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hebberelle's review against another edition
3.0
This could have been more. It was good and interesting, but a bit flat. There was no special reason for them to fall in love, and the whisked-away-to-the-clouds ending was completely blah.
fmcfranny's review against another edition
3.0
I started out really enjoying it but it got really religious and that detracted from the story because it became all about satanic evil and archangels. Also the inconsistencies. He was supposedly cursed for falling in love with a human because celestials aren't supposed to love humans. But then loving a human breaks his curse....how is that even feasible? There are a few questions never answered.
panagakos's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful twist (many twists, really) on a Beauty and the Beast like story. The female lead is clever, assertive and filled with flaws and fears. I adore her. The King of the Dread drives you away and pulls you to him in equal measure. The story includes action, self discovery, a little magic and tender love.
This story has a sequel, the Emerald Rose. You do not need to read the sequel to complete the story, although you learn more of the world by reading it. Could there be other books in this series someday?
This story has a sequel, the Emerald Rose. You do not need to read the sequel to complete the story, although you learn more of the world by reading it. Could there be other books in this series someday?
bookwormpersephone's review against another edition
3.0
It was sweet as sugar romance with a bit of mystery sprinkled on top. nothing amazing, but perfect as an in-between read if you just finished a complex book/have a book hangover (looking at you HOSAB).
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
This book was recommended by a friend, so I went in completely blind. And I am so glad to have indulged!This is a fun, romantic take on Beauty and the Beast, and I fell in love with the characters and the world. This has to be one of my favourite retellings, no question!
The story follows the formula of Beauty and the Beast, but diverts from the lore to offer unique creatures, adversaries, and intense romance.
Amicia is easy to relate to as she is a peasant, and after meeting the ruthless King of the Dread, her entire world is flipped upside down. I loved her spunk and fire as much as I loved Alexandre’s growth. He is definitely worth swooning over (once you get to know him).
Hamm has a stunning writing style that totally captures the romance of the story. The Alchemists terrify me and I want to see more of them. I honestly have few complaints about this story, and am not going to bother pointing them out because I just enjoyed it so much. The little quirks that made it fun, the dialogue, the romance. All of it bundled into a must have book for anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast, dark fantasy, and epic romance.
The story follows the formula of Beauty and the Beast, but diverts from the lore to offer unique creatures, adversaries, and intense romance.
Amicia is easy to relate to as she is a peasant, and after meeting the ruthless King of the Dread, her entire world is flipped upside down. I loved her spunk and fire as much as I loved Alexandre’s growth. He is definitely worth swooning over (once you get to know him).
Hamm has a stunning writing style that totally captures the romance of the story. The Alchemists terrify me and I want to see more of them. I honestly have few complaints about this story, and am not going to bother pointing them out because I just enjoyed it so much. The little quirks that made it fun, the dialogue, the romance. All of it bundled into a must have book for anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast, dark fantasy, and epic romance.
wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting twist on Beauty and the Beast. Ending was a little unsatisfying for me personally, but perhaps the second book will change my mind.
reenelim's review against another edition
2.0
i was quite disappointed with this one actually. i read of goblins and gold and thoroughly enjoyed it, so it’s a shame that i didn’t with this one.
the pacing of the book was definitely strange. at 23% the two main characters still haven’t met, and by 50% they barely had any interactions.
so how they actually fell in love and had chemistry was beyond me.
and the trope of girl gets jealous was here, but unfortunately not done very well. i found it out of place and it was so much so that one of the characters actually said ‘you’re JEALOUS!’ and i cringed so bad.
the main girl amicia was supposed timid like a mouse and yet she has traits of being ‘brave.’ i just felt that her development arc would have done better with more showing than just ‘thinking’ and she just became better / stronger mentally.
on that note, there was a lot of telling and not actually showing, so i thought execution and world building was lacking too.
overall i didn’t feel for the characters, pacing had no proper peaks and troughs and was a bit slow, and cliché.
1.75/5
the pacing of the book was definitely strange. at 23% the two main characters still haven’t met, and by 50% they barely had any interactions.
so how they actually fell in love and had chemistry was beyond me.
and the trope of girl gets jealous was here, but unfortunately not done very well. i found it out of place and it was so much so that one of the characters actually said ‘you’re JEALOUS!’ and i cringed so bad.
the main girl amicia was supposed timid like a mouse and yet she has traits of being ‘brave.’ i just felt that her development arc would have done better with more showing than just ‘thinking’ and she just became better / stronger mentally.
on that note, there was a lot of telling and not actually showing, so i thought execution and world building was lacking too.
overall i didn’t feel for the characters, pacing had no proper peaks and troughs and was a bit slow, and cliché.
1.75/5
janeeyre_914716's review against another edition
5.0
"This was a human woman. Not a human woman general who studied the tactics of war and secrecy. This was just a woman, a small one who had tucked herself into some nook of his home where they could not sniff her out. He had never been bested by another creature before...The Dread were the most terrifying beasts in the land. Humans trembled at the mere mention of his forces, and yet this woman had managed to not only evade him, but send a wave of uncertainty throughout the ranks."
This was totally wickedly amazing! Especially for my first Emma Hamm book. This was one of those that was a late night reading before bed on my backlit kindle but I can't remember when it picked up for me to the point I couldn't put it down and just devoured it even though I was devouring another one I'm currently reading but this one got my attention big time at some point and I found myself finishing it first before my other one I was way into.
I have to say though this retelling was well done and being actually close to the true Beauty and the Beast story was perfect! I did read or skim to see if Amicia was in the other two books in this trilogy and when I didn't see her name in them and the more I read this one, the more I wondered how Emma Hamm was going to lead into the next books or at least set them up. And oh boy did she build that up perfectly and I loved the twist to it and now excited to pick up the next book when I get a chance. The end was a great way to end this one and I saw some had issues with the King of the Dread trying to kill Amicia earlier by throwing her off a balcony but she survived despite a few broken ribs and broken leg and cut arm and all and then he decided to keep her alive but there was a particular reason as to why he kept her alive afterwards and it ended up being well written. I see that as a possible equivalent but more exciting to the wolves attacking Belle in the original Beauty and the Beast and yet, in that story, if you think about it, the Beast could've left her to the wolves and let her die but he didn't and ended up saving her for some reason he probably didn't know what and the rest is history. It was definitely different from other retellings of this timeless story I've read that I love and is my absolute favorite story so Emma Hamm nailed this one for me and that's saying a lot. This is so far my third favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Top 3 Beauty and the Beast retellings I've read/remembered:
1- [b:Cruel Beauty|15839984|Cruel Beauty|Rosamund Hodge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1371652590l/15839984._SY75_.jpg|21580669]
2- [b:Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|41424|Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|Robin McKinley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1294192311l/41424._SY75_.jpg|2321285]
3- [b:Gilded Rose|50883711|Gilded Rose (Celestials #1)|Emma Hamm|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567807065l/50883711._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73269767]
This was totally wickedly amazing! Especially for my first Emma Hamm book. This was one of those that was a late night reading before bed on my backlit kindle but I can't remember when it picked up for me to the point I couldn't put it down and just devoured it even though I was devouring another one I'm currently reading but this one got my attention big time at some point and I found myself finishing it first before my other one I was way into.
I have to say though this retelling was well done and being actually close to the true Beauty and the Beast story was perfect! I did read or skim to see if Amicia was in the other two books in this trilogy and when I didn't see her name in them and the more I read this one, the more I wondered how Emma Hamm was going to lead into the next books or at least set them up. And oh boy did she build that up perfectly and I loved the twist to it and now excited to pick up the next book when I get a chance. The end was a great way to end this one and I saw some had issues with the King of the Dread trying to kill Amicia earlier by throwing her off a balcony but she survived despite a few broken ribs and broken leg and cut arm and all and then he decided to keep her alive but there was a particular reason as to why he kept her alive afterwards and it ended up being well written. I see that as a possible equivalent but more exciting to the wolves attacking Belle in the original Beauty and the Beast and yet, in that story, if you think about it, the Beast could've left her to the wolves and let her die but he didn't and ended up saving her for some reason he probably didn't know what and the rest is history. It was definitely different from other retellings of this timeless story I've read that I love and is my absolute favorite story so Emma Hamm nailed this one for me and that's saying a lot. This is so far my third favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Top 3 Beauty and the Beast retellings I've read/remembered:
1- [b:Cruel Beauty|15839984|Cruel Beauty|Rosamund Hodge|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1371652590l/15839984._SY75_.jpg|21580669]
2- [b:Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|41424|Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|Robin McKinley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1294192311l/41424._SY75_.jpg|2321285]
3- [b:Gilded Rose|50883711|Gilded Rose (Celestials #1)|Emma Hamm|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567807065l/50883711._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73269767]
bibliophilebindings's review against another edition
5.0
*I received this book after telling the author I would love to Beta Read her book, which was in response to her newsletter. *
I didn't know what to expect from this book. Just before starting it, I had finished another Beauty and the Beast retelling ( A Curse So Dark and Lonely )that had quickly made it to the top of my list of favorite retellings. I didn't expect this book to be as great as that, but it was! Gilded Rose: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling quickly made it to the top of my list and is now one of my favorite retellings.
The Beast is one of a kind in my eyes. He seemed more demonic and I honestly loved that. It made me think of Persephone and Hades. I hadn't read a book where the beast was portrayed this way, and it left me wondering how on earth the author was going to have Amicia fall in love with someone like that.
The first chapter did a great job at setting up the story and getting it on its feet. The second chapter is what really pulled me in and got me hooked. It kept me wondering what was going to happen and how. It pulls the story to where it needs to be, out of slight background for the rest of the story and into where the story will be going.
There are so many relatable things for readers. I couldn't help but highlight quotes that I enjoyed and things that made me laugh. It definitely brought me to love the book more and feel a connection with it.
Amicia and the Beast (and a couple of other characters you will get to know) hold a special place in my heart now. Even one of the characters close to the Beast we aren't supposed to like. They are all unique and have a special trait that really sticks out, and I find that to be very realistic. Although we are made up of many personality traits, we usually have one that sticks out no matter what and kind of governs the rest.
Do not underestimate this book. It got me to tear up and ripped my heart out. I didn't expect it before reading it, and I surely didn't expect it while reading. I also didn't expect it to end the way it did. I was really sad to see that I was nearing the end because I wasn't ready for the story to end. Thank God there is room left for another book! Keeping my hopes up :)
I cannot wait for this book to get into more hands, and to have a hard copy in mine. I absolutely enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a good fantasy romance/retelling that is original.
I didn't know what to expect from this book. Just before starting it, I had finished another Beauty and the Beast retelling ( A Curse So Dark and Lonely )that had quickly made it to the top of my list of favorite retellings. I didn't expect this book to be as great as that, but it was! Gilded Rose: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling quickly made it to the top of my list and is now one of my favorite retellings.
The Beast is one of a kind in my eyes. He seemed more demonic and I honestly loved that. It made me think of Persephone and Hades. I hadn't read a book where the beast was portrayed this way, and it left me wondering how on earth the author was going to have Amicia fall in love with someone like that.
The first chapter did a great job at setting up the story and getting it on its feet. The second chapter is what really pulled me in and got me hooked. It kept me wondering what was going to happen and how. It pulls the story to where it needs to be, out of slight background for the rest of the story and into where the story will be going.
There are so many relatable things for readers. I couldn't help but highlight quotes that I enjoyed and things that made me laugh. It definitely brought me to love the book more and feel a connection with it.
Amicia and the Beast (and a couple of other characters you will get to know) hold a special place in my heart now. Even one of the characters close to the Beast we aren't supposed to like. They are all unique and have a special trait that really sticks out, and I find that to be very realistic. Although we are made up of many personality traits, we usually have one that sticks out no matter what and kind of governs the rest.
Do not underestimate this book. It got me to tear up and ripped my heart out. I didn't expect it before reading it, and I surely didn't expect it while reading. I also didn't expect it to end the way it did. I was really sad to see that I was nearing the end because I wasn't ready for the story to end. Thank God there is room left for another book! Keeping my hopes up :)
I cannot wait for this book to get into more hands, and to have a hard copy in mine. I absolutely enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a good fantasy romance/retelling that is original.
illborrowthisone's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this fun take on the Beauty and the Beast retelling. Reading these won't ever get old.