I am neither monster nor man - yet I am both. I am the Beast.
I know why I was cursed; I know the legacy of evil I carry in my tainted blood. So how could she ever love me?
My Isabeau. She opened my eyes, my mind and my heart when I was struggling just to be human.
And now I might lose her forever.
THE BEAST'S HEART by Leife Shallcross
Published: 2018
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Fantasy Fiction
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Let me set the standards high when I say this was the best retelling of Beauty and the Beast that I've encountered. I might even go so far as to say it was the best retelling I've read!!! Quite a statement, as you'll know from reading my past reviews that it's a genre that I rate very highly.
The Beast's Heart is best and simply described as Beauty and the Beast from the unique and utterly desolate perspective of the Beast himself, languishing in his château for so many years whilst the curse remains unbroken and the world goes on without him being part of it.
It bears a similar tone to the original tale, being set in 17th Century France, that I personally found to be the perfect setting to expose the dark underbelly of this fairy tale. The richness of the magic by comparison to the bleak and crumbling landscape of the Beast's home set this novel over the edge. I won't go into detail for fear of spoilers, but I love the description of the rooms and the grounds, especially as they begin to change.
The language chosen by the author to capture this on paper entranced me at times adding to the fairy-tale-esq feel of the book.
Something I particularly loved about this retelling was the Beast's interest in Isabeau's family now that she has been removed from their unit. He observes them through a magic mirror, particularly focusing on her two sisters, Claud and Marie, who are forced to take responsibility for themselves without her there, and are transformed as much as the Beast because of it. The contrast between them thriving without her and the Beast thriving with her was really interesting as a reader, and these sections of watchfulness were often my favourites in the book.
The Beast has an old fashioned approach to 'wooing' Isabeau that made me want to give him some tips - multiple marriage proposals that were equally as frustrating to read as they were for Isabeau to receive, I'm sure. But they're in keeping with the time and the setting, and again seemed to add to the 'traditional' feel of a fairy tale.
The Beast himself is a fascination. After so long, he's clinging to his humanity whilst trapped in a beast's form. A punishment that seems unfitting in it's length and severity, but is nonetheless irreversible without true love. His loneliness is so relatable from a human perspective, and for me is what made him identifiable as more man than beast, for it is connection and value that we as humans strive for most, without meaning to.
This book is a dark perspective, but an intriguing one and I urge you towards it if you're as inclined towards retellings as I am. Beauty and the Beast has always been a favourite of mine and I couldn't resist this book from the first page.
Let me know your thought if you've read The Beast's Heart, or if you plan to.
Remember, you can find me @zuzuspages across social media for more bookish and writing content! (links below)
Happy reading,
Zuzu 🖋
I really, really want to read this tale. I absolutely love re-tellings of fairy tales xx
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite genres to read! I really recommend this one!
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