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Unveiled Series #5
Betwixt and Between
They came upon us like nightfall, like the winds, like the changing seasons. Swift as laughter, bright as steel, pitiless as frost in the dead of winter. More beautiful than sunlight and treacherous as desire.
A summer vacation to Ireland should be no cause for concern. Even the Handmaiden of Death deserves a break. Emlynn has faced ghosts, the Ancient Dead and demonic entities as she’s grown into her power. But there’s no preparation for what awaits her this time – meeting her boyfriend’s mother. Emlynn is determined not to show how nervous she is. However her foreboding is proved right when Mrs O’Connor hates her on sight.
Ciarán is elated to be taking his girlfriend to meet his family at last, not least after all the dangers they’ve faced together over that last few years. In fact, he’d be perfectly happy if it wasn’t for one last nagging doubt – that maybe he’s not good enough.
Distracted by family drama, Emlynn doesn’t realise that a far greater danger is headed her way. A goddess has set her covetous gaze on Ciarán, and her plans for him will test his and Emlynn’s relationship to the limit. Forced to travel where no avatar of Death was ever meant to go, Emlynn must face trials set by a cruel, inhuman mind if she ever hopes to see Ciarán alive again.
> it's a novel. (not a novella as previously stated - sorry!)
>it's set after 'I Rule the Night' and is told from dual POVs including Em's.
>it's set in Ireland
>bad things are going to happen (c'mon it's the Unveiled universe!)
>No you absolutely don't have to read it. You can stop at book 4 and still have the whole story. Die hard fans only ;)
A summer vacation to Ireland should be no cause for concern. Even the Handmaiden of Death deserves a break. Emlynn has faced ghosts, the Ancient Dead and demonic entities as she’s grown into her power. But there’s no preparation for what awaits her this time – meeting her boyfriend’s mother. Emlynn is determined not to show how nervous she is. However her foreboding is proved right when Mrs O’Connor hates her on sight.
Ciarán is elated to be taking his girlfriend to meet his family at last, not least after all the dangers they’ve faced together over that last few years. In fact, he’d be perfectly happy if it wasn’t for one last nagging doubt – that maybe he’s not good enough.
Distracted by family drama, Emlynn doesn’t realise that a far greater danger is headed her way. A goddess has set her covetous gaze on Ciarán, and her plans for him will test his and Emlynn’s relationship to the limit. Forced to travel where no avatar of Death was ever meant to go, Emlynn must face trials set by a cruel, inhuman mind if she ever hopes to see Ciarán alive again.
> it's a novel. (not a novella as previously stated - sorry!)
>it's set after 'I Rule the Night' and is told from dual POVs including Em's.
>it's set in Ireland
>bad things are going to happen (c'mon it's the Unveiled universe!)
>No you absolutely don't have to read it. You can stop at book 4 and still have the whole story. Die hard fans only ;)
ebook
Published September 21, 2018
About the author
J.A. Ironside
56 books350 followersUrban fantasy and historical fiction author J.A. Ironside masquerades by day as member of the county library service, which strangely enough has less to do with books than you would think.
Jules grew up in Dorset in a house full of books, which probably explains a lot about how her mind works. You might think that folklore, fringe science, history, physics, magic and supernatural mystery wouldn’t go all that well together, but she’s hell bent on proving they do. Her urban fantasy series Harker & Blackthorn is now ten books long and counting. It features a sentient museum because someone needs to keep track of what’s going on. Unveiled – another UF series set in the same universe – is now complete.
Jules is also determined to show that historical fiction can be both factually correct and funny. The King’s Knight series is set during the tumultuous reign of Richard II, while the sweeping Oath and Crown Duology – co-authored with Matthew Willis – follows the events leading up to and around the Battle of Hastings.
When pried her away from her books, Jules enthusiastically engages in martial arts and playing the piano, although never at the same time. At least not yet. She lives on the edge of the Cotswold way with her boyfriend creature and two hell’s kittens. Find out more at www.jaironside.com
Jules grew up in Dorset in a house full of books, which probably explains a lot about how her mind works. You might think that folklore, fringe science, history, physics, magic and supernatural mystery wouldn’t go all that well together, but she’s hell bent on proving they do. Her urban fantasy series Harker & Blackthorn is now ten books long and counting. It features a sentient museum because someone needs to keep track of what’s going on. Unveiled – another UF series set in the same universe – is now complete.
Jules is also determined to show that historical fiction can be both factually correct and funny. The King’s Knight series is set during the tumultuous reign of Richard II, while the sweeping Oath and Crown Duology – co-authored with Matthew Willis – follows the events leading up to and around the Battle of Hastings.
When pried her away from her books, Jules enthusiastically engages in martial arts and playing the piano, although never at the same time. At least not yet. She lives on the edge of the Cotswold way with her boyfriend creature and two hell’s kittens. Find out more at www.jaironside.com
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 10, 2019
First off, I’d like to thank @jaironside for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Although I have loved the whole Unveiled series, Betwixt and Between is my favorite one yet! Not only was it the perfect combination of suspense and supernatural adventure, but it was a cute story about enduring love and familial relationships. It acted as a beautiful epilogue to Em and Ciaran’s story and even introduced some new characters that I would love to read more of in the future.
This is maybe a weird thing to pick-up on, but with International Women’s Day just a few days ago, I really found it refreshing that most of the characters in this story were female. From the main characters to the villains, there were only a couple of male characters. It was nice to read a book with strong women, who drive the plot and are complex and realistic in their motivations.
Additionally, I felt that the characterization of the returning characters was consistent and realistic, and the growth of new characters was interesting and enjoyable to read. There was no main character that was completely the same at the end as they were at the beginning.
The relationships built and maintained were also flawless. Of course, Em and Ciaran are center stage and I loved reading their interactions. There was a little drama, but it was never cliché and I loved that they worked it out in the end with healthy communication. Their love rang true and lasted despite any bad situations they were thrown into, which I LOVED.
Aside from them, though, there were many other great relationships throughout the book. It was nice to see Em interact with her older sister. I love how close they are now compared to where they started in book one. I also loved to see Em interact with Ciaran’s sisters, Aoife and Sorcha. Those interactions really helped balance some of darker bits. (Speaking of Aoife, I really feel there is a story in her future. I loved how there was foreshadowing that she will have more adventures in the Sidhe lands.)
Now that I’ve waxed poetic about the characters and such, I want to address plot and pacing. I enjoyed how Ironside switched between Ciaran and Em’s POV. It not only made parts more suspenseful because it made me wait to find out what was happening, but it moved the plot forward at a steady pace. I never felt the book dragged on or that we repeated anything due to the switch in POV. On the other hand, I never felt like there was a rush or that anything was underdeveloped to speed up the plot either. Ironside put care and thought put into every scene so that everything was important and interesting.
As always, I enjoyed Ironside’s world building as well. She does a great job of making a real location magical and using the folklore and landmarks as part of the plot. The setting is always integral to the story, which is rarer than you’d think.
So, overall, I really loved this book! Not only was it a good story on it’s own, but it acted as the perfect sequel and epilogue to Em and Ciaran’s story. I really enjoyed being able to immerse myself in this world and story again. It was superb and if you haven’t read this series already, I recommend you start immediately!
Although I have loved the whole Unveiled series, Betwixt and Between is my favorite one yet! Not only was it the perfect combination of suspense and supernatural adventure, but it was a cute story about enduring love and familial relationships. It acted as a beautiful epilogue to Em and Ciaran’s story and even introduced some new characters that I would love to read more of in the future.
This is maybe a weird thing to pick-up on, but with International Women’s Day just a few days ago, I really found it refreshing that most of the characters in this story were female. From the main characters to the villains, there were only a couple of male characters. It was nice to read a book with strong women, who drive the plot and are complex and realistic in their motivations.
Additionally, I felt that the characterization of the returning characters was consistent and realistic, and the growth of new characters was interesting and enjoyable to read. There was no main character that was completely the same at the end as they were at the beginning.
The relationships built and maintained were also flawless. Of course, Em and Ciaran are center stage and I loved reading their interactions. There was a little drama, but it was never cliché and I loved that they worked it out in the end with healthy communication. Their love rang true and lasted despite any bad situations they were thrown into, which I LOVED.
Aside from them, though, there were many other great relationships throughout the book. It was nice to see Em interact with her older sister. I love how close they are now compared to where they started in book one. I also loved to see Em interact with Ciaran’s sisters, Aoife and Sorcha. Those interactions really helped balance some of darker bits. (Speaking of Aoife, I really feel there is a story in her future. I loved how there was foreshadowing that she will have more adventures in the Sidhe lands.)
Now that I’ve waxed poetic about the characters and such, I want to address plot and pacing. I enjoyed how Ironside switched between Ciaran and Em’s POV. It not only made parts more suspenseful because it made me wait to find out what was happening, but it moved the plot forward at a steady pace. I never felt the book dragged on or that we repeated anything due to the switch in POV. On the other hand, I never felt like there was a rush or that anything was underdeveloped to speed up the plot either. Ironside put care and thought put into every scene so that everything was important and interesting.
As always, I enjoyed Ironside’s world building as well. She does a great job of making a real location magical and using the folklore and landmarks as part of the plot. The setting is always integral to the story, which is rarer than you’d think.
So, overall, I really loved this book! Not only was it a good story on it’s own, but it acted as the perfect sequel and epilogue to Em and Ciaran’s story. I really enjoyed being able to immerse myself in this world and story again. It was superb and if you haven’t read this series already, I recommend you start immediately!
October 14, 2018
First off, I have to say that I couldn't be happier that there was more in store for these characters! I certainly wasn't ready to let go just yet...Even better, we got to meet Ciarán's family! (I absolutely love his sisters now!)
I really enjoyed the folklore, places and old rituals/traditions mixed into the story, it certainly gave this book a slightly different twist to all the others as Emlynn was definitely out of her element. But once again she didn't let that stop her!
I feel I also have to mention light bulbs... Trying to explain to people why I'm chuckling away and my only answer is light bulbs!
I really enjoyed the folklore, places and old rituals/traditions mixed into the story, it certainly gave this book a slightly different twist to all the others as Emlynn was definitely out of her element. But once again she didn't let that stop her!
I feel I also have to mention light bulbs... Trying to explain to people why I'm chuckling away and my only answer is light bulbs!
March 14, 2019
With Betwixt & Between J. A. Ironside has done something special; she has created a series which has lasted for exactly the right amount of time. It has neither finished too soon, nor has it outstayed its welcome.
At first I wondered why this was a companion book rather than a straight out sequel, but now I see why. The characters are familiar but the plot and the antagonists feel like a spin off more than anything.
That isn’t to knock the book, far from it. Betwixt & Between expands the universe of the books and stays true to Ironside’s high standard of writing.
This truly was a treat to read.
At first I wondered why this was a companion book rather than a straight out sequel, but now I see why. The characters are familiar but the plot and the antagonists feel like a spin off more than anything.
That isn’t to knock the book, far from it. Betwixt & Between expands the universe of the books and stays true to Ironside’s high standard of writing.
This truly was a treat to read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews