Veil by Dylan Farrow ~ a Review

by MK French

In this sequel to Hush, everything Shae knew had been a lie. She thought she knew Ravod, but he stole the Book of Days. Following him with her friends, Shae enters Gondal, the land relegated to myths but is ruled not by magic but by technology. Shae is desperate for answers and wants to restore peace despite the lies.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2022; Wednesday Books; 978-1250235930
audio, ebook, print (400 pages); YA fantasy

In Hush (my review), we're introduced to a land where disease is spread by ink, and the language-based magic can only be used by Bards. Shae never wanted comfort in lies as other villagers did, and sometimes put her trust in the wrong people. Veil immediately follows the last one, so read Hush first.

Shae has grown up a bit, but she still has a tendency to trust easily. This means she makes the same mistakes. She's told it's not a flaw, but it does make her life harder. Gondal is nothing like Montane, and more like our world: trains, tunnels, high rises, street signs, parks, cafés, and the like. Shae and her friends are awed by the differences, and it's even more clear that everything Montane believes is a lie. That doesn't automatically make Gondal better; every country has its problems, and Gondal has those of an industrial power. On an individual level, Shae struggles with feeling as though she's worth the sacrifices of others if her choices were the right ones, and what the proper course of action is going to be. She's not too different from most of us in that regard, which makes her an approachable protagonist.

This novel didn't quite go in the direction that I thought it would for the climactic battle scene, but it definitely fit the trajectory of the novels. We see everyone at their most determined, and characters we forgot about from the first book show up again. I thought it was a fun touch to the novel, and helped to give closure on the country that Shae so precipitously left behind.

Buy Veil at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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