Transfigured

by Ava Zavora

A dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast…
Ever after is nothing at all like what Beauty expected. The Beast has changed back to a handsome prince, yet Beauty despairs in the mockery of their outwardly perfect marriage. Behind closed doors hides an ugly truth - although some curses may be broken, they are never completely destroyed. Driven to desperation, Beauty will do anything for her happy ending, no matter the cost.

"Haven’t I done all that has been required of me? I came here willingly in my father’s place. I’ve kept the bargain that I had no part in making. And when I was given a choice, I chose you - not the land that has been restored to you, not the wealth nor the power, not even the beauty that you now wear, but the beast whose heart beats in here." And with this I place my hand on your chest and press my whole body against yours.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Adult, Fairy Tales

28 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2013

About the author

In my childhood, I rode water buffaloes and waded in swamps. Nowadays, I travel and write romantic stories about adventurous women.

Reviews

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Some curses may be broken, but never completely destroyed..."

Writing a review of this is kind of hard for me because this short story has taken my breath away. I don't know where to start... It was beautiful in a dark, gritty kind of way and I'm so glad to have read it. I only wished this was a full lenght story because I can totally see how utterly wonderful that would be.

Transfigured is a fairytale retelling of the tale as old as time; Beauty and the Beast. Only this is not your typical retelling. It also takes us to what happened after the Beast was changed back into a prince where Beauty realizes happily ever afters aren't always what they seem.

I have been absolutely wowed by Ava Zavora's writing. It was exquisite, enticing even! In short: I fell for this stunning story hook, line and sinker!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gods, this was really good and a bit sad but a beautiful story.

[Danielle-Claude Mba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beauty and the Beast with a twist?

3.5 stars *** 1/2

"The Beast has changed back to a handsome prince, yet Beauty finds out that although some curses may be broken, they are never completely destroyed."
This is a 24 pages short story so the review will be brief :)

I really liked it. It's well written and this is a very good story.

My only issue was that I currently work for The Disney Company in London (I'm not kidding) and they have a very straight policy about their rights. I wasn't sure where Beauty And The Beast ended and Transfigured started... Unlike Jane Austen's novels these are not public domain.

Other than that, I'll recommend this sweet story to anyone!

[Carie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5… This story is beautifully written, but WAY TOO dark and disturbing for me :( It’s definitely NOT a light, fun read and the ending leaves the reader hanging, too. It’s haunting, disturbing, and frustrating--and very, very DARK! I had to reread the ending of a fluffy HEA story right after I finished this one so I could get to sleep.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast in some way. I think it was well-written but definitely not my favorite retelling of this awesome fairy tale. It was a little too dismal and I was expecting more. It was a page turner but it just was not a retelling that will stick with me.

[Heidi Garrett]

It's different, kind of compelling, and short. To be honest, I'm not sure I really got the ending...

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark version of Beauty and the Beast. Quite an interesting but quick read. Certainly well written but did feel like it could have been longer

[Tanya Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!
That was beautiful but so sad but so realistic at the end. Not all Fairy Tales end with a happy ending.