Beasts: A Fairy Tale

by K.H. Koehler, KH Koehler Books (Illustrator)

In a grimdark retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a wicked king is cursed by Queen Mab into fathering a child with a turnskin woman. The child, Gabriel, grows into a monstrous form but is tutored by his guardian, Father Christopher, into becoming a cunning man of letters. However, the fae's curse extends far beyond his appearance, and Gabriel soon discovers the true, painful reality of being perceived as an unloved, wild beast. Can even beauty save him?


Be sure to read the other stories in the Monster Factory Chapbook Series.

47 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2025

About the author

K.H. Koehler is the author of various novels and novellas in the genres of horror, SF, dark fantasy, steampunk and young and new adult. She is the owner of KH Koehler Books and KH Koehler Design, which specializes in graphic design and professional copyediting. Her books are widely available at all major online distributors and her covers have appeared on numerous books in many different genres. Her short work has appeared in various anthologies, and her novel series include The Kaiju Hunter, The Mrs. McGillicuddy Mysteries, Anti-Heroes, Planet of Dinosaurs, The Nick Englebrecht Mysteries, and The Archaeologists. She is the author of multiple Amazon bestsellers, and was also one of the founders and chief editors of KHP Publishers, which published genre fiction from 2001 to 2015. She has over fifteen years experience in the publishing industry as a writer, ghostwriter, copyeditor, commercial book cover designer, formatter and marketer. Visit her website at https://khkoehler.net

Reviews

[J.M. Horn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beauty and the Beast from the mind of Koehler.

She breathes a new life into the characters with an unique tale and vivid descriptions.

A retelling with some bite.