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Of Beast and Beauty Stacey Jay Books

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Of Beast and Beauty Stacey Jay Books

I am a sucker for retelling and fairy tales. I read Princess of Thorns by this author and loved it, so after I finished that I immediately got my hands on this book. Of Beast and Beauty puts a sci-fi twist on Beauty and the Beast that I found fascinating. It took place in a world where the god, for lack of a better way to describe it, is split in two, one good and one evil. Interestingly enough, the evil spirit watches over the "smooth skins" who are people without blemish (for the most part) and live within the only cities left surrounded by walls to keep others out. There are monarchs that rule in these lands and every so often the queen must sacrifice herself to keep their lands prosperous. The good half of the spirit has been suppressed for far too long and has left for the lands outside of the walled cities to live in a wasteland. The "monsters" who live in those desert lands starve and perish very quickly. To break the curse in this world a smooth skin has to fall in love with a "monster" and after that happens all the lands will be prosperous again. Too bad neither of them ever see one another and hate each other fiercely. Enter, Gem and Isra.

Watching the two interact together and slowly learn not to hate one another was so sweet. These two have centuries of embedded hatred for each other’s people to overcome. Once they can start to get past that and slowly appreciate each other is when it really starts to get interesting. I loved the slow build of the romance and how the two of them learned more about themselves as they got to know one another.

I loved the world itself and all of the legends and interesting mythology that came with it. Overall, just a great read.


Tags : Amazon.com: Of Beast and Beauty (9780375991004): Stacey Jay: Books,Stacey Jay,Of Beast and Beauty,Delacorte Press,037599100X,Fairy Tales & Folklore - Adaptations,Fantasy - General,Romance - General,Kings, queens, rulers, etc.;Fiction.,Mutation (Biology);Fiction.,Toleration;Fiction.,Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fairy Tales & Folklore - General,Fantasy & Magic,Fiction,Fiction-Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology,JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Fiction Fairy Tales & Folklore General,Juvenile Fiction Fantasy & Magic,Juvenile Fiction Love & Romance,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Kings, queens, rulers, etc.,Love & Romance,Mutation (Biology),TEEN'S FICTION FANTASY,TEEN'S FICTION ROMANCE,Toleration,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fairy Tales & Folklore Adaptations,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General

Of Beast and Beauty Stacey Jay Books Reviews

This book was recommended to me a few years ago because of my love of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. In this version Isra, a smooth skin and the blind princess who has been raised to be a sacrifice to her kingdom, captures Gem, a Monstrous who stole a rose from her garden who wishes to save his people from starvation.

As the story continues Isra and Gem begin to have feelings for each other. And as Isra enlists Gem’s help, she begins to question everything she’s been brought up to believe.

I really enjoyed this retelling, especially the twist on the rose garden and the Beast being the Beauty’s captor. This book would be appropriate for teens on up.
Beauty and the Beast has been getting a lot of retellings in recent years for what I've seen I have definitely not read them all but based on the synopsis I felt this was worth a try, and I can proudly say it was well worth it. The book is well-written and fast-paced. Being the main characters Isra and Gem were the best developed, with Bo coming in a close third. They all had their inner struggles and I was glad that we got to see each of their perspectives at one point or another.

I was thankful that Bo, while not without his faults, was no where near the horrid person Gatson was in the classic tale. He cared for Isra in his own way and for me that was reason enough not to hate him. Now Isra and Gem were like fire and ice in the beginning, as was expected, but their growing feelings and inner struggle to fight those feelings was truly a delight to read. One thing I really enjoy was that despite loving each other they were not selfish about it. Both of them still kept the well-being of their people in mind, nearly at all times. They loved each other, more than anything else, but still they also wanted to change the world. Not just for themselves, but because they knew the world was wrong the way it was and together they were going to fix it. They gave each other strength. I got a bit nervous about whether or not everything would be resolved at the end since this is a stand alone, but overall this book wrapped up rather nicely.

So, finished this is a matter of hours and it was a lovely read.
4. STARS

Magically enchanting and wonderfully thrilling, OF BEAST AND BEAUTY was a fantastic retelling with it's own touch of originality that had me hooked from the beginning until the very end!! From it's dark setting to it's alluring plot, with heart-pounding revelations and fierce character development, and it's utterly beautiful and spellbindingly magical romance that could stand the test of time. OF BEAST AND BEAUTY is definitely not a book to be missed, and had everything I craved and some!!

It's official, Stacey Jay creates the most original, thrilling worlds that I have ever read. As with her sleeping beauty retelling, it was different, and beautiful, and dark, and wonderfully enchanting, and I loved them both so much. Though I think I liked PRINCESS OF THORNS just a little bit more then this one. But nevertheless, I enjoyed them both, a lot.

OF BEAST AND BEAUTY has been a highly anticipated book since first hearing about it in 2012, but for some crazy reason it always kept getting put on the back of my review pile. So when the audiobook came out I jumped on it and had it read in 2 days. I couldn't stop listening and reading this book. It was so addicting, and I had to know what was going to happen next. I needed to know how the beast and beauty were going to face all the odds stacked against them, how they were going to find a way to unite themselves and their people as one, all while healing their world that was in desperate need of mending. And then when it finally did happen, it touched my heart and made me cry harder then I've cried in a long time. But that's no surprise, because Stacey Jay's books always seem to do that to me. And I'm so glad that I finally gave this book a shot, because it was nothing short of magical...

The world-building was unique and fantastically crafted, with a plot that was so different then anything I've ever read! When this book was over I was dying for the second book, but then I remembered that it was a standalone and I wanted to scream! OF BEAST AND BEAUTY was utterly beautiful and heartthrobingly painful at the same time. Life outside the domed city was harsh as people were starving, sick, and without any help from others. But for the people that lived in the domed city, life was fair and they pretty much had whatever they need to survive. Well as long as their queen sacrificed her life to feed the enchanted roses that is. If not, the city would quickly fall and become an onslaught of death and ruins. But they're were also regular people in the domed city that displayed minor Monstrous traits too. And though they weren't exiled out of the city, they were still outcasted and pushed to their own side of Yuan, but were luckily given the means to survive, unlike the Monstrous beyond the dome. It was all just so sad and painful to read, but also exciting and addicting.

THE PLOT

ENTER A WORLD OF SECRETS AND SACRIFICE...

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In a time when the world was divided, one girl and one boy will have the chance to restore its beauty well beyond the limits of healing. And the opportunity to save their people from the darkness that feeds through teeth of cursed roses. And to defy all sense of normality, all in the name of love. But only if they're able to look beyond the outer shell of a beast, and see the true beauty that lies within. If not, all will be lost to them, and the darkness will forever rule, in blood...

After the world divided, and the Smooth Skins locked the Monstrous from their domed cities, the Smooth Skins continued to grow and prosper, while shunning the Monstrous and refusing them any aid whatsoever. And thus fueling the burning hatred that sizzled and spread through the Monstrous hearts. The Smooth Skins are the Monstrous's betters, and prove it only with their beauty. They fear the Monstrous for their animistic traits and are unwilling to see reason. So for many years the Smooth Skins thrived in their domed cities, forcing the Monstrous to remain exiled on the outskirts in the deserted desert, starving and dying quicker then they're born. But all this time both sides were unaware of the curse cast upon them, and the evil that's fueling them...

Isra, the blind Princess of the domed city of Yuan is unaware of the circumstance her city is enduring. All princess Isra has known since she was a child was darkness, with only glimpses of light that bless her through the blood she feds the enchanted roses. Hoping to see the world around her, and anything beyond the darkness that has haunted her the fateful night her mother committed suicide, and thus feeding the roses and sustaining the city for another 15 to 30 years with her sacrifice. But the time is drawling near when Isra will have to feed the roses, and sustain life, by giving her life...

Isra was raised as a human sacrifice, raised knowing one day she would die to save her city. Knowing her spilled blood will give her people another 15 to 30 years of life and prosperity. But everything she once thought changes when she comes face to face with the beast she's always feared, and he reveals what true beauty really means...

When the Monstrous break through the dome to steal their cities enchanted roses, Isra is attacked by a beast with scales and vicious claws. She's sure he's the monster she's been warned about, but when he speaks and allows a blind girl to see him with her hands, Isra knows he cannot be the monster her people claim. But when Isra is finally reunited with her sight, she sees the world through new eyes, and the horrifying truth is more then she can bare. Determined to enforce change, Isra sets out to save her people, Gem's people, and possibly even herself from the wicked curse that has unknowingly haunted them all for years...

Overall, OF BEAST AND BEAUTY was a magical retelling of our favorite fairytale Beauty and the Beast, and breathes a breath of fresh air to this enchanted world that is sure to make you yearn for more of this breathtaking romance. If you enjoy dystopian-like worlds, with twisted fairytales, and a magical romance that is utterly beautiful, and one girl and one boy destine to change the future, then OF BEAST AND BEAUTY is an enchanting tale you won't want to slip through your fingers!!
I am a sucker for retelling and fairy tales. I read Princess of Thorns by this author and loved it, so after I finished that I immediately got my hands on this book. Of Beast and Beauty puts a sci-fi twist on Beauty and the Beast that I found fascinating. It took place in a world where the god, for lack of a better way to describe it, is split in two, one good and one evil. Interestingly enough, the evil spirit watches over the "smooth skins" who are people without blemish (for the most part) and live within the only cities left surrounded by walls to keep others out. There are monarchs that rule in these lands and every so often the queen must sacrifice herself to keep their lands prosperous. The good half of the spirit has been suppressed for far too long and has left for the lands outside of the walled cities to live in a wasteland. The "monsters" who live in those desert lands starve and perish very quickly. To break the curse in this world a smooth skin has to fall in love with a "monster" and after that happens all the lands will be prosperous again. Too bad neither of them ever see one another and hate each other fiercely. Enter, Gem and Isra.

Watching the two interact together and slowly learn not to hate one another was so sweet. These two have centuries of embedded hatred for each other’s people to overcome. Once they can start to get past that and slowly appreciate each other is when it really starts to get interesting. I loved the slow build of the romance and how the two of them learned more about themselves as they got to know one another.

I loved the world itself and all of the legends and interesting mythology that came with it. Overall, just a great read.