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Earthborn #1
The Beast Prince
Half human. Half earth. All molten-hot devastation.
Katsumi Ito, captain of the guard, would give her life to defend her town. But as she trudges toward an abandoned outpost with a tribute-laden pony, she knows her rifle is useless.
The powerful elemental now living in the outpost can instantly transform from human to a landslide of cold rock or molten lava. His demand that she serve him sets her teeth on edge, yet she must obey or he could destroy everything.
If Prince Marus seems confident and commanding, it’s because his new servant must never suspect he’s lost his ability to shift into his earth form. Still, his desire for the warrior woman shakes him to the core. Especially when she offers her body in return for his patronage—as he doesn’t take unwilling bedmates.
Then a far worse danger threatens the town, and reveals Marus’s vulnerability. Kat is fit to kill. But first she needs a miracle. That means joining forces with Marus—and guarding her heart against a Prince who’s fallen in love with her.
Warning: Contains a beauty who’s a crack shot with a rifle, and a beast who believes there’s nothing worse than being a human—even if he enjoys having them in his bed.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2016
11 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Marian Perera
15 books21 followersMarian Perera was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in Dubai and now lives in Toronto. She works in a hospital blood bank, where no one has any idea that she writes steamy romance. She reviews for All About Romance and loves to hear from readers—send her an email at mariandperera@gmail.com. There's also more about her writing on her website at www.marianperera.com.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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January 9, 2023i read about 60% and then just sort of tapered off. it was such an intriguing premise and i liked the writing, but i'm in a weird reader mood and i would need to re-start the whole thing (maybe someday).
December 25, 2022
Surprisingly enjoyable since this was an impulse buy. I don't know where I saw a recommendation for this book. I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast stories, and this one was a good riff on the tale. It's the kind of melding of romance and fantasy that doesn't leave me feeling like the world building was too hand-wavy (although I did wonder at some of it) or the romance scant. And it was on the shorter side, which suits my attention span in recent years.
The version I read has a different cover than the one shown here, so this is actually an older book that's been republished. The next book in the series seems to be in the works, though, and I need to see if this author has a newsletter so that I'll know when it is published.
The book is set 100 years after a cruise ship went through a fog portal on the ocean to a realm with a continent with the remnants of another civilization. The stuck people made a life there, but 30 years ago a bunch of magical, half-human earth elemental Princes arrived on the scene to terrify, kill/dominate humans. This first book is about a human who goes to give tribute to an earth elemental Prince to beg for mercy for her town and expects she will die in the doing.
The version I read has a different cover than the one shown here, so this is actually an older book that's been republished. The next book in the series seems to be in the works, though, and I need to see if this author has a newsletter so that I'll know when it is published.
The book is set 100 years after a cruise ship went through a fog portal on the ocean to a realm with a continent with the remnants of another civilization. The stuck people made a life there, but 30 years ago a bunch of magical, half-human earth elemental Princes arrived on the scene to terrify, kill/dominate humans. This first book is about a human who goes to give tribute to an earth elemental Prince to beg for mercy for her town and expects she will die in the doing.
April 2, 2024
Heard this one was recommended on fated mates. Very cool premise for a paranormal, a whole new creature species in a whole new original world. Mystery gets resolved satisfactorily in the end. Something very alluring about the storytelling
January 11, 2023
Loved the world building . A society built from a cruise ship lost in a portal to another realm. It's just brilliant. The relationship between Kat and Marus had me wishing that more time was spent stoking the slow burn romance between them. We really needed more of that emotional journey.
#2023AllSoulsReadingChallenge
#Fernando #outsider
#2023AllSoulsReadingChallenge
#Fernando #outsider
May 26, 2024
2016 fantasy romance
Beauty and the beast retelling.
She is Japanese and captain of the guard and he is a prince that transforms into lava and stone.
With hints of urban.
2-3 aubergines
Short book
Beauty and the beast retelling.
She is Japanese and captain of the guard and he is a prince that transforms into lava and stone.
With hints of urban.
2-3 aubergines
Short book
March 30, 2016
Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad, and The Unread:
Of all the fairy tales I’ve seen adapted, Beauty and the Beast is the one I most enjoy returning to as a reader. It doesn’t matter whether the beast is metaphorical or, as in this story, literal, there are plenty of different twists that authors can put on the same basic plot. Throw in an imaginative setting, and there’s even more chance I’ll be hooked.
The setting in this case is an alternate world inhabited by the descendants of some very real world feeling humans, whom we slowly discover may have originally come from our world – or one much like it – but recent generations have been forced to adapt to far more hostile surroundings than their ancestors could possibly have envisioned, with no definite chance of ever finding their way home. The settlers have split into a number of small townships in order to stand a better chance of avoiding notice by the would-be rulers of this world: offspring of an insane evil goddess who has been trapped underground; and the human man who was brave or foolhardy enough to venture into her prison.
The princes have an almost-human appearance, but can transform at will into various forms of earth or rock, except for – as we later discover – the hero of this tale, Marus. Marus has been tricked by one of his brothers, and is now stuck in his human form. After the town he ruled is destroyed, along with its human inhabitants, he seeks sanctuary in a ruined tower – and that’s where our heroine finds him. Kat was captain of her town’s guard, but has resigned her post in order to seek out the new prince who has been seen in the area, and either make a deal with him, or kill him – either way she’s going to protect her town.
Marus tries to keep Kat from knowing how powerless he now is and strikes a deal with her – if she stays and works for him, he won’t destroy the town – so long as the townsfolk also keep him supplied with provisions. Not being able to shift into his earth form means Marus is also unable to heal himself the way he would do normally, and so is at as much risk from his brothers as pretty much any normal human. Kat agrees and slowly begins to learn about her new boss – and even come to respect him, over and above the attraction she feels towards him from the start. But then Marus and the town come under threat from Marus’ brother – the same one that almost defeated him before – and they all have to work together to reach a solution.
This story has a very well imagined world, with some very diverse characters. I love the backstory of the colony and its scattered settlements, particularly since it’s told to us one piece at a time – rather than in a big info-dump. Kat and Marus make for a great pairing: both romantically and as a fighting team, and I’d also be keen to see more about the other townsfolk and their relationships. This could make for a great series should the author find a way to continue it.
Of all the fairy tales I’ve seen adapted, Beauty and the Beast is the one I most enjoy returning to as a reader. It doesn’t matter whether the beast is metaphorical or, as in this story, literal, there are plenty of different twists that authors can put on the same basic plot. Throw in an imaginative setting, and there’s even more chance I’ll be hooked.
The setting in this case is an alternate world inhabited by the descendants of some very real world feeling humans, whom we slowly discover may have originally come from our world – or one much like it – but recent generations have been forced to adapt to far more hostile surroundings than their ancestors could possibly have envisioned, with no definite chance of ever finding their way home. The settlers have split into a number of small townships in order to stand a better chance of avoiding notice by the would-be rulers of this world: offspring of an insane evil goddess who has been trapped underground; and the human man who was brave or foolhardy enough to venture into her prison.
The princes have an almost-human appearance, but can transform at will into various forms of earth or rock, except for – as we later discover – the hero of this tale, Marus. Marus has been tricked by one of his brothers, and is now stuck in his human form. After the town he ruled is destroyed, along with its human inhabitants, he seeks sanctuary in a ruined tower – and that’s where our heroine finds him. Kat was captain of her town’s guard, but has resigned her post in order to seek out the new prince who has been seen in the area, and either make a deal with him, or kill him – either way she’s going to protect her town.
Marus tries to keep Kat from knowing how powerless he now is and strikes a deal with her – if she stays and works for him, he won’t destroy the town – so long as the townsfolk also keep him supplied with provisions. Not being able to shift into his earth form means Marus is also unable to heal himself the way he would do normally, and so is at as much risk from his brothers as pretty much any normal human. Kat agrees and slowly begins to learn about her new boss – and even come to respect him, over and above the attraction she feels towards him from the start. But then Marus and the town come under threat from Marus’ brother – the same one that almost defeated him before – and they all have to work together to reach a solution.
This story has a very well imagined world, with some very diverse characters. I love the backstory of the colony and its scattered settlements, particularly since it’s told to us one piece at a time – rather than in a big info-dump. Kat and Marus make for a great pairing: both romantically and as a fighting team, and I’d also be keen to see more about the other townsfolk and their relationships. This could make for a great series should the author find a way to continue it.
November 29, 2016
3.5 stars, actually.
Oh, I wanted to like this book more. It has alot of things going for it, and despite the 3.5 stars, I'd totally pick up a sequel.
Why? Because unlike your average "fantasy alpha hero romance featuring djinn/werewolf/vampire" etc, this one has a developed world-building that features somewhat fantastical elements (a mad queen who sounds like a lava deity imprisoned in the earth who bore a bunch of "prince" sons who run around in human form but can become rock or mud or lava at will) with some straight up science fiction elements (the main group of humans just came to this planet like a generation ago and still remembers Earth).
It also features a japanese heroine. So, the japanese heroine thing doesn't take advantage of the heritage as much as I'd like because, duh, she's on an alien planet with a lava prince. But the fact that her physical characteristics (dark hair, dark eyes) are desirable is a plus.
So, why the 3.5 stars? The story felt rushed. Kat and Marus' relationship went from "okay, maybe you're not that bad" to "now I must have you and dash the consequences!" far too quickly. The pleasure in this kind of romance is where the heroine, against her better judgement, falls for the beast. It was too quick. It felt like a jump cut in a movie. And then I actually was quite interested in all the back story behind the bad guy Prince Ractane's daughters-- and that was over too quick. So maybe if this had been fleshed out and longer, and more attention paid to the fantasy/science fiction plot elements and characters I would have liked it more.
Also, a little more foreplay the first time they get together, yes?
Like I said, though, the world sold me. I'd pick up the next one just because of that.
Oh, I wanted to like this book more. It has alot of things going for it, and despite the 3.5 stars, I'd totally pick up a sequel.
Why? Because unlike your average "fantasy alpha hero romance featuring djinn/werewolf/vampire" etc, this one has a developed world-building that features somewhat fantastical elements (a mad queen who sounds like a lava deity imprisoned in the earth who bore a bunch of "prince" sons who run around in human form but can become rock or mud or lava at will) with some straight up science fiction elements (the main group of humans just came to this planet like a generation ago and still remembers Earth).
It also features a japanese heroine. So, the japanese heroine thing doesn't take advantage of the heritage as much as I'd like because, duh, she's on an alien planet with a lava prince. But the fact that her physical characteristics (dark hair, dark eyes) are desirable is a plus.
So, why the 3.5 stars? The story felt rushed. Kat and Marus' relationship went from "okay, maybe you're not that bad" to "now I must have you and dash the consequences!" far too quickly. The pleasure in this kind of romance is where the heroine, against her better judgement, falls for the beast. It was too quick. It felt like a jump cut in a movie. And then I actually was quite interested in all the back story behind the bad guy Prince Ractane's daughters-- and that was over too quick. So maybe if this had been fleshed out and longer, and more attention paid to the fantasy/science fiction plot elements and characters I would have liked it more.
Also, a little more foreplay the first time they get together, yes?
Like I said, though, the world sold me. I'd pick up the next one just because of that.
May 10, 2017
This went to a different (read: better) place than I had expected. The worldbuilding was super interesting - I love being surprised like that. The characters were nicely drawn, and she had some really cool ways to frame them. A good read! I'm looking forward to more from this author.
January 7, 2023
Half human. Half earth. All molten-hot devastation."
Katsumi Ito, captain of the guard, would give her life to defend her town. But as she trudges toward an abandoned outpost with a tribute-laden pony, she knows her rifle is useless.
The powerful elemental now living in the outpost can instantly transform from human to a landslide of cold rock or molten lava. His demand that she serve him sets her teeth on edge, yet she must obey or he could destroy everything.
If Prince Marus seems confident and commanding, it s because his new servant must never suspect he s lost his ability to shift into his earth form. Still, his desire for the warrior woman shakes him to the core. Especially when she offers her body in return for his patronage as he doesn t take unwilling bedmates.
Then a far worse danger threatens the town, and reveals Marus s vulnerability. Kat is fit to kill. But first she needs a miracle. That means joining forces with Marus and guarding her heart against a Prince who s fallen in love with her.
"Warning: Contains a beauty who s a crack shot with a rifle, and a beast who believes there s nothing worse than being a human even if he enjoys having them in his bed.""
Review:
I picked up this book on KU. The reason I did so was because the author pitched the arc of the second book to the DA and it sounded interesting so to decide whether I should grab the second one when it comes out on KU.
I did not even read the blurb before I opened the book, which is something I almost never do. Imagine my happy surprise when the blurb sounded like a homage to Beauty and the Beast ( and it was in my opinion ) in SF settings with the guy being an earth elemental ( whatever the heck that will turned out to be ). I *love* Beauty and the Beast and read quite a few romance retellings.
I thought that both Katsumi ( aka Kat, and I shorten her name only because the character says that friends call her that at some point ) and Marus, I thought they were well written characters in a sense that I could easily *see* them while I was reading the book. The mythology of Marus' origins made very little sense to me though. Oh I thought and I think that earth elemental is a very cool shape shifting ability, but for example, Marus himself talks about his parents being a sadist and a murderer. No, I am not going to go in details, because this will be very spoilerish, but how did Marus turn out to be so nice? Don't get me wrong, I will be the last one to say that nurture does not matter in the person's upbringing. I think it very much does, and person's parents won't always define this person's future IMO, but who else influenced him? Any human or shifter or whoever, who was nice enough to people/beings around them that Marus could observe?
It is as if the character's actions were influenced by the plot, rather than character was influencing the plot.
In fact, and I fully realize that this is the first book in the series, the whole world was not developed at all. It is possible that was the artistic choice or maybe it will be developed later, but if so this is not the artistic choice which I as a reader enjoyed.
Humans arrived here after some unknown catastrophe/war ( something clearly horrible happened). They saved some momentos from their past life and build their life a new, with some remains of technology being intact ( I think, I was not sure), but not many. I wanted more of the outside world.
I wanted more of the Marus' brothers being explained .
I really liked Katsumi, I also thought they had good chemistry, but overall the settings felt too smothering for me, as I said I did not get the sense of the bigger world.
Katsumi Ito, captain of the guard, would give her life to defend her town. But as she trudges toward an abandoned outpost with a tribute-laden pony, she knows her rifle is useless.
The powerful elemental now living in the outpost can instantly transform from human to a landslide of cold rock or molten lava. His demand that she serve him sets her teeth on edge, yet she must obey or he could destroy everything.
If Prince Marus seems confident and commanding, it s because his new servant must never suspect he s lost his ability to shift into his earth form. Still, his desire for the warrior woman shakes him to the core. Especially when she offers her body in return for his patronage as he doesn t take unwilling bedmates.
Then a far worse danger threatens the town, and reveals Marus s vulnerability. Kat is fit to kill. But first she needs a miracle. That means joining forces with Marus and guarding her heart against a Prince who s fallen in love with her.
"Warning: Contains a beauty who s a crack shot with a rifle, and a beast who believes there s nothing worse than being a human even if he enjoys having them in his bed.""
Review:
I picked up this book on KU. The reason I did so was because the author pitched the arc of the second book to the DA and it sounded interesting so to decide whether I should grab the second one when it comes out on KU.
I did not even read the blurb before I opened the book, which is something I almost never do. Imagine my happy surprise when the blurb sounded like a homage to Beauty and the Beast ( and it was in my opinion ) in SF settings with the guy being an earth elemental ( whatever the heck that will turned out to be ). I *love* Beauty and the Beast and read quite a few romance retellings.
I thought that both Katsumi ( aka Kat, and I shorten her name only because the character says that friends call her that at some point ) and Marus, I thought they were well written characters in a sense that I could easily *see* them while I was reading the book. The mythology of Marus' origins made very little sense to me though. Oh I thought and I think that earth elemental is a very cool shape shifting ability, but for example, Marus himself talks about his parents being a sadist and a murderer. No, I am not going to go in details, because this will be very spoilerish, but how did Marus turn out to be so nice? Don't get me wrong, I will be the last one to say that nurture does not matter in the person's upbringing. I think it very much does, and person's parents won't always define this person's future IMO, but who else influenced him? Any human or shifter or whoever, who was nice enough to people/beings around them that Marus could observe?
It is as if the character's actions were influenced by the plot, rather than character was influencing the plot.
In fact, and I fully realize that this is the first book in the series, the whole world was not developed at all. It is possible that was the artistic choice or maybe it will be developed later, but if so this is not the artistic choice which I as a reader enjoyed.
Humans arrived here after some unknown catastrophe/war ( something clearly horrible happened). They saved some momentos from their past life and build their life a new, with some remains of technology being intact ( I think, I was not sure), but not many. I wanted more of the outside world.
I wanted more of the Marus' brothers being explained .
I really liked Katsumi, I also thought they had good chemistry, but overall the settings felt too smothering for me, as I said I did not get the sense of the bigger world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2022
3.5.
The Beast Prince was…not what I was expecting at all. I picked up the book on Sarah Maclean’s recommendation (and because it’s on KU). The title, cover and description led me to expect a quick paranormal romance read, fun but without much depth, with more focus on steam and romance rather than worldbuilding.
What I got instead was a really well written romantic fantasy, set in a really cool world, with truly engaging characters and conflicts.
I’ve shelved this as ‘ruined by romance’ because the romance was the only part of this book that felt flat to me. Usually this means one of the MCs didn’t work for me, but that’s not the case here. Both Marus and Katsumi are fantastic characters who could totally work as a couple. However, I don’t know when and why they fell in love with each other, I’m not even a 100% certain when they even became friends.
I think the story could have used a whole trilogy to develop, tbh (mostly because I want to read a whole trilogy’s worth of plot, characters and conflict set in this world).
I want more of this world, so I’m definitely reading the next book. If you are at all interested in romantic fantasy (or intriguing worldbuilding!) give this book a shot.
The Beast Prince was…not what I was expecting at all. I picked up the book on Sarah Maclean’s recommendation (and because it’s on KU). The title, cover and description led me to expect a quick paranormal romance read, fun but without much depth, with more focus on steam and romance rather than worldbuilding.
What I got instead was a really well written romantic fantasy, set in a really cool world, with truly engaging characters and conflicts.
I’ve shelved this as ‘ruined by romance’ because the romance was the only part of this book that felt flat to me. Usually this means one of the MCs didn’t work for me, but that’s not the case here. Both Marus and Katsumi are fantastic characters who could totally work as a couple. However, I don’t know when and why they fell in love with each other, I’m not even a 100% certain when they even became friends.
I think the story could have used a whole trilogy to develop, tbh (mostly because I want to read a whole trilogy’s worth of plot, characters and conflict set in this world).
I want more of this world, so I’m definitely reading the next book. If you are at all interested in romantic fantasy (or intriguing worldbuilding!) give this book a shot.
May 25, 2023
This is a curious book with an unusual universe. I liked it, even though it wobbled from time to time. I'm going to try the next book.
November 24, 2025
Loved the world building, but I didn't think the romance plot was handled skillfully.
dnf
December 12, 2016This was on a list of recommended romances featuring women of color protagonists. But if you are a Japanese character on a sci-fi planet and none of your heritage matters, does it really matter? In any case, I ended up DNF'ing this a third of the way in, more for the lack of interesting world-building and for the lack of interesting characters than for the lack of culturally specific detail...
February 28, 2025
Really enjoyed the world-building, but found the romance just meh.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews