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. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
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 the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, 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.
Introduction
With my current obsession being Ashley Poston, I’ve devoured anything I can get my hands on. When I saw that she had written a fairytale-esque story, I was sold from the start. But then I saw the cover… Are you kidding? Absolutely gorgeous—especially the embroidery. In my mind, nothing could go wrong.
“She said that the people who die never really leave. That we carry them with every breath we take, until the wind itself is gone.”
Overview
Among the Beasts & Briars is set in the fictional Kingdom of Aloriya, where people are safeguarded by a magical crown that was gifted to the King and passed down to his heirs. The prologue explains the crown’s necessity, as it protects the people from creatures in the surrounding woods, known as the wildwoods. One of our main characters, Cerys, is the daughter of the Royal Gardener and grew up as close friends with the Prince and Princess. Her mother’s origins are mysterious, as she was discovered by her father near death in the woods, leading to their eventual love story.
As a child, Cerys experienced a tragic event in the wildwoods with her mother, the Prince, and a squire tasked with protecting the royal siblings. Her mother was killed and cursed by the wildwoods, but just before her death, she imparted magic to Cerys. This newfound power allows Cerys to make flowers bloom with her blood, similar to the magic of the royal lineage. However, she must keep her abilities hidden, as she’s been taught to believe it’s a curse rather than magic.
The central part of the story unfolds during the Princess’s scheduled coronation day, which takes a disastrous turn. Cerys embarks on a mission to save the Kingdom, venturing into a village hidden deep within the woods— a place she’s heard about throughout her life in stories related to the crown.
“I always thought that gardeners’ daughters couldn’t thrive where our roots didn’t grow. But maybe we were like dandelion tuffs.”
The Triggers
Content warnings in the realm of fantasy literature often tread a curious path, yet I find it necessary to illuminate aspects that could serve as potential triggers for fellow readers. Be advised that these warnings should be taken with care as I am not a licensed therapist and in no way could I identify everything. The following is what stuck out to me and other readers. The following might contain spoilers.
Body Horror
There are graphic depictions of altered human physiology throughout the work.
Murder
This one is pretty self-explanatory.
Death of a Minor/ Death of loved ones
Side characters die and are a big part of the MC’s back story.
Self-Harem
Cerys has to perform self-harm multiple times throughout the story to access her magic, which is blood magic.
Tropes in the Story:
- Childhood Friend Romance
- Magic
- Class Differences
- Shapeshifting Lover
“The leaves on the trees we approached were a molten gold, like an artist had taken a sunset and poured it over the forest, and the crisp smell of the coming winter floated on the autumn breeze. It was early afternoon, and the birds sang bright and loud in the treetops.”
Thoughts
Right from the beginning, the book immerses us in its fantasy world with no breadcrumbs left behind. There’s a castle, a garden, a mysterious forest, and even a fox. When our main character was revealed to be friends with the princess, I thought, ‘Yep, this feels like a typical fairytale.’ I’ll spare you the setup because, like every fairytale, it followed a familiar pattern. But then, something rather peculiar happened. The fox was transformed into a partly human character.
I have to admit, I might have a slight obsession with this trope. Maybe it’s a remnant from my days as a lonely Tumblr enthusiast, daydreaming about the idea of an animal coming to life and becoming my “friend.” However, To anyone sexualizing their own animals, don’t that’s creepy.
Anyway, this little twist intrigued me and held my interest for a while. However, as the plot picked up speed, it seemed like not much was really happening. The characters moved from one place to another, reached a climactic resolution, and then, believe it or not, returned to square one. The entire story felt underdeveloped and, dare I say it, rather dull.
Conclusion
While I am and will always be a devoted Ashley Poston fan, I can understand why she ventured away from fantasy. I can see the origins of some of her brilliant ideas, but this particular one didn’t resonate with me. While it did incorporate some enjoyable tropes and elements, it lacked the fully developed narrative that I’ve come to anticipate in her books.
