I always thought that gardeners’ daughters couldn’t thrive where our roots didn’t grow. But maybe we were like dandelion tuffs.
among the beasts and briars, ashley poston
Author: Ashley Poston
Publication Date: 20 October 2020
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Reading Method: Physical [Owlcrate Backlog]
Page Count: 352
Dates Read: May 15 – 17
Synopsis:
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.
Review:
Yet another adventure in “Haley and Kim tackle their Owlcrate backlog” journey in the books! The freaking cover of this one is stunning as heck and I was stoked to get into it. The Owlcrate edition also has beautiful sprayed edges and I *swoon.* I’ve only read one other Poston book in the past and it was a romance, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this fantasy, but I enjoyed what I had read from her in the past.
Plot:
This book had everything I love – a gardener’s daughter on a quest to save the kingdom, magical woods, a curse, a snarky companion, loveable animal companions… the list goes on and on. The crew must make their way through the woods to a potentially mythical city while being hunted by bone eaters and ancients. I felt like there was maybe a bit too much in the middle that made the storyline feel a bit redundant. And there were lots of potential plotlines that were barely explored that I would have liked to have explored a little more in depth.
Characters:
Our MC is Cerys. She’s the daughter of a gardener, best friend to the future queen, and has lost her mother and friend to the woods. She has a quiet kind of bravery, but let’s herself get lost to self-doubt quite often. I didn’t love that about her, but then again, she’s a kid with a really tough mission ahead of her. I think we would all probably be wondering if we could even do what she is tasked to do, so ya know – benefit of the doubt and all that. Oh – and she has magic blood that makes things bloom and grow, which is ridiculously cool. She has a bit of fire in her and I love her snarkiness towards Fox.
Which brings me to my favorite character – Fox. Fox is actually a fox, it’s not just a nickname. It’s literally impossible to say much about Fox without giving anything away, but who wouldn’t want a fox friend following them around and going on adventures?
There are a bunch of other characters that make little appearances. My favorite of these is Vala – a big ole bear who makes the journey with Cerys and Fox. I would lay down my life for Vala and that’s not even a joke. I almost can’t handle animals in books. They’re too precious and I would do anything for them.
Overall:
I really enjoyed Among the Beasts and Briars! I would have bought this book purely based on the cover, but the inside is beautiful as well. Though there was a little drag in the middle, it picked back up at the end and I liked the way everything resolved. There was just a certain ethereal, magical feel throughout the entire story and I loved the journey.
