Among the Beasts & Briars

By: Ashley Poston

Narrated by: Hope Newhouse, Andrew Eiden

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Ashley Poston, acclaimed author of Heart of Iron, returns with a dark, lush fairy-tale-inspired fantasy for fans of Sara Raasch and Susan Dennard.

Cerys is safe in the Kingdom of Aloriya. Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden.

Cerys knows this all too well: When she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now, Cerys carries a small bit of the curse - the magic - in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything.

As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions a small and irritating fox from the royal garden and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home.

But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.

©2020 Ashley Poston (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Unique and exciting!

I came across Ashley Poston’s “7 Year Switch” and enjoyed it so much that I took a deep dive into all her work. Somehow “Among the Beasts and Briars” was one of the last ones I came across and all I can say is WOW!!! The story and the characters, the mystery of the wood. It’s all so intriguing and thrilling. I couldn’t stop reading. You know you’ve found a good one when at the end you experience the heartache of having to let these characters go because for a short time you felt like you experienced the world with them.

I love this book! Will it have a sequel?

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Cerys and Fox was interesting. I suspected that he was who he was a chapter or two before it was revealed, in that scene in the kitchen. So I wasn't surprised by who he turned out to be.

I was a little taken aback when, in the end, we were all of a sudden six months on and Anwen and Papa were restored to being human. But I loved that Fox was himself again and he and Cerys fell in love!

Hope Newhouse and Andrew Eiden did a really fantastic job performing this story! I thoroughly enjoyed their narration.

Super Cute Adventure

I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure, and I am actually really sad that it is over!! I listened in two sittings, and after the final lines, I said Aww aloud yet my heart hurts that I won't get to listen to anymore of it. I entirely felt for our two main characters and their situations.
What a perfect ending after the dark disasters our characters endure throughout this intense journey. All characters we meet are thoroughly fleshed out, there is gripping adventure, plenty of mystery, great world building, and blossoming friendships, love, and character growth.
The dual performance was absolutely lovely and perfect for this story and characters. Fox's thoughts and dialogue had me laughing several times.

Good but could improve

So this book is really good but make sure you check your age there are really bad cus words and gory things in grusim detail but the narrator is really good and the way they are expressive helps you understand!

whimsical cheek burning fun romance with magic

4.5 star

This whimsical fairytale caught me by surprise. Although a little predictable at times the wholesome happiness of the book made up for it. We follow are main character Cery a gardeners daughter with magic in her blood. And at her best friends coronation the curse comes for them and changes everything.

The writing to me really was well done and easy to read. I loved all the beautiful names and how well they flowed with the story. Also the romance, so fresh and sweet it made my cheeks burn with all the feels. The banter, the characters I fell in love with it all. For me there could have been a little more atmosphere and world building though.

All the characters complemented each other. Fox with a mischief twinkle in his eye. Casy and her adventurous soul. Even the bear with her exasperated glares. Or that's what I pictures atleast. Altogether the atmosphere of their relationship felt so organic. Almost as if they had always known one another. I fell for them completely. Especially their snarky banter and inside jokes which made for a fun wholesome read.

"But here I was dancing with a boy who was handsome in a way only wild things could be, as if he wanted to be bigger than his skin instead of wanting to fit inside it."

Hope Newhouse and Andrew Eiden did a great job narrating. Really brought the characters to life and made the story fun to listen too. Fox's attitude was quite interesting to me. You rarely find a main character who cowers and hides in the face of fear. In a weird way I found it refreshing and sensible. Also romantic dialog is always a sensitive subject for me because there is a fine line between unbearably corny or sweet. This story stayed with the latter. I was giddy with relief. Towards the end I started to wish there was more but in a good way. It wrapped up rather nicely as well but I'll still hold out for a sequel.

Solid Story and Narration

I liked where the story went and how. Some minor holes but nothing super pertinent to the plot.

Best book I’ve read in years

The story and the metaphor were both amazing. The production was good, but the writing was just amazing. Will read this one again someday. Such a great book.

Great book and performances

There wasn't very much about this book that I didn't like. At the beginning there was a lot of information to take in about the creatures and the world and the characters, but I easily got through that. I loved that Cerys grew into her own through the book. She was a strong girl without it being that unbelievable strong that some YA novels tend to portray. And Fox stole my heart from the very second he came into play. He showed fear which is not something often seen in male leads. All in all this was a cute romance/fantasy/fairytale and I loved every single second of it. I hope that in the future Ashley Poston comes out with more books like this one.

good family book

I feel like I have some unanswered questions. but it was still a good book. kids and husband were so in to it.

A beautifull twist on a fairy tale

I love how likeable the characters are!!! Wish there was more of this ! But it's a fun twist on a story simular to beauty and the beast!