⇢ Actual Rating: 3.5🌟
Bend Her is the first installment in a new Dark Fantasy Romance series and is a Beauty and the Beast retelling ~
⇢ What to expect:
∘ Beauty and the Beast retelling
∘ Powerful Mage x Sheltered Princess
∘ Great Worldbuilding
∘ Complex Characters
∘ Dual POV
∘ Fast-paced
∘ Light BDSM ∘ Dom/sub dynamic
∘ Magic & magical creatures
∘ Loyal and cute spider-cat 🥹❤️
⇢ Tropes:
∘ Enemies to Lovers
∘ Slowburn
∘ Age Gap
∘ "Touch her and you die"
∘ Forced Proximity
∘ He falls first
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Summary
The story follows Rhaim, the "All-Beast", and Lisane, the "Princess of Tears".
On the eve of their Ascension, every mage is granted a single clear vision just before they receive the mage-mark brand. This vision reveals the one thing that will inevitably lead to their downfall. Rhaim's vision was of a girl with striking hazel eyes and he had been searching for her ever since. Their fates collide when Lisane is brought to Rhaim's doorstep, gifted to him by her father in exchange for his efforts in the ongoing war towards the Deathless.
Rhaim's captivation with Lisane persists despite the danger she presents. His beast craves her, while the human finds himself at an impasse, knowing he must get rid of her or prevent her from becoming a danger to him.
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Plot/Writing
It started with "I'll read a chapter or two ..." and before I knew it I was 50% in and couldn't stop.
The book sucks you in and it's so easy to read, I would've finished it in one sitting if I wasn't sick.
Being a "Beauty and The Beast" retelling you can already guess the main elements you'd find here: the castle, the magic, the library, and of course, the Beast.
Waking up in the Beast's castle, Lisane is terrified and lost, not knowing how she got there and especially what to expect. However, after finding out Rhaim's a powerful mage, she soon becomes his first student. And things quickly grow into a routine for both of them.
As mentioned in the beginning, this book is dark so expect to find such elements here, and please beware of the trigger warnings.
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Worldbuilding
I found the worldbuilding and magic system to be intriguing. I was fascinated with this magical world and I can't wait to read more about it, and maybe even explore it more, in the following books!
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Characters
∘ Lisane
Lisane is a sheltered princess, who's been living her whole life in the women's chambers, which are underground. - such a cruel way to live.
Note: The women are living like this because it prevents mages from teleporting in and kidnapping them.
Her life gets turned upside down when she wakes up in Rhaim's dungeon, with no recollection of how she got there and no idea whose home she's in.
After deciding she wants to become a mage, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and begins to explore the depths of her power.
∘ Rhaim
Rhaim, an 800-year-old powerful mage, embodies the classic image of tall, dark, and handsome. He's a grumpy man living in a floating castle (yes, you read that right) with Finx, his cute spider-cat, spending his days acquiring knowledge and doing experiments in his laboratory.
In the beginning, he was trying to punish Lisane and make her feel humiliated, but after a while, he didn't mind her being in his home.
∘ Her father, brother and fiance are not worth mentioning and I hold no respect for them.
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Romance
Things are moving slowly, so don't expect many romance scenes, especially not sweet ones. The story delivers a range of compelling elements, including tension, and sizzling interactions.
I loved how possessive he started being of her and judging by that ending, I'm sure we'll get some hot scenes in the next book.
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Conclusion
The book was both entertaining and a quick read. Combining my love for "Beauty and the Beast" with a captivating plot and intriguing characters, this book was a perfect read that I truly enjoyed.
~ currently waiting for the second installment ~