“‘Something evil this way comes. 7 vengeful sisters. 7 fairytale kingdoms. 7 daughters of Eville.’ Everyone dreams of marrying a prince – except for me. I am nothing more than a pawn in my adoptive mother’s diabolical plot against the seven kingdoms. I was the chosen tool, her sharpened blade that would cut the deepest into the heart of the Kingdom of Baist. But like all deadly weapons, my wedding is two-edged sword that could cost me my soul. For I am Rosalie, one of the adopted daughters of Lady Eville, and it is my duty to enter into a loveless and hate-filled marriage with the narcissistic Crown Prince of Baist. My choices and heart are not my own to give. Yet even in the thick of dire situations, beastly vengeance can give way to beautiful attraction.”
What is the book about?
It is every girl’s dream to marry a prince – except for Rosalie, the first adoptive daughter of Lady Eville; for she knows that her arranged marriage to the crown prince of the Kingdom of Baist is just part of her plan to get vengeance on the 7 kingdoms. Rosalie was her chosen tool to take control of Baist, the strongest of her 7 daughters and the one she believed would be able to get revenge and would be able to thrive in Baist, the only kingdom that had not yet embraced magic. But this was not Rosalie’s choice, as she didn’t want to give her heart away to a man who would never want anything to do with her. However, there is a thin line between love and hate, and even the most horrible relationships can give way to a romance unlike any other. But soon Rosalie realises that there is more to her mother’s decision than she thought and she must learn the truth about her family if she is ever going to understand and help the people she will grow to care for.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
When I first started reading the An Unfortunate Fairy Tale series many years ago, I really enjoyed the few books I managed to read during that first summer, so I soon decided that I wanted to try other books by Chanda Hahn. As a result, I discovered the Daughters of Eville series and immediately downloaded all available books in the series onto my kindle as I thought I would enjoy them. I have a huge thing for fairy tale retellings as I love the magical feeling and the mix of the predictability as well as the twists that the author has introduced to keep the story from being the same as the original fairy tale, so when I realised that these books were going to be retellings I knew I would like them, but I did keep them unread in my kindle for quite a while. My initial thoughts on this particular book (Of Beast and Beauty) were similar to that of the whole series when I first got it and reading the blurb left me even more interested in the book as I had so many questions about Lady Eville and was also so excited for the suggested enemy to lovers romance, which is one of my favourite types of romances. When I started to read, it took me a little while to get used to the story and the fact that it was told from a first person perspective, however, after a few chapters, I started to really enjoy the book and was soon reaching the end in less than a couple days.
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was probably Rosalie, not just because she was the main character and the one person whose mind I was able to see into but also because I really liked her personality and the way she handled things. I really liked the fact that, even though she was treated terribly just because she had powers and magic that the people of Baist were unfamiliar with and terrified of, Rosalie didn’t let that stop her and she tried her hardest to ignore them. I liked how stubborn, intelligent and strong she was and the way that she used all of these qualities to go against the wishes of the people who tried to keep her shut away and she never once let herself be controlled because she knew her own strength and wasn’t going to be treated like she was less than what she was, even by the crown prince. I also really liked the way that Rosalie never gave up, even when she was so scared and tired, and she kept fighting back and trying to find her own way, but she also knew when she needed help and was ready to ask for it. She was a great character and I liked that she was the daughter to start this series.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
This was a really hard decision to make because there wasn’t really any part of the book that stood out to me, however after much consideration I would probably say that my favourite part of the book was when the prince realised who Rosalie really was and didn’t shy away from her. I had initially really liked the way that Rosalie used the prince’s own decision to never look at his wife to her advantage and she managed to manipulate her way into doing many things; however the biggest reason why I liked this was because the prince was able to get to know her without ever knowing the truth. So then, when he found out, he couldn’t actually bring himself to hate her like he had initially done because he had grown to know her in ways he never would have. I really liked this and I enjoyed that he finally understood the truth as I was getting a little annoyed at how stupid he was being and how he couldn’t see the signs.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, I quite enjoyed Of Beast and Beauty; however it wasn’t one of the best books I have read. One thing that I did enjoy about the book was the plot and the amount of twists that were incorporated in the story. Fairy tale retellings always have a certain element of predictability as they are based on stories that we have grown up reading and watching however, although there were some things that I already knew (like the fact that the prince was a beast), somehow this book managed to keep me on my toes and leave me shocked after secrets were revealed and twists in the plot occurred. I loved the fact that there was no way I could’ve seen those things coming and I loved the way that it linked different kingdoms together. Another thing that I liked was the romance. I really liked how it was different to the original story; however it also grew in a similar way to it. It may not have been the most amazing romance, but I did like it and I liked the way the book ended for the main characters. However, there were a few things that I didn’t love about the book. One of those was the fact that it was told from only one point of view, and it was told from the first person. I have really come to enjoy third person over first person, though it was the other way when I was younger, so it did take me a while to get used to it. I did grow to like it a bit, but I know that I would have probably liked the book better if it had been from the third person perspective or if it had more points of view, as I would have liked to see through others eyes.
Would you recommend this book?
I recommend reading Of Beast and Beauty, especially if you are over 14 and love fantasy, adventure, romance and fairy tale retellings, but you need to be ready to stick with it as there is more to it than meets the eye and you learn a lot near the end.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A dark, magical version of Beauty and the Beast, full of secrets, twists and turns that you could never have seen coming.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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