Rating: 4.75🌈
This is one of the best written, and often times hardest to read series and universe because of the topics and complexity of damaged histories of the main characters here.
I often start with saying that the readers must read the trigger warnings for each novel as well as for the universe that Avery has created and continues to explore in such horror detail.
Here bad things happen, often to children. First by disease, the Arcana virus which acted like a plague, transformed the World’s population, reducing its numbers drastically. Some remained human, others were transformed into fantasy or horror beings. Vampires, elves, werebeings of all kinds, orcs, ghouls, the virus , if the human survived, became whatever the Arcana provided. Adults or children. Didn’t matter. And the human race terrified acted accordingly.
Beyond the Veil is divided into mini-series where different characters have their own stories told while adding to the overall series world view and theme that’s being presented. They interact and sometimes the same events happen in different perspectives.
Now it’s Rayn’s turn. Rayn, a death witch, who was rescued from an horrific situation was first introduced in Ward’s series (The Boy in the Locked Room #2). It’s book 10, Rayn has had time to grow up, adjusting to their powers and life outside the cage and hospital. (Trigger warnings).
Avery does an excellent job in relaying a character without any social skills, or understanding of how some situations work. Rayn’s lack of knowledge and inability to understand the signals given feels believable and honest. And Raj’s reactions to Rayn are part of a whole picture that has to be assembled the more they interact. A neat feat.
One person pov, it’s fascinating to see how Rayn has matured but still is learning how to use and manage their magic and various powers.
I love seeing Hart here, in his role as partner with Raj. He’s still my favorite. The mystery, while good, doesn’t have as much of a complex role as Rayn’s development and growth with those characters around the agency and with the investigation. It’s more of a personal journey, which I really enjoyed and thought was really exceedingly well written.
And certain aspects are left open enough for the investigation to continue further.
Amazing series and fantastic characters. One of the best paranormal group of storylines I’ve read. Certainly one that has the most impact on current events.
Highly recommended.
Beyond the Veil Series
💀Ward’s story (1-3):
The Ghost in the Hall
The Boy in the Locked Room
The Skeleton Under the Stairs.
💀Hart’s story (4-6):
The Dog in the Alley
The Bones in the Yard
The Elf Beside Himself
💀Seth’s story (7-9):
The Turning of the Tables
The Badger in his Burrow
The Past in the Present
💀Rayn’s Story (10-12)
The Diamond in the Rough
The Rut in the Road (coming 2026) The Rock and the Hard Case (coming 2026)
💀Dan’s Story (13-15) Coming 2026-2027
Buy link
Book 10 of 10: Beyond the Veil
Blurb
My life has been… rough. I spent most of my childhood in an asylum, and I’ve spent the better part of the last six years trying to deal with the fact that everything I touch tells me something about the last person who owned it, the person who made it, and sometimes several people in between.
It’s exhausting, and I hate it. I will do pretty much anything to avoid doing it, in fact.
Until a six-four, golden-eyed FBI agent walked through the door and dropped literal diamonds into my hands. Well, a diamond necklace. And he asked me to tell me everything I could about who’d owned it, who’d given it to her, and so on.
I guess I have to learn how to control my abilities fast, or a murderer might go free.
And I might lose my chance to impress the FBI agent who haunts my dreams.
An M/M paranormal romance.
December 19, 2025
Language
‎English
Print length
396 pages
Book 10 of 10
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 