Veil (Hush, #2)

VEIL is the satisfying conclusion to the unique YA fantasy duology that began with HUSH. Picking up right where the first left off, Shae is traveling with her friends, Kennan (well, friend if you ask Shae), Mads, and Fiona, after Ravod who stole the Book of Days and left her with a torn page. Lamenting the trust she had in Ravod, Shae is also fighting off the Blot, a plague-like illness that stems from the Telling, an ability to write things into being.

As the group travels into the neighboring country, they learn more about the embroiled politics and other potential threats to their people. In the process, trust will be questioned, alliances formed and broken, and each will begin to come into their own as they face the challenges before them.

What I loved: This is an intriguing world with a unique type of magic. The world-building really expands in this second and final read with the introduction of the neighboring country. Trust is a major theme of the story, and this discussion was really thought-provoking around when and where trust should be placed as well as the pressure in upholding it. Other themes around family (birth and found), friendship, leadership, finding yourself, and the importance of understanding add to the interest of the read.

This is a fast-paced read, and there is a lot happening in this book. The ending does wrap everything up nicely, making it a satisfying conclusion to the duology. The writing pulls the reader into the story and keeps them on their toes all the way to the end, with some twists and turns along their journey.

What left me wanting more: The relationships all seemed really fast, and while I loved the couples forming, I would have appreciated seeing more of the building of the connections in the story. The pacing was really fast and I would have liked to slow down and explore those more as well as some of the world-building. There was also a major character death, and it felt a bit too fast (in part because of the time-related pressure of the situation) to really feel it.

Final verdict: A satisfying conclusion to an intriguing YA fantasy duology, VEIL is a fast-paced and thought-provoking read that will keep readers on their toes until the intense end.