Take a photo of a barcode or cover
atrailofpages 's review for:
The Rose and the Claw
by Nancy O'Toole
As everyone knows, I love Beauty and the Beast, and I am always up for reading any retelling based off that fairy tale.
This one is definitely a unique retelling of the fairytale and a quick read since this is a novella. Despite the fast read, it was very good. It was dark, and sweet, and just an all around good retelling of the fairytale.
Kris was a magician who basically cursed himself and lives in his manor. The people in the near village give him caretakers who take care of the manor and him. This time, they decide to give him Rose Gardner as a caretaker, a foreigner from their enemy lands to basically get rid of her. Rose is reluctant at first, of course, but in the end goes to the manor and begins life as caretaker there, and begins to learn the manor and the beast are not all that they may seem to be, and that there is more to everything in that manor.
I really liked Rose. She's so feisty and likes to get things done. She never cowers and is very brave. She is willing to listen and hear out the beast to find out what's going on and fix it. Kris on the other hand was a bit sad and dull to me. I mean I get that he's cursed and it's awful what he has to go through, and what he is going through, but in the end, I guess it was really him feeling sorry for himself the whole time and just making himself miserable. Which is why these two work so well together since Rose wasn't having any of it and basically got him to snap out of it.
There were some lovely twists in here that threw me for a loop, which I liked since I was confused at some parts until the end when everything was explained. Gotta love those twists! And they're even better when they get added into such a short story.
If you love retellings(especially Beauty and the Beast ones) then I think you would enjoy this quick novella! I received an advance review copy for free(thank you to BookSirens and the author), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This one is definitely a unique retelling of the fairytale and a quick read since this is a novella. Despite the fast read, it was very good. It was dark, and sweet, and just an all around good retelling of the fairytale.
Kris was a magician who basically cursed himself and lives in his manor. The people in the near village give him caretakers who take care of the manor and him. This time, they decide to give him Rose Gardner as a caretaker, a foreigner from their enemy lands to basically get rid of her. Rose is reluctant at first, of course, but in the end goes to the manor and begins life as caretaker there, and begins to learn the manor and the beast are not all that they may seem to be, and that there is more to everything in that manor.
I really liked Rose. She's so feisty and likes to get things done. She never cowers and is very brave. She is willing to listen and hear out the beast to find out what's going on and fix it. Kris on the other hand was a bit sad and dull to me. I mean I get that he's cursed and it's awful what he has to go through, and what he is going through, but in the end, I guess it was really him feeling sorry for himself the whole time and just making himself miserable. Which is why these two work so well together since Rose wasn't having any of it and basically got him to snap out of it.
There were some lovely twists in here that threw me for a loop, which I liked since I was confused at some parts until the end when everything was explained. Gotta love those twists! And they're even better when they get added into such a short story.
If you love retellings(especially Beauty and the Beast ones) then I think you would enjoy this quick novella! I received an advance review copy for free(thank you to BookSirens and the author), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.