The Beast's Heart

This is a beautiful retelling of  Beauty and the Beast. A tale this is so familiar that I think I could tell the story myself. Yet The Beast's Heart manages to be so captivating and so new that it will pull you in and make you turn each page with delight.

So many retellings have been told from Belle's point of view that it is so refreshing to have the story told from his point of view. To hear his thoughts and reactions. To see his inner turmoils and  struggles as he goes through each day. I just wanted to take the beast and give him a big hug. To let him know that he would be okay and that he would get through it all.

This was a fab retelling that manages to avoid some of the problems of the original tale. I loved the origins of the curse for this tale. And Isabeau's fathers health.  I loved that the story was simplified and the attitude each person has. Determined, thoughtful and kind. The tale feels like an entirely new story.

This is a tale that will make your heart quicken and your imagination run wild as each page is beautifully presented to you. I can promise that you will fall in love with this tale over and over again.  This is a tale that is as old as time.

This is a gorgeously written tale, that has a wonderful level of magic and romance and will sweep you off your feet into the midst of the story.

Where has this book been all my life?

As with a lot of fellow readers and romance lovers, Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favourite fairy-tales and so the prospect of reading a re-telling of the story from the Beast's perspective was too good an opportunity to miss.

What's strange is that reading this book didn't feel like reading just another re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. It's a story that is entirely it's own and in certain aspects, extremely different than the original story.

The author writes beautifully, painting an enchanted world that springs to life from the pages. I adore the backstory, it's fantastically detailed and complex: the Fairy's motive, the Beast's life in the forest, the mirror, the house and it's servants, the garden, his gifts to Isabeau's family - it all works so well to create a compelling, driving story that I was unable to put down.

The Beast is captivating. His inner struggles and turmoil, which run so much deeper than appearances alone, alongside his longing for company and human interaction, made the story all the more compelling. The love in this story is powerful, life-changing and realistic in its growth (it's not insta-love but love and affection that grow over time from friendship.)

In addition to plenty of backstory and a side to the beast that we've never before seen, it was also interesting to be presented with Isabeau's family, and these three other characters who add so much to the story through their growth, tragedy and love.

Whilst reading, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the original story, mostly in that this story offered more mature, emotionally complex, insightful details than the Disney version we're all familiar with. I also often found myself thinking of Pride and Prejudice, comparing Elizabeth and Isabeau due to their similarities in outspokenness and unwillingness to admit to one's feelings. It probably comes as no surprise that the Beast's portrait and his obsession and despair brought to mind Dorian Gray.

Overall, I fell in love with this story and the unique viewpoint it offered through the eyes of the beast. It's 5 stars from me and I will definitely be re-reading this book!

It's the story I never knew I needed. It made my heart quicken, my eyes tear and my imagination run wild.

Disclosure: I fell in love with the Beast so many times reading this that I may need therapy.

I'm 30% of the way through after reading it for 2 hours, this is a fantastic read, i cannot put it down and it'll be over before I want it to be.

Morning mortals! Adding another title to the year of ALL THE RETELLINGS (at the time of writing I'm at eleven) is The Beast's Heart which publishes on the 3rd of May 2018. I was lucky enough to be sent a physical ARC from the publisher and I'm delighted to share my thoughts with you.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, obviously, but from the perspective of the Beast. I can see why this is a good way to go since it can go some way into removing the creepiness of this story. Because, let's face it, a beast keeping a girl captive in a magical castle until they fall in love is hard to make non-creepy. But I think, for the most part, this book achieved it's aims. I certainly warmed up to the Beast character as the book went on and, while the love story can feel a little contrived at times, so does almost every fairytale love story, so I can't really fault this book on that note. 

I do spend a lot of time on this blog critiquing books that have romance in them, often because it doesn't serve the purpose of the plot. In this case I'm not going to do that, simply because Beauty and the Beast is at it's heart (no pun intended) a romance. It was actually refreshing to read a YA fantasy novel that was deliberately a romance. Perhaps it's having the time and the freedom to really build and explore the relationship that makes it so much better than the age-old:

 'I'm just a plain Jane but doesn't that mysterious stranger who happens to be on this quest look dreamy?'

This book is written from a first-person perspective (that of the Beast) and it's quite an archaic voice. I thought this was, paradoxically, quite refreshing, since I've been reading quite a lot of books opting for a 'trendier' voice. What I will say is that this book manages to capture the ancient quality of fairytale without going into the waffle-y vague voice that I tend to associate with some short stories and retellings. 

I also loved the fact that this book was more than one story rolled into one. This is achieved through the Beast watching Isabeau's family through a magic mirror. That in itself was a little odd (my only problem with this book is how voyeuristic it is at times) but meant that there was the opportunity to bring in more characters, more plot and more of the world at large, in a story that would otherwise have two speaking characters. 

This story felt like a definitive move away from the disney movie plot without totally disregarding those elements that are at the heart of this story. While I will always love the disney film, it was nice to read something about Beauty and the Beast without talking furniture or anything that could be merchandised. 

I had a wonderful time reading this book, I think that if you're the kind of person who lives and breathes fairytale retellings you will most certainly enjoy this book. It's a great addition to any YA fantasy lover's shelf.

My rating: 5/5 stars

By the way, I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Amazing retelling of the age old Disney Classic 'Beauty and the Beast '.
The book explores the story from the perspective of the Beast . I have seen a boon in the recent times and i am huge sucker of Disney Classics so I had to read this one as well.
The story is the same of Beauty and the Beast with a bit variations here and there . But I liked the storyline immensely. To begin with the story is cliche you can't deny that fact but the overall presentation of the story is lovely. My heart goes out for the Beast and you immediately like him nevertheless. Isabeau also likes him instantly. Yeah she is the main character very very similar to our Disney's Bella.
The romance between the two is very limited . Also at Ted Beast I'd asking her hand for marriage too many times makes the book tedious at some point.
The characters are well sketched and both Isabeu and Beast connect with the reader's at once. The feelings of Beast are presented well as it is much needed . Adding new perspective to the story .
This book is for Fans of Disney Classics and who believe in True Love ;)

I received this book from the publishers via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow oh wow. I was hooked from page one. I have talked about my penchant for fairytale retellings before, especially Beauty and the Beast, so I guessed I would love it but honestly I had no idea how much.

It’s a spin on the familiar, with bits I recognise from the more traditional tales, to bits that seem more akin to the Disney movie 💙. Either way, it is refreshing and gorgeous to hear Beast’s side of the story. I think I want a Beast of my own! He is gentle and kind and considerate. I like the way he was coming back to himself somewhat as well, at the start.

Isabeau is not your typical Belle, but she is just as kind and thoughtful and sweet. Her relationship with the Beast is truly heart warming - a friendship first and foremost, with an evermore “something there that wasn’t there before”. (Sorry!! Couldn’t help myself).

Her family are lovely too, though I wish we got to see a little more about her fathers progression through the year. Her sisters in particular growing through the year are just so lovely.

For a girl that doesn’t like romance stories, this is a perfect way to read one, because while they’re there and they’re prominent, they’re not the point of the story. The friendship and the characters growth is. And that felt refreshing and honest to the story.

The language used is lovely too. It’s a slow story in some ways. Not dragging, just not rushed. Taking the time to tell the story well. I’m not sure everyone will appreciate that but I did.

Honestly I think I’d give this more than 5 stars ⭐️ if I could. Now I’m going to go away and try and get rid of all the feels this book left me with!! 😂💙

This is such a beautiful retelling of a classic fairytale. Full of magic and romance, and a little sadness too, I wish this book had been twice as long. Maybe I am biased as Beauty and the Beast is my favourite fairytale and Disney film, but I dare anyone not to love this book.. A wonderful tale as old as time of everyone of any age.

'The Beast's Heart' by Leife Shallcross was beautiful.

Synopsis: The story of the Beast is a famous one but this tells you the thoughts and emotions behind every action. Told from the Beast's view, we learn how and why he was cursed, what spurred his reign of terror and the decision to blackmail a sick old man. We learn how the curse can be lifted but we also see how the Beast's actions continue to affect the people left behind. Can the Beast learn to love? More importantly, can the Beast BE loved?

I want a Beast. I found him to be so charming and loveable. He was the perfect gentleman to Isabeau and I believe the curse saved him. He is very worthy of love. Was he depressed the majority of the book? Yes, he definitely was but can you blame him? All those years roaming the forest losing his humanity whilst never knowing how the curse could be broken. I'm sure anyone would become despondent and ill-tempered by that. I know the Beast is a man but I was stupidly surprised with how human he seemed. Not in the way he dressed or acted but in his thoughts and the way he reasoned with himself. After many years of solitude, the Beast was very mature in the way he came across and handled situations.

Even though the book is about the Beast and how Isabeau can break the curse, there are many other characters within the story. The Beast has a way of keeping in touch with Isabeau's family and so we are able to understand how they cope with the loss of their sister. Their story runs parallel to the Beast's and occasionally they entwine. I found this addition to the story entertaining and integral to Isabeau's progression. The character I enjoyed the most after the Beast is the magic. I suspect the fairy was behind the enchantments available within the house but sometimes the magic seemed to have a personality. It could admonish and be humorous which I found amusing.

I am most familiar with the Disney version of this tale however I much prefer this version of events. After reading this book, I did some research and noticed that the original story of Beauty and the Beast is much similar to this book. There are of course slight differences but the overall story is the same and I love it more because of this. There were some themes that were troubling. Suicide is attempted and talked about more than once. Rape and abuse are hinted at too. Despite these subjects, it's ultimately an uplifting book. There are plenty of smiles, laughs and jokes amongst the gloom that it reminds me of a spring day; showers of rain and the sun fight for dominance continually.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a slow read, there is no real action or heart pumping scenes however there were many scenes in which my eyeballs threatened to leak. It is a perfect view point of the Beast and I cannot wait to get my hands on the final copy!

"If it was a living nightmare that took me into the forest, it was most certainly a dream that brought me out of it..."