Fallen Beauty

by Astrid Scholte

A HAUNTING, WINTERY TALE OF ART, OBSESSION, AND THE PRICE OF LOVE.

Eighteen-year-old Thorelea Winyard has been a prisoner her entire life, forced to paint dead animals pushed into her cell. She dreams of the world outside her tower and everything she’s been denied. When one of her subjects comes back to life, Thorelea is thrust into a royal court where she can have anything she desires—aside from her freedom.

Here, she learns that the king and queen have ruled for centuries; their immortality is gifted through the power of their court painter, who dutifully updates their magical portraits. It is also here that she meets the sole other mortal of the court: Prince Kelter. Desperate to become immortal so he can join the ranks of the battalion waging war against a neighboring kingdom, he offers her a deal. Thorelea will paint the portrait Prince Kelter has been denied by his parents, and he will help her escape from the ruthless royal court.

They meet each night in secret. As they grow closer, they must face the monstrous realities of Thorelea’s powers. Will she be forced to choose between her heart and her freedom?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

416 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

Astrid Scholte is the internationally bestselling and award-winning author of fantasy novels including Four Dead Queens , The Vanishing Deep and the League of Liars duology. Fallen Beauty is next! When she's not writing, she works in film and animation production on such movies as James Cameron’s Avatar, Lilo & Stitch and Wicked. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, two cats and an ever-growing mountain of Disney merchandise.

You can find Astrid posting about books, cats and Disney on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @AstridScholte

Reviews

[Astrid Scholte]

Update: The glorious cover for FALLEN BEAUTY has been revealed! How beautiful is it???
---
My next YA Fantasy, Fallen Beauty, combines my love of fairytales, gothic castles, midnight rendezvous, brooding boys. dangerous magic, courtly intrigue and forbidden romance. It also features another one of my passions: oil painting!

[Starr ❇✌❇]

I'm sorry Rapunzel meets Dorian Gray???? Is this secretly a trap made specifically for me???????

[Cade Roach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rapunzel meets The Picture of Dorian Gray??? So good. It’s been over a year since I’ve read a YA book (though this one is closer to New Adult). I really loved this. It pulled me in immediately and was written really well. It wasn’t overly complicated, but the world felt nostalgic which I loved. Honestly this could have been a series but I’m glad it was a standalone. It was the perfect length, and the perfect amount of storytelling without it feeling like it dragged.

[Erin Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

FALLEN BEAUTY hooked me from the first page. With its wholly unique magic system and deliciously lush worldbuilding, I was enchanted, smitten, and utterly beguiled. Astrid Scholte is a force to be reckoned with!