Song of the Hundred-Year Summer: A Fairytale Romance Novella

by Shaylin Gandhi

Naia is an outcast. She keeps to herself, avoiding the villagers’ stares. The way they point. Even though she wants nothing more than to belong.

But when her village is cursed with endless summer, Naia must confront the formidable beast who holds the key to restoring the seasons.

As if that weren't difficult enough, it turns out the beast isn’t what she expected. His soulful dark eyes seem more man than monster. And the way he looks at her, with a clarity she's only dreamed of...

Soon, Naia is torn between her duty to the village that's never loved her…and the monster she set out to destroy.

A 90-minute fantasy romance read inspired by Beauty and the Beast.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fairy Tales, Beauty and The Beast

52 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2024

About the author

Shaylin Gandhi first fell in love with love stories when she started stealing grown-up books off her mother’s bookshelf at the age of ten. By twelve, she’d perfected the art of reading under the covers by flashlight, and in high school, she attempted her first novel. She now writes from the mountains of Golden, Colorado, where she lives with her husband and identical twin daughters. When not finagling words onto paper, Shaylin can be found hiking, scheming up ways to earn another passport stamp, or ingesting enough coffee to power a small city.

Reviews

[Christy Bath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, quick read! I hardly ever read stories this short in length, and am amazed at the amount of appreciation I have for one so quickly told. I had to give it a try when I saw it was a “Beauty and the Beast” reimagining.

I love the author’s writing style, pleasant and visual without being too wordy. Highly recommend for anyone wanting a short story that embodies the important elements of any good fairytale… a beautifully smart heroine and a handsome, loving prince who overcome great difficulty in order to be together.

——-•🖤•——
Edited: YOU MUST read the epilogue (on the author’s website)! It’s such a funny and cute ending to this tale. It was, by far, my favorite part of the whole story! Just precious— 10/10 perfect! 🙌🏻✨

[Skye Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a well done novella. It’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling with such interesting lore and I loved it!✨

Gandhi’s writing is soooo gorgeous. I find myself highlighting so many quotes as I read because they are just so pretty and create a picture in my mind so perfectly.

I honestly wish this one was longer cuz it was really fantastic! So lovely and refreshing and I recommend it to those who want to get whisked away in a fantasy for an afternoon.🤍

[madi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Klara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short summer read. Naia is just a lonely girl who believes in fairytales; I think all of us women have felt that way at some point. I have mixed feelings about the part where she took a viral potion to remove her birthmarks, or as her mother calls them, butterflies. I understand her decision, but I might have liked it more if she had kept them when she met the Beast. The curse states that when someone loves another for who they are, the curse will be lifted. Seeing Beast and Beauty loving each other for who they are, yet not breaking the curse, felt strange to me.

At the end of the book, there's a link to an epilogue, and it's a cute one. Although it's labeled as steamy, after reading some other books, I wouldn't say it's steamy—maybe just a little bit spicy, but that's it.

This book is great for a short summer read and not thinking too much, especially if you like the fairytale Beauty and the Beast. I loved those elements in the book.

[Allie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

a charming Beauty and the Beast retelling :) this is the second book i've read by this author, and i really enjoy her writing style!

[January · Rating 5 out of 5]

Song of the Hundred-Year Summer by Shaylin Gandhi (2024)
52-page Kindle Ebook story pages 6-47

Genre: Short Stories, Romance, Fairytale, Retellings

Featuring: Bibliography for Shaylin Gandhi, Beauty and the Beast Retelling, Summer, Beauty Within, Drought, Link to Bonus Epilogue and Character Art, Link, Cover, and Blurb for The Assassin’s Song; Author's Links, Bibliography for Shaylin Gandhi

Rating as a movie: PG, but the bonus is R

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌹💧☀️

My thoughts: I was worried this was just a pretty cover but once it picked up, with the beast, I was entranced. I'm off to read the bonus epilogue now.

If ever a story needed an epilogue it was this one, but it still wasn't enough. I need her to just write the novel for this story.

Recommend to others: Yes. This story is great and a quick fit if you need a 5-star high.

[Mya ☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty enjoyable read! It’s a super short listen, around 90 minutes, which was perfect for some housework multitasking. I loved the unique twist on Beauty and the Beast, it felt fresh and different from the usual retellings.

My only complaint was that I wished there was a little more spice in the main story to make it even better. Luckily, there’s a bonus epilogue that gave me what I was looking for, with some spice and a more complete ending, especially since the original left me with a few questions. Overall, it was a fun, quick read, and I’m definitely curious to check out more of Rebecca's other books!

[Cammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a unique take on fairy tales. I loved it!

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely!! What a delightful book…!!
Also check the epilogue through the author’s page. 😊

[Fatiha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was stunning. Just absolutely beautiful. It really touched my soul and I can't wait to read another by Shaylin Gandhi!

[Bella Dugorepec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super short! It was a nice little read however I wish there was a little more to the ending. It was a nice story though and it felt a little like a beauty in the beast retelling with a twist.

[Tracy Schmieding · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like the idea but wanted more! Something was lacking I just don’t know what.

[Alice Stellar · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could, I'd give this novella a 4.5, but since I can't, I'm rating up, without much regret, because it's the best Beauty and the Beast retelling I've read in a long time - and I read a lot of them.

You can tell that author Shaylin Gandhi reads a lot of fairy tales; this story doesn't drag things out the way many retellings do, and by keeping to a short length, it keeps a certain mystery that adds charm and magic, rather than giving us extensive detail about every character and circumstance.

I also really appreciated how the author was able to convey a sense of the Beast and Naia falling in love through actually having things to say each other and things in common, yet still keeping things so brief as to call back to the original versions of Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont with a sort of simplicity to the whole thing. In other ways, the simple sort of "these two are meant to be, despite what you'd think" feeling made me think of the movie "Kirikou and the Sorceress", where a traditional hero meets their match in - and falls in love with - a villain who turns out to be misunderstood. Basically, it's a love story at once simple and very profound, one of the things I love most about fairy and folktales that are well told.

There are a few things I wasn't a fan of, but these are mostly nitpicky. The idea of the summer curse's duration and effects was a bit confusing in certain ways, and the very rare use of modern terms like "Okay" sort of momentarily broke the book's otherworldly spell for me. But these are small details in the face of what's a short tale artfully told.

A bigger issue I had was the choice of the ending, which is bittersweet - yet also profound and symbolic. I appreciate this and feel it fits perfectly with the story, but I guess I wish that the author had continued with the fairy tale tradition and made the ending truly happy. It could still have been subversive - for instance, maybe Naia and the Beast choose to stay together in the cave and rarely come down into the village, or Naia, the Beast, and her family, move somewhere else (btw - that brings up another issue I had with the story; if the villagers are suffering this eternal summer curse...why not just move to another, uncursed village?). That said, I know I'll be thinking about this story, including the way it ends, for a long time - in a good way.

This novella is a great read for anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast retellings, and fairy tales in general. I think Shaylin Gandhi could easily have fit in with the great French fairy tale writers of the 17th and 18th centuries.

[Elise Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This enchanting version of Beauty and the Beast earns five magical stars from me! I empathized with Naia, a young woman who yearns for the love of a handsome villager (Elias), but he can't see past the red birthmarks on her temple and cheek. When a special salve makes the birthmarks go away, she's courted by Elias and several other suitors, but they only see her beautiful face, never bothering to actually know her. "Who will ever see me for me?" she wonders.

Naia finally agrees to marry whichever suitor manages to slay the "beast"--a monster who knows a song that will bring on the autumn and release the land from the drought of its hundred year summer. Only a pure-hearted champion can defeat the beast and sing the song to make summer end. Time is running out, because if the land dries up completely, Naia's baby brother will die.

Hoping to marry Naia, village warriors climb the mountain to battle the beast with arrows, swords, and fire, but they are no match for the monster, whose angry roars echo from the hillside. But Naia hears something else in those roars--something she's always lived with. Loneliness. So she decides to climb up to the cave and confront the beast alone. He's a hideous monster indeed, but something in his eyes seems almost human. And when he speaks, he sounds . . . noble.

As they talk, Naia confesses her greatest wish: "To have someone see me. To not be alone anymore." And the beast--who's been alone in the cave for a hundred years--confesses his greatest wish: "To see the sun again. Even just once." But he can't be freed from the curse that binds him until someone sings the song. Naia asks the beast to teach her the song, so she can sing it to make summer end and save her brother. But the beast hesitates, knowing that "curses come with a price. Always." And the price for this song is terrible indeed.

At this point, I couldn't help but cry for all the people in this world who long to be seen for what they truly are. People who are tired of being alone. Naia was so much more than her beautiful face, and inside the hideous beast "slept not a monster, but a man." How does their love story end? I'm not saying. But this tale contains a powerful message that could change the world, if only we humans would open our eyes and actually see each other. We should be like Naia, who "saw people who couldn't see, but were no less worthy of being looked at. Brambles and all."

[alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Song of the Hundred Year Summer☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★

⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´

🎶 Just a little change. Small, to say the least. Both a little scared. Neither one prepared. Beauty and the beast 🎶

Naia (h) has always been an outcast, shunned by the very village she longs to call home. But when a curse traps them in an endless summer, only she dares to seek the beast said to hold the key to breaking it. What she finds isn’t a monster, but a man with eyes full of sorrow and a soul that sees her.

─── .¸✿¸.•❤•.❀• THOUGHTS¸•❀.•❤•.¸✿¸.⋆ ───

“You know, I used to be beautiful. Sometimes I wonder if I still am, and I’m the only one who sees it.”

“If that’s the sort of thing you wonder about,” she said, “I’m sure you’re beautiful, indeed.”

“Well, thank you for not stabbing me, at any rate. Or burning me. Fire is by far my least favorite.”

This should have been a full novel - I was completely hooked. In just 50 pages, I was fully invested, and I needed more. The fact that he came back for her, even after warning her to stay away? And she still risked everything, came back anyway, sang that song, and freed him? Absolutely devastating in the best way. She saved everyone, and it still wrecked me. I’m obsessed… and also mad about how good it was. To the Beast, she was more than just Beauty. And she knew the risks - she knew what it would mean for her own people to turn their backs on her. But she recognized that the sacrifice was greater, because through it she could bring them abundance. To the Beast, she was more than just Beauty. And she knew the risks - she knew what it would mean for her own people to turn their backs on her. But she recognized that the sacrifice was greater, because through it she could bring them abundance.

─── .¸✿¸.•❤•.❀• OVERALL¸•❀.•❤•.¸✿¸.⋆ ───

This was so good, wish we had more.

[Jozie | Cozy Romantasy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a short and sweet story by Shaylin Gandhi. Song of the Hundred-Year Summer is a fairytale romance with Beauty and the Beast vibes.

Naia was born with a birthmark on her face in a village that was cursed because of its shallow beliefs. The curse was never-ending summers which seem wonderful until their wells dry up and their crops turn to dust. Someone with a pure heart must defeat the beast at the top of the mountain and sing the song to change the season. That person will see Naia for who she is on the inside.

I loved this novella. It was just over an hour long, and kept me engaged the entire time. Naia's character was perfect. She is close to losing her values until her brother is born and makes a selfless decision to save her family and the townspeople.

I listened to the bonus epilogue on Shaylin's website, and it brought the end of the story together perfectly.

beauty and the beast • closed door romance • fairytale • magic • novella • retelling • romantasy

[Reads_Must · Rating 4 out of 5]

Song of the Hundred-Year Summer
Fantasy
Shaylin Gandhi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

• ᴄᴜʀꜱᴇꜱ • ʟᴏɴᴇʟɪɴᴇꜱꜱ • ᴅᴇꜱɪʀᴇ •

I really liked this book. The world building was nice, with hints of magic and curses.

The pacing was very good. The writing style was enjoyable and the plot never dragged or became boring.

I felt sorry for Naia. Everyone in her village was suffering because of the curse and the endless summer but they still chose to be cruel about her birthmarks. Naia just wanted to be seen for who she really was.

The beast was interesting, too. Everyone thought he was vicious and a monster but in reality, he was a victim, a hero and just lonely.

I'm glad that Naia achieved what she set out to do, even if things didn't go exactly to plan.

I didn't see the plot twist coming but I did like it, as well as the ending. It was actually quite sweet.

[Liz Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I started my week with a Beauty and the Beast retelling. It was a fun twist ending on the story, and I enjoyed the theming about seeing someone for who they really are and not just for their beauty, or perceived lack of.

What stood out to me the most about the story was that, in order to save her people from starvation in a heavy drought, Naia has to consider the ramifications of her actions and if they’re worth it to her. Because she grew up with birthmarks that were considered unsightly to others, this isn’t necessarily a difficult decision for her. However, it made me think more about the person who chose before her, since it seems like they didn’t know about the ramifications. While it may not change their decision, it’s still interesting to consider if it changed their perspective on life at all.

[Rebecca Cairns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this short story. A Beauty and the Beast retelling in miniature form, with a twist I didn't see coming.

I was recommended this read from an indie author friend, and I'm glad to say it did not disappoint.

Even though this book is short in nature, it still held suspense and intrigue, and for 60 odd pages, that is a skill in and of itself. It had a twist I didn't anticipate, and it even had a twist to the HEA ending that we all know and love. As always when it comes to novella's and novelette's, I always crave more of the story, but this is purely personal preference. It was very well written and the author didn't leave any questions unanswered.

If you enjoy short, punchy reads and need something for on the bus or the commute to work, then I recommend this book. I can't wait to see what else this author has up their sleeve.

[Rima-Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute short story retelling the 'Beauty and the Beast'' with a twist.
I really enjoyed reading it! I would have really loved, if it was a tad bit longer and we got to read a bit more of both of them during the ending.
The writing style really drew me in and I'll definitely check out the author's other works!

The story is mostly devoid of spice and just filled with cuteness 😊. But there is the option of a bonus epilogue that has a bit of spice, accessible on the author's website.
I really wish, that it had been integrated into the story. Not because of the spice, but because it really fleshed their relationship and the ending out a whole lot more. I liked the story already without the bonus epilogue, but I fell in love with it after the epilogue.

If you end up picking this one up (which you definitely should! It's awesome!), don't go and sleep on the bonus epilogue!

[Erin M. Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting take on a fairytale with a curse. I wouldn't even say or couldn't say if it was even a retelling of a particular fairytale. You have the main character Naia who lived outside of the village with her family. As she was an outcast due to her birthmarks that her parents called her butterflies. Where the villagers saw her as disfigured her family saw her as nothing but beautiful. The realm that Naia and the villagers live in is cursed with eternal summer unless a song is sung and then the seasons change for one year. The song is taught by the beast that lives in the mountain. This was such an interesting fairytale, and such quick read or listen depending on which media outlet you choose.

[Lexie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sing a Song for Winter

This was such a different fairy tale, even as Gandhi used many of the trappings. A monster, a story, a curse and a dreamer - don't fairy tales start with a adventure?

A monster on the mountain, screaming of loneliness.

A story about a selfish man and a village that never learns.

A curse born of a mother's love for her child.

A dreamer who wishes for her prince to come, but has to face reality.

Things resolve in a way that is fairy tale perfect, though I urge you to read the epilogue as it is a surprising way to find balance and sweetness.

[lookleahreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read and a beautiful, yet slightly twisted take on Beauty and The Beast.

I enjoyed this little novella more than I thought I would, but it left me wanting more. It was jam-packed full of all the material needed for a full novel and fell a little short for me. However, I did enjoy it but was left wishing it were longer and/or the ending could have been elaborated on just a bit.

This is my second read by Shaylin Gandhi and she surely knows how to draw you in and tell a story.

3 stars for SONG OF THE HUNDRED YEAR SUMMER ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Laura Vincenzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale is very nice, but it lacks the force to make you believe in the story. I suppose the author wanted to tell a fairy tale with all the traits and characteristics of a classic fairy tale and she could, indeed, maintain a fairy tale style and atmosphere. But, precisely because of that, you cannot immerse yourself in the novella's world: you don't feel the story, you are told the story. Besides that, the writing, the characters, and the plot are fine.

[Jennifer Olive · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"A rose can't grow without a few thorns. And I happen to like your thorns"

A cute twist on the timeless Beauty and the Beast fairytale. One that reminds us to always look beneath the surface, lest we be cursed to never see the beauty that resides there.

I truly enjoyed this short novella. I loved the bonus scene (available for free on the author's website) even more. I wish the bonus material was included in the original book.

A short and sweet romance about finding yourself and true love.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely

Naia is a dreamer. Raised separate because of her butterflies, she dreams of someone to play chess with, someone to talk to. Her perfect prince. She knows it will happen on her first visit to the town… and time freezes when she meets Elias. But life isn’t a fairy tale and the curse on Naia and the village persists.

And then Naia meets the Beast. And what follows is a delightful, feel-good, very short story that takes a beloved tale and twists it beautifully.

[K. Q. Kimler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was admittedly skeptical at first, given how long this story is but wow, I was pleasantly surprised! This was actually a very good Beauty and the Beast retelling and I like how the author approached this story and I found myself swooning a few times and smiling so much! If you’re looking for a quick read and a fairytale retelling definitely check out this novella!

[irenemayblack · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the fairytale of Beauty & the Beast, or at least I am assuming that is what this novella is inspired by.
It was of course very short. I'm not sure how much I liked it or not, but I can see where the vision for the story could have been great. It would have done well as a full length novel.
I enjoyed the magical system it included, as well as the girl's interaction with the beast.

⭐️ 2.5
🌶 0/5

[Lee Tent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely!

I picked up the audiobook on a SYE day.

UNFORTUNATELY- the audio version has a couple of doubled-and-skipped chapters! I hope it gets updated, since chapter 7 seems like it was really important.

I loved the writing style, enjoyed the premise, the journey and the conclusion. Great novella!

[Ashley Wrenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly just don't know how I feel about this Novella. It is a beauty and the beast retelling, and while I liked the concept of the story, for me, it fell short. There was nothing that made we want to turn the page. I don't feel the characters grew or developed, nor did the story. It was very basic. Maybe it just needed to be longer.