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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
No
3.5 stars rounded up.
Set against the backdrop of revolutionary France, ‘Rebel Rose’ continues the story of Beauty and the Beast after the curse is broken. Belle and her Prince now have to find a way to navigate married life, rank, politics and explain a 10-year absence from the French Court of Versailles.
Controversially, Emma Theriault baits the hardcore Disney fans straight out of the gates by naming her Prince Lio (Lio, Lion, beast, gettit?) rather than Adam. In the grand scheme of things this can easily be forgiven but it still seems a strange choice. Maybe Adam was too English for a French Prince?
However, the use of first person perspective ensures that our protagonist remains firmly in Belle. Belle has refused the title of Princess upon marriage in order to stay true to her roots but is constantly hiding her true self: even referring to a trip around Europe as “one last adventure before the walls of the castle close around her”. When Belle witnesses the revolutionary sparks within the city this divides her further: how can she be part of the nobility these people rally against and an avid “commoner” at the same time?
In truth, Belle as a character divided me as well. Belle has always been my favourite Disney Princess (possibly to do with that massive library) and, in the most part, I feel Theriault wrote her well and stayed true to the character. However, in the early pages Belle felt very spoilt and selfish to me: preferring to disguise herself and explore Paris rather than support Lio in explaining his decade-long disappearing act to King Louis.
I was intrigued to know what my fellow reviewers thought and was unsurprised to see a LOT of criticism of our heroine, her shunning of the title of Princess and her lack of enthusiasm to be a leader. However, I almost felt that this made the story more realistic. Just because she broke a curse and married a Prince doesn’t mean she can automatically feel ready and comfortable leading a kingdom! Maybe she just has a fondness for hairy men?
Belle’s reluctance and tentativeness to lead also fed very nicely into her passion to improve the lives of the residents of the kingdom of Aveyon. This is common sense to her and therefore doesn’t feel like ruling. Indeed, it is not seen by any of the main characters as ruling but in the end it saves them all from a revolution of their own.
I would have liked Lio to be a little bit more developed than he was. The fact that he harboured an element of PTSD from the curse was really interesting but not explored any further than his nightmares and aversion towards roses. There was undoubtedly chemistry between him and Belle but it was just a bit lacklustre in my opinion. This may be due to his absence for a lot of the book but I felt the reader could have loved him a lot more than we did.
Lio’s cousin Bastien is the slimy villain of the tale and I would have liked a bit more mystery and suspense within his character. I appreciated that Belle didn’t like him initially as he was a powdered, wig wearing noble who was close to King Louis, basically as far away from Belle as possible. Bastien is also quite snobby towards Belle in his earliest chapters so you can’t blame her for disliking him. However, by using language to plainly show that Belle distrusts her husband’s cousin, Theriault instantly creates a flashing neon “villain” sign above his head. This would have been fine in a middle-grade book but within YA I think the reader could have been afforded to be misled a couple of times before uncovering Bastien’s real intentions.
**This section contains spoilers**
I also believe that Bastien’s eventual story arc was a tad unbelievable. At first I thought his revolutionary sympathies and further plots with various goons was a ruse in order to gain the throne for himself, particularly once he had established himself firmly with the advisory. Emma Theriault’s decision to keep Bastien true to the revolution seemed rushed, and a bit odd to be honest. This is a noble who lives in the lap of luxury and attends to King Louis himself but who then turns on his own kind after basically forcing the kingdom of Aveyon to break away from France? It didn’t seem plausible to me.
Rebel Rose is an easy to read continuation of one of our favourite Disney tales. It reintroduces us to old favourites such as Mrs Potts and Lumiere as well as introducing new characters such as Marguerite and Bastien. Belle’s journey to staying true to herself and following her gut is one anyone can empathise with and her discovery that she does not have to appease to outsider’s expectations will never cease to be important.
The magic contained within this novel is a perfect springboard for the rest of the novels within the Queen’s Council series: the next one is based on Mulan and will be written by Livia Blackburne before Jasmine’s story by Alexandra Monir follows in 2022. The majority of the action within this novel does take place towards the end so it can be a little slow paced and politics focused but I enjoyed seeing Belle and Lio break free of their fairytale life and become a little more real.
Although this isn’t my favourite Disney novel, I do appreciate the break away from the retelling genre and the move towards bringing these well-known characters into the real world. For a debut novel I think Emma Theriault should be immensely proud: the research for the historical context alone must have been a mission!
Set against the backdrop of revolutionary France, ‘Rebel Rose’ continues the story of Beauty and the Beast after the curse is broken. Belle and her Prince now have to find a way to navigate married life, rank, politics and explain a 10-year absence from the French Court of Versailles.
Controversially, Emma Theriault baits the hardcore Disney fans straight out of the gates by naming her Prince Lio (Lio, Lion, beast, gettit?) rather than Adam. In the grand scheme of things this can easily be forgiven but it still seems a strange choice. Maybe Adam was too English for a French Prince?
However, the use of first person perspective ensures that our protagonist remains firmly in Belle. Belle has refused the title of Princess upon marriage in order to stay true to her roots but is constantly hiding her true self: even referring to a trip around Europe as “one last adventure before the walls of the castle close around her”. When Belle witnesses the revolutionary sparks within the city this divides her further: how can she be part of the nobility these people rally against and an avid “commoner” at the same time?
In truth, Belle as a character divided me as well. Belle has always been my favourite Disney Princess (possibly to do with that massive library) and, in the most part, I feel Theriault wrote her well and stayed true to the character. However, in the early pages Belle felt very spoilt and selfish to me: preferring to disguise herself and explore Paris rather than support Lio in explaining his decade-long disappearing act to King Louis.
I was intrigued to know what my fellow reviewers thought and was unsurprised to see a LOT of criticism of our heroine, her shunning of the title of Princess and her lack of enthusiasm to be a leader. However, I almost felt that this made the story more realistic. Just because she broke a curse and married a Prince doesn’t mean she can automatically feel ready and comfortable leading a kingdom! Maybe she just has a fondness for hairy men?
Belle’s reluctance and tentativeness to lead also fed very nicely into her passion to improve the lives of the residents of the kingdom of Aveyon. This is common sense to her and therefore doesn’t feel like ruling. Indeed, it is not seen by any of the main characters as ruling but in the end it saves them all from a revolution of their own.
I would have liked Lio to be a little bit more developed than he was. The fact that he harboured an element of PTSD from the curse was really interesting but not explored any further than his nightmares and aversion towards roses. There was undoubtedly chemistry between him and Belle but it was just a bit lacklustre in my opinion. This may be due to his absence for a lot of the book but I felt the reader could have loved him a lot more than we did.
Lio’s cousin Bastien is the slimy villain of the tale and I would have liked a bit more mystery and suspense within his character. I appreciated that Belle didn’t like him initially as he was a powdered, wig wearing noble who was close to King Louis, basically as far away from Belle as possible. Bastien is also quite snobby towards Belle in his earliest chapters so you can’t blame her for disliking him. However, by using language to plainly show that Belle distrusts her husband’s cousin, Theriault instantly creates a flashing neon “villain” sign above his head. This would have been fine in a middle-grade book but within YA I think the reader could have been afforded to be misled a couple of times before uncovering Bastien’s real intentions.
**This section contains spoilers**
I also believe that Bastien’s eventual story arc was a tad unbelievable. At first I thought his revolutionary sympathies and further plots with various goons was a ruse in order to gain the throne for himself, particularly once he had established himself firmly with the advisory. Emma Theriault’s decision to keep Bastien true to the revolution seemed rushed, and a bit odd to be honest. This is a noble who lives in the lap of luxury and attends to King Louis himself but who then turns on his own kind after basically forcing the kingdom of Aveyon to break away from France? It didn’t seem plausible to me.
Rebel Rose is an easy to read continuation of one of our favourite Disney tales. It reintroduces us to old favourites such as Mrs Potts and Lumiere as well as introducing new characters such as Marguerite and Bastien. Belle’s journey to staying true to herself and following her gut is one anyone can empathise with and her discovery that she does not have to appease to outsider’s expectations will never cease to be important.
The magic contained within this novel is a perfect springboard for the rest of the novels within the Queen’s Council series: the next one is based on Mulan and will be written by Livia Blackburne before Jasmine’s story by Alexandra Monir follows in 2022. The majority of the action within this novel does take place towards the end so it can be a little slow paced and politics focused but I enjoyed seeing Belle and Lio break free of their fairytale life and become a little more real.
Although this isn’t my favourite Disney novel, I do appreciate the break away from the retelling genre and the move towards bringing these well-known characters into the real world. For a debut novel I think Emma Theriault should be immensely proud: the research for the historical context alone must have been a mission!
*I received an eARC of this book through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review*
Political turmoil with a hint of magic… and a girl finding her voice
Okay, it took me more than three months to finish this book. In retrospect, it might have a lot to do with wrong expectations. Unlike most Beauty and the Beast retellings, this book is more of a historical fiction than a fantasy, with only a little bit of magic. Romance is also not the main theme here. So as a fantasy fan, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. However, I think Rebel Rose has the elements to be a good book, and I’m sure some people will love it.
Instead of a “retelling,” I believe the more accurate word is “sequel.” The book started right after Belle broke the curse on Lio, the former beast. As Belle and Lio tried hard to protect Aveyon from the violence of the French Revolution, Belle was unsure what she should do. Being raised as a peasant herself, she dreamed of a life of freedom and justice for all the commoners, but many obstacles got in her way. Feeling excluded and despised in high society was just the beginning. The real challenge was finding out who she could trust, and how to trust her own abilities.
One of the things I love about this story is the side characters. We get to see some of our beloved characters from the fairytale: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip. Many new friends are also included. We have Bastien, a cousin of Lio, perfectly friendly yet mysterious. It’s nice to see Lio’s family and take a peek at some aspects of his life before the curse. The idea of “Queen’s Council” is also refreshing and original, so I hope I could see more of it in the next installment. My favorite would be another important female character, Marguerite. She is energetic and brilliant, critical but friendly. She would be a perfect friend in real life. I won’t spoil it to you, but to me, she shines more than Belle in this book, and I adore her.
On the other hand, I don’t really like the MCs in this book. Even though Belle broke the curse on Lio, she was still doubting herself. I know it’s important to let readers understand her uncertainty and worries, but it’s a bit overdone and even annoying sometimes. A good portion of the first half is full of her repeating, negative thoughts, and nothing of importance happened. As for Lio, I’m kind of mad at him for not trusting Belle more. (Come on she’s the woman who broke your curse!) Apart from kissing and a few swoony words, they don’t interact like newly-wed couples or even lovers. However, I understand romance is not the main topic of the book and I’m okay with that.
The latter half of the book did pick up its pace, though, and become interesting enough that I’m glad I pushed through. Belle became more sure of herself and try her best to do the right thing. It’s inspiring to see how much she’d grown. (So for anyone who struggled out there, put through it, it does get better!)
Rebel Rose is an inspiring story about girl power and justice for all. I believe historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book, especially if you like politics and the French Revolution and don’t care much about romance. Personally, this book is low on my list of Beauty and the Beast retellings, but I understand Emma Theriault is a debut author, so I would give the sequel a chance.
On a side note, if you like the idea of historical, non-magical Beauty and the Beast retellings, you might also enjoy [b:Sister to Beauty|55108430|Sister to Beauty|Roxanne McNeil|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598479401l/55108430._SX50_.jpg|85909571], (which I enjoyed more than this book) and you can read my review here.
Political turmoil with a hint of magic… and a girl finding her voice
Okay, it took me more than three months to finish this book. In retrospect, it might have a lot to do with wrong expectations. Unlike most Beauty and the Beast retellings, this book is more of a historical fiction than a fantasy, with only a little bit of magic. Romance is also not the main theme here. So as a fantasy fan, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. However, I think Rebel Rose has the elements to be a good book, and I’m sure some people will love it.
Instead of a “retelling,” I believe the more accurate word is “sequel.” The book started right after Belle broke the curse on Lio, the former beast. As Belle and Lio tried hard to protect Aveyon from the violence of the French Revolution, Belle was unsure what she should do. Being raised as a peasant herself, she dreamed of a life of freedom and justice for all the commoners, but many obstacles got in her way. Feeling excluded and despised in high society was just the beginning. The real challenge was finding out who she could trust, and how to trust her own abilities.
One of the things I love about this story is the side characters. We get to see some of our beloved characters from the fairytale: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip. Many new friends are also included. We have Bastien, a cousin of Lio, perfectly friendly yet mysterious. It’s nice to see Lio’s family and take a peek at some aspects of his life before the curse. The idea of “Queen’s Council” is also refreshing and original, so I hope I could see more of it in the next installment. My favorite would be another important female character, Marguerite. She is energetic and brilliant, critical but friendly. She would be a perfect friend in real life. I won’t spoil it to you, but to me, she shines more than Belle in this book, and I adore her.
On the other hand, I don’t really like the MCs in this book. Even though Belle broke the curse on Lio, she was still doubting herself. I know it’s important to let readers understand her uncertainty and worries, but it’s a bit overdone and even annoying sometimes. A good portion of the first half is full of her repeating, negative thoughts, and nothing of importance happened. As for Lio, I’m kind of mad at him for not trusting Belle more. (Come on she’s the woman who broke your curse!) Apart from kissing and a few swoony words, they don’t interact like newly-wed couples or even lovers. However, I understand romance is not the main topic of the book and I’m okay with that.
The latter half of the book did pick up its pace, though, and become interesting enough that I’m glad I pushed through. Belle became more sure of herself and try her best to do the right thing. It’s inspiring to see how much she’d grown. (So for anyone who struggled out there, put through it, it does get better!)
Rebel Rose is an inspiring story about girl power and justice for all. I believe historical fiction lovers will enjoy this book, especially if you like politics and the French Revolution and don’t care much about romance. Personally, this book is low on my list of Beauty and the Beast retellings, but I understand Emma Theriault is a debut author, so I would give the sequel a chance.
On a side note, if you like the idea of historical, non-magical Beauty and the Beast retellings, you might also enjoy [b:Sister to Beauty|55108430|Sister to Beauty|Roxanne McNeil|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598479401l/55108430._SX50_.jpg|85909571], (which I enjoyed more than this book) and you can read my review here.
I am a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast. It's my favorite Disney film. I am passionate about my love for that movie, the characters, the music, all of it.
I was THRILLED to find a book set almost immediately after the wedding of Belle and Lio (I thought his name was Adam this whole time and was completely thrown off by his name). I have seen the memes about what might have happened to them in Revolutionary France, and was so excited to see a book that responded to something I've always wondered.
Belle and Lio travel to Paris so that they can become reacquainted with the king and court since it's been 10 years since anyone has seen Lio. Belle still feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere, and on the streets of Paris, she realizes how real and how terrifying this revolution might be. They head back to the castle with ideas about how to keep themselves safe in the midst of the political turmoil facing France.
I did really enjoy this novel. The setting against the French Revolution was so much fun to read, and getting to know the characters post-curse was a blast. I think the author had a firm grip on the characterization and setting. Belle had a lot to learn, both about her new role, and about herself. It was a really, really fun book.
I have two small complaints: 1. Lio is sent away for much of the book and I would have loved to get to know him better. I think the way he and Belle worked together politically was very well done. They felt like a team. I missed him when he wasn't an active part of the plot. 2. There was a lot of telling, rather than showing throughout. That bugged me, but I think if I was a younger reader I probably wouldn't have noticed.
Overall, it's a great YA addition to the Disney Princess canon. It was a quick read and has so much to offer: historical fiction, romance, mystery, suspense. I know a lot of teens that would gobble this up, just like I did.
I was THRILLED to find a book set almost immediately after the wedding of Belle and Lio (I thought his name was Adam this whole time and was completely thrown off by his name). I have seen the memes about what might have happened to them in Revolutionary France, and was so excited to see a book that responded to something I've always wondered.
Belle and Lio travel to Paris so that they can become reacquainted with the king and court since it's been 10 years since anyone has seen Lio. Belle still feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere, and on the streets of Paris, she realizes how real and how terrifying this revolution might be. They head back to the castle with ideas about how to keep themselves safe in the midst of the political turmoil facing France.
I did really enjoy this novel. The setting against the French Revolution was so much fun to read, and getting to know the characters post-curse was a blast. I think the author had a firm grip on the characterization and setting. Belle had a lot to learn, both about her new role, and about herself. It was a really, really fun book.
I have two small complaints: 1. Lio is sent away for much of the book and I would have loved to get to know him better. I think the way he and Belle worked together politically was very well done. They felt like a team. I missed him when he wasn't an active part of the plot. 2. There was a lot of telling, rather than showing throughout. That bugged me, but I think if I was a younger reader I probably wouldn't have noticed.
Overall, it's a great YA addition to the Disney Princess canon. It was a quick read and has so much to offer: historical fiction, romance, mystery, suspense. I know a lot of teens that would gobble this up, just like I did.
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
The characters in this book just felt really under developed and surface-level. I feel the author tried to stay so true to the characters from the Disney movie and I don't think that played out well in book format. There wasn't really anything in the book to make me truly care about the characters.
Starts off strong, but the middle loses its footing and doesn't seem sure of how to achieve a court intrigue plotline. At times the middle portion of the book felt like it was simply filler material until it could get to the third act.
The ending is tight, and I appreciated the inclusion of a Black queer woman, and the further canonization of LeFou as being a gay man. (I also appreciated that it's made explicit that Gaston was abusive/a bully towards LeFou as well.)
However, Belle and the Prince (here called Lio) are only in Paris for a brief few days before returning to their own castle to try to get ahead of the danger. Belle also spends a lot of time inside the castle, so the danger never felt very present or very much like a threat. This is mostly solved in the third act where the danger comes to the castle and Belle actually has to deal with it head on, but it was a little late after the meandering second act.
Still, it's nice to see that Disney is willing to age up their canon, with Bastille Day being an on-the-page event, and even some of the characters cursing. Though I did find it funny that, while violence and cursing are okay, the book is mostly scrubbed of any intimacy past kissing and has only one real subtle nod to sex. (Not that I think we need to read about Disney characters having on-page sex scenes, but the contrast between a dude getting beheaded and the chaste kisses Belle and Lio share was a little off-kilter.)
The ending is tight, and I appreciated the inclusion of a Black queer woman, and the further canonization of LeFou as being a gay man. (I also appreciated that it's made explicit that Gaston was abusive/a bully towards LeFou as well.)
However, Belle and the Prince (here called Lio) are only in Paris for a brief few days before returning to their own castle to try to get ahead of the danger. Belle also spends a lot of time inside the castle, so the danger never felt very present or very much like a threat. This is mostly solved in the third act where the danger comes to the castle and Belle actually has to deal with it head on, but it was a little late after the meandering second act.
Still, it's nice to see that Disney is willing to age up their canon, with Bastille Day being an on-the-page event, and even some of the characters cursing. Though I did find it funny that, while violence and cursing are okay, the book is mostly scrubbed of any intimacy past kissing and has only one real subtle nod to sex. (Not that I think we need to read about Disney characters having on-page sex scenes, but the contrast between a dude getting beheaded and the chaste kisses Belle and Lio share was a little off-kilter.)
I received an eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for a true review.
"Rebel Rose" was an exquisite retelling by Emma Theriault. To be perfectly honest, it wasn't a retelling so much as a continuation to the "Beauty and the Beast". Either way, it was historically accurate with the events that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. I found it very interesting to see it from a neighboring countries point of view (despite Aveyon not really existing) on these two eras in France.
This book is honestly all about believing in yourself. Belle insisted that she was just a normal, peasant girl who was married to a king. She is constantly demoting herself, doubting herself, because she doesn't want to have power over others, and others control her because of this weakness. By the end of the book, she accepts that she can be queen and by being queen, she can use her power to help others far more than staying completely the simple girl she once was.
The story is very well done. It takes us on a trip to Paris because of Belle breaking the curse over the Beast (aka Lio) - they have to explain why he has been missing for ten years (no one remembers he got turned into a Beast besides those in the castle). In Paris, the sparks of revolution are being flamed and Belle accidentally gets caught up in it. She was "pulled" to a mirror shop and sees a terrible future for Aveyon if she and Lio don't return ASAP. They do so, and they think it best to crown Lio as King and secede from France. They crown Lio, and soon here whispers of someone plotting against Lio. Lio's cousin, Bastien, persuades Lio to take action by visiting Aveyon's nobles, to see if he (Lio) can root out the conspirators. While Lio's away, Bastien takes full control of Aveyon, and treats Belle badly. Belle mistrusts him greatly, but doesn't know what she can do to stop him. She wants to find out how the commoners of Aveyon feel about her and Lio, so she embarks on a journey to her old town of Pleasance. There, she finds the starts of a revolution led by LeFou. She barely escapes before someone calls her out, with help from Marguerite (a female friend). They return to the castle and find out that Bastien has been lying the whole time. The day of the ball following up to Belle's event, Belle overhears a couple of men talking about assassinating Lio. Someone catches her, and they bind/ blindfold her and take her to the deepest cellar. There, she understands that Bastien has been playing them the whole time - he has been planning to take down Aveyon. LeFou enters, and Belle and him discuss how Gaston fell off the tower by himself. LeFou admits that he loved Gaston, and Belle soothes him. LeFou frees her and they escape to the upstairs. They meet up with Marguerite and her brother, and they plan to stop the assassination. They find the evidence to prove that Bastien was behind it all, and they make their way to the location of the ball. There, Belle confronts Bastien and she saves the day!
This series is titled "The Queen's Council" which I didn't quite understand at first. This book seemed more like a standalone, which it is, in a way. However, the queen's council is actually a magic-user who "councils" queens who are in need, who store past queen's strengths, fears, and weaknesses to aid future queens. Her name is Orella, and she was the one who placed the curse on Lio (aka the Beast) in the first place because she foresaw that Belle would be the savior of Aveyon.
The one thing I found lacking was the way it was written. I felt that it needed to be more lyrical and a bit more dramatic to set in the time frame. Other than that, excellent job to Emma Theriault and her amazing book!
"Rebel Rose" was an exquisite retelling by Emma Theriault. To be perfectly honest, it wasn't a retelling so much as a continuation to the "Beauty and the Beast". Either way, it was historically accurate with the events that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. I found it very interesting to see it from a neighboring countries point of view (despite Aveyon not really existing) on these two eras in France.
This book is honestly all about believing in yourself. Belle insisted that she was just a normal, peasant girl who was married to a king. She is constantly demoting herself, doubting herself, because she doesn't want to have power over others, and others control her because of this weakness. By the end of the book, she accepts that she can be queen and by being queen, she can use her power to help others far more than staying completely the simple girl she once was.
The story is very well done. It takes us on a trip to Paris because of Belle breaking the curse over the Beast (aka Lio) - they have to explain why he has been missing for ten years (no one remembers he got turned into a Beast besides those in the castle). In Paris, the sparks of revolution are being flamed and Belle accidentally gets caught up in it. She was "pulled" to a mirror shop and sees a terrible future for Aveyon if she and Lio don't return ASAP. They do so, and they think it best to crown Lio as King and secede from France. They crown Lio, and soon here whispers of someone plotting against Lio. Lio's cousin, Bastien, persuades Lio to take action by visiting Aveyon's nobles, to see if he (Lio) can root out the conspirators. While Lio's away, Bastien takes full control of Aveyon, and treats Belle badly. Belle mistrusts him greatly, but doesn't know what she can do to stop him. She wants to find out how the commoners of Aveyon feel about her and Lio, so she embarks on a journey to her old town of Pleasance. There, she finds the starts of a revolution led by LeFou. She barely escapes before someone calls her out, with help from Marguerite (a female friend). They return to the castle and find out that Bastien has been lying the whole time. The day of the ball following up to Belle's event, Belle overhears a couple of men talking about assassinating Lio. Someone catches her, and they bind/ blindfold her and take her to the deepest cellar. There, she understands that Bastien has been playing them the whole time - he has been planning to take down Aveyon. LeFou enters, and Belle and him discuss how Gaston fell off the tower by himself. LeFou admits that he loved Gaston, and Belle soothes him. LeFou frees her and they escape to the upstairs. They meet up with Marguerite and her brother, and they plan to stop the assassination. They find the evidence to prove that Bastien was behind it all, and they make their way to the location of the ball. There, Belle confronts Bastien and she saves the day!
This series is titled "The Queen's Council" which I didn't quite understand at first. This book seemed more like a standalone, which it is, in a way. However, the queen's council is actually a magic-user who "councils" queens who are in need, who store past queen's strengths, fears, and weaknesses to aid future queens. Her name is Orella, and she was the one who placed the curse on Lio (aka the Beast) in the first place because she foresaw that Belle would be the savior of Aveyon.
The one thing I found lacking was the way it was written. I felt that it needed to be more lyrical and a bit more dramatic to set in the time frame. Other than that, excellent job to Emma Theriault and her amazing book!