The Beholder
Written by Anna Bright
Narrated by Emily Rankin
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
“Sparkles with beauty, intrigue, and romance.”—Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series
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.
But after an excruciatingly public rejection, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic to visit a series of potential suitors—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.
From the gardens of England to the fjords of Norge, 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.
Lush landscapes, dazzling romance, and captivating intrigue await in this stunning alternate historical YA debut—perfect for fans of The Selection or Caraval.
Anna Bright
Anna Bright is an indie bookseller by day and an author by night who still gets in trouble for reading when she’s supposed to be doing other things. When not hiding out among books, she loves concerts, roller coasters, and adventures at home and abroad. Anna lives with her husband and cat in a charming cobblestoned neighborhood in Washington, DC, but you can find her online at www.annabrightbooks.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @brightlyanna.
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The Beholder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boundless Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Beholder
118 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5“You will always be the sun to me. Bright and beautiful and the warmest thing in my world.”
^^ This scene completely shattered my heart. Authors need to stop doing that, it’s getting harder to piece it back together.
I am so excited to see what happens next. I really hope Frederick was right, that can’t be the end… It better not be. My heart needs the happy feels.
I liked the pace of this story, it begins with Selah finding out she has to go on a tour, during that tour she explores new lands, meets new people and experiences true love, heartache and hopelessness.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the repetition, she thought of home and her father a lot which is understandable she’s never been away and he’s ill, but her actual thoughts were repetitive. And the rhyme.. It was done way too often.
It was difficult to keep up with all the characters. Her family, the crew, then her first two tour stops.. It was a lot, and I don’t think physical descriptions were added in enough throughout to visually remind us of who was who.
It was at times predictable, but that didn’t make it boring for me because there was lots of other little things going on that kept me wondering.
It’s definitely a YA Fantasy Romance.
I was in love when she was in England, at least I thought I was, until she reached Norge… *swoon*
Bring on The Boundless. I can’t wait.
Audio
5/5 ⭐
The audio was absolutely fantastic. Emily Rankin is someone I’ll look out for in future. I loved it.2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It was full of mystery, dynamic romance, and self reflection. It had elements of folklore but still kept me wondering what was going to happen. I hated the moments when I had to stop listening, and I couldn't wait to join her journey again.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Near halfway through Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy confesses to Elizabeth: "In vain I have struggled, it will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." All this, he says, in spite of his better judgment.
In a strange way, I think this captures how I feel about The Beholder. The more I think about the specific plot events, the motivations, the great cloud of obliviousness that hovers over Selah, the more I am baffled by why I want to read the sequel. Despite myself, I was charmed by Selah's unexpected moments of spirit and other small quirks in the story. Alas, despite a trans-Atlantic voyage, this was not a seafaring novel. But the alternate historical setting is intriguing - if initially confusing. Alternate history outside of fantasy and steampunk seems to be a rarity.
"Do you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?"
Do I applaud the lightning fast, sequential romances? No. Was I, like dear Selah, fooled by the hidden motives of those around her? Not a bit. Could I do without the modern jargon? Probably.
But you know...I liked it.