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A review by greeneggsandsam
As Old as Time by Liz Braswell
fast-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
3.5
"Magic always comes back on itself."
⭐⭐⭐💫
As Old as Time is a Beauty and the Beast twisted retelling that tells the story as though Belle's mother were a powerful enchantress that cursed the Beast and his castle.
I was not expecting this retelling to have direct phrases and quotes from the original Disney story, and for much of the book it is basically the original story with an alternating timeline where we learn about her parents' history. I liked the parents' history, but the direct pull from the original put me off a little.
At the end of the second part, the new story really starts to take more shape and this novel becomes more unique. I enjoyed watching the character development of the Beast. Watching the interactions between Belle and the Beast was also interesting, and at times, made me smile and laugh.
I really enjoyed the major twist of the story, however, there was a very abrupt moment during the climax that I felt was... an easy way out? It tied things up quickly, and a certain group of characters that were just in action at that point in the plot were just never mentioned again and the plot continued on to the next thing. There was no mention of those characters and what happens to them.
This book was a very easy read, and it has made me interested to read more in the series.
⭐⭐⭐💫
As Old as Time is a Beauty and the Beast twisted retelling that tells the story as though Belle's mother were a powerful enchantress that cursed the Beast and his castle.
I was not expecting this retelling to have direct phrases and quotes from the original Disney story, and for much of the book it is basically the original story with an alternating timeline where we learn about her parents' history. I liked the parents' history, but the direct pull from the original put me off a little.
At the end of the second part, the new story really starts to take more shape and this novel becomes more unique. I enjoyed watching the character development of the Beast. Watching the interactions between Belle and the Beast was also interesting, and at times, made me smile and laugh.
I really enjoyed the major twist of the story, however, there was a very abrupt moment during the climax that I felt was... an easy way out? It tied things up quickly, and a certain group of characters that were just in action at that point in the plot were just never mentioned again and the plot continued on to the next thing. There was no mention of those characters and what happens to them.
This book was a very easy read, and it has made me interested to read more in the series.