| Title | : | Beauty and the Beast (Timeless Fairy Tales, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 293 |
| Publication | : | First published December 12, 2013 |
Prince Severin—the commanding general and staunch supporter of his brother the crown prince—is cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him. However, he has given up all hope of shattering the curse after several painful and failed attempts to break it. As such he has only disdain for Elle, leaving her to the devices of his bossy servants. This suits Elle perfectly as she dislikes the entire royal family, Severin included.
Unfortunately for the unsuspecting pair, the chateau servants are determined to break the curse and spend the majority of their time pushing Elle and Severin together. After bonding over gardens, animals, and terrifying squirrels Elle and Severin show signs of friendship, and perhaps something more…
But not all love stories can end that easily. After all, Elle is not what she seems, and Severin’s life is placed in danger when hostilities flare between his brother and the monarchs of a neighboring country.
If they really want the love of a lifetime Elle, a loyal liar, and Severin, an indifferent beast, will have to use every trick they know to survive.
Beauty and the Beast (Timeless Fairy Tales, #1) Reviews
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Reading this book gives me the coziest feeling ever.
I was a bit bored in the first two chapters, but I have quickly realized that this book’s slow, gradual developments are something beautiful to behold.
I find myself curious what will happen nextbecause the events in this book are new and different from what happened in the Disney’s version of Beauty and the Beast. No library gift, no snowball fight, no “tale as old as time” dancing moment with THE yellow dress, etc.
There isn’t even a Gaston or talking cups and other household items.
I would think that I would hate that those highlighted characteristics are not in this book, but it’s actually very much refreshing. It’s still Beauty and the Beast but a vastly different story from the original and from all retellings I have read.
We still have the grumpy beast, the servants who cheer on the heroine, and the curse about falling in love with the beauty within. These are the only resemblances we have between this version and the others.
The difference is that we also find a true steady growth of a friendship and understanding between Elle and Severin. They spend a lot of time together, sometimes not talking and just enjoying one another’s company and other times, they discuss topics from horses to moral belief to responsibilities (to one’s family, friends, and country). The author has done a great job establishing that these flawed individuals stand on equal footing. They are both impeccably smart, capable, and compassionate. I love not only seeing their relationship develop, but also seeing them as individual people. They are lovable, sweet characters who are also stubborn. I relish in seeing how their views on each other gradually change from distaste to respect to genuine affection to love. Even though it would be awesome to see signature moments from the original in this book – it’s completely unnecessary because this is a new story filled with all new wonderful things. I am truly intrigued by these characters.
In addition, the servants are now masked, voiceless people. I love how they interact with Elle and are continuously trying to matchmake her with Severin. They are so, so, so adorable and funny. I am left feeling all warm and cozy from this fun-loving household. It’s great to see Elle create friendships with these people, and to understand the reason why they genuinely love their master.
Then, there’s Lucien, Severin’s brother. I thought I’d hate his guts, but he’s a pretty all right character. I love the emphasis on brotherly love and loyalty. This guy is a bit of an asshole, but it’s great to see that he can be reasonable and good to Severin. This is different from other books (and I suppose, history) where there’s always jealousy and violence between the legitimate brother and illegitimate brother.
I also love the plot twist at the end.
My only real complaint is that I would have liked a bit more to the ending. Like just one more chapter would have been nice.
Overall, 4.5 stars. Such a lovely read, and now, I am entirely looking forward to reading the next in the series and reading more from this author. I love the story of Elle, Severin, and the masked servants. This is a perfect, cozy read. It’s a retelling that manages to not simply “retell.” A lot of Beauty and the Beast retelling tend to be a bit TOO similar to one other and to the original. This one, however, manages to bring new, delightful things to the story without marring the original idea.
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Is there a happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scene?
What age level would be appropriate?
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One of my favorite stories for retellings will always be Beauty and the Beast. Super excited for this.💕 -
Another Beauty and the Beast retelling, of which there are myriad. This one has a few interesting twists, but -- reality check time here -- several major weaknesses as well, most of which are probably because this is an indie author who didn't get some editing help that she really could have used. It's a nice try, though, and the author has potential. It was okay for a Kindle freebie, but I came thisclose to skipping the longwinded, rather boring middle section of the book and jumping to the end. 2.5 stars, which I would round down to two if this weren't an indie author, but I'm going to cut Shea a little slack.
Elle (for reasons that the author coyly hides for most of the story) falls through a stained glass panel in the roof of a country chateau, wherein lives Prince Severin, who has been cursed to live as a beast, along with his servants, who are under a curse as well: their faces are ... um, well, I'm not sure what, since their faces are hidden by masks, but in any case they're all mute and communicate with slates and chalk.
Severin is understandably a very grumpy character, and wants Elle sent on her way yesterday, if not sooner.
But Elle broke her leg badly in the fall, and Severin's on-staff doctor insists that she stay there for weeks, if not months, to heal. The servants all know that love will break the curse, so they'll do whatever it takes to keep throwing Elle and Severin together. Too bad Elle and Severin despise each other so deeply!
So we all know where this is going, eventually, but is the ride worth it? Well, Severin (who is considered a prince even though he was illegitimate) has an interesting relationship with his brother, the ruler of their country. There are some nice allusions to roses and to some elements of the original fairy tale, without being heavy-handed. The servants have some character, though the enchantress character didn't really fit in well for me. Elle has a very different backstory that comes out in the end. I thought the story was a little deliberately misleading on why she was there at the chateau in the first place, but I enjoyed the twist.
I did have issues with the rather boring, interminable middle part where Severin grouches, servants connive, Elle frets about her duties that she can't fulfill because of her injury, and tries to get back on her feet as soon as possible. Not a whole lot else happens for about half the book, other than them gradually getting to know and like each other, and it wasn't compelling enough for me. It was kind of strange, since there were a few other more exciting events in the story that were given short shrift. Romantic tension between Severin and Elle was almost non-existent.
Other problems were that Severin's and the servants' reactions, when they finally find out who Elle is, were overblown, way out of proportion to Elle's (partial) misleading them as to her past. I never bought that, nor did I buy Elle's quick forgiveness of Severin's long-past mistreatment of her, which was the reason for all of her initial hatred of him. He was all, sorry, that was cruel and unfair, I won't do it again, and that was it. They pretty much handwaved the problem away.
If you have a major fondness for fairy tale retellings, this isn't bad, but its indie roots show a bit too much. I wouldn't recommend it to more critical readers. -
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Witty, inventive and colorful, this fascinating rewind of La Belle et Beast was a delight. The servants echoed hints of Disney and Cocteau but with refreshing originality. There's court intrigue, beautiful architecture, elaborate rooms and rich food, all set inside a French chateau with a gorgeous backdrop of lush countryside. Severin and Elle are wonderful together and apart.
I would recommend this author --whose fairytales are amazing reworkings!-and this book to anyone who enjoys a great retelling of a classic. -
DNF at 6% because oh, nooo you don't, you thinly-veiled fan fiction.
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Okay fantasy read. I think the author needs polish or maybe this is an earlier work. Her plot twists, dialogue, pov inner dialogue need work.
First half was just okay, the supporting cast was better drawn out than the MCs. The second half was written better with the h turning out kickass( which I loved) but the H pulled d!(k move. The h should have kicked him/his servants where it hurt and moved to the next country!! Plus she didn't even let him grovel, that made me mad!
Safe romance but jerk H, the h was too good for him.
3 stars. -
DNF at 36% 3 stars… I was very intrigued by the premise of this book, mostly because I absolutely adore Beauty and the beast retellings… but because I love them so much, I usually expect more from them, and this one just wasn’t for me… I still think that you should give it a try if the story sounds interesting for you, but I had to put it down… at this point basically nothing happened between the main couple and after checking out some reviews I realized that there will be things in here that would annoy me and the story just seem like one I would give nothing higher than 3 stars, soooo…. I didn’t feel like keep on reading it for 2+ hours, when in that time I can read something that will bring me more joy :) oh well, I’m off to find something that will suit me better :)
XOXO
A -
2.5 Stars
You would think that by now I'd be sick and tired of retellings, but surprisingly enough this story was quite readable, until the Beast's transformation (oy) and despite an avalanche of grammatical mistakes.
I especially liked the attention given to the secondary characters and how the author was able to give a fresh face to both Beauty and The Beast.
Here, Beauty, a girl named Elle, literally comes crashing into the Beast's palace. There's a secret surrounding her...okay, not much of a secret once we start reading it, but it's different from all the retellings that I've read so far.
As for the Beast, Severine, he actually has a family; I mean a living family with whom he can _ and does _ interact.
This is mostly a character driven story because not much happens in here. Despite that, I did kept reading because I do like snark... despite it at time being delivered right in the middle of an atrocious phrase. And English is not even my first language...
So yes, this story needs urgent proofreading skills... and less cheese...
Which brings me to the last part of the story right after Severine gets turned into a man once more, because that part was bad. Up until then, we had somewhat intelligent characters, and after the transformation, the thing was like, "oops, there's goes ninety percent of my cerebral activity alongside with my no longer needed fur!"
Or, "hey, I have my facial expressions back, but I had to trade them for my marbles!"
Basically the author spend so much time in the first part of the book, going over the same things, over and over, and all of a sudden, there's kids (actually one) crossing two continents in order to find some Enchantress; and he finds her! In a few pages!
Also the whole Enchantress plot was kind of weird...
As for the whole romance, well, there's growing friendship and then we're bludgeoned with the motto, "BEAUTY AND ATTRACTION ARE TEMPORARY... so you should just stick with a friend."
Despite that, I confess myself curious to check if the author's writing skills improved.
Edit:
After reading some reviews for the second book, you know what, I think I'm done with this series -_- -
Stil pisanja nije ništa posebno i više se postiglo dijalozima, ali ovo mi je baš trebalo za vikend ušuškavanje. Toplo, duhovito, za opuštanje mozga. Prelep retelling sa dovoljno novih elemenata i zapleta, a sve je bilo objašnjeno i nije se žurilo sa krajem.
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Beauty and the Beast is a classic tale that has been re-written with enchantment and elegance. Kitty has done a fabulous job with keeping the faerie tale feel in her retelling, along with adding her own entertaining twists. Her take on this classic tale is rich and satisfying!
I loved the slower pace of this one. It allowed the story, and the love connection, to really flourish and grow, along with the whimsical characters. It wasn’t just “Belle and the Beast” that were developed here. I fell in love with Emele, Bernadine, Duval and Oliver. Each character had a part to play, and each character just fit with their own quirky personalities.
The story twists were enjoyable and had a bit of unpredictability to them. Severin’s character had quite a different background than we are used to with the tale. Elle was not your average “damsel in distress,” “book-nerd.” There was no Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, or Gaston. But there was an evil witch, and an enchantress. I loved how the story somewhat followed what is known from the tale, but also had whimsical changes that fit quite nicely. The story had humor, friendship, danger, intrigue, and a satisfyingly happy ending!
Kitty has an exceptional way of writing with beauty and poise. She also finds elegant ways to incorporate touching morals in to her stories. This one shimmered with hope and the importance of inner beauty. It was magical and beautiful. It spoke of friendship and true love.
4-4.5 Stars -
File this under "Beauty and the Beast retellings that Kendra didn't hate."
The romance was cute and the characters were fun, but the middle dragged painfully and the ending was rushed to the point of conclusion. Also, the way that the plot twist was handled is a peeve of mine, and I especially didn't like the way that this one was handled.
But, at least it did bring some interesting ideas to the table, and it wasn't retelling the Disney movie. Points for that.
https://aristasdirectory.blogspot.com... -
Elle, due to a small miscalculation, fell through the roof of a chateau. The accident broke her leg and so she has no choice but to stay in the chateau even if its owner isn't very happy about it. Prince Severin, the chateau owner, illegitimate prince, commanding general of the Crown Prince's army, is cursed to look like a beast until a maiden falls in love with him. But he'd already given up after several painful attempts in the matter. But his servants don't. And their hope ignited because of Elle. But Elle isn't what she seems to be and Severin has no tine for romance, especially if it's a romance with little hope.
After reading
Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, I needed something lighter read, and this one seemed what I needed. I don't know how many retellings of Beauty and the Beast have I already read but this one is the simplest of them all. Yeah that sounds negative but like I said, I needed something lighter. Ahm have I said before that I'm a moody reader? Well, I am.
Some other time, the simplest of the plot might've discouraged me to read this but thankfully last night was not that time. Hehe. For me, this one's an okay retelling. There are little twists that I liked and though they were slightly predictable, I still enjoyed them. I also enjoyed Elle and Severin's moments. They're so sweet and fun to read. The servants are all interesting characters too.
Only, I think the plot resembles the original a little too much and so I can't give it higher than my rating. I know this is a retelling but still. But like I said I liked the little twists that seemed original and the characters made up for it. Overall, I still recommend this one to anyone who's looking for a light, fun read. This is a short book too.
Happy reading guys,
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2.5 stars.
This wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I appreciated that this tried to put a twist on the Disney version of this fairy tale (which is unfortunately the only one this reader knows). The period when the MCs was getting to know each other (i.e. the h was forcing the H to be friendly) was very cute and funny. I also enjoyed the fact that there was absolutely no OP drama and that it didn't seem like the H was a rake in his past. There weren't any mentions of his playboy ways, mistresses, or anything like that. So score. This was a completely clean and safe read, which seem hard to find nowadays.
However something about this author's writing style failed to engage me. I suppose I like more subtle and nuanced writing, and this story was told in a rather straightforward manner. And the quick way in which all the bad feelings were resolved at the end made me mad. Honestly, where was the groveling? I didn't want the h to be a bitter shrew, but she deserved friends who didn't just abandon her the moment they thought she did something wrong. So overall, an ok read in the land of retellings. -
A Beauty and the Beast retelling so far removed from Disney’s rendition that after reading this you’ll want to watch an animated cartoon candelabra sing “Be My Guest” on repeat for at least an hour, if only to revel in something with a bit of personality, something which this book clearly lacks.
The mystery of the protagonist’s identity stretched on for far too long. It was impractical because not only did it make it hard to emote with her, but it also made it impossible to understand where her prejudices against the love interest, Severin, were coming from. And that led to her looking like she held a petty grudge against Severin simply because he was a Prince (albeit an illegitimate one). By the time the truth of her identity was revealed it felt like too little, too late to fix the problem that had taken over the entire story like an overgrown weed and put a serious dampener on the romantic relationship between the main characters that no amount of “of course I forgive you, I love you,” could overcome. The fact of the matter remained that Elle was a misrepresented character from the start and her hidden identity only hindered her character growth and the growth of the relationship as well as leading to a disastrous reveal of her true identity that could’ve easily been avoided with better communication.
The romance was boring. Apart from the fact that the lovers spent at least half the book ignoring or avoiding each other, there was no chemistry. This was in part because of the issue of not knowing the protagonist’s true identity, and partly because her baseline of attraction was just a “nice guy”. She set a low bar by expecting Severin to be a horrible noble so when it was shown that he had somewhat likeable characteristics she was suddenly attracted to him. And the same problem was present with Severin too. They both went from thinking about each other a bit to confessing their love for one another within a few scenes and when it came to pinpointing exactly what they liked about each other neither of them seemed to be able to list something less vague then bodily features or basic human decency.
The pacing was horrendous. Weeks and months passed in between scenes but the passage of time was so quick it was as though the entire story happened in the span of a week. The author lazily settled for simple “weeks had passed” openings but never showed any actual change within the setting or progression for the characters as an alternative and more effective way to shore time passing.
Additionally, the writing didn’t completely flow. The dialogue was stiff at times due to a lack of contractions (although that may have been purposeful to show upper/middle class speech patterns) and every character was described with supposedly compulsory adjectives every time they were mentioned. It was an irritating writing style because once noticed it was glaringly obvious that it was everywhere and it gave a listing effect to the writing that made it seem as though the writer was slowly making their way through synonyms from a thesaurus in an ironically terrible way to prevent the writing from seeming tired through repetition.
So, all in all, this was not the kind of book that would leave you with much of an impression. It wasn’t terrible enough that you couldn’t easily get through it if you wanted to, but it would likely not linger in your mind for long after you finish it, it was that forgettable. -
“Every man has a wild beast within him.” Frederick the Great
Formula for a Beauty and the Beast Fairy Tale: Enchanted Chateau; Cursed hero Prince; Cursed servants; Heroine’s bankrupt merchant father; Supporting said father and sisters; Only true love can/will break the curse; Magic. Check!
We now have the formula for another version of our classic tale Beauty and the Beast. Our prince was cursed and condemned to live as a beast both in body and mind. However, an Enchantress came along and tweaked the evil curse enough that it cleared the mind of our hero so that he was now human in thought and mind. However, there was also a provision that could/would break the curse… he had to fall in love. Now that just might be a problem… especially when you have the body and features of a beast.
“There is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs.” George R. R. Martin, A Storm of Swords
This took me a while to get into as we join the story well into the life of the Prince as a beast. He is living in isolation with his cursed features and that of his cursed mute servants, who also have animalistic traits. Everything is peaceful and quiet, until, she falls through the skylight into his chateau. With a broken leg, Elle is stranded at the chateau and unable to leave. Why was she on the roof? Why was she even at the chateau? Why is she so angry at the crown and what secrets does she withhold from the prince?
“The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” Audrey Hepburn
Once I got into the story, it was really cute. There was only one little problem… there was not a lot of explanation regarding backstory. We are given information fait accompli. This had the feel of arriving at the cinema and taking a seat well after the movie has already started. Perhaps waiting in line for popcorn wasn’t such a good idea after all. I can’t ask anyone who, what, when or why… that person behind us is one that will shush you for talking in the cinema. Grrrr! So now, I am dependent on clues that will help me understand what the heck happened.
What I liked: The author did an excellent job of letting the relationship develop over time. This was not one of those ‘I hate you’ one minute and ‘I love you’ the next type of story… thank goodness. The evolution of understanding really drew me in. The big reveal happened at about 84% on my reader. I had been so worried about who and what Elle really was, that I breathed a tremendous breath when the reveal came about. I LOVED this part. It was really well done by the author. I was so happy she wasn’t someone else. There were so many possibilities. The author painted so many rabbit trails and false leads that it had me fearing for our heroine. This was the perfect ploy. The foreshadowing throughout the whole story was right there in front of me and I simply did not see it. Wow, it was so cute. There was a lot of anger and angst with the reveal and forgiveness didn’t come easily.
Rating: PG13: due to the violence of the beast before his reclaiming. This is book one of the Timeless Fairy Tales series. There are 9 books that follow the classic tales so far. The prince’s brother is featured in book 9. -
This is a great beauty and the beast retelling for anyone who loves the original story. I'm glad I read it, it's a nice, cute, romantic read, but also quite funny and heartwarming. It does the original story justice but also puts a nice spin on it so you go into it thinking you know how it's going to play out!!! (But of course there is a HEA)
→4 stars -
I don't remember how I came across this book but because of it I am not on a Beauty and the Beast frenzy and then found and got like 15 other beauty and the beast retellings!
This was a fun twist and certain aspects were definitely unique to the story!
I LOVED Elle the main character, I loved how strong she was as a character and I appreciated many aspects of her own story that you learn about later on in the book and how she came to be in the Chanceux Chateau (the cursed castle).
I loved the beast, he was awesome and sweet and kind. I liked how he came to be cursed which was different than the usual reason why the beast is cursed which was appreciated. And his backstory was also a nice change to see.
I liked the staff and how they are cursed with the beast.
One thing that bothered me though was the writing, it wasn't horrible but there were times when the author seemed to almost give up, like I would be reading and it almost seemed like she didn't know what or how to write the next step and gave up and it a little choppy I guess is the best way to describe it.
Also when the curse was broken it bummed me out how quick the beast and his staff were to just throw away Elle and not believe her after they've spent literally months with her, really? it just didn't fit with the rest of the story.
However overall I LOVED it and it make my heart flutter at times which always shoots the rating for me which a book can make me FEEL for the characters regardless of what I didn't like about it.
Sexual Content: mild/none
Language: mild/none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
Violence: mild -
Great idea for a book, the synopsis is good. However, the book's proofreading leaves something to be desired in places - I cannot help wondering what "a depilated looking bridge" would be like. I'm guessing there would be no hairy moments in crossing over!
The author can't seem to decide whether to refer to Our Hero as "the illegitimate prince" (what the heck? He's either illegitimate - and hence not a prince - or he's a prince) or "the prince" (see previous point!). And the lady's maid is "the ladies maid". And these phrases were repeated a LOT throughout the novel. Too much.
"... scared all occupants of the room, expect himself." EXPECT instead of except? Oh dear.
There are more books in the series, all with good, interesting sounding synopses, but... I'm not sure. I lost interest around 80% through and only finished reading it because... well, actually, I'm not sure why I bothered. Boredom, possibly.
Annoying, because the idea is good, but for me the execution was flawed. -
This was a freebie I downloaded a while back and finally read and really enjoyed it. I'm excited to check out more by this author. I only read books that are clean with no sex scenes and really appreciate authors who write books without that content. This book was great and clean and a fairy tale retelling, one of my favorite genres! I've always been hooked on fairy tales since I was a little girl and would read, watch or listen to any version I could get my hands on. I'm sure my family were sick of me and my obsession at times but I loved it then and still love it now.
This version was great and definitely had it's own twists and turns but stayed true to the beauty and the beast.
If you enjoy retellings i think you'll enjoy this one!
Happy Reading!!! -
After reading The Snow Queen: Sacrifice over the weekend, I decided to go back and re-read the Timeless Fairytale books to find all the backstory references I missed the first time. Besides, it has been a while since I read all of these, so it was about time to re-read a few.
This is a clean, cute version of Beauty and the Beast. It has several surprises, and I love how Elle is far from being your typical damsel in distress. It is clean, no language or sexual content. Just an all around fun story. -
I didn't expect much from this book, It was in my kindle list, and I have no idea when I added it. Needing a book to pass the time, I opened this one, and was quickly hooked! Despite "knowing" the general story, I found myself holding my breath and rooting for the characters. Elle (beauty) was an endearing character, strong and smart. I opened this book knowing nothing about the author or her style, but couldn't put it down!
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My edition: Kindle
Pages: 201
Series: Timeless Fairy Tales #1
Rating 4 stars
Review: This is a fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast retold. Obviously I know. I love Beauty an the Beast. It is my favorite all time fairy tale.
This one was a bit different. Elle (Beauty) falls through a glass skylight of Prince Severin's (Beast) castle. Elle survives the fall but with a broken leg and many cuts to her arms. The servants who are not furniture but are cursed to wear masks and have no voice plead with Severin to let her stay and heal up. Elle is then taken care of by Emele who was a lady in waiting. Emele begs Elle to give Prince Severin a chance. Elle agrees only because she will do it for Emele.
I liked this. It wasn't a bad retelling. I liked how the servants part of the curse. They all talked through hand gestures and slates. The beast was a mixture between cat and dog but mostly cat. I wish there was a little more telling of why the Prince was cursed.
The banter between Elle and Prince Severin was comical. The falling in love was cute. Emele was a drama queen but the funny kind. The kind that over exaggerates not the kind that makes drama. I loved the characters. It was a light read. I will continue on with the series and see how well the other fairy tales are told. -
I had some reservations about this B&tB retelling when Tadiana mentioned the lack of sexual tension. It's usually key in this story, the building attraction. The focus was more on the developing friendship between the MCs. The friendships between Prince Severin, his bro, the staff, and Elle were really quite good. I even loved the fat dog and the pony.
I didn't like the way things went after the curse was broken (if that was a spoiler, you're a dodo) and everyone gets all angry. Also, the ten year old boy crossing several countries & tracking down a sorceress? Yeah, okay. Sure. I kind of wish Severin would've had an epiphany rather than having to be told he was wrong. You want your Prince to come after you, not sit around eating ice cream and listening to sad songs!
Overall, a cute shortie with a few flaws. -
Loved it!
I loved this retelling of Beauty and the Beast!!! The hero and heroine really came to life on the pages, and you can't help but fall in love with the supporting characters. I was shocked and surprised many times in the storyline as the author added so much more depth to the original tale. Definitely some cute romance as well, and I loved the gentle way they fell in love. -
Looooove!!!
I loved every single thing about this book. I was JUST looking for a Beauty and the Beast story for grown ups, and within a few weeks, my book club had chosen this book for our next read. I was so excited.
The one and only critique I have was that the transformation from beast seemed a little lacking in wonder. It seemed like it was rushed. Other than that, this is a new favorite of mine and I'll definitely be reading more from this author. -
Well whaddya know? Still love it!
3rd or 4th time reading it. Still fabulous! Love the humour, plot, characters and use of language!
Still totally clean though ;) -
This is such a grand story. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale and this is an excellent re-telling. This re-read I read it to my younger siblings and they adored it.
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While this was an interesting story it has little resemblance to the fairy tale other than the fact that a man has been turned into a beast and then that he must find love to be turned back. This man, Severn is the illegitimate half brother to Prince Lucien but they are friends, they love each other and Severn is in charge of the defense of their country. Severn throughout this story is attempting to persuade his brother not to wage war to take over a neighboring country.
Back to the curse Severn (and his household are under). The good enchantress (as in Sleeping Beauty) is able to modify the curse at its onset - in that she makes it NOT a permanent curse but only until he finds that love. He has moved his household into a secluded location in a woods due to the taunting and disdain people in the city display towards these disfigured beings who now wear masks and are unable to speak.
There is a mystery about Elle. She is leaping from place to place on the rooftop when she falls through a skylight and breaks her leg among other injuries. She cannot leave for weeks due to her incapacity to walk so she lies about her situation and fakes an accent.
Soon she finds herself eating dinner with Severn who mainly seems to ignore her as he tends to maps and paperwork. As the story goes on and Elle beings to use a crutch it becomes obvious that the servants are pushing her to be with Severn as much as possible. She also observes that he cares about those people. They use slates to communicate as he is the only one who is able to talk. Elle informs them that she cannot read (a lie) and time is spent educating her in that.
We gradually learn that Elle's presence on the roof was in her role of being a spy and that her success in that determines her family's welfare. There is also a resentment towards Severn as she holds him responsible for that role, that indenture to the Crown.
This tale was interesting and held my attention especially in the fact that it took a different path from the canon, Beauty and the Beast. -
This is the story of Beauty and the Beast and it follows the original story without any surprises.
I enjoyed the writing and I really liked the character of Severin, the beast, he was really well written and very likable.
I didn’t care much about Elle and I just could not feel the romance at all which to me is a big part of the book, I mean we really should connect with them for it to work!
The cursed staff and servants could not speak so they used slates to write and I really didn’t like that, it was very difficult to believe the conversations and the fact that all the staff could actually write.
Also it was very silly to believe that Elle could learn reading that fast, someone had to be suspicious, but NO.
I also thought it was trying very hard to be funny.
It was a good written adaptation but lacking in emotions and connection.
I love fairytales and I’m trying to go through some adaptations so I will be reading more of these. -
It was simple and sweet.
