Heart of the Beast

The Shards of Solheart #1

by Robyn Sparks

Once she was the kingdom’s greatest protector. Now, she’s its greatest fear.

In the kingdom of Ravenspire, Brynn, a legendary warrior, was betrayed and cursed, twisted into the Beast—a creature feared by all. Now, she haunts her ruined castle, her rage and sorrow warping the magic around her.

When Luca, a quiet scholar, offers himself in place of his captive father, he expects a monster—but finds something far more tragic. Brynn’s curse is poisoning the land, and to break it, they must seek a forgotten relic that ties her fate to the kingdom’s.

As they journey through danger and ancient enemies, a fragile bond forms. But the deeper Luca delves into Brynn’s past, the more he realizes that breaking the curse may come at a greater cost than he imagined—and Brynn may never return to the woman she once was.

In a kingdom where heroes are forgotten and monsters reign, is love enough to heal what’s been broken?

Step into a world of breathtaking fairytales like you’ve never seen before! Each story in Shards of Solheart is a whirlwind of emotion, magic, and romance—perfect for a quick escape into a realm where legends are reborn and love defies the impossible.

174 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2024

Reviews

[Rutuja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart of the Beast by Robyn Sparks is a unique twist on the "Beauty and the Beast" story, with an intriguing world and a cursed heroine. The premise is strong, and Brynn’s tragic backstory adds depth to the narrative. However, the chemistry between Brynn and Luca falls a bit flat. Their relationship develops slowly, but there’s a lack of emotional spark that might leave some readers wanting more. While the world-building and themes of redemption shine, the romance could have been more compelling. A solid read, but missing that extra magic.

[Rachel E.Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The power of Hope

In this gender swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the author delivers a stunning and breathtaking story. The characters are well developed with back stories that fuel the deep emotional conflicts they each personally battle as they find their way to each other through darkness. The author weaves a thread of Hope through the story that ebbs and flows with the twists and turns. This is incredibly well written and will draw you into the characters emotions and you will feel their pain, their fear, and their love.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart of the Beast is a good, and enjoyable fantasy romance read with dual point of view. The story has a great entertaining world building story line that is a well written read. The characters are great, and they have great chemistry. This story is a very entertaining read that is a gender swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[AMBER CLARK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart of the Beast Book 1 of The Shards of Solheart by Robyn Sparks is my first book by this author. It's the story of Brynn and Luca. Step into a whirlwind of emotion, magic, and romance. Will they have their HEA? I won't spoil it. You will have to read for yourself. It's a breathtaking fairytale! I am interested to see where Sparks takes The Shards of Solheart next.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a strong start to the Shards of Solheart series. It had that element that I was looking for in the genre and was invested in what was going on in this world. The characters had that element that I wanted and was glad I was able to read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cottage_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I really enjoyed this reverse Beauty and the Beast retelling.

The story is beautiful and the writing is very sweet.

A lovely short read to enjoy if you love:
🥀 fairytale retellings
🥀 cinnamon roll MMC
🥀 fierce FMC
🥀 enemies to lovers

Thank you Booksprout for the ARC.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Catarina Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved to read this book. It's an example of creativity. Lovely one! I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Summer Steelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book! I loved it and couldn't put it down! Devoured each and every word and will definitely check out more works by Sparks.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kaitlyn Raasveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say I loved this. It’s a reverse beauty and the beast where she’s the beast an he’s a poor boy just trying to save his family. It’s whimsical and full of fantasy and romance. I adore this.

[Talia C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written based loosely off of the Beauty and the Beast, only this one has the genders backwards.

I wasn't a huge fan of this one.. there are a few loop holes, such as where is his father. Why did she become cursed (other than the fact that someone did it to her). Then there was the fact that the same thing would be said/thought/described multiple times. it was like certain topics or thoughts were just on a loop and that's what the story was built on.

I do think the ending is confusing.. all of a sudden there is a whole kingdom that was hidden due to the curse that wasn't mentioned of focused on at all - and if it was, it was so insignificant that I missed it.

[Mina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's really weird, as if no one was reading or editing what was written
Generic, bad...