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Beautiful Creatures: The Untold Stories #3
Before the Claiming
"You can't hide from fate..."
While looking through her grandmother Emmaline's keepsakes, Lena Duchannes comes across a little blue book with a big history--a book that changed Macon Ravenwood's life and saved Lena's.
When Lena was a baby, Seer and gifted card reader Amma Treaudeau saw a terrifying future in the cards that sent her to Emmaline's door. When a powerful Dark Caster sets fire to Lena's house with baby Lena and her father trapped inside, Amma, Emmaline, and Macon vow to protect the child. Lena's grandmother and her Uncle Macon whisk Lena away, protecting her and moving her to a new place at the first sign of trouble. But a Caster can only hide for so long, and Macon must rely on the teachings in an ancient book to control his Dark nature. Ultimately, it will be his job to protect Lena--and keep her from surrendering to a Dark fate.
#1 "New York Times" bestselling authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl revisit the events that would define Lena's future in the third installment of Beautiful The Untold Stories.
8,800 words
While looking through her grandmother Emmaline's keepsakes, Lena Duchannes comes across a little blue book with a big history--a book that changed Macon Ravenwood's life and saved Lena's.
When Lena was a baby, Seer and gifted card reader Amma Treaudeau saw a terrifying future in the cards that sent her to Emmaline's door. When a powerful Dark Caster sets fire to Lena's house with baby Lena and her father trapped inside, Amma, Emmaline, and Macon vow to protect the child. Lena's grandmother and her Uncle Macon whisk Lena away, protecting her and moving her to a new place at the first sign of trouble. But a Caster can only hide for so long, and Macon must rely on the teachings in an ancient book to control his Dark nature. Ultimately, it will be his job to protect Lena--and keep her from surrendering to a Dark fate.
#1 "New York Times" bestselling authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl revisit the events that would define Lena's future in the third installment of Beautiful The Untold Stories.
8,800 words
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2015
57 people are currently reading
3449 people want to read
About the author
Kami Garcia
112 books17.4k followersKami Garcia is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. She is the coauthor of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, which has been published in 51 countries and 37 languages, with over 10 million copies in print. In 2013, Beautiful Creatures released as a feature film from Warner Brothers. Kami is a cofounder of the YALLFEST kid lit book festival and the author of five solo novels, including her Bram Stoker Award-nominated novels Unbreakable and Unmarked (THE LEGION series) and The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos. Kami’s first graphic novel Teen Titans: Raven, with artist Gabriel Picolo, is the first book in her TEEN TITANS series for DC Comics and the adult series JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY, from DC Black Label.
Find Kami online at kamigarcia.com, on Facebook @KamiGarciaYA, and on Twitter and Instagram @KamiGarcia.
Find Kami online at kamigarcia.com, on Facebook @KamiGarciaYA, and on Twitter and Instagram @KamiGarcia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 20, 2020
A detailed look into Lena's childhood and teen years. It was informative and intriguing, and also amazing the lengths that some of the adult characters went to to protect their young.
October 27, 2015
I'm tired of some series, like Shadowhunter series that goes on and on. But, I will never get tired of anything about Caster Chronicles. Hypocrite much right? LOL
Standing up to its title, Before the Claiming offers a new perspective to Lena's life before her days in Gatlin. Her near-death experience as a baby, school days as teenager, etc. But it's not much as what I'd expected. It came short to fully satisfy my need for the Caster world but I can't deny the fact that I still enjoyed reading this novella. Besides, I've got to see some of my favorite characters like Amma, Macon, Ridley and of course, Lena. <3
So, 3 stars!
Standing up to its title, Before the Claiming offers a new perspective to Lena's life before her days in Gatlin. Her near-death experience as a baby, school days as teenager, etc. But it's not much as what I'd expected. It came short to fully satisfy my need for the Caster world but I can't deny the fact that I still enjoyed reading this novella. Besides, I've got to see some of my favorite characters like Amma, Macon, Ridley and of course, Lena. <3
So, 3 stars!
April 15, 2021
My favorite of the novellas so far. This one had a glimpse into when Lena ended up in Macon's care and Lena and Ridley as tweens/early teens. I'm a huge Ridley fan so getting to see a new side of her before her claiming was really fun and it made me love her even more. I also developed a deeper appreciation for Lena with this novella. Some of Lena's hopeless romantic stuff in the main series was a little bit annoying to me so seeing her before she met Ethan was really nice.
January 2, 2016
Original review on
Julalicious Book Paradise
Rating: 3.5/5
Short stories? Short reviews. :)
So I enjoy these little short stories that give us insight about how everything came to be in the Caster Chronicles series and sometimes in the Dangerous Creatures series.
This novella was about what was done to protect Lena from her own mother, but I mostly enjoyed reading about her and her cousin Ridley. Two girls so opposite yet, I wouldn't doubt just how far they would go to protect one another.
Want me to admit something? I know they saw Lena's future and feared for her, but I feel like they neglected to check on the others like Ridley. Perhaps, nothing could have been done, but I just feel like their focus was so much on Lena that they missed other signs that could have helped out the others.
Other than that, I really liked how Lena and Ethan learn more about themselves, about their parents and about all the things that led them to meet.
Rating: 3.5/5
Short stories? Short reviews. :)
So I enjoy these little short stories that give us insight about how everything came to be in the Caster Chronicles series and sometimes in the Dangerous Creatures series.
This novella was about what was done to protect Lena from her own mother, but I mostly enjoyed reading about her and her cousin Ridley. Two girls so opposite yet, I wouldn't doubt just how far they would go to protect one another.
Want me to admit something? I know they saw Lena's future and feared for her, but I feel like they neglected to check on the others like Ridley. Perhaps, nothing could have been done, but I just feel like their focus was so much on Lena that they missed other signs that could have helped out the others.
Other than that, I really liked how Lena and Ethan learn more about themselves, about their parents and about all the things that led them to meet.
October 24, 2015
I really like these shorts, like the different views that we get. With this one we got to see more how Ethan and Lena's families had more involvement than we know. I do like the blue item that they found and what it represented.
October 14, 2015
Rating: 3.75/5
Review coming soon!
Review coming soon!
June 14, 2018
This was pretty much the accumulation of all the important events - the fire that killed Lena's dad, Lena saving herself, Macon changing his ways, Amma butting in and Lena discovering her powers. The one downside? Ridley was is it.
November 2, 2015
Another ball out of the park short story from Kami and Margaret.
I'm amazed every time I read something from the Caster world a vault in my head opens to a well of knowledge I've kept about the world. I don't even know how I remember so much of it.
Seeing these scenes from eye witness accounts of sorts expanded my horizons even more. And a cute Ethan and Lena scene at the end was the cherry on top.
I'm amazed every time I read something from the Caster world a vault in my head opens to a well of knowledge I've kept about the world. I don't even know how I remember so much of it.
Seeing these scenes from eye witness accounts of sorts expanded my horizons even more. And a cute Ethan and Lena scene at the end was the cherry on top.
June 12, 2021
Interesting little novella
June 24, 2025
To be honest i read it because i found a pdf online. I remember liking the series years ago and it was nice in that nostalgic way
May 4, 2025
A fantastic prequel story!
I wish it was longer and we got even more about Lena's childhood, particularly her time in Salem.
It does feel a little weird reading a story where the main mean girl has my first name and the last name of someone I used to be friends with. It's still a great name for an antagonist in Salem, objectively. I'd be thrilled if the authors wrote more about this world and brought her back at some point.
I really hope if Beautiful Creatures ever gets a big or little screen remake, it opens like this (with the fire and Lena) instead of like the beginning of book one. It's a stronger opening (for that format) than Ethan going for a run talking about Gatlin.
My one critique is, as this is a prequel, dating back to when Ridley and Lena were close, before Ridley was claimed, shouldn't Ridley have been called Julia in this? How would Lena have even known her cousin's real name? Nobody the entire series knew Lena's name was Josephine until book four. Reece was called Annabel by Ridley in book one, implying when Ridley was part of the family nobody knew her big sister's name either.
I wish it was longer and we got even more about Lena's childhood, particularly her time in Salem.
It does feel a little weird reading a story where the main mean girl has my first name and the last name of someone I used to be friends with. It's still a great name for an antagonist in Salem, objectively. I'd be thrilled if the authors wrote more about this world and brought her back at some point.
I really hope if Beautiful Creatures ever gets a big or little screen remake, it opens like this (with the fire and Lena) instead of like the beginning of book one. It's a stronger opening (for that format) than Ethan going for a run talking about Gatlin.
My one critique is, as this is a prequel, dating back to when Ridley and Lena were close, before Ridley was claimed, shouldn't Ridley have been called Julia in this? How would Lena have even known her cousin's real name? Nobody the entire series knew Lena's name was Josephine until book four. Reece was called Annabel by Ridley in book one, implying when Ridley was part of the family nobody knew her big sister's name either.
October 24, 2015
Short Review
I'm weak. You see, I thought this story would be good, and, surprisingly, it was better than The Mortal Heart. Still, once it got good, it got bad and fast. These novellas are too short and too sporadic. There's no cohesion to the stories. The idea of how Macon changed his nature is never explained in detail, but I like how allegiances are put to the test. Still, I want more. I can't help it. I want more from Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl when it comes to characters like Macon. This is better than a lot of the things they've been putting out, though.
I'm weak. You see, I thought this story would be good, and, surprisingly, it was better than The Mortal Heart. Still, once it got good, it got bad and fast. These novellas are too short and too sporadic. There's no cohesion to the stories. The idea of how Macon changed his nature is never explained in detail, but I like how allegiances are put to the test. Still, I want more. I can't help it. I want more from Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl when it comes to characters like Macon. This is better than a lot of the things they've been putting out, though.
October 17, 2015
This book was okay. The writing was pretty simple, and it didn't really tell us anything we didn't know already. I noticed one inconsistency: Ridley was referred to as Ridley, but it was before she turned 16, so her name would have been Julia at that point in time. Actually, I noticed that in some of the other books as well.
October 24, 2015
The authors are really starting to lose track of the time line and rules of the world they created, which is really ruining these stories for me. Plus, having several POVs in a 40 pg story is annoying and unnecessary. I'm beginning to think I should just give up on the caster world-no matter how much I used to enjoy it.
July 17, 2019
I don't want them to end 😭
April 18, 2018
We all have our guilty pleasure book series and The Caster Chronicles is mine.
I don’t like many Paranormal Romances, especially the YA kind, because mostly they are all the same, with countless tropes I‘m tired of. Somehow this series stuck with me. I‘m fully aware of its faults and why a lot of people don’t like it, I am however still charmed with all these characters and the world.
This was a good novella, explaining the events from the fire that almost killed Lena to her Grandmother and Macon forming an alliance to protect her, Ridley‘s troubles before the official start of the series and finally what led to Lena living with Macon and eventually meeting Ethan.
Returning to that world is always a welcome feeling of familiarity and a sense of home. The writing was at always enjoyable and Macon Ravenwood is still one of my favorite fictional characters.
The only thing that really made me rise my eyebrows? Ethan calls his future stepmother by her last name shortly before the wedding? Like what? But that is only tiny nitpick.
I don’t like many Paranormal Romances, especially the YA kind, because mostly they are all the same, with countless tropes I‘m tired of. Somehow this series stuck with me. I‘m fully aware of its faults and why a lot of people don’t like it, I am however still charmed with all these characters and the world.
This was a good novella, explaining the events from the fire that almost killed Lena to her Grandmother and Macon forming an alliance to protect her, Ridley‘s troubles before the official start of the series and finally what led to Lena living with Macon and eventually meeting Ethan.
Returning to that world is always a welcome feeling of familiarity and a sense of home. The writing was at always enjoyable and Macon Ravenwood is still one of my favorite fictional characters.
The only thing that really made me rise my eyebrows? Ethan calls his future stepmother by her last name shortly before the wedding? Like what? But that is only tiny nitpick.
April 19, 2018
Another Plot Hole
Ugh, I want to like the novelettes but I can’t. It’s like the writer’s forgot their own universe. In Beautiful Creatures Lena explained that everyone learns their real names when they are claimed, that Lena isn’t her real name; her grandmother made it up because she was skinny as a child. So imagine my surprise when this book flashes back to the night of the fire that killed Lena’s father and her gramma calls her Lena, right then and there. I wanted to be done then but finished the 40 or so more pages. Unfortunately, I can’t do it anymore. Either I’ve outgrown the series or the authors have. Either way, I won’t be wasting my time reading any of the other novelettes.
Ugh, I want to like the novelettes but I can’t. It’s like the writer’s forgot their own universe. In Beautiful Creatures Lena explained that everyone learns their real names when they are claimed, that Lena isn’t her real name; her grandmother made it up because she was skinny as a child. So imagine my surprise when this book flashes back to the night of the fire that killed Lena’s father and her gramma calls her Lena, right then and there. I wanted to be done then but finished the 40 or so more pages. Unfortunately, I can’t do it anymore. Either I’ve outgrown the series or the authors have. Either way, I won’t be wasting my time reading any of the other novelettes.
January 13, 2021
Definitely the story the readers asked for but maybe not so much the answer we looked for. Sarafine is what I consider one of the more interesting characters as she did have her dark tendencies get to her unlike Lena. After being exposed to her story in the series I would have liked for her background story to have more elaboration. She tried so hard to fight the darkness in her but succumbed so easily, and I would have liked to read why. I also would have liked to read more about the 'magic' of it all, the abilities, the legends, rather than just the tragedy. Other than that it is really nice to read how Macon came to care for Lena and the the bond they had from the start.
December 19, 2024
I absolutely LOVE Beautiful Creatures and ALL of its Beautiful/Dangerous Creatures sequels... waiting for the next to arrive, which is cruel n unusual punishment but well worth the wait, I'm sure, as every other have proved to be. Must have been the wheel of fate demanding these stories be told. Once I start reading, I couldn't put any of them down. Lack of will power and the fact I simply don't wanna! I'm sure when these series end (which I prefer they NEVER do) some sort of Beautiful Creatures 12 step program will have to be introduced! I need more!
January 20, 2025
A quaint little read. Where we get to see more about Lena's beginning and how Amma was connected with Macon and the caster world from the very beginning and how tugging on one thread can connect to another even back then where you don't see how the to strings can tangle. I am so glad I am reading these little short stories gives us some insight on the characters. We even get to see little Ridley who I am a big fan of we got to see her in her small teen phase still being stubborn with her lollipop
July 22, 2020
Before the Claiming was ok? I still give it four stars because if I am being honest I am very biased. I love the Chaster Chronicles and they have a special place in my heart so I don't think I will ever give a rating lower than four stars. They are just always good and I can't get past the love I have for them. I will say this was my least favorite out of the four novellas. I think we could have done without this one but it was still good and interesting to read.
February 16, 2017
This could have been easy another book, a Beautiful Creatures prequel.. the adventures of Lena & Rid hahahaha
June 30, 2017
i just can't get enough if this series or this writer.
July 3, 2017
A cute novella, I got to learn more about Lena and Ridley which was fun!
June 11, 2019
This one is about Lena and how she got to be taken care of by Macon and her grandmother.
There isn't much new in this book and it finishes a bit short of a real ending.
There isn't much new in this book and it finishes a bit short of a real ending.
July 2, 2019
Somehow, they pack a big punch into these little reads. This one definitely adds to the overall narrative and is well worth reading.
August 6, 2019
An enjoyable short story of how Lena was saved from her mother.
December 10, 2019
It was really nice to get a closer look at Lena and Ridley's relationship before everything went bad. I kind of wish we'd gotten more of it in the books.
August 18, 2020
I can never get enough of this story, and even though this was just a short look into the beginning of Lena's life, I loved it. I only wish it were longer.
March 15, 2022
Struggles of Lena's family in order to protect her from her mother.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews