The Beholder (The Beholder #1)

 Synopsis

As the only daughter of the Seneschal of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But when the night of Selah's engagement ends in an excruciatingly public rejection, her stepmother proposes the unthinkable: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits-- and if she doesn't come home engaged, she shouldn't come home at all.

From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and even beyond the borders of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah's quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But as she searches for her future husband, she realizes that her stepmother's schemes aren't the only secrets hiding belowdecks . . . and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

Loved

• The mashup of fairytales. This story is very unique in that it's a love letter to fairytales and storytelling. This isn't based off one particular fairytale- it's influenced by many different stories and folklore. There's a strong Cinderella foundation, sprinkled with some Baba Yaga (Slavic mythology), a Thor/Loki/Odin character setup, and even a nod to Hansel and Gretel. Although there's no magic system in this story, it sparkles with the same dazzle, romance and intrigue that a fairy tale would deliver.

• The different settings. This story is a little confusing in that it takes place in an alternate-historical setting, and it's hard at times to know exactly which history we're altering. But this story takes readers to England, with all its cozy, broody charm, and to Norgia, with its strict, family-centered fjords. This creates such a fun adventure to go to somewhat familiar places and experience real cultures.

• The romances. This definitely has Selection and Bachelorette vibes with the arranged-marriage/find-a-husband-in-two-weeks trope. We get to experience two romances in this story, both with dreamy, but very distinct and different suitors. This story wears its heart on its sleeve as Selah falls in love twice during this story (twice in one month!)

• Torden. Okay, I won't give anything away. But I just love him. So humble, forgiving, accepting, and devoted. He's not the broody, snarky, flirty, or mysterious heartthrob of many novels, and I found that refreshing. He is straightforward, honest, chaste, and goes into the relationship wanting to be the best husband he could be. We need more Tordens in the world ;)

Didn't Love

• To be honest, there were a few major issues I had with this story. I really enjoyed it, but there were some very distracting elements that took away from the story.

• The most distracting issue of the story is that we don't know what time period or history the story is altering. Potomac is based off the South, with southern accents and pecan pie, but then Selah meets King Constantine (and knights of the round table- wrong king?) in England- what?? Also they have radios? Super confusing. I tried to be okay with being really confused and just let it go, but I found myself very distracted throughout the story trying to orient myself.




• The romances. As I said earlier, we get two romances in this story, which is interesting and different from other novels. Without spoiling, it was frustrating to switch from one romance to the other without closure and with only one day in between. Although the pressure is on Selah to find a fiancee, it still felt very sudden and somewhat insta-love-ish.




• The writing. The writing moved the story along nicely, but it felt a little cheesy at times. Maybe I've just read too much YA lately, but at times it felt like the author had to spend too much time justifying Selah's decisions, and at times the writing felt too cheesy to be relatable. However, I tried to think of it as a fairytale, which would allow for more flowery and poetic language than regular prose.

Content

• Language: 
• None

• Sexual content: 
• Frequent kisses between main character and two different suitors. Nothing very passionate or intense.
• Someone makes a vulgar remark asking main character if she traded her innocence for her suitor's manhood.

• Violence
• References to the Imperiya, which has violently claimed many cities and countries.
• Story of Baba Yaga- essentially Hansel and Gretel. Two children are locked in her home and implied that they are killed.
• Frequent fist fights, and a character gets slapped for treason.

Overall Thoughts

To be completely honest, I bought this because of its stunning cover, hoping that I would enjoy the story :) I went in with fairly low expectations, and I did enjoy it. The fairytale feel with subtle intrigue, dreamy suitors, and an adventure across Europe provides for an entertaining and engaging story. A few issues were distracting, mostly the inconsistencies of the historical period. This did seem to take away from the story because readers are frequently reassessing to figure out in what time period the story takes place. I would give this story 3 1/2 to 4 stars because it was enjoyable, but some of the issues were hard to get past. However, if you are looking for some swoony romance, a dazzling trip around Europe, and a dash of intrigue, definitely give this one a try!