Growing up in a privileged middle-class home in the heart of London, Terin Coiler quickly learns that some secrets are impossible to keep hidden.
With the constant pressure of her brother's fragile mental state and the burden of ignoring events even science can't explain, Terin is forced to accept everything she's ever grown to know and love, is about to be brutally ripped apart.
Thrusting her into the chaos of surviving, no matter what it takes.
Beneath the Door is the explosive first volume of The Chrysalis Saga.
I'm an author by night and generally spend my days looking after 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs and 27 bunnies. And a husband too, who may possibly be the worst one.
Operating under my pseudonym "Rigormortisa" on social media, I like to share my writing, reading, general goblin content, gaming, animals, and storytelling. I have a frankly unhealthy addiction to cheesestrings, Skyrim and generally waste way too much time on TikTok.
To the dismay of my husband, I spend all of my time either covered head to toe in bunny nuggets or hunched over my desk with a lukewarm tea in hand, muttering profusely about that ONE scene I can't seem to get right.
Starting with my first project; The Chrysalis Saga, I hope to continue writing and rescuing animals.
“Beneath the Door” was my first independently published novel. Before that, I've had a few short stories published in journals and magazines.
Very rarely I’ll leave reviews but I’ll always try and leave a rating. Please note that this ONLY reflects my experience and connection to a story and in no way should be a pillar of influence. Just because I don’t vibe with a book, doesn’t mean you won’t.
1* - Absolutely not for me 2* - Not enjoying myself 3* - It was OK 4* - Liked it 5* - LOVED IT. Cannot live without this in my life and will deffo read again.
For a debut novel, this book is great! And the writing is exceptional for a self published book!
This story follows Terin and Jarrod as they discover their powers and as terin learns to control hers. This story reminds me of the darkest minds, and in the best way possible.
Cant wait for the second book, 10/10 WILL recommend
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Date: 2023/08/23-2023/05/26 Genre: Fantasy, YA, Paranormal Rating: ★★★★.5 Spice rating: — Age rating (I think): 14+ Publication date: 2022/12/01
TIGGER WARNINGS: child abuse, emotional abuse, death of parent (mentioned), death, bullying, blood, injury/injury detail, grief, fire/fire injury, toxic relationship, panic attacks/disorders, and gun violence
Thank you for the e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
First, what you can expect from this book: · 1st person POV · Found family · Fast-paced · Betrayals & secrets · Sibling bond · Toxic relationships · Independent heroine · Characters with superpowers · Urban fantasy · Unexpected villain · Pirates/Thieves (?) · Action · Emotional & tragical end · Strong character development · Character-driven
PRELIMINARY:
Good gods! My jaw is now on the floor, but really. This book sucked me in so much that it hurts me to leave it now. It took me to the most beautiful places in heaven and the worst depths of hell, in short, it tore my being apart and put back together.
At first, I didn't think I would like it, but it did. This book gave me everything I needed. It literally grabbed me and didn't let me down until the end.
The characters grew very—almost a few too much—to my heart, and it hurt tremendously to lose them.
ATTENTION SPOILER (if you haven't read the book, scroll down at your own risk)
TERIN/MORGAN
My Terin has been through so much that no one deserves, she has seen things that no one should have, and she is still struggling. There is so much willpower and perseverance in her that others can only dream of. It's rare to see such a complex character in the books because she's changed tremendously, and it's shown by the fact that Terin, whom we met at the beginning of the book, wouldn't even recognize the new one. At least, probability it will be very difficult for her. I loved that she stayed true to herself no matter what, that whe tried to play the best cards she got, even when she lost. I can't wait to find out what her fate will be—now that everyone has left her—and what she will do with herself because one thing is certain; she has enormous potential.
JARED
I sympathized with him in the beginning, I swear I did, but eventually I got such a slap from him that I still haven't recovered. How could he betray his sister so badly? How could he do that? Why? I just don't understand what makes a person do that? I am extremely interested in his fate because either he finds his way back to the right path or he dies. There is no choice but this one, and I hoped in my heart that he would make the right decision.
THE OTHERS
Perry & Serene & Hamish They were the corners of my heart and I owe them my soul for taking in and taking care of Terin as well as their daughter. There was such a beautiful dynamic built between them that over time they really became one family. I really hope we hear from them again or see them once more, because I would love to know that they are fine. And Perry's secret just killed me, but I don't blame him for it, it wasn't and never will be, it just served justice when everything fell apart.
Darrell I honestly can't say that much about him because we haven't really gotten to know him yet, but he is adorable, he has pure golden retriever energy. From the top of his head to his toes, he is faithful and charitable, and I hope he survives and not broke by much suffering. I feel like something is or will be evolving between him and Terin.
Denny & Hailey I still weep for them, for the lives they lost—one forever, the other for a while—because they didn't deserve this. They took in Terin and looked after her in their own way, more than anyone else. I hope Hailey finds peace in a better world where she doesn't have to hide and give her grandmother a big hug. I hope Denny is okay and able to keep going because I couldn't bear the knowledge of him collapsing, I want to see him again and make sure he's okay.
THE PLOT PACE/CONCEPT/ETC
The plot was well-structured, but sometimes the time jumps were disturbing because sometimes we jumped years by just one sentence, which, I think, should have been done nicely gradually, but I'm not complaining. The idea itself wasn't new, but its favoritism was very individual and creative, which is a plus point! The pace was good, I think we got the necessary and important information to a normal degree, although some things were a bit predictable – it was rather simple to guess – but that didn't take away from my experience. The ending was extremely tense and fast, exactly what it took to end such a book and open the next.
FINAL WORDS
Overall, I really liked it and can't wait to read Terin's story further because I liked it incredibly. I want to know what will happen to her because I am genuinely worried about her. I can't wait to get back into this world!
RECOMMENDATION
Those who love exciting and action-packed books with a dash of fantasy should definitely read this book!
(I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review)
This book is written from the main characters POV. She is young (turning 13) when the book starts. Terin has always known her older brother is different, but he always has her back. You see her struggle with understanding why he is always locked away by their parents. As they get older she starts to realize that their family is different and that her brother can do things that he shouldn't be able to do. When her parents can't handle him anymore they ship him off to a nice older couple.
Terin struggles with this as she wants to see him and have him around, but her parents won't allow her. As she gets older you see her grow into herself (As much as a teenager can). She pushes back like a typical teenager. As she nears puberty, she also starts showing signs of having supernatural powers like her brother. Whats hard to read is that she is so lost about what is happening and has to hid it as she is afraid of her parents finding out. As the story progresses once puberty hits her you are on an adventure with Terin navigating being out in the big bad world while trying to manage her powers.
Terin/Morgan- I wanted to take her and put her in my pocket. Her young age showed which was fitting but I wanted to be her big sister and just tell her how awesome she is. She was put through so much more than anyone deserves at ANY age, but damn is she one tough chick. Her brother who she is deeply devoted to and her parents who she is not as close to when they are involved make me want to punch them in the throat.
I'm not going lie - I had a hard time getting going on this one for the first couple of chapters then BAM I had to hold on to my butt. This book was action packed and had some twists and turns that I was not expecting. The character development was gold, however, there were some weird (to me) time jumps, but it overall made sense in the end (which is the whole point).
I was kindly approached by Holly and asked to read her book Beneath the Door. This was the first time I have been asked to do anything like this, I was so excited but nervous as I just didn't know what to expect. Then I started to question myself, if it was good would I have the words to do it justice? well lets try!
To start with I eased into the book slowly for one reason or another but then once I got into it I simply could not put it down.
I was quick to realise that this book was going to be something special and I am so grateful that i was chosen to read this. Watch this space because I think this saga may just be the next big thing! it had so many elements that I love in a book.
In the beginning of the story I did feel really sad for Jared because he was different he was so cruelly treated by the people that was supposed to love him the most, it really did pull on my heart strings. However my opinion on him is very different now to what it was at the beginning of the story. I quickly began to love Terins character and her resilience to overcome some really tricky paths. I really liked that she was just a child when we first got introduced to her character and the journey that follows as she grows in the book. The characters in this story just hit the spot, the book was fast paced and full of twists and turns and it has left me wanting more, I am looking forward to continuing this journey and finding out what happens next!
I loved that being fairly new to fantasy reads this book was an easy one to get to grips with. I am fully living my fantasy girl era Also i am just obsessssssed with the front cover! I definitely would recommend.
Well that was a bumpy ride. But in the best way! The writing was easy to follow and the description of Terin’s (MC) surroundings were clear and helped you really picture it in your mind. Beneath the Door deals with some very difficult topics difficult inter-family dynamics, parental to child abuse and homelessness. These - I felt- were done with care. The plot twists were exceptional and difficult to see coming, I really struggled to put this book down in the last 100 pages as things became really tumultuous and I needed to know what happened next. It’s all written from Terin’s POV, a young girl dealing with a difficult, cold family in upper class society in Chelsea London. There are a lot of expectations of her, and we witness her struggle to maintain her ‘perfect daughter’ image until her life begins to unravel. The brother/sister dynamic we see between Terin and her older brother Jared is another fraught one, however the love and loyalty she shows towards him is admirable and starts her off as a really likeable character. As we watch her grow into a young woman, through the troubles she faces, she becomes-in my opinion- more and more likeable. There were times I felt some scenes were possibly slightly rushed, or too long for what they were needed, but it’s a very small complaint in an otherwise great book. If you’re a fan of the paranormal and YA genres I would highly recommend this book, I definitely will be reading the next instalment of the Chrysalis Saga when it comes out. It definitely gave me X-Men vibes.
Terin is a 13-year-old girl just trying to get through life at her private school. Her relationship with her parents is kind of rocky and her brother is the only person she has to turn to. Her brother does not get along with her parents (at all) and frequently argues with them. When things get too bad, they lock him in the basement.
Terin never really understood why they locked him in the basement until one day he gets angry and melts the toy airplanes hanging from his bedroom ceiling with his mind. Once her parents realize she knows about her brother's powers they send him away.
As Terin gets older she realizes she also has powers and doesn’t know how to control them. She wakes up one night to her house on fire. She gets out safely, but her parents do not. Did she accidentally set the house on fire with her powers? What is she going to do? Terin's world is immediately turned upside down. With nothing but the clothes on her back, she runs with no plans to return to London….
This really pulled me in. From the jump, things are wild. Watching Terin and Jarrod learn about and use their powers in different ways is so interesting. The relationship Terin has with her brother and how it gets destroyed pulled at every heartstring.
Terin's character development is so deep. Watching her run, start a new life, and continue to struggle with her powers (multiple times) just showed how badly she wanted to do the right thing. The people Terin meets along the way will surprise you and keep you hanging on every page.
Be prepared for a story you didn't see coming.
I would suggest this to anyone who loves a thrilling YA fantasy.
Gosh... this book really packs it all in. Toxic family dynamics, a brother and sister trying to love each other through parental neglect and abuse- disaster, being hunted and hints of a paranormal mystery. This book sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. I had to know what happened!
The pacing is good, the characterisation is on point and the plot is wild. I haven't read anything quite like it before. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Wow….This books gets you hooked. It is fast paced with twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting from the outset. I was taken on a gripping path of discovery, mystery, thrills, sorrow and danger. Each chapter draws you deeper into this tangled web, is there a way out? What happens next? Can’t wait until book 2 It’s an easy to read, hard to put down book by a very talented new author. Definitely recommend
It took me a little while to get into this book but once i did i found i couldnt put it down.
The time skips made it a little hard to follow but the leader character is developed well and i enjoyed seeing how she grew from the child we were first introduced to.
This book is such a ride; if I could have, I would have read it in one sitting. The descriptions make it easy to immerse yourself into this story. You can see the settings, feel the feelings. The family dynamics are intense (blood and found), and there is one heck of a twist! Beware the cliff-hanger (the only downside). Can't wait for the next one!
I really enjoyed hollys book, beneath the door, the characters were well thought out and the plot was great with a lot of unexpected twists. The only reason for the three stars is I did struggle to get into it. It was a little slow paced for me. But once I got through the first few chapters it really picked up!
I thought this book was really interesting and had an immediate attention grabber. I was super interested in the characters and their lives through the first half of the book and the plot moves consistently at a decent pace.
I was gifted this book in exchange for my honest review. This book is a really interesting YA fantasy, as someone who has only recently delved into the genre I found it easy to follow and not overly complicated. I enjoyed the fact it was fantasy set in a real world setting I think this is why it was an easy read. My only minor issue was that I found the pacing a bit different to what I’m used to and so took a little bit of adapting. Excited to see where to rest of the saga goes❤️
Content Warning: m*rder of parents, murder, language, violence, child abuse (locking child in cellar, etc), perfect child/terrible child sibling dynamic (golden child can do no wrong, other child "deserves" punishment), child against child violence, mental illness (child with uncontrollable anger if things aren't exactly right leading to violence)
This book had dystopian young adult vibes and was well written. It definitely gave me some Shatter Me vibes. If dark fantasy is for you, consider giving it a try.
Thank you to the author for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.
First of all, I want to say a massive thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read her book!! I really enjoyed this book, and I'm desperate to read the next!! I loved how much growth there was with Terin. It showed, in a subtle way, just how much a person can change, and I found that very uplifting. There weren't really any slow points, I found that something was always going on to keep you intrigued. Some parts were a little predictable but didn't ruin the book. The plot twists were worth it, too.
⚠️ How could Jared do that?? I need to find out what happens next!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.