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A review by betwixt_the_pages
The Musician and the Monster by Megan Van Dyke
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5 Penguins (rounded down)
Quick Reasons: Beauty and the Beast meets Phantom of the Opera; captivating retelling; some slightly confusing magic; enthralling characters, steamy slow burn; un-put-downable read
HUGE thanks to Megan Van Dyke and The Nerd Fam for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
“It’s such a shame. They say the prince was so handsome.”
“Did you ever see him?” Lydia asked.
“Well, of course not, but Alexa’s cousin said—”
“He was rich and a prince,” Bronwyn interjected. “Women would call him handsome even if he had two heads and the pox.”
This was SUCH a snarky, captivating, steamy slow burn of a retelling (technically, TWO retellings)! These characters filled this read to the absolute brim with sass, liveliness, intrigue, and mystery. The romance was top tier, deliciously steamy, and just shy of taboo (for the time period, that is). The characters were well written and believable, making it easy to connect with and root for them. The morally grey Drystan was deliciously written. I loved the twists the author put on the well- loved fairytale, as well-- this helped her to mold and shape the world she was writing with magnificence.
I really enjoyed this journey and the world we stepped into for this read! As one of my highly anticipated releases, I was enthralled and captivated from the very beginning! The magic system was not fully fleshed out, in my opinion, so there was some confusion while reading on how it works, why it exists, etc. These such details would have likely taken this read up a notch further for me, as I like knowing the WHYs behind the whats and felt that was missing here. Still, this earns high Penguin status for me, and will be a book I think about for a while to come!
“I apologize for our introduction,” Malik said once Gwen and Jackoby had left.
Ceridwen raised her brows at him as she smoothed out her skirts. “Really? Do you introduce yourself to everyone that way?” When he didn’t immediately reply, she folded her hands in her lap and continued. “It’s a wonder no one’s stabbed you.”
I definitely recommend this to lovers of retellings, slow burn romances, and beastly curses. Will you dare venture into the tower, Penguins? The music awaits you.
Quick Reasons: Beauty and the Beast meets Phantom of the Opera; captivating retelling; some slightly confusing magic; enthralling characters, steamy slow burn; un-put-downable read
HUGE thanks to Megan Van Dyke and The Nerd Fam for the title! My review is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
“It’s such a shame. They say the prince was so handsome.”
“Did you ever see him?” Lydia asked.
“Well, of course not, but Alexa’s cousin said—”
“He was rich and a prince,” Bronwyn interjected. “Women would call him handsome even if he had two heads and the pox.”
This was SUCH a snarky, captivating, steamy slow burn of a retelling (technically, TWO retellings)! These characters filled this read to the absolute brim with sass, liveliness, intrigue, and mystery. The romance was top tier, deliciously steamy, and just shy of taboo (for the time period, that is). The characters were well written and believable, making it easy to connect with and root for them. The morally grey Drystan was deliciously written. I loved the twists the author put on the well- loved fairytale, as well-- this helped her to mold and shape the world she was writing with magnificence.
I really enjoyed this journey and the world we stepped into for this read! As one of my highly anticipated releases, I was enthralled and captivated from the very beginning! The magic system was not fully fleshed out, in my opinion, so there was some confusion while reading on how it works, why it exists, etc. These such details would have likely taken this read up a notch further for me, as I like knowing the WHYs behind the whats and felt that was missing here. Still, this earns high Penguin status for me, and will be a book I think about for a while to come!
“I apologize for our introduction,” Malik said once Gwen and Jackoby had left.
Ceridwen raised her brows at him as she smoothed out her skirts. “Really? Do you introduce yourself to everyone that way?” When he didn’t immediately reply, she folded her hands in her lap and continued. “It’s a wonder no one’s stabbed you.”
I definitely recommend this to lovers of retellings, slow burn romances, and beastly curses. Will you dare venture into the tower, Penguins? The music awaits you.