What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales of the Latter Kingdoms #1
Dragon Rose
The shadow of the cursed Dragon Lord has hung over the town of Lirinsholme for centuries, and no one ever knows when the Dragon will claim his next doomed Bride. Rhianne Menyon has dreams of being a painter, but her world changes forever when a single moment of sacrifice brings her to Black's Keep as the Dragon's latest Bride. As she attempts to adjust to her new life -- and to know something of the monster who is now her husband -- she begins to see that the curse is far crueler than she first believed. Unraveling the mystery of what happened to the Dragon's Brides is only the beginning...
276 pages, ebook
First published November 14, 2012
702 people are currently reading
4348 people want to read
About the author
Christine Pope
215 books1,093 followersA native of Southern California, Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Many reams of dead trees later, she’s happy to announce that her debut novel, Fringe Benefits,was published by Pink Petal Books on April 8, 2010. Her short fiction has appeared in Astonishing Adventures, Luna Station Quarterly, and the new journal of dark fiction, Dark Valentine. Her paranormal novella, Playing With Fire, was released on August 5, 2010.
While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection.
After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.
While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection.
After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
May 3, 2017
This, my friends, is the end of Beauty and the Beast month! Some amazing reads this month. Some not-so amazing as well, but ultimately I would call this a huge success.
I will be announcing my favorites from this month of reading and offering a print book giveaway for one lucky mailing list subscriber I'm giving away FOUR books this month, so don't miss out on this giveaway. Be sure to subscribe!
Now to the review . . .
This was a charming read, and just what I was looking for as I finished up my Beauty and the Beast month.
WHAT I LOVED
The mystery of this story was excellent. What with this book being the final in a series of Beauty and the Beast reads this month, I worried that it would suffer from predictability. But not so! Christine Pope came up with a dynamic mystery surrounding the curse of the "beast" character, and I wasn't able to guess where she was taking it. The reveal was satisfying--enough explanation to make the story feel complete, but not so much that the story lost its magical edge.
The chemistry between the heroine, Rhianne, and her beast was well done. I loved how the author handled their situation so that you didn't feel like her love for him was the result of Stockholm syndrome. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving away storylines, but it was smart and allowed for some honest to goodness romance between the two leads.
Rhianne made for an appealing protagonist. Her love of painting was endearing, and I liked how it ended up working into the overall plot and resolution and wasn't simply a plot gimmick to give her more personality.
Christine Pope did an excellent job of making the original fairytale her own. It was DEFINITELY a Beauty and the Beast story, but she twisted it in all the right places that the story wasn't predictable.
Ultimately a fun, romantic read!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE SO MUCH
This was a quick, sweet, romantic read. It wasn't exactly deep. I don't think that's a fair reason to critique the book though . . . it wasn't meant to be deep. But there were a few places where I felt the story line was a little bit underdeveloped. For instance, when Rhianne arrives at the Dragon's house, she honestly believes she will die that night . . . only, I never got a strong sense of her fear. It was so glossed over that I didn't even realize she WAS afraid for her life. She was just SO calm and zen about it all.
So, yeah. Little things like that struck me as not quite developed enough. But again, I kind of hate to critique the story. It was good, and it was, for the most part, the right amount of development for the type of story it was. The writing was good, the story was intriguing . . . and it was just FUN. I read this while on vacation in a little cottage in the mountains, without internet access or other conveniences, and it was just the right kind of relaxing story for that setting. If you love Beauty and the Beast retellings, I definitely recommend it!
I will be announcing my favorites from this month of reading and offering a print book giveaway for one lucky mailing list subscriber I'm giving away FOUR books this month, so don't miss out on this giveaway. Be sure to subscribe!
Now to the review . . .
This was a charming read, and just what I was looking for as I finished up my Beauty and the Beast month.
WHAT I LOVED
The mystery of this story was excellent. What with this book being the final in a series of Beauty and the Beast reads this month, I worried that it would suffer from predictability. But not so! Christine Pope came up with a dynamic mystery surrounding the curse of the "beast" character, and I wasn't able to guess where she was taking it. The reveal was satisfying--enough explanation to make the story feel complete, but not so much that the story lost its magical edge.
The chemistry between the heroine, Rhianne, and her beast was well done. I loved how the author handled their situation so that you didn't feel like her love for him was the result of Stockholm syndrome. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving away storylines, but it was smart and allowed for some honest to goodness romance between the two leads.
Rhianne made for an appealing protagonist. Her love of painting was endearing, and I liked how it ended up working into the overall plot and resolution and wasn't simply a plot gimmick to give her more personality.
Christine Pope did an excellent job of making the original fairytale her own. It was DEFINITELY a Beauty and the Beast story, but she twisted it in all the right places that the story wasn't predictable.
Ultimately a fun, romantic read!
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE SO MUCH
This was a quick, sweet, romantic read. It wasn't exactly deep. I don't think that's a fair reason to critique the book though . . . it wasn't meant to be deep. But there were a few places where I felt the story line was a little bit underdeveloped. For instance, when Rhianne arrives at the Dragon's house, she honestly believes she will die that night . . . only, I never got a strong sense of her fear. It was so glossed over that I didn't even realize she WAS afraid for her life. She was just SO calm and zen about it all.
So, yeah. Little things like that struck me as not quite developed enough. But again, I kind of hate to critique the story. It was good, and it was, for the most part, the right amount of development for the type of story it was. The writing was good, the story was intriguing . . . and it was just FUN. I read this while on vacation in a little cottage in the mountains, without internet access or other conveniences, and it was just the right kind of relaxing story for that setting. If you love Beauty and the Beast retellings, I definitely recommend it!
February 5, 2013
Eeh.
This is one of those books that I wish the author would go back and rewrite... take a second shot at. It was SO close.
I liked the world that was set up... I loved the 'Beast'... I liked the juice of the whole thing... even the ending had promise... but nothing really seemed fleshed out.
I did NOT like the main character, Rhianne. She seemed detached. Which, when you read the beginning, makes a LITTLE sense. But she is too under-developed for me to begin to understand her.
Actually.... The whole book seemed under-developed. There was so much promise, but I kept wondering, 'why?'... and kept wanting an 'And?.."
It felt like it was a very long short story. A quick tale, no emotional investment.
I wanted to hear more about how the Dragon became the Dragon... I wanted to hear more from HIS side of things... not just an 'oh-by-the-way'. I WANTED to fall in love with him... but it just never got far enough. I kind of wanted to hand her one of Karen Moning's Highlander Romances... Just a LITTLE more romance(not sex) would have gone a long way.
Just like in 'Beauty and the Beast' there is a long span in which the beast tries to woo beauty. And in 'Dragon Rose' it was there... more like Beauty trying to woo the Beast (which was a fun take). But it always ended a paragraph short of making my heart beat a little faster... isn't that why I started reading this to begin with?
I wanted to read more about her Dreams. They always seemed to end with me wondering why I should care. They were sweet, yes, but not the knee collapsing, heart grabbing, swoon-worthy scenes that we have come to love in all great fairy tales.
The ending seemed rushed, like the author just gave up... I actually shook my head and shrugged at the end. I WANTED it to end that way. However, there was absolutely NO emotional attachment to anyone.
Again, it was SO close... It was almost like the author just got bored with her story. If she decided to rewrite it, I would love to re-read it.
This is one of those books that I wish the author would go back and rewrite... take a second shot at. It was SO close.
I liked the world that was set up... I loved the 'Beast'... I liked the juice of the whole thing... even the ending had promise... but nothing really seemed fleshed out.
I did NOT like the main character, Rhianne. She seemed detached. Which, when you read the beginning, makes a LITTLE sense. But she is too under-developed for me to begin to understand her.
Actually.... The whole book seemed under-developed. There was so much promise, but I kept wondering, 'why?'... and kept wanting an 'And?.."
It felt like it was a very long short story. A quick tale, no emotional investment.
I wanted to hear more about how the Dragon became the Dragon... I wanted to hear more from HIS side of things... not just an 'oh-by-the-way'. I WANTED to fall in love with him... but it just never got far enough. I kind of wanted to hand her one of Karen Moning's Highlander Romances... Just a LITTLE more romance(not sex) would have gone a long way.
Just like in 'Beauty and the Beast' there is a long span in which the beast tries to woo beauty. And in 'Dragon Rose' it was there... more like Beauty trying to woo the Beast (which was a fun take). But it always ended a paragraph short of making my heart beat a little faster... isn't that why I started reading this to begin with?
I wanted to read more about her Dreams. They always seemed to end with me wondering why I should care. They were sweet, yes, but not the knee collapsing, heart grabbing, swoon-worthy scenes that we have come to love in all great fairy tales.
The ending seemed rushed, like the author just gave up... I actually shook my head and shrugged at the end. I WANTED it to end that way. However, there was absolutely NO emotional attachment to anyone.
Again, it was SO close... It was almost like the author just got bored with her story. If she decided to rewrite it, I would love to re-read it.
October 27, 2016
This book, man. I read it with the understanding that it would not be very good. Boy, did it surpass my expectations.
It was actually very difficult to read; I constantly found myself cringing in embarrassment, and skimming a few pages at a time.
A supposed retelling of Beauty and the Beast, in which, the Beast is a man cursed to take the form of a dragon, and "Beauty" is a one-dimensional character, obsessed with painting.
The writing quality was typical of modern YA romance novels (i.e. very poor). The story draaaagged for far too long, taking absolutely forever to get to the actual plot. And then once you get to that point, it draaaaaags on, again.
Easily predictable, to the point where I got no satisfaction in being 100% correct about everything.
Plus, there were some grammar mistakes, and cussing.
The story begins in an ambiguous setting, where you're not sure if it's a medieval village, or some sort of alternate history (- Why are there trains? I thought I read that there were trains, but that doesn't seem right), but apparently there are two moons in the sky, or something, so whatever.
Right, so, once upon a time (about 500 years or so, ago) there lived the lord of Black Keep. This lord was cursed by a mage, to forever hold the form of a dragon. Every few years, The Dragon Lord, in turn, forces the neighboring village to send up one young woman as a bride for himself.
After quite a few boring chapters full of nothing, the Dragon Lord once more requires a bride.
Now, suddenly we're in the Hunger Games, and the Elders are drawing a name out of an urn, and alas! It is Rhianne's best friend who is to be sacrificed for the good of the people. Only
And thus, she is dragged to the castle, married off to a man-shaped beast who hides beneath a hood (for the entire book), and is given absolutely everything she asks for.
Now she paints. And she paints. And she talks about painting. And the Dragon Lord talks to her about painting. She is a good painter- no, she is an excellent painter. And more painting!!!
And she has these dreams about a gorgeous man, who- SHE- MUST- PAINT!
Rhianne and Dragon-Man have a few conversations about nothing, really, besides painting and how beautiful Rhianne is. But that doesn't matter because this girl is in love.
But, oh no, the Dragon Lord has rejected her!
And she spirals into a deep depression, where she sleeps for weeks on end, refuses to eat or get out of bed, and when she does get up, it's to paint her mysterious dream-boyfriend.
And then
Yeah, no.
May 6, 2017
At the beginning I thought I was going to start this review with my usual caveat: "it's not you it's me". But then I realized that yes I don't like YA, but this wasn't the main problem the book has.
At first I also thought the problem lie with the fairy tales of the Disneyan variety; bland and squeaky clean to be unreadable (clean from everything, I'm not talking about sex).
Yes, the heroine is a 19 year old girl that reads and acts 16. Yes she's the special snowflake who is sooo special to be utterly like any other YA heroine. Yes, there's no real evil here. No grayness. Unfortunately, this isn't the main problem.
The problem is lack. Of characterization, of world building, of plot.
At the end of the day, the book is utterly boring as nothing happens. Not even love. There's no reason nor rhyme to the love, except she has written so. You don't see it, don't feel it. Because there isn't. But then there are a lot of thing missing here (explanations, feelings, magic systems, logic... ).
What you'll get is a mild case of irritation and plenty of boredom. I can only find one saving grace. It's free. (But your time isn't'...)
Shali details it better: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
At first I also thought the problem lie with the fairy tales of the Disneyan variety; bland and squeaky clean to be unreadable (clean from everything, I'm not talking about sex).
Yes, the heroine is a 19 year old girl that reads and acts 16. Yes she's the special snowflake who is sooo special to be utterly like any other YA heroine. Yes, there's no real evil here. No grayness. Unfortunately, this isn't the main problem.
The problem is lack. Of characterization, of world building, of plot.
At the end of the day, the book is utterly boring as nothing happens. Not even love. There's no reason nor rhyme to the love, except she has written so. You don't see it, don't feel it. Because there isn't. But then there are a lot of thing missing here (explanations, feelings, magic systems, logic... ).
What you'll get is a mild case of irritation and plenty of boredom. I can only find one saving grace. It's free. (But your time isn't'...)
Shali details it better: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 27, 2017
I didn't know what to think when I got this. I love Beauty and the Beast retelling but some are just dumb while others can get too dark and weird. I really enjoyed this one. The writing was well done, the character of Rheanne was strong and ahead of her time. The fairy tale had new and unusual elements that drew me in and made the mystery so good. The romance of beauty and the beast is a very quiet inner conflict that makes these kinds of storys so interesting and this one did not disappoint. There is no sex scence in this but I would rate it a PG13 for some sensuality and that it is part of her thoughts.
January 5, 2015
I really was on the fence between giving this three stars or four stars. Because there were parts that I liked, and parts that fell a little flat for me.
Heaven help me, I like the tale of Beauty and Beast, even though it’s a bit strange and weird, it’s not that the beast is simply an unattractive fellow, he’s not even of the same species. But there’s something sacred in the tale of his redemption, and the fact that a book loving girl makes good in the happily ever after department, well, what’s not to like about that?
This author tried to spin a new tale with old wool to so speak, and in some ways I think there was success, and some not so successful.
Firstly, in the original tale, we don’t really know if the Beast had any previous lady-friends before Belle. But in this case, the town that dwells below the Dragon’s castle, has been there for 500 years, and the Dragon has requested many brides. It may be as long as twenty years, or as short as three, but when the red banner is raised, the town performs a lottery and send’s a bride. And no-one ever knows what happens to these ladies, only that they never come back.
Rhianne, is the oldest of three girls, she aspires to be an artist, in a town that is doesn’t let woman-folk work in any of the guild trades. When her secret is exposed, and her family is on the brink of financial ruin (mind you the bride’s family gets a swell 1,000 gold pieces) and her best friend’s name is drawn mere months before her wedding day, Rhianne see’s a practical solution to several issues, and up the hill she goes.
In it's way it's a successful take on an old story, that brings some of the feelings the original did....but, I fear I have been ruined by Disney in this matter.
Heaven help me, I like the tale of Beauty and Beast, even though it’s a bit strange and weird, it’s not that the beast is simply an unattractive fellow, he’s not even of the same species. But there’s something sacred in the tale of his redemption, and the fact that a book loving girl makes good in the happily ever after department, well, what’s not to like about that?
This author tried to spin a new tale with old wool to so speak, and in some ways I think there was success, and some not so successful.
Firstly, in the original tale, we don’t really know if the Beast had any previous lady-friends before Belle. But in this case, the town that dwells below the Dragon’s castle, has been there for 500 years, and the Dragon has requested many brides. It may be as long as twenty years, or as short as three, but when the red banner is raised, the town performs a lottery and send’s a bride. And no-one ever knows what happens to these ladies, only that they never come back.
Rhianne, is the oldest of three girls, she aspires to be an artist, in a town that is doesn’t let woman-folk work in any of the guild trades. When her secret is exposed, and her family is on the brink of financial ruin (mind you the bride’s family gets a swell 1,000 gold pieces) and her best friend’s name is drawn mere months before her wedding day, Rhianne see’s a practical solution to several issues, and up the hill she goes.
In it's way it's a successful take on an old story, that brings some of the feelings the original did....but, I fear I have been ruined by Disney in this matter.
Want to read
April 14, 2021FREE on Amazon today (10/26/2017)!
January 27, 2014
I didn't really understand why he had to see her painting for the curse to break but okay...I guess I could deal with that. What made me took a step back was how long it took for her to break it and how little she actually had to do with it. I mean, she made the painting sure...but she had no idea why. She was mostly doing it for herself. Same with him. He didn't even try anything...he just went along with everything. Almost like they stumbled upon the solution by accident. Pretty lame for a 500 year old curse. I expected some bang, some enormous revelation. It was almost an afterthought. Slightly disappointing. I also didn't care much for Rhianne. I liked her at first for volunteering for her best friend but that fascination dwindled pretty fast throughout the book. She acted pretty unconcerned for someone who thought she was going to get killed. So the HEA wasn't much appreciated after all that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2017
I wanted to love this book. unfortunately it just wasn't there for me. there seemed to be too much down time where Rhianne was sleeping or too lethargic too get out of bed. I mean, she slept for weeks at a time at one point! I wanted more interaction with Theron. yes, she fell in love with him slowly over time but i can't understand how constant conversations about the weather lead to love. mostly im angry because this book had great potential. the supporting characters were great, I enjoyed the setting, and I felt like I could have loved the hero and heroine if they had been fleshed out a tad more. not terrible by any means, but still left me feeling bitter over what could have been.
October 23, 2017
This lovely Beauty and the Beast retelling gripped me from beginning to end.
August 12, 2021
I got this book on my kindle so long ago that I didn't remember it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling until I was a few chapters in. It was well done, and I enjoyed it, though Rhianne was the dumbest Beauty I've ever read about ().
However, the way the curse was broken was actually kind of cool. And VERY different. It was an interesting twist!
However, the way the curse was broken was actually kind of cool. And VERY different. It was an interesting twist!
April 12, 2017
Perfectly acceptable retelling of The Beauty and the Beast with some of the standard flaws of the first person, present tense format: if you tell a story in this way there are certain things that don't work. For example you can't tell a dream and then claim to have forgotten it. For that you need a third person narrative.
August 27, 2018
This book was not for me... Not awful, but nothing special... But probably if you enjoy romance and "Beauty and the Beast", check out the book :) It was free on Google Play, I found it through BookBub
Also another part of the NEWTs challenge done (Magical Readathon), that still doesn't completelly count; but if everything works out, this will be my Outstanding for Muggle Studies :D
Also another part of the NEWTs challenge done (Magical Readathon), that still doesn't completelly count; but if everything works out, this will be my Outstanding for Muggle Studies :D
December 14, 2015
Do you like take-offs of fairy tales with dragons and mage curses which can't be broken? Christine Pope has written a series which will sure to delight. I so enjoyed the audiobook of Dragon Rose, narrated by Valerie Gilbert in first person.
This is my first adventure with author Christine Pope. Dragon Rose is written in first person which is a difficult voice to write. Valerie Gilbert, as narrator, was a great choice for she truly conveyed the emotional upheaval Rhianne experienced when she chose to take the place of her best friend and marry Theran Blackmoor, the dragon of Black’s Keep. Ms. Gilbert is the reason I picked this book to listen to in the first place. She has a great presence and entirely engulfed me in the author’s world.
Rhianne was unique. She had two gifts. As a ‘seerer’ she was haunted with dreams, difficult to forget. She also had a love of nature and the ability to paint, something she learned from an elderly painter and an occupation she should not follow. With this skill she worked through her dreams and fell in love with her painting of the man in her dreams. Little did she know how important this skill would be for her very life!
This tale reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. A mage spell kept Theran in dragon form. He was obliged to marry young girls from the nearby village – if he didn’t the curse would manifest itself by destroying more lives. Theran was reduced to marrying even though he knew the fate of these young women. 500 years of marrying and still the curse continued. Would there be no end? Could Rhianne save her dragon whom she’d come to love? Could she save herself?
Plenty of suspense and danger. The story was riveting, yet very much a fairy tale. I’m thoroughly delighted to find another author who writes fantasy with romance inclinations. And writes so well! Recommended highly for those who love fairy tale plots with just enough twist to keep the reader guessing.
This is my first adventure with author Christine Pope. Dragon Rose is written in first person which is a difficult voice to write. Valerie Gilbert, as narrator, was a great choice for she truly conveyed the emotional upheaval Rhianne experienced when she chose to take the place of her best friend and marry Theran Blackmoor, the dragon of Black’s Keep. Ms. Gilbert is the reason I picked this book to listen to in the first place. She has a great presence and entirely engulfed me in the author’s world.
Rhianne was unique. She had two gifts. As a ‘seerer’ she was haunted with dreams, difficult to forget. She also had a love of nature and the ability to paint, something she learned from an elderly painter and an occupation she should not follow. With this skill she worked through her dreams and fell in love with her painting of the man in her dreams. Little did she know how important this skill would be for her very life!
This tale reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. A mage spell kept Theran in dragon form. He was obliged to marry young girls from the nearby village – if he didn’t the curse would manifest itself by destroying more lives. Theran was reduced to marrying even though he knew the fate of these young women. 500 years of marrying and still the curse continued. Would there be no end? Could Rhianne save her dragon whom she’d come to love? Could she save herself?
Plenty of suspense and danger. The story was riveting, yet very much a fairy tale. I’m thoroughly delighted to find another author who writes fantasy with romance inclinations. And writes so well! Recommended highly for those who love fairy tale plots with just enough twist to keep the reader guessing.
April 24, 2017
The beginning of this re-telling of Beauty and the Beast actually showed a lot of potential. But sadly, as the story continued it just lost some spark.
First of all, Rhianne, the heroine is a flat, one-dimensional character, obsessed with painting. She's simultaneously displayed as too perfect, but not at all intriguing. She's a boring character that shows no development. Her sudden feelings towards the dragon also make no sense. It's too sudden and not at all well-structured.
Secondly, the story itself is too boring. At the beginning, it has a nice flow to it and it's a joy to read but as it goes on, it gets increasingly boring. There's nothing to spark renewed interest. All she does is paint, eat and wonder about the other brides.
Finally, the ending was very disappointing. Rhianne's painting suddenly lifts the curse and the dragon-man is no longer cursed and they can be together YAY!
All in all, I always enjoy re-tellings of fairy tales becomes people's interpretations is always fascinating to see. But this one was not as good as it could have been.
First of all, Rhianne, the heroine is a flat, one-dimensional character, obsessed with painting. She's simultaneously displayed as too perfect, but not at all intriguing. She's a boring character that shows no development. Her sudden feelings towards the dragon also make no sense. It's too sudden and not at all well-structured.
Secondly, the story itself is too boring. At the beginning, it has a nice flow to it and it's a joy to read but as it goes on, it gets increasingly boring. There's nothing to spark renewed interest. All she does is paint, eat and wonder about the other brides.
Finally, the ending was very disappointing. Rhianne's painting suddenly lifts the curse and the dragon-man is no longer cursed and they can be together YAY!
All in all, I always enjoy re-tellings of fairy tales becomes people's interpretations is always fascinating to see. But this one was not as good as it could have been.
July 30, 2017
Rhianne Menyon is just months away from her 20th birthday and as the eldest sister, she is due to marry. Rhianne however is far more interested in painting in her fathers pottery shop despite the fact that isn't suitable work for a woman than tying herself to a man.
Marriage as it turns out is the least of Rhianne's worries. One night she dreams that the dragon who rules the castle high in the mountains has put out a banner signalling that it is now the duty of the town to provide him with a wife. Given that there will be 100 young women in the lottery, Rhianne believes that the odds of not being selected are in her favor. When Rhianne's engaged best friend is selected in the lottery, given her lack of prospects, Rhianne decides to take her friends place. This could very well be a death sentence but the 1000 gold coins that will be paid to her family will keep them in comfort, even if it does land her in a cold grave.
I'm all for fairy tale re-tellings because the good ones are creative and add something new to a story that a reader is overly familiar with. As you may have guessed, Dragon Rose is a version of Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately however, Pope adds very little to the story to distinguish it from the original . There isn't a tea cup named chip or excessive singing but it's just as saccharine as the Disney version. The changes are so insignificant, it's enough to make me wonder why Pope bothered at all. Obviously, Rhianne is now dealing with a dragon instead of a beast; however, this change adds nothing to the story and feels random for the sake of random.
Theran (the dragon) acquired this condition because he told a young woman that he wasn't into her and she responded by taking her life. What Theran didn't know is that the young woman's father was a mage. The mage decided to punish Theran by turning him into a dragon until he could find a woman who could see through the horror of his being to who he truly is. What is the moral here? In the original, the Beast was turned into a beast because of his mean and horrible behaviour; it was a teaching lesson. What exactly did Theran learn from being turned into a dragon for five hundred years? Theran's mistake was simply not being into someone, that's it.
You would think that given the boring way in which Theran became a dragon that we would at least have an interesting reveal but you would be wrong. Pope drops it all in the last few pages of the novel, once he is cured by seeing Rhianne's painting of his pre-cursed self. This is particularly irksome after Theran went on a big rant about how they aren't living in a fairytale and that Rhianne cannot simply change him back with a kiss.
Read More
Marriage as it turns out is the least of Rhianne's worries. One night she dreams that the dragon who rules the castle high in the mountains has put out a banner signalling that it is now the duty of the town to provide him with a wife. Given that there will be 100 young women in the lottery, Rhianne believes that the odds of not being selected are in her favor. When Rhianne's engaged best friend is selected in the lottery, given her lack of prospects, Rhianne decides to take her friends place. This could very well be a death sentence but the 1000 gold coins that will be paid to her family will keep them in comfort, even if it does land her in a cold grave.
I'm all for fairy tale re-tellings because the good ones are creative and add something new to a story that a reader is overly familiar with. As you may have guessed, Dragon Rose is a version of Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately however, Pope adds very little to the story to distinguish it from the original . There isn't a tea cup named chip or excessive singing but it's just as saccharine as the Disney version. The changes are so insignificant, it's enough to make me wonder why Pope bothered at all. Obviously, Rhianne is now dealing with a dragon instead of a beast; however, this change adds nothing to the story and feels random for the sake of random.
Theran (the dragon) acquired this condition because he told a young woman that he wasn't into her and she responded by taking her life. What Theran didn't know is that the young woman's father was a mage. The mage decided to punish Theran by turning him into a dragon until he could find a woman who could see through the horror of his being to who he truly is. What is the moral here? In the original, the Beast was turned into a beast because of his mean and horrible behaviour; it was a teaching lesson. What exactly did Theran learn from being turned into a dragon for five hundred years? Theran's mistake was simply not being into someone, that's it.
You would think that given the boring way in which Theran became a dragon that we would at least have an interesting reveal but you would be wrong. Pope drops it all in the last few pages of the novel, once he is cured by seeing Rhianne's painting of his pre-cursed self. This is particularly irksome after Theran went on a big rant about how they aren't living in a fairytale and that Rhianne cannot simply change him back with a kiss.
Read More
May 27, 2017
Since this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I went in pretty much knowing what to expect. As I've read so many of these types of retellings, the new challenge is to wow me with something new and different. Dragon Rose...didn't quite do that for me. The book was free for Kindle one day, and I enjoyed reading it for the most part, so I didn't really lose much. The writing was excellent, as was the characterization. And I really liked the the Dragon, our mysterious love interest...hey, he's a man-shaped dragon. Of course I'm gonna like him. There were some things that dimmed my joy at reading, though: 1) some of the storytelling vehicles were a little too on the nose, 2) I didn't feel like I got a payoff with the romance, and 3) can we please stop with focusing so much on the female protagonist's appearance?! Guh, this is such a pet peeve of mine. I'm okay if it's mentioned once, maybe twice, but more than that and it begins to undermine the rest of her good traits. Character, intelligence, talent, and then beauty is my ideal hierarchy of things to focus on in any character, so...yeah...that got old fast for me. Still, it's a Beauty and the Beast story, so I still really enjoyed it. Plus, it was riveting enough that I read the entire thing in one day, which always gets a book bonus points for me.
June 16, 2017
Dragon Rose was a good book but I think I had a wrong impression going in. I guess I should have researched the author first.
I was expecting a epic adventure with action, dragons flying around etc., but instead it was a fantasy romance.
Now this is not a bad thing if you are into the romance stuff. You really feel for the characters and I feel there could have been a little bit more written about the "Dragon" but since it is written from the main characters point of view it is understandable that there wouldn't be much about the dragon. It was a little too short, as I feel the author could have spent more time explaining this "darkness" that the lead character was feeling.
Overall it was well written and an enjoyable read.
I was expecting a epic adventure with action, dragons flying around etc., but instead it was a fantasy romance.
Now this is not a bad thing if you are into the romance stuff. You really feel for the characters and I feel there could have been a little bit more written about the "Dragon" but since it is written from the main characters point of view it is understandable that there wouldn't be much about the dragon. It was a little too short, as I feel the author could have spent more time explaining this "darkness" that the lead character was feeling.
Overall it was well written and an enjoyable read.
July 11, 2021
This isn't exactly a BatB retelling. Some of the key elements are there but if you are expecting all of them, you will be disappointed. Rhianne is a great protagonist. She's very selfless and likeable, despite what the towns folk think. Theron is not your typical beast. They are usually shown as having fits of anger and bad temper. While Theron gets upset occasionally, he didn't seem to be quite the firecracker other beasts are betrayed as being. I quite liked him. My one complaint is that the dragon got very little page time. The mystery surrounding it all was quite good, too. Overall, it was very enjoyable and read quickly.
September 1, 2018
When I first read the reviews for this book I found a lot of lower reviews. I have no idea why anyone would rate this book poorly. I really enjoyed the story and the Mystery. It kept me guessing until the very end. Even when I thought I had figured out at all I still had surprises to look forward to. I agree that the characters are rather simplistic, but that adds to its charm. Definitely on my read again list.
December 10, 2020
I was really on board with this book at the start. I've always loved the arranged marriage plots, the "Dragon/Dark/Evil/Overpowered" fiancé/husband, and it had such promising beginnings. But the further into the story I got the more compelled I became to DNF. The real urge hit during the 14th chapter, and had it not been for the knowledge that after the 15th I would be done, I might have actually stopped reading. Overall, I think I got lost just at the part where the main character became a bit too unpredictable and understandable. It was just hard to keep up and enjoy for me.
March 13, 2018
Disappointing. I really wanted to like this book but found it very bland and a lot like an a fat suit - it may look voluminous but it is only lumpy padding with no actual bones and meat underneath.
November 30, 2018
Well
That seemed oddly paced. It was slow.going then utter despair.and oy. 3 page happy.ending. .
Seemed kind.of empty, all telling and not much doing, but not.my least favorite beauty and the beast imagining..
Was unaware it's a 2nd and not the first in a series.
That seemed oddly paced. It was slow.going then utter despair.and oy. 3 page happy.ending. .
Seemed kind.of empty, all telling and not much doing, but not.my least favorite beauty and the beast imagining..
Was unaware it's a 2nd and not the first in a series.
August 21, 2020
Rating: 2.0 stars
April 25, 2016
I expected this book to be classically BATB style, especially from this gorgeous cover decorated with roses and a lovely lady with curly hair. Am I slightly putting myself into the story? Probably. Lord knows I have crazy curls and love the monsters. This book was highly entertaining and really a refreshing new take on Beauty and the Beast!
Classically, Beauty and the Beast has a furry monster for the protagonist to fall in love with. This book deviates from that traditional and beautifully merges it with a world full of dragons. I was slightly skeptical in the beginning that I was going to like this book. I've read far too many books that started in a similar manner that quickly turned into horribly written erotica. Not knowing Christine Pope's work made me slightly gun shy.
I'm so pleased that I stuck through with this book. First of all, the main character is a completely adorable woman with a good head on her shoulders. She knows what she wants, how she wants it, and she's an impressive painter! As an artist myself, I could tell that the author not only understood painting, but also knew the emotions that come with creating art. Every scene where Rhianne had a paintbrush in her hands felt like a dream.
Of course, the beast is something that has to be talked about. A dragon but not a dragon. Cursed, deliciously tortured, and constantly holding back from the romance that the reader longs to happen. This was the kind of book that held all the cards when it came to giving happiness to this perfectly tormented beast. My only criticism for this character was that we never get to actually experience him in the beastly form. There are hints as to what he looks like, but there's never a scene where he's actually revealed. I would have really enjoyed reading that.
All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoying book that I devoured late at night when I should have been sleeping. It was an easy one to pick up and forget that anything else exists around you. It is part of a series, but it is not necessary to read the other parts of the series before this one.
April 18, 2016
LOVED IT! This was my first book by Christine Pope and I will definitely be reading more by her! First, some stats:
1. Does this book end in a cliff hanger? nope, fully contained (I didn't read the first one and didn't have a problem)
2. Is there cheating in this book? no
3. POV: only the heroine, but it's very well done
4. Book's genre: Historical Fantasy
5. Insta-love? no, a little faster than you might expect, but still it takes a couple of months
6. Heat level: very mild
7. Does this book have a HEA? HFN?
8. Book's triggers others may need warning of? Nope
Stick with me, now. Normally, I would read a stat sheet like that and think, "Boring!" But it wasn't! I loved Rhianne's character and her journey. For example (with no spoilers), the thought process she goes through before she decides to take her friend's place as the Dragon's Bride was intriguing. I thought it was going to be all Katniss Everdeen "I volunteer as tribute"-like, but it was a much more involved and nuanced. (Granted, I've never read The Hunger Games so I'm guessing on that part.) And I absolutely loved the description as Rhianne falls under the effects of the curse. The author shows that she really knows what she's writing about. Sorry, that's as specific as I can get without spoiling it. Just know that a lot of what other reviews are calling bad characterization seemed to me to be the curse taking effect before we realize it.
Ms. Pope also does a great job with Theran's character, even though we only see him through Rhianne's eyes. It was a hard thing to do, because we don't know the specifics of the curse until after, and so he could just seem aloof instead of tortured. I am really glad that Ms. Pope didn't give in to the temptation to
Overall, I really enjoyed it and I think you will too. I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Pope in the future.
1. Does this book end in a cliff hanger? nope, fully contained (I didn't read the first one and didn't have a problem)
2. Is there cheating in this book? no
3. POV: only the heroine, but it's very well done
4. Book's genre: Historical Fantasy
5. Insta-love? no, a little faster than you might expect, but still it takes a couple of months
6. Heat level: very mild
7. Does this book have a HEA? HFN?
8. Book's triggers others may need warning of? Nope
Stick with me, now. Normally, I would read a stat sheet like that and think, "Boring!" But it wasn't! I loved Rhianne's character and her journey. For example (with no spoilers), the thought process she goes through before she decides to take her friend's place as the Dragon's Bride was intriguing. I thought it was going to be all Katniss Everdeen "I volunteer as tribute"-like, but it was a much more involved and nuanced. (Granted, I've never read The Hunger Games so I'm guessing on that part.) And I absolutely loved the description as Rhianne falls under the effects of the curse. The author shows that she really knows what she's writing about. Sorry, that's as specific as I can get without spoiling it. Just know that a lot of what other reviews are calling bad characterization seemed to me to be the curse taking effect before we realize it.
Ms. Pope also does a great job with Theran's character, even though we only see him through Rhianne's eyes. It was a hard thing to do, because we don't know the specifics of the curse until after, and so he could just seem aloof instead of tortured. I am really glad that Ms. Pope didn't give in to the temptation to
Overall, I really enjoyed it and I think you will too. I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Pope in the future.
March 31, 2016
A Beauty and the Beast type fairy tale love story in the form of a dragon.
When you grow up living in a town where young girls enter a lottery to see who will be the next bride for the Lord of Black’s Keep, you come to expect the worst. Rhianne liked to paint, something unheard of, no women shall do such a skill. While she was of the age to be married, her parents tried to find her a proper suitor. As luck would have it, an older gentleman was a prospect, but when her father is injured, her secret of painting is revealed.
On the day of the bride lottery, her best friend is chosen. Knowing her best friend was to be married, Rhianne offered herself instead of her friend. A never before occurrence, but the elders allowed it. Rhianne had no idea what lay ahead, other than she would never see her family, friends or her town ever again.
Rhianne was whisked away to her future husband, the Dragon. The ceremony was held immediately. She was shown to her new rooms in a large castle, away from her previous life.
As time passes, she finds she has fallen in love with the Dragon, even though she has never seen him. A slight touch, his voice, his build, all strike at her heart. She is saddened that even though the Dragon seems to want her affection, he always stops short. No one will reveal the truth behind the curse that caused this man to be sentenced to a life in a dragon form. In addition, a strange dream keeps her painting a man she has never seen before. Who is this man and why does he come to her in her dreams?
What will it take to break this curse, and can Rhianne finally be the one to do it? Or will her town continue to find the next bride?
Well written to keep you turning pages. Minimal characters but each have their own personality. If you like love stories, or Beauty and the Beast, or fairy tale type stories, you will like this.
When you grow up living in a town where young girls enter a lottery to see who will be the next bride for the Lord of Black’s Keep, you come to expect the worst. Rhianne liked to paint, something unheard of, no women shall do such a skill. While she was of the age to be married, her parents tried to find her a proper suitor. As luck would have it, an older gentleman was a prospect, but when her father is injured, her secret of painting is revealed.
On the day of the bride lottery, her best friend is chosen. Knowing her best friend was to be married, Rhianne offered herself instead of her friend. A never before occurrence, but the elders allowed it. Rhianne had no idea what lay ahead, other than she would never see her family, friends or her town ever again.
Rhianne was whisked away to her future husband, the Dragon. The ceremony was held immediately. She was shown to her new rooms in a large castle, away from her previous life.
As time passes, she finds she has fallen in love with the Dragon, even though she has never seen him. A slight touch, his voice, his build, all strike at her heart. She is saddened that even though the Dragon seems to want her affection, he always stops short. No one will reveal the truth behind the curse that caused this man to be sentenced to a life in a dragon form. In addition, a strange dream keeps her painting a man she has never seen before. Who is this man and why does he come to her in her dreams?
What will it take to break this curse, and can Rhianne finally be the one to do it? Or will her town continue to find the next bride?
Well written to keep you turning pages. Minimal characters but each have their own personality. If you like love stories, or Beauty and the Beast, or fairy tale type stories, you will like this.
October 27, 2021
Life is good in the small little town of Lirinsholme, it’s a quiet village with every day like the one before. Rhianne is struggling though as she brushes against the sexism that keeps a woman in her place and it only gets worse when she finds her place is to be married off to Liat Marenson; on of the richest men in town. As the older of the girls in the house it’s her job to secure that dowry to keep the family moving and as a woman in a vaguely medieval fantasy town it’s not like she has hopes for much else like taking over the family business. This is emphasized by the uproar caused when people find out that she is helping out her dear papa by doing some of the paint work on his plates.
Of course none of this stakes up to the fact that her best friend in the world is to be given to the Dragon in the castle as tribute. Figuring the bag of gold he pays for such tributes would cover her family and this would get her out of marrying someone so heinous she agrees to take her place, leave her life, family, and friends behind to go marry an immortal creature in the mountains above who has been marrying such women for longer than anyone can care to count.
Now I want to stop here and say that this first third or so of the book is pretty good. I got a feeling for our lead, her wants, dream, and desires. I got a rough sense of the world we are in without the book bogging itself down in world building disease. It’s well written and well structured and I can ignore the hunger games type cliche and even the whole Beauty and the Beast theme the book is going for. But as soon as she enters the castle this all seems to fall down somewhat. That’s not to say that Christine forgets how to write so much as she forget how to plot and structure. The single biggest issue with the book goes back to the old cliche of stockholme syndrome with Belle. It’s the old cliche hot take going round the internet since Cracked made it god knows how many years ago. Now this quickly typed post isn’t about that and neither is this book. While she is in the castle unable to ever return home forcible married to the dragon she is for the most part left to her own devices. She is provided with art supplies to entertain herself and free to roam the castle with the monster dining with her for the evening meal not by making her but simply by extending the offer. The reason I bring up stockholme syndrome is that if she were to have it she may have the quickest case ever seen even in pop culture.
When she volunteers to be his bride she is taken up to the castle. Bathed and dressed before she must attend the wedding to her husband to be.As she goes through with this marriage with a “man” she has just met she keeps instructing herself not to flinch or faint. Recoil in horror or strike out at this monster. Not due to some kind of honor, or to present herself as brave but because she does not want to hurt his feelings. This is day one and it only goes from there. Throughout the book she is cursing herself for ever being rude to the beast that has taken her, as many women before, from her life and home to be his bride. At least Belle has the decency to look put out about this for a bit. Rhianne has given her heart and soul to him on night one only ever seeming to curse herself that she isn’t a better wife for the man who has gone through three hundred. I feel I should mention here that they call for a new wife about every ten years, from what I can tell, at least that’s how quickly he goes through them. While he is an immortal creature this isn’t a case of him claiming a new bride every generation or so and Rhianne knows this going in.
There are other problems with the book of course, all hidden at the end of the novel. We get an exposition dump of the curse in the last half a dozen pages that seem to be there because we couldn’t introduce them earlier for thematic reasons, I guess, but we have to include them to waver our male lead of any wrong doing in the eyes of the reader. Once I again I return to Disney who made the concession of at least having Prince Adam being a slightly douchy, shallow kid when he got cursed. As I said a hundred or so words back the book is well written but poorly plotted and almost afraid of a character arch between them. Using Beauty and Beast as the base line as you are probably at least broadly aware of one version of that movie or another. This movie ditches the dramatic opening and closing sections of the film to focus on the montage of them getting together. Now while this wouldn’t be my choice as I’m a sucker for an over done fight scene or two, this wouldn’t be a bad thing if they had fleshed this out somewhat instead of leaving each scene as shallow as they are. It felt like they were only together for an hour or so at a time and a day on the moors with a picnic could have worked to flesh both of them out as well as the love I was supposed to be rooting for. He constructs these clockwork contraptions and I ask could he not have made some paint pot shaker or something rather than just buying in a load of stuff for her to keep busy with.
This is the first book in a series and was given away for free and I’ve come out of this quite liking Christine Pope and her writing style. She never layered on the purple prose and she didn’t paint Rhianne as the prettiest woman to ever grace the world who had no clue that she wasn’t really some quasimodi like thing as other writers have done with similar books. However I have no real desire to pick up the next book in the series or ever read up on Rhianne or the dragon of Black keep ever again. She is a little naive and does have a few special powers that make her a little too precious and this in my one spoiler of the review kind of left me questioning the book.
So the curse can only be lifted by someone who sees him for who he truly is. Rhianne can do this due to her special ability which under cuts the loving someone for who they are belief a little but I’m even willing to go along with this. My issue is that the dragon is only aware that she sees him for who he is as she has painted a picture of of the man in her dreams which happens, unbeknownst to her, to be him. Painting is a very unusual hobby for a young lady to the point that it is quite frowned upon even by the castle staff when she first arrives. My point is how many of the other women also saw him for who he was but just couldn’t draw for toffee. Like had that been me I would have to just let the curse take me because he would have never realised the stick man I drew in the margin of my note book is how he appears in my dreams.
See more reviews at https://kibbinscodex.wordpress.com/
Of course none of this stakes up to the fact that her best friend in the world is to be given to the Dragon in the castle as tribute. Figuring the bag of gold he pays for such tributes would cover her family and this would get her out of marrying someone so heinous she agrees to take her place, leave her life, family, and friends behind to go marry an immortal creature in the mountains above who has been marrying such women for longer than anyone can care to count.
Now I want to stop here and say that this first third or so of the book is pretty good. I got a feeling for our lead, her wants, dream, and desires. I got a rough sense of the world we are in without the book bogging itself down in world building disease. It’s well written and well structured and I can ignore the hunger games type cliche and even the whole Beauty and the Beast theme the book is going for. But as soon as she enters the castle this all seems to fall down somewhat. That’s not to say that Christine forgets how to write so much as she forget how to plot and structure. The single biggest issue with the book goes back to the old cliche of stockholme syndrome with Belle. It’s the old cliche hot take going round the internet since Cracked made it god knows how many years ago. Now this quickly typed post isn’t about that and neither is this book. While she is in the castle unable to ever return home forcible married to the dragon she is for the most part left to her own devices. She is provided with art supplies to entertain herself and free to roam the castle with the monster dining with her for the evening meal not by making her but simply by extending the offer. The reason I bring up stockholme syndrome is that if she were to have it she may have the quickest case ever seen even in pop culture.
When she volunteers to be his bride she is taken up to the castle. Bathed and dressed before she must attend the wedding to her husband to be.As she goes through with this marriage with a “man” she has just met she keeps instructing herself not to flinch or faint. Recoil in horror or strike out at this monster. Not due to some kind of honor, or to present herself as brave but because she does not want to hurt his feelings. This is day one and it only goes from there. Throughout the book she is cursing herself for ever being rude to the beast that has taken her, as many women before, from her life and home to be his bride. At least Belle has the decency to look put out about this for a bit. Rhianne has given her heart and soul to him on night one only ever seeming to curse herself that she isn’t a better wife for the man who has gone through three hundred. I feel I should mention here that they call for a new wife about every ten years, from what I can tell, at least that’s how quickly he goes through them. While he is an immortal creature this isn’t a case of him claiming a new bride every generation or so and Rhianne knows this going in.
There are other problems with the book of course, all hidden at the end of the novel. We get an exposition dump of the curse in the last half a dozen pages that seem to be there because we couldn’t introduce them earlier for thematic reasons, I guess, but we have to include them to waver our male lead of any wrong doing in the eyes of the reader. Once I again I return to Disney who made the concession of at least having Prince Adam being a slightly douchy, shallow kid when he got cursed. As I said a hundred or so words back the book is well written but poorly plotted and almost afraid of a character arch between them. Using Beauty and Beast as the base line as you are probably at least broadly aware of one version of that movie or another. This movie ditches the dramatic opening and closing sections of the film to focus on the montage of them getting together. Now while this wouldn’t be my choice as I’m a sucker for an over done fight scene or two, this wouldn’t be a bad thing if they had fleshed this out somewhat instead of leaving each scene as shallow as they are. It felt like they were only together for an hour or so at a time and a day on the moors with a picnic could have worked to flesh both of them out as well as the love I was supposed to be rooting for. He constructs these clockwork contraptions and I ask could he not have made some paint pot shaker or something rather than just buying in a load of stuff for her to keep busy with.
This is the first book in a series and was given away for free and I’ve come out of this quite liking Christine Pope and her writing style. She never layered on the purple prose and she didn’t paint Rhianne as the prettiest woman to ever grace the world who had no clue that she wasn’t really some quasimodi like thing as other writers have done with similar books. However I have no real desire to pick up the next book in the series or ever read up on Rhianne or the dragon of Black keep ever again. She is a little naive and does have a few special powers that make her a little too precious and this in my one spoiler of the review kind of left me questioning the book.
So the curse can only be lifted by someone who sees him for who he truly is. Rhianne can do this due to her special ability which under cuts the loving someone for who they are belief a little but I’m even willing to go along with this. My issue is that the dragon is only aware that she sees him for who he is as she has painted a picture of of the man in her dreams which happens, unbeknownst to her, to be him. Painting is a very unusual hobby for a young lady to the point that it is quite frowned upon even by the castle staff when she first arrives. My point is how many of the other women also saw him for who he was but just couldn’t draw for toffee. Like had that been me I would have to just let the curse take me because he would have never realised the stick man I drew in the margin of my note book is how he appears in my dreams.
See more reviews at https://kibbinscodex.wordpress.com/
December 1, 2012
I'd give it 4.5 if it were possible.
An enjoyable retelling of the Beauty and the Beast. The writing was very good and both the beauty and the beast were likeable characters with their virtues and flaws which is something that always appeals to me. I would have liked deeper secondary characters, but being the book written in first person it wouldn't be really possible, I guess.
What ALWAYS disappoints me in the retellings of this fairytale is how the curse gets solved in the end (in this particular case I found it a bit weak ), but then again it is a common problem with this fairytale that the beast manages to conquer the hearts of the female readers only to break them once the curse is lifted...and not lifting it wouldn't be an option anyway.
Beside this, the book is very compelling (I read it to the end almost without stopping) therefore it surely deserves, in my opinion, its spot among the most successful retellings of this fairytale.
An enjoyable retelling of the Beauty and the Beast. The writing was very good and both the beauty and the beast were likeable characters with their virtues and flaws which is something that always appeals to me. I would have liked deeper secondary characters, but being the book written in first person it wouldn't be really possible, I guess.
What ALWAYS disappoints me in the retellings of this fairytale is how the curse gets solved in the end (in this particular case I found it a bit weak ), but then again it is a common problem with this fairytale that the beast manages to conquer the hearts of the female readers only to break them once the curse is lifted...and not lifting it wouldn't be an option anyway.
Beside this, the book is very compelling (I read it to the end almost without stopping) therefore it surely deserves, in my opinion, its spot among the most successful retellings of this fairytale.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews