Ashley Poston

Ashley Poston, acclaimed author of Heart of Iron, returns with a dark, lush fairy tale-inspired fantasy for fans of Sara Raasch and Susan Dennard. Cerys is safe in the Kingdom of Aloriya. Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: When she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse--the magic--in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions a small and irritating fox from the royal garden and the magic in her veins. It's up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it's going to take everything she has just to survive.

Among the Beasts and Briars

Moira

I was pleasantly surprised by Among the Beasts and Briars. I did not have high expectations going into the story since many reviews describe the story as an average YA fantasy story. However, Among the Beasts and Briars has a charming quality to it that made my reading experience enjoyable.

The plot of Among the Beasts and Briars contains many elements familiar to YA fantasy books. A young heroine is cast out of her familiar environment and forced into an adventure she did not wish for or thinks herself capable of. What follows is a quest-like adventure story full of predictable twists and turns. I did not mind the predictability because it gave the story a cosy, comfortable feeling and made me anticipate the promised twists. The pacing of the story is fast, which made it a little bit addictive. The ending, however, felt rushed. I would have enjoyed seeing the fallout of the final events.

In general, the characters were well-known stereotypes within the YA genre. However, there were some original layers to the characterisation. For example, the hero tended to flee at the sign of trouble. The characterisation of the two protagonists were consistent through the story and demonstrated satisfying character growth. Typical of YA fantasy, there is repetitive internal self-doubt and guilt, which was annoying from time to time. Especially the latter because the feeling of guilt of both main characters was completely unreasonable. They were both small children when the traumatic event occurred, and they could have done nothing to chance the outcome. I did enjoy the interactions of the main characters which the side characters. The dialogue was engaging and the banter fun. Lastly, the romance aspect was sweet. There was a lovely friendship at is foundation and I was completely convinced by their connection.

Ashely Poston has an approachable, easy-to-read writing style. The book is writing in dual perspective. This created a fun dynamic between characters and made the reading experience more enjoyable. Both perspectives added to the story since their view and motivations were completely different. Lastly, I enjoyed the voices of the narrators was well. They portrayed the characters well.

The world building is probably the weakest aspect of the story. The magic system is weak and underdeveloped. There was a lot of inconsistency in the world building that pulled me out of the story. What was interesting is the influence of perspective on the interpretation of the lore. The saying “History is written by the conquers” is definitely applicable in this story. However, the curse described in the story is quite graphic and could be scary for young readers.

Concluding, Among the Beasts and Briars is a typical YA fantasy story but with a cozy and charming element. This story is perfect for younger readers new to the YA fantasy genre.

Rating breakdown: plot (3.8/5), characters (3.9/5), writing (3.8/5), worldbuilding (2.8/5), overall enjoyment (4/5)

Trigger warnings: Self-harm, graphic descriptions of monsters, massacre, violence

Lisa van der Heijden 

Rating: 3.7/5.0

 

I was pleasantly surprised by Among the Beasts and Briars. I did not have high expectations going into the story since many reviews describe the story as an average YA fantasy story. However, Among the Beasts and Briars has a charming quality to it that made my reading experience enjoyable.

 

The plot of Among the Beasts and Briars contains many elements familiar to YA fantasy books. A young heroine is cast out of her familiar environment and forced into an adventure she did not wish for or thinks herself capable of. What follows is a quest-like adventure story full of predictable twists and turns. I did not mind the predictability because it gave the story a cosy, comfortable feeling and made me anticipate the promised twists. The pacing of the story is fast, which made it a little bit addictive. The ending, however, felt rushed. I would have enjoyed seeing the fallout of the final events.

 

In general, the characters were well-known stereotypes within the YA genre. However, there were some original layers to the characterisation. For example, the hero tended to flee at the sign of trouble. The characterisation of the two protagonists were consistent through the story and demonstrated satisfying character growth. Typical of YA fantasy, there is repetitive internal self-doubt and guilt, which was annoying from time to time. Especially the latter because the feeling of guilt of both main characters was completely unreasonable. They were both small children when the traumatic event occurred, and they could have done nothing to chance the outcome. I did enjoy the interactions of the main characters which the side characters. The dialogue was engaging and the banter fun. Lastly, the romance aspect was sweet. There was a lovely friendship at is foundation and I was completely convinced by their connection.

 

Ashely Poston has an approachable, easy-to-read writing style. The book is writing in dual perspective. This created a fun dynamic between characters and made the reading experience more enjoyable. Both perspectives added to the story since their view and motivations were completely different. Lastly, I enjoyed the voices of the narrators was well. They portrayed the characters well.

 

The world building is probably the weakest aspect of the story. The magic system is weak and underdeveloped. There was a lot of inconsistency in the world building that pulled me out of the story. What was interesting is the influence of perspective on the interpretation of the lore. The saying “History is written by the conquers” is definitely applicable in this story. However, the curse described in the story is quite graphic and could be scary for young readers.

 

Concluding, Among the Beasts and Briars is a typical YA fantasy story but with a cozy and charming element. This story is perfect for younger readers new to the YA fantasy genre.

 

Rating breakdown: plot (3.8/5), characters (3.9/5), writing (3.8/5), worldbuilding (2.8/5), overall enjoyment (4/5)

 

Trigger warnings: Self-harm, graphic descriptions of monsters, massacre, violence

Ashley Poston, acclaimed author of Heart of Iron, returns with a dark, lush fairy tale–inspired fantasy for fans of Sara Raasch and Susan Dennard. Cerys is safe in the Kingdom of Aloriya. Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: When she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions a small and irritating fox from the royal garden and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.

Among the Beasts & Briars

Gillian Rose

4.5 stars

Oh, this was a lovely fairytale-esque story with wonderful leads in Cerys and Fox. I was entranced the whole time.

I really liked this book. It was a quick fantasy read and the characters were lovable. It ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger so I’m really excited to see what’s next. 

Princess Twasam 

Courtney

3⭐️. Among the Beast and Briars is a fun quick YA fantasy novel. It was very middle of the road fantasy for me. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Fox. I guessed the little “suprise/twist” very early on, but it didn’t ruin the rest of the read. 

I definitelt recommend this for anyone who is starting out with fantasy, is a YA reader or enjoys almost fairytale fantasy with animal characters.

I've had this on my TBR for ages, and I'm so glad I finally decided to pick it up. It was so much fun. Poston did such a wonderful job weaving together the world and characters. I loved the idea of this forest magic, and it was so interesting learning more about it and how it affects the people it infects, which was terrifying. I liked watching Cerys navigate through the woods, and the banter between her and Fox was great. I loved their playfully teasing dynamic, and even though I figured out who Fox was, I liked how it all came together. Poston's writing was lush, descriptive, and so easy to fall into. I flew through it, and read the majority in one day because I didn't want to put it down. The plot may have been a bit predictable and had many of the classic YA fantasy tropes, but I would still recommend it if you're looking for something entertaining that would be perfect for the fall.

Heather Harrington

Libby G

I really enjoyed the story. It wasn’t super long. It was wholesome. Had all the fairytale romance aspects that I like. It had a little romance that luckily didn’t consume the story. My only complaint was that it wrapped up very quickly and some questions weren’t answered

Lincy

Ashley Holstine

This books was creepy and whimsical and thought provoking.

Alexis Aumagamanaia

Cerys is a girl with magic in her blood; her magic stems from a curse that killed her mother and her friends. A curse that, for hundreds of years, has been believed to be extinct while the Forest lies dormant. When a new Queen is crowned, the horrors of the forest come to life and set Cerys on a journey to save herself, her kingdom, and those she loves. Poston’s magical and evocative prose takes us along on this electric journey with her new take on classic fairytales. With wonderfully developed characters and a beautiful sense of world-building, getting lost in this book was just the treat I needed! I cannot wait to get my hands of more of Ashley Postson’s work after reading this. 
HINT: read past the acknowledgments for a sweet surprise 😉

Tegan Anderson

I was gifted the OwlCrate exclusive hardback edition of this book from a friend and it’s one of the prettiest books I’ve ever owned. The reversible dust jacket is beautiful. (And I think the black cover suits the vibe of the book a lot more than the white.)

This book was wonderful in a very quiet, classic way, yet the worldbuilding was still breath-taking and vivid and whimsical. It opens in a simple and quaint part of the kingdom with Cerys, the gardener’s teenage daughter who has magic literally in her blood that marks her survival from the curse in the woods. She’s best friends with the royal heir and a mischievous and melodramatic fox who quickly became my favourite character. The fox hit all of the character tropes I love and then more, and I think that’s all I can say without giving away too much.

A majority of this book takes place on a journey through the forest. Forest settings are the love of my life, especially as someone who basically grew up in the trees. The descriptions really emphasise the creepiness and I love the attention to detail on those affected by the curse, as well as all the other monsters hidden in the shadows. Some of this plot at this point predictable, but it follows the traditional fairytale way of storytelling. It definitely made up for lacked elements in other areas, especially in the slow-burn romance. The bickering and banter brought the characters and their chemistry to life and I was entertained, even if I knew how it was going to end.

This retelling might’ve been a bit too quiet and quaint in some moments, especially in comparison to the type of retellings that I usually lean towards. The first chapter shows Cerys’ mother (view spoiler)[ getting stabbed through the chest by the horns/antlers of one of the forest monsters, then becoming cursed  (hide spoiler)] and there are definitely a few close encounters and wonderful descriptions of other monsters, but (view spoiler)[ they somehow don’t really hold a large role in the story. They’re hyped up to be these intimidating old Gods throughout the book and appear for the final battle scene, but just stand on the sidelines as a decorative threat.  (hide spoiler)] I think I just wished they were more involved and that would’ve really made the book for me. But this also didn’t break the story: the incorporated eerie elements were wonderfully written and added the perfect amount of depth and intrigue to the simplicity.

Finally, my favourite part of this book is that it’s a standalone. I love a good series, but sometimes one perfectly wrapped up book is enough and great on its own. This way, it’s warm and familiar and the type of story that I could turn to for comfort. However, I do love that there are scenes after the ending that suggest that there could be more to come from this universe, possibly about different characters in the world, and it’ll be something I’ll have an interest in reading if it does happen.

I think this review comes off as a bit negative as I feel like I would have to tag the entire thing as a spoiler if I gave more attention to the good parts, so this is my formal statement that I did genuinely love and enjoy so much of this book, more than I can say.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

Brianna 

A gorgeous book with a beautiful plot that unfurls before your very eyes like a beautiful flower in the first days of spring. This book was an in-depth fairy tale adventure and a total blast! The world building was immersive and unique and the  multifaceted characters grow on you like ivy on a trellis. As someone who adores the writing of Ashley Poston, as well as the fantasy genre, I had very high hopes for this story which were very greatly exceeded. This book’s overall vibe and some of the elements displayed throughout the story, reminded me of books like “An Enchantment of Ravens” and “Sorcery of Thorns” by Margaret Rogerson. (Which are also amazing might I add!) So if you liked those books then I highly recommend “Among the Beasts and Briars”!

PS. And if you’re still not convinced after reading this review that this book is for you, might I add that in this book is a very snarky, as well as handsome, love interest.
;)

Jennifer

An atmospheric and picturesque fantasy standalone, Among the Beasts & Briars is a fast-paced fantasy that's rich with visuals, romance, and dark secrets. My experience with this book? I had a pretty decent experience: I easily got into the story and I enjoyed the writing, so that's a good start with the first book that I've read by Ashley Poston.


  "The leaves on the trees we approached were a molten gold, like an artist had taken a sunset and poured it over the forest, and the crisp smell of the coming winter floated on the autumn breeze."


The first thing that jumped right out at me is Poston's atmospheric prose. The way Poston described the worldbuilding in Among the Beasts & Briars is just so vivid and memorable. It's as if the flowers and trees jump right out of the pages. It's also beautifully written and I lowkey want to see the worldbuilding the way Poston described it throughout the novel!!


  "It's what we call the feeling inside you, the part that leads you, draws you forward - toward some great purpose."


It's one thing to understand the plot, but it's another thing to feel what's being written in a book. While Among the Beasts & Briars is a fast-paced book, it's not without its emotionally introspective moments. For example the quotes that explores the notion of human nature and trusting our own intuition.


  "The stories, the history, the magic. Aloriya was far from perfect. It held poison in its roots like an elderberry tree, where you thought all it offered was wine."


So I overall enjoyed the writing style. I think it sates me as a reader as I enjoy visualising thatthings I read in a book and I also loved how well the visual elements mesh with the magic in the book. However, I do have some qualms with the novel. It's the reason why this is a 3.5 star read, rather than a 4 star read.

- Worldbuilding: Worldbuilding is alright, but I would had wanted a bit more about Aloriya than what's currently written in the book. 

- Romance: I wasn't very invested in the romance. The main characters aren't bad nor unlikable but the romance really didn't stick with me.

- Structuring: I was a bit thrown off by the alternating POV's between Cerys and Fox. Though I eventually got used to it later on.

Minor concerns aside, I enjoyed the picturesque writing in Among the Beasts & Briars. To anyone who enjoys atmospheric writing and fantasy books, this quick read is definitely something to look out for.

N.B. Content warnings: https://booktriggerwarnings.com/index...

(3.5 stars out of 5)

Liz Griffin

Wholesome and whimsical and inclusive. At the heart of this story is the Message that you can keep dreaming for more, for that adventure in the great wide somewhere. The mythology of the world really informed the story.

Kristin

I feel so bad for being THIS slow at reading this sweet book! I would probably rate this something between 3 and 4 star. I really liked the whole idea, I mean, a cursed wood with creepy monsters? A really funny fox??? A gardner's daughter who is brave and has magic???? What more can I ask for!? So I really liked the first 3/4 parts of this book... but the ending was a bit too random for me. I liked HOW it ended, I just didn't like how it was done, it felt too quick and easy? But then again, I loved the theme and the whole atmosphere. It kept reminding me of Tangled by Disney for some reason, just way more creepy and dark, but with the same feeling of adventure and witty conversation and fairytale-vibe!

Megan Lapides

This was really cute. It kind of felt like a middle grade written for young adults with how whimsical it was. And it fave A Darker Part of the Forest vibes with all of the dark foresty stuff going on. I loved the bear side kick and thought that was a fun addition (especially because I love bears). I also really enjoyed the writing style; it was cute, clever, whimsical, and even a little funny at times.

Kion Oxley

This book has become one of my favorite books so far this year! 

This was such an easy read and Fox has my heart, here's hoping with get two more books about some side character's I'm very interested in haha

Sam Pulliam

2.5? 3 for a younger audience

“I always thought that gardeners’ daughters couldn’t thrive where our roots didn’t grow. But maybe we were like dandelion tuffs.”

This recently released YA fantasy is about a girl named Cerys who lives in Aloriya. Aloriya is peaceful and picturesque but the woods surrounding the kingdom are cursed. Cerys’ mother and friends were taken by the woods and when the woods come for her remaining friend on the day of her coronation, Cerys, with the help of a fox named Fox, must figure out how to save the kingdom.

What I liked:
I really loved the atmosphere in this book. It’s definitely the strongest part for me. The creepy forest crawling with zombie-esque creatures cursed by the woods themselves really made for strong imagery that was fun to read about. The description of the main threat, the Ancient, also painted a creepy picture and I’d really like to see some fanart of him. I also like the softer side of the atmosphere. Cerys has magic that, among other things, allows her to use her blood to grow plants. Descriptions of a streak of moss or healing plants that seem to be cursed are both vivid and beautiful.

What I didn’t like:
Unfortunately, not much else about this worked for me. I think the pacing was a bit off. I kept zoning out and skimming especially in the middle section. I just wasn’t hooked. The ending was very exciting but was over so quickly; I wanted more of that energy. I also think this is a young YA book. That’s not the book’s fault - this just isn’t for me. I can’t say what really bothered me for the bulk of the book without spoiling it but I’ll just say there is some *very* specific about the romance that I just couldn’t get into. I do think this would be good for a younger audience especially if they’re new to fantasy.

Kayla Borden

“The wood makes monsters of all of us, Cerys.”

An enchanted forest, a powerful crown, and a simple gardener’s daughter on a quest to save her kingdom.

Among the Beasts and Briars is a classic fairy tale full of colorful, nature-themed imagery, magic, and secrets. I wanted to love this book, but I came out of it thinking it was more okay—the story just fell a little flat. The plot, though pretty predictable, made for a fun adventure from start to finish, and there was even some pretty grotesque imagery regarding the curse, bone-eaters and ancients to make things seem dangerous. However, I really didn’t care much about the characters or their relationships, and this vast world Cerys describes didn’t really seem all that vast.

Honestly, Cerys’ character confused me a little. She was curious, innovative and brave, but could also be totally clueless, hot-headed for seemingly no reason…and she would not stop talking about being “just a gardener’s daughter.” Mostly, I didn’t feel like we ever knew what Cerys wanted. She seemed torn about whether to leave her kingdom and venture somewhere new or settle down and marry someone who finds her desirable. Her drive just wasn’t clear.

I saw the twist in the book coming from a mile away, but it was still fun to watch it unfold how it did. I appreciated Fox’s perspective in this case, although I found it annoying in others. I felt like Fox’s and Cerys’ voices blended together to the point that, without chapter headings, I wouldn’t know who was speaking.

Overall, I felt like this story falls on the more juvenile side of YA. If you’re looking for a more adult-leaning fantasy with a really immersive world and complex characters, this probably won’t be for you.

laura

I really wound up enjoying this read. It was a nice balance between a adventure story. I really liked the wrold building and both characters as well. I also thought this book had some quick twists that were hard to predict. I also loved the creepy setting of this read in a spooky forest. I also loved both characters. I can def spy a next novel followign different characters. It was a prefect fall read. this book was a delight.

Kimberly

Samantha Bass

Kelsey Holtaway

This book was exactly what i needed. Fun, fast paced, we got magic and a journey, some romance, a CURSE. I ate this bad boy up.

Dorianne Vervoort

4,5/5

I really liked this book!
It’s really an original fairytale, though, as most fairytales, quite predictable. 
The story was darker than I expected though. Ofcourse it was obvious it was gonna have a happy ending, that didn’t mean the characters didn’t have to fight to get there, even with a little sacrifice. I did not guess everything, which is a very good thing and in the end it came together really well. I did like the happy ending, it didn’t feel like too much for me. 

The writing was also very good and it read fluently. The book has short chapters, which is always a plus for me.

You can read a full review on my blog (https://booksandbotanics.be/2021/04/0...)

Among the Beasts and Briars

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