The Beast's Heart by Leife Shallcross Book Review by Miranda Moses (Fraser) ISN:978-0-440-00177-5 It really is no secret that Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale of all time. I mean, hell, it was my wedding theme and is about to be my first child's gender reveal party theme. So naturally I eagerly pick up anything that lets me return to the enchanted castle and fall for the Beast all over again. This retelling looked so beautiful and the concept that it was being told from the Beast's point of view was far too exciting for me! So here we are, what did I think of the Beast's heart? To start with, the curse is a little different in this story. In most stories he is left as a beast-man in his enchanted castle with maybe a servant or two to keep him company. In this one he was transformed and lived as a beast, running on all fours, chasing and hunting animals like a wolf, keeping people out of his enchanted forest. It was more years than he could count before the magic called him back to his castle. The castle was falling apart, the grounds decayed or overgrown and even the gates were rusted shut. But there was magic there and it would not allow him to leave again. Despite walking and acting like an animal he began to find parts of his former human life and attempted to regain some of his humanity. He would read and work on walking like a human, and in time would even practice fencing. As he healed himself so did the house return to it's former glory. He was master of this domain and within reason had control of the magic there- allowing him to so such things as alter the gardens into perfect spring weather year round. But the Beast was all alone. Now, at this point in the story the Beast's been alone for over a century. That is a HUGE difference from almost every retelling. I loved that he had to take so long to grow within his curse before it was time to meet his soul mate. One fateful day a sick merchant stumbles upon his enchanted grounds and is saved from the winter's freeze. As the story goes the Beast confronts him and asks him to bring his youngest daughter back to the castle. The merchant says no but of course the stubborn pure-hearted daughter returns in his place and agrees to stay with the Beast for a years time. The Beast sends treasures home to her family who now have to learn to live without the sister who took care of them all. And I loved how they progressed without her. This story wasn't all about Beauty and the Beast, we got to keep up with how her family fared without her. How they as people grew and changed. It reminded me of Robin Mckinley's retelling in this way. But of course the real magic is between the Beast and Isabuea. Consequently, I will not go into too much detail about their lives together. I think that's part of the charm and magic of this story. It's easy to settle in and enjoy the back and forth between a Beauty and a Beast. What I will talk about is how Shallcross returned to several of the original concepts of Beauty and the Beast. For instance the Beast asking for her hand in marriage. While he did not do this EVERY night he did do it regularly throughout their time together. There was also the return of her dreams, in the original version of the story she has nightly dreams that torment her, and this is something I have rarely seen returned in retellings. And finally the magic mirror was returned in such a delightful way. The Beast got to make sure her family was fairing well and help them in any way he could. It added to his humanity and how he cared for Isabuea. In conclusion, this was a story I found myself reading contentedly. It was not an 'edge of your seat page turner' but rather a story I found myself reading leisurely. Enjoying the Beast's details and choice wording. It was fanciful and dripping with emotions and inner turmoil. Like a true diary would be expected to be. There were so many things I loved about this book and how enjoyable it really was. This is also the author's first published book and for that I give her a round of applause! I truly look forward to more of her work. If she can write this fancifully and romantically on this topic, surely she was blessed with a gift. Keep an eye out for her name! Read on my fellow bookworms, may we one day have Belle's library. And as always links to the author's pages can be found down below.
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October 2022
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