Among the Beasts & Briars

3.5 stars

A lyrical and whimsical fairytale story about a cursed forest and a girl trying to save her kingdom. It was a really quick and easy read but ultimately did not feel like it did anything new or original compared to other books with a similar premise.

I remember telling everyone how good this book was when I started it. However, one week later, i cant remember anything that happened in it! Kind of a “snack” book to me. Very enjoyable but didnt make a huge impact, could use a sequel to flesh out the world more possibly.

This is a quick paced, easy read. Perfect for when you want something with a straight forward plot, without sacrificing interesting characters. If you enjoy classic fairytales with a darker fantasy twist, this is up your alley.

Interesting that the characters are endearing but there these random “f-bombs”. They seemed out of place.

This book is so magical and whimsical definitely one of my all time favourites

Finally. FINALLY. Just read this in one sitting. And damn wasn't it cute! A real easy read, cute fairytale love story, I loved it for what it was. And Foxes are the best!

Dit verhaal brengt je direct in de sfeer van de klassieke sprookjes, met een spookachtig woud en een epische queeste, maar het slaagde er niet in om mij volledig naar binnen te zuigen. Op zich is er niks mis mee, het plot is solide en het boek brengt een mooi afgerond verhaal, maar voor mij was het net iets te voorspelbaar en ontbrak het aan die wow-factor.

The story was interesting, if predictable. I love fairytale-esque stories, so I enjoyed that aspect of the book. There weren't any surprises in the book, so it sometimes felt like it took the characters way too long to figure things out.

There were some parts of the magic and plot that didn't quite make sense to me, but they were easy to put aside and continue reading. I would be interested to know how many times the words “I'm just a gardener's daughter” or some variation of it came up; it was guaranteed to either make me roll my eyes or let out an exasperated sigh.

Audiobook Review: Not great. The Cerys narrator, with her wavering voice, sounded like she was on the verge of crying the entire time, and the Fox narrator sounded like he wears polo shirts with the collar popped and sunglasses on the back of his head. I was constantly getting distracted by my utter disgust with their voices and would have to go back and listen to sections again because I didn't hear what happened. Which meant I had to listen to their voices again. It was a vicious cycle. (I thought they did a great job when they were doing other voices, but otherwise...no.)

So if Among the Beasts and Briars sounds interesting, read it. Don't listen to the audiobook.

Things that didn't make sense to me: 1. Why did they make such a big deal of Fox being a coward way back when in the woods? He was, what, eight or nine? I'm 26 and afraid to call and order food; you bet your ass I'm hiding from a bone eater trying to kill me.2. On that note, why did it take so long to ‘reveal' that Fox was the prince? It was apparent as soon as he turned into a human, and I would have preferred more time reckoning with the fact he's been a fox for eight years.3. Why were they still trying to keep the crown away from the bone eaters and ancients once they find out they were created after the Woman of the Wilds disappeared, and it was a protection for the woods? Wouldn't that they should have it?4. Why wasn't there more about Cerys' mom being the Grandmaster's daughter?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a lovely story and such a fun, original fairy tale. I know it is loosely based off of Beauty and the Beast, but it stands apart. There are fabulous characters here and I'd even say the hero/love interest is refreshing because he isn't perfect or over-protective. He's young and in new territory. I loved him.

I did have a hard time with the setting as I wasn't sure what technology was available to the characters and kept wondering if they were the only country or city even that had to deal with the forest and why would they put the castle right next to the forest? I'd say some of these questions were answered, so I'm somewhat satisfied, but still wonder about the others.

Following the characters was a lot of fun. The story went in directions I didn't always imagine. I also liked how not everything is explicitly stated or that pieces are given to the reader that maybe the characters don't or can't put together. Great storytelling.

CAWPILE Breakdown:
Characters: 5
Atmosphere: 8
Writing: 6
Plot: 2
Intrigue: 3
Logic: 3
Enjoyment: 4

This book was quite a letdown for me. It started off with this fun adventure to save the kingdom and even though that is an overdone thing in YA fantasy right now, I was super interested in the woodcurse and I loved the idea of a girl and her fox friend saving the kingdom. But that excitement quickly dissipated and I was left creeped out by the budding romance in the story and that completely ruined it for me. I'm sure others will love it but it was so cringe worthy for me I couldn't do it. Not to mention how predictable this book was. I guessed what the big twist was about 15% into the book and there were no surprises. I also think the ending was rushed and everything worked out too perfectly for me to the point it was unbelievable.

Having now read two non-contemporary books by Ashely Poston, I can safely say for me she does not write enjoyable sci-fi or fantasy. I will stick to her contemporary books from now on.

I can see others enjoying and loving this book, but I was unfortunately not one of them. Thanks to the publisher for an early copy of the book!

This book was such an enchanting breath of fresh air! I loved the simple, charming, utterly delightful fairy tale magic of this book. I loved the journeys of the characters and the ending and couldn't help the smile on my face reading this. I mean, there's an enchanted wood, a gardener's daughter with strange magic, a mysterious fox, a lost prince, a magical bear... What else do you need? Absolute treasure!


Thank you to NetGalley and Balzer + Bray for the review copy!