The Beholder audiobook

I really enjoyed this! The Beholder is an enchanting read, full of myths and folklore. The premise drew me in quickly. Basically, we have Selah, who is the Seneshal-elect of Potomac (meaning she'll be placed in charge one day). Potomac (from what I gather) is an island somewhere between the coast of England and New York. In order to rule, Selah must marry, but when she proposes to the boy she loves, well ... let's just say it doesn't go as she suspects. So, scrambling to fix things, her stepmother orchestrates a journey across the sea aboard the Beholder, in order for Selah to find a suitable match. And she can't return until she's engaged.First of all, it wasn't what I expected at all. I don't know why, but I assumed it was a bunch of suitors on a ship together - hah, nope! Captain Lang, who Selah's stepmother hired, forces Selah along to each required stop. If Selah misses one, she risks offending said country/royal family. Worse, one of the last stops is extremely dangerous, where a scary Tsaritsya awaits. Knowing this, Selah hopes to find her fiancé in one of the first two stops, thus avoiding the third altogether. This book focuses mostly on the first two stops - and Selah's time aboard the Beholder, getting to know it's crew. I reaaaally enjoyed the first two visits, and I didn't expect to love each suitor! In fact, out of three potential love interests so far (I'm not telling you who my third ship is but you can probably guess if you know me at all) - I can't even decide who I want her to end up with. (Though I'm secretly awaiting meeting someone we've only heard about so far... considering Danger should be my middle name ...)Anyway, perhaps the best part was the twists! The book is full of fun little surprises - my favorite being the one on the first stop. Even though I saw it coming from early on, I loved it! I'm eagerly awaiting book two!My only complaint is that I was thoroughly confused by the world. We have England and New York and I'm assuming some alternate version of Russia and Sweden - but everything had different names and I was scratching my head half the time. I had a hard time telling what time period we were in as well. Soooo I think this was supposed to be a world * like ours * but not *exactly* ours? There were so many terms I couldn't quite grasp as well.Either way, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book! Honestly, I binged most of it within two days because it was that addicting! And the writing was beautiful - I looooved how it had a whimsical/lyrical feel at times, while also being easy to read and follow. All in all, a great read!My Blog ~ Instagram ~ Twitter

If you love falling in love with fictional characters, you're going to love this book.

The Beholder is a charmingly romantic fantasy that left me longing to cross the ocean and explore new lands.When I went into this, I expected the story of a girl forced into a betrothal by an evil stepmother only to find she’s developing feelings for the one she’s meant to marry. While some of those aspects are somewhat true, this story took me by surprise and ended up subverting my expectations at multiple turns.First, I fell in love with the crew of The Beholder and I fully expect to learn more about them in the next book, particularly our prickly captain. Selah is blindsided by plans to marry her off across the world and quickly suspects something is afoot. However, she’s also awed and quickly swept away by the people, cultures, and new places she’s introduced to. It was easy to get just as swept away as Selah. While this story can’t claim to be a retelling of a single story, there is a blending of elements from Cinderella, The Odyssey, King Arthur, and Hansel & Gretel into the story (and probably a few others I’m not thinking of off the top of my head). My biggest caveat with this story is that Selah is the type of character that things seem to just happen to. And that is fine, but Selah doesn’t often use the agency she has to question and push for answers or seek answers on her own. There’s several instances of obvious foreshadowing in this that I felt Selah could have used a gateway to be more forward and stop letting people direct her life. However, this is something that Selah comes to do by the end of the book, it’s just unfortunate to see her characterized this way initially. It makes her seem very naive and aloof, especially when one considers how quickly and easily she is willing to give her heart away (something I hope she keeps close to herself in the next book).Other than that, I’d say the time period is a little difficult to pin down. Initially, I felt the story took places in the 19th century for sure, but there is mention and use of a technology that won’t be as advanced as it is in this book until the early 20th century. If anything, there are times the world building is descriptive and interesting, but it does feel as though it’s fully realized and developed enough in this book. I’d love to see more explanation about how Potomac and the other countries came to be and their story, beyond the brief explanations we get in this book.However, I think both Selah’s characterization and the time period/world-building are minor aspects to the whole of this book. It’s charming and romantic and definitely pulled me in to Selah’s story and adventures. I’m absolutely going to be reading the next one – I’m excited about where this book leaves us!

'No mortal wounds, perhaps, but the scars these boys had left me would remain.' TDL: if Selah was political first and a hopeful romantic second, the plot wouldn't have been as oddly entrancing from all the boys she falls after only to realize, whoops, she fell too fast. But help I fell for them too while reading so now I'm in the same pickle because gosh darn it all they're all so charming??But the Thor/Loki vibes of Torden and Alexsei were the best. But the soft-hearted guard in disguise also stole my heart first??Idk what it was about this book 'cause it should NOT be the kind of thing I like so much . . . and yet I did?? It was unexpectedly entertaining and enjoyable??? Either way, I liked this a lot and I would really like to see how it all ends.

”You will always be the sun to me. Bright and beautiful and the warmest thing in my world.” This book took me on a rollercoaster ride, and NOT in a good way. I will say that the world building in this book was beautiful and I enjoyed the names of just about every character in this story lol the author got very creative with the names IMO.When I first started the book it was easy for me to get into it because of Selah’s rejection. I was so ready to see how she’d handle that and what the outcome would be. The moment she stepped on the Beholder the story got quite boring. Other than her little flirtations with Lang and the clues they were giving about suspicious stuff below deck, the whole trip to England was a snooze fest. I promised myself I’d read up to 50% before I marked this as a DNF!!!Then finally, at about 53% things looked up. I love forbidden romances and I was sucked in at a possible love triangle that never happened haha. I was rooting for Selah and Lang but that’s ended up being.. Nothing? Like seriously nothing. Anywho we met Bear and boom I had another ship that I was quite fond of, and that turned out to be a disaster although after he explained why he did what he did, I was rooting for him again. Of course, the author had other plans lol at that point I decided to stop shipping any of the couples and just enjoy the ride.I instantly fell in love with Torden the moment he was described to us haha and I’m so happy with Selah’s choice! Then of course it all spiraled out of control. I need more of them so I’m actually looking forward to the next book, just to see if they find there way back to each other. I just hope it doesn’t start off as slow as this one. 3.5/5 🌟’s

Reread in August to prepare for THE BOUNDLESS. As good the second time!I loved this book so much! It was unapologetically romantic, with MULTIPLE adorable, viable love interests, a unique and engaging heroine, and a lot of mystery to keep me turning pages. It felt old school YA in the best way. And I can't WAIT to find out what happens next!!

You can also read my review here:https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....This book was so much better than I had expected it to be. The cover made me think that the entire book took place on a ship, but in reality very little of it did. The Beholder is about Selah traveling to find a suitor among several princes deemed suitable. The book moves fast and was compulsively readable, I hardly set it down and finished it in less than 24 hours. I see how it could be compared to The Selection with the suitors and a bit of a twist on history, but it was also inspired by folklore and fairy tales. The beginning felt comparable to Cinderella, but there was also quite a bit of Norse mythology included.The characters and their relationships were really fun to read about. I also really enjoyed the different settings as Selah visited her suitors. I found myself rooting against one suitor pretty early on and then very attached to a different one later. I found it difficult to quickly bounce from one romantic entanglement to another, but so did Selah. Her emotions were clearly translated to the page and I understood how she felt and was able to relate pretty well to her character.The plot drove the story forward at a decent pace and I’m glad they didn’t try to condense the whole journey into one book, because I was able to get an accurate feel for each suitor and setting. While the book is centered on romance, which typically isn’t my thing, I found it to be an interesting love story without too much lust as a driving factor. Selah’s devotion to home and family was something I could relate to as well. I did wish that I got more of the story, because it didn’t quite feel finished.The Beholder was a fast paced story about Selah’s journey to find a suitor to marry. It is a love story, but it is also an adventure. I am so glad that I read some positive reviews, because I almost passed this one by and it was so captivating. As a debut novel I am impressed and I can’t wait for the sequel.

What is this…sensation blossoming inside me?*claws at face and chest*It’s…It’s unBEARable!~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ “You tend to gardens and fields with the women and to the stock with the men. That makes you one of the people. That does not make you their leader.” As Seneschal-elect of Potomac, and daughter to the current leader, Selah will soon have the responsibility of her country of Potomac resting on her shoulders. And being Eighteen she is expected to marry, to present a strong and united front as she leads her people. But when Selah extends an offer of marriage to Peter, a boy she has always yearned for from afar, and he rejects her proposal, her step-mother and the council take matters into their own hands. She is forced to travel across the Atlantic by ship with a crew of misfits, stopping in several countries and courting the eligible Princes, each for two weeks, in the hopes of proposals. Heartbroken, embarrassed, and only agreeing out of duty, Selah and her crew set off. But the royalty Selah meets is far from what she could have expected, and countless secrets and games are lurking around every corner. “I didn’t want his proposal. I didn’t want to be a princess. I was never born to wear a crown.” “Do not waste your efforts on good-for-nothing boys. Do not cast your pearls before swine.“ “You are everything you ought to be.“ When I started The Beholder…I’ll be honest, I didn’t think it would be that great. I had been debating purchasing it since it released a year ago, and every time I was about to buy it, I found myself not able to. The reviews from other readers have been super conflicting, some sprinkled in praise and others feeling luke-warm, but I was especially weary that it would be dull or completely lacking.Well.Curse me for second-guessing myself because…This was everything. “No mortal wounds, perhaps, but the scars these boys had left me would remain.“ “The weight of the chaos was going to flatten me.” This isn’t just a YA Fantasy retelling with a few Cinderella and Odyssey elements. And honestly, even calling it a Fantasy is a bit of a stretch. This world is a mix of fictional and real places. Europe plays a huge role, but peppered throughout are fictional countries and cities – like the one our dear heroine hails from. Also sprinkled within these pages are countless folklore and fairy-tales from all over the world, and each lends a hand to the plot and the direction our main character is thrust towards. “. . . and if ye will listen but a little I will tell it you with tongue As I have heard it told, In a story brave and strong, In a loyal book of old, In the land it has been long.” —Sir Gawain and the Green KnightSelah is a sweet and a fairly dainty young woman with a great work ethic, and someone who is easily likeable. She is wrapped in innocence and her eyes bubble over with hope and sincerity for those around her, even when their eyes unfortunately do not. Upon the first few chapters, you are instantly heartbroken for her already. Not only is she woefully rejected by a boy she has loved from afar since she was a wee lass, but it is done so in front of EVERYONE. And THEN, to make matters worse, the fate of her love-life is discussed and decided by council members and her evil stepmother – “smother”, Alessandra.And oh my sh, is this woman a piece of work. “If Alessandra came down and caught me crying in the dark, she’d lean into my weakness, press on my bruises in front of the others until they thought me as spineless as she did.“ If an author want’s me to feel heartbroken within the first 30 pages of a book, all you have to do is make a young girl feel entirely alone, while her sickly father stands by and does nothing.Shatter me, why don’t you.But this is just the beginning of heartbreak in The Beholder. “It was kind of him to pretend I wasn’t drowning.“ I don’t even know how to describe the amount of sorrow I was feeling alongside Selah as she experienced betrayal after betrayal. Here is this beautiful soul, thrust into a duty of having to flaunt herself in front of princes and impress them enough to be offered proposals, all in the hopes of returning to her country to care for her sick father…and in the midst of being completely rejected! I felt her embarrassment, her loneliness and every wave of uncertainty that rolled through her. She is a shy introvert who just wants love. Not a title, a crown or a prince as a husband. “He’d left me burning brighter than the candles. Now I just felt burned.” The Beholder is the name of the ship that Selah voyages on to meet her suitors, and the crew running it are a smattering of beautiful souls with various ethnic backgrounds, ages, and personalities. The author gives you just enough information and dialogue from them to instill a sense of trust and comfortably, but also withholds enough to keep you constantly wondering. Though I was a little surprised at how quickly these crew members become protective of Selah, I also found it entirely endearing. “I imagined having a job onboard the Beholder, instead of being a job myself. Imagined being one of their friends, instead of cargo.” And even though these crew members are fiercely loyal to Selah and always put her protection first, the reader quickly learns that there is something more going on when Selah isn’t looking. Most mysterious of all, is our dear Captain Lang. A VERY young captain in his early twenties (and dashing, I might add) riddled with secrets and complete intrigue. And even now, I am STILL wondering about this guy! With overly concerned glances and notions towards Selah, a tuck of hair behind an ear here, or an accidental lacing of fingers there…suffice it to say, I was being thrown in a million directions wondering WHO THE LOVE INTEREST IS!!! “Would I ever learn what seeds he sowed that bloomed in bruises on his cheeks?” Speaking of love interests…If there were ever a story to bloat me with so much love, and just as quickly drop my heart to the floor through my stomach……it would be this one. “You are making a mistake.” “You are making a mistake.” “You are making a mistake.” How do I even explain the sheer mind messery that the love in The Beholder invokes? It is twisted, quick, fleeting, meddlesome, loaded, passionate, dark, light, achingly sweet and crushingly wretched. There are games layered in secrets layered in maneuvers and countermoves. Selah is a pawn in so many maps and boards, it’s devastating to witness. Her unwavering trust in people is endearing, yet wholly painful. Her desire to forgive and forgive is admirable, and the way she propels herself onward is empowering. The girl launches herself at the chance of love and being loved, and it makes me both happy and sad. “My heart was a lit candle, a forest fire, a burning star. Doomed, but smiling.” But her fear and lack of confidence in herself is truly the most sorrowful of all. “I realized I’d been waiting for this moment, this inevitable point when he would look at me—soft, scared, unremarkable—and see that he could do better.” I so SO badly want to dive into the romance angle, but I will spill all the beans of everything, and the unraveling of this story is just too good for me to do that to you. Just know that this is going to be an emotional whirlwind if you’re ready for it, and if you can understand/tolerate quick love.But let me just say this: the siblings of Asling Fortress make my heart sing. On another note, the world building.There is a LOT of world building explaining in this, and let me not be the first to say, it’s damn confusing. Never have I encountered so many names that I didn’t even attempt to sound out. Call me lazy, but geez…those jumbles of letters were daunting. So in terms of making sense of the world – what was real and what wasn’t – yeah, I was pretty little lost. There was an excessive unloading of fictional names and places that I could not make sense of, try as I might. And even the land of Imperiya Yotne (that’s…the land, right?) which acts as “the villain” barely made much sense to me. All I know is there is something about the Tsarytsya, they’re evil, and some mutterings of Baba Yaga – an old Russian folklore, sort of like the Boogeyman. “When Baba Yaga locks the door, Children pass thereby no more.” “Baba Yaga’s land, there is no safety.” So in that regard, I had to knock a star down. Because if this world and the cities/countries were cleaned up a bit, this book would be stellar. I am hoping book two, The Boundless, will really cut these loose strings and sew up some holes in terms of the setting and the story of the Tsarytsdafjfbdsf…you know, the bad place.I am now already devouring The Boundless in anticipation for it’s release on Tuesday, June 9th. But I am still pretty early into it. So…Pray for me. “What fortune was mine.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Additional quotes I loved, because there were just too many.… “I was struck suddenly with the feeling of desperately needing to ask him a question and at the same time not being sure exactly what it was I needed to ask—the feeling that the question didn’t matter, so long as the answer came from him.” … “He is so very handsome, and we are so very, very unwise.” … “‘It’s not what you look like, it’s how you see,’ she used to always say, and she believed someone who didn’t read only ever saw through their own eyes.” … “We were doomed, but I was smiling.” … “‘I just wish you’d told me when it was just the two of us’ ‘It never was just the two of us.'” … “No one knows how many years he has, Seneschal-elect. Life is short and death is certain.” “So every moment I am aboveground and not below it, I want to feel the difference. We’ll all be in our graves soon enough.” … “I will fight, if I have to. But if I have to break another’s body, I deserve at least to feel his suffering in my own arm. I think the powerful would love less the fruits of violence if they had to deal it out by hand.”

How can you resist (and NOT buy/try) a new(ish) book written by one of the folks who works at your local, independent (and oh-so-happy) bookstore? (Nope ... I have no idea how I missed this when it came out, so I'm late to the party....) Sure, it's a teen (and/or young adult) offering, so I'm not the target audience, but that never stopped me before (particularly when I was pre-reading this stuff in high quantity when my now-adult kids were younger)....Big picture: It's a quick, easy, fun, entertaining read, I'm glad I read it, and I see no reason why it shouldn't be popular with the target demographic. My sense is that, as quest books go, this is something creative and interesting and derivative (in the best way possible) and, one would hope, curiosity-inducing for readers of a certain age and aptitude. It's transparently the first book in a series, and my guess is I'll buy/read the next one when it comes out.Review addendum (after having surfed the early reviews): I'm intrigued (and, to some extent, saddened) by the number of people angry or disappointed ... or, worse, critical of the book ... whining that the book wasn't what they expected or didn't fit into a pre-conceived notion or wasn't what another reviewer perceived it to be. Gimmie a break: it's teen/YA fiction ... and all stories, tales, fables, yarns, quests, etc. ... are in someway derivative.... If Neil Gaiman can market a modern rewrite of the Norse myths (without dramatically altering any of the characters or story arc) ... and the musical Jesus Christ Superstar can still entertain and fill seats 40+ years after it initially hit the stage in London/Broadway ... without derailing/foreclosing the success of the lighter, but still wonderful, Godspell ... (and, what, 4,000+ years after the basic storyline played out), maybe it's OK for an author to have a little fun with some stories (of varying types) that have proven tried and true thru the ages....Funny association: This book is chock full of what I think of as Easter Eggs or gems or presents/offerings for well-read readers. Story tales and epics and mythologies and ... and ... well, you get the idea. Anyway, after I read aloud a particular passage, where the reader unexpectedly meets one of the historical/literary world's greatest storytellers/bards (nah, no spoiler here), my spouse remarked that I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, and she reminded me how deeply I'd been taken (enraptured?) by The Storied Life of AJ Fikrey, which, by no means, is a good analogy, but I fully understood where she was coming from.... Along those lines, at times, while reading this, I was reminded of one my favorites from last year, Morgenstern's literary-fantasy, The Starless Sea, but, having said that, the books couldn't have less in common, and I'm guessing the universe of folks who read both is relatively small.I feel a little badly shelving this under sci-fi and fantasy, but that's where I tend to stick stuff like Gaiman's Norse Mythology or Joyce Graham's take on various fairy tales, so I'm not going to apologize for doing so.Full disclosure: the teen, coming-of-age romance and insecurity angle doesn't speak to me, but, again, I'm not the target reader.I'd recommend this to teen readers (with open minds and vivid imaginations) without hesitation!

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight 4.5*Oh, this was such an unexpected gem for me! Sure, I assumed I'd enjoy it, but the level of unputdownability (that is now a word, because I said so) was off the charts. That said, it isn't perfect. There are issues that may hinder some readers' experiences, which I feel it's only fair to mention, even though I loved it and am basically salivating waiting for the next installment. What I Loved: • The world is so enjoyable! It's complex without being confusing, and because it's based on our current world, it's quite easy to get the hang of. Selah starts in Potomac (basically Washington D.C. I figure) and then heads to Europe where things just get even more fabulous. • Selah is a good main character, one I could root for but who also had a ton to learn. Her growth throughout the book was great, too. She really started to come into her own, and I assume there will be much more of that in the next book. • Forget Selah, the side characters were everything! Okay I did really like Selah, but I enjoyed the side characters in every single location. • Perhaps because of how enjoyable the characters and world were, I became really invested in the plot. Honestly, I want to know what the deal is! What's the deal with Imperiya Yotne? What's Selah's crappy stepmom up to? I cannot wait to find out! • All the romance and friendships! Seriously, if you like the swoons, this book is absolutely for you! And if you dig friendships, this one has them in freaking spades. What Holds It Back: Like I said, these are all things I was able to overlook because I was so wholly engrossed in the story. But it is a bit  tropey, and pretty predictable. I knew a lot of what would happen, but inexplicably, I did not care. I was just that into it. 🤷‍♀️ Bottom Line: Despite some flaws, this is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in quite some time. I think if it sounds appealing, you should go for it, because I had so much fun reading it!

****4 How many love interests can a girl have Stars****Yes, in the beginning, I was really annoyed with Selah's character. I found her whiny and childish for being 18 years old and getting ready to get married. Then I have to question how easy it was for her to continue to fall in love during a 2 week span more one right after the other.I do love how the author melds different fairy tales and epic adventures into the story though and looking past my 2 problems with the story, I did enjoy the book as a whole and will anticipate the release of the next book in the series.

Thank all the gods that there will be a book 2!! The only question now is how to wait until then…”It’s not what you look like, its how you see,” she used to say, and she believed that someone who didn’t read only ever saw through their own eyes.”This book had a bit of a slow start for me but once it got rolling I devoured the rest in one sitting. The Beholder takes you on a world-wide adventure with schemes and politics, lots of romance, history and other cultures, and so many emotions. I loved all of the nods to the classic fairytales and it definitely had a small hint of ‘The Bachelor’ vibe. Watching Selah’s personal growth made me so proud and I can not wait to see what she does next with her new sense of self. And oh, the ships!! So many ships! I think I have a favorite… but we’ll see! The things we like are different. The things we love are the same.”Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this one and am very much looking forward to book 2 and what will come next!All quotes are taken from an advanced reader’s copy and aren’t final. Please refer to a finished copy.*Thanks so much to HarperTeen via Edelweiss*