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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
4.5/5
It's been a long, long, long time since I've read something so lovingly rendered back to basics. The fact that it's queer Beauty and the Beast retelling just adds sumptuous icing to a gorgeously full-bodied cake. You see, there's a chronic lack in the oh so progressive modern literature of ours that is best embodied by Liu Cixin's response to the USA's Netflix's adaptation of his [b:The Three-Body Problem|20518872|The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)|Liu Cixin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415428227l/20518872._SY75_.jpg|25696480]: "Fighting against the alien invasion should be a collective effort of all humanity, but instead, it was depicted as if a group of classmates were drafted to fight against the aliens." You talk of universal, but feed us Ken Dolls. You promise us good versus evil, but have completely lost the thread of what it means to sacrifice your soul for a better tomorrow, or at least everything that lies outside the realm of petty American fascism. You expect us to lose our minds over your incarnations of humanity, but all I see are white teenagers who, thanks to daddy's trust fund, may master the blade but never have to grow up.
In any case, before I go completely off the rails, this is a lovely work that was perfect for me winding down before bed, well rewarded for going out on a limb. The story is familiar without being strapped to the train tracks, the characters flex and fumble and genuinely piss each other off without having the benefit of sudden enemy/mortality to pave over unresolved situations with washi tape, and have I mentioned how genuinely evocative the writing is, making the dips and swoons into the erotic the most natural yet thrilling yet welcoming thing in the world? I may not hold much truck with the physical attributes of the stereotypical 'female' form in regards to my own self as I once did, but if the emotional interchange, where the give is not fully guaranteed in exchange for the take never being fully begrudged, is good enough, I can let my bisexuality take care of the rest. If there were any flaw, I could discuss certain pacing issues at midway points, or a not quite entirely Mary-Sue-less resolution, but really, it is quite unfair how such a wonderfully necessary book is represented by such an unassuming cover. Still, if it had spilled forth in the riotous BookTok cacophony that sells like hotcakes these days, mayhaps I'd still be on the waitlist for holds, not at all aware of what was being withheld from me. Impossible to say, but what is possible to say is that a copy of this is floating around Libby, so if you're the enterprising queer type and have the minimum tolerance for eBooks (speaking as an as of yet curmudgeonly luddite when it comes to anything not queer romance), I wholeheartedly recommend what may end up being pushed up to a five star, depending on how my mood falls out.
It's been a long, long, long time since I've read something so lovingly rendered back to basics. The fact that it's queer Beauty and the Beast retelling just adds sumptuous icing to a gorgeously full-bodied cake. You see, there's a chronic lack in the oh so progressive modern literature of ours that is best embodied by Liu Cixin's response to the USA's Netflix's adaptation of his [b:The Three-Body Problem|20518872|The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1)|Liu Cixin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415428227l/20518872._SY75_.jpg|25696480]: "Fighting against the alien invasion should be a collective effort of all humanity, but instead, it was depicted as if a group of classmates were drafted to fight against the aliens." You talk of universal, but feed us Ken Dolls. You promise us good versus evil, but have completely lost the thread of what it means to sacrifice your soul for a better tomorrow, or at least everything that lies outside the realm of petty American fascism. You expect us to lose our minds over your incarnations of humanity, but all I see are white teenagers who, thanks to daddy's trust fund, may master the blade but never have to grow up.
In any case, before I go completely off the rails, this is a lovely work that was perfect for me winding down before bed, well rewarded for going out on a limb. The story is familiar without being strapped to the train tracks, the characters flex and fumble and genuinely piss each other off without having the benefit of sudden enemy/mortality to pave over unresolved situations with washi tape, and have I mentioned how genuinely evocative the writing is, making the dips and swoons into the erotic the most natural yet thrilling yet welcoming thing in the world? I may not hold much truck with the physical attributes of the stereotypical 'female' form in regards to my own self as I once did, but if the emotional interchange, where the give is not fully guaranteed in exchange for the take never being fully begrudged, is good enough, I can let my bisexuality take care of the rest. If there were any flaw, I could discuss certain pacing issues at midway points, or a not quite entirely Mary-Sue-less resolution, but really, it is quite unfair how such a wonderfully necessary book is represented by such an unassuming cover. Still, if it had spilled forth in the riotous BookTok cacophony that sells like hotcakes these days, mayhaps I'd still be on the waitlist for holds, not at all aware of what was being withheld from me. Impossible to say, but what is possible to say is that a copy of this is floating around Libby, so if you're the enterprising queer type and have the minimum tolerance for eBooks (speaking as an as of yet curmudgeonly luddite when it comes to anything not queer romance), I wholeheartedly recommend what may end up being pushed up to a five star, depending on how my mood falls out.
You were wasted on your village boy.If that doesn't turn you on, I don't know what to tell you.
adventurous
oh, to be whisked away to a magical castle on the snowy mountains by a morally questionable monster lady who teaches me how to shoot an arrow...
i haven't read a lot of fairytale retelling because i always assumed they'd be a bit boring but i was very pleasantly wrong. especially since this did not at all feel formulaic or like it was just copying another's story.
this book is practically dripping with sapphic chemistry and i love that we get glimpses of the story from the Huntress's perspective at the start of each chapter. i am usually not a fan of the ice queen trope either but i was too invested in this story to care anymore.
i definitely prefer my fairytales dark and gay.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✖️
Soft, dreamy, and a quick read. Just what I wanted from a lesbian Beauty and the Beast
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this one. The writing (as always) was really great. The story didn't hook me as much as Compass Rose or Nottingham, but it was an enjoyable, quick read. Nothing too memorable, but definitely atmospheric and engaging. I'd love to see more queer retellings for sure!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Touching LGBTQ twist on the Beauty and the Beast trope.
4.1 ⭐️
I want to exist in this world.
I need an emotionally unavailable huntress to give me a hug while covered in furs.
Anyway that’s all i have to say, thank you for coming to my TED talk.
I want to exist in this world.
I need an emotionally unavailable huntress to give me a hug while covered in furs.
Anyway that’s all i have to say, thank you for coming to my TED talk.