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phyllica_reads's review against another edition
4.0
*3.75 -4 Stars*
What grabbed my attention immediately was the fact that this was a mash-up of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale and inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula.
The story begins like most Beauty and the Beast stories, but with a twist on our "Beast." From there the story unravels beautifully and layer by layer the pages weave a fast pace (which I very much enjoyed) tale. I did find myself getting lost in their journey and was able to vividly picture their world.
However, the story becomes disjointed around the last 75%.
I understand the reimagined idea that the author was trying to achieve, I just felt as if it could have been cut a little sooner. The flow from the beginning of the book didn't exactly translate through the entirety of the story.
Another element that I didn't love was the FMC, especially in the last few parts. She had a traumatizing past, but she couldn't let it go. She would pull the MMC close to her only to get frustrated and send him away. It was driving me bonkers! The MMC is flawed, yes, but he didn't deserve a lot of what she was putting him through. He clearly was my favorite part of this story.
Even with all of that being said, I did still enjoy the story very much. The enchanting story from the beginning and my love for the MMC are really what made this story for me.
What grabbed my attention immediately was the fact that this was a mash-up of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale and inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula.
The story begins like most Beauty and the Beast stories, but with a twist on our "Beast." From there the story unravels beautifully and layer by layer the pages weave a fast pace (which I very much enjoyed) tale. I did find myself getting lost in their journey and was able to vividly picture their world.
However, the story becomes disjointed around the last 75%.
I understand the reimagined idea that the author was trying to achieve, I just felt as if it could have been cut a little sooner. The flow from the beginning of the book didn't exactly translate through the entirety of the story.
Another element that I didn't love was the FMC, especially in the last few parts. She had a traumatizing past, but she couldn't let it go. She would pull the MMC close to her only to get frustrated and send him away. It was driving me bonkers! The MMC is flawed, yes, but he didn't deserve a lot of what she was putting him through. He clearly was my favorite part of this story.
Even with all of that being said, I did still enjoy the story very much. The enchanting story from the beginning and my love for the MMC are really what made this story for me.
xalexmarissa's review against another edition
2.0
I was Kindly provided this arc from the author for an honest review. I so desperately wanted to love this book because Beauty and the Beast holds such a special place in my heart. Sadly, this book was not for me in the end.
To start, this book has a lot of promise and it also started out promising for me. The author's writing is VERY fast paced, which sucks you in. She whisks you away withe the tale-as-old-as-time plot from the very beginning with the curse of our leading man - Prince Dracke. I loved how the curse is a "vampyr", which is an interesting take for the beast character. From there, the authentic plot we all know and love of the traditional plot takes of, with a few creative twists. Maurice stumbles upon the cursed kingdom and finds himself trapped by the cursed prince, vampyr. Then - you guessed it, Bells or Bellamina, finds herself tasked with finding her father missing. She ends up entangled in Dracke's clutches to free her father. From here, the two are thrust into a push-and-pull slow-burn. And when I say push and pull, I mean I literally felt the tug-of-war rope between the two characters for the majority of the book. It drove me bananas at times and I wanted to throw my kindle lol. I found myself at times rooting for the two, and then absolutely pissed off at one or the other. This was my first flaw with the story.
The other flaw for me was the pacing. It was fast. Almost too fast at times where I felt like there wasn't enough time for the story to breathe. The indecisiveness of the characters drove a lot of the plot decisions, which resulted in a rapidly changing story where the reader felt like they were in a hamster wheel going round and round.
I also felt like I was just waiting and waiting the spice the characters kept dangling like a carrot. By the time I got it, there was too much going on with the Fae aspect of the plot and worldly politics.
With all that said, the potential of this book stems from the author's creative world. I just felt like it needed to be fleshed out a tiny bit more from the beginning. There were times when it teetered on a 3 star read for me. I am glad I gave the book a go! If you like fast-paced plot lines, characters who deny you satisfaction in the romance department, and an ever-evolving fantasy world, give it a go!
To start, this book has a lot of promise and it also started out promising for me. The author's writing is VERY fast paced, which sucks you in. She whisks you away withe the tale-as-old-as-time plot from the very beginning with the curse of our leading man - Prince Dracke. I loved how the curse is a "vampyr", which is an interesting take for the beast character. From there, the authentic plot we all know and love of the traditional plot takes of, with a few creative twists. Maurice stumbles upon the cursed kingdom and finds himself trapped by the cursed prince, vampyr. Then - you guessed it, Bells or Bellamina, finds herself tasked with finding her father missing. She ends up entangled in Dracke's clutches to free her father. From here, the two are thrust into a push-and-pull slow-burn. And when I say push and pull, I mean I literally felt the tug-of-war rope between the two characters for the majority of the book. It drove me bananas at times and I wanted to throw my kindle lol. I found myself at times rooting for the two, and then absolutely pissed off at one or the other. This was my first flaw with the story.
The other flaw for me was the pacing. It was fast. Almost too fast at times where I felt like there wasn't enough time for the story to breathe. The indecisiveness of the characters drove a lot of the plot decisions, which resulted in a rapidly changing story where the reader felt like they were in a hamster wheel going round and round.
I also felt like I was just waiting and waiting the spice the characters kept dangling like a carrot. By the time I got it, there was too much going on with the Fae aspect of the plot and worldly politics.
With all that said, the potential of this book stems from the author's creative world. I just felt like it needed to be fleshed out a tiny bit more from the beginning. There were times when it teetered on a 3 star read for me. I am glad I gave the book a go! If you like fast-paced plot lines, characters who deny you satisfaction in the romance department, and an ever-evolving fantasy world, give it a go!
stephv99's review against another edition
5.0
I love beauty and the beast retellings!! They are my favorites and this story was an amazing read! I loved this book and I was immediately hooked from the start. I loved the world building and the book was stunning and beautifully written
tullock23's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
misfitreader007's review
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Absolutely loved this book. Can't wait to read the second one.
asbooktrovert's review
fast-paced
4.0
All in all I loved the story. Mina the MFC quite often annoyed me in her constant mood swings... but Dracke quite often did the same. Quite the love story! Love this version of a retelling though!
katkinney's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I love each of A.R. Kaufer’s book even more than the last and KINGDOM OF FORGOTTEN CURSES, a Beauty and the Beast retelling, with a vampire twist, hit all the perfect notes for my fairy tale and paranormal romance loving heart! 💕💕
Fans of the classic fairy tale will love how gothic and true to form this stays. Prince Dracke is cursed and turned into a vampire and must get someone to fall in love with him to break his curse. Bells or “Mira” is the daughter of the king’s barrister who comes to visit his estate decades later. I loved all their scenes together, from helping in the library, to the scenes with Celine the housekeeper, to the side plot with Gustave, and the scenes with her sisters. So well written! Kaufer’s books always have twists I don’t see coming and this was no exception! (I found some of the surprises neat.) I liked the resolutions at the end. Recommended for Beauty and the Beast and Dracula fans! 5/5 stars.
Fans of the classic fairy tale will love how gothic and true to form this stays. Prince Dracke is cursed and turned into a vampire and must get someone to fall in love with him to break his curse. Bells or “Mira” is the daughter of the king’s barrister who comes to visit his estate decades later. I loved all their scenes together, from helping in the library, to the scenes with Celine the housekeeper, to the side plot with Gustave, and the scenes with her sisters. So well written! Kaufer’s books always have twists I don’t see coming and this was no exception! (I found some of the surprises neat.) I liked the resolutions at the end. Recommended for Beauty and the Beast and Dracula fans! 5/5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from the author for review purposes.