"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 ...
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"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"--Publisher marketing.
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Beauty and the Beast + Lord of the Rings + The Walking Dead
Cerys has had a hard life. Her mother and friends disappeared into the woods when she was little. She was the only one who came out of the woods and her blood had had the power to grow flowers since (Coincidentally, her father is the king�s gardener). After an unthinkable turn of events at her best friend�s coronation, she, the irritating fox she once saved, and a strange bear must go on a quest to stop the madness once and for all.
I ADORED this!! Since Wicked came out 25 years ago, retellings has been my favorite genre because I find a lack of fairytales. But Ashley Poston has brought them back with a bang! THIS is what a fantasy should be. Not those high fantasy books that make you feel stupid because you have no idea what is going on or half the words mean. But a beautiful, lush world with talking animals snd magic. The characters were great, humans, animals, and others alike.
And THAT COVER!!
Buy this for yourself or for anyone who loves a lush, rich fairytale. If you�re twisted, get it for someone who believes they�re too old for fairytales.
Elizabeth
Dec 20, 2020
Lovely and full of whimsy
Are you looking for some serious fairytale vibes, some monsters, some magic, and a quest?
Among the Beast and Briars was a lovely fantasy read, and I hope there is more written in this world. There is a magic crown, a cursed wood, some magic powers, and an adorable fox and a bear for companions. Cerys is just a gardener's daughter, who was cursed with strange blood magic the day that she lost her friends, including the prince of Aloriya, and her mother to the Ancients of the woods. When her best friend is crowned Princess, evil descends from the woods, and Cerys is forced to run to try to find some way to save her friends, family, and home. It will not be an easy journey, and there is lots to enjoy following along on her harrowing quest.
I loved all of the characters, especially Fox, and I found this easy to read, to pick up and put down, and to have a discussion with other readers about it. I definitely felt clever having seen some of the twists coming, but it didn't feel heavy handed or overly obvious, at least to me. I did see other reviews suggesting it was VERY OBVIOUS, so maybe it was just me. The romance was a very typical YA fantasy romance plot line, but I overall enjoyed it, and it didn't feel as insta-love as it otherwise might've, which made me like it more.
Amber
Dec 14, 2020
Loved This Book
First the cover for this book is amazing. The story did not disappoint either. Cerys and Fox are great characters. The Magic in the story was really neat. I loved this. I highly recommend this book!