Beneath These Cursed Stars
By: Lexi Ryan
Expected Publication: July 9, 2024 by HarperTeen
432 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fae
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)
*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.
Goodreads description--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.
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.
Beneath These Cursed Stars is a spinoff of These Hollow Vows series. Technically you don't have to read the first series first. I didn't. But I felt like I was missing out through the entire book. The events of the previous books affect this one but affect the characters and their relationships with each other the most. *I have since read the previous books and reviews for them will be coming soon.
Jasalyn was held captive by the previous king when her sister was the rightful heir to the throne. He tortured her but healed her wounds. She is suffering from PTSD and the trauma she endured. But at some point, she buys a magical ring from a witch which takes away her fear and turns her into an Enchanted Lady making everyone obey her every word. It also gives her the kiss of death. She's been using this to kill Mordeus's supporters and the guards who tortured her. Jasalyn is deeply affected by what she experienced, and she can't seem to be what everyone else wants her to be. She can't pretend she's healed or whole or normal.
Felicity is an Echo which means using someone else’s hair she can transform into their body when the hair is on their head. It also gives her one memory of the person she is turning into. Felicity is hiding from her birth father. As soon as she returns to her actual form her birth father will be able to locate her. Felicity and Jasalyn come to an agreement for Felicity to take Jasalyn's place visiting the Wild Fae court because Jasalyn needs some space to breathe, and Kendrick needs her for his mission. Felicity has a part of the mission which happens to include being at the Wild Fae court.
Kendrick is on a mission to save the realm of Elora from corruption. He spent time in the dungeon in a cell next to Jasalyn. She was younger then, but he encouraged her and connected with her through their shared trauma. Although Kendrick never knew the full extent of Jas's torture because she was healed before being returned to her cell. Kendrick needs Jas to help him succeed in his mission. So his friends kidnap her. Jasalyn agrees to help them because she loves Elora and still considers it her home. It represents the beginning of her life. Before she was kidnapped and tortured.
And then there's Misha. He's the king of the Wild Fae court. He's a friend of Jasalyn's sister, Aribella. Aribella wants Jasalyn to stay with Misha for a while until she recovers a little more emotionally from her trauma. Aribella may also be attempting to play matchmaker. Misha never has seen Jasalyn romanticly but things change for him while she's in his court. Unfortunately, the Jasalyn with him is Felicity posing as Jasalyn with her permission. Misha spends his time trying to get Jasalyn out of her shell and teaching her to defend herself should she ever be faced with a situation where someone wishes her harm. You can imagine how he will feel when he finds out that Jasalyn is not who he has been spending time with.
I have barely scratched the surface of the plot. Lexi Ryan does an outstanding job with character development and handling trauma. Of course, I have no experience in the trauma that Jasalyn specifically went through. But Lexi Ryan wrote in a way that felt realistic. The other characters have all been through their share of some trauma. No one is immune to heartbreak. And everyone has their missions and plans. It makes for an intricately woven web.
Beneath These Cursed Stars sucked me in. We get a two-for-one in the romance department. Although, of course, the couples can't be happy right now because there's more to come from the series--at least one more book. But the more the merrier in my opinion. I didn't want to stop reading when I needed to. And I immediately went to find the previous series as soon as I finished this book. Beneath These Cursed Stars gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Beneath These Cursed Stars? What did you think? Let me know!
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