ARC Review--The Veil by Chloe Neill

Seven years ago, the Veil that separates humanity from what lies beyond was torn apart, and New Orleans was engulfed in a supernatural war. Now, those with paranormal powers have been confined in a walled community that humans call the District. Those who live there call it Devil's Isle.

Claire Connolly is a good girl with a dangerous secret: she’s a Sensitive, a human endowed with magic that seeped through the Veil. Claire knows that revealing her skills would mean being confined to Devil’s Isle. Unfortunately, hiding her power has left her untrained and unfocused.

Liam Quinn knows from experience that magic makes monsters of the weak, and he has no time for a Sensitive with no control of her own strength. But when he sees Claire using her powers to save a human under attack—in full view of the French Quarter—Liam decides to bring her to Devil’s Isle and the teacher she needs, even though getting her out of his way isn’t the same as keeping her out of his head.

But when the Veil threatens to shatter completely, Claire and Liam must work together to stop it, or else New Orleans will burn…

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


Chloe Neill has a new series out called Devil's Isle and it was an incredible read! In The Veil, we have a reimagined New Orleans where tragedy has struck some years ago. It has a sort of dystopic feel to it, but yet at the same time, not completely. The setting is kinda of bleak, there's shortage of real food, and other things we take for granted like electricity. Also is this world, magic isn't something that's smiled upon. If you are found to be wielding magic you get sent to a detainment village that's apart of the city, better known as the Devil's Isle.

Claire had been living a rather normal life, as far as normal can get anyway, when she suddenly discovers she has such magical powers. She's been keeping them a secret for awhile now, until one night, somebody sees her. That somebody is Liam Quinn, a bounty hunter who brings in magic users to Devil' Isle, but in a way, it's for their own safety. There have been an abundance of wraith attacks lately and he's been investigating the issue. Wraiths were once magic users but have retained so much magic that they basically turn into a wraith and there's no cure for that, so far at least.

I found the story to be intriguing though there were times I felt like I couldn't focus entirely on the book. Those parts were when we got into politics and such and all the corruption within them. There's a lot to learn in this book besides the politics and corruption. There's history that revolves around the Veil and why people try to keep it closed...and why some people want to open it again. 

Despite that though, I did really enjoy this one! In true Chloe Neill fashion, we have a heroine who isn't afraid to speak her mind or do what's right. She has got two great friends at her side, and then of course there's the brooding love interest. Liam is a mysterious guy. We learn somethings about him and we can see the sparks of a possible relationship, but all good things come to those who wait! That's one thing I did enjoy, that the heroine and hero weren't all lovey dovey or falling in love with one another right away. Attraction is always one thing and that's an expected instant reaction.

Claire has a bit of self-discovery going on in this one and it's definitely just the beginning of her story. I feel like there's going to be a lot of character development and plot growth in this one. While I can't foresee where things are headed just yet, it is only the first book. But I look forward to embarking on Clarie's journey alongside her.

The Veil is a remarkable book where magic is forbidden, but still exists. It has a dark and gritty world setting that fits the mood. The characters were awesome, I don't think I had a dislike for any of them. My favorite was Mos in particular, I have a feeling he'll be having me laughing quite a bit in this series. I look forward to reading more in this magical series!


Overall Rating 4/5 stars


The Veil releases August 4, 2015