Genre:
Fantasy / Fairytale Retelling / YA
Fantasy / Fairytale Retelling / YA
Beasts Of Beauty
Bewitching Fairy Tales book 3
by Celeste Baxendell
| -From Goodreads- The only way to survive is to be brutal. Aerona is a beast whose sole purpose is to protect the only fairies left. She won't let anyone threaten them, so when a hunter tries to take her down and discovers the fairies in the process, Aerona has no choice but to take him captive to protect the secret. While she wants nothing to do with him, when he discovers her human-like form, it’s no longer as easy. How long will she be able to fight her desire to be human again? Chasen owes a debt to a dangerous wizard, and his family will pay the price if he doesn’t deliver. Fortunately, all Chasen has to do is capture the Beast. With an enchanted cloak protecting him, it seems simple enough until things go very wrong. Now he has to figure out how to capture the Beast with no weapons, no plan, and fairies watching his every move. He has to win the Beast’s trust, but he’s never been good at deception and manipulation. With his sister’s life on the line, he can’t fail, but how will he live with himself if he succeeds? ASIN: B09BP2CW8M She's the beast, he has the magic hood... |  This Book received a 4.5 Bark rating.
 Celeste Baxendell |
I'll be the first person to admit that Beauty And The Beast is probably one of my two least liked fairytales, the other being The Little Mermaid. But that's the beauty of fairytale retellings, particularly of the Celeste Baxendell mash-up variety. Because the Bewitching Fairy Tales aren't your dusty old fairytales nor are they the Disney variety with dancing dishes and singing animals. Oh, no, they are something else, something much better entirely!
Gender-swapping is also a minor annoyance for me but not this time, not with Beasts Of Beauty! No, that little plot device MADE the story!
How did Celeste Baxendell take two things I normally dislike and turn them into a wonderfully imaginative story that I loved? Well, she added a few enchanting fairies, tossed in the story of Little Red Riding Hood, conjured up an evil wizard, brought back a surprising character, and deposited them into her exquisitely crafted fantasy realm against the tense background of a country in political turmoil. And then there is the emotional depth of these stories that you just have to experience for yourself.
Chasen is a bit of a different hero, he isn't always the smartest and he makes some pretty bad mistakes. He does, however, have some things going for him; he is kind, gentle, loves his family above all, and this guy can braid girls' hair! He is also the hero that Aerona needs. Aerona is also not your stereotypical impossibly beautiful heroine who can also kick-butt. No, she's more kick-butt than gentle and sometimes it's hard to see through her prickly personality. But I liked them both BECAUSE of their flaws and not in spite of them.
If fantasy or fairytale retellings are your thing I can't recommend the Bewitching Fairy Tales series highly enough... Even if you are not in the YA target age range it makes little difference. They are just that good! So, check out this series and don't miss Beasts Of Beauty!
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Beasts of Beauty by Celeste Baxendell a 4.5 Bark rating.
Gender-swapping is also a minor annoyance for me but not this time, not with Beasts Of Beauty! No, that little plot device MADE the story!
How did Celeste Baxendell take two things I normally dislike and turn them into a wonderfully imaginative story that I loved? Well, she added a few enchanting fairies, tossed in the story of Little Red Riding Hood, conjured up an evil wizard, brought back a surprising character, and deposited them into her exquisitely crafted fantasy realm against the tense background of a country in political turmoil. And then there is the emotional depth of these stories that you just have to experience for yourself.
Chasen is a bit of a different hero, he isn't always the smartest and he makes some pretty bad mistakes. He does, however, have some things going for him; he is kind, gentle, loves his family above all, and this guy can braid girls' hair! He is also the hero that Aerona needs. Aerona is also not your stereotypical impossibly beautiful heroine who can also kick-butt. No, she's more kick-butt than gentle and sometimes it's hard to see through her prickly personality. But I liked them both BECAUSE of their flaws and not in spite of them.
If fantasy or fairytale retellings are your thing I can't recommend the Bewitching Fairy Tales series highly enough... Even if you are not in the YA target age range it makes little difference. They are just that good! So, check out this series and don't miss Beasts Of Beauty!
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Beasts of Beauty by Celeste Baxendell a 4.5 Bark rating.
RSS Feed
