I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Beast's Heart by Leife Shallcross Published by Berkley on February 12 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
The nitty-gritty: A tale brimming with magic that feels both familiar and new, The Beast’s Heart is the perfect Valentine’s Day read.
It’s fitting that I’m posting this review on Valentine’s Day, because The Beast’s Heart, a Beauty and the Beast retelling, is full of magic, heart and romance. Even better, if you’re a fan of Jane Austen’s novels, you’ll definitely see similarities with Austen’s writing style, as well as the mannerisms of her characters. Shallcross infuses her magical tale with lively characters and just enough angst to keep the reader guessing at the outcome, even though you already know how the story ends. And if you’re familiar with other versions of this story (and who isn’t??), you’ll recognize all sorts of elements, including a magic mirror, a rose garden, the Fairy who cursed the Beast and of course, the ever-present magic of the castle and gardens.
The story is told by the Beast, cursed long ago by a Fairy and doomed to live out his life as a monster, unless he can figure out a way to break the spell. He has been living as a wild animal in the forests surrounding his castle for years, having all but forgotten his life as a man. But gradually, he starts to remember who he used to be, and he finds his way back to the familiarity of his old home. The castle has fallen into disrepair after so many years of neglect, but one day a stranger enters the forest and things begin to change. The man, hungry and nearly dead from exposure, ends up at the castle, where he’s given food and shelter by the magical presence of the castle. When he falls asleep and dreams, the Beast realizes he can spy on the man’s dreams, and that is how he learns about the man’s three daughters.
Beast is enraptured by the youngest daughter, a beauty named Isabeau, and in the morning he strikes a bargain with the man after he catches him in the garden stealing a rose. He won’t kill him, provided he send his youngest daughter back to the castle. The man agrees, and indeed, Isabeau does return in her father’s place, much to the surprise of Beast.
Beast knows there is only one way to break the curse, and so he convinces Isabeau to live with him for a year, hoping that during that time he can win her heart. But there are many obstacles in his way, including outside forces that want to keep them apart.
Shallcross broadens her story by including a magic mirror in Beast’s private study, which shows him the ongoing drama unfolding with Isabeau’s father and her two sisters. This extra layer of storytelling was a wonderful way to show the effect that Isabeau’s absence has on her family, in both negative and positive ways. It also added some tension, because Beast doesn’t tell Isabeau that he’s been spying on her family. Instead, he keeps his obsessive desire to watch them a secret, even though he knows it’s probably not the right thing to do. And even though Isabeau is far away from her family, her sister Marie writes letters to her which, when placed in a particular box, magically make their way directly to Isabeau in the castle. These magical touches were so charming and cemented the “fairy tale” feel to this story.
Shallcross’s writing is lush and evocative and brought the story to life. I loved the way she describes Beast’s transformation from wild animal to a more civilized version of himself. The beginning chapters of the book focus on how he begins to remember his previous life and little by little becomes more human, standing upright, learning how to eat with a spoon, and even the first time he spots a book and realizes he can read! (I loved that part.) He wants to be a man again, but he’s also warring with his bestial side and loses his temper on occasion.
The other element I loved was the way the magic responds to outside elements and changes over time. For example, Beast has been living in perpetual winter, but when Isabeau comes to the castle, the ice and snow begin to thaw, trees begin to grow fruit, and even the animals that Beast scared away start to reappear. Likewise, when Isabeau returns to her family at one point in the story, the castle starts to revert back to its decrepit state. We never learn where the magic comes from (is it related to the curse?), but I suppose that’s the point of magic.
As far as negatives, I did feel that the story is repetitive in spots and I think the pacing suffers at times because of that. There are many pages of Beast and Isabeau doing the same things over and over again: walking in the gardens, wandering the halls of the castle, reading and playing music together, and occasionally dining together. The sameness of this routine wore on me a bit, although perhaps the author was simply showing how tedious it is to be confined to a small space with nothing but empty days to fill.
I doubt the ending will surprise anyone, but getting there was simply a delight. Recommended for fans of Beauty and the Beast retellings, but also for any reader who loves the magic of a tale well told.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Great review, Tammy! You brought alive the book for me. I was thinking whether or not to go for this book, but your review has nudged me towards picking it up. 🙂
Thanks Debjani! I’d love to hear your thoughts if you get to read it:-)
I’m super glad you enjoyed this one too. I felt the book could have been a tad shorter but I agree that it was a joy getting to the ending. And you are right, this is the perfect book to review on Valentine’s Day.
It could have been trimmed a bit in places, but overall it felt like a really quick read to me.
Great review! I think I’ll need to check this out — I do love Beauty & the Beast and reading new versions of the story.
This version has some unique elements, which I loved. But it also had the elements that everyone loves about the story.
I’ve had this on my TBR, glad to hear it was worth the read!
Caitlin G. recently posted…Review: FOUNDRYSIDE by Robert Jackson Bennett
Definitely worth it, I hope you get to read it!
I cannot wait to read this one! It’s been too long since I’ve revisited the Beast and I love his tale, almost always. Great review, Tammy!
Thanks Laurie, Hope you love it!
This sounds wonderful, I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed it! This one has had me really intrigued for quite a while now, and I just love that cover. Great review!
Jordan recently posted…Review: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
I love the cover too, I actually think both the US and UK covers are equally gorgeous!
I love the detail you shared about the Beast slowly regaining his humanity and turning into the person that the classic fairy tale presents to the readers: I believe it would add a very fascinating angle to the character’s development. And as much as I try to avoid romance in my reading, this is the kind of story that never leaves me indifferent… 🙂
Maddalena@Spaceandsorcery recently posted…Novella Review: THORNBOUND (The Harwood Spellbook #2), by Stephanie Burgis
The romance really isn’t the focus. For most of the book, Isabeau has no romantic leanings at all! But I did love the subtle details of the story, especially the way magic changed things.
So interesting that this is from the Beast’s perspective. I’m glad you enjoyed this so much. I’m always on the lookout for retellings so I’ll definitely keep this one in mind.
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra recently posted…Can’t Wait Wednesday – LIFE AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES by Kristan Higgins
I recommend it if you have the time, it was fun:-)
Lovely review, Tammy. I read this one, too, and I enjoyed it. I love a good retelling and it was special to hear from the Beast this time around.
It was nice to hear from the Beast, it gives you a new perspective:-)
I thought it apropos to post my review on Valentine’s Day too! And yeah, the Beast and Isabeau’s days grew a little monotonous and tiresome after a while, which was why I was so glad for Claude and Marie to break up the tedium.
I agree, I think Beast was glad for the distraction as well, lol.
Ooh it sounds like this is more a retelling of the original than the Disney movie. BatB retellings aren’t necessarily my fave, but this one sounds pretty good! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it, and you do have perfect timing with your review lol.
You’re right, this felt more aligned with the original, although it’s been a long time since I’ve read/seen the original version.
I am glad you liked this book, the other reviews I’ve seen so far were less than positive so I have been a bit unsure about it. I might give this one a try though because I like the idea of a BatB retelling from his perspective~
Kaleena @ Reader Voracious recently posted…The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One by Amanda Lovelace
I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews, but I definitely fall on the positive side!
Very interesting review, I liked the fact that it is narrated from the Beast perspective, that’s unusual!
Maryam recently posted…Book Review: The Quantum Magician by Derek Künsken
I really enjoyed this too and so appropriate for Valentine’s Day – it’s like you had a cunning plan!
I think I felt the pacing issues you did and like Mogsy thought the sisters helped to break this up really well. I didn’t think the Beast came across as very beastly but that’s not really a criticism and I think maybe the Austen style really helped me because I do love her books.
Lynn 😀
Great review!! I’m really looking forward to this one even more now. 🙂