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kelly24lox's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
stardust_priestess's review against another edition
4.0
Great concept and plot. I love that the main character is such a disjointed one. Is she good is she bad, what’s with all the chaos and dangerousness. It’s almost like a click in her brain, then boom (she’s the big bad for a moment). I’m excited to read the second book and find out who can climb out of darkness. The relationship between Ale and Emanuela upsets me because she is so awful to him at times. If he is dependent upon her it is because she makes it that way. I’m happy to see him standing up on his own and making choices, I look forward to seeing him grow as a character in the sequel.
Also anyone else get serious Avatar flashbacks thinking is blood bending? or is that just me...
Also anyone else get serious Avatar flashbacks thinking is blood bending? or is that just me...
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
3.0
rep: lesbian m/c, gay side character, sapphic side character
content warnings: blood, gore, violence, body horror and mutilation, death, murder, self harm
Ever since this was announced as 'a weird fantasy book about a tiny chaos lesbian who’s going to save her world—or burn it all down trying', I was hooked and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. While, I did enjoy it, Beyond the Ruby Veil takes 'unlikeable female character to a whole other level. She's chaotic, destructive, egotistical, downright cruel, and had zero redeeming qualities. She's not an anti-hero, she's a bloody villain and through the whole book I was rooting for someone to take her down. Simply put, I enjoyed this much less purely because of how horrible our protagonist is - and I love 'unlikeable female character'. But I struggled with Emanuela and I think it's mainly because I felt we never really have a reason to root for her, never really understood why she was so driven, why she needed to be so cruel, and like I said - she had no redeeming qualities.
That being said, I did enjoy her relationship with Verene, it was interesting - and I was actually more interested in Verene as a character - and I may read the next book just to see how this relationship/potential enemies-to-lovers romance plays out.
Beyond the Ruby Veil is a dark, bloody, and cruel novel about magic, secrets, and power that I am sure fans of fantasy will enjoy.
content warnings: blood, gore, violence, body horror and mutilation, death, murder, self harm
Ever since this was announced as 'a weird fantasy book about a tiny chaos lesbian who’s going to save her world—or burn it all down trying', I was hooked and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. While, I did enjoy it, Beyond the Ruby Veil takes 'unlikeable female character to a whole other level. She's chaotic, destructive, egotistical, downright cruel, and had zero redeeming qualities. She's not an anti-hero, she's a bloody villain and through the whole book I was rooting for someone to take her down. Simply put, I enjoyed this much less purely because of how horrible our protagonist is - and I love 'unlikeable female character'. But I struggled with Emanuela and I think it's mainly because I felt we never really have a reason to root for her, never really understood why she was so driven, why she needed to be so cruel, and like I said - she had no redeeming qualities.
That being said, I did enjoy her relationship with Verene, it was interesting - and I was actually more interested in Verene as a character - and I may read the next book just to see how this relationship/potential enemies-to-lovers romance plays out.
Beyond the Ruby Veil is a dark, bloody, and cruel novel about magic, secrets, and power that I am sure fans of fantasy will enjoy.
hannahinpages's review against another edition
2.0
2.5??
I'm not entirely sure about my rating on this one. Beyond The Ruby Veil has left me feeling incredibly conflicted, so let's talk about it!
First and foremost, the marketing of this book as sapphic is pretty untrue. There was barely an ounce of anything remotely sapphic, just a couple of vague sentences. I think it would be better off as marketed as just an enemies story between two powerful and unlikeable women. There was more talk about the MLM side character than the WLW lead.
Now let's talk about our WLW lead.
I didn't like our leading lady, and unlikeable characters are usually my cup of tea. They're compelling, unique, and intriguing. But our MC was missing all three. There was nothing about her to make her remotely interesting. Her lines and motives fell flat and ended up being annoying more than anything else. Unlikeable characters need a push and pull about them, or else they can be misery to read. The mistreatment and honestly verbal abuse of her best friend felt entirely unnecessary in her overall character arc. At times it felt like the book was trying too hard to make her arrogant, unlikeable, and different, leading to disjointed dynamics and sequence.
Overall the story was entertaining, and I enjoyed the dark aspects of the plot. Dark fantasy stories are among my favorites, so it's no surprise there. However, something was missing from the story for me. That, mixed with the general discontent with our characters, ultimately lead to a disappointing read.
I'm not entirely sure about my rating on this one. Beyond The Ruby Veil has left me feeling incredibly conflicted, so let's talk about it!
First and foremost, the marketing of this book as sapphic is pretty untrue. There was barely an ounce of anything remotely sapphic, just a couple of vague sentences. I think it would be better off as marketed as just an enemies story between two powerful and unlikeable women. There was more talk about the MLM side character than the WLW lead.
Now let's talk about our WLW lead.
I didn't like our leading lady, and unlikeable characters are usually my cup of tea. They're compelling, unique, and intriguing. But our MC was missing all three. There was nothing about her to make her remotely interesting. Her lines and motives fell flat and ended up being annoying more than anything else. Unlikeable characters need a push and pull about them, or else they can be misery to read. The mistreatment and honestly verbal abuse of her best friend felt entirely unnecessary in her overall character arc. At times it felt like the book was trying too hard to make her arrogant, unlikeable, and different, leading to disjointed dynamics and sequence.
Overall the story was entertaining, and I enjoyed the dark aspects of the plot. Dark fantasy stories are among my favorites, so it's no surprise there. However, something was missing from the story for me. That, mixed with the general discontent with our characters, ultimately lead to a disappointing read.
bethpepper127's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
blesstherainss's review against another edition
4.0
Actual Rating: 3.8 stars
I picked up this book today stuck in a reader's block, unable to continue reading the laborious series I was nearly finished with. I was looking for something fresh, something shameless, and Fitzgerald did just that.
In the lone fantasy city of Occhia encircled and embraced by the red veil, protagonist Emanuela Ragno has no apprehensions about getting exactly what she wants and nothing less. From the very first scene where we see her shred her heritage--and mother's wedding dress--in favor of a scandalous but stylish creation of her own, we know that this book will not go quietly. Times are changing, people change it, and although Emanuela goes about this change in an unconventional mean, readers can sympathize with her reasoning.
In a novel asking us if the ends really justify the means, Mara Fitzgerald poses the question of tradition's worth if it formed on blood-soaked fields, if one should be spared for the good of many, and, almost just as importantly in my eyes, if these two powerful girls are finally going to kiss.
I picked up this book today stuck in a reader's block, unable to continue reading the laborious series I was nearly finished with. I was looking for something fresh, something shameless, and Fitzgerald did just that.
In the lone fantasy city of Occhia encircled and embraced by the red veil, protagonist Emanuela Ragno has no apprehensions about getting exactly what she wants and nothing less. From the very first scene where we see her shred her heritage--and mother's wedding dress--in favor of a scandalous but stylish creation of her own, we know that this book will not go quietly. Times are changing, people change it, and although Emanuela goes about this change in an unconventional mean, readers can sympathize with her reasoning.
In a novel asking us if the ends really justify the means, Mara Fitzgerald poses the question of tradition's worth if it formed on blood-soaked fields, if one should be spared for the good of many, and, almost just as importantly in my eyes, if these two powerful girls are finally going to kiss.
annehalliwell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Quite enjoyed that! Back in the day, I thought I needed characters to root for in my books. Turns out: nope!
misskiwi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
meswauncyc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25