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Five Hundred Kingdoms #6
Beauty and the Werewolf
The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But BellaIsabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchantvows to escape the usual pitfalls.
Anxious to avoid the traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman. But on the way home she's attacked by a wolfwho turns out to be a cursed nobleman. Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laughwhen he isn't howling at the moon.
Bella knows all too well that breaking spells is never easy. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he's only an occasional werewolf) and a little Godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending.
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2011
247 people are currently reading
4513 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
431 books9,566 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 753 reviews
December 21, 2011
I don't know why I'm so disappointed in this book. It's probably my fault for having my expectations unreasonably high. It's not like Lackey's written any high quality books in years.
I have so many fundamental problems with this book, it's hard to keep count. Let's start with the fact it's been marketed as a fairy-tale for adults, but it's really a book for young teen girls. I had expected a narrative a bit less blindly following and simplistic. And then there's the issue that Lackey apparently used up all her good werewolf/beauty and the beast ideas in her 1995 novel, The Fire Rose, and she failed to pull off inventing the same story twice. (Robin McKinley Lackey isn't.) And then there's the fact the heroine is a spoiled manipulative child with flagrant Mary-Sue tendencies: Everybody loves her, even the servants, except for the people who hate her because (a) she outsmarted them, or (b) she refuses to conform to Their Petty Cultural Norms, and she functions as the powerbehind the throne at the heart of the house, but secretly so as to not upset her beloved family's delicate sensibilities; and the hero is a nonentity the entire book. But really, my biggest problem was the villain.
Look. The text of this book starts on page numbered 9. Eric was introduced at page 13 with subsequent character detail provided on pages 25-27 and 28-35. By page 58, it was blatantly obvious Eric was the big bad and not just a character red herring. By page 60, we have his goals and motivation. By page 71, we have a detailed account of his methods. And yet it takes until page 314 for the heroine to clue in to the villain's villainousness and her heartrending proclamation,'It was you! All along!', er, '"You did this to him!" she burst out, without thinking. "The curse—it was you!"' (at page 314!) had me closing the book firmly and setting it aside. I did not read one word further.
Favorite typo: 'Sapphire returned with several more ribbons trailing behind herp'. [p. 137]
Quotes and page counts pulled from ISBN 9780373803286.
I have so many fundamental problems with this book, it's hard to keep count. Let's start with the fact it's been marketed as a fairy-tale for adults, but it's really a book for young teen girls. I had expected a narrative a bit less blindly following and simplistic. And then there's the issue that Lackey apparently used up all her good werewolf/beauty and the beast ideas in her 1995 novel, The Fire Rose, and she failed to pull off inventing the same story twice. (Robin McKinley Lackey isn't.) And then there's the fact the heroine is a spoiled manipulative child with flagrant Mary-Sue tendencies: Everybody loves her, even the servants, except for the people who hate her because (a) she outsmarted them, or (b) she refuses to conform to Their Petty Cultural Norms, and she functions as the power
Look. The text of this book starts on page numbered 9. Eric was introduced at page 13 with subsequent character detail provided on pages 25-27 and 28-35. By page 58, it was blatantly obvious Eric was the big bad and not just a character red herring. By page 60, we have his goals and motivation. By page 71, we have a detailed account of his methods. And yet it takes until page 314 for the heroine to clue in to the villain's villainousness and her heartrending proclamation,
Favorite typo: 'Sapphire returned with several more ribbons trailing behind herp'. [p. 137]
Quotes and page counts pulled from ISBN 9780373803286.
September 11, 2012
You know something has gone horribly wrong with your novel when the dear reader finds herself rooting for the villain, of all people. Yet that is exactly what happened with Lackey's Beauty and the Werewolf: a promising but ultimately lackluster chapter in the 500 Kingdoms series.
Now, I know that Lackey has a tendency to be very hit and miss. Sometimes she will have sparkling novels full of life and humor and a certain something (The Fairy Godmother, The Black Swan) while others muddle along in the middling ground of enjoyability (The Sleeping Beauty, One Good Knight) and yet others just crash in spectacular flames of "how on earth did this get published?" (The Last Herald Mage, The Gates of Sleep). In fact, I tend to compare Lackey to her sci fi counterpart of Anne McCaffery: the longer they go into a series, the progressively worse it gets. Beauty and the Werewolf represents part of that trend of decline, though it falls between mediocre and terrible on the scale.
So what makes this entry into 500 Kingdoms so very bad?
Well, for one thing, the heroine is a bitch. I like a practically minded, strong willed girl capable of getting things done as much as the next person. But you don't have to look down on everyone else as Lesser Than Thou, nor be Perfect At Everything, nor Bask In How Everyone Adores You Even Though You Are Kind of a Condescending Manipulative Whore Who Can't Take Any Responsibility For Anything Ever. She's that one girl that I can never stand, the one who assumes that just because she was born with brains and some beauty, she's perfect. She knows best all the time. She is never wrong about anything.
Then there's the hero. I agree with other reviewers in that he is essentially a non-entity. We are rarely if ever shown him actually interacting with the heroine in any meaningful way, forget him doing anything meaningful or interesting on his own power. Lackey assures us through a couple of sentences every so often that our hero is so interested in magic because he's telling the heroine all about it. But we don't see that interaction. So fuck that. He could be replaced with an actual wolf, for all the good he does.
And what about the villain? I read complaints on Goodreads even before I started reading the book, and many of them centered on how obvious the villain was. For the record, Eric (the villain and the only character in the book worth naming with any seriousness) is slapped by the Almighty Authorial Hand as being Evil very early on. It's pretty impossible to miss. Even if it wasn't, the Almighty Authorial Voice, through the heroine, reminds us that Eric is Evil every 20 or so pages.
What kills me is that Eric is actually a fascinating character. I mean, lets sit down and really think about this. There is so much conflict between his upbringing and what he could be. I wanted a story about him. About his struggle with the Tradition, about where he was going, about his eventual redemption. I loved this nuanced sort of person who, though clearly not a Hero, was at the very least a very likable Anti Hero.
But the Almighty Authorial Personage crushed this rather more interesting character into a flat one dimensional villain so that there would be more room for trite babbling about how the heroine is So Practical Because She Wears Breeches Guys OMG.
It pisses me off that Lackey had someone like Eric, who was actually interesting, and chose instead to go with the bitch and the nonentity because they were somehow more Good. Screw Good. I've had enough of Good. Give me a taste of the Morally Ambiguous.
So stick that in your juice box and suck on it.
Now, I know that Lackey has a tendency to be very hit and miss. Sometimes she will have sparkling novels full of life and humor and a certain something (The Fairy Godmother, The Black Swan) while others muddle along in the middling ground of enjoyability (The Sleeping Beauty, One Good Knight) and yet others just crash in spectacular flames of "how on earth did this get published?" (The Last Herald Mage, The Gates of Sleep). In fact, I tend to compare Lackey to her sci fi counterpart of Anne McCaffery: the longer they go into a series, the progressively worse it gets. Beauty and the Werewolf represents part of that trend of decline, though it falls between mediocre and terrible on the scale.
So what makes this entry into 500 Kingdoms so very bad?
Well, for one thing, the heroine is a bitch. I like a practically minded, strong willed girl capable of getting things done as much as the next person. But you don't have to look down on everyone else as Lesser Than Thou, nor be Perfect At Everything, nor Bask In How Everyone Adores You Even Though You Are Kind of a Condescending Manipulative Whore Who Can't Take Any Responsibility For Anything Ever. She's that one girl that I can never stand, the one who assumes that just because she was born with brains and some beauty, she's perfect. She knows best all the time. She is never wrong about anything.
Then there's the hero. I agree with other reviewers in that he is essentially a non-entity. We are rarely if ever shown him actually interacting with the heroine in any meaningful way, forget him doing anything meaningful or interesting on his own power. Lackey assures us through a couple of sentences every so often that our hero is so interested in magic because he's telling the heroine all about it. But we don't see that interaction. So fuck that. He could be replaced with an actual wolf, for all the good he does.
And what about the villain? I read complaints on Goodreads even before I started reading the book, and many of them centered on how obvious the villain was. For the record, Eric (the villain and the only character in the book worth naming with any seriousness) is slapped by the Almighty Authorial Hand as being Evil very early on. It's pretty impossible to miss. Even if it wasn't, the Almighty Authorial Voice, through the heroine, reminds us that Eric is Evil every 20 or so pages.
What kills me is that Eric is actually a fascinating character. I mean, lets sit down and really think about this. There is so much conflict between his upbringing and what he could be. I wanted a story about him. About his struggle with the Tradition, about where he was going, about his eventual redemption. I loved this nuanced sort of person who, though clearly not a Hero, was at the very least a very likable Anti Hero.
But the Almighty Authorial Personage crushed this rather more interesting character into a flat one dimensional villain so that there would be more room for trite babbling about how the heroine is So Practical Because She Wears Breeches Guys OMG.
It pisses me off that Lackey had someone like Eric, who was actually interesting, and chose instead to go with the bitch and the nonentity because they were somehow more Good. Screw Good. I've had enough of Good. Give me a taste of the Morally Ambiguous.
So stick that in your juice box and suck on it.
February 26, 2012
I found this when I was searching my library for down loadable books that were available without having to go on a waiting list. This one popped up, and it looked decent, so I snagged it without really getting my hopes up.
Color me shocked. It was good!
I didn't realize that it was the 6th book in a series, but since they are pretty much stand-alone stories, it didn't really matter. I guess I probably missed some references to past characters, but nothing important to the current plot. Well, I suppose I would have already known about The Tradition if I had read the other books first, but it made for a cool surprise.
I don't want to ruin too much of the plot, but I thought it was an inventive retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I'll admit I thought it might be Little Red Riding Hood when I first started reading it. I think that may have been the the point, though.
Color me shocked. It was good!
I didn't realize that it was the 6th book in a series, but since they are pretty much stand-alone stories, it didn't really matter. I guess I probably missed some references to past characters, but nothing important to the current plot. Well, I suppose I would have already known about The Tradition if I had read the other books first, but it made for a cool surprise.
I don't want to ruin too much of the plot, but I thought it was an inventive retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I'll admit I thought it might be Little Red Riding Hood when I first started reading it. I think that may have been the the point, though.
April 3, 2012
This might not be the best of the 500 Kingdoms series, but still I found it enjoyable enough to finish in two days. You can tell how well I like a book by how quickly I finish it. Even short, easily read books take me a long time to finish if I don't like them much.
Is Bella too perfect? Of COURSE she is! That's how 99% of fairy tale heroines are. With the exception of the heroine of The Frog Prince - in that one she was an insufferable brat who tried to kill the cursed prince.
Is the villain predictable? Yes. Again, that's a fairy tale tradition. Villains are always predictable.
The only thing that bothers me about this book - the cover art. In the book Bella is described as a blonde. On the cover she's a brunette. Did the artist even READ the book? Actually this is something I have a problem with in a lot of books and movies. People, stop making blondes into brunettes! (For instance, Christine is The Phantom Of The Opera is a blue eyed blonde who suffers from nearsightedness. So STOP showing her as a brown eyed brunette!)
Oh, and Lackey does need to learn something - actually, this is something a lot of authors need to learn. When you're writing about a woman's hair, the word is blonde with an E. When you're writing about a man's hair, it's blond without the E.
Feminine Form = blonde.
Masculine Form = blond.
Got it? Good.
Is Bella too perfect? Of COURSE she is! That's how 99% of fairy tale heroines are. With the exception of the heroine of The Frog Prince - in that one she was an insufferable brat who tried to kill the cursed prince.
Is the villain predictable? Yes. Again, that's a fairy tale tradition. Villains are always predictable.
The only thing that bothers me about this book - the cover art. In the book Bella is described as a blonde. On the cover she's a brunette. Did the artist even READ the book? Actually this is something I have a problem with in a lot of books and movies. People, stop making blondes into brunettes! (For instance, Christine is The Phantom Of The Opera is a blue eyed blonde who suffers from nearsightedness. So STOP showing her as a brown eyed brunette!)
Oh, and Lackey does need to learn something - actually, this is something a lot of authors need to learn. When you're writing about a woman's hair, the word is blonde with an E. When you're writing about a man's hair, it's blond without the E.
Feminine Form = blonde.
Masculine Form = blond.
Got it? Good.
October 23, 2017
This is one of Lackey's later projects, in which a number of stories are set in a series of magical kingdoms where a strong mythic tradition tries to twist its dwellers into fairytale lives.
This story contains mish-mash elements of little red riding hood, beauty and the beast, Cinderella and I think a couple more. Though that sounds unappealing it actually works out really well and add it the mix a thoroughly 21st century heroine who screams "girl power" (at least sub-vocally) one has a light, fin book very suited to modern girls who like a bit of mythic fairy tale, but do not want wimpy leading ladies.
Though I read the first of this loosely interconnected 'Five hundred kingdoms' series first, I think it is not really necessary to have read other in the series, to enjoy this one. Lackey always repeats the elements of her stories that she likes, so the 'tradition' and the fairy-godmother business are explained fine.
This story contains mish-mash elements of little red riding hood, beauty and the beast, Cinderella and I think a couple more. Though that sounds unappealing it actually works out really well and add it the mix a thoroughly 21st century heroine who screams "girl power" (at least sub-vocally) one has a light, fin book very suited to modern girls who like a bit of mythic fairy tale, but do not want wimpy leading ladies.
Though I read the first of this loosely interconnected 'Five hundred kingdoms' series first, I think it is not really necessary to have read other in the series, to enjoy this one. Lackey always repeats the elements of her stories that she likes, so the 'tradition' and the fairy-godmother business are explained fine.
March 11, 2025
I did something I haven't done in ages with this book - downloaded it from Overdrive and started reading without checking any reviews or even reading the description on GR first. And I'm very glad I did. I was expecting a sort of Beauty and the Beast, of course, and I've read a couple of other books in this series so I knew how the magic worked. But as I read I started to get Little Red Riding Hood vibes and wondered if that was leading somewhere else, too. The characters were interesting, and if there were no real surprises I enjoyed most of it. However, I did think it dragged some around the middle. Bella definitely needed a little more to do than go riding and think about clothes!
Still, all in all this was an enjoyable if not wonderful version of one of my favorite fairy tales, and Bella proved to be a resourceful heroine.
Still, all in all this was an enjoyable if not wonderful version of one of my favorite fairy tales, and Bella proved to be a resourceful heroine.
September 10, 2012
Definitely better than some of the other Mercedes Lackey books I've recently read (in different series). As with the other Five Hundred Kingdoms books, it incorporates elements from a number of fairy tales with little twists to tie them together. The Tradition (a force that manipulates people into following a typical fairy tale path) is present throughout, and the main character must find ways to circumvent it. Characters from previous books show up (so if you haven't read The Fairy Godmother there are a few spoilers in this one) but otherwise the books are easy to follow stand-alone. I guess that's a general look at the series, so here's a few specifics:
I like the nod to Red Riding Hood at the beginning...it's clearly a reference, but it's not so overstated that it seems like in the author felt the need to point it out. (For an example of how the author does this badly elsewhere, see Home From the Sea.) The story is told from one character's point of view, giving us a solid grasp on what Bella is thinking and feeling but obscures the motives of other characters. I like this because it adds a little more mystery to the villain's identity than many of Lackey's other books, where we can see into the mind of the villain and know who it is all along. The invisible servants are a nice touch as well, since they all have distinct personalities and add some background characters without overwhelming the story. The ending is less sugary-sweet than some "happily ever afters", in that all is well but not everything is suddenly sunshine and rainbows.
There were only a few little things that bothered me, which is a refreshing change from the other Lackey books I've read recently. I know there are only so many ways to spin "Beauty" into a name, and Belle is what everyone thinks of when they think Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, whenever I see "Bella" my mind goes to Twilight, which is not an association I would want people to make if I was writing a story involving werewolves. In other words, it would have been nice to see a more obscure variant, like "Elena" instead of "Cinderella" in The Fairy Godmother. There's one other thing I can't help but wondering: where does everyone but Bella's father think she is? The story takes place over a month or so, and surely her stepmother, stepsisters, servants, and other acquaintances would have been wondering. I think it would almost have been a more interesting story if she had gone home and found that she had become a pariah because she just spent three months living unchaperoned with two young men.
I like the nod to Red Riding Hood at the beginning...it's clearly a reference, but it's not so overstated that it seems like in the author felt the need to point it out. (For an example of how the author does this badly elsewhere, see Home From the Sea.) The story is told from one character's point of view, giving us a solid grasp on what Bella is thinking and feeling but obscures the motives of other characters. I like this because it adds a little more mystery to the villain's identity than many of Lackey's other books, where we can see into the mind of the villain and know who it is all along. The invisible servants are a nice touch as well, since they all have distinct personalities and add some background characters without overwhelming the story. The ending is less sugary-sweet than some "happily ever afters", in that all is well but not everything is suddenly sunshine and rainbows.
There were only a few little things that bothered me, which is a refreshing change from the other Lackey books I've read recently. I know there are only so many ways to spin "Beauty" into a name, and Belle is what everyone thinks of when they think Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, whenever I see "Bella" my mind goes to Twilight, which is not an association I would want people to make if I was writing a story involving werewolves. In other words, it would have been nice to see a more obscure variant, like "Elena" instead of "Cinderella" in The Fairy Godmother. There's one other thing I can't help but wondering: where does everyone but Bella's father think she is? The story takes place over a month or so, and surely her stepmother, stepsisters, servants, and other acquaintances would have been wondering. I think it would almost have been a more interesting story if she had gone home and found that she had become a pariah because she just spent three months living unchaperoned with two young men.
August 18, 2012
Beauty and the Werewolf was the first book that I’d picked up from her set in the Five Hundred Kingdoms world. I adored it. Without giving too much away, the Five Hundred Kingdoms is a world where basically all fairy tales can happen and the Tradition (or Trad as it’s referred to in the books), is a force of magic that wants people to fulfill certain fairy tales. Some fairy tales have a happy ending, others do not. In this particular story, they’re able to achieve a happy ending.
The main character, Bella, is extremely relatable and self-aware. I really appreciated the fact that you could almost put her into the ‘self-rescuing’, unconventional princess category. I did find that I suspected the villain from the beginning of the book, but that was ok. It was enjoyable to read. The interaction between the characters was entertaining.
This book actually made me go back and purchase the first in the series, which I also enjoyed immensely, but that’s a story for another day.
I grew up on Mercedes Lackey and I’m happy to say that I can still enjoy her writing 20 years later.
The main character, Bella, is extremely relatable and self-aware. I really appreciated the fact that you could almost put her into the ‘self-rescuing’, unconventional princess category. I did find that I suspected the villain from the beginning of the book, but that was ok. It was enjoyable to read. The interaction between the characters was entertaining.
This book actually made me go back and purchase the first in the series, which I also enjoyed immensely, but that’s a story for another day.
I grew up on Mercedes Lackey and I’m happy to say that I can still enjoy her writing 20 years later.
September 10, 2016
Abandoned this at the half-way point. This reads like it's written for children, not adults. Poorly developed characters and a plot that could've been half as long. It's just not for me.
October 31, 2022
Pleasant read, but nothing special. Too cute for a grown up romance and too sexy for YA.
September 15, 2013
...what is it about Red and the Wolf?
Locked as I have been into the Valdemar universe, Mercedes Lackey’s Five Hundred Kingdom’s series is far more enjoyable than I originally anticipated. I guess as writers develop and explore new avenues their fans must join them—or leave. I chose to stay.
It seems that every time I turn around there’s a new movie, book or television show that’s centered on Grimm’s story of Little Red Riding Hood where surprise the wolf is no mere wolf but a Were. Yes and the cover seemed to set that up. So, I wondered!
After reading Beauty and the Werewolf I wondered no more. Lackey’s insightful development of the Little Red Riding Hood--and Cinderella (Bella) and Beauty (of the Beast variety), archetype or rather archetypes, is an excellent read. The characters are strong and believable yet the story retains its fairytale/fantasy essence.
Isabella Beauchamp is cast in the role of Beauty/Little Red Riding Hood—. She is also the eldest daughter of a wealthy merchant, with a stepmother and two stepsisters. Of course no archetypal fairy story would be complete without a duke who’s a wizard, an bastard son, a Granny and the ever present Godmother (plus magic mirrors and commanding Kings). Let’s not forget the Beast and the Wolf., or rather the Beastly Wolf. With all this raw material ‘TheTradition’ has plenty of ‘grist for the mill’ to intervene in if allowed.
Isabella becomes aware of ‘The Tradition’ at the same time as her own powers awaken, and the readers explores with her the influence and possible ramifications of ‘The Tradition’ upon her life. As the various facets of hero and villain become interwoven, Lackey produces a startling and fresh take on this age old fairy story. Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, not forgetting the Granny (albeit a minor role), are revealed in a new and lively dimension.
Further, the exploration of ‘The Tradition’ woven into the story via Isabella strengthened my understanding of the genesis of the series as a whole. A first rate read!
a Netgalley ARC
Locked as I have been into the Valdemar universe, Mercedes Lackey’s Five Hundred Kingdom’s series is far more enjoyable than I originally anticipated. I guess as writers develop and explore new avenues their fans must join them—or leave. I chose to stay.
It seems that every time I turn around there’s a new movie, book or television show that’s centered on Grimm’s story of Little Red Riding Hood where surprise the wolf is no mere wolf but a Were. Yes and the cover seemed to set that up. So, I wondered!
After reading Beauty and the Werewolf I wondered no more. Lackey’s insightful development of the Little Red Riding Hood--and Cinderella (Bella) and Beauty (of the Beast variety), archetype or rather archetypes, is an excellent read. The characters are strong and believable yet the story retains its fairytale/fantasy essence.
Isabella Beauchamp is cast in the role of Beauty/Little Red Riding Hood—. She is also the eldest daughter of a wealthy merchant, with a stepmother and two stepsisters. Of course no archetypal fairy story would be complete without a duke who’s a wizard, an bastard son, a Granny and the ever present Godmother (plus magic mirrors and commanding Kings). Let’s not forget the Beast and the Wolf., or rather the Beastly Wolf. With all this raw material ‘TheTradition’ has plenty of ‘grist for the mill’ to intervene in if allowed.
Isabella becomes aware of ‘The Tradition’ at the same time as her own powers awaken, and the readers explores with her the influence and possible ramifications of ‘The Tradition’ upon her life. As the various facets of hero and villain become interwoven, Lackey produces a startling and fresh take on this age old fairy story. Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, not forgetting the Granny (albeit a minor role), are revealed in a new and lively dimension.
Further, the exploration of ‘The Tradition’ woven into the story via Isabella strengthened my understanding of the genesis of the series as a whole. A first rate read!
a Netgalley ARC
May 15, 2014
I thought this was one of the better installments in the "500 Kingdoms" series. It's utter fluff, of course, but very pleasant fluff.
I wasn't greatly impressed by the heroine's intelligence, given the identity of the villain was obvious to me from very early on, but she failed to realise until he made it blatantly obvious, at almost the very end. Mind you, so did everyone else in the story fail to realise, and you'd think some of them would at least have considered the notion.
Still, apart from that bit of plot-demanded stupidity (though I'm not even sure the plot did demand it), I liked the characters, and even the villain has a bit of depth to him.
The plotline is largely a mash-up of "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Beauty and the Beast", which works better than you might think.
And it has Lackey's usual attention to the details of how her characters live, which is one of the things I like best about her writing, and she's reined in her tendency to costume porn (though without sacrificing it altogether).
Overall, a nice, undemanding read, eminently suitable for times one does not wish to engage one's brain.
I wasn't greatly impressed by the heroine's intelligence, given the identity of the villain was obvious to me from very early on, but she failed to realise until he made it blatantly obvious, at almost the very end. Mind you, so did everyone else in the story fail to realise, and you'd think some of them would at least have considered the notion.
Still, apart from that bit of plot-demanded stupidity (though I'm not even sure the plot did demand it), I liked the characters, and even the villain has a bit of depth to him.
The plotline is largely a mash-up of "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Beauty and the Beast", which works better than you might think.
And it has Lackey's usual attention to the details of how her characters live, which is one of the things I like best about her writing, and she's reined in her tendency to costume porn (though without sacrificing it altogether).
Overall, a nice, undemanding read, eminently suitable for times one does not wish to engage one's brain.
June 17, 2017
The thing about Mercedes Lackey is that I always know exactly what I'm going to get out of her work. And that means I tend to pick her books up when I am in the mood for exactly that. They'll never be great works of literature, but they're enjoyably comfortable. And I find the Five Hundred Kingdoms series tends to hit those particular desires well. This is not my favourite installment in the series by any means, but it was an enjoyable read. A good way to spend an afternoon (and I've always found that Lackey's prose lends itself well to getting through a book in that time).
September 22, 2024
Fairytale retelling that is a mashup of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast
The FMC, Isabella (Bella), is the 20-year-old, beloved daughter of a wealthy merchant in this sword-and-sorcery, fantasy romance. Her love interest (LI), Sebastian, is a 24-year-old Duke. I refer to him as her LI, rather than the MMC, because, unlike the previous books in this series, this one provides only one POV, that of Bella. However, in spite of that choice, this novel puts a lot more emphasis on the romance than at least three of the books in this series (which I go into within my individual reviews of those books), in that Bella and Sebastian are frequently onstage together. This allows for a much more natural development of their romantic feelings, rather than the instalove that the author otherwise relies on in several other books in this series, when the story is top heavy with action-adventure.
The inciting incident of the romance in this novel is as follows: During the full moon, Sebastian, in the form of a werewolf, somehow (we do not find out how until the end of the book) escapes from the dungeon cell of his castle that he confines himself to during the three days of the full moon (which is the only time period that he is cursed to become a werewolf). Bella is walking in the snowy woods at the edge of his rambling estate, coming home after dark from visiting the local witch healer, who has been training her in herbal magic. In his mindlessly violent werewolf form, Sebastian spots Bella and attempts to attack her. She defends herself remarkably well, using a sturdy, fallen tree branch and backing into a narrow crevice between two boulders that the wolf is too big to enter. But he manages bite her, his teeth breaking through her boot and socks to cause a deep scratch on her foot. Amazingly, in spite of his growling rage, he finally obeys her, when she shouts a command for him to go away and leave her alone.
After Bella's wound is treated by her family's doctor, he informs the King of what happened to her. The King, who already knew that Sebastian turned into a werewolf, orders Bella to stay at Sebastian's castle for three months, or three full moons, to make sure she is not going to turn into a werewolf. This creates the classic, forced-proximity, Beauty and the Beast romance trope.
Similar to the other books in this series, this novel is G-rated, and therefore suitable for teenagers to read. There is only one scene with mild kissing and zero sex, either onstage or offstage. There is also no foul language. Only the evil villain makes the book somewhat PG, but the limited violence due to the villain's evil actions is not graphic.
Sebastian is an adorable Cinnamon Roll, and Bella is a very forthright and active FMC. I loved reading all the scenes of Bella's take-charge behavior in Sebastian's long neglected castle, including her work with herbs and her interactions with intriguing invisible servants. I particularly enjoyed the well-earned HEA culmination of their romance. The resolution of the action-adventure portion of the story is satisfyingly resolved as well.
This novel is one of the best fantasy-genre retellings of Beauty and the Beast which is suitable for YA that I have read to date. (My all-time favorite is Beauty by Robin McKinley from 1978.)
It is highly recommended to read all of the books in this series and read them in order because, in many fascinating ways, they build upon each other, especially through certain recurrent characters. The main repeater is the fairy godmother, Elena, who is the FMC of Book 1. She has an important part to play in this novel and is a significant subcharacter in Books 2-6 of this series. She creates a compelling throughline that links all the books together, above and beyond the central magical concept of the Tradition. Elena does not, however, upstage any of the other FMCs, because each time she shows up in Books 2-6, she has a cameo appearance.
I own this book and both Kindle and audiobook format. The voice talent does a good job. I have read this book many times over the years and have it enjoyed it very much every time.
The FMC, Isabella (Bella), is the 20-year-old, beloved daughter of a wealthy merchant in this sword-and-sorcery, fantasy romance. Her love interest (LI), Sebastian, is a 24-year-old Duke. I refer to him as her LI, rather than the MMC, because, unlike the previous books in this series, this one provides only one POV, that of Bella. However, in spite of that choice, this novel puts a lot more emphasis on the romance than at least three of the books in this series (which I go into within my individual reviews of those books), in that Bella and Sebastian are frequently onstage together. This allows for a much more natural development of their romantic feelings, rather than the instalove that the author otherwise relies on in several other books in this series, when the story is top heavy with action-adventure.
The inciting incident of the romance in this novel is as follows: During the full moon, Sebastian, in the form of a werewolf, somehow (we do not find out how until the end of the book) escapes from the dungeon cell of his castle that he confines himself to during the three days of the full moon (which is the only time period that he is cursed to become a werewolf). Bella is walking in the snowy woods at the edge of his rambling estate, coming home after dark from visiting the local witch healer, who has been training her in herbal magic. In his mindlessly violent werewolf form, Sebastian spots Bella and attempts to attack her. She defends herself remarkably well, using a sturdy, fallen tree branch and backing into a narrow crevice between two boulders that the wolf is too big to enter. But he manages bite her, his teeth breaking through her boot and socks to cause a deep scratch on her foot. Amazingly, in spite of his growling rage, he finally obeys her, when she shouts a command for him to go away and leave her alone.
After Bella's wound is treated by her family's doctor, he informs the King of what happened to her. The King, who already knew that Sebastian turned into a werewolf, orders Bella to stay at Sebastian's castle for three months, or three full moons, to make sure she is not going to turn into a werewolf. This creates the classic, forced-proximity, Beauty and the Beast romance trope.
Similar to the other books in this series, this novel is G-rated, and therefore suitable for teenagers to read. There is only one scene with mild kissing and zero sex, either onstage or offstage. There is also no foul language. Only the evil villain makes the book somewhat PG, but the limited violence due to the villain's evil actions is not graphic.
Sebastian is an adorable Cinnamon Roll, and Bella is a very forthright and active FMC. I loved reading all the scenes of Bella's take-charge behavior in Sebastian's long neglected castle, including her work with herbs and her interactions with intriguing invisible servants. I particularly enjoyed the well-earned HEA culmination of their romance. The resolution of the action-adventure portion of the story is satisfyingly resolved as well.
This novel is one of the best fantasy-genre retellings of Beauty and the Beast which is suitable for YA that I have read to date. (My all-time favorite is Beauty by Robin McKinley from 1978.)
It is highly recommended to read all of the books in this series and read them in order because, in many fascinating ways, they build upon each other, especially through certain recurrent characters. The main repeater is the fairy godmother, Elena, who is the FMC of Book 1. She has an important part to play in this novel and is a significant subcharacter in Books 2-6 of this series. She creates a compelling throughline that links all the books together, above and beyond the central magical concept of the Tradition. Elena does not, however, upstage any of the other FMCs, because each time she shows up in Books 2-6, she has a cameo appearance.
I own this book and both Kindle and audiobook format. The voice talent does a good job. I have read this book many times over the years and have it enjoyed it very much every time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2012
A warning of bias—Mercedes Lackey is the only author that I actively collect, and I love her Five Hundred Kingdoms series.
Beauty and the Werewolf is exactly that, a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast wherein the beast is a werewolf. If you enjoyed the Disney interpretation of the tale, this is fairly similar in tone: it is not a scary story. There are also touches of Cinderella and Red Riding Hood in Bella's story.
Bella is a strong, female character. She has a stepmother and two young stepsisters, her father is a wealthy merchant, and she gets up early to run the household. She has a knack for finding treasures and she has a friend in an old wise woman, Granny. Granny has been teaching Bella about the herbs of the forest. After Bella is bitten by a wolf she is whisked away by the King's men to the wolf's home and find herself living with Sebastian and Eric. Sebastian is the wolf, the Duke, and a sorcerer; Eric is the half-brother, the Gamekeeper, and a rake.
As Luna is a Harlequin imprint, it makes sense that there would have to be some elements of romance in the book (it also tends to be a trend throughout the Five Hundred Kingdoms series). Will Bella fall for the Duke or the rake? Tradition could dictate either.
It was nice to see Godmother Elena again, although her involvement in the story seemed a little contrived.
For me, one of the most interesting and enjoyable ports of the story was the invisible servants and Bella's interactions with them. The introduction of a fifth type of elemental, the Spirit Elemental, was a clever idea, and could have very interesting consequences for the Five Hundred Kingdoms (although, I may start thinking these creatures exist in the Elemental Masters series, which could be confusing as a reader). The servants' invisibility remains true to the original Beauty and the Beast story, and it was interesting to see to learn their backstory, and see how they interacted in this world.
As with all of Lackey's work, Beauty and the Werewolf is a nice, easy read. It's not my favourite of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, but I took to Bella right away, and I liked her "take charge" attitude. The only thing that put me off was the cover.
Beauty and the Werewolf is exactly that, a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast wherein the beast is a werewolf. If you enjoyed the Disney interpretation of the tale, this is fairly similar in tone: it is not a scary story. There are also touches of Cinderella and Red Riding Hood in Bella's story.
Bella is a strong, female character. She has a stepmother and two young stepsisters, her father is a wealthy merchant, and she gets up early to run the household. She has a knack for finding treasures and she has a friend in an old wise woman, Granny. Granny has been teaching Bella about the herbs of the forest. After Bella is bitten by a wolf she is whisked away by the King's men to the wolf's home and find herself living with Sebastian and Eric. Sebastian is the wolf, the Duke, and a sorcerer; Eric is the half-brother, the Gamekeeper, and a rake.
As Luna is a Harlequin imprint, it makes sense that there would have to be some elements of romance in the book (it also tends to be a trend throughout the Five Hundred Kingdoms series). Will Bella fall for the Duke or the rake? Tradition could dictate either.
It was nice to see Godmother Elena again, although her involvement in the story seemed a little contrived.
For me, one of the most interesting and enjoyable ports of the story was the invisible servants and Bella's interactions with them. The introduction of a fifth type of elemental, the Spirit Elemental, was a clever idea, and could have very interesting consequences for the Five Hundred Kingdoms (although, I may start thinking these creatures exist in the Elemental Masters series, which could be confusing as a reader). The servants' invisibility remains true to the original Beauty and the Beast story, and it was interesting to see to learn their backstory, and see how they interacted in this world.
As with all of Lackey's work, Beauty and the Werewolf is a nice, easy read. It's not my favourite of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, but I took to Bella right away, and I liked her "take charge" attitude. The only thing that put me off was the cover.
April 26, 2011
Theory: The Tradition = the patriarchy/kyriarchy.
Discuss.
Seriously: I think this series is really good and it is explicitly feminist and Lackey is doing some interesting things with it and it's not nearly as self-indulgent as some of her other series and I think the Luna folks are editing her pretty vigorously and it shows.
Discuss.
Seriously: I think this series is really good and it is explicitly feminist and Lackey is doing some interesting things with it and it's not nearly as self-indulgent as some of her other series and I think the Luna folks are editing her pretty vigorously and it shows.
July 20, 2018
2.5 out of 5 stars
October 7, 2011
I haven’t read any novels from the Tales of Five Hundred Kingdoms but I do love a fairytale (and one written for adults!) so I just couldn’t resist when I saw this available to review on Netgalley.
In the beginning of this fairy tale we get to know Bella’s family and her place within it - her father, wealthy merchant Henri Beauchamps, step-mother Genevieve and step-sisters Amber and Pearl. Bella has taken on the role of running the household since her mother died when she was ten and carried on even after Henri married Genevieve. Genevieve has taken the role of ‘invalid’ and comes across as rather snobbish. Amber and Pearl are the flighty socialites who prefer nothing better than to parade their fashionable clothes and gossip. Bella is very practical and down-to-earth.
Bella is learning the art of herbs and healing from ‘Granny’ who lives in the woods. It is on the way back from one of these visits that she is bitten by the werewolf, who by day is Duke Sebastian.
Whisked out of her bed during the early hours of the next morning, she finds out she is to be a virtual prisoner at the Duke’s estate for three months on order of the King and the ‘Godmother’ while they wait to see if Bella will turn into a werewolf herself.
The Duke’s home is served by invisible beings who have been ‘called’ by the Duke. They are spirit elementals and Bella gets to know the hierarchy as she is organising them. She learns that some of them are intelligent and may know more than they can say about the Duke’s curse. She also organises the stillroom and makes the lotions and liniments. It’s not long before Bella has the household organised! Then in steps Eric, the Gamekeeper. Eric takes her with him while he is catching poachers and trains her to use weapons and how to ride a horse. Eric hides a lot beneath the surface and is an intriguing character. Bella is also learning magic from Duke Sebastian and she realises she has a lot of power.
There are so many things I enjoyed on this magical journey. Granny – every fairy tale has to have a wise woman – one who is a healer and holder of wisdom. I think everyone should have access to a ‘Granny’! The ‘Godmother’ who is the highest authority on magic in several kingdoms – she has a vital part to play in the story and I loved her role. The Tradition. Even though this is imaginary … I have often thought in my own imaginings this may in fact be the force behind our world so I loved to see The Tradition shaping lives (or not as the case may be!).
Duke Sebastian is rather self-effacing and just wants to please but as the story unfolds, we see his character blossom into the man he really is! Bella is a very strong heroine. Forceful and demanding but very practical and down-to-earth. She is feisty and unconventional. I loved her confidence. Bella learns a vital lesson about manipulation – if we know we can create our own reality there is no need to manipulate others into providing for our needs.
Beauty and the Werewolf has a climax that I found to be rather exciting … and the epilogue just rounded the fairy tale off nicely and follows the path of The Tradition.
I have to admit that I am biased towards fairy tales, magic and sorcery. This story won’t appeal to everyone but even if you haven’t read a fairy tale since your childhood (or had one read to you!) I would recommend that you pick up a copy of Beauty and the Werewolf and let it take you to an imaginary place where magic shapes the world and experience a beautiful place to reside for a few hours. This story is a wonderful remake of a traditional fairy tale.
Also available to view on my blog - Jera's Jamboree http://shazjera.blogspot.com/
In the beginning of this fairy tale we get to know Bella’s family and her place within it - her father, wealthy merchant Henri Beauchamps, step-mother Genevieve and step-sisters Amber and Pearl. Bella has taken on the role of running the household since her mother died when she was ten and carried on even after Henri married Genevieve. Genevieve has taken the role of ‘invalid’ and comes across as rather snobbish. Amber and Pearl are the flighty socialites who prefer nothing better than to parade their fashionable clothes and gossip. Bella is very practical and down-to-earth.
Bella is learning the art of herbs and healing from ‘Granny’ who lives in the woods. It is on the way back from one of these visits that she is bitten by the werewolf, who by day is Duke Sebastian.
Whisked out of her bed during the early hours of the next morning, she finds out she is to be a virtual prisoner at the Duke’s estate for three months on order of the King and the ‘Godmother’ while they wait to see if Bella will turn into a werewolf herself.
The Duke’s home is served by invisible beings who have been ‘called’ by the Duke. They are spirit elementals and Bella gets to know the hierarchy as she is organising them. She learns that some of them are intelligent and may know more than they can say about the Duke’s curse. She also organises the stillroom and makes the lotions and liniments. It’s not long before Bella has the household organised! Then in steps Eric, the Gamekeeper. Eric takes her with him while he is catching poachers and trains her to use weapons and how to ride a horse. Eric hides a lot beneath the surface and is an intriguing character. Bella is also learning magic from Duke Sebastian and she realises she has a lot of power.
There are so many things I enjoyed on this magical journey. Granny – every fairy tale has to have a wise woman – one who is a healer and holder of wisdom. I think everyone should have access to a ‘Granny’! The ‘Godmother’ who is the highest authority on magic in several kingdoms – she has a vital part to play in the story and I loved her role. The Tradition. Even though this is imaginary … I have often thought in my own imaginings this may in fact be the force behind our world so I loved to see The Tradition shaping lives (or not as the case may be!).
Duke Sebastian is rather self-effacing and just wants to please but as the story unfolds, we see his character blossom into the man he really is! Bella is a very strong heroine. Forceful and demanding but very practical and down-to-earth. She is feisty and unconventional. I loved her confidence. Bella learns a vital lesson about manipulation – if we know we can create our own reality there is no need to manipulate others into providing for our needs.
Beauty and the Werewolf has a climax that I found to be rather exciting … and the epilogue just rounded the fairy tale off nicely and follows the path of The Tradition.
I have to admit that I am biased towards fairy tales, magic and sorcery. This story won’t appeal to everyone but even if you haven’t read a fairy tale since your childhood (or had one read to you!) I would recommend that you pick up a copy of Beauty and the Werewolf and let it take you to an imaginary place where magic shapes the world and experience a beautiful place to reside for a few hours. This story is a wonderful remake of a traditional fairy tale.
Also available to view on my blog - Jera's Jamboree http://shazjera.blogspot.com/
November 11, 2011
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Fantasy used to be my genre of choice before I discovered the Urban offshoot. The werewolf story line and having enjoyed books by Mercedes Lackey in the past were the tipping points for my decision to revisit this type of novel. There's definitely nothing modern about this tale between the castles, horses and petticoats but that only adds to its charm. This book blends together two classic fairy tales: Little Red Riding Hood & Beauty and the Beast, to create a spellbinding story about two star-crossed lovers. I could have done with more action or fewer pages because I did find that the plot dragged a bit but that point aside; Beauty and the Werewolf is a hopelessly romantic read that'll have to ooh'ing and aah'ing the whole way through.
The story starts off with a few twists on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale. Bella is trekking through the woods coming home from granny's house when she gets attacked by the big bad wolf. His bite is more than just a flesh wound though and she's quickly carted off to a castle where she's forced into seclusion for three moons. Queue the cursed prince charming or duke in this case with a household full of magical servants. There's even a floating rose at one point. I've always loved both of these fairy tales so it was a nice walk down memory lane getting to revisit them even if the ending was rather predictable. I deduced who the villain was pretty early on and found it mildly irritating that I had to trudge through 384 pages before the mystery is solved.
The magical side of this book is intriguing. Bella learns that she possess abilities of her own and begins to explore them more in depth. I also enjoyed the concept of the "Traditional path" and how your decisions can drastically alter your future. Picture a huge web of fairy tales that are all interconnected and your choices direct you towards either a happily ever after ending or a life of hardship. It felt a bit like one of those self-directed novels where the reader gets to make decisions except in this case it was the protagonist who's making them. Once miss Beauchamps is informed of the Tradition she often catches herself on a less than desirable path and takes steps to redirect her fate. Which sounds easier than it actually is. It's impossible to know all of the fairy tales and if you're not careful you can end up in one without even realizing it!
Although I did enjoy revisiting these two classic fairy tales; the overall experience left me feeling lukewarm. I felt apathetic towards all of the characters; none of them really stood out to me. They were just... there. The plot runs almost parallel to the original two stories and in my opinion the first versions are better than this rendition. My final thoughts are that Mercedes Lackey could have done a lot more with this book. I didn't hate it but I didn't exactly like it either. Beauty and the Werewolf was, for lack of a better word, meh.
Fantasy used to be my genre of choice before I discovered the Urban offshoot. The werewolf story line and having enjoyed books by Mercedes Lackey in the past were the tipping points for my decision to revisit this type of novel. There's definitely nothing modern about this tale between the castles, horses and petticoats but that only adds to its charm. This book blends together two classic fairy tales: Little Red Riding Hood & Beauty and the Beast, to create a spellbinding story about two star-crossed lovers. I could have done with more action or fewer pages because I did find that the plot dragged a bit but that point aside; Beauty and the Werewolf is a hopelessly romantic read that'll have to ooh'ing and aah'ing the whole way through.
The story starts off with a few twists on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale. Bella is trekking through the woods coming home from granny's house when she gets attacked by the big bad wolf. His bite is more than just a flesh wound though and she's quickly carted off to a castle where she's forced into seclusion for three moons. Queue the cursed prince charming or duke in this case with a household full of magical servants. There's even a floating rose at one point. I've always loved both of these fairy tales so it was a nice walk down memory lane getting to revisit them even if the ending was rather predictable. I deduced who the villain was pretty early on and found it mildly irritating that I had to trudge through 384 pages before the mystery is solved.
The magical side of this book is intriguing. Bella learns that she possess abilities of her own and begins to explore them more in depth. I also enjoyed the concept of the "Traditional path" and how your decisions can drastically alter your future. Picture a huge web of fairy tales that are all interconnected and your choices direct you towards either a happily ever after ending or a life of hardship. It felt a bit like one of those self-directed novels where the reader gets to make decisions except in this case it was the protagonist who's making them. Once miss Beauchamps is informed of the Tradition she often catches herself on a less than desirable path and takes steps to redirect her fate. Which sounds easier than it actually is. It's impossible to know all of the fairy tales and if you're not careful you can end up in one without even realizing it!
Although I did enjoy revisiting these two classic fairy tales; the overall experience left me feeling lukewarm. I felt apathetic towards all of the characters; none of them really stood out to me. They were just... there. The plot runs almost parallel to the original two stories and in my opinion the first versions are better than this rendition. My final thoughts are that Mercedes Lackey could have done a lot more with this book. I didn't hate it but I didn't exactly like it either. Beauty and the Werewolf was, for lack of a better word, meh.
February 4, 2013
Although the Five Hundred Kingdom books are fairly predictable, based as they are on fairy tales, they are enjoyable reads without being frightening. Entertaining in a way that it reminds without preaching, that the way its always been done is not necessarily the best way.
I wasn't particularly thrilled by the opening, but the story picked up quickly, with the main character "Bella" picking up a basket, donning a red hood and heading off to Grandmother's house in the woods. Yes, she meets some interesting characters on the trek, and the story takes off from there.
This story does not have the evil stepmother and stepsisters that many tales have, letting us know right away that Lackey is going to do something different.
Unlike the Disney cartoon, it doesn’t present Bella as a perfect person. She is bossy, she sneaks out to dances (and takes her younger stepsisters), and she just can't seem to give up control of the household. Even though she gets along with everyone, she has no beaus, although all the young men seem to flock around her younger siblings.
Bella is introduced to the titular werewolf, and her entire world view changes. This story is a true growing up tale, even though our main character is already in her twenties. She meets the Duke, and even though the reader can see where a lot of the action is headed, Bella moves along with the story, which reintroduces several characters. It does tone down the Mirror Servant quite a bit though, which is a pity, as I enjoyed his verbal sparring in other books.
The Duke is introduced as a hapless character whose entire life has been controlled by someone else, first his father then his brother.
The brother I did not care for.
I enjoyed the invisible servants, the visits to Granny and the training Abel received.
The villain was obvious to the reader, and the gullibility of the duke unbelievable. However, he was raised to trust the villain, and had no real reason to not extend that trust, when the reader shakes their head and says 'you idiot'.
The love between the characters, at first glance, seems to have happened suddenly, but they are together two months and more before declaring their interest. I enjoyed the slow pace, the sudden spark of interest, and the general decision to proceed with the romance. Again, well done!
The one thing I would change is a spoiler, but if you must know
I wasn't particularly thrilled by the opening, but the story picked up quickly, with the main character "Bella" picking up a basket, donning a red hood and heading off to Grandmother's house in the woods. Yes, she meets some interesting characters on the trek, and the story takes off from there.
This story does not have the evil stepmother and stepsisters that many tales have, letting us know right away that Lackey is going to do something different.
Unlike the Disney cartoon, it doesn’t present Bella as a perfect person. She is bossy, she sneaks out to dances (and takes her younger stepsisters), and she just can't seem to give up control of the household. Even though she gets along with everyone, she has no beaus, although all the young men seem to flock around her younger siblings.
Bella is introduced to the titular werewolf, and her entire world view changes. This story is a true growing up tale, even though our main character is already in her twenties. She meets the Duke, and even though the reader can see where a lot of the action is headed, Bella moves along with the story, which reintroduces several characters. It does tone down the Mirror Servant quite a bit though, which is a pity, as I enjoyed his verbal sparring in other books.
The Duke is introduced as a hapless character whose entire life has been controlled by someone else, first his father then his brother.
The brother I did not care for.
I enjoyed the invisible servants, the visits to Granny and the training Abel received.
The villain was obvious to the reader, and the gullibility of the duke unbelievable. However, he was raised to trust the villain, and had no real reason to not extend that trust, when the reader shakes their head and says 'you idiot'.
The love between the characters, at first glance, seems to have happened suddenly, but they are together two months and more before declaring their interest. I enjoyed the slow pace, the sudden spark of interest, and the general decision to proceed with the romance. Again, well done!
The one thing I would change is a spoiler, but if you must know
October 30, 2011
I really do enjoy Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms books, and I enjoyed this one more than I remember enjoying The Sleeping Beauty.
Isabella is a wonderful protagonist along the lines of Lackey's specialty: a young, responsible, practical woman who is more than capable of taking care of herself in a male-dominated world. Not surprisingly, this makes her something of an odd duck out amongst her peers, and with her stepmother. Bella is a little different from Lackey's usual FHK female protagonist, because she has just a tinge of the manipulative and more than a tinge of the bossy about her. Enough that in a real person, it would be very irritating very fast. It's a good thing Bella isn't real.
I really enjoyed the way Lackey keeps trying to keep her premise fresh in these books. In The Fairy Godmother, we're introduced to the concept of the Tradition, and learn a little more about it in One Good Knight, whereas in Fortune's Fool, The Snow Queen, and The Sleeping Beauty, we have protagonists who know about the Tradition to the point where they attempt to manipulate it to their own ends, each in their own situations. It's a bit refreshing to, here in Beauty and the Werewolf, return to a main character who starts off with no idea whatsoever about the Tradition; in fact, we don't even see it mentioned until after the halfway mark of the book. We even have an entire book that's from a single character's point-of-view, which is unusual for Lackey.
For the most part, this is a well-told story. The problem comes with the fact that while it is written well, it isn't much of a surprise. The villain is telegraphed extremely early in the book--especially given the Tradition!--and the worst part is, I think we're not supposed to know this. There were so many other ways Lackey could have handled such an obvious villain with an obvious story, but she didn't do any of them. What is most frustrating is that Bella is supposed to be extremely intelligent, and shows it in any number of other ways throughout the book, but right up until it's nearly too late, she is completely oblivious to the truth that is clear to me, and indeed, to anyone who has ever read a fairy tale. Or a thriller. Or a mystery. This was my biggest disappointment, because I kept expecting Lackey to spring a surprise on me. Maybe he wasn't really the villain, and would be an ally instead, or maybe Bella would figure it out soon and have to hide that she knows while trying to find a way to convince everyone else... but no.
The ending is somewhat bittersweet, and fitting. Overall, I like the book, and I would recommend it, just as long as someone isn't expecting a brilliant mystery or a big surprise.
Isabella is a wonderful protagonist along the lines of Lackey's specialty: a young, responsible, practical woman who is more than capable of taking care of herself in a male-dominated world. Not surprisingly, this makes her something of an odd duck out amongst her peers, and with her stepmother. Bella is a little different from Lackey's usual FHK female protagonist, because she has just a tinge of the manipulative and more than a tinge of the bossy about her. Enough that in a real person, it would be very irritating very fast. It's a good thing Bella isn't real.
I really enjoyed the way Lackey keeps trying to keep her premise fresh in these books. In The Fairy Godmother, we're introduced to the concept of the Tradition, and learn a little more about it in One Good Knight, whereas in Fortune's Fool, The Snow Queen, and The Sleeping Beauty, we have protagonists who know about the Tradition to the point where they attempt to manipulate it to their own ends, each in their own situations. It's a bit refreshing to, here in Beauty and the Werewolf, return to a main character who starts off with no idea whatsoever about the Tradition; in fact, we don't even see it mentioned until after the halfway mark of the book. We even have an entire book that's from a single character's point-of-view, which is unusual for Lackey.
For the most part, this is a well-told story. The problem comes with the fact that while it is written well, it isn't much of a surprise. The villain is telegraphed extremely early in the book--especially given the Tradition!--and the worst part is, I think we're not supposed to know this. There were so many other ways Lackey could have handled such an obvious villain with an obvious story, but she didn't do any of them. What is most frustrating is that Bella is supposed to be extremely intelligent, and shows it in any number of other ways throughout the book, but right up until it's nearly too late, she is completely oblivious to the truth that is clear to me, and indeed, to anyone who has ever read a fairy tale. Or a thriller. Or a mystery. This was my biggest disappointment, because I kept expecting Lackey to spring a surprise on me. Maybe he wasn't really the villain, and would be an ally instead, or maybe Bella would figure it out soon and have to hide that she knows while trying to find a way to convince everyone else... but no.
The ending is somewhat bittersweet, and fitting. Overall, I like the book, and I would recommend it, just as long as someone isn't expecting a brilliant mystery or a big surprise.
June 27, 2014
Just finished Mercedes Lackey's
Beauty and the Werewolf
. I've always been interested in retellings of the "Beauty and the Beast" story---have read several of them over the years---so I was happy to give this one a try. And while it is far from Lackey's best, I did find it to be a pleasant diversion.
Oh, the novel does have a few drawbacks. I found the heroine to be just a bit abrasive and overly bossy, for my taste. And the relationship she strikes up with Sebastian, while convivial, isn't exactly romantic in nature---the give-and-take these two have strikes me more as the sort of relationship a brother and sister would have, rather than lovers.
And finally... The mystery of who the true villain is in this story, the one who set the werewolf curse in motion, isn't a mystery at all. Really, there is only one character is could POSSIBLY BE---we've figured this out within the first chapter or so! And yet none of the other characters in the story have a clue until the final pages---it was a bit ridiculous.
Still, as I noted, I found it a pleasant diversion. Lackey means "comfort reading" for me, so I enjoyed losing myself in the pages of this (admittedly unchallenging) fantasy.
This is part of the author's "Five Hundred Kingdoms" series. Now, all of these books can be read independently of one another, and in any order, with no real problem. But, if you want a real grounding in this fantasy world, you may want to start with The Fairy Godmother ---it's not absolutely necessary to read that one first, but it does set up all the rules, which the other books follow, quite plainly.
And I'll admit that if you want to read a really first-rate retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story, you may as well start with Robin McKinley's Beauty , which has always been a particular favourite of mine. Heck, Mercedes Lackey herself has mined this material before, with her book The Fire Rose , which I also recommend in the highest possible terms. Oh, that book has a simply dreadful cover, but the story itself is quite good and superior to Beauty and the Werewolf . Heck---now I'm in the mood to re-read it myself...
So, while I'm not "dissing" this book exactly, I will admit that other similarly-themed books are superior. But Lackey completists (I suppose I would count myself among their number) may very well enjoy this book also.
(As for the cover of this novel, well... let's just say I didn't picture the heroine like that AT ALL; can't say that seems likely to be something that she would wear, either.)
Oh, the novel does have a few drawbacks. I found the heroine to be just a bit abrasive and overly bossy, for my taste. And the relationship she strikes up with Sebastian, while convivial, isn't exactly romantic in nature---the give-and-take these two have strikes me more as the sort of relationship a brother and sister would have, rather than lovers.
And finally... The mystery of who the true villain is in this story, the one who set the werewolf curse in motion, isn't a mystery at all. Really, there is only one character is could POSSIBLY BE---we've figured this out within the first chapter or so! And yet none of the other characters in the story have a clue until the final pages---it was a bit ridiculous.
Still, as I noted, I found it a pleasant diversion. Lackey means "comfort reading" for me, so I enjoyed losing myself in the pages of this (admittedly unchallenging) fantasy.
This is part of the author's "Five Hundred Kingdoms" series. Now, all of these books can be read independently of one another, and in any order, with no real problem. But, if you want a real grounding in this fantasy world, you may want to start with The Fairy Godmother ---it's not absolutely necessary to read that one first, but it does set up all the rules, which the other books follow, quite plainly.
And I'll admit that if you want to read a really first-rate retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story, you may as well start with Robin McKinley's Beauty , which has always been a particular favourite of mine. Heck, Mercedes Lackey herself has mined this material before, with her book The Fire Rose , which I also recommend in the highest possible terms. Oh, that book has a simply dreadful cover, but the story itself is quite good and superior to Beauty and the Werewolf . Heck---now I'm in the mood to re-read it myself...
So, while I'm not "dissing" this book exactly, I will admit that other similarly-themed books are superior. But Lackey completists (I suppose I would count myself among their number) may very well enjoy this book also.
(As for the cover of this novel, well... let's just say I didn't picture the heroine like that AT ALL; can't say that seems likely to be something that she would wear, either.)
January 18, 2012
I absolutely loved this book, probably because I like a good fairytale. This story was part Little Red Riding Hood, part Beauty and the Beast. The female protaginist was smart, hardworking, kind and all around the kind of woman I like to read about. The woodsman and the Wolf were not at all what you would expect from the typical fairytale which was a nice, but predictable departure from the norm. The only thing in the book that was a bit of a distraction was that I figured out the plot early on and knew who was responsible for the spell cast on the Wolf - it bothers me that I am smarter than sorcerers, wise women and others with abilities beyond my own. If I can figure it out, why can't they? This seemed to me more of an adolescent read than an adult one but I really liked it just the same.
I read to "escape" from reality. I have in the past year begun to read science fiction and fantasy book s which I had never read before because I was bored with the predictability of the mysteries I had previously devoured. I am enjoying my foray into these new (for me) genres, but there are some things which I have noticed which bother me.
I have yet to read ANY book in which a female character dresses herself in "male" clothing for comfort and functionality but in the process offends some of those she encounters. Compass directions are ALWAYS north, south, east and west which makes sense from the perspective that it gives the reader some frame of reference, but in other ways it is strange that in other worlds, in other times, there would be these exact same directions by the same name.
Another thing I have noticed is that when characters in books undertake any kind of travel, they ALWAYS have jerky and cheese. REALLY? I have read about dragons, witches, boggarts, gurgi, and all manner of other kinds of creatures, but there are ALWAYS cows and cheese - and jerky!
I read to "escape" from reality. I have in the past year begun to read science fiction and fantasy book s which I had never read before because I was bored with the predictability of the mysteries I had previously devoured. I am enjoying my foray into these new (for me) genres, but there are some things which I have noticed which bother me.
I have yet to read ANY book in which a female character dresses herself in "male" clothing for comfort and functionality but in the process offends some of those she encounters. Compass directions are ALWAYS north, south, east and west which makes sense from the perspective that it gives the reader some frame of reference, but in other ways it is strange that in other worlds, in other times, there would be these exact same directions by the same name.
Another thing I have noticed is that when characters in books undertake any kind of travel, they ALWAYS have jerky and cheese. REALLY? I have read about dragons, witches, boggarts, gurgi, and all manner of other kinds of creatures, but there are ALWAYS cows and cheese - and jerky!
February 6, 2012
I picked this up as a random read from the limited list of eBooks available (with no waiting) at my local library. So, I knew nothing about the book or the world before reading it, except for what was on the cover. From the artwork on the cover I kind of expected some sort of Little Red Riding Hood type story - with a werewolf of course, but I didn't know about The Tradition, or really have any idea that the book was going to so closely mirror a fairy tale until I got near the end.
When Granny came up and the red riding cloak, I kept waiting for that story to fit, and while there were hints at it in never really did. I think that distracted me from the obvious, so much so that that I didn't even realize that it was Beauty and the Beast until very near the end. As it fell into place I wondered how could I have missed it all along.
I can only wonder if I would have enjoyed it as much if I had known from the start, but I like to think I would. I must admit that while I enjoy stories of werewolves and vampires, I'm getting tired of them too. This story almost lets you forget about the werewolf and just enjoy the story. It was nothing like I expected and that made it all the more enjoyable.
I've skimmed through a few of the other reviews, and I can see why some people might have been disappointed, but it was a fun read, and I enjoyed the idea of The Tradition and it trying to fit people's lives into familiar stories. Were the characters deep and do I long to read more about Bella and Sebastian? No, but did I enjoy the book for the fairy tale that it was? Most definitely, and for fun, I think I'll have to pick up another book from the series too.
When Granny came up and the red riding cloak, I kept waiting for that story to fit, and while there were hints at it in never really did. I think that distracted me from the obvious, so much so that that I didn't even realize that it was Beauty and the Beast until very near the end. As it fell into place I wondered how could I have missed it all along.
I can only wonder if I would have enjoyed it as much if I had known from the start, but I like to think I would. I must admit that while I enjoy stories of werewolves and vampires, I'm getting tired of them too. This story almost lets you forget about the werewolf and just enjoy the story. It was nothing like I expected and that made it all the more enjoyable.
I've skimmed through a few of the other reviews, and I can see why some people might have been disappointed, but it was a fun read, and I enjoyed the idea of The Tradition and it trying to fit people's lives into familiar stories. Were the characters deep and do I long to read more about Bella and Sebastian? No, but did I enjoy the book for the fairy tale that it was? Most definitely, and for fun, I think I'll have to pick up another book from the series too.
June 11, 2012
Although I truly enjoy Mercedes Lackey's writing, I'd been avoiding this series. I don't enjoy series as much as I used to; I get tired of waiting for the next book. I just want to read a book and have it be over. But then I saw this book on the "Just Published" shelf at Barnes and Noble.
I have a real soft spot for Beauty and the Beast stories. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley set me up early (at about 13) to enjoy the various retellings. I think there are entirely too many werewolf romances out there, cluttering up the shelves at Barnes and Noble, but the Beast being a werewolf instead of a different monster isn't the same, right?
As usual, Bella is the perfect heroine. She is capable, good, good-natured, helps little old ladies, etc. I can understand how the Tradition is both attracted to her and baffled by her. It would have been nice if she'd had one or two teeny-tiny little faults but it is a fairy tale after all.
I don't know that I'll go out and buy the rest of the series but I may visit the library to pick up other books in the series.
I wouldn't recommend this to very young teens (it does contain some euphemisms for sex) but it does provide a better Bella to emulate than Twilight and I wasn't on Team Edward.
I have a real soft spot for Beauty and the Beast stories. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley set me up early (at about 13) to enjoy the various retellings. I think there are entirely too many werewolf romances out there, cluttering up the shelves at Barnes and Noble, but the Beast being a werewolf instead of a different monster isn't the same, right?
As usual, Bella is the perfect heroine. She is capable, good, good-natured, helps little old ladies, etc. I can understand how the Tradition is both attracted to her and baffled by her. It would have been nice if she'd had one or two teeny-tiny little faults but it is a fairy tale after all.
I don't know that I'll go out and buy the rest of the series but I may visit the library to pick up other books in the series.
I wouldn't recommend this to very young teens (it does contain some euphemisms for sex) but it does provide a better Bella to emulate than Twilight and I wasn't on Team Edward.
May 19, 2012
There are times a girl just needs to have some mindless fun. When those times hit me I head straight for this series.
Beginning with The Fairy Godmother and working all the way through various fairy tales these books by Mercedes Lackey never fail to make me laugh, coo a little bit in romantic bliss, and feel as if I've done something that is decadently delicious when I close the cover. These aren't serious literature and that's a good thing. I've read the Grimm's Fairy Tales and the Romantic Fairy Tales by Teick, Fouque, and Brentano. So when I picked up Beauty and the Werewolf, I delighted in the fact that I was about to dive into complete silliness and fun.
And I wasn't disappointed. While Beauty wasn't my favorite of the series (One Good Knight holds that honor), I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. Honestly, I think I'd enjoy any book in this series as long as it contains my beloved unicorns, which had me snorting with laughter yet again.
This is a great series to give, or to read, or both! Perfect for the people in your life that you want to introduce to fantasy, and perfect for those days when you need just a little pick-me-up.
Beginning with The Fairy Godmother and working all the way through various fairy tales these books by Mercedes Lackey never fail to make me laugh, coo a little bit in romantic bliss, and feel as if I've done something that is decadently delicious when I close the cover. These aren't serious literature and that's a good thing. I've read the Grimm's Fairy Tales and the Romantic Fairy Tales by Teick, Fouque, and Brentano. So when I picked up Beauty and the Werewolf, I delighted in the fact that I was about to dive into complete silliness and fun.
And I wasn't disappointed. While Beauty wasn't my favorite of the series (One Good Knight holds that honor), I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. Honestly, I think I'd enjoy any book in this series as long as it contains my beloved unicorns, which had me snorting with laughter yet again.
This is a great series to give, or to read, or both! Perfect for the people in your life that you want to introduce to fantasy, and perfect for those days when you need just a little pick-me-up.
November 29, 2011
I think if I hadn't read the first few books of Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdom series, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more. Unfortunately, for me, the latest installment in her series was quite disappointing. I'll start out with what I did like: the combination of the tales "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Beauty and the Beast", the reappearance of Godmother Elena (from the first book), and the plucky but slightly manipulative Bella. Here's what I didn't like: the fact that the villain was apparent from the beginning, yet supposedly neither Bella (who is supposedly very intelligent) nor the Godmother was able to figure it out until the ending, the uninspired characterization of Sebastian (he was so dull), and the lackluster romance that developed between Sebastian and Bella (it was probably the most boring romance that I've read in a while). Overall, a 2.5 rating.
February 1, 2014
This was a fun quick read. I was a little worried when she wore the red cloak to visit Granny, but Beauty is a spunky, no nonsense character and I enjoyed reading about her. I do think I need breaks from the series and that I enjoy them much more not read back to back.
March 28, 2012
A quick, light read, with a very modern female main character. Recommended for YA as well.
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March 11, 2017Miniseries: A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms
Category: Fantasy
Category: Fantasy
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