ARC Review + Book Excerpt + Favorite Quotes – The Beholder by Anna Bright

Today, I’ve teamed up with The Fantastic Flying Book Club to be part of The Beholder Book Tour. Thank you again for gifting this book to me. I truly enjoyed this lovely story.

Let me tell you more about this amazing book, but before we dive in, let me tell you that I’ll also share my favorite quotes from the book throughout the post. With further ado, let me introduce you to The Beholder.

The Beholder is the first book in The Beholder series written by Anna Bright. This young adult (YA) fantasy novel is published by Harper Teen and set to be released on June 4, 2019. As I’m part of the online book tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club, I’ve received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review is spoiler-free.

“A clear night is useless without direction. All the visibility in the world won’t tell me where to turn the helm. Information is no substitute for decision.”
Anna Bright, The Beholder.

Synopsis

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader 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 after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: 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 under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

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“Our fates are written in omens and dreams, but yours is written in your eyes.”
Anna Bright, The Beholder.

Review

Selah is the daughter of Potomac’s leader. To secure the future of her people, she must find the perfect husband to rule over her small country. When the day comes, she makes a choice that leads to rejection and humiliation. Before Selah knows what’s happening, her scheming stepmother convinces the Council to send her away, across the ocean to meet with potential suitors.

Without a chance to dispute the decision, Selah embarks on a journey where she must come back engaged… or not at all. With her father’s health declining day after day, she is pressed for time and must navigate through political intrigues, deceit, and an even more significant threat.

This book has been a fun read. The story is beautifully written. I appreciated the quotes from various fairy tales between some chapters.

The main character, Selah, has a beautiful arc in this book. Selah is a pretty down-to-earth character who is thrown in the middle of royal scheming. Her loyalty and innocence are tested more than once. Her journey shapes her to become a stronger person, and the ending hints at a more significant role in the upcoming book.

The foreshadowing is also well done because the reader expects a particular plot twist, but the author delivers a surprising and thrilling ending. The plot twist wasn’t what I expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

I give this book a four-star rating rather than a five because I felt that Selah’s quest to find her husband took a bit too much time and slowed down the pacing in the middle. The story has an exciting development toward the end, and I wish the author had spent more time on that part instead.

With that said, the ending truly made me want to read the next installment. I grew attached to many characters in this book, and particularly appreciated the characters’ values. For example, many characters throughout the story stand up for themselves, especially against bullying and body shaming.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading novels with royal themes, courting, and political intrigues. The pacing is not as fast as some YA fantasy books, so I’d tell anyone to keep this in mind. The story truly is a fun and delightful read, and well worth reading.

“You will always be the sun to me. Bright and beautiful and the warmest thing in my world.”
Anna Bright, The Beholder.

About the Author – Anna Bright

I believe in woods, mountains, highways, cobblestones, roller coasters, dancing, concerts, cherry Pop-Tarts, books, and magic. When I’m not reading or writing on my couch, I’m dragging my husband off on an adventure, communing with Salem (my kitten/spiritual familiar), or causing trouble at One More Page Books, where I work.

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“The future does not roll in great waves, she’d said. It comes in a thousand tiny moments, turns on hinges too small to see, follows a winding path carved by yeses and nos that change the world.”
Anna Bright, The Beholder.