In my experience, having a skilled beta-reader is an essential element in delivering a quality fantasy novel. It's not just about having another set of eyes on the manuscript, although that is important too. Yes, the beta reader will be able to pick up on grammatical errors which I am no longer able to objectively see. But they provide a much more important service than that.
When I receive a copy of the printed manuscript back from the beta reader, I expect to see it marked up extensively with comments. Sections of the book that work. Sections that don't work. I've had entire scenes that I've had to scrap and rewrite because the original just didn't have the proper tone or didn't get the point across. And then there are the paragraphs that needed more description in one section, or to be less wordy in another.
Passing a manuscript through a beta-reader who feels empowered to provide the author with the feedback they need is integral to a successful editing process. I do appreciate those comments in the margins about how "I love this scene." But I also appreciate the ones telling me where I need to add more description, where I need to cut out words, and where something needs to be redone.
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