the revelation happens. The author provided this scene with a vivid sense of atmosphere, the tension in the air is so intense that the whole room erupts in disbelief and anger from some, while others are stunned!!! It’s not just about the power here, it’s about getting their identity back, and the sense of belonging they've been denied. This book had all the potential for a 5-star, but the author's over-explanations in some places dragged it down to a 3-star.

This was a unique and different read for sure, I found myself enthralled by the idea of an underwater world with a complex political kingdom that our main character needed to learn to navigate. I also loved that the characters were all wonderfully diverse and there was a big play on mental health which was refreshing.

The overall plot was interesting, and found myself wanting to pick up the book and read what happens next. The ending definitely has me wanting to get the next book in my hands to find out what happens next!

One thing I found bugged me a bit was the romantic interest, it felt very insta-love to me and I would have liked more of a slow burn and to have more time to get to know the characters and really WANT them to be together before it happens… but that just may be a personal preference … then again if a beautiful fae male that looks like Jason Mamoa showed interest in me I would probably fall instantly as well 😂

Overall I recommend this to anyone who loves romantasy stories that are centred around fae and grew up loving H20 just out of water because the young girl in me who grew up dreaming of becoming a mermaid thoroughly enjoyed getting to live out this dream through the main character’s journey!


Thank you to S.T. Fernandez, Azalea Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in an exchange for my honest review.

The Veiled Heir was a really fun romantasy read! I felt like this book had a lot of the classic elements that we love in a book, including: he falls first, elemental foe, found family, spice, etc. and still brought a very unique experience as an Atlantis retelling. I enjoy some books with a bit of insta-love and felt like this was able to give me that as well.

Romance, politics, and magic, a winning combination! The writing style was great and she created such a vivid world, I was on a rollercoaster from start to finish! Asherah is a marine biologist, living a quiet and happy life, until one day her mom is murdered and she finds out her mom was the Queen of Atlantis and now she's thrust into a world she doesn't understand. I loved how determined she was to prove herself to her people, and watching her grow into her own was wonderful! Draevyn is her goddess chosen mate and this world has a very interesting bonding ceremony. I loved him, he was the perfect romantic hero! There were lots os twists and turns and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

What an interesting take on the lost city of Atlantis! I really enjoyed the magic of the Water fae, and the journey that Asherah goes through to learn about her family and families culture.

The Veiled Heir is the first in a new fantasy romance series by S.T. Fernandez. Asherah has had a wonderful life living in the Florida Keys and is getting ready to start a new chapter in California as a marine biologist, except life throws her an ultimate curve ball. The night before she leave for Cali her parents show up at her home and say they need to leave and are being hunted but not by normal humans but by Fire Fae. Her mother ends up dying and now Asherah finds out her parents were keeping a huge secret, her mother was Queen of the Water Fae and Asherah is her heir. Now her world is thrown upside down as she ties to learn all about the Fae and her new realm that she is suppose to rule. There are Fae that want her to not rule and to enslave humans as the next ice age looms every closer. Asherah also meets her mate so there's the romance part but also it's more insta lust. The story was pretty good but there were parts where I question how Asherah would move from her grief into her fierceness and I felt that I didn't see that until the end but I am looking forward to the next story.

Thank you to Netgalley and S.T.Fernandez for the arc.

I’d never read an Atlantis retelling before, so I was really looking forward to this. The plot was interesting, but I could’ve done without the romance. I didn’t like Draevyn; I get that they’re mates, but he was way too flirty, and his advances were anything but subtle. Honestly, I think I only stuck around for the political intrigue. Asherah was a strong FMC, except when her judgment was clouded by lust. I’m no prude, but this was basically just p0rn with a plot. I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I didn't enjoy the book and ended up skimming the last few chapters. If anyone’s looking for mer p0rn with a plot, this might be for you.

“The Veiled Heir,” by S. T. Fernandez

I loved this book! I loved the mermaid/water fae lore of the Atlantis people. The FMC is relatable and is a great character that was always willing to do the right thing even if it’s harder. I fell in love with the entire story and the ending was so freaking good. I seriously can’t wait for the next book in The Heir of Atlantis series. I loved the tension with the romance, and I was continuously glued to the pages in hopes they would work out. Everything about the book was perfect. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Water Fae/Mermaids
-Magic

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.