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A review by atrailofpages
Of Thorns and Beauty by Elle Madison, Robin D. Mahle
4.0
I absolutely LOVE Beauty and the Beast retellings! So, I knew I needed to read this book! I’ve read quite a few Beauty and the Beast retellings lately, and this is the first one that I actually really enjoyed and loved.
This retelling was unique in that Zamia AND the king seemed to be both the beast in their own ways, and Zaina’s “aunt” as the enchantress.
This story was definitely darker than usual with Zaina’s terribly sad past. The things she went through since she was so little, and along with her “sisters”, it was awful, and I admired how strong she was despite what she went through. She never backed down from the king and the people in her new home. She did have to learn how to open up and be willing to interact with the people, but once she did, a lot changed with everyone’s demeanor.
The romance was very much an enemies to lovers romance, and very much a slow burn romance, which I love! I adored the banter between her and the king. It was hilarious and laugh out loud funny for me at times. I just could picture their faces any time one of them whipped out some witty comeback, it was great!
The only thing that bothered me was it seemed there were some things left unexplained, such as Zaina(honestly), and who she is. I got an idea of who or what she does, but it wasn’t explained very well and I just kept wondering the entire book about who she is and her “family” and previous home.
Other than that, I adored this retelling, and can hardly wait for the next book because that cliffhanger left me hanging quite literally! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This retelling was unique in that Zamia AND the king seemed to be both the beast in their own ways, and Zaina’s “aunt” as the enchantress.
This story was definitely darker than usual with Zaina’s terribly sad past. The things she went through since she was so little, and along with her “sisters”, it was awful, and I admired how strong she was despite what she went through. She never backed down from the king and the people in her new home. She did have to learn how to open up and be willing to interact with the people, but once she did, a lot changed with everyone’s demeanor.
The romance was very much an enemies to lovers romance, and very much a slow burn romance, which I love! I adored the banter between her and the king. It was hilarious and laugh out loud funny for me at times. I just could picture their faces any time one of them whipped out some witty comeback, it was great!
The only thing that bothered me was it seemed there were some things left unexplained, such as Zaina(honestly), and who she is. I got an idea of who or what she does, but it wasn’t explained very well and I just kept wondering the entire book about who she is and her “family” and previous home.
Other than that, I adored this retelling, and can hardly wait for the next book because that cliffhanger left me hanging quite literally! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.