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The Boundless

(The Beholder #2)

Anna Bright (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 1,120 ratings · 252 reviews

This breathtaking sequel to The Beholder will take you on a journey into a darkly sparkling fairy tale, perfect for fans of The Selection and Caraval.

When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to t ...more

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Kindle Edition, 491 pages

Published June 9th 2020 by HarperTeen

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· 1,120 ratings · 252 reviews

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Jun 26, 2019 Candace Robinson added it

Bright’s writing is so beautifully done and I love it so much! My main complaint was how the MC felt fickle again over love, and I wish that would have ended after book 1. However, the world building is gorgeous.

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Jun 21, 2019 Scrill rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, 2020

Thank you HarperCollins for the ARC!!!

As much as I loved Torden...I want to know who is next! I need her to be more fierce too!

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Sep 13, 2019 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

if she flip flops between more guys and doesn't go back to the interesting possibilities between the Thor/Loki vibes of Torden and Alexsei I'm going to be most disappointed

FRICK LOOK AT THAT COVER AHAHAHA ...more

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Feb 18, 2020 Anna Bright added it · (Review from the author)

UPDATE: I have updated the page references in the content warning to correspond with the final copy of the book. Any errors here are mine. Happy (and safe) reading. <3

Hi guys! With THE BOUNDLESS now on Edelweiss, I wanted to provide you all with the book's content warning. Note that the pagination in the fuller content warning on my site is not final and may not perfectly match the pagination in the e-ARC of THE BOUNDLESS; it will be updated with the pagination of the final book once that's avai ...more

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Sep 11, 2019 Mary-Faith marked it as to-read

Shelves: anticipated-releases

I doubt I will be able to function until I have this book in my hands.

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Dec 20, 2019 Last Book Marauder marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: continuing-series, 2020-releases

I don't know who is in charge of Anna Bright's covers, but they deserve a raise. ...more

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Apr 16, 2020 AJ rated it really liked it

”I already know where my journey ends. It leads me home, to you.”

Thank you to the publishers and Edelweiss for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that this book was definitely a step up from the first one. The storyline was interesting from the start and I loved the action and intensity of it!

I think my only complaint about this one is how Selah treats Lang. I feel like she’s constantly leading him on and I feel bad for him. I just wish she would’ve ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 h i n d rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I'm VERY dissatisfied ??

and it's all my fault, more like, my expectations fault
i waited so much for this sequel i anticipated so much

and i didn't get what i wanted
so much POTENTIAL wasted,
the general direction of the story wasn't even close to what i wanted
Ideally :
- Lang would've been the love interest
- we would have spent more time on the ship and finally got to really know the crew (you know, instead of this idiot spending her time alone because she's 'mad')
- i expected the whole rebels t ...more

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Jun 13, 2020 JenacideByBibliophile rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fantasy, retellings, badass-female-leads, fairy-tale, ball-gowns-and-royals, adaptations, historical-romance, fantasy-ya, romance, series

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, HarperTeen, via Edelweiss+ for an honest review.

Opinion:

Assuming you read my review of The Beholder (book 1), you will have quickly realized how much I was LIVING and BREATHING for this world.

The messy romances, the adventure, court politics and gowns, propriety, sensibility, duty, folklore and fairy tales…

…AMAZING!

But when I was knee-deep in The Boundless and sloshing around in enemy territory with a very odd tension/competition dynamic, a ...more

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Jun 21, 2020 Steve rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy

I enjoyed the first book, and I enjoyed the sequel. I'm guessing for most readers, that'll be the case. Having said that, I can't imagine starting with this one without having read the first - I think it would significantly diminish the experience.

I found the pages turned much more quickly in the first book, although the pace picked up for me towards the end. Frankly, in this one, I enjoyed the last 100 pages significantly more than the first 100 pages, but everyone reads for different reasons a ...more

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Aug 26, 2020 Anu rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: NO ONE

Shelves: disappointing, dystopian-fantasy, never-reading-ever-again, extremely-boring, read-in-2020, a-little-confusing

I put off reading this book for a while. When I finally got the courage to put it on hold at the library, it was literally an eight week wait. I knew I would hate this book going into it, mainly because I had so many problems with the first one. If the author somehow managed to fix Selah's horrid personality, I would be impressed. Really. But, sadly, this was not the case.

Let's get started with the character development. I think what the author wanted to do was make Selah become a little more m I put off reading this book for a while. When I finally got the courage to put it on hold at the library, it was literally an eight week wait. I knew I would hate this book going into it, mainly because I had so many problems with the first one. If the author somehow managed to fix Selah's horrid personality, I would be impressed. Really. But, sadly, this was not the case.

Let's get started with the character development. I think what the author wanted to do was make Selah become a little more mature and all together a lot more likable. This was not the case. In the last book, Selah was this helpless little thing who trusted everyone, had no damned clue what the hell was happening half the time, and always needed protecting. In the beginning of this book, Selah just starts off with yelling at every person in her sight, claiming she's not a child, and walking around like she's got everything under control when she hasn't got a clue. I wasn't sure, at this point, if I was reading about the same character from the first book. Her strength seemed forced and artificial. Selah went from helpless to an I-Can-Do-It-All-On-My-Own mindset in an extremely sloppy fashion. I wasn't entirely sure what the reason was behind all her change, but the author assures me that it was because of all the 'hard challenges' she's had to face. Hmm. Yeah, right.

On to how repetitive this book was. Selah pains to inform us every two sentences that she is 'not a child' anymore and 'not stupid.' She actually says this so much that I am led to believe that she doesn't quite agree with herself on this matter. This is not the only thing that's repeated. Oh, no. That's wishful thinking. Every chapter, someone has to remind Selah not to cry cause she's a damned baby. Yeah. And while she bursts into tears for absolutely no reason, she still insists she's not a child. I actually agree. She's not a child. She's a freaking baby.

And now, the love triangle. It was clear Lang had no chance from the beginning. And if I'm being honest, I was actually shipping Selah and Lang from the first book. I feel like Lang actually cares about her while Torden just treats her like an even bigger baby. Torden always used to carry her in the water since she couldn't swim, but she does fine in the water in this book. And to be fair, Lang deserves better than Selah. Selah's an idiot. It was also incredibly hard to care about this new plot development since neither love interest was a major part in this book. Lang was there in the beginning for, like, three scenes, and then he disappears. We only get to see Torden towards the end, when he claims to beat Lang senseless for kissing Selah. Yeah. A fight over that airhead. A huge waste of time, in my opinion. And what's worse: Every single damned time she thinks of Lang instead of Torden, or just doesn't think of Torden in general, she feels guilty. So, since all her thoughts don't continuously revolve around Torden (although, to be fair, most of them do) we are treated to many "my stomach squeezed in a fist" or "I felt a wash of guilt" or "I felt a twinge of guilt" or...well, you get the idea. At the same time, Selah is trying to quench her "burning desire" (her words, not mine) for Lang, which makes no sense whatsoever. Oh, and just a heads-up, but that "burning desire" is long forgotten about halfway through the book.

The plot was incredibly lacking. In the middle, the plot seemed so stretched out that I skimmed basically everything. Then, all matters are resolved without logic or sense, and the ending's thrown into your face. The only thing that really stands out to me from the middle, is the amount of explosions there were. Every two seconds, something explodes. What I'm actually bothered about the most is that Selah's stepmother, who was poisoning her dad, is just forgotten about. And the thing that peeved me the most was that four of the characters in this book got into Oxford. FOUR!! One of them being Selah. I don't think the author has heard of any other university, or how hard it is to get into Oxford (the acceptance rate it 2%. How the hell did Selah manage to get in?). Clearly, though, I'm wrong, since Selah, the most air headed person I've had the misfortune of reading about, got in. So obviously, it isn't as hard as I thought it was. And she got in for LAW AND LITERATURE!! Two things Oxford is known for. And two things Selah hasn't shown any interest in throughout this series. But, hey, if Selah can get into Oxford, clearly any doofus can.

Another thing that bothered me, was the world building. It appeared as if Anna Bright couldn’t decide which time period to set her story in, which made it seem like the book was going through some sort of identity crisis. The story takes place in what I believe is nineteenth century Europe, but for some reason, there are real places along with fictional ones. There are radios and transmitters used frequently in the story, but there are no planes, telephones, or other pieces of technology. I was confused immensely, because the plot seemed to be set in an older time period, but Selah is horrified to discover that one of her potential suitors is nine years older than her. But, looking back to the actual nineteenth and eighteenth centuries, having a suitor who is nine years older than you would be considered lucky. WHY CAN'T THE AUTHOR MAKE UP HER MIND??? This book had no idea what it wanted to be. I was seriously concerned for it.

Here are some quotes that stood out to me(not for good reasons):

"I'm tired of people thinking I'm stupid," I muttered.

Umm, Selah? That's because you ARE stupid. Other people can't change what you are.

"He'll trust me." I shot Lang a grin. "They all come around eventually."

Most vain thing I've ever heard her say, though that's not saying much since she's always saying stuff like this. And to Lang, no less!! What kind of idiot is she?

Fritz, one of her suitors, I believe: "His brow furrowed. "What would make it a more inviting space?"

Selah responds with the intelligible: "A table?"... "Something to eat or drink?"

Umm, I think Fritz asking this was supposed to be a rhetorically question. As in, I don't think he actually wanted a response. Either way, who just waltz into someone's room and demands food? Selah, clearly.

Most over-stated sentence:

Selah: "I'm not a child."

or

Selah: "I'm not stupid."

or

"Don't cry, Selah."

These three right here prove that, in fact, she is a child.

Highlight of my reading experience:

Selah: "I thought I was the only one with a secret...How foolish I had been."

Finally she admits she's a moron!! Yes. The only thing I would change is instead of HAD, I would make it AM.

"He was a storybook prince in disguise. He had come here for me."

Oh Selah. I don't even have the words.

Selah: "I had seen and suffered too much."

Oh please. Enlighten me. What exactly have you suffered through, you spoiled princess brat?

Most Selfish Thought(there are a lot of these):

"But I couldn't be sacrificed again and again for the greater good, set aside for a succession of causes."

I would honestly like to know how many times she's been sacrificed for the greater good. Really. Because by my count, she's been sacrificed zero times; once if I'm feeling generous.

Bear(ex-love interest): "I think Gwyn was a little worried I'd show up here and fall at you feet and beg for your forgiveness and your hand."

Selah thinks, wittily: "My shoulders unclenched with relief at this. Because it meant he wouldn't."

How highly does she think of herself? Seriously, though. Does she expect every boy she meets to fall at her feet?

Overall, I didn't like this book at all. I didn't even bother to criticize the writing, like I did in my first review, since there's nothing left to say. The cover's beautiful, but what's inside the book is horrendous, ugly, and horrific. I do not recommend this book, unless you want a good hate read, which is exactly how I found the strength to plow through 491 pages of Selah complaining, feeling guilty, claiming she's not a child, or acting stupid. Entertaining, right?

I think the main problem I had with this book was the character development, which was sloppy. The plot was slow and I was constantly bored. I wanted more of Lang and less of Torden. I also wanted to know what the hell happened to her stepmom. The only characters I liked were Lang, who was in the book for no other purpose other than to be the dramatic second love interest (and who is miserable in the end when Selah tells him to take a hike and is oblivious to his feelings about the matter. Typical Selah. Are we really supposed to like her at this point? Cause I honestly hate her so much. She is irredeemable in my eyes), and Victoria, Selah's new baby step-sister. So many things are left unresolved (like whether or not Selah's stepmom actually told Peter to decline Selah's proposal, which could've saved me from the WHOLE series. Stupid Petter. And I hate Selah's step-mom if she actually told Peter to decline her wedding proposal, since that really is the source of Selah's whining and crying) and many potholes are just ignored. Terrible ending. Terrible series. I learnt nothing new, other than Selah is an idiot. But, to be fair, I already knew that.

Happy Reading! And sorry for such a long review!! ...more

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Aug 11, 2020 M. [storme reads a lot] rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, historical-fiction, library-books

This book wasn’t as good as the first? The villain comes in late, is easily defeated, and I just didn’t get it? Also, not a fan of how the love stories just seem to happen. She was with one, then another, and is kissed by someone else. I think this could have been a great trilogy, and I liked the first book much more.

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Jun 30, 2020 Caylynn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-release

"And why should we trust you?" Fritz asked.

"We can trust her because she's tired of the same verdammt story-the one where a man in power makes a decision and a girl's fate is sealed."

I am so GODDAMN tired of my favorite side characters NOT getting what they deserve. #JusticeforLang, because that poor captain deserved so much better than the shit that Selah and others constantly gave him.

But that isn't even the worst thing about this sequel. The plot was all over the place. This definitely could have been split into two different books to form a trilogy. Instead of cramming Fritz-the third and apparently final suitor-into the first quarter of the novel along with the random 12 Dancing Princesses subplot and the crew's capture/sendoff to Baba Yaga's lands, the author should have extended this subplot along with introducing the briefly mentioned fourth suitor into a shorter sequel. Getting Selah embroiled more in the rebellion instead of shoving her where she has no idea what she's doing would have been a smarter idea than what actually happened.

The third book could have then centered around the rebellion itself, because my GOD that part of this book was way too short. Selah and the others spent more time captured and wasting time as maids than they did actually fighting the Imperiya.

I did appreciate Selah's character development, however. She went from a cowering teenager willing to leave her own country at the whims of her stepmother, to a woman ready to burn the enemy's tower down from the inside.

The mirror reflected a girl I believed could walk into a room of resistance fighters and negotiate. A girl who could sit down with Gretel and her Waldleute and hold her weight on the other side of the table.

I looked powerful.

While she expressed bursts of stupidity and unnecessary anger-mostly towards my boy Lang-she overall became a strong leader and I wish we could have seen how she chose to rule Potomac.

I don't know, guys. This was an okay sequel, but I don't think it'll be a conclusion worthy of remembrance. There were too many loopholes, twists, and random threads left hanging for me to give it anything more than three stars. Even though there were some brilliant scenes with gorgeous writing (cough *that scene in Lang's quarters with the sketches, UGH my heart *cough), AKA the scenes that get one star all to themselves, I can't claim this as a favorite.

I do recommend reading this if you enjoyed The Beholder. It's a decent conclusion. ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 Diana added it

Much as it happened to me with "the beholder" I find myself without knowing how to rate this one. I did love how it began, the world was amazing and i really enjoyed the stories within the stories, like the dancing shoes with all the princesses, references to the big bad wolf with baba yaga... it was amazing. I enjoyed that we spent more time in the same place instead of traveling and meeting suitors, but...

Here comes my list of buts:

- the baba yaga plot ends up dragging. It could have been shor ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 Manon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

ARC provided by the publisher.

It's rare for me to like a sequal as much as I loved the first book. Anna Bright managed it, though.

I loved seeing Selah grow, how she grew into her own skin and became more confident.

The world-building was exquisite, I really was absorbed in the magic of this book, and although it takes place on Earth, I really left it for a while whilst reading.

Don't even get me started on the plot. Twists and turns were around every corner, and it was phe-no-me-nal. The ending wa ...more

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Sep 05, 2020 Tracy Banghart rated it it was amazing

This book was SOOOOO GOOOD. I loved it so much. It took everything I loved about the first one and dialed it up a million notches. More romance, more intrigue, and a TON of character development. It was so romantic and empowering and I loved Selah so so much. I think it's my favorite read of 2020. ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Joanna Meyer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-tbr

That feel when SOMEHOW the sequel is EVEN BETTER than the first book! Alllllll the feelings. Perfect ending. Brilliant book. Loved it.

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May 18, 2020 Sophie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-wishlist, 4-stars, 2020-releases, 2020-new-releases-challenge, arcs-read, read-in-2020

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.

I sped through the first book in this series, The Beholder, and when the opportunity came up to be a part of the blog tour for it's sequel, The Boundless, I was overjoyed. The Boundless starts immediately after the ending of book 1, with Selah being separated from her fiancee, Torden, and furious with the secrets the crew of The Beholder had been keeping. As much as she wanted to stay away from ...more

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Jul 13, 2020 Amanda Deur rated it it was amazing

What a fantastic read and wonderful ending to this duology! I loved it from the very first until the very last page.

Plot:
When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to the rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya, whose shadow looms over their next port of Shvartsval’d. A place Selah hoped she’d never go.

But gone is What a fantastic read and wonderful ending to this duology! I loved it from the very first until the very last page.

Plot:
When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to the rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya, whose shadow looms over their next port of Shvartsval’d. A place Selah hoped she’d never go.

But gone is the girl who departed Potomac filled with fear. With a stockpile of weapons belowdecks and her heart hanging in the balance, Selah is determined to see the Beholder’s quest to its end.>

I enjoyed Selah's character development a lot in this book. She has grown so much from the meek girl we met in the first book to the strong and independent woman she has become in the last book. She has turned into a fearsome leader who is willing to sacrifice her own heart for that of her people. The only thing I disliked about her is how she treats certain people in her life and how fickle she is with her own feelings. I do appreciate hers and Torsden's relationship a lot and there was a certain moment toward the end of the book where we get to see how much of an adult relationship these two have despite their youth.

This book was so much fun to read, a lot happens and it is action packed! I also enjoyed the new characters that were introduced to the story and of course the return of a lot of loved characters. We got to meet some terrifying new characters in an even crueler world, kudos to the author for being able to portray the uniquely different parts of culture in the Beholder. Some returning characters also had a lot of great character development!

There is a nice flow throughout the story that makes it easy for the reader to keep up with the plot.
The ending lacked for me though, I think the author could've taken more time to wrap that part up. Now it felt rushed and it missed a little bit of credibility. All in all I adored this book and the duology. I do hope the author will return to the world of the Beholder someday. ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 Longmei Ge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-ish, 4s, fantasy, ya-fiction, retellings

Digital ARC provided by Edelweiss

I mean, what can I say...
It’s not often when an authors second book is as good as the first, but Anna Bright somehow managed to eclipse The Beholder. The characters and plot of The Boundless were really well fleshed out, and the pacing was amazing.

A few new fairytales were introduced as well, but I won’t spoil them here ☺️ (they were as unexpected- or maybe I’m just unobservant- as they were delightful). As someone who’s gotten really into story retelling, pres ...more

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Jul 11, 2020 Cara rated it it was amazing

I LOVED THIS DUOLOGY!!!!

Would recommend without hesitation. Don’t ask questions. Just get on the boat. I am ready to start The Beholder all over again. A great adventure. Fantastic cast of characters. My mooshy heart was well and truly satisfied. Rock star character growth throughout the two books (you may want to choke Selah at times, but stick with her!). And clean! Yep. I loved it.

And do yourself a favor. I know I seem to be saying this a lot lately, but listen to the audiobooks on this one. ...more

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May 24, 2020 Alexandra rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review will also be available on *Milky Way of Books*

The second book of the Beholder series was definitely a step up from the previous one. Instead of only having the main character on a quest to find her groom, now we had intensity, action and even some very interesting surprises.

The strange mix of fairy tale characters and fantasy elements in these kingdoms was unique and Anna Bright's writing was amazing! My only (personal) ...more

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Jun 23, 2020 Lissa Hawley rated it it was amazing

I feel like I should quote Doctor Who here. "We're all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?"

This book was so many stories, fairytales, legends and myths woven together into something new and wonderful (the appendix at the end listing them seemed to be missing quite a few.) But it was a delight to spot them all.

Anyway, this was definitely a good one, though it had me worried there for a bit in the middle. (That's the mark of a good book, right - all the emotions?) And happily everyt ...more

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Jul 03, 2020 Lelia Nebeker rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, ya-fantasy, fairy-tales-folklore, pub-2020, read-in-2020

*gushes* This is one of the most satisfying sequels I can remember reading. It really builds on the world--and characters--that I fell in love with in THE BEHOLDER, and being so invested makes the stakes and twists and turns even more rewarding in THE BOUNDLESS. Seriously, these characters are incredible, and I loved seeing them grow and fight for themselves, and OH MY GOSH THE STRATEGY IN THIS BOOK. It's so well plotted, and the dynamic between Selah and the villainous Baba Yaga character is ou ...more

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Jun 16, 2020 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, review-copy, edelweiss, kindle

You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....

Review: 3.5 Stars

I have been looking forward to this sequel since the moment I finished The Beholder. I loved the first book in this duology, but it did feel unfinished and I really needed the second book. This second installment was great, but it also felt quite different than the first installment. The Beholder was a light hearted and fun read that reminded me a bit of The Selection, but The Boundless felt more serious You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....

Review: 3.5 Stars

I have been looking forward to this sequel since the moment I finished The Beholder. I loved the first book in this duology, but it did feel unfinished and I really needed the second book. This second installment was great, but it also felt quite different than the first installment. The Beholder was a light hearted and fun read that reminded me a bit of The Selection, but The Boundless felt more serious and wasn't filled with as much romance.

The plot was great. There was just so much that happened throughout the course of this novel. It was truly an adventure, but I did miss all the traveling and the suitors of book one. There were several fairy tale references and I really loved that aspect of this series. The two main tales included in this story were Baby Yaga and The 12 Dancing Princesses, which is my all time favorite fairy tale. I love Anna Bright's Use of fairy tales in this series, it's not exactly a retelling of any fairy tale, but she incorporates aspects of many fairy tales into one story and she does so brilliantly maintaining an original plot of her own.

The characters that I grew to love in the first installment are back along with many new ones. I did wait a bit too long since reading the first book though, so I had a hard time remembering them all at first. I did grow to love Selah a lot more in this installment than the previous ones. All of the hard things she experienced in this book made her into a brave young woman who finally developed some leadership qualities. I wound up really loving Cobie throughout the course of this book, she is such a fierce and loyal character I couldn't help but love her.

Unfortunately there were a few aspects that I didn't love. I missed the setting of Norge a lot. A huge part of the reason I loved The Beholder was because of Torden an Norge, reading about Norge made me so happy and in this book Torden was reduced to a cardboard cut out of his previously boisterous personality. My other bit issue was with the world building, a lot of things didn't add up. There were carriages and radios, the time period seemed to jump all over the place with very litter consistency. I understand that the book is supposed to be an alternate history, but the world built in this book felt all over the place. The last thing that bothered me was the ending. The climax was lackluster and the ending chapters dragged on forever for me.

There were so many things that I loved, but also many that bothered me. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book, but the last third really brough the story down to me. I was so pleased that Anna Bright included fairy tales into her plot and would love to see what else she writes, but I think I liked the first installment of this series the best. The Boundless is darker than the previous installment, but Selah is also more likable in this one. I would still recommend checking out this series though, especially if you enjoy fairy tales because it was a pretty fun and fast paced series.
...more

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Sep 08, 2020 Maci Dierking rated it really liked it

What a well-rounded duology! This was just so delightful! It was fun, it was romantic, it was super adventurous and also had a great plot with fantastic character arcs! Such a delightful surprise

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Feb 18, 2020 Jackie ϟ Bookseller rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: four-stars-great, read-arcs, 2020-faves

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The Beholder: ★★★★☆
The Boundless: ★★★★☆

"So what? Hearts healed. Stories twisted and turned for the better."

In The Boundless, Selah continues her journey to court princes and find a match in order to return home. However, she also now knows that the ship on which she travels is sailed by rebels whose goal it is to supply the resistance against a cruel and distant ruler. Selah decides to help them by leaving the man she h ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The Beholder: ★★★★☆
The Boundless: ★★★★☆

"So what? Hearts healed. Stories twisted and turned for the better."

In The Boundless, Selah continues her journey to court princes and find a match in order to return home. However, she also now knows that the ship on which she travels is sailed by rebels whose goal it is to supply the resistance against a cruel and distant ruler. Selah decides to help them by leaving the man she has fallen for so the rebels can use her courtship attempts as a cover to sail deeper into their enemy's lands. All goes well, at first. But soon, Selah finds herself far more tightly wrapped up in the plot than she ever expected to be.

I enjoyed The Beholder, but it felt like a weird version of The Bachelorette taking place on the map of the Grishaverse. That description still holds, but unlike the first book in the duology which didn't get too "intense" until the very end, The Boundless took off almost immediately. Selah was much more likable in this installment, and Anna Bright should honestly get some kind of award for her ability to craft a character arc. Selah began this tale as a lamb, and ended it as a wolf.

While the world still wasn't that original (the most original setting was Potomac, Selah's homeland, which we see very little of), I liked the continued sprinkling of re-tellings elsewhere: Camelot, Thor/Viking mythology, the 12 Dancing Princesses, and Baba Yaga all make appearances throughout the duology, which is something that didn't quite occur to me in the first book, but became easy to appreciate in this second half. Selah, obsessed with fairy tales but ready to "write her own story" in the first book, visited many other tales before finally following her own, and I appreciate that touch.

This installment was more exciting, more romantic, and better written than the first, which leads me to recommend it to readers of the first book whether they liked that one or not. Honestly, this series was good for me at first, but it was great at the end. Twists galore, strong female characters in both hero and villain roles throughout, and a smart, well-written character leading the pack brought this story to a thrilling conclusion. ...more

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Jun 06, 2020 Paige Green rated it it was amazing

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Boundlese

Author: Anna Bright

Book Series: The Beholder Book 2

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: Romance, Adventure

Publication Date: June 9, 2020

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 517

Recommended Age: language, sexism, torture, violence, gore, romance

Synopsis: When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a sec ...more

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Jun 04, 2020 Jypsy rated it really liked it

Thank you Harper Teen and Fantastic Fiction Book Club for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Boundless
The Beholder #2
By: Anna Bright

REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
The Beholder was an excellent book, and I anticipated as much from The Boundless. Fortunately, I was not at all disappointed! As sequels go, this one held its own and added to the story, rather than falling flat like sequels often do. Selah has to go where she doesn't want to and leave her love ...more

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Aug 17, 2020 Moon Love rated it really liked it

I'm a little torn about how I feel about the book. As for ratings, I'm wavering between 4 & 4.5 stars. I liked it a lot, couldn't put it down, literally. I read it straight through and finished it after 3 am. My alarm was set for 7 so that should be an indicator of engrossed I was.

I liked Selah, she grew on me in The Beholder, but in the The Boundless. She was much stronger, bolder, wiser, and it made me love her. I really liked the moral themes explored and the adventure and action was fantast ...more

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About Anna Bright

Anna Bright

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I believe in woods, mountains, highways, cobblestones, roller coasters, dancing, concerts, cherry Pop Tarts, books, and magic.
When I'm not reading or writing on my couch, I'm dragging my husband off on an adventure, communing with Salem (my kitten/spiritual familiar), or causing trouble at One More Page Books, where I work.

**note: i don't accept GR friends anymore, because of amazon review policy ...more