A review by tinydonats
Of Thorns and Beauty by Robin D. Mahle, Elle Madison

4.0

This was so good. I have so many notes highlighting parts of this book saying, “I love” like I was Tan France from Queer Eye. I recommend this 1000%.

I love retellings because I enjoy the comfort of knowing a general storyline but the excitement of twists and the fresh journeys we take to get there. It’s always nice to see great storylines from a new perspective. How you tell a story is just as important, if not more important, than the story itself.

This is a fantastic retelling. It’s so fresh and new. If you told me this a was just a fantasy book, I would believe you. But if you told me it was a Beauty and the beast retelling, I would also believe you. It was a great balance of unique and familiar.

The characters have depth. They have fleshed out personalities and motives. The romance is well done. The twists and premise are so interesting. The writing is well done. The first line of the book is good and I always think that’s a great sign. This is definitely one of my favourite retellings. The series is set up for great things with the characters we have and the scope of the world. I expect multiple retellings weaved into one and I expect it will be done really well. I’m so excitedddd