Book Review: The Beast of Talesend
“Fairy tales aren’t real. Private detective Nick Beasley knows that. This is 1922 E.A. (Ever After), an age of big cities, automobiles, and airships. Nobody in the Afterlands believes in magic and monsters anymore. Especially not Nick, who’s made a name for himself in the city of Talesend by debunking fraudulent “magical” phenomena.
But when a misadventure with alleged enchantress Lady Cordelia Beaumont goes awry, leaving Nick with claws, a tail, and quite a lot of fur, he begins to rethink his stance on magic.
There’s only one way for Nick to regain his humanity. He and Cordelia will have to retrieve a powerful magical artifact from a ruthless crime lord—who happens to be Cordelia’s father. Otherwise, Nick won’t be the only monster roaming through Talesend.
The fate of the Afterlands lies in the hands of a renegade enchantress and an extremely hairy detective. What could possibly go wrong?” (from Goodreads)
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened this book. The C.S. Lewis quote was definitely a good sign. Follow that up with a fantastic blend of Sherlock Holmes and fairytales, Doctor Who-esque rash decisions (that somehow half worked out), and downright perfect humor, and it was a winner. (Please don’t let me comparing it to many other things fool you–this book is really unlike anything else.)
I loved the setting, and Nick’s general outlook/personality. He and Crispin were hilarious, and I laughed aloud at their brotherly arguments. (Also, I pictured him as a monster to be a lot like Kitty from Monsters, Inc. I knew he was supposed to be scarier than that, but still…) Cordelia was delightfully unpredictable as well, and the three of them made for a delightful adventure.
I didn’t prefer the scenes with the wraith or the techniques of the charmbloods, but I appreciated the portrayal of magical things being double-edged and dangerous.
Just a note, there was one used of “blasted” and some descriptions of blood.
Best quotes: I crossed my arms and gave him a disapproving look. “Remember the stern discussion you and I had yesterday?” He gave me a puzzled frown. “Which one? We have so many.” I pointed to his patent-leather shoes. “Feet. Desk. Off. Forever.”
“Thanks, but I’ve already been shot once today. It didn’t take.”
Altogether, I’d take another one of these in a heartbeat. So much fun. XD
Also, who else SCREAMED internally at the epilogue??
