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Beauty and the Werewolf (Five Hundred Kingdoms #6)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 2,764 ratings · 426 reviews

The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella--Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant--vows to escape the usual pitfalls.

Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman. But on the way home she's attacked by a wolf--who turns out to be a cursed no...more

ebook, 384 pages

Published November 1st 2011 by Luna Books (first published October 18th 2011)

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Dec 20, 2011 M— rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I don't know why I'm so disappointed in this book. It's probably my fault for having my expectations unreasonably high. It's not like Lackey's written any high quality books in years.

I have so many fundamental problems with this book, it's hard to keep count. There's the fact it's been marketed as a fairy-tale for adults, but it's really a book for young teen girls. I had expected a narrative a bit less blindly following and simplistic. And there's the issue that Lackey apparently used up all he...more I don't know why I'm so disappointed in this book. It's probably my fault for having my expectations unreasonably high. It's not like Lackey's written any high quality books in years.

I have so many fundamental problems with this book, it's hard to keep count. There's the fact it's been marketed as a fairy-tale for adults, but it's really a book for young teen girls. I had expected a narrative a bit less blindly following and simplistic. And there's the issue that Lackey apparently used up all her good werewolf/beauty and the beast ideas in her 1995 novel, The Fire Rose, and she failed to pull off inventing the same story twice. (Robin McKinley Lackey isn't.) And then there's the fact the heroine is a spoiled manipulative child with flagrant Mary-Sue tendencies: Everybody loves her, even the servants, except for the people who hate her because (a) she outsmarted them, or (b) she refuses to conform to Their Petty Cultural Norms, and she functions as the power ~~behind the throne~~ at the heart of the house, but secretly so as to not upset her beloved family's delicate sensibilities; and the hero is a nonentity the entire book. But really, my biggest problem was the villain.

Look. The text of this book starts on page numbered 9. Eric was introduced at page 13 with subsequent character detail provided on pages 25-27 and 28-35. By page 58, it was blatantly obvious Eric was the big bad and not just a character red herring. By page 60, we have his goals and motivation. By page 71, we have a detailed account of his methods. And yet it takes until page 314 for the heroine to clue in to the villain's villainousness and her heartrending proclamation, ~~'It was you! All along!'~~, er, '"You did this to him!" she burst out, without thinking. "The curse—it was you!"' (at page 314!) had me closing the book firmly and setting it aside. I did not read one word further.

Favorite typo: 'Sapphire returned with several more ribbons trailing behind herp'. [p. 137]

Quotes and page counts pulled from ISBN 9780373803286.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, did-not-finish, series

I've been patient...I've read over half of the book, hoping the story would improve and pick up steam, but it's just not happening. Unfortunately, the story has been consistently boring and the characters all feel dull and lifeless and have no chemistry whatsoever. How disappointing. I was so hoping to be swept away in the magic of an enchanting, romantic fairy tale. Sad to think that I own the first book in this series and now have no desire to read it. (borrowed this one from the library)

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May 04, 2013 Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, fairy-tale

I hadn't read any of the books in this series, so I wasn't really sure what was going on in the larger scheme of things, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.

A mixed up fairy tale story. Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, what other elements are in there? Lackey plays on the "Traditional" stories. Bella goes to Granny's, is late getting back and is bitten by a werewolf. To protect everyone, the King has her taken to the manor where the werewolf lives. She has to stay for three months,...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Grace rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Flat, stale, disappointing book. I'll admit I've not read any of the other 500 Kingdoms books, so had no idea about the "Tradition" element of this universe and was delighted when it finally appeared... But that was 75% into the book. Far, FAR too long.

Unfortunately the absence of the entire Tradition arc means that most of the book is focused on Bella, supposedly the beauty in this tale. Recently I've been reading a lot of YA featuring insufferable female leads, and usually that's due to pinin...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Dlora rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairty-tale-retelling, romance

This is another lighthearted story in the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series with strong female leads, fractured fairy tales, the mixing of magic and practicality, and the requisite touch of romance and happy-ever-after endings. I wasn't sure if this story was a retelling of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, or some other tale--it really was a mix of all of them and its own story as well. One interesting idea concerns The Tradition, the unintelligent force that sha...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Doris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Although the Five Hundred Kingdom books are fairly predictable, based as they are on fairy tales, they are enjoyable reads without being frightening. Entertaining in a way that it reminds without preaching, that the way its always been done is not necessarily the best way.

I wasn't particularly thrilled by the opening, but the story picked up quickly, with the main character "Bella" picking up a basket, donning a red hood and heading off to Grandmother's house in the woods. Yes, she meets some in...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Gabrielle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2013, fantasy, romance

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I did the previous two installments of Mercedes Lackey's "Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms" For that I'm tempted to give the book 4 instead of 3 stars, but if I'm honest there were just too many things wrong with it.

For a start the heroine wasn't at all sympathetic. Actually I thought she was a manipulative shrew. I like independent women. What I don't like is characters going around shouting about how independent they are. A character could hardly say some...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Jihan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Decent enough. If I want to do some light reading, I'll refer to this or any of the other 500 Kingdoms series. I really try to like Mercedes Lackey's books, but they're just missing some vital depth. The plots and characters are decent enough, but it's obvious they still need more development.

Most of the time, the plot seems to start going deeper and I get all riled up for the main conflict to appear. But then there's a sudden...slide, not twist...that leaves me going "Wait, what??" and proverbi...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Jill Furedy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like this book a lot better the first time she wrote it, in the Elemental series, when it was called Fire Rose. (That one stands as one of the Lackey books that I really enjoyed, rather than the books whose idea I liked but that never panned out.) But this takes nearly the exact same story, morphs it to fit the constraints if the 500 Kingdoms series (though it bafflingly referred to elementals here, which made me do a double take and pulled me straight out of the story.)
Bella isn't a scholar...more I like this book a lot better the first time she wrote it, in the Elemental series, when it was called Fire Rose. (That one stands as one of the Lackey books that I really enjoyed, rather than the books whose idea I liked but that never panned out.) But this takes nearly the exact same story, morphs it to fit the constraints if the 500 Kingdoms series (though it bafflingly referred to elementals here, which made me do a double take and pulled me straight out of the story.)
Bella isn't a scholar like Rose was: she studies herbs and oh yeah, she reads a lot and is well educated. Hmmm. She is unconventional for a female of her time, doesn't care for frilly dresses, learns about magic and is unafraid and promptly shows a gift for it. Have I read this before? Surely there will be a new twist coming. Sebastian doesn't trick her into staying with him, but she is maneuvered into that situation anyway. Hmmm. There are invisible/magical servents that she learns more about than the guy who brought them into being. Yeah, not breaking any molds here. Oh yeah, and the one guy that our shape shifting hero can count on is an asshole who abuses authority, is greedy and jealous and treats women like they were made to do his bidding. But our man is too caught up in his own issues to notice any of this after years with this guy. Yup, pretty sure the only difference was that Bella had a family that she missed and a Godmother to consult.
I didn't hate this book, but the parallels kept me from enjoying it too. I kept waiting for a deviation that never arrived, the plot was completely unsurprisingly, the bad guy completely predictable.... I just hope when I eventually read Fire Rose again, knowledge of this book's existence doesn't ruin it for me. I keep going back to Lackey's books, hoping to stumble on the rare one that lives up to it's potential and develops it's ideas fully. This was clearly not that book and makes me think I'll have better luck in her back catalog than in her new books, if she's reached the point of reheating her leftovers to try and satiate us. (less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Beth Martin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

You know something has gone horribly wrong with your novel when the dear reader finds herself rooting for the villain, of all people. Yet that is exactly what happened with Lackey's Beauty and the Werewolf: a promising but ultimately lackluster chapter in the 500 Kingdoms series.

Now, I know that Lackey has a tendency to be very hit and miss. Sometimes she will have sparkling novels full of life and humor and a certain something (The Fairy Godmother, The Black Swan) while others muddle along in t...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Kira Yeversky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fairy-tales

Definitely better than some of the other Mercedes Lackey books I've recently read (in different series). As with the other Five Hundred Kingdoms books, it incorporates elements from a number of fairy tales with little twists to tie them together. The Tradition (a force that manipulates people into following a typical fairy tale path) is present throughout, and the main character must find ways to circumvent it. Characters from previous books show up (so if you haven't read The Fairy Godmother th...more Definitely better than some of the other Mercedes Lackey books I've recently read (in different series). As with the other Five Hundred Kingdoms books, it incorporates elements from a number of fairy tales with little twists to tie them together. The Tradition (a force that manipulates people into following a typical fairy tale path) is present throughout, and the main character must find ways to circumvent it. Characters from previous books show up (so if you haven't read The Fairy Godmother there are a few spoilers in this one) but otherwise the books are easy to follow stand-alone. I guess that's a general look at the series, so here's a few specifics:

I like the nod to Red Riding Hood at the beginning...it's clearly a reference, but it's not so overstated that it seems like in the author felt the need to point it out. (For an example of how the author does this badly elsewhere, see Home From the Sea.) The story is told from one character's point of view, giving us a solid grasp on what Bella is thinking and feeling but obscures the motives of other characters. I like this because it adds a little more mystery to the villain's identity than many of Lackey's other books, where we can see into the mind of the villain and know who it is all along. The invisible servants are a nice touch as well, since they all have distinct personalities and add some background characters without overwhelming the story. The ending is less sugary-sweet than some "happily ever afters", in that all is well but not everything is suddenly sunshine and rainbows.

There were only a few little things that bothered me, which is a refreshing change from the other Lackey books I've read recently. I know there are only so many ways to spin "Beauty" into a name, and Belle is what everyone thinks of when they think Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, whenever I see "Bella" my mind goes to Twilight, which is not an association I would want people to make if I was writing a story involving werewolves. In other words, it would have been nice to see a more obscure variant, like "Elena" instead of "Cinderella" in The Fairy Godmother. There's one other thing I can't help but wondering: where does everyone but Bella's father think she is? The story takes place over a month or so, and surely her stepmother, stepsisters, servants, and other acquaintances would have been wondering. I think it would almost have been a more interesting story if she had gone home and found that she had become a pariah because she just spent three months living unchaperoned with two young men.

(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Paper Droids rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Tales of the 500 Kingdoms series has pulled me in since I picked up the first book back in 2004. I love the concept of the series; the general outline of the novels is that, in the world of the books, there’s an omniscient force called “the Tradition” that recognizes people’s lives and tries to force them down traditional fairytale paths, while the Godmothers of the world try to prevent tragedies and fix tales that go awry.

The first tale, The Fairy Godmother, was loosely based on Cinderella;...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Ms. Library rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up from the library for two reasons 1) It looked UTTERLY ridiculous and 2) I actually like Mercedes Lackey, and I was hoping maybe it wasn't as ridiculous as it looked.
Unfortunately, I was right on the former and disappointed on the latter. Its full of cliches and ridiculousness, and the villain is apparent from page 10, but everyone IS SO SHOCKED when they realize who it is. OH MY GOD PEOPLE GET WITH THE PROGRAM. There's the usual, "Oh my God, I'm so DIFFFERRREEENNT" girl and the...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Phyrra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beauty and the Werewolf was the first book that I’d picked up from her set in the Five Hundred Kingdoms world. I adored it. Without giving too much away, the Five Hundred Kingdoms is a world where basically all fairy tales can happen and the Tradition (or Trad as it’s referred to in the books), is a force of magic that wants people to fulfill certain fairy tales. Some fairy tales have a happy ending, others do not. In this particular story, they’re able to achieve a happy ending.

The main charact...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A warning of bias—Mercedes Lackey is the only author that I actively collect, and I love her Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

Beauty and the Werewolf is exactly that, a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast wherein the beast is a werewolf. If you enjoyed the Disney interpretation of the tale, this is fairly similar in tone: it is not a scary story. There are also touches of Cinderella and Red Riding Hood in Bella's story.

Bella is a strong, female character. She has a stepmother and two young stepsiste...more A warning of bias—Mercedes Lackey is the only author that I actively collect, and I love her Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

Beauty and the Werewolf is exactly that, a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast wherein the beast is a werewolf. If you enjoyed the Disney interpretation of the tale, this is fairly similar in tone: it is not a scary story. There are also touches of Cinderella and Red Riding Hood in Bella's story.

Bella is a strong, female character. She has a stepmother and two young stepsisters, her father is a wealthy merchant, and she gets up early to run the household. She has a knack for finding treasures and she has a friend in an old wise woman, Granny. Granny has been teaching Bella about the herbs of the forest. After Bella is bitten by a wolf she is whisked away by the King's men to the wolf's home and find herself living with Sebastian and Eric. Sebastian is the wolf, the Duke, and a sorcerer; Eric is the half-brother, the Gamekeeper, and a rake.

As Luna is a Harlequin imprint, it makes sense that there would have to be some elements of romance in the book (it also tends to be a trend throughout the Five Hundred Kingdoms series). Will Bella fall for the Duke or the rake? Tradition could dictate either.

It was nice to see Godmother Elena again, although her involvement in the story seemed a little contrived.

For me, one of the most interesting and enjoyable ports of the story was the invisible servants and Bella's interactions with them. The introduction of a fifth type of elemental, the Spirit Elemental, was a clever idea, and could have very interesting consequences for the Five Hundred Kingdoms (although, I may start thinking these creatures exist in the Elemental Masters series, which could be confusing as a reader). The servants' invisibility remains true to the original Beauty and the Beast story, and it was interesting to see to learn their backstory, and see how they interacted in this world.

As with all of Lackey's work, Beauty and the Werewolf is a nice, easy read. It's not my favourite of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, but I took to Bella right away, and I liked her "take charge" attitude. The only thing that put me off was the cover.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, beach-read

Although I truly enjoy Mercedes Lackey's writing, I'd been avoiding this series. I don't enjoy series as much as I used to; I get tired of waiting for the next book. I just want to read a book and have it be over. But then I saw this book on the "Just Published" shelf at Barnes and Noble.

I have a real soft spot for Beauty and the Beast stories. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley set me up early (at about 13) to enjoy the various retellings. I think there a...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't have high expectations for this book, and yet I still was disappointed. I expected a sort of retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but with a werewolf. That is more or less what the book is (with a bit of Red Riding Hood thrown in), and for the first half or so I was mostly enjoying it, and then it seems to be horribly derailed. Somewhere around the middle Bella learns about Tradition. She spends the second half of the book (view spoiler)...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I picked up this book simply for the cover and the title. I love a Beauty and the Beast Story so I decided to pick this up. Ella, as a heroine, is very likable. She is strong, but realizes that she has fault. Typical fairy tale setting - she has 2 stepsisters and a stepmother, although her father is still alive (though you only see them all together in the end).

This book has so many fairy tales rolled into one - "Little Red Riding Hood", "Beauty and the Beast", "Snow White", etc. This aspect I e...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Carla May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: beauty-and-the-beast-collection

I collect Beaut and the Beast stories. I think that the core tale of Beauty and the Beast one of the most romantic stories ever told and so I seek out every (mostly worthwhile) rendition I can find (paperback bodice-ripper novels need not apply, however; that is not what I am looking for!).

I had low expectations for Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey: "A werewolf in the title and a buxom woman on the front?" I asked myself "How can that work?!" but I am committed to this project and I wa...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Jami Russell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This might not be the best of the 500 Kingdoms series, but still I found it enjoyable enough to finish in two days. You can tell how well I like a book by how quickly I finish it. Even short, easily read books take me a long time to finish if I don't like them much.

Is Bella too perfect? Of COURSE she is! That's how 99% of fairy tale heroines are. With the exception of the heroine of The Frog Prince - in that one she was an insufferable brat who tried to kill the cursed prince.

Is the villain pr...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Stacy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to admit I was completely NOT a fan of this book, and a handful of the books from the Five Hundred Kingdoms series I love (Sleeping Beauty is the favorite thus far).

First off, I HATED Bella. Though perhaps it was the prince that I didn't like because he basically had NO backbone whatsoever. The prince is a werewolf who has bitten someone for the first time, and has to keep Bella as a prisoner, basically, in order to be sure she does not change into a werewolf as well. Be that he is a cha...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Rita Webb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2012, romance, werewolf

Is this the story of Beauty and the Beast? Or is it Little Red Riding Hood? Bella learns that some forcewill be stuffed into some story whether she likes it or not.

Loved Bella! She was down to earch and practical and caring and in the course of a month she turned a dead and hopeless house into a bright and happy home.

The wolf--the reclusive duke--is just marvelous...though not what I've come to expect from werewolves. He's certainly not the alpha male type. He's too sincere and sweet for that, b...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Olga Godim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

My impression of this book is controversial. As a retelling of a fairy tale or a famous Disney cartoon, it’s not bad, although the beginning is slow, with flat, tired writing and loads of dry exposition. The story picks up, when the protagonist Bella finally meets the werewolf and the action kicks off.
Bella is nothing like a Disney heroine though. In this book, she is a shrew, bossy and didactic, full of her own superiority, always teaching the ‘Beast’ how to behave, how to treat his servants, a...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up as a random read from the limited list of eBooks available (with no waiting) at my local library. So, I knew nothing about the book or the world before reading it, except for what was on the cover. From the artwork on the cover I kind of expected some sort of Little Red Riding Hood type story - with a werewolf of course, but I didn't know about The Tradition, or really have any idea that the book was going to so closely mirror a fairy tale until I got near the end.

When Granny c...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beauty and the Werewolf is Mercedes Lackey's latest visit to the Five Hundred Kingdoms. As always, the adventure is well worth the trip.

The Five Hundred Kingdoms is a land where "The Tradition" that invests, or perhaps infests, traditional storytelling has taken on a life of its own, to the point where the tropes actually have the power to force people to conform to those stories.

But sometimes it doesn't work. Cinderella can only become Cinderella if there is a Prince of the right age to rescue...more Beauty and the Werewolf is Mercedes Lackey's latest visit to the Five Hundred Kingdoms. As always, the adventure is well worth the trip.

The Five Hundred Kingdoms is a land where "The Tradition" that invests, or perhaps infests, traditional storytelling has taken on a life of its own, to the point where the tropes actually have the power to force people to conform to those stories.

But sometimes it doesn't work. Cinderella can only become Cinderella if there is a Prince of the right age to rescue her. Otherwise she's a drudge forever. In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, those who can see "The Tradition" at work, and outwit it, become either mages or Fairy Godmothers. The first book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series is The Fairy Godmother, and is well worth reading. Elena is definitely not a traditional fairy godmother!

Beauty and the Werewolf is a trope bender. It starts out as another Cinderella. Bella has two stepsisters, and her stepmother is a little vain and a little foolish. But Bella took her stepsisters under her wing, and Bella manages the household quite successfully. She is not a drudge. She is not abused. She avoided the Cinderella trap.

Bella visits Granny out in the woods, and stays late enough that she has to come home through the woods after dark. Bella's already had two run ins with Eric, the Gamekeeper, and they've both been distasteful. Eric is a nasty piece of work. He victimizes any women he meets, knowing that most women are of a lower station that he is. Bella is a wealthy merchant's daughter, and he can't treat her the same. I thought the story was leaning toward Red Riding Hood, with Eric as the Big Bad Wolf. He was just right for it.

Then Bella got bitten by a werewolf on the way home from Granny's. It turns out the werewolf is actually the local Duke. He's been suffering under a curse for the past few years, becoming a werewolf every month since he turned 19. He wasn't bitten. The Godmother can't figure out who cursed him. But now that he's bitten Bella, Bella has to stay in his castle with him, until they figure out whether Bella will also become a werewolf. And guess what? Eric is the Duke's Gamekeeper. And his illegitimate brother. And his only contact with the outside world. And a jerk.

With the help of an enchanted mirror, Bella and the Godmother are able to see what "The Tradition" wants her to do. Most of those stories involved some pretty sad endings for Bella. "The Tradition" doesn't care about the people, it only cares about fulfilling the story. But while Bella was busy protecting herself from Eric the jerk, she was also helping Duke Sebastian research his curse. Bella and Sebastian spent a lot of time together while Bella learned about magic and Sebastian just got to enjoy having someone else around besides Eric the jerk.

So Bella may have been thoroughly protected from the story of "The Rake's Reward" but she was not in the least armored against "Beauty and the Beast".

Escape Rating A: This story rides on whether or not you want to spend time with Bella. I did. Bella is very managing. She manages her family, she manages her time, she manages her life. Getting bitten is probably the best thing that happens to her, and possibly them. She gets a vacation!

I'm serious, in a way. Once she and her father are able to communicate, she is able to enjoy herself. She is also in a position to take a look at her life, and make some real discoveries. Learning about "The Tradition" is a real eye-opener. It's been trying to manage her exactly the way she's been managing her family. She doesn't like it at all.

There is a lovely nod to the Disney movie, without being cloying. There are invisible servants. They don't talk, but they can move objects, and some the loyal servants who were cursed with Sebastian. Very nicely done.(less)

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Jan 18, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely loved this book, probably because I like a good fairytale. This story was part Little Red Riding Hood, part Beauty and the Beast. The female protaginist was smart, hardworking, kind and all around the kind of woman I like to read about. The woodsman and the Wolf were not at all what you would expect from the typical fairytale which was a nice, but predictable departure from the norm. The only thing in the book that was a bit of a distraction was that I figured out the plot early on...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Dorine White rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Its book review time! I’m reviewing one of my favorite authors today, Mercedes Lackey. Her newest book is Beauty and the Werewolf, published by Luna, and is number six in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

The Story: Isabella Beauchamps lives with her father, stepmother and two step sisters. Bella pretty much runs the show, taking care of the household and running the errands. One of her favorite things to do is visit “Granny”, the wise woman of the town, who lives in the woods.

On one of Bella’s...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Pamela Kramer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey is another addition to her Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

In this series, the reader learns about "Tradition," that mindless entity that forces people into predestined roles according to different tales. An orphaned daughter might be a "Cinderella" or she might be pushed to fall in love with a prince. The problem is when the role isn't supported by the people around (an infant prince, for example).

There is also the problem of free will. Perhaps a young w...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: feel-good-fantasy, fairy-tale

In Lackey's Hundred Kingdoms world, the mindless force called "The Tradition" pushes characters lives into fulfilling classic fairy tales, with Godmothers and their allies running interference to avoid some of the nastier stories coming to life. Each novel set in this world is a stand-alone, so you can start with any of them. Beauty and the Werewolf , like the rest of Hundred Kingdoms novels, is a light, feel-good fantasy romance. If you only like your werewolves edgy, brooding and urban, this...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Sixth in the Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms fairy tale series. The basic tale here is based on Beauty and the Beast with Bella as the merchant-class beauty and Duke Sebastian as the fantastic beast.

My Take
It's a combination of fairy tales with a bit of Red Riding Hood—the threat of the wolf is rather obvious!; Cinderella comes to mind with the "wicked" stepmother and the two stepsisters but the only toil Bella engages in is managing the house; the primary theme is of Beauty and the Beast wi...more

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About Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts &...more Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as `my job.' My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of `story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the `folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.

"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't `not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a `high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL [`There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the `evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.

"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:

"There's no such thing as `one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."

Also known as Misty Lackey.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/merced...(less)

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Books by Mercedes Lackey

Arrows of the Queen (Heralds of Valdemar, #1)

Magic's Pawn (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #1)

Magic's Price (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #3)

Magic's Promise (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #2)

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Quotes from Beauty and the Werewolf

“Getting angry over something that won't change is like seeing what happens if you hit your hand with a hammer over and over again, and being surprised each time when it hurts. So you might as well stop doing it.” — 12 people liked it

“He isn't stupid, but his interests are so narrow I doubt I could slip a sheet of paper in between them” — 7 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12455708-beauty-and-the-werewolf?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1314498839l/12455708.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12455708-beauty-and-the-werewolf?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey[/url]

Beauty and the Werewolf (Five Hundred Kingdoms #6)

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