Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan Book Review
These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan is the first book in a new spin-off series of These Hollow Vows. It follows two women as they go on journeys undercover.
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Beneath These Cursed Stars
Author: Lexi Ryan
Narrator: Lauren Ezzo, Katharine Chin, & James Fouhey
Pub. Date: July 30, 2024
Series: book 1 of These Hollow Vows spin-off series
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 432
Rating: 5 stars
Spice: 1 heart
Content Warnings: murder, torture, imprisonment, & kidnapping
Synopsis:
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.
While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.
The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.
Book Review
Thank you to Harper Teen for the ARC of Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan. All opinions are my own.
Before reading this book, I read both These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds and loved both of them. I was so excited to read this first book in this spin-off series, and it did not disappoint!
If you haven’t read the These Hollow Vows duology, I would recommend reading them first because a lot of the world building takes place in those books, and this book takes place after those two books.
Thoughts
Unlike the other books in this world, Beneath These Cursed Stars mainly follows two points of view and an additional POV at the end of the book. I really liked reading from all the different perspectives, and I enjoyed the romances of each main character.
The first POV in the story is Jasalyn, Brie’s sister. She is living as a scared princess by day and a maiden of death by night. When the opportunity arises to team up with Kendrick, a man she met when imprisoned by Mordeus, she decides to take it. In order to be able to leave without Brie knowing, she agrees to allow Felicity, a shapeshifter, to take her place. Thinking she’s Jasalyn, Brie sends Felicity to go stay with King Misha in his court, where she gets to know him while trying prevent the fated prophecy about herself from coming true.
I loved both Jasalyn and Felicity as main characters, and I enjoyed the romances between them and their respective love interests. There were a lot of cute moments that made me smile.
The plot of this book was so fun, and the story ended in a way that makes me want the next book immediately. I hope that I don’t have to wait too long for it!
I listened to the audiobook for this book and really enjoyed the narrators. I thought they did such a great job, and I liked how both main characters had different narrators.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book!
Where to Read & Purchase
You can purchase a copy of this book at the following retailers:
Bookshop.org (supports independent book stores) [affiliate]
Libro.fm (audiobooks that support independent book stores) [affiliate]
→ get a free audiobook when you start a membership
Chirp (get 30% off your first purchase with code: JESS30)
Amazon [affiliate]
Books a Million (BAM) [affiliate]
AbeBooks [affiliate]
You can also find this book on:
Everand (30-Day FREE Trial)
Have you read Beneath These Cursed Stars or any other books by Lexi Ryan?
I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment down below.
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