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elderlingfool's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
This is the most creative Beauty and the Beast retelling I have ever read, but if someone is looking for a romance they wouldn’t find much of it here (or at least not in the way we are used to in this kind of story).
The book still has a lot of the elements of the original fairy tale, but transformed. It does start with a man stealing a rose and having to send one of his three daughters, but in this one the Beast has a sister that is slowly transforming into stone and they are part of the fae. There is a manor instead of a castle and the beast hides it from humans and fae using his magic while his sister is using her magic for the unseen servants. There is a rose that keeps changing colour in an attempt to speak and there is Beauty, called Alys in this book, who is an aromantic and asexual main character. Everyday the beast asks Alys if she loves him and if she will marry him and everyday she answers no, “not because he his a beast, but because she is Alys”. There is also the sorcerer who put the curse on both brother and sister as revenge and she is part of the fae. There is a dance and there is a library full of books with mostly nonsense on the inside because the beast made them magically appear and he was more concerned with appearance than the content.
If that didn’t convince you that this is a wonderful and creative take on the usual story, I don’t know what will. There is a side w|w romance, but not involving Alys because Alys is who she is until the end.
The pacing is great, not being too fast or too slow. The chapters are short, which makes me keep reading “just one more”. I liked the characters and I liked the themes of love and recognition of emotional abuse, besides all the creativity that went into this short book.
I definitely recommend it and I figured out that I really like queerness in my fantasy. That is something that I already knew, but I used to think I would still enjoy books without it and it has been harder lately for those to hit the spot for me.
shanaqui's review
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Received to review via Netgalley.
The Language of Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast which also pulls in elements of other fairy stories (the girl from whom pearls drip from her mouth whenever she speaks, the fairy wife enduring three strikes and then leaving), featuring an aromantic lead character who is not going to follow the fairy tale and fall in love. It also features Grace and Eglantine, who are in love despite Eglantine's courtship by Philippe, Grace's brother.
And that's perhaps already saying too much -- it's worth experiencing this storyline for yourself and seeing how Heather Rose Jones works it out and weaves together the fairy tales. It was very satisfying for me despite the novella length: I enjoyed it a lot. Alys is a lovely character, interested in helping those around her, in being kind, and also in being true to herself.
I could wish to see a little more of the aftermath -- not just as a "and they all lived happily ever after", but what Alys' role is exactly in the life of the estate after everything is over and done.
The Language of Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast which also pulls in elements of other fairy stories (the girl from whom pearls drip from her mouth whenever she speaks, the fairy wife enduring three strikes and then leaving), featuring an aromantic lead character who is not going to follow the fairy tale and fall in love. It also features Grace and Eglantine, who are in love despite Eglantine's courtship by Philippe, Grace's brother.
And that's perhaps already saying too much -- it's worth experiencing this storyline for yourself and seeing how Heather Rose Jones works it out and weaves together the fairy tales. It was very satisfying for me despite the novella length: I enjoyed it a lot. Alys is a lovely character, interested in helping those around her, in being kind, and also in being true to herself.
I could wish to see a little more of the aftermath -- not just as a "and they all lived happily ever after", but what Alys' role is exactly in the life of the estate after everything is over and done.
fairestofthestars's review
4.0
The Language of Roses is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but unlike a lot of the ones we've seen so far. I really enjoyed this story and I'm glad I got it on Netgalley!
When Alys's father trespasses onto the Beast's property and steals one of his roses, a debt must be paid. Alys volunteers to be the one that will now go live with the fae Beast and his sister instead of her sisters. When she gets there, the Beast is temperamental and unpleasant, but he is trying hard around Alys. But, he keeps asking her if she loves him and if she'll marry him. Alys has never been in love - so how can she answer without lying? But she discovers that if she does not, the curse will have dire consequences for the Beast's sister Grace, who Alys has become friends with, and also the mysterious Rose Lady that Alys keeps dreaming of.
Beauty and the Beast has had many retellings, but the ones where it's not as simple as "just fall in love"/ "romantic love fixes all" are always especially interesting and dear to me. With our protagonist being aromantic, I knew I was in for a treat. This story follows much the usual Beauty and the Beast setting, and I really enjoyed the bits of the world we were shown (even if the focus wasn't on that). What this version also does differently is that it adds the Beast's sister, who because of the curse, is turning into stone. My only complaint about the setup of the book was, that initially, I found it hard to understand due to switching POVs - but that confusion was just momentary, and I caught on pretty quickly.
I think the focus of the book, and also my favorite aspect, is the main character Alys. She is caring and compassionate, and also very headstrong and determined. She was really great to follow as a protagonist. I really liked how level-headed she was in all of these situations she found herself in. The other characters were all, for the most part, well-rounded and written well. The Beast in this story is not the typical one you'd be expecting. He is trying to impress Alys in hopes she'll marry him and break the curse - but in truth, he's a temperamental man, who doesn't really take no as an answer. I found the Beast's sister to be a lovely addition, in the way the forms a quiet friendship with Alys, and how she ends up caring so much about her. I also very much enjoy the side plot-line of Grace and Eglantine (I always love a good sapphic rep). I really enjoyed the ending, in terms of the fate of the characters - I don't enjoy the concept of forgiveness and redemption being handed out freely left and right, and this book did exactly what I hoped it would.
The writing style is something that really stood out to me while reading. The prose was quite magical and captivating. Right from the beginning, I was enchanted (pun intended), and wanted to know more, to read more I ended up reading this book in one sitting, start to finish. Didn't even take breaks.
My biggest complaint, and the reason this is 4 and not 5 stars, is the ending. Or rather, the pacing of the ending. As I already said, I truly did enjoy the ending in terms of what happened, but not so much when we consider how quickly it unfolded. The main issue I had with the end being so rushed, is that it left too many unanswered questions. The entire book we, alongside Alys, were discovering pieces of information about the curse and putting it together like puzzle pieces, and a big reveal at the end left me puzzled. I wish some aspects were more explored, and just explained to us more in-depth.
All that said, I still enjoyed this book a lot, and would highly recommend it. I would especially recommend it to people who love good retelling and are looking for something with a new perspective!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
When Alys's father trespasses onto the Beast's property and steals one of his roses, a debt must be paid. Alys volunteers to be the one that will now go live with the fae Beast and his sister instead of her sisters. When she gets there, the Beast is temperamental and unpleasant, but he is trying hard around Alys. But, he keeps asking her if she loves him and if she'll marry him. Alys has never been in love - so how can she answer without lying? But she discovers that if she does not, the curse will have dire consequences for the Beast's sister Grace, who Alys has become friends with, and also the mysterious Rose Lady that Alys keeps dreaming of.
Beauty and the Beast has had many retellings, but the ones where it's not as simple as "just fall in love"/ "romantic love fixes all" are always especially interesting and dear to me. With our protagonist being aromantic, I knew I was in for a treat. This story follows much the usual Beauty and the Beast setting, and I really enjoyed the bits of the world we were shown (even if the focus wasn't on that). What this version also does differently is that it adds the Beast's sister, who because of the curse, is turning into stone. My only complaint about the setup of the book was, that initially, I found it hard to understand due to switching POVs - but that confusion was just momentary, and I caught on pretty quickly.
I think the focus of the book, and also my favorite aspect, is the main character Alys. She is caring and compassionate, and also very headstrong and determined. She was really great to follow as a protagonist. I really liked how level-headed she was in all of these situations she found herself in. The other characters were all, for the most part, well-rounded and written well. The Beast in this story is not the typical one you'd be expecting. He is trying to impress Alys in hopes she'll marry him and break the curse - but in truth, he's a temperamental man, who doesn't really take no as an answer. I found the Beast's sister to be a lovely addition, in the way the forms a quiet friendship with Alys, and how she ends up caring so much about her. I also very much enjoy the side plot-line of Grace and Eglantine (I always love a good sapphic rep). I really enjoyed the ending, in terms of the fate of the characters - I don't enjoy the concept of forgiveness and redemption being handed out freely left and right, and this book did exactly what I hoped it would.
The writing style is something that really stood out to me while reading. The prose was quite magical and captivating. Right from the beginning, I was enchanted (pun intended), and wanted to know more, to read more I ended up reading this book in one sitting, start to finish. Didn't even take breaks.
My biggest complaint, and the reason this is 4 and not 5 stars, is the ending. Or rather, the pacing of the ending. As I already said, I truly did enjoy the ending in terms of what happened, but not so much when we consider how quickly it unfolded. The main issue I had with the end being so rushed, is that it left too many unanswered questions. The entire book we, alongside Alys, were discovering pieces of information about the curse and putting it together like puzzle pieces, and a big reveal at the end left me puzzled. I wish some aspects were more explored, and just explained to us more in-depth.
All that said, I still enjoyed this book a lot, and would highly recommend it. I would especially recommend it to people who love good retelling and are looking for something with a new perspective!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
littlebookterror's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The prince and his sister has been cursed, the fairy is just biding her time now and a local traveler enters the castle grounds - this Beauty and the Beast retelling does not involve a romance but an aromantic heroine adrressing the underlying cruelty of it all.
Do you understand the language of roses, little one? There are secrets I need to tell you. We need you, she and I, but she is too afraid to speak. And I? I can only speak in roses.
I think the writing is beautiful but left me more confused than enthralled. I love purple prose - when it makes me feel something. I spend more time unraveling all the connections between all the POV characters and I was frustrated with the ephemeral writing style. Sometimes, a more overt phrasing, especially in the beginning would have helped to set the scene properly. A little less subtext, more straight up text.
Maybe it's also the fact that I am not one for mysteries or terrible at figuring them out.
For so many chapters with a cast of recurring points of view, I'd wished we had skipped the alluding chapter titles (The Traveler, The Beast, The Watcher, etc.) and just named most or all of as their names instead. Their voices were not distinct enough for me to easily recognize from which perspective I was reading and it made for a frustrating experience. I love an omniscient POV and an outsider perspective that gives hints as to what might come but I could not enjoy these chapters because I was still relocating myself in the story. With thirty chapters to 200 pages, it was just too much.
And we didn't even get the arguably most important voice: Phillippe, the beast. He was so underdeveloped in comparison to everyone else. He did not need to be redeemed or even humanized, I just wanted to see a fuller picture of his character.
But I loved Alys and Grace. Alys, who has no words to describe why won't fall in love but is determinded to help out her family and unafraid to step into the unknown. And Grace, who female lover was taken from her and who is stuck with her volatile brother, but still helpful and kind to anyone new she meets. It was those two (and the unnamed narrator of a few chapters) that kept me intrigued enough to go on and follow where the story would take me.
And the ending is very satisfying, I loved the resolution and the final showdown as the magical timer was almost running out. Now, reading back on my notes and quotes, I can appreciate the setup and payoff more. Sadly, it did not make for a good first time reading it.
I received an advanced reading copy from NetGalley and Queen of Swords Press in exchange for an honest review.
danaslitlist's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Queen of Swords Press for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy in exchange for a honest review!
Once upon a time a rich merchant got lost on his way home and sought refuge in the great manor. After he had his fill of food and took his rest, he plucked a single rose from the garden. But this rose came with a price and now Alys, his eldest daughter, has taken the place of her father's punishment and come to live the Beast and his sister. What will she discover in this abandoned castle with unseen servants and the mystery of a girl who disappeared long ago from the very place Alys now lives.
Once upon a time a rich merchant got lost on his way home and sought refuge in the great manor. After he had his fill of food and took his rest, he plucked a single rose from the garden. But this rose came with a price and now Alys, his eldest daughter, has taken the place of her father's punishment and come to live the Beast and his sister. What will she discover in this abandoned castle with unseen servants and the mystery of a girl who disappeared long ago from the very place Alys now lives.
Growing up I was obsessed with the story of The Beauty and the Beast in any shape or form I could get my hands on. So when I saw the cover for The Language of Roses and read the premise I was excited to hear how this story played out. The retelling of fairy tales is a not by any means a new idea, but the way that Heather Rose Jones retells the story of The Beauty and the Beast certainly stood out from any other retelling I have ever read before.
Let's start with the characters and how Ms. Jones managed to make me fall in love with them even with such a short story. The cast of characters is diverse, but also very complex. For example; the Beast in this story is considered both charming and cruel even in his cursed form. It was a very clever way of stating a common misconception about what an toxic or abusive individual looks like. It's clear that the author crafted her characters with purpose and put a lot of thought in the way she wanted to have them interact and parallel one another. I applaud Ms. Jones for being able to depict growth that felt realistic and worked for despite the book only being around one hundred and thirty pages.
I would be remiss to not mention how it warmed my heart to have a beautiful gay couple in this retelling. Their story is center stage and not overshadowed or used for merely a plot device. In truth it is the core of The Language of Roses. Being able to see a relationship that resembles my own idea of love in a fairy tale (and my favorite fairy tale at that) was truly a gift that I can't say thank you for enough.
Next let's discuss the prose. My very first note I made during my initial read of The Language of Roses was on the author's prose. Heather Rose Jones so clearly chooses her words with care and arranges them to form sentences with intent. It was as if I was looking at a beautiful painting and for every minute I observed the painting the more details I found. She's an artist with her words and so I found myself reading in earnest.
By far, however, my favorite part of The Language of Roses was the plot and the way that Heather Rose Jones retold the story. It seems an obvious thing to say that one enjoyed the plot of a book, but in this case I think it requires an expanded explanation as to why. The author is such a clever storyteller and from the beginning of the book makes sure to leave breadcrumbs for the reader so that when plot points are revealed you are able to trace your way back to find those foreshadowing moments.
She utilizes the changing points of view with talent and ease in order to deliver details and expand on character's thoughts and feelings. There's a beautiful weaving of the original story's core into the book while maintaining the lessons and ideas Heather Rose Jones wants to share. She does not remained tethered to outdated ideas nor do the changes made come across as artificial. Heather Rose Jones manages to pay respect to the original story while staying true to her own inspiration.
She utilizes the changing points of view with talent and ease in order to deliver details and expand on character's thoughts and feelings. There's a beautiful weaving of the original story's core into the book while maintaining the lessons and ideas Heather Rose Jones wants to share. She does not remained tethered to outdated ideas nor do the changes made come across as artificial. Heather Rose Jones manages to pay respect to the original story while staying true to her own inspiration.
The only critique that I can think to mention isn't necessarily a critique. I simply wish the story was longer. If there was more I feel that the plot could have been slowed to allow for even more details and lore. However I think that Ms. Jones does a beautiful enough job in the short story format.
I look forward to buying a physical copy of this book and sharing it with others!
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
irasobrietate's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I will always love aspec fairy tale retellings of any kind. But I especially love aspec retellings where the forms of affection and connection the aspec person feels are just as powerful as more conventional romantic or sexual feelings. And then to have a Beauty and the Beast retelling where the Beast is truly a beast, rather than just a gruff or thoughtless person? Well it makes for a truly magical story. The Language of Roses was absolutely beautiful and heart-wrenching and oh so believable beneath the veneer of magic.
stitchnlich's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
I really loved this Beauty and the Beast retelling. The prose was lovely for the novella format (though I think it would have become grating over a longer format) and worked perfectly for the story it told. I loved the aromantic flavoring of the fairy tale and I love Alys, the main character. The transformation of the tale made this a wonder to read, a fairy tale retelling that despite its leisurely pace, kept me hooked. This book was a fun way to pass a few hours on International Asexuality Day.
I received an ARC of this book but my opinion is my own.
I received an ARC of this book but my opinion is my own.
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