Rating: 5🌈
K.M. Avery’s Beyond the Veil series is one of my favorites, not only because of its narrative complexity in terms of the themes, intensity of its layered paranormal characters, and the well crafted conceptual elements that Avery has created for the series and continues to explore as each new book releases.
It’s also the interesting way the author has formatted the series. Avery sections it into 3 book miniseries that revolve around a certain character or couple’s arduous emotional journey. Each one moves the many plot lines of mystery and drama of the series forward through the various lives of the couple and characters we are focusing on.
Currently, the one that we’re in is the one of the most emotionally charged and compelling segment of the series so far. Mostly due to the nature of the narrative and we see intimately and feel full connected to a person who has contracted the virus during the series. That’s huge in a group of brilliantly written storylines with full of memorable characters and oftentimes heartbreaking scenes.
It starts with the unforgettable events in The Turning of the Tables that lead to shattering changes to Seth Mays, and the beginning of his relationship with Elliott Crane, badger shifter and best friend of Hart.
The Badger in His Burrow follows Seth in his quest for new beginnings, including a job and control to the small Wisconsin town where Elliott Crane lives, Hart is from, and Seth has a tiny familiarity with because of his association with Hart’s investigation into the murder case involving Elliot’s father.
Avery picks up the storylines, characters and township from that previous story and weaves it into something deeper, different but still familiar. It’s now a mystery, a search for Seth for a new start, and for Elliot too.
All the emotions, physically charged elements in adapting to the new identity, the having to adjust to others judgements, it is all worked realistically into this world and Seth’s character.
There’s also more horror, more mystery and suspense to go with a developing relationship as the Arcanavirus continues to divide the populace. What makes Avery’s series so relevant and compelling is that the reactions and immediate responses to the Arcanavirus, for those it’s impacted in every aspect, can be viewed through the lenses of the current events today. Racism, sexism , highlighting the deep fears and hatred that is directed towards the LGBTQIA by some people, AIDS, all the experiences the pandemic’s produced are reflected in the ways the Arcanavirus has affected the world in the series.
The story is raw, moving, complicated and thoughtful. And there’s another story to come in Seth and Elliott’s 3-book group.
I highly recommend this entire series. They must be read in the order they are written in order to understand the events, the relationships and the developments in the series themes.
I’ll be reading the preceding book again as I want to go back to the beginning of Seth’s journey.
What an epic deeply rooted emotional experience this book turns out to be.
And one I highly recommend. Always.
Series couples to date (not standalone):
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 (coming 2025)
Rayn’s Story (10 +) (coming 2025-2026)
Buy Link
The Badger in His Burrow (Beyond the Veil Book 8)
Blurb
I moved halfway across the country for this guy—knowing that he wasn’t interested. And that’s probably not even the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
The stupidest thing I’ve ever done is seriously contemplate telling him that I’m falling in love with him. While also trying to find a job and keep my new coworkers from finding out that I’m a shifter. In a small town where everybody knows everybody else… except me.
The same small town where Elliot’s dad was murdered, where Elliot was almost murdered, and those people have family and friends who are still openly anti-shifter. The town is divided over whether it wants to embrace its shifter citizens or watch them literally be torn apart. I know which side has my vote, but I’m clearly the outsider here.
So here I am, in a tiny midwestern town with more cows than people, trying not to get fired, not to get outed, and not to get killed… all while hoping to somehow figure out a way to make Elliot Crane fall in love with me.
I’m going to need a lot more than luck.
- Publication date: December 21, 2024
- Language: English
- Print length: 519 pages
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 