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sabs_bookrecs's review
3.0
3.5. Not bad. Engaging enough but could have used more character development
colorfulleo92's review
3.0
It was an okay beauty and the beast retailing.liked that the author took a well known throne and made it their own (not sure if it's one author or more). But I'm not a huge fan of heavy fantasy romances but it was a decent audiobook and story.can see why many gives it such rave raitings
manicotti's review against another edition
2.0
why does everyone just hate each other for essentially no reason lmao every character was so outta pocket and mean (this might be explained later on in the book idk i couldn’t finish it)
onepageatatime's review
4.0
I loved the book. This was a great start to what I'm sure will be an amazing series. Zaina is such a strong main character with a fiery personality. I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope in this book. The opposing cultures and attitudes really played well off each other until they were able to meet in the middle. I love the darkness in this book and the twists and turns. This was a very unique retelling and after that cliffhanger I cannot wait for book 2.
em1923's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bloomingsouls's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This book was truly a gem and I'm so happy I stumbled upon it! I love fairytale retellings and Beauty and the Beast remains one of my favourites. Sadly, though, it's very hard to find any good retellings with just the right amount of classic fairytale-feeling mixed with an original storyline. In that regard, this story really served! I don't want to spoil too much. All you need to know is that Zaina is our protagonist, and she is sent to marry Einar, the king of the ice kingdom. Known to be very reclusive and shut off from the outside world, there isn't much Zaina knows about the people and their king. The only thing she does know is that the kingdom is reputed to be filled with ruthless warriors - including the king. She acquiesces to the marriage only to save her sisters. While that is an element from the classic story, the entire context surrounding her decision to marry the king in order to save her sisters is completely different.
I must say this story really surprised me, in particular with all the elements that were decidedly not at all similar to the Beauty and the Beast we all know. Just know that this story features:
- A fierce heroine who knows what she wants and is very emotionally intelligent
- A dragon
- A huge cat (at first very tiny) silver cat with metallic canines
- Two very emotional backstories
- A slow burn (though the story is pretty fast-paced)
While I loved this story, though, I couldn't give it the five stars I wish it deserved, because I honestly wanted it to be longer. I felt like an extra 100 pages would have allowed the reader to be immersed more into the world - not necessarily the plot because that was amazing. I felt that we didn't get to know enough about the respective lands/nations Zaina and Einar are from. The only thing that is clear is that Zaina hails from the Eastern Lands, which appears to be a bit Indian (or Persian) inspired. Einar is from Jokith, a kingdom that is inspired by Icelandic/Viking heritage. I wished the authors would have delved a bit more into this and did so a bit earlier in the story. While I hate info dumps, this book could've done with a bit more worldbuilding. Nevertheless, this book is a great work by indie authors and I honestly wish it garnered more readers!
This book was truly a gem and I'm so happy I stumbled upon it! I love fairytale retellings and Beauty and the Beast remains one of my favourites. Sadly, though, it's very hard to find any good retellings with just the right amount of classic fairytale-feeling mixed with an original storyline. In that regard, this story really served! I don't want to spoil too much. All you need to know is that Zaina is our protagonist, and she is sent to marry Einar, the king of the ice kingdom. Known to be very reclusive and shut off from the outside world, there isn't much Zaina knows about the people and their king. The only thing she does know is that the kingdom is reputed to be filled with ruthless warriors - including the king. She acquiesces to the marriage only to save her sisters. While that is an element from the classic story, the entire context surrounding her decision to marry the king in order to save her sisters is completely different.
I must say this story really surprised me, in particular with all the elements that were decidedly not at all similar to the Beauty and the Beast we all know. Just know that this story features:
- A fierce heroine who knows what she wants and is very emotionally intelligent
- A dragon
- A huge cat (at first very tiny) silver cat with metallic canines
- Two very emotional backstories
- A slow burn (though the story is pretty fast-paced)
While I loved this story, though, I couldn't give it the five stars I wish it deserved, because I honestly wanted it to be longer. I felt like an extra 100 pages would have allowed the reader to be immersed more into the world - not necessarily the plot because that was amazing. I felt that we didn't get to know enough about the respective lands/nations Zaina and Einar are from. The only thing that is clear is that Zaina hails from the Eastern Lands, which appears to be a bit Indian (or Persian) inspired. Einar is from Jokith, a kingdom that is inspired by Icelandic/Viking heritage. I wished the authors would have delved a bit more into this and did so a bit earlier in the story. While I hate info dumps, this book could've done with a bit more worldbuilding. Nevertheless, this book is a great work by indie authors and I honestly wish it garnered more readers!
lexidoodlekaye's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
mamamcwelch's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite BatB retelling
Dang!! How long do I have to wait until the next book?!? Ahh.
I’m really loving this Beauty and the Beast retelling. In fact, it’s fast becoming my favorite ever. I can’t wait for the next book!!
Dang!! How long do I have to wait until the next book?!? Ahh.
I’m really loving this Beauty and the Beast retelling. In fact, it’s fast becoming my favorite ever. I can’t wait for the next book!!
danineeld's review against another edition
3.0
I think I just dont vibe with the storytelling style of these authors. Both of their series that I’ve read have started full of mystery and by the end of the first book almost nothing is revealed. Yall have got to give me something! Or not, since I’m not going to read the next one