AFTER THE QUIETING By Taylen Carver

“I need more.”
Taylen Carver’s “After the Quieting,” the second novella in her new series, builds on the foundations laid in “Veilbound,” delivering a story that deepens both the world and its tensions.
For new readers, the series centres on two interconnected worlds linked by portals and overseen by Veilwardens. Despite their dependence on one another, the inhabitants of either world remain wary and divided, their lack of understanding nearly leading to catastrophe in the first installment.
In “After the Quieting,” that fragile balance has only worsened. Although several years have passed, time has moved differently between the two worlds, intensifying the strain on an already uneasy relationship. Travel between them is now even more restricted, and distrust continues to grow.
At the heart of the story is a protagonist who spent some time in the parallel world as a child and has since become a Veilwarden. When she is once again pulled across worlds, she finds a reality shaped by those in power, where the narrative of history has been altered and the threat of destruction looms once more.
Where “Veilbound” established the world, “After the Quieting” raises the stakes. Carver’s talent for tension and high-impact storytelling is evident throughout, drawing the reader further into a series that promises significant consequences. Given her willingness to take bold, apocalyptic turns, I am hoping for a longer installment/s before the story reaches its ultimate conclusion.