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The Hunter Legends #1
The Beast
Demon possession has swept through Glace's neighboring kingdom, turning humans into hellhounds. These great, fanged wolves are wild, desperate, and hungry. Only the sworn Hunters have kept them back for five long, bloody years.
Since becoming a Hunter at a young age, Belle LeClair no longer remembers how many hounds she's killed or how many friends she's buried. Still, Belle leads the hunt till a tragedy forces her deep into the dark kingdom. Her heart will be turned, her loyalty tested— and fate will intervene.
Amid a backdrop of Steampunk inventions and a harsh winter landscape, THE BEAST is a re-imagining of the infamous love between a beauty and a beast.
Young Adult Fantasy/Adventure Romance
A Beauty And The Beast Retelling
-The Hunter Legends-
The Beast
The Beauty
The Curse (Coming Soon)
The Crown (Coming Soon)
Since becoming a Hunter at a young age, Belle LeClair no longer remembers how many hounds she's killed or how many friends she's buried. Still, Belle leads the hunt till a tragedy forces her deep into the dark kingdom. Her heart will be turned, her loyalty tested— and fate will intervene.
Amid a backdrop of Steampunk inventions and a harsh winter landscape, THE BEAST is a re-imagining of the infamous love between a beauty and a beast.
Young Adult Fantasy/Adventure Romance
A Beauty And The Beast Retelling
-The Hunter Legends-
The Beast
The Beauty
The Curse (Coming Soon)
The Crown (Coming Soon)
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2015
About the author
Lindsay Mead
8 books154 followersLindsay is obsessed with stories, especially the ones about strong female leads as they take on the world and fall in love. Either she's writing them, reading about them, or watching them on the big screen. Lindsay just can't get enough. Action, romance, adventure, and some supernatural--She'll take it all!
Sign up to Lindsay's New Release email list and you'll automatically be notified as soon as her next book is released: www.lindsaymead.blogspot.com
READ MORE BY LINDSAY MEAD
--The Hunter Legends--
The Beast (Book 1)
The Beauty (Book 2)
The Curse (Coming Late 2018)
The Crown (Coming 2019)
--Grave Things Series--
Grave Things (Book 1)
Grave Desires (Coming Oct 2018)
BECOME FRIENDS WITH LINDSAY
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/AuthorLindsay...
Twitter: @TheLindsayMead
YouTube: www.youtube.com/lindsaymead
Instagram: @TheLindsayMead
www.lindsaymead.blogspot.com
Sign up to Lindsay's New Release email list and you'll automatically be notified as soon as her next book is released: www.lindsaymead.blogspot.com
READ MORE BY LINDSAY MEAD
--The Hunter Legends--
The Beast (Book 1)
The Beauty (Book 2)
The Curse (Coming Late 2018)
The Crown (Coming 2019)
--Grave Things Series--
Grave Things (Book 1)
Grave Desires (Coming Oct 2018)
BECOME FRIENDS WITH LINDSAY
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/AuthorLindsay...
Twitter: @TheLindsayMead
YouTube: www.youtube.com/lindsaymead
Instagram: @TheLindsayMead
www.lindsaymead.blogspot.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 9, 2015
I'm going to go against the stream and give this book a bad rating. I had really high hopes for this book and I was looking forward to reading it. But alas, as so often the hopes were too high.
What I did like:
The setting was nice, snowy and Scandinavian is a bit unusual in the fantasy world and this was well executed.
The cover is fantastic.
The heroine is a bad ass (although a bit too close to Mary Sue for comfort).
Friesians and the respect for animals.
What I didn't like:
The characters feel very shallow and are not fleshed out at all. Apart from Belle and Gaston, I couldn't name the hunters and none of them seems to have more than one or two distinguishing features. I know one has dreadlocks, two are brothers and one is very big and mute. Hair colour, stature, manner of speech, age, even relationship with the main character? Nope, nothing. They lack any interesting interactions with the main characters what so ever.
The romance doesn't feel natural at all. I just goes on about how pretty the prince is and she doesn't seem to have any emotional reaction to what she herself states is a major problem (him being a prince and impossible for her to marry and all). They don't seem to have a lot of interesting conversation and very little chemistry. I might be a bit spoiled with good books where you know the characters are perfect before they themselves realize it, but in this case I think Belle could have chosen Gastone and I wouldn't have cared any more one way or the other.
The entire writing seems... off, somehow. There are plenty of grammatical errors, spelling errors ("loan wolf" instead of lone, "hours past" instead of hours passed) and plenty of words the author seems to have used without really knowing their meaning. Like "the wind seeped". Wind doesn't seep. Wind does the very opposite of seeping. This book seems to me like a manuscript before it's met the editor.
Also the tense continuously changes, sometimes in the middle of a paragraph, which makes for a rather confusing read.
The science is weird and shoehorned. The author obviously likes shiny metal and steam and they have huge elaborate coin counters, a pair of robot arms that knows how to tie corsets and do hairstyles and a frickin mobile house walking about, but they still ride horses and us horse drawn carts? And have to use guns?
Why not just invent some Hunter-terminators which can go into the forest and deal with all the hell hounds? Heck, build a walking fortress like the house to put them in. Also, what is everything powered by? If you like steam, but don't like to burn stuff and intend to disregard natural laws, at least give a feasible explanation! Steampunk powered by fairydust or unicorn hair is fine by me as long as it's explained.
The ending. The ending felt completely rushed and very confusing. Flashes of light and strong feelings and crowds of people we are told are traitors but in the next moment aren't. Stab wounds and other life threatening injuries who can be safely ignored for unspecified amounts of time. And then the prince only needs to give one "deus ex" speech and everything is fine. The last few pages I wished for it to be over.
Lastly, Pixie. Don't even get me started. She's an entirely different review!
Is she intelligent? Does she have feelings? She certainly seems to have both since she is making intelligent decisions based on circumstance and affection for characters. This strongly hints at sentience and if you can build a sentient being, no matter if it's a tiny one called a toy, it is an extremely complicated and ethically complex venture. How was it achieved? Is there a person in there being trapped? How is it powered? How can it be so complex? What feelings does it feel? Can it communicate? Does it have rights that should be respected? What is it's motivations for doing things?
This turned out to be a rant rather than a review and I apologise for the long read.
What I did like:
The setting was nice, snowy and Scandinavian is a bit unusual in the fantasy world and this was well executed.
The cover is fantastic.
The heroine is a bad ass (although a bit too close to Mary Sue for comfort).
Friesians and the respect for animals.
What I didn't like:
The characters feel very shallow and are not fleshed out at all. Apart from Belle and Gaston, I couldn't name the hunters and none of them seems to have more than one or two distinguishing features. I know one has dreadlocks, two are brothers and one is very big and mute. Hair colour, stature, manner of speech, age, even relationship with the main character? Nope, nothing. They lack any interesting interactions with the main characters what so ever.
The romance doesn't feel natural at all. I just goes on about how pretty the prince is and she doesn't seem to have any emotional reaction to what she herself states is a major problem (him being a prince and impossible for her to marry and all). They don't seem to have a lot of interesting conversation and very little chemistry. I might be a bit spoiled with good books where you know the characters are perfect before they themselves realize it, but in this case I think Belle could have chosen Gastone and I wouldn't have cared any more one way or the other.
The entire writing seems... off, somehow. There are plenty of grammatical errors, spelling errors ("loan wolf" instead of lone, "hours past" instead of hours passed) and plenty of words the author seems to have used without really knowing their meaning. Like "the wind seeped". Wind doesn't seep. Wind does the very opposite of seeping. This book seems to me like a manuscript before it's met the editor.
Also the tense continuously changes, sometimes in the middle of a paragraph, which makes for a rather confusing read.
The science is weird and shoehorned. The author obviously likes shiny metal and steam and they have huge elaborate coin counters, a pair of robot arms that knows how to tie corsets and do hairstyles and a frickin mobile house walking about, but they still ride horses and us horse drawn carts? And have to use guns?
Why not just invent some Hunter-terminators which can go into the forest and deal with all the hell hounds? Heck, build a walking fortress like the house to put them in. Also, what is everything powered by? If you like steam, but don't like to burn stuff and intend to disregard natural laws, at least give a feasible explanation! Steampunk powered by fairydust or unicorn hair is fine by me as long as it's explained.
The ending. The ending felt completely rushed and very confusing. Flashes of light and strong feelings and crowds of people we are told are traitors but in the next moment aren't. Stab wounds and other life threatening injuries who can be safely ignored for unspecified amounts of time. And then the prince only needs to give one "deus ex" speech and everything is fine. The last few pages I wished for it to be over.
Lastly, Pixie. Don't even get me started. She's an entirely different review!
Is she intelligent? Does she have feelings? She certainly seems to have both since she is making intelligent decisions based on circumstance and affection for characters. This strongly hints at sentience and if you can build a sentient being, no matter if it's a tiny one called a toy, it is an extremely complicated and ethically complex venture. How was it achieved? Is there a person in there being trapped? How is it powered? How can it be so complex? What feelings does it feel? Can it communicate? Does it have rights that should be respected? What is it's motivations for doing things?
This turned out to be a rant rather than a review and I apologise for the long read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2015
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Review Also Posted Here: Dreamy Addictions
The Beast is a unique retelling of Beauty And The Beast fairytale which is one of my favorite fairy tales. When I first read the synopsis I knew I had to read it because I’m sucker for the B&B’s retellings. At this point, I’ve read a fair number of Beauty and the Beast retellings. Some were good and some were not. The Beast falls in the good category and I really liked it but still it wasn’t perfect because I really think the author could’ve done so much better. Nonetheless, it was a good start for a new fantasy series but needs more work.
Belle LeClair is a kickass character and also a hunter who kills hell hounds with her group to protect their village. Her father is the founder of the Hunter Organization and they work under the catholic Church. During a journey, her father goes missing when he and his group were attacked by large pack of hounds. When Belle hears the word of it, she immediately sets out her own journey to find her father and she is quite astonished to find a castle in the middle of nowhere. Later, she comes to learn about a cursed prince who is living in that castle and also the true nature of the curse, and how it all actually started in the first place.
I liked all the characters in the plot. Belle is a strong character who is sassy and quite rebellious in nature. She is the only female hunter and she isn’t ashamed of what everyone thinks about her and that’s what I like most about her. I’m really surprised to find Gastone as the friendly nice guy because he was totally different than the original Gastone who is cocky and arrogant. Alexander, our very own beast in the story is another character that I’ve liked to know but there isn’t much depth in his character and I wasn’t able to connect with him. He was a total gentleman and regal, and he always respects Belle even though she’s a hunter. I adore the relationship between Belle and Alexander, I really liked how their relationship slowly developed with every interaction but I felt the romance lacking in their relationship.
The plot is very unique especially with the mix of Norse Mythology and Steampunk, and the story takes place in 18th century of France. The Author has creatively done this retelling by adding different elements to the plot and it’s really a great concept. The plot was slow paced at the beginning but things got interesting after Belle enters the castle and finally meets the cursed prince. The writing was good for a debut author but still there are some grammatical errors which can be overlooked. Although the concept is very unique with so many changes, it stayed true to the original tale which is the best thing about this book.
Despite it’s flaws, it’s an entertaining read with great storyline. The best aspects of the story was the Norse Mythology and the characters. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book! Though it has somewhat happy ending but there are still some unanswered questions and mysteries which needs to be revealed. So, yes I would definitely read it’s sequel. Do I recommend this book? Yes, I highly recommend this book to all the readers who love reading fairy tale retellings.
Review Also Posted Here: Dreamy Addictions
The Beast is a unique retelling of Beauty And The Beast fairytale which is one of my favorite fairy tales. When I first read the synopsis I knew I had to read it because I’m sucker for the B&B’s retellings. At this point, I’ve read a fair number of Beauty and the Beast retellings. Some were good and some were not. The Beast falls in the good category and I really liked it but still it wasn’t perfect because I really think the author could’ve done so much better. Nonetheless, it was a good start for a new fantasy series but needs more work.
Belle LeClair is a kickass character and also a hunter who kills hell hounds with her group to protect their village. Her father is the founder of the Hunter Organization and they work under the catholic Church. During a journey, her father goes missing when he and his group were attacked by large pack of hounds. When Belle hears the word of it, she immediately sets out her own journey to find her father and she is quite astonished to find a castle in the middle of nowhere. Later, she comes to learn about a cursed prince who is living in that castle and also the true nature of the curse, and how it all actually started in the first place.
I liked all the characters in the plot. Belle is a strong character who is sassy and quite rebellious in nature. She is the only female hunter and she isn’t ashamed of what everyone thinks about her and that’s what I like most about her. I’m really surprised to find Gastone as the friendly nice guy because he was totally different than the original Gastone who is cocky and arrogant. Alexander, our very own beast in the story is another character that I’ve liked to know but there isn’t much depth in his character and I wasn’t able to connect with him. He was a total gentleman and regal, and he always respects Belle even though she’s a hunter. I adore the relationship between Belle and Alexander, I really liked how their relationship slowly developed with every interaction but I felt the romance lacking in their relationship.
The plot is very unique especially with the mix of Norse Mythology and Steampunk, and the story takes place in 18th century of France. The Author has creatively done this retelling by adding different elements to the plot and it’s really a great concept. The plot was slow paced at the beginning but things got interesting after Belle enters the castle and finally meets the cursed prince. The writing was good for a debut author but still there are some grammatical errors which can be overlooked. Although the concept is very unique with so many changes, it stayed true to the original tale which is the best thing about this book.
Despite it’s flaws, it’s an entertaining read with great storyline. The best aspects of the story was the Norse Mythology and the characters. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book! Though it has somewhat happy ending but there are still some unanswered questions and mysteries which needs to be revealed. So, yes I would definitely read it’s sequel. Do I recommend this book? Yes, I highly recommend this book to all the readers who love reading fairy tale retellings.
April 20, 2015
Absolutely loved this! This was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast in a way that I have never read before. This was very creatively redone and I am in awe of the amazing writing .
All of your favorite characters are back along with some new ones. Belle is now not only smart and sassy; she is also a strong kick butt heroine. Her father is not the bumbling fool from the Disney movie but an extremely talented man. Gaston is now a more likable character and the prince well he is the prince.
This book incorporated many different elements but one of my favorites was the use of Norse mythology. Also, it is very rare to have a retelling turned into a series but Mrs. Mead has added just enough elements throughout the story to leave you wanting more without it feeling overdone. I am extremely excited to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this to everyone who likes, fantasy, retellings, mythology or just a really good story!!!
All of your favorite characters are back along with some new ones. Belle is now not only smart and sassy; she is also a strong kick butt heroine. Her father is not the bumbling fool from the Disney movie but an extremely talented man. Gaston is now a more likable character and the prince well he is the prince.
This book incorporated many different elements but one of my favorites was the use of Norse mythology. Also, it is very rare to have a retelling turned into a series but Mrs. Mead has added just enough elements throughout the story to leave you wanting more without it feeling overdone. I am extremely excited to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend this to everyone who likes, fantasy, retellings, mythology or just a really good story!!!
February 25, 2017
Deleted my review. It was just a negative rant about why I didn't like this book. Sadly my only real rant review keeps getting "likes". I guess rants are fun to read, but I'd rather forget a book I disliked and move on rather than keep being reminded about it.
August 7, 2016
For a more detailed review, please check out my review below:
Debra's Book Cafe
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Debra's Book Cafe
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May 9, 2015Because that's a very cool cover!
close-up:
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June 18, 2016
Pleasantly surprised at this book! The writing got better as the book progressed (less choppy sentences) and this steam punk version of Beauty and the Beast is full of mythology that adds the most delicious twists and turns.
December 2, 2016
Although I don't read a lot of fairytale retellings, I feel like I've seen Beauty & The Beast redone many times before. For example, I loved Angela Carter's spin on the tale in two of her short stories in The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, whereas I've come to dislike A Court of Thorns and Roses after initially loving it. And even though those are the only Beauty & The Beast retellings I'd read until this one, I'm aware that there are many, many others out there - Cruel Beauty, Beastly, and Beast (wow all these titles are unoriginal) to name a few. Beauty & The Beast, for whatever reason, is an immensely popular fairytale. In such a saturated market, it can be difficult for books to stand out, but I think that The Beast manages to hold its own despite the obvious comparisons.
Lindsay Mead brings a fresh and innovative twist to Beauty & The Beast by adding steampunk elements, Norse mythology, and a badass heroine who leads a group of Hunters to the tale. The Beast manages to stay true to the original story whilst maintaining an individual voice. That's very difficult to do, especially when there's so much competition, and I have to commend Mead for that. This is a book with very obvious flaws, but as this is a self-published book by a debut author, I'm not going to criticise it too harshly for that. The central idea of this story is very good and there are many good plot elements; it could simply use a little more editing to make those things better. I'm sure that Lindsay Mead will take that into account as she works on her second book in this series and therefore I'm optimistic that the sequel will improve on what is thoroughly decent foundational book.
My favourite thing about this book was the mythology. Mead has clearly done a lot of research, which is commendable, and she adapts existing ideas to her own story with ease. There's certainly a lot of potential for the rest of the series here. I also think that the setting and general world-building are decent. I have a clear picture of what the places in the novel look like and that's always good. The use of random French words within otherwise English sentences felt kind of odd, but I can see what Mead was trying to achieve there. Setting in general was good.
Characterisation was reasonable. I liked the strength and determination of Belle and the gentleness of Aleksander. I can't say that I was incredibly invested in either of them, but I liked them both well enough and I see a lot of potential for development there. Their romance I'm less keen on. Whilst it had its sweet moments, the whole thing was a little too instalove for my liking. However, this is only the first book in the series, and I think that the way The Beast ended left room for lots of development in the romance as well as the individual characters. I'm also rather intrigued to see what Mead is going to do next with the character of Gastone. Whilst he's certainly a lot nicer than his Disney namesake, I still don't find him one-hundred percent likeable, and I think that's intentional. As of yet, I'm not sure exactly what kind of character Gastone is and where he's going to fit in Belle's life, and that fascinates me. I'm looking forward to seeing that develop because, once again, there's a lot of potential here.
My main issue with The Beast was the pacing. The beginning was rather slow, I think - not horrendously slow by any means, but not as fast-paced as the rest of the book - and then as the book went on everything seemed to get quicker and quicker. The romance, as I've already mentioned, seemed to come about very quickly. Belle's integration into palace life after previously being a prisoner also seemed to happen at quite a rapid pace. Then, at the end, Mead through so many plot events at us at once that many of them lost their impact. That's a shame, because the ideas in themselves were good. I really hope that the pacing is sorted out in Mead's future books because it's a relatively small thing which spoils the overall presentation of events. However, as its only an editing error, I have confidence that it will.
Overall, I enjoyed The Beast. It's not a perfect book by any means, but it's fun and it's original and it's a good staring point, both for this series and this author. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next in The Beauty. Hopefully the ideas will remain as innovative and fresh as they were in The Beast, and hopefully they'll be executed slightly better, because then we'll have a very good series indeed on our hands. To conclude, a strong debut.
Lindsay Mead brings a fresh and innovative twist to Beauty & The Beast by adding steampunk elements, Norse mythology, and a badass heroine who leads a group of Hunters to the tale. The Beast manages to stay true to the original story whilst maintaining an individual voice. That's very difficult to do, especially when there's so much competition, and I have to commend Mead for that. This is a book with very obvious flaws, but as this is a self-published book by a debut author, I'm not going to criticise it too harshly for that. The central idea of this story is very good and there are many good plot elements; it could simply use a little more editing to make those things better. I'm sure that Lindsay Mead will take that into account as she works on her second book in this series and therefore I'm optimistic that the sequel will improve on what is thoroughly decent foundational book.
My favourite thing about this book was the mythology. Mead has clearly done a lot of research, which is commendable, and she adapts existing ideas to her own story with ease. There's certainly a lot of potential for the rest of the series here. I also think that the setting and general world-building are decent. I have a clear picture of what the places in the novel look like and that's always good. The use of random French words within otherwise English sentences felt kind of odd, but I can see what Mead was trying to achieve there. Setting in general was good.
Characterisation was reasonable. I liked the strength and determination of Belle and the gentleness of Aleksander. I can't say that I was incredibly invested in either of them, but I liked them both well enough and I see a lot of potential for development there. Their romance I'm less keen on. Whilst it had its sweet moments, the whole thing was a little too instalove for my liking. However, this is only the first book in the series, and I think that the way The Beast ended left room for lots of development in the romance as well as the individual characters. I'm also rather intrigued to see what Mead is going to do next with the character of Gastone. Whilst he's certainly a lot nicer than his Disney namesake, I still don't find him one-hundred percent likeable, and I think that's intentional. As of yet, I'm not sure exactly what kind of character Gastone is and where he's going to fit in Belle's life, and that fascinates me. I'm looking forward to seeing that develop because, once again, there's a lot of potential here.
My main issue with The Beast was the pacing. The beginning was rather slow, I think - not horrendously slow by any means, but not as fast-paced as the rest of the book - and then as the book went on everything seemed to get quicker and quicker. The romance, as I've already mentioned, seemed to come about very quickly. Belle's integration into palace life after previously being a prisoner also seemed to happen at quite a rapid pace. Then, at the end, Mead through so many plot events at us at once that many of them lost their impact. That's a shame, because the ideas in themselves were good. I really hope that the pacing is sorted out in Mead's future books because it's a relatively small thing which spoils the overall presentation of events. However, as its only an editing error, I have confidence that it will.
Overall, I enjoyed The Beast. It's not a perfect book by any means, but it's fun and it's original and it's a good staring point, both for this series and this author. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next in The Beauty. Hopefully the ideas will remain as innovative and fresh as they were in The Beast, and hopefully they'll be executed slightly better, because then we'll have a very good series indeed on our hands. To conclude, a strong debut.
May 6, 2016
An epic Steam Punk recreation of the classic Beauty and the Beast, The Beast takes readers on an awesome adventure with danger, action, kick butt-ery and romance. Placing the reader in a French Steam Punk world, they are introduced to Belle LeClair and her band of Hunters. What do they hunt? Hell hounds. Being awesome fighters, they fight to protect their village of Glace from the enormous wolf-beasts. That is, until suddenly everything in Belle's life changes; when Belle's father goes missing.
I love both Steam Punk and Beauty and the Beast, so the combination of the two was pretty awesome in my eyes. The tale follows closer to the Disney version then the original luckily, so the story is kept fairly light overall. The three most prominent and memorable characters of the story were Belle, the Prince and Gaston. Gaston stuck with me because he was not fully unraveled as a character in the novel, leaving room for him to develop in future novels , which is very good. Belle stuck with me because (besides the fact that she was the main character) of her awesome fighting capabilities. Being the head of the Hunters she has some major fighting abilities, and cool gadgets. That is very different from the original versions of Belle. Its an improvement in my opinion. The Beast/the Prince stuck with me because of his romantic chivalry. I found it super adorable and endearing.
Overall, The Beast is choke full of epic battle scenes and magical moments. It managed to maintain the original feel of Beauty and the Beast and yet hold its own as a unique world and story. I definitely recommend it, especially to fans of Beauty and the Beast. I give The Beast, FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!
Want more of me? Go to: http://thenotsopubliclibrary.blogspot...
July 13, 2015
I have mixed thoughts on this one. On the one hand, I waited for literally 7 months for it to come out, and the premise and plot was awesome and interesting and I love reading fairy tale retellings of Beauty and the Beast, they're my favorite, and this one had an interesting take on the tale but on the other hand, it sort of fell a little flat to me.
The beginning was interesting because it set the setting up for the rest of the story. It was nice change of pace to have it be about hellhounds/demons and taking place in France, circa 1800s. The thing that threw me off in the beginning was that Gastone was nice. He wasn't like the pompous jerk from Beauty and the Beast movie, he was actually nice and Belle was actually thinking that it wouldn't be a bad thing to get married to him in the future. But all this was happening in the first few chapters which I found to be slow and boring. I admit that I felt like skipping ahead to when the Beast shows up but then I wouldn't have known what was going on. But then things started getting interesting when Belle entered the castle and learned the true nature of the hellhounds and the curse.
One thing that really annoyed me, that after It felt too rushed, especially after Belle was trapped in the castle. It felt like the author told us what had happpened instead of showing us. Like the two of them falling for each other. The romance was missing the spark, that thing that would have made me crazy for the couple in the book, but at least I was happy for them.
After a lot of things went down, they manage to defeat the norn and it's like the curse is broken, but it's easily broken like in the Disney movie, it seems that while everyone else is free, Aleksander was still having problems. Aleksander isn't free from the curse, but at least he is able to shift between wolf and human. So at least there's something to look forward to in the future. And also that now he's King!
The steampunk aspect in this retelling totally made the story that much better. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series to learn more about the curse and what is going to happen to Belle and Aleksander.
The beginning was interesting because it set the setting up for the rest of the story. It was nice change of pace to have it be about hellhounds/demons and taking place in France, circa 1800s. The thing that threw me off in the beginning was that Gastone was nice. He wasn't like the pompous jerk from Beauty and the Beast movie, he was actually nice and Belle was actually thinking that it wouldn't be a bad thing to get married to him in the future. But all this was happening in the first few chapters which I found to be slow and boring. I admit that I felt like skipping ahead to when the Beast shows up but then I wouldn't have known what was going on. But then things started getting interesting when Belle entered the castle and learned the true nature of the hellhounds and the curse.
One thing that really annoyed me, that after It felt too rushed, especially after Belle was trapped in the castle. It felt like the author told us what had happpened instead of showing us. Like the two of them falling for each other. The romance was missing the spark, that thing that would have made me crazy for the couple in the book, but at least I was happy for them.
After a lot of things went down, they manage to defeat the norn and it's like the curse is broken, but it's easily broken like in the Disney movie, it seems that while everyone else is free, Aleksander was still having problems. Aleksander isn't free from the curse, but at least he is able to shift between wolf and human. So at least there's something to look forward to in the future. And also that now he's King!
The steampunk aspect in this retelling totally made the story that much better. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series to learn more about the curse and what is going to happen to Belle and Aleksander.
July 10, 2015
3.5/5 stars
While the idea behind this book is really really awesome (I just LOVE it - hellhounds!? yes!!), it just fell short for me. Wasn't my favorite retelling I've ever read.
My problems:
1. The unnecessary steampunk element - you don't need to add "steampunk" to make a book good. everyone nowadays wants to have "steampunk" in their description so people will read it (whether there's really any real steampunk in it or not). It just felt shoved in there just to make the book more popular. It either needs to be all steampunk or none at all - no half-ass steampunk. I think would've loved the book more if there hadn't been any steampunk at all, allowing me to focus on the gorgeous landscape and characters.
2. The book just seemed to drag on and on and on...
3. IDK, I just didn't feel a strong connection between Belle and Aleksander - all she did was moon over him saying how much of a gorgeous manly man he is, and I never felt that had any real chemistry or connection.
4. The name Belle - nothing against the name or anything, but I just felt that a girl who goes around at night hunting hellhounds, shooting revolvers, and riding Friesians needs a more powerful name (like, Bellona, nickname Belle)
What I did like:
1. Hellhounds!! OMG yes!
2.The norn and Fenrir and the Norse mythology/curse element - super cool.
3. The characters overall. They were all nicely developed and each and unique lovable personalities. Jack and Liv were my favorites, along with others.
4. Friesians
5. Snowy, frigid landscape - what an excellent, fresh new location for a fairy tale that's not the Snow Queen, etc.!
I feel bad for not liking this more, especially since it has such rave reviews, but I just could not get into it.
While the idea behind this book is really really awesome (I just LOVE it - hellhounds!? yes!!), it just fell short for me. Wasn't my favorite retelling I've ever read.
My problems:
1. The unnecessary steampunk element - you don't need to add "steampunk" to make a book good. everyone nowadays wants to have "steampunk" in their description so people will read it (whether there's really any real steampunk in it or not). It just felt shoved in there just to make the book more popular. It either needs to be all steampunk or none at all - no half-ass steampunk. I think would've loved the book more if there hadn't been any steampunk at all, allowing me to focus on the gorgeous landscape and characters.
2. The book just seemed to drag on and on and on...
3. IDK, I just didn't feel a strong connection between Belle and Aleksander - all she did was moon over him saying how much of a gorgeous manly man he is, and I never felt that had any real chemistry or connection.
4. The name Belle - nothing against the name or anything, but I just felt that a girl who goes around at night hunting hellhounds, shooting revolvers, and riding Friesians needs a more powerful name (like, Bellona, nickname Belle)
What I did like:
1. Hellhounds!! OMG yes!
2.The norn and Fenrir and the Norse mythology/curse element - super cool.
3. The characters overall. They were all nicely developed and each and unique lovable personalities. Jack and Liv were my favorites, along with others.
4. Friesians
5. Snowy, frigid landscape - what an excellent, fresh new location for a fairy tale that's not the Snow Queen, etc.!
I feel bad for not liking this more, especially since it has such rave reviews, but I just could not get into it.
July 21, 2015
OH HECK YES. This was everything I was hoping for: awesome protagonist, killer action scenes, and world-building that was spectacular. Plus, the Norse mythology was epic. I'm absolutely in love with this one.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
April 2, 2015
Solid 4 star book. I will write a more coherent review when I am not exhausted. For now, read this book people! Sassy female protagonist, great plot, and a mega swoon fest. Will not disappoint!
Want to read
May 29, 2014Belle LeClair? The name is dutifully apt for a steampunk fairy-tale!
October 5, 2015
what a rip-off of disney's full-length movie, beauty and the beast (my personal favorite). sure, there are a few twists you won't see in the film, but the similarities are just too obvious to ignore.
June 25, 2015
Simply loved it.
Review to come
Review to come
December 10, 2018
I just had to give this book a five star rating, (despite the spelling errors that are a few too many.) This story is a unique and fun retelling of Beauty & The Beast, and is exciting from start to finish.
With rich characters and beautiful prose, it’s a book I couldn’t recommend more for a cozy night in.
With rich characters and beautiful prose, it’s a book I couldn’t recommend more for a cozy night in.
February 21, 2018
A lovely retelling, with some added easter eggs in there for the steampunk players at home.
July 24, 2015
The Beast is a steampunk fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale and my favorite Disney movie. This is Lindsay Mead's debut novel and I have been eagerly awaiting its release. This is definitely a book that I will be pushing on people as much as possible. I was absorbed into this book from page one and read it very fast. I think this book is fantastic and an incredible start to a series.
I really liked the characterization of Gaston. I felt like he was more of a three dimensional in this book than I have ever seen in other stories. That being said I think the one thing that is holding me back from giving this book 5 stars is that the majority of the side characters were very flat and not very memorable. Even Belle and Aleksander could have had more depth to their characters.
I loved how action packed this story is right from the get go; Belle is kickass. The idea of hellhounds and Beauty and the Beast is just fantastic; it works so well. I haven't read much steampunk, but I loved this. It was just cool.
The fantasy aspects to this story were wonderful. I loved the mixture of mythology used in the story from Norse, to Greek, to the use of Catholicism and even it being alternative history. It was really interesting and I enjoyed reading about how all of this intertwined really well. I really like that it isn't a straight forward retelling as you read on through the story there is a lot of inspiration from Beauty and the Beast.
The romance was great. It really drew me even more into the story. I can't wait to see even more of Belle and Aleksander's relationship in The Beauty. It was really swoonworthy and I hope we still more growth to their relationship because it did happen very fast.
Fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses will really enjoy this book. This was a great fantasy read that really kicked me out of a reading slump. It is a fantastic debut and I can't wait to read Lindsay Mead's next book.
I really liked the characterization of Gaston. I felt like he was more of a three dimensional in this book than I have ever seen in other stories. That being said I think the one thing that is holding me back from giving this book 5 stars is that the majority of the side characters were very flat and not very memorable. Even Belle and Aleksander could have had more depth to their characters.
I loved how action packed this story is right from the get go; Belle is kickass. The idea of hellhounds and Beauty and the Beast is just fantastic; it works so well. I haven't read much steampunk, but I loved this. It was just cool.
The fantasy aspects to this story were wonderful. I loved the mixture of mythology used in the story from Norse, to Greek, to the use of Catholicism and even it being alternative history. It was really interesting and I enjoyed reading about how all of this intertwined really well. I really like that it isn't a straight forward retelling as you read on through the story there is a lot of inspiration from Beauty and the Beast.
The romance was great. It really drew me even more into the story. I can't wait to see even more of Belle and Aleksander's relationship in The Beauty. It was really swoonworthy and I hope we still more growth to their relationship because it did happen very fast.
Fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses will really enjoy this book. This was a great fantasy read that really kicked me out of a reading slump. It is a fantastic debut and I can't wait to read Lindsay Mead's next book.
June 18, 2016
This so far has been my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling. It was slow at first the book's opening heavily focused on world-building that payed off in the end. The places that the book describes are explained with enough magic and fantasy ground in reality to make it seem like a real place. The characters are the usual suspects, Belle, Gaston, Belle's father, the Beast, but these characters that have appeared in various stories for well over a century have a fresh feeling. Belle is still the girl we know who wants adventure it the great wide somewhere, but she is also a kick ass hunter who somehow also remains a lady. It's refreshing to have a female lead in a book who is equal parts bad ass, but does so in a fancy dress with minimal complaint. Then there is Gastone (aka Gaston) who I really dislike because of the Disney movie, but he proved to actually be an okay guy. He's still arrogant, but acceptably so. Belle's father is still an inventor but also the leader of a group of hunters that have been charged by the Catholic Church to find and kill hellhounds (kind of like werewolves or black dogs for my paranormally inclined readers). Then there's the Beast. The Prince Aleksander from the neighboring kingdom of Vakre Fjell and his entire kingdom is cursed. Those outside of the protection of the palace turn into hellhounds and those within the palace are trapped. The prince himself has been turned into a "hideous" beast and can only communicate with people through their shared dreams using magic.
The books is incredibly well written, and minus a few questions I have (like how does this shared dreaming thing work, and if everyone is trapped in the palace grounds and can't leave, how and where do they get their food and supplies for all their finery?) it's a well thought out world and concept. I can't wait for the sequels to be published. You can support the author here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/th...
The books is incredibly well written, and minus a few questions I have (like how does this shared dreaming thing work, and if everyone is trapped in the palace grounds and can't leave, how and where do they get their food and supplies for all their finery?) it's a well thought out world and concept. I can't wait for the sequels to be published. You can support the author here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/th...
August 21, 2016
I'm giving this a 4.5 stars cause I do want to give it full stars but it leave me hanging for more and I have to wait for the next book to come to know what happen next and I can't wait for the that.
The story begin with Bella, who is a hunter in her hometown and have been fighting the hellhound for the past five years, if I remember correctly. Her father was the first hunter because he was the one to discover one when he was on his way to the fair, making him captain and commander of the hunter society. Bella, following in her father footstep, also became a captain and leading her team to fight against the hellhound. She thought that this will be her life when all that change when her father, who was going to the fair for inventor, got attack and kidnap by the hound and Bella looking for him found a castle that belong to the region prince. There she discover the truth about the hellhound and the curse that is around the castle but more then that her heart can't help but to long for the mystery Prince Aleksander and the secret that he holds will change everything that Bella every believe.
I love this book because it remind so much of Beauty and the Beast when I was growing up but with a few twist that just made the element even more amazing. I love the chemistry between Bella and Aleksander because it started out slow then it became something more and it was just in the right pace for the both of them to fall in love with each other. I also like that Gaston is a good person in this book and that he really like Bella and she her as a person instead of in the movie where he see her as property.
Overall, I enjoy every moment of this book and I can't wait for the next one to come which is know as The Beauty, which makes me think that we get to know more about Bella and her struggle to be with Prince Aleksander for there difference in social group, but that is just me giving my opinion, don't take my word for it.
The story begin with Bella, who is a hunter in her hometown and have been fighting the hellhound for the past five years, if I remember correctly. Her father was the first hunter because he was the one to discover one when he was on his way to the fair, making him captain and commander of the hunter society. Bella, following in her father footstep, also became a captain and leading her team to fight against the hellhound. She thought that this will be her life when all that change when her father, who was going to the fair for inventor, got attack and kidnap by the hound and Bella looking for him found a castle that belong to the region prince. There she discover the truth about the hellhound and the curse that is around the castle but more then that her heart can't help but to long for the mystery Prince Aleksander and the secret that he holds will change everything that Bella every believe.
I love this book because it remind so much of Beauty and the Beast when I was growing up but with a few twist that just made the element even more amazing. I love the chemistry between Bella and Aleksander because it started out slow then it became something more and it was just in the right pace for the both of them to fall in love with each other. I also like that Gaston is a good person in this book and that he really like Bella and she her as a person instead of in the movie where he see her as property.
Overall, I enjoy every moment of this book and I can't wait for the next one to come which is know as The Beauty, which makes me think that we get to know more about Bella and her struggle to be with Prince Aleksander for there difference in social group, but that is just me giving my opinion, don't take my word for it.
August 9, 2015
Check out this review and more at http://lostinlit.com
4.5 Stars
“Better to have a grand love that is fleeting, than one that is ordinary and lasts ’til death.”
I met Lindsay Mead on Twitter and discovered The Beast! Right away I contacted her about reviewing the novel! The Beast is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. Which is one of my absolute favorite fairy tales! It is not just any old re-telling, it is actually a fantasy steam punk re-telling! At first while learning about this novel, I was excited about the retelling but unsure about the steam punk part of it. In the past I have not been much of steam punk fan, but this totally worked! It was just enough to fit right into the story, especially with Belle’s inventor Father.
This novel was just SO COOL!! It was everything I wanted and more! It included just enough of the original fairy tale to make me nostalgic, but a good dose of new things to make me love it! Lindsay Mead was so unique and creative with the World she built! She include some true facts, such as Norse Mythology and real places. There were also some that she invented herself that were just as impressive!
Oh these characters!! They were so perfect! As a reader I loved seeing so many of those characters I have adored brought to life in this story! Cogsworth, Lumiere and even Gaston
4.5 Stars
“Better to have a grand love that is fleeting, than one that is ordinary and lasts ’til death.”
I met Lindsay Mead on Twitter and discovered The Beast! Right away I contacted her about reviewing the novel! The Beast is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. Which is one of my absolute favorite fairy tales! It is not just any old re-telling, it is actually a fantasy steam punk re-telling! At first while learning about this novel, I was excited about the retelling but unsure about the steam punk part of it. In the past I have not been much of steam punk fan, but this totally worked! It was just enough to fit right into the story, especially with Belle’s inventor Father.
This novel was just SO COOL!! It was everything I wanted and more! It included just enough of the original fairy tale to make me nostalgic, but a good dose of new things to make me love it! Lindsay Mead was so unique and creative with the World she built! She include some true facts, such as Norse Mythology and real places. There were also some that she invented herself that were just as impressive!
Oh these characters!! They were so perfect! As a reader I loved seeing so many of those characters I have adored brought to life in this story! Cogsworth, Lumiere and even Gaston
August 20, 2015
What can I not say about this book. So happy for this book to finally come out after months of anticipation. I am a huge fairy tale retelling person This is a retelling of the classic Beauty and The Beast. Beware this isn't your average Disney movie version. Hellhound as the beasts are called in this story has cursed through Glacé. Belle not your typical female was taught how to fight these creatures as an early child after her mother was killed. She was eventually made a hunter by the Catholic Church and made leader by her father of all the hunters being present at any new hunters ceremony. One of those hunters is of course named Gastone. This retelling has everything from the original fairy tale like Belles love of books and her fathers love for machinery which brings a great steampunk genre into the story as well. Of course when an attack by the hounds kills a person from her fathers scouting party and Belle left searching for him finds her way into the Beasts castle. Through books and moon dreams do we figure out the Beasts real identity. This book had me turning pages from the beginning and wanting more after I finished it. Does the curse of the hellhound end and everything becomes happily ever after I'll leave the ending for you to read. Thank you my friend for a wonderful adventure. Can't wait for book 2.
August 21, 2016
A lovely twist on a classic story.
So this story is a twisted version of the classic Beauty and the Beast. Belle is an outcast hellhound hunter, whose been training with weapons since she was a child. Her and the other hunters protect their city from invasion on horseback using 6 shot pistols, throwing knives and swords. She accepts her life and that the choices she has made have made her a less than desirable match/ bride. However, when she learns of the intentions of courtship from one of most handsome and eligible bachelors around, she starts to question the concept of love. However, after a dramatic twist of events, Belle finds herself in the company of another gentlemen and quickly learns that love is in fact real and it's deliciously wonderful. She falls for a man who is keeping a dark secret and through sacrifice, compassion, self courage and love she is able to overcome her taught prejudices, bring about his best version and alter the course of a cursed kingdom.
This book is extremely well written and written for all ages of readers. It's basic structural bones are the fairy tale, but the meat is all new content. I don't particularly like rewrites, but I'm glad I chanced this one. This book will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat not just from the daring fight scenes, but dreaming of the budding romance. Super excited for more!
So this story is a twisted version of the classic Beauty and the Beast. Belle is an outcast hellhound hunter, whose been training with weapons since she was a child. Her and the other hunters protect their city from invasion on horseback using 6 shot pistols, throwing knives and swords. She accepts her life and that the choices she has made have made her a less than desirable match/ bride. However, when she learns of the intentions of courtship from one of most handsome and eligible bachelors around, she starts to question the concept of love. However, after a dramatic twist of events, Belle finds herself in the company of another gentlemen and quickly learns that love is in fact real and it's deliciously wonderful. She falls for a man who is keeping a dark secret and through sacrifice, compassion, self courage and love she is able to overcome her taught prejudices, bring about his best version and alter the course of a cursed kingdom.
This book is extremely well written and written for all ages of readers. It's basic structural bones are the fairy tale, but the meat is all new content. I don't particularly like rewrites, but I'm glad I chanced this one. This book will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat not just from the daring fight scenes, but dreaming of the budding romance. Super excited for more!
February 28, 2016
I have read a LOT of fairytale re-tellings. Some of them were super naughty, some were kind of childish, and some were really bad.
This one was none of the above. The Beast is actually good.
Things I liked:
- Belle was bad. ass.
- Steampunk elements that weren't obnoxious but nicely there.
- Leveraging dreams to get around that whole 'big bad beast' thing.
- No stockholm syndrom.
- There was a LOT of matching and alignment with the Disney film from my childhood and it was GOOD!
- The Norse mythology was different and pretty cool.
Things I was 'meh' about:
- The Norse mythology was complicated and somewhat muddled. I re-read several exchanges between characters and just did not understand what was going on (going on = motivating their actions or the entire plot)
- Steampunk elements were complicated and descriptions were unclear. The house that moves from hanging over the cliffs to submerging to the sea? I like it, but I didn't really get it.
- The pacing was... off. Sure was a whole lotta going back and forth to a castle that had never been seen or found before...
Surprised this is going to be a series but I'm interested to see what The Beauty could possibly entail.
This one was none of the above. The Beast is actually good.
Things I liked:
- Belle was bad. ass.
- Steampunk elements that weren't obnoxious but nicely there.
- Leveraging dreams to get around that whole 'big bad beast' thing.
- No stockholm syndrom.
- There was a LOT of matching and alignment with the Disney film from my childhood and it was GOOD!
- The Norse mythology was different and pretty cool.
Things I was 'meh' about:
- The Norse mythology was complicated and somewhat muddled. I re-read several exchanges between characters and just did not understand what was going on (going on = motivating their actions or the entire plot)
- Steampunk elements were complicated and descriptions were unclear. The house that moves from hanging over the cliffs to submerging to the sea? I like it, but I didn't really get it.
- The pacing was... off. Sure was a whole lotta going back and forth to a castle that had never been seen or found before...
Surprised this is going to be a series but I'm interested to see what The Beauty could possibly entail.
July 19, 2015
I love Beauty and the Beast and this retelling was really good and a version that I had been waiting for. I have always pictured the story to be like this so I am very happy that someone has finally taken the picture and made it into something more! I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes fairy tales but is looking for that special something. My only problem with the book was there were some typing errors but being as this was the author's first novel I just looked over them since the story was still a good one.
For Full Review Please Visit My Blog Entry:
http://callievamp.blogspot.com/2015/0...
For Full Review Please Visit My Blog Entry:
http://callievamp.blogspot.com/2015/0...
September 26, 2018
I love Beauty and the Beast and this retelling was really good and a version that I had been waiting for. I have always pictured the story to be like this so I am very happy that someone has finally taken the picture and made it into something more! I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes fairy tales but is looking for that special something. My only problem with the book was there were some typing errors but being as this was the author's first novel I just looked over them since the story was still a good one.
Full Review Here
>> http://callievamp.blogspot.com/2015/0...
Full Review Here
>> http://callievamp.blogspot.com/2015/0...
October 27, 2018
A unique retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales. This one was a bit darker but with very important details left out. We never find out WHY. Maybe it is addressed in the next book. In spite of a few gaping plot holes it was a fun read. I liked Belle. She was a BA. The opening scene of the hunt kind of sold me on if I wanted to read the book. The supporting characters were delightful. I actually really liked Gaston and Viv. I still have a lot of questions in terms of why this and why that though so this is a tough review to complete bc I just don’t know yet.
July 16, 2015
Since this is from an independent first time author I'm not too fussed about the grammatical errors etc. I thought the world building was interesting and would love to see it grow in the next three books of the series. Same goes for the characters. It was a fast paced read with many twists and turns. I'll try and write a full review soon but hopefully this mini review has conveyed my enjoyment in reading it and expressed my excitement towards the next book in the series along with the rest of the series. Well done Lindsay - you should be proud of this! :)
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