Beyond the Veil

Zodiac Academy #8.5

by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti, Bridget Bordeaux (Narrator)

The stars called us.
The Veil closed at our backs.
And now death holds us in its clutches.

We were torn from life before our time, a Savage King, his queen, a betrayed son, a wronged brother, a scorned wife and so many more. We watch those we left behind as they struggle against the grip of the stars, the answers to so many of their questions within our grasp and yet out of their reach.

But what if we could find a way to answer their pleas? What if we could find a way to help them from this side of the divide? And what price would such a thing come at?

*This is a bridging book which takes place beyond The Veil (in the land of the dead) during the events of book 8 in the Zodiac Academy series. It should be listened to after book 8 to avoid spoilers for that book and holds the answer to what takes place for the characters who are held within the clutches of death by this point in the story, as well as vital clues to the conclusion of this epic series.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Vampires, Dark Romance

16 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 28, 2023

About the author

I'm a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Zodiac Academy series. I write all things dark romance, from fantasy to contemporary, high school bully to mafia, there's bound to be a book for you!

Me and my sister Susanne Valenti now write books together and we've built the most amazing, fun, crazy reader group on Facebook which we would LOVE you to join. Be the first to get teasers of upcoming books, plus interact with us daily, asks us questions, make friends with other book junkies and find your reader home.

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For all business inquiries please contact us at>>

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For more information, special editions, signed books and more, check out my website here >>

www.kingshollow.co.uk

Reviews

[SK (Back for good this time? We'll see) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stars have spoken.. the authors are toying with the readers for money grab and it's sadly working

What is the point of this so-called "bridging book that the readers apparently can't skip"? Idk you tell me, cause all I read was absolutely pointless stuff and a recap of the events of Sorrow and Starlight through dead people's eyes.

This book could have been 250 pages short. No no, this book could not have existed in the first place at all.

The Blue Lance crumbs we got were crumbs of crumbs. I liked Darius (duh), his initial chapters were interesting. I liked Hail Vega, he is a good dude. I did not like Azriel.

Did we learn anything new? YES, that the authors are conniving in their marketing tactics to keep readers hooked but it's all just a long elaborate scam to get money.

The sisters have absolutely DESTROYED this beautiful series and I bet they have ZERO intention of ending it anytime soon.

I swear the only reason am continuing with this series is because of the characters whom I've come to adore, otherwise BYE BYE 👋

~•~•~

Finally get to read this. PLEASE DO NOT DISAPPOINT ahhh

~•~•~

It's probably not even going to be that good. It's probably just another trick by the authors to get us to buy/read because we love the characters so much. Its a shame what they have done to the series.

Yeah I'll still read it because of my bae Lance Orion

[m · Rating 1 out of 5]

did you hear about the girl who lives in delusion?

yeah me. I’m going to be dead and rotting the time we get an actual ending.

[Clace · Rating 1 out of 5]

How much milking is too much milking??
ISTG up untill book 6 this series was amazing!! I even enjoyed book 7 ngl but book 8 was eh and this is the worst and 9 isn't looking better either. So just prayers now🙏🏻 😭
.___.
This bridging novella better be important or I'll 👊🏻

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 1 out of 5]

it's astonishing how the autors keep milking this series for what it's worth .. we all just want the ending and last book, but instead we get this book about dead people no one cares about 💀

the only things worth mentioning:
⤐ DADDY HAIL VEGA. that's why you were King baby. the way he calls Darcy 'his little darling' was everything to me 🥺 she is mine, Hail and Orion's baby and so beloved. the way Hail adores Orion for being the best mate to his little darling, but keeps on shitting on Darius and even prefers Caleb to him gave me life ajadksds
⤐ Hail and Merissa being #2 bluelance shipper after myself of course 💅
⤐ Azriel was so not daddy material. at the beginning i liked him, but he started to get creepier with every chapter with how much he shipped Darius and Orion pre Darcy like ???? what - bro why do you want to see your son fucking his best friend so bady ... that's not normal 🙃 Azriel kept shipping his son with Darius, Leon or Gabriel .. that man has never seen a platonic male-male friendship in his life and it shows 😭
⤐ the bluelance crumbs were not crumbling much, but it was still cute to see some of their scenes from other people's pov cuz their love is just precious and breathtaking 🥺💖 they are widely beloved and everyone was so happy that they are togehter my heart is full <3

if ZA9 is getting delayed to 2024 because the authors needed to write this shitshow then i'm marching to the UK to sue them 🤸

[Iqra · Rating 1 out of 5]

War is over 🥹 I crawled tf outta that shit CLINGING to my life with broken nails but I made it… I made it 🗣️ — *wraps arms around knees, scrunches into a ball and sobs hysterically*

Also for those of u who don’t wanna be in my position, don’t waste ur time with this, just read the last 4 chapters. Thank me after <3333

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

It’s time bitchesssss 🤭

***

I’ll take any and every ZA crumb I can get 🙏

[Ri ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I looked into her green eyes, trying to show her what she was to me, what she had been. My salvation.”

The authors are just destroying this series for money. Zodiac Academy is one of my favourite series and it's breaking my heart how these authors are busy writing these useless novellas instead of writing the final book that we all deserve. This is my lowest rating for any book in this series and right now I have no hope in this series. I just want it to be over in April.

Beyond the Veil is the most useless and boring book in this series. The authors are calling it the so called bridging novella, in which we will get more answers and clues about the finale, but in reality, it's just the repetition of what happened in Sorrows and Starlight from the dead people's pov. Darius' pov saved this book for me.

I hated all the dead people in this book except Darius of course. I did not needed to know how they were living and meddling and helping with the lives of living people. I did not wanted to know about their dead drama because I already have a lot on my plate with the living world of Solaria.


╰┈➤ What I liked in this book:

➛ I liked knowing about how Darius was missing, grieving, helping and loving from beyond the veil. How he was so jealous everytime anyone says anything about her. All the MY WIFE moments. How he desperately wanted to reunite with her in the living world. He was a mess 😭

I moved up behind her, coiling my arms around her waist, leaning in to press my lips to her neck, goosebumps rising across her flesh at my touch like she really could feel me. “I’m here,” I promised her again. “And I’m not giving up. We’ll rip The Veil to shreds if that’s what’s required for us to be together again. I’m yours Roxy. There is only you,” I swore, holding her tighter while the world fell to ruin in her flames surrounding us.

➛ I was paitently waiting for bluelance crumbs but we got NOTHING. We didn't even got crumbs of crumbs. It was just alternate pov of what happened in Sorrows and Starlight, but they definitely made this book slightly better and bearable for me.

Lance spoke in a low voice to Gwendalina. “You will marry me.”
“You know, people usually ask someone if they want to marry them, not just command it,” she whispered.
“You’re already mated to me by the stars, what’s there to ask?” Lance demanded.
“Just because we’re mated doesn’t mean you get to skip a proposal.” Gwendalina shot him a sharp look and I smirked. Give him hell, little darling.
“So you’d better ask really, really nicely the next time you bring this up. And I am making no promises that I’ll say yes.”

➛ Another saving grace in this book is torydarius moments and the moment when Darius had to watch Seth and Caleb fucking in his wife's room. That scene had me cackling and it is the best chapter in this book 😂😭 You all have to read that chapter and I can't wait for the hilarious discussion they all are gonna have about this!

“I thought I was your perfect dom fantasy, Seth?” I joked. “Have you really moved on already? I feel like you could have picked Dante or someone a bit more rugged though – Cal is too pretty to really pull off the daddy vibes, don’t you think?”

This book adds absolutely NOTHING to the plot. So, if anyone wants to skip this book, please do it. Or you can just read chapter 14, 21, 27 and 28. These chapters have all the torydarius crumbs you want and the only chapters that matters in this book.

All I want right now is the last book in this series. I am so done with ZA. Hopefully, the twisted sisters won't destroy the last book.



——————
I am here for torydarius crumbs 😭 plus its time to get ready for the finale of this series!

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAYYYY I LOOOOOVED THIS BOOK SM!! Seeing everything from beyond the veil pov made it so so so much better! TANDEM READ 8 and 8.5! Trust me, you WILL NOT REGRET IT

[Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler Warning bc it's book 8.5 and it's impossible to talk about it without them...... seriously, I am going to talk about all the things!


2.5 stars(bc I had to skim a lot!)
We already knew this was a filler book and it most definitely is, so my expectations going in weren't really high and I still ended up skimming half this book. This was mostly just book 8 but from the perspective of the dead. So, a lot of recycled scenes, like word for word sometimes. Exhausting.
Also, if your fave ship is Tory/Darius you will probably love this book bc it's SO MUCH Tory worship. I like them but they are not my fave so for me it was just meh. This could have been a novella and there were so many unnecessary characters and subplots, aka, the Lion shifter lady, I basically skipped that whole part bc NO.

Ok so that being said, I can say there were actually some REALLY sweet and funny scenes in the book that I did really love. So here is what I actually loved!

DADDY VEGA!!- Omg, this man is so precious, I can't! He gave me so many absolutely sweet precious lines about his daughters and Gabriel I was cheesing so big! The banter he had with Darius was so funny and the way he adores THE PERFECT MAN TO EVER BE WRITTEN LANCE ORION was EVERYTHING!!! And he was just genuinely fun and funny! It actually made me really sad bc you see what the twins and Gabriel could have had in a father. Oh and the whole thing with Marcel was so funny too, the wing slaps!

DADDY AZRIEL ORION-I mean obviously we knew that Orions papa was going to be a sweetheart and he totally was! I loved him so much and the way he loves DARCY!!!!! My heart was exploding! BUT THE BEST THING????!!! OMG AZRIEL WAS A DARIUS/LANCE SHIPPER before Darcy came along!!!!! I have no words, this was amazing! And I agree if there were no Darcy, I would totally be a Lance/Darius shipper too bc no one cuddles like they do!

CHAPTER 21-If you ONLY read this chapter it's worth it! This is the funniest thing I have ever read, I seriously had tears streaming down my face from laughing! My babies Seth and Caleb and........ Darius!! One of my favorite chapters of this series ever, it's comedy gold! Also there was a criminal lack of the heirs in this book so at least I got a recycled moment with my precious babies Seth and Caleb.

💙EVERY SINGLE CRUMB OF DARCY AND LANCE💙- There wasn't much, but I ate every piece I got up! The way Hail calls Darcy his Little Darling 😭All the times Azriel loved on them as a couple and all the love and respect Hail has for Lance was beautiful. I would have loved more especially since my faves have been sidelined for two books now but hoping we get it all in book 9.

Fave quotes💙

"There was only her. My one. My only, my wife."

"When one falls to the dark, the other shall be their guiding light."

"I shall do everything in my power to protect my son" - Hail talking about Gabriel 😭

Hail sighed heavily. "I preferred the blonde one," he grunted. -Hail was team Caleb 😂

"Gwendalina ever enthralled me, her wild spirit and open mind having guided her so well in this world of power and adversity. She sought trouble and adventure as keenly as it seemed so seek her, so perhaps I should have been less surprised to find her in these dangerous circumstances. Not her. Not my little darling.

"There wasn't a Fae in any realm, in any time, that I would have chosen for Lance over Darcy Vega." -Azriel talking about Darcy

"Lance is the man he is bc of you, his love for you has always given him the strength he needed in the darkest of times. Thank you for creating one of the most important people in my life. Lance was one of the few bright points in my existence for a very long time and he ahs that brightness because of you."

"Go on son!" I roared to Lance. "Give him hell!"
"Son?" Azriel hooked an eyebrow up at me.
"He is that to me, Azriel," I said fiercely.
"And Gwendalina is a daughter to me." 😭😭😭😭

[manas · Rating 2 out of 5]

susanne valenti & caroline peckham are winning all the awards for writing absolute blather.

[lulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

i liked seeing some of the dynamics from beyond the veil and some characters’ feelings towards the others, but this could have been way more concise and to the point. it did not need to be over 500 pages long. this just had way too much unnecessary information within it that it took away from the enjoyable aspects. i would rather end a book wanting for more than less. so this is just tragic.

the flashback scenes felt like a book within a book. we got SO MUCH unnecessary details about characters that we A) DO NOT KNOW and more importantly B) DO NOT CARE ABOUT.

that darius/caleb/seth scene at the end had me laughing out loud so i have to give a special shoutout to that one chapter. and even though all the bluelance crumbs were copy paste from book 8 i ate them all up and loved every second.

oh and in case book 9 doesn’t sound scary enough we’re left with this warning for it:
”Beware the words on the page, for darkness follows the readers who dance along their lines of ink.”

[Lucie V. · Rating 2 out of 5]

✅ Azriel Orion, Hail, and Marissa
🆗❌ Repetitive plot (recycled content from the 8th book)
🆗❌ Reading the same conversation from the 8th book, but from a different POV
🆗❌ A lot of flashbacks
🆗❌ Pace (felt loooooooong)
🆗❌ New characters that I don't care about

Maybe 1.5 stars? It was not bad, just pointless.

Good morning Sagittarius.
The stars have spoken about your day!

Disruptive Uranus tricked you once again into reading a pointless book. Just as you expected, this novella was a waste of your time. Do not discourage yourself though, the planets are well-aligned, and there is only one book left in this series that has dragged on for too long. The end is near, and with the help of Mars who just entered your chart, you shall survive it.

I read this book only because it was on KU, and I was ready to skim and be disappointed, so it’s not a surprise that I am only giving this book 2 stars.

This book happens simultaneously as Sorrow and Starlight, so we get this extra 400 pages of stuff happening in parallel, beyond the Veil. As if the 15 POVs in Sorrow and Starlight were not enough, we have an extra 5 (or maybe more?) POVs in this one (I honestly don’t know how many POVs there were in the previous book, but it was too much). I liked seeing Azriel, Hail, and Marissa together, but I would have been happy with a 150 pages novella, instead of a 400 pages full book.

We see the same events and read the same conversations, but from a dead character’s POV so it adds nothing to the plot or the characters. It was recycled content, but the authors tried to give it a new life by having us see it through another POV. I don’t need to “hear” Tory and Caleb’s conversations through Darius’ ears to know how he would feel about it, nor do I need to see Orion’s torture through his father’s eyes to know how Azriel must feel.

We get to meet new characters, but besides Azriel, Hail, and Marissa, I don't care about them at all. Worse, we got an awful lot of their backstories through flashbacks, and I struggled a lot with flashbacks, so it was tedious at times. We got so many details about characters that we didn’t know and that I didn’t care about. It was so long, I admit that I skimmed a lot of the flashbacks because they were neverending at one point.

Darius’ plotline didn’t have a lot of impact, since we already knew what would happen with Tory and him, so I was bored mostly and just wanted him to get back to her and the Heirs. I was hoping to see more of his reunion with the Heirs since this part was almost absent from the 8th book, but it wasn’t in this one either, sadly.

Overall, this book was exactly what I expected, repetitive and pointless, but at least it was free with my KU subscription!



0.5 Origins of an Academy Bully ⭐⭐⭐
1. The Awakening ⭐⭐⭐
1.5 The Awakening as Told by the Boys ⭐⭐
2. Ruthless Fae ⭐⭐⭐.5
3. The Reckoning ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
4. Shadow Princess ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
5. Cursed Fates ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5.4 Night ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5.5 The Big A.S.S. Party ⭐⭐⭐
5.6 Seth on the Moon ⭐⭐⭐
6. Fated Throne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Heartless Sky ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Sorrow and Starlight ⭐⭐.5


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[Noa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You have to face your death to stand a chance of mastering your death. Only once you accept the truth of what you are - and aren't - will you be able to claim mastery over your destiny once more."




MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!! (duh...) because I can't really do a full review if I didn't so you were warned


💫 Updated for reread 💫

For the reread, I'm not gonna do the quotes list an everything because this was a different kind of book and I feel like the normal format works less in this case. But there is still a playlist lol. Please continue…


So... What happened to Darius when he crossed the veil? Who will we meet who no longer walk amongst the living?
The real question is What happens Beyond the Veil?

What good are the dead to anyone?

OMG. OMG. ok ok ok.
Probably as most of you thought at the beginning I went into this book thinking - "This is totally unecessary, what is the point?" - with full knowledge that I would read this book because I would take any ZA crumbs I could. And boy was I happy that I was wrong honestly.

This book follows book 8 and is a bridging book to 9. It follows Darius, Hail, Azriel, Merissa, Catalina and the gang (basically) as they live through the mending of heartache that is Book 8.

Darius, my sweet, is refusing to accept the fact that this is it. He will do anything and everything he can to get back to Roxy (don't worry Hail has a lot of words with him).

"I couldn't be in a place without her. I couldn't go back on the oaths I made to her so soon. She was mine and I was hers. We weren't destined to be apart. I refused it."

One of my favorite quotes that shows the journey that Darius made:

"We should have welcomed them home with open arms. It had taken my death for me to fully appreciate it, but the throne wasn't meant for the four of us anymore. It never had been really."

I loved the relationship between Hail and Darius honestly it made me laugh so much. Their disagreements and jabs at each other was hilarious.

"I preferred the blond one"

"I have better things to do than to torment an old relic who lost his crown long ago."

This book was honestly one of the funniest ZA books I read. I cackled so much.
Chapter 21 is one that will go down in the history books, it is legit legendary and I cannot wait to see what happens with it in Book 9.

Apart from laughing this book made me sob so much. Just in the first 3 chapters I cried 5 times. The scenes that were also in Book 8. The people beyond the veil trying to help and sometimes ending up just watching as all the sadness unfolds and to watch it again was heart breaking.

And don't worry you heart my BlueLance girlies because we got some nibbles too.
Azriel and Hail agreeing that Darcy and Lance were meant to be and the best thing to happen to one another made my little heart so happy

"Go on, Son!" I roared to Lance "Give him hell!"

"Son?" Azriel hooked an eyebrow up at me.

"He is that to me, Azriel," I said fiercely and he moved closer, grasping my arm.

"And Gwendalina is a daughter to me," he said, the two of us sharing a brief smile before we turned back to watch the fight.

Final bullet points:
- Loved the Lionel hate in this book. Lame Lionel can suck it
- Hail and Merissa are adorable
- Darius and Lance - Azriel's opinions honestly not that far off
- Francesca - just release girl. RELEASE!!!
- Catalina and Hamish are adorbs!!
- This book legit gave me hope that everything will be fine. While it will be painful and tearful as we all know.


And to tie it all up, the playlist. This playlist might have been the hardest one to put together because I couldn't really give one vibe to this book. So let's just go with "beyond the veil" vibe:

(Link - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/35p... )

🎵 "A Sky Full of Stars" - Coldplay
🎵 "die first" - Nessa Barrett
🎵 "Only Love Can Hurt Like This - Slowed Down Version" - Paloma Faith
🎵 "One More I Love You" - Alex Warren
🎵 "Before You Leave Me" - Alex Warren
🎵 "Afterlife" - Hailee Steinfeld
🎵 "No One But You (Only The Good Die Young)" - Queen
🎵 "In The Stars" - Benson Boone
🎵 "If I Die Young" - The Band Perry
🎵 "Mind Is A Prison" - Alec Benjamin
🎵 "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - Sleeping At Last
🎵 "Lionheart" - Demi Lovato
🎵 "Kingdom Come" - Demi Lovato
🎵 "Forget Me - Piano Acoustic" - Lewis Capaldi
🎵 "Don't Give Up On Me" - Andy Grammer
🎵 "As The World Caves In" - Matt Maltese
🎵 "Yellow" - Coldplay
🎵 "Never Say Never" - The Fray
🎵 "Hesitate" - Jonas Brothers
🎵 "Save You a Seat" - Alex Warren
🎵 "Feels Like This" - Maisie Peters
🎵 "Impossible" - James Arthur
🎵 "Train Wreck" - James Arthur
🎵 "Lost Boy" - Ruth B.
🎵 "1216" - Echos
🎵 "Remember Me" - Miguel, Natalia Lafourcade
🎵 "Miss You So Much" - Miley Cyrus
🎵 "Dandelions - slowed + reverb" - Ruth B.
🎵 "Unconditional" - Freya Ridings
🎵 "All I Need" - Within Temptation
🎵 "Memories" - Conan Gray
🎵 "Lost" - Chri$tian Gate$
🎵 "I miss you, I'm sorry" - Gracie Abrams
🎵 "Paralyzed" - NF
🎵 "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol
🎵 "Dancing With Your Ghost" - Sasha Alex Sloan
🎵 "I'll Keep You Safe" - Sleeping At Last
🎵 "In My Blood" - Shawn Mendes
🎵 "cinderella's dead" - EMELINE
🎵 "Minefields" - Faouzia, John Legend
🎵 "Pointless - Strings Acoustic" - Lewis Capaldi
🎵 "Lover. Fighter" - SVRCINA
🎵 "Sparks" - Coldplay
🎵 "Perfect Harmony" - Madison Reyes, Charlie Gillespie
🎵 "Unsaid Emily" - Charlie Gillespie
🎵 "Hold On" - Chord Overstreet
🎵 "Nothing Else Matters" - Miley Cyrus, WATT, Elton Jogn, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo, Chad Smith
🎵 "Until I Found You" - Stephen Sanchez, Em Beihold
🎵 "Without You" - David Guetta, USHER
🎵 "Back To You" - Selena Gomez
🎵 "One Life" - Dermot Kennedy

Book Edit - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5GLRlJLx...

[Marianna Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

These 3 stars are strictly due to three things and three things only. 1. the fact that I am completely and utterly obsessed with Darius Acrux and will eat up every last one of his words no matter what. 2. I would die for BlueLance and could read about them doing fuck all any day of the week. They were barely in this book, but the fact that they were there at all was enough to make me internally swoon. 3. Getting to see Tory and Darcy’s parents beyond the cape absolutely metered my heart, their love for them is strong and the fact that they truly never left their side made me SOB

Oh and Darius being trapped in the room with Seth and Caleb absolutely SENT ME into a laughing fit for a solid 5 minutes. Chapter 21 was this books biggest redeeming quality.

If you know me you know Zodiac Academy is one of my favorite series of all time and holds such a special place in my heart. I think about this world and these characters at least once a day…. That being said, I think I did myself dirty with this book by not tandem reading it with book 8!!! Of course I found out that was an option after the fact. I still had so much fun reading this, but it did feel a bit too long and drawn out at points. But again I cannot stress this enough, if I tandem read with book 8 I feel like this would have been an easy 4/4.5 stars!

[Dab]

Dearest Sisters, could you please kindly google “novella”? Then you can share your findings with the class.

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

i really wasted two and a half hours skimming this piece of shit book just for crumbs of MY PARENTS. anyway here are my thoughts:

💫 Hail Vega is DADDY. him liking Orion and hating Darius? taste 💋
💫 Azriel is disgusting he really wanted Orion to be with Darius omfg STOP PROJECTING YOUR OWN GAYNESS INTO YOUR SON
💫 chapter 14 LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO for those of you interested, Tory had a threesome with TWO VERSIONS OF DARIUS. Like Darius actually casted an illusion of himself and they both fucked Tory at the same time WHAT IS THIS HELL

I grunted as I focused on the illusion, feeling her skin echoed into my own hands as he took hold of her hip and fisted his cock in his other hand.
I watched, a growl of jealousy building in my chest even though I knew it was all me, but I wanted every piece of this woman at all times, and if that meant I got jealous over myself having her then so be it.

YOU ARE SO UNSERIOUS DARIUS

💫 Darcy and Orion are the one saving grace of this pointless, 155k-word-long novel, even though we didn't get any new content just a retelling of their scenes in book 8 but from the POVs of their dead parents 💀 someone get these two out of Caroline and Susanne's clutches please I WANNA BE FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[aleerless · Rating 1 out of 5]

and the award to the most pointless book ever goes to...

[Emma Skapetis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank god I finally finished this book. It's been more than 3 months lol.
2.5 stars
I'm so disappointed😭. RTC
I don't even think I know what this book is about lol. When I started it I did really like it but by chapter 8 I was bored, and for the majority of time I only got more bored. I was also in a reading slump this entire time when I was struggling to read even 2 books a month, and this book made it even worse😭. Anyway this book is about Darius, Hail, Merissa and all of the other dead people who live in the veil. This book was just so boring and I also didn't really care about many of the characters apart from Darius, Hail, Merissa, Catalina and Hamish(and Felicia). Also I think this book really suffered from only really having one main character (Darius in it) because we didn't get to see the close friendships that everyone has with each other. However I thought Hail and Merissa were really cute together (they were so in love) and I loved the Darius and Tory scenes. I also loved the BlueLance ones even though there was literally no new content there.
Though overall this book was still a disappointment because I was really looking forward to reading this as you can see from my first update 😭😂.
My earlier updates
OMG I need this book. I'm so excited to read it.
Update: It's been almost two months and I'm still reading it😭. I'm so bored and still am in a reading slump.
Another update: I'm still not even halfway and it's now been like almost 3 months😭. Also yes I rated it even though I definitely haven't finished it but I've just had enough of it lol. It's so boring. Anyway I preordered ZA 9 even though I don't really have high hopes for it anymore but it can't be worse than this book. And a 2 star rating is a very bad rating for me because I'm like a very high rater (though not as much as I used to be) so that shows you how bored I've been. I don't hate this book though.

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tandem read made 8 and 8.5 one of the longest books I have ever read, but I am so happy I did it this way! Every page with Darius Acrux and the other characters I loved was worth it for me to feel like they weren’t gone forever. I 1000% ate up every single scene where SAS chapters had Tory feeling like he was there through her necklace or just felt his presence and then getting to read him actually being there to confirm it was him. He never left her, and I love them so much! My heart was so happy that Darius was able to talk to his mom. All I wanted was for them to be happy. There was a second there when Hamish’s ex-wife, Florence, popped up, and I got nervous, but they just proved that a Grus could never be problematic. The Azriel chapters weren’t always my favorite, but they were worth it to hear, “There wasn’t a Fae in any realm, in any time, that I would have chosen for Lance over Darcy Vega.” I absolutely loved getting to know Hail and Merissa. The celestial version of Darius getting to meet the parents was just what I needed. I was also giggling at the pissing contest occurring between Hail and Darius for most of the book, but loved the approval in the end. I was crying laughing when Darius was stuck watching Cal and Seth and then the Vega parents showed up. I was living for hearing Hail and Merissa’s thoughts and feelings about their girls and their mates. The tandem read went together so perfectly, so naturally we ended things back in chaos. “This is not the end…No, but it is the beginning of some fresh new hell.”

[Grace Btrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything I didn't know I needed, and everything these characters deserve.

I thought this would be 1 POV, but what we got was the super icing on the cake.
I cried, laughed, giggled, gasped, sobbed, feared, and rejoiced.

I read this in tandem with Sorrow and Starlight and it was the perfect combination. Please do yourself a favor and do that too.

--
Pre-read:
Take my heart, but I know you'll break it...

[Flora (Helia's version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

WHY? WHYYY?? WHYYYYY??? WHYYYYYYYY???? BITCH WHY!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?

[Karla Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

libro ql me dio mucha pena leer a los personajes que ya no nos acompañan :'(

[⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧ she's book obsessed ✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond the Veil
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Darius being forced to witness Seth and Caleb going at it made up for the awful as fuck writing and the characters I didn’t give a shit about.


Prior to reading it:
I’m reading this for Darius, and Darius only.

[nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

pointless

[⁠*⁠♡Lilac⁠*⁠♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a massive disappointment ISTG

-Ate all the BlueLance crumbs tho...

[Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed this book 😄

fav chapter will def be Darius w Seth and Caleb 😆

[isy · Rating 2 out of 5]

BORRRRINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

I skimmed so much of this book I was debating if I should even consider putting this on my goodreads and marking it as read.
But I said fuck it and here I am.

I mean I can't even say I was expecting this to be good because it is LITERALLY just everything that happened in book 8. The only thing now is we know they "NEED THE GUILD STONES." Oh and that Lionel & Lavina have a star 😐

I loved all the couple crumbs even if it was all the same as book 8. I ate up those parts. I loved Darius and Hail 🤣 I really just love HAIL. That man is D-A-D-D-Y. I loved Merissa too and her and Hail's relationship. She just calms and grounds him so well and they are just so in love and I just loved them. Mommy and daddy are mommy and daddying and I am here for THEM.

Also loved Azriel Orion. HE REALLY THOUGH LANCE WAS GONNA BE GAY 🤣🤣 I way DYING. Darius, Leon, Gabriel. Daddy Orion was just happy to be watching 🤣
I also did like the little snippets we got of Clara. Kinda wish we could have gotten more just because girl deserves some peace and happiness.
But the her being obsessed with Lionel mention 🤮 I thought it was just the guardian bond or whatever, but nope, girl really was obsessed.

Oh and of course Hail and Azriel being happy they get to be in-laws and them each saying that both Lance and Darcy are both theirs like STOP. Someone sedate me. I was loving seeing all of them just be happy that bluelance are together. Oh, and daddy Hail loving Lance and giving shit to Darius 😭😭 Had me DEAD.

Seeing all of them okay in the veil and finding/getting their happiness was what I needed.

All the things I loved^ were so heavily coated in boring, repeated, and unnecessary stuff that I was beyond bored. So I skimmed skimmed skimmed and just looked for the fun stuff.
Honestly they should I have just put these POVS in book 8 rather that Justin, Mildreds, the cow guy, and so on random POV's. Then this book wouldn't even have been needed and book 8 probs would have been better.

[ana clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the actual hell did I just read? And what is wrong with the authors? I swear on my life I don't know where my strength keeps coming from for me to read those books of theirs—and worse, for me to actually enjoy it, even when I can't have a break nor stop crying.
This book wasn't really necessary and it didn't add much to the plot, BUT I have to admit that I liked it a lot anyways. I mean, how could I not? Getting to see and to know all these characters that have been so present from the beginning but that have been beyond the veil for a long time, plus having the chance to see a little more of the newly passed ones was pretty good. Also, I loved learning their ways of thinking and seeing the ways they're always helping the ones in the living realm.
I liked seeing Darius’ journey dealing/denying his new reality, and I liked seeing everything he did and learned while in Beyond the Veil. Catalina and Hamish did what they had to do, and while I’m gonna miss them, I guess that’s it, I’m ok with their passing and I love seeing how strong and caring she is. I love Merissa and Hail Vega—they’re everything (mostly her!). I loved seeing how much they love their three kids and how they’re always there looking for and loving them, and taking care of them in any way they can. IT was great getting to know them better, to see how much the twins take after them (like, Tory is as strong as her dad, and Darcy is so much like her mom, it hurts to read). And the same goes for Azriel Orion—now I know who Lance takes all his charm from. Radcliff is clearly an Acrux—even being dead for ages, the man can;t drop the attitude (and honestly he has good reasons to). Gerry’s mom being like…her just makes so much sense, I don’t even have to explain it. Also, I liked knowing Serenity cause we had something in between zero and nothing of info about her before. And Marcel…poor soul. I felt so bad for him and I hope Darius tells Gabriel about him, he deserves to be remembered just for how much he cares for his son.
And besties, let's be honest here: we all know this book was only written for the author to take more money from ZA fans but damn. It could've been easily 250 pages shorter and would've had the same impact for me. Plus, Caroline and Susanne were sick for the ending they gave it—like, it was nothing new, but it was nonetheless painful. And I just think they were unnecessarily cruel for making around 20% of it about everything Felisia did to have sex with her best friend. But anyways, I'm still hanging on here. Still—some-freaking-how—excitedly waiting for book 9, hoping to see my family getting the happily ever after they deserve.

[esperanza ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was way too long. I had to start skimming chapters because most of this was boring. I didn’t care for anyones povs except my man darius acrux. his chapters were the only good ones <3.

torydarius are always going through pain and I NEED them to get the happy ending they deserve in book 9. they can’t catch a break 😩. I love this series but it’s starting to drag on 😭. I just want everyone to get their happy ending in book 9.

anyways, torydarius will always be loved by me and I love that they never gave up on each other. they have me in a chokehold <3.

[Ana (Hiatus)]

WHAT? There is one more book? How many books are going to be there in this series? This is exhausting.

Also, somehow, I had no idea that this book existed for the longest time.

Why is this over 500 pages long?

When will the series truly end?

[Vilma · Rating 2 out of 5]

can we please just get book 9 and stop dragging this series out