The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross – Review & Giveaway
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Description:
A luxuriously magical retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in seventeenth-century France–and told from the point of view of the Beast himself.
I am neither monster nor man—yet I am both.
I am the Beast.
He is a broken, wild thing, his heart’s nature exposed by his beastly form. Long ago cursed with a wretched existence, the Beast prowls the dusty hallways of his ruined château with only magical, unseen servants to keep him company—until a weary traveler disturbs his isolation.
Bewitched by the man’s dreams of his beautiful daughter, the Beast devises a plan to lure her to the château. There, Isabeau courageously exchanges her father’s life for her own and agrees to remain with the Beast for a year. But even as their time together weaves its own spell, the Beast finds winning Isabeau’s love is only the first impossible step in breaking free from the curse . . .
Review:
The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross is a standalone novel that is based on the classic novel Beauty and the Beast, but in the POV of the Beast. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this retelling of the original classic, but by a quarter of the book, I was hooked into reading about Beast’s inner feelings, struggles and loneliness. It was sad to see him in his hardened state, living in his dark world, and slowly changing as he meets Isabeau; developing a friendship and eventually falling in love.
I really loved Isabeau, who was a courageous and wonderful heroine. Especially that she willingly agrees to live at Beast’s mansion for a year, in order to help her father. She quickly got past her fear of Beast, and it was beautiful to see the changes between them both over time.
What makes this story compelling and mesmerizing , is not only Beast and Isabeau, but the magic within the mansion that slowly changes from the darkness within, to be a magical enlighten house, as the friendship and happiness begins to surround them; the unseen servants, the enchanted gardens, and the amazing magic mirror made this such charming and beautiful story.
I loved when Beast used the magic mirror to check up on Isabeau’s family and we learn about her sisters, and how they were doing without her. It was very well done and added a wonderful element to the story.
Beast realized in time, especially as his feelings for Isabeau grew, that perhaps if he can convince her to stay with him, maybe he can break the curse. Of course, Isabeau, though caring for him, kept denying his request for love and marriage. Besides her friendship, she felt she needed to return home to her family after a year; but Beast continued his quest, even if slim.
The Beast’s Heart was a pleasant and enchanting read that Leife Shallcross wrote so beautifully. How she was able to give us a glimpse into Beast’s emotions, and bring them together was so well done. If you enjoy the classic Beauty and the Beast, I suggest you read this book, as it was a wonderful story.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
I write mostly fairy tales and dark fantasy, with the occasional bit of soft sci fi thrown in for good measure. Even when I’m not working on something specifically fairy-taleish, a lot of my work draws on my love of traditional tales and folklore.
To Learn more about Leife Shallcross, you can visit her at the following sites.
Website: Facebook: Twitter: Goodreads:
Leife Shallcross’ publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of THE BEAST’S HEART to ONE lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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9. Giveaway runs from February 13 to 17, 2019
