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The Beauty's Brother
The castle is cursed. The servants are losing their humanity and memory. Crow, a young man surprisingly resistant to the curse, is their only connection to the outside world, observing as a bird. Helene is the latest girl obtained for breaking the spell. Her belligerent brother, Roi, is being held hostage to keep her obedient. When Crow is assigned to help care and keep watch of the brother, he regards it as a sort of punishment... with the exception that he finds Roi quite pleasing to look at. Initially keen to make the other miserable, prisoner and servant reluctantly align to seek an alternative way to break the spell. But this is no simple task with time running short, increasing abuse from the senior staff, and so few to be trusted. Furthermore, Roi's own interests in Crow grow increasingly apparent, and Crow has no idea how to handle this zealous man. This mature story features a slight twist and different perspective on a classic fairy tale.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2016
29 people are currently reading
667 people want to read
About the author
Leon Hart
5 books35 followersLeon Hart is not a fan of writing author biographies. Seeing as you are reading this, he greatly apologizes for wasting your time and requests, as politely as possible, for you go read the actual story.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 28, 2017
ARGUABLE SPOILERS BELOW:
WOW. I was BLOWN AWAY by this book. Though it did have some annoying little spelling and punctuation errors (and some issues with formatting), this story still won me over completely and all of that really didn't matter b/c I was enjoying the read so much. Like...I was sneak reading at work on my breaks b/c I could NOT put this down... I was enthralled from the beginning with our main character (and sole POV) Crow. His observing, calculating, somewhat shy nature was very interesting to "listen to" and I love how Hart immediately set up his attraction to Roi as part of his "crow-nature" and liking "pretty things".
As for the fairy-tale retelling, I felt like Hart did an EXCELLENT job reinvigorating an oft-told Beauty and the Beast tale and making it extremely enjoyable for readers who've heard the same-old-same-old over and over again. Making the story from a servant's POV (one cursed along with the Beast) was genius. I loved the cozy, fire-lit and yet imposing, dark tone of the entire book. It set off some amazing contrast between the seething underbelly of the plot and the hope that was so evident in the characters of Crow, Roi, and Helene. I am so, so sad I plowed through this so quickly. I will definitely be reading this again and again in the future. I wish we could get a sequel!
I also wish that the author was more present on social media so I could send fanart and tell them how much I freaking loved this story! If you're reading this someday, thank you for writing such endearing characters and for showcasing a beautiful love story in a tasteful, meaningful, and heart-wrenching way! <3 <3 <3 It is so rare to find fantasy novels with LGBTQIA relationships that are simply part of a characters' life and are not there as an objectifying gimmick or as part of an explicit erotic novel. I love as one reviewer put it: "This is a fairy-tale, with gay characters not a gay fairy-tale."
We need more books like this that tell visceral, character-driven stories that are still set within a deeply imagined world. I'm not hating on erotica (though I do feel like most of those stories are trite and extremely lacking in authentic and meaningful storytelling [not trying to start a fight or anything, though...]), however, I think the romance genre as a whole has been growing more and more into a pattern of wholly explicit scenes without a whole lot of substance. I enjoyed that any sexual content here greatly enhanced Crow's journey of self-exploration, memory loss, and further built a tentative, budding relationship. There was also some sexual content that hinted at abuse that was tastefully handled in a way that advanced the plot without becoming romanticized or glorified in any fashion.
As well, I wouldn't strictly consider this book a romance. I think this book was simply a great fantasy / mystery that had a beautiful romantic co-plot. It was, at its heart, a holistic story that dealt with so many things as to be a delightful hybrid and I see no reason to hem it in to one genre in particular. It was a true joy to read.
I loved this book. I truly hope the author continues to write and puts out more great works like this.
WOW. I was BLOWN AWAY by this book. Though it did have some annoying little spelling and punctuation errors (and some issues with formatting), this story still won me over completely and all of that really didn't matter b/c I was enjoying the read so much. Like...I was sneak reading at work on my breaks b/c I could NOT put this down... I was enthralled from the beginning with our main character (and sole POV) Crow. His observing, calculating, somewhat shy nature was very interesting to "listen to" and I love how Hart immediately set up his attraction to Roi as part of his "crow-nature" and liking "pretty things".
As for the fairy-tale retelling, I felt like Hart did an EXCELLENT job reinvigorating an oft-told Beauty and the Beast tale and making it extremely enjoyable for readers who've heard the same-old-same-old over and over again. Making the story from a servant's POV (one cursed along with the Beast) was genius. I loved the cozy, fire-lit and yet imposing, dark tone of the entire book. It set off some amazing contrast between the seething underbelly of the plot and the hope that was so evident in the characters of Crow, Roi, and Helene. I am so, so sad I plowed through this so quickly. I will definitely be reading this again and again in the future. I wish we could get a sequel!
I also wish that the author was more present on social media so I could send fanart and tell them how much I freaking loved this story! If you're reading this someday, thank you for writing such endearing characters and for showcasing a beautiful love story in a tasteful, meaningful, and heart-wrenching way! <3 <3 <3 It is so rare to find fantasy novels with LGBTQIA relationships that are simply part of a characters' life and are not there as an objectifying gimmick or as part of an explicit erotic novel. I love as one reviewer put it: "This is a fairy-tale, with gay characters not a gay fairy-tale."
We need more books like this that tell visceral, character-driven stories that are still set within a deeply imagined world. I'm not hating on erotica (though I do feel like most of those stories are trite and extremely lacking in authentic and meaningful storytelling [not trying to start a fight or anything, though...]), however, I think the romance genre as a whole has been growing more and more into a pattern of wholly explicit scenes without a whole lot of substance. I enjoyed that any sexual content here greatly enhanced Crow's journey of self-exploration, memory loss, and further built a tentative, budding relationship. There was also some sexual content that hinted at abuse that was tastefully handled in a way that advanced the plot without becoming romanticized or glorified in any fashion.
As well, I wouldn't strictly consider this book a romance. I think this book was simply a great fantasy / mystery that had a beautiful romantic co-plot. It was, at its heart, a holistic story that dealt with so many things as to be a delightful hybrid and I see no reason to hem it in to one genre in particular. It was a true joy to read.
I loved this book. I truly hope the author continues to write and puts out more great works like this.
February 10, 2017
One of the best fairy tale retellings I've read! The story of the Beauty and the Beast. Well... the story of the titular beauty's brother and a member of the enchanted castle's crew... Funny, sweet, no-sex (only some making out) story that I can recommend if you need to cheer up a bit. I especially liked the next-to-last scene between the MCs.
The storyline is quite solid - based on the curse breaking, as we all know. There is a lot of insight into the functioning of the castle, into, otherwise unnoticed, secondary characters: servants, staff members etc.
My only complaint is that whereas we focus on the budding affection and feelings between Helene's (the Beauty's) brother, Roi and Crow - a mysterious, withdrawn, young manservant, we actually don't see or feel the chemistry between Helene and the Beast. I know it's not their story that's the most important in this case but... I just think we should see more of Helene and Goodwin and their courtship on the way. Helene is a quite developed secondary character - very close, caring and affectionate to her brother - but we see almost nothing of Goodwin (the Beast). And I just think that in this retelling both of them, but together!!, also should play a some more significant role.
Overall, I loved it very much!!! Crow's funny, scavenging habits, his interaction with Roi, Roi's jokes and tricks - it was all very well written.
However, if you're looking for more carnal and steaming aspects of MM, this book isn't for you, I'm sorry! This couple is more timid (from Crow's side) and affectionate (from Roi's) than lust-ridden. But if you like fairytales... I think you'll enjoy it! ;)
The storyline is quite solid - based on the curse breaking, as we all know. There is a lot of insight into the functioning of the castle, into, otherwise unnoticed, secondary characters: servants, staff members etc.
My only complaint is that whereas we focus on the budding affection and feelings between Helene's (the Beauty's) brother, Roi and Crow - a mysterious, withdrawn, young manservant, we actually don't see or feel the chemistry between Helene and the Beast. I know it's not their story that's the most important in this case but... I just think we should see more of Helene and Goodwin and their courtship on the way. Helene is a quite developed secondary character - very close, caring and affectionate to her brother - but we see almost nothing of Goodwin (the Beast). And I just think that in this retelling both of them, but together!!, also should play a some more significant role.
Overall, I loved it very much!!! Crow's funny, scavenging habits, his interaction with Roi, Roi's jokes and tricks - it was all very well written.
However, if you're looking for more carnal and steaming aspects of MM, this book isn't for you, I'm sorry! This couple is more timid (from Crow's side) and affectionate (from Roi's) than lust-ridden. But if you like fairytales... I think you'll enjoy it! ;)
October 24, 2017
The traditional Beauty and the Beast presents us with the very front of the magical story. This book? It's literally "behind the scenes". We learn how long and bitter the curse was, how hard it was on everyone involved, especially servants, how some characters took advantage of their new positions, how characters' nature influenced the animal they shifted into, the intrigues and the politics in the cursed castle's couloirs.
*
The author struggled the first 15-20%, but I am glad I pushed through. The writing evened out a lot, tho still not perfect. However, the story pulled me in so much that I really didn't care about an odd sentence here and there.
Wish the ending was a little bit longer, but overall the book was very satisfying and left me with a very good impression. I might re-read it.
PS Forgot to add. The three female characters in this story were actually good! Very refreshing. Well, except for the wicked witch, of course, she was not a good person at all ;)
PPS LITTLE to NO SEX.
*
The author struggled the first 15-20%, but I am glad I pushed through. The writing evened out a lot, tho still not perfect. However, the story pulled me in so much that I really didn't care about an odd sentence here and there.
Wish the ending was a little bit longer, but overall the book was very satisfying and left me with a very good impression. I might re-read it.
PS Forgot to add. The three female characters in this story were actually good! Very refreshing. Well, except for the wicked witch, of course, she was not a good person at all ;)
PPS LITTLE to NO SEX.
December 29, 2016
This story was a complete mess, but the concept was so compelling I found myself unwillingly dragged through the whole text.
Pros:
- Lovely cover
- Compelling conceit
- Decent mystery
Cons:
- Uninspired writing style, stilted dialog
- Emotionally engaging characters; I found the main characters' chemistry was mostly due to them being the main characters and thus fated to get together
Pros:
- Lovely cover
- Compelling conceit
- Decent mystery
Cons:
- Uninspired writing style, stilted dialog
- Emotionally engaging characters; I found the main characters' chemistry was mostly due to them being the main characters and thus fated to get together
July 14, 2018
a somewhat dark and refreshing take on the classic fairy tale. enjoyable and hard to put down. i just wish the ending wasn't so abrupt and a bit more steam needed.
June 8, 2016
Damn, I really liked this retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I really liked Crow and Roi and Helene. I liked the setting and many of the ideas. I loved the slow building romance.
I'm not sure, but this could be a first novel, if so kudos to the author.
It did need a little more polishing though. Some closer editing and proofing would have been welcomed. Also, some of the 'modernisms' were jarring, words such as 'gay' 'proactive' 'middle class' and others popped up in a seemingly medieval/fairy tale world -- and guns? They had guns? That was also jarring. With just a little nip and tuck some things could have been smoothed, and not tripped the eye.
Looking forward to the next book -- I really hope there is a next book...
I really liked Crow and Roi and Helene. I liked the setting and many of the ideas. I loved the slow building romance.
I'm not sure, but this could be a first novel, if so kudos to the author.
It did need a little more polishing though. Some closer editing and proofing would have been welcomed. Also, some of the 'modernisms' were jarring, words such as 'gay' 'proactive' 'middle class' and others popped up in a seemingly medieval/fairy tale world -- and guns? They had guns? That was also jarring. With just a little nip and tuck some things could have been smoothed, and not tripped the eye.
Looking forward to the next book -- I really hope there is a next book...
March 5, 2020
Disclaimer: I may or may not make sense since I'm writing this at 3am.
Tbh, I didn't really read the blurb because I stumbled upon it in a mm fairytale goodreads list, saw that the ratings are decent and bought it as soon as possible because DID YOU SEE THAT COVER OMGG HE'S SO HANDSOME.
No seriously, maybe I need to stare at it in higher resolution but I LOVE the artstyle! And Crow (I'm pretty sure Mr. Handsome Cover has to be Crow) looks soooo good. I mean although the character design and pose are relatively simple, I immediately had an impression of him. And it totally fits my impression of him in the book (Now I really hope that it is indeed Crow depicted on the cover, or it would be kinda very embarrassing for me oops).
Someone pls tell me who the artist ist because DAMN he's fine (in his low-res goodreads pic that I have of him).
Yeah, I kinda got off track. Anyways, I bought the book because I liked the cover (have I mentioned yet how awesome the cover is?), while assuming it's a (gay) Beauty and the Beast story, with Beast or Beauty's brother as the main character and yadayadayada. As you (now) know, I'm not fond of the typical Beast portrayals as brooding, hurr-durr brutes.
Imagine my delight upon finding out the main character is NOT the (arr-grrr hurr-durr don't come close to me cause I'm A MONSTER hurr-durr I throw temper tantrums cause arr-grr) Beast but Mr Handsome from the cover!!! And the hurr-durr Beast barely makes an appearance and his hurr-durr-ness is only referenced! I knew then that this book had to be great.
I really like Crow, particularly because he's not the romance novel main character that I've come to expect (like the Beast or Roi - yes, looking at you Roi) - he's more like the side character that helps the main character while being loyal to the villain and whom everyone loves. And that is his role, were the Beauty the MC and not Crow.
My major gripe with this book however is that I didn't like Roi. He's like Every-Generic-MC-Ever, only that he's not the MC but the LI. But just like those MCs that I don't like, he has the same problems as LI: I can see why he likes Crow but I don't see why Crow likes him so much.
Pity, guilt at the beginning?
Yes.
Friendship?
Yes.
Strong affection because of the curse/captivity/circumstances?
Yep.
Truuueee love 5evaaaa??
Nope, don't see it.
tl;dr: Crow is awesome and I loved him but Roi is as dull as dishwater.
Also, the ending:
***** ENDING SPOILERS BELOW *****
Pls no, you can't end there. It says epilogue but I still have so many questions!!!
I wanted to see the Corvus family reunion, Crow's old life and how Roi fits into all that. And the identity of the servants, particularly Pont. AND the friendship between Goodwin and Corbin (if they're even friends?? see, I don't know enough!).
Also, what about Fierté? That scum was despicable enough to convince me he's the main villain (yeah red herring, I know), but even though he isn't WHERE IS HIS RECKONING??!! It was implied that he's going to be punished but EXCUSE ME, HE'S SCUM. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM. :((
Tbh, I didn't really read the blurb because I stumbled upon it in a mm fairytale goodreads list, saw that the ratings are decent and bought it as soon as possible because DID YOU SEE THAT COVER OMGG HE'S SO HANDSOME.
No seriously, maybe I need to stare at it in higher resolution but I LOVE the artstyle! And Crow (I'm pretty sure Mr. Handsome Cover has to be Crow) looks soooo good. I mean although the character design and pose are relatively simple, I immediately had an impression of him. And it totally fits my impression of him in the book (Now I really hope that it is indeed Crow depicted on the cover, or it would be kinda very embarrassing for me oops).
Someone pls tell me who the artist ist because DAMN he's fine (in his low-res goodreads pic that I have of him).
Yeah, I kinda got off track. Anyways, I bought the book because I liked the cover (have I mentioned yet how awesome the cover is?), while assuming it's a (gay) Beauty and the Beast story, with Beast or Beauty's brother as the main character and yadayadayada. As you (now) know, I'm not fond of the typical Beast portrayals as brooding, hurr-durr brutes.
Imagine my delight upon finding out the main character is NOT the (arr-grrr hurr-durr don't come close to me cause I'm A MONSTER hurr-durr I throw temper tantrums cause arr-grr) Beast but Mr Handsome from the cover!!! And the hurr-durr Beast barely makes an appearance and his hurr-durr-ness is only referenced! I knew then that this book had to be great.
I really like Crow, particularly because he's not the romance novel main character that I've come to expect (like the Beast or Roi - yes, looking at you Roi) - he's more like the side character that helps the main character while being loyal to the villain and whom everyone loves. And that is his role, were the Beauty the MC and not Crow.
My major gripe with this book however is that I didn't like Roi. He's like Every-Generic-MC-Ever, only that he's not the MC but the LI. But just like those MCs that I don't like, he has the same problems as LI: I can see why he likes Crow but I don't see why Crow likes him so much.
Pity, guilt at the beginning?
Yes.
Friendship?
Yes.
Strong affection because of the curse/captivity/circumstances?
Yep.
Truuueee love 5evaaaa??
Nope, don't see it.
tl;dr: Crow is awesome and I loved him but Roi is as dull as dishwater.
Also, the ending:
***** ENDING SPOILERS BELOW *****
Pls no, you can't end there. It says epilogue but I still have so many questions!!!
I wanted to see the Corvus family reunion, Crow's old life and how Roi fits into all that. And the identity of the servants, particularly Pont. AND the friendship between Goodwin and Corbin (if they're even friends?? see, I don't know enough!).
Also, what about Fierté? That scum was despicable enough to convince me he's the main villain (yeah red herring, I know), but even though he isn't WHERE IS HIS RECKONING??!! It was implied that he's going to be punished but EXCUSE ME, HE'S SCUM. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM. :((
September 6, 2016
It's a fairy tale gone fantasy where the romance plays the second fiddle or at least it's such a slow burn that in the first half it's more between the lines than anywhere else and of course it's no story for those who need some steam but if you like fairy tales which are not Disney-sweet but also not pumped up high fantasy or if you always wanted a M/M version of Beauty and the Beast where Beauty is still female then The Beauty's Brother is likely for you.
Here the curse transformed all people into animals and as long as they can hold onto some humanity they can shift for a certain time back into their human form but it becomes harder with the years and more and more are loosing the battle and turn completely feral.
The focus of the story is more on the household and their power games while the Beast himself stays in the background and without spoilering too much: while still being the key to break the curse he has not even caused it. Also Beauty is more supporting character though more present than the Beast because it's her brother Roi who triggers all the events and may it "only" by falling for Crow who has no memory of his life before the curse and while obviously no servant he's no match for the head masters and has to struggle a lot to keep his little bit of independence and more importantly keeping Roi alive.
I enjoyed this story and maybe read it again sometime. It's just that I would have liked to have the romance between Crow and Roi less slow burn and I wouldn't have minded to get more of Beast and what he really knows and remembers but most of all I was a bit disappointed by the last chapter: it felt rushed and the end came so sudden that I wondered if my download wasn't complete and lost the epilog.
Here the curse transformed all people into animals and as long as they can hold onto some humanity they can shift for a certain time back into their human form but it becomes harder with the years and more and more are loosing the battle and turn completely feral.
The focus of the story is more on the household and their power games while the Beast himself stays in the background and without spoilering too much: while still being the key to break the curse he has not even caused it. Also Beauty is more supporting character though more present than the Beast because it's her brother Roi who triggers all the events and may it "only" by falling for Crow who has no memory of his life before the curse and while obviously no servant he's no match for the head masters and has to struggle a lot to keep his little bit of independence and more importantly keeping Roi alive.
I enjoyed this story and maybe read it again sometime. It's just that I would have liked to have the romance between Crow and Roi less slow burn and I wouldn't have minded to get more of Beast and what he really knows and remembers but most of all I was a bit disappointed by the last chapter: it felt rushed and the end came so sudden that I wondered if my download wasn't complete and lost the epilog.
March 21, 2018
“Okay”
It was entertaining, however it seems as though the author got distracted by needing to explain insignificant details (“where do the clothes go!?!?”) rather then giving important things attention. Also half way through they seemed to forget this was a period fantasy piece and started talking about boners.
It was entertaining, however it seems as though the author got distracted by needing to explain insignificant details (“where do the clothes go!?!?”) rather then giving important things attention. Also half way through they seemed to forget this was a period fantasy piece and started talking about boners.
October 23, 2017
I felt almost no emotional engagement with the story or the characters, which is a shame because it was a super compelling premise.
September 18, 2016
Loved it. Cursed castle, shifter boy, hardcore slow-burn.
January 18, 2019
A very interesting take on Beauty and the Beast.
I enjoyed this story a lot. Crow was a wonderful character and Roi quickly earned my respect. The rest of the cast were intriguing, although I sometimes got lost as to when they were human or animal. Some of the things they did in animal form stretched my imagination.
Overall this was entertaining but I admit it felt a little drawn out. The big climatic scene at the end was very well done and I was reading as fast as I could for the outcome. I think I was a little disappointed with the way things were left with the Beast.
But despite my niggles this showed a clever imagination that was only let down by poor editing.
I enjoyed this story a lot. Crow was a wonderful character and Roi quickly earned my respect. The rest of the cast were intriguing, although I sometimes got lost as to when they were human or animal. Some of the things they did in animal form stretched my imagination.
Overall this was entertaining but I admit it felt a little drawn out. The big climatic scene at the end was very well done and I was reading as fast as I could for the outcome. I think I was a little disappointed with the way things were left with the Beast.
But despite my niggles this showed a clever imagination that was only let down by poor editing.
Read
November 8, 2017Не зашло :(
July 6, 2021
One of the best and interesting retelling of beauty and the beast I’ve read in awhile and I read a lot of them recently. I love how we see the retelling through the eyes of a cursed servant, crow. Oh man how much I loved him and his romance with beauty’s brother
July 6, 2021
Very cool take on Beauty and the beast. With some polishing this would have easily been a 5/5
December 16, 2021
First of all, I expected a romance but this book ended up much more plot than romance driven. That was personally more of a nice surprise though. And it was a 3 stars read up until the ending, where they threw in rape, handled it poorly and let the rapist go without any repercussions. Just no.
August 2, 2016
This was a fun reading.
As it's strongly suggested, it's an original take on a very well-known fairytale which already has many interpretations in various formats. This one stretches it a bit further with one more twist to it: there is, of course, the "beast", the "beauty", BUT, in this case, the Beauty has a brother, who will actually play the central role here- the focus on his relationship with one of the servants, who suffers the curse differently from his fellow castle crewmembers- the curse upon the castle and the beauty's role in it not really being the main thing here (okay, yes: the curse IS a major point, but there's a lot more going on, that's what I meant).
I'll try to keep it as spoiler free as I can, however, so I will just say that I really enjoyed this take on the story. There were a lot of interesting key points to the plot that made it refreshing.
On the down side, the rating is actually 3.5 stars. There were a couple things that could use adjusting- like how the vocabulary kind of shifted between something old with various elements which were too modern and sometimes were strange, out of place. It had also a few errors in typing, some punctuation issues I could spot. Nothing major, but sometimes it was kind of annoying, it got distracting.
Still, I really enjoyed it; the plot was engaging and the characters were really well built- I especially liked getting into Crow's head, he was a very interesting character to read about, multidimensional and complex; his relationship with Roi was also amazingly developed, with just the right pace.
Also, the characters were really endearing- and the not-so-cool were still fun to read because of what they added to the story.
All in all, it was good and I would definitely recommend it- although I would definitely advise the author to work on the points I mentioned; once that is behind, there's really nothing I'd change in it, I loved it all.
As it's strongly suggested, it's an original take on a very well-known fairytale which already has many interpretations in various formats. This one stretches it a bit further with one more twist to it: there is, of course, the "beast", the "beauty", BUT, in this case, the Beauty has a brother, who will actually play the central role here- the focus on his relationship with one of the servants, who suffers the curse differently from his fellow castle crewmembers- the curse upon the castle and the beauty's role in it not really being the main thing here (okay, yes: the curse IS a major point, but there's a lot more going on, that's what I meant).
I'll try to keep it as spoiler free as I can, however, so I will just say that I really enjoyed this take on the story. There were a lot of interesting key points to the plot that made it refreshing.
On the down side, the rating is actually 3.5 stars. There were a couple things that could use adjusting- like how the vocabulary kind of shifted between something old with various elements which were too modern and sometimes were strange, out of place. It had also a few errors in typing, some punctuation issues I could spot. Nothing major, but sometimes it was kind of annoying, it got distracting.
Still, I really enjoyed it; the plot was engaging and the characters were really well built- I especially liked getting into Crow's head, he was a very interesting character to read about, multidimensional and complex; his relationship with Roi was also amazingly developed, with just the right pace.
Also, the characters were really endearing- and the not-so-cool were still fun to read because of what they added to the story.
All in all, it was good and I would definitely recommend it- although I would definitely advise the author to work on the points I mentioned; once that is behind, there's really nothing I'd change in it, I loved it all.
May 22, 2018
I will admit I am fond of certain characters in this book. Crow and Roi and Helene are all such wonderful characters and I think really highlight Hart's strengths as an author. The moments of intensity that involved these three felt notably polished in comparison to some parts of the book. Roi and Crow's relationship was adorable and didn't feel rushed at any point.
It also played a little with the traditional beauty and the beast storyline with the animals and the spell to show Goodwin as a human were really great additions. The adventure to Renais also really fun.
Weaknesses the lack of oomph, I think while it was a fun read it never really felt like it was getting my heart racing. It played with some darker themes with abuse and general cruelty but not enough to feel like they were fully explored. Couple that with the pretty dodgy sex scenes and typos, so many typos, it just never felt quite finished. I think Hart could have gone further and done a better job but this is self-published so maybe I shouldn't be surprised entirely.
It also played a little with the traditional beauty and the beast storyline with the animals and the spell to show Goodwin as a human were really great additions. The adventure to Renais also really fun.
Weaknesses the lack of oomph, I think while it was a fun read it never really felt like it was getting my heart racing. It played with some darker themes with abuse and general cruelty but not enough to feel like they were fully explored. Couple that with the pretty dodgy sex scenes and typos, so many typos, it just never felt quite finished. I think Hart could have gone further and done a better job but this is self-published so maybe I shouldn't be surprised entirely.
July 2, 2019
The nicest one word review I could give is: unpolished. Other more accurate but less nice words are: immature, stilted, inconsistent and well just plain badly written". (Yes, I know that last one is not one word, but I don't care).
I was intrigued by the concept. I am not a big Beauty and Beast fan, but re-tellings from minor characters and ones that include more diversity than the original fairy tales do interest me. So, when The Beauty's Brother showed up on my recommendations and I needed a break from my pTerry re-read; I bought it without reading the preview. (That says a lot about how much the blurb interested me, I hardly ever buy without first sampling). In all honesty, I might have still bought this after reading the first few pages as during the first half of the book; the only major issues stemmed from the extremely awkward grammar. There are a few spelling/word choice mistakes, but the real problem is the many strangely parsed sentences.
Some examples pulled at random from the text:
The master snarled. Roi turned to run, but his massive paw like hands caught the man's cloak in a swipe.
Even though they dislike me, it's thrilling walking beside genuine humans; to converse with them. It is addictive!
He pondered on an evening trip to the nearest town, later, to seek food.
White gave a courteous curtsy and headed off.
He did a swift bow to the siblings, following Nanny more at a swagger and using the precious seconds to figure out why they were being called away"
These strangely parsed sentences occur frequently throughout the whole book, in narration, in dialogue and in internal thoughts. When characters act inconsistent, I was never sure if it was just poor word choice on the author's part making their actions unclear or the opposite of what the author meant. For instance, in the last example, I'm fairly certain Crow should have strolled out, or followed more slowly not "walked in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way" (thanks google).
Even with all this weird grammar, I was still curious about Crow's origins and about where the author was taking this story, would end up as a straight (as in a trope played straight, not the orientation) retelling or subverted? . So, I kept reading. I started losing interest when Roi confessed his feelings towards Crow. It was awkward, so awkward and so very problematic. I'm going to quote a lot of the scene so I'm hiding this behind the spoiler tag. .
This time, I kept reading in spite of the romance (even though that is why I picked up this book in the first place)... and the plot began to wander as if the author was trying to draw the main plot line out in order to add more drama to Roi and Crow's relationship. The entire subplot around stealing a plant from Fierte could have been removed - or at the very least - the COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY scenes of Fierte assaulting Crow could have been entirely removed. The way the author used this scenes - to add tension to Roi and Crow's relationship, to make Crow feel dirty and unworthy, and to move their relationship along left a bad taste in my mouth. I almost put the book down. I literally only picked it back up when I saw how close I was to the end.
And well, it only got worse from there. Two completely out of place almost sex scenes (one shortly after a character was injured, so injured sex always make sense); a poorly written fight scene, a personality crisis that could have been good but was instead focused on stupid reasons and resolved waaaay too fast. Oh and this little uh, gem:
So yeah, I didn't actively dislike this book. But, I definitely did not like it either. I wish it had been better; I feel like with editing, with some simple grammar improvements, and some minor changes (like not using assault gratuitously), a little polish, this book could have at least been an enjoyable read.
I was intrigued by the concept. I am not a big Beauty and Beast fan, but re-tellings from minor characters and ones that include more diversity than the original fairy tales do interest me. So, when The Beauty's Brother showed up on my recommendations and I needed a break from my pTerry re-read; I bought it without reading the preview. (That says a lot about how much the blurb interested me, I hardly ever buy without first sampling). In all honesty, I might have still bought this after reading the first few pages as during the first half of the book; the only major issues stemmed from the extremely awkward grammar. There are a few spelling/word choice mistakes, but the real problem is the many strangely parsed sentences.
Some examples pulled at random from the text:
The master snarled. Roi turned to run, but his massive paw like hands caught the man's cloak in a swipe.
Even though they dislike me, it's thrilling walking beside genuine humans; to converse with them. It is addictive!
He pondered on an evening trip to the nearest town, later, to seek food.
White gave a courteous curtsy and headed off.
He did a swift bow to the siblings, following Nanny more at a swagger and using the precious seconds to figure out why they were being called away"
These strangely parsed sentences occur frequently throughout the whole book, in narration, in dialogue and in internal thoughts. When characters act inconsistent, I was never sure if it was just poor word choice on the author's part making their actions unclear or the opposite of what the author meant. For instance, in the last example, I'm fairly certain Crow should have strolled out, or followed more slowly not "walked in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way" (thanks google).
Even with all this weird grammar, I was still curious about Crow's origins and about where the author was taking this story, would end up as a straight (as in a trope played straight, not the orientation) retelling or subverted? . So, I kept reading. I started losing interest when Roi confessed his feelings towards Crow. It was awkward, so awkward and so very problematic. I'm going to quote a lot of the scene so I'm hiding this behind the spoiler tag. .
This time, I kept reading in spite of the romance (even though that is why I picked up this book in the first place)... and the plot began to wander as if the author was trying to draw the main plot line out in order to add more drama to Roi and Crow's relationship. The entire subplot around stealing a plant from Fierte could have been removed - or at the very least - the COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY scenes of Fierte assaulting Crow could have been entirely removed. The way the author used this scenes - to add tension to Roi and Crow's relationship, to make Crow feel dirty and unworthy, and to move their relationship along left a bad taste in my mouth. I almost put the book down. I literally only picked it back up when I saw how close I was to the end.
And well, it only got worse from there. Two completely out of place almost sex scenes (one shortly after a character was injured, so injured sex always make sense); a poorly written fight scene, a personality crisis that could have been good but was instead focused on stupid reasons and resolved waaaay too fast. Oh and this little uh, gem:
Roi took a swig of the cup and placed it on the counter. Corbin's[Crow's] eyes widened. Roi then moved back on the bed and bent down over Corbin. He placed his lips over Corbin's mouth. Corbin closed his eyes and the herb water entered his mouth a little at a time.
So yeah, I didn't actively dislike this book. But, I definitely did not like it either. I wish it had been better; I feel like with editing, with some simple grammar improvements, and some minor changes (like not using assault gratuitously), a little polish, this book could have at least been an enjoyable read.
November 3, 2017
I've read quite a few of Beauty and The Beast retellings - I think this is the best of them. It was unique and well-written, and certainly deserved a higher rating, but I didn't like the romance line (way too little of it here), and I didn't care for Roi - the guy was annoying and unlikable.
April 11, 2024
3.5 stars. It would be a 4 star, but I'm docking 0.5 stars for the thematically confused ending.
-There are rather a lot of typos and editing mistakes
-Apart from that I quite like the writing. It's atmospheric and emotional as it needs to be.
-The sex scenes are quite awkwardly written though. The crudeness comes out of nowhere, given that the rest of the book has relied on euphemistic and vague phrasing, so the direct language feels out of place taken with the entirety of the book until that point.
-The relationship between Roi and Crow is very cute.
-Crow is a very good protagonist full of interesting contradictions.
-I found the plot and mystery intriguing
-That said, one plot twist doesn't really land if you happen to know a probably very commonly-known Latin word
-The ending doesn't really work for a few reasons. It just feels poorly thought out.
-There are rather a lot of typos and editing mistakes
-Apart from that I quite like the writing. It's atmospheric and emotional as it needs to be.
-The sex scenes are quite awkwardly written though. The crudeness comes out of nowhere, given that the rest of the book has relied on euphemistic and vague phrasing, so the direct language feels out of place taken with the entirety of the book until that point.
-The relationship between Roi and Crow is very cute.
-Crow is a very good protagonist full of interesting contradictions.
-I found the plot and mystery intriguing
-That said, one plot twist doesn't really land if you happen to know a probably very commonly-known Latin word
-The ending doesn't really work for a few reasons. It just feels poorly thought out.
June 26, 2017
5 stars
Firstly, I really like that cover. It's probably what drew me to the book in the first place. I've read countless Beauty and the Beast spin off but this book was unique in its own way. It dealt with darker things like the undercurrent of tension present in the cursed staff. There was politics there and everyone was under the strain of the curse, many already lost. The beast was portrayed as somewhat cruel, wanting to kill people deemed unnecessary. There was also the hint that many had tried to break the curse before and literally died trying (hinting at girls that came before Helene). I couldn't put the book down because I just had to figure out how they would eventually make their way out of such a dark and seemingly hopeless situation.
I loved Crow. He was a mystery by himself. One I quickly figured out but nonetheless enjoyed. His interactions with Roi was made up of teasing mostly with a common goal. I liked Roi and Helene as well for they were more practical than foolish. I liked most of the cast as well, from White to Nanny and even Pont (I have a soft spot for feline even though he was more sneaky and calculative).
As for characters I especially disliked, it would be Fierte. From the start he gave me an uncomfortable feeling, like a sexual predator. And also Boar but less so than Fierte.
I loved how the book managed to incorporate the general plot from the original story, especially the end. And overall, the ending was good. My only question was
Overall, a very interesting take on the classic.
Firstly, I really like that cover. It's probably what drew me to the book in the first place. I've read countless Beauty and the Beast spin off but this book was unique in its own way. It dealt with darker things like the undercurrent of tension present in the cursed staff. There was politics there and everyone was under the strain of the curse, many already lost. The beast was portrayed as somewhat cruel, wanting to kill people deemed unnecessary. There was also the hint that many had tried to break the curse before and literally died trying (hinting at girls that came before Helene). I couldn't put the book down because I just had to figure out how they would eventually make their way out of such a dark and seemingly hopeless situation.
I loved Crow. He was a mystery by himself. One I quickly figured out but nonetheless enjoyed. His interactions with Roi was made up of teasing mostly with a common goal. I liked Roi and Helene as well for they were more practical than foolish. I liked most of the cast as well, from White to Nanny and even Pont (I have a soft spot for feline even though he was more sneaky and calculative).
As for characters I especially disliked, it would be Fierte. From the start he gave me an uncomfortable feeling, like a sexual predator. And also Boar but less so than Fierte.
I loved how the book managed to incorporate the general plot from the original story, especially the end. And overall, the ending was good. My only question was
Overall, a very interesting take on the classic.
June 20, 2024
i hope ppl wont mind the way i review since i dont want to really fix my punctuation, grammar and so on.
just wanted to say that this was a really good book, giving a new perspective and twist on the original story. it feels very fresh and new despite being based on a established fairytale. more importantly it feels fleshed out, the main characters slowly revealing their backgrounds, especially crows
moreover, i loved the writing, it was very descriptive and it felt like watching a drama movie. very much show not tell, it makes me more enjoyable to imagine these characters interact with one another. the dynamics of each as the book goes on changes as well, making it full of suspense
the only gripe i have with this book is the romance part, i have no issues with not that much romantic content or smutty content. it just seems as if the relationship was not well established between the two MCs. despite the characters living in a relatively high stakes environment, they couldve added more intimate moments, but i get why the author wanted to show off their relationship only at the end, since it signifies that the characters were probably gaining hope towards their situation. though, again, it feels a bit shallow
there were a few typos and missing words, but i feel like, as a reader, i didnt even take notice of them! the story was that good and substantial that it passed by me. and thats obviously a good thing
anyways! 4.5/5 stars, but i rounded it up to 5 since its just that good of a story. i hope this story reaches more people honestly!
just wanted to say that this was a really good book, giving a new perspective and twist on the original story. it feels very fresh and new despite being based on a established fairytale. more importantly it feels fleshed out, the main characters slowly revealing their backgrounds, especially crows
moreover, i loved the writing, it was very descriptive and it felt like watching a drama movie. very much show not tell, it makes me more enjoyable to imagine these characters interact with one another. the dynamics of each as the book goes on changes as well, making it full of suspense
the only gripe i have with this book is the romance part, i have no issues with not that much romantic content or smutty content. it just seems as if the relationship was not well established between the two MCs. despite the characters living in a relatively high stakes environment, they couldve added more intimate moments, but i get why the author wanted to show off their relationship only at the end, since it signifies that the characters were probably gaining hope towards their situation. though, again, it feels a bit shallow
there were a few typos and missing words, but i feel like, as a reader, i didnt even take notice of them! the story was that good and substantial that it passed by me. and thats obviously a good thing
anyways! 4.5/5 stars, but i rounded it up to 5 since its just that good of a story. i hope this story reaches more people honestly!
January 8, 2024
- Beauty and the beast retelling but the beauty and the beast are not the main characters. Castle servant POV
- I’m digging this ngl 🤩
- Crow is my baby and I wanna hug him 🥹 Poor thing can’t catch a break
- Minor spelling mistakes but rare enough and can be excused
- Seriously jam-packed with plot. I felt like I was halfway done when I was only at 35% 🔥
- If you’re looking for romance, this ain’t it but it’s still very good. I’m still hoping for at least a kiss tho. Roi and Crow are cute 💘 (Im at halfway now and the romance is only budding)
- Update: There’s a lot of kisses 🥰. And some 🍆 mentioned but no real action thus the 0.5 spice
- I fcking hate Boar and Fierté. Don’t know which one is worse
- Update: Actually scratch that. I wanna kill Fierté 😀
- Hélène you cockblocker 😌
- Some points from the original Beauty and the Beast were thrown here and there but this book is mostly original. A good YA 👍🏼
- I’m digging this ngl 🤩
- Crow is my baby and I wanna hug him 🥹 Poor thing can’t catch a break
- Minor spelling mistakes but rare enough and can be excused
- Seriously jam-packed with plot. I felt like I was halfway done when I was only at 35% 🔥
- If you’re looking for romance, this ain’t it but it’s still very good. I’m still hoping for at least a kiss tho. Roi and Crow are cute 💘 (Im at halfway now and the romance is only budding)
- Update: There’s a lot of kisses 🥰. And some 🍆 mentioned but no real action thus the 0.5 spice
- I fcking hate Boar and Fierté. Don’t know which one is worse
- Update: Actually scratch that. I wanna kill Fierté 😀
- Hélène you cockblocker 😌
- Some points from the original Beauty and the Beast were thrown here and there but this book is mostly original. A good YA 👍🏼
July 28, 2017
Oh this was a lovely and very unique spin on the tale of Beauty and the Beast, one of my all time favourite fairy tales. I loved how the point of view was from one of the servants, and not that main couple for a change. It was interesting to see how the curse affected them too.
The romance was adorabe, the characters were lovable, even the secondary ones were well fleshed out. But Crow was amazing, I was fully rooting for him throughout and couldn't wait to find out all the secrets in his past.
My only complaint, and the reason this book is a 4 and not a 5 star, is that there were several mistakes throughout, too many to ignore. Extra words being where they shouldn't be, some grammar errors. It just needed going through and editing again really.
But overall, for the actual story, I highly recommend it :)
The romance was adorabe, the characters were lovable, even the secondary ones were well fleshed out. But Crow was amazing, I was fully rooting for him throughout and couldn't wait to find out all the secrets in his past.
My only complaint, and the reason this book is a 4 and not a 5 star, is that there were several mistakes throughout, too many to ignore. Extra words being where they shouldn't be, some grammar errors. It just needed going through and editing again really.
But overall, for the actual story, I highly recommend it :)
September 18, 2017
I am not a big fan of retelling, I found it overdone.
Well at least this one is original and was sweet. Instead of transforming into objects, the servants are now animals but can take human form, they all seems to have lost their memories of their previous life before the curse. Another thing that was well done is the fact that the beauty (here name Hélène) is with her brother Roi in the Beast castle.
There is so time limit to break the curse, and the famous Beast is barely present in this book, but is mention a few times. The story center around Crow, one of the servant who is a messenger and Roi. Cute romance, nothing over the top.
Well at least this one is original and was sweet. Instead of transforming into objects, the servants are now animals but can take human form, they all seems to have lost their memories of their previous life before the curse. Another thing that was well done is the fact that the beauty (here name Hélène) is with her brother Roi in the Beast castle.
There is so time limit to break the curse, and the famous Beast is barely present in this book, but is mention a few times. The story center around Crow, one of the servant who is a messenger and Roi. Cute romance, nothing over the top.
October 11, 2017
As far as fairy tale retellings go, this one was refreshing in a manner I didn't expect. I thought I was going to be reading a fairly generic romance story but what I got was something a little more interesting and felt more along the lines of a mystery with a splash of romance on the side. The characters were more developed than a number of others and the curse had a little more depth than that usually seen in the typical Beauty and the Beast tale.
I liked the developing relationship between Crow and Beauty's brother as it was handled slowly and was focused on the characters learning each other rather than just an instant "love" over a handful of days.
I liked the developing relationship between Crow and Beauty's brother as it was handled slowly and was focused on the characters learning each other rather than just an instant "love" over a handful of days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2019
This was a really good retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the servants cursed alongside their master. I liked the concept, Crow and Roi were great, so was Helene. I didn't feel any chemistry between her and the Beast though. It's said there is some, but it's talked about, not shown. I much more prefered the other stories revolving areound that main one, they were better fleshed out and interesting.
The ending was a bit too rushed, even before I finished the book I already new that those 15 or so pages that were left won't be enough to resolve all the conflicts. I did hope for an epilogue. Or part two of the story.
Still it was a good book.
The ending was a bit too rushed, even before I finished the book I already new that those 15 or so pages that were left won't be enough to resolve all the conflicts. I did hope for an epilogue. Or part two of the story.
Still it was a good book.
September 11, 2019
I rly liked this, the pace of plot and romance was slow but good. Loved Roi and Crow.
There were some plot details that kinda left me ??? bcz they were suddenly abandoned.
Also not sure why so many of the servants were aholes. You'd think they'd jump at any chance to solve the curse. Even if they went full on with the *classic* solution, you'd think they would treat people better lol. Then again, I feel Pont. I, too, would like to remain a cat.
There were some plot details that kinda left me ??? bcz they were suddenly abandoned.
Also not sure why so many of the servants were aholes. You'd think they'd jump at any chance to solve the curse. Even if they went full on with the *classic* solution, you'd think they would treat people better lol. Then again, I feel Pont. I, too, would like to remain a cat.
November 17, 2025
A fresh, engrossing take
As someone who wants to read every single beauty and the best story I find, this was a refreshing take. The writing was evocative and really succeeded in getting you to empathize with Crow. The typos are annoying but not a big deal. The only real complaint I may have is that the ending seemed a bit rushed, but that may also be because I was gulping down the story at that point because I was so desperate to see how things were going to fall out.
As someone who wants to read every single beauty and the best story I find, this was a refreshing take. The writing was evocative and really succeeded in getting you to empathize with Crow. The typos are annoying but not a big deal. The only real complaint I may have is that the ending seemed a bit rushed, but that may also be because I was gulping down the story at that point because I was so desperate to see how things were going to fall out.
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