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Beastly Fables #1
Beastly Manor
Once upon a time in a faraway land a very wealthy merchant lived on a good piece of land just west of the hamlet we now call Littleton. The merchant was blessed with luck and guile, strong bones and sharp eyes, a pretty wife of gentle spirit, and four healthy children whom he called Faith, Hope, Beauty, and Corbin.
An LGBT twist on the classic love story.
An LGBT twist on the classic love story.
338 pages, ebook
First published January 20, 2016
35 people are currently reading
950 people want to read
About the author
Alex Hall
5 books71 followersSarah Remy/Alex Hall is a nonbinary, animal-loving, proud gamer Geek. Their work can be found in a variety of cool places, including HarperVoyager, EDGE and NineStar Press.
(Source: https://ninestarpress.com/authors/ale...)
(Source: https://ninestarpress.com/authors/ale...)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 29, 2016
A faithful retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a twist.
There are things that can't really be explained in the town of Littleton, curses and boons that the residents take as a part of life. But even they know there is evil, a fiend that plagues the black forest.
Beauty, Hope, Faith and Corbin their elder brother had a seemingly bucolic existence on a small farm near the edges of the dark woods. It is there that de Beaumont family's course changes irrevocably when an annual trip is met with tragedy, which breeds revenge. Corbin is forged into the weapon to mete out vengeance.
The characters in the story are quite good, well rounded and entertaining, and the historical details embellish beautifully. Corbin's mindset is delightfully young and appropriately self-centered. Often knowing what should be done, but doing what one wants instead because... now. Now is now and later is later. Until duty is thrust upon him.
The book is a three act play format wherein we meet Corbin and the trouble the de Beaumont's face. Corbin goes off to train under the tutelage of Sir Thomas and learn about life, allegiance, and duty. Finally, Corbin must face his fate.
Everything is medieval, and feels very much like the imagery was taken from a "Book of Hours" except for a few odd anachronistic mentions. Unfortunately, because the the rest of the story was so faithful in its world-building I found this very disruptive.
By the end, though the world and tone of the story was very good, I was a bit disappointed. The conflict evanesces more than resolves, at least not at Corbin's hand. The unexpected point of view change probably didn't help though it summarized the conclusion far more easily, nonetheless, I felt cheated. Additionally, the final culmination and scene with the Beast is underwhelming. Never got that passionate clash. So while the mechanics were very good it lacked a spark.
~~Copy provided by Netgalley~~
There are things that can't really be explained in the town of Littleton, curses and boons that the residents take as a part of life. But even they know there is evil, a fiend that plagues the black forest.
Beauty, Hope, Faith and Corbin their elder brother had a seemingly bucolic existence on a small farm near the edges of the dark woods. It is there that de Beaumont family's course changes irrevocably when an annual trip is met with tragedy, which breeds revenge. Corbin is forged into the weapon to mete out vengeance.
The characters in the story are quite good, well rounded and entertaining, and the historical details embellish beautifully. Corbin's mindset is delightfully young and appropriately self-centered. Often knowing what should be done, but doing what one wants instead because... now. Now is now and later is later. Until duty is thrust upon him.
The book is a three act play format wherein we meet Corbin and the trouble the de Beaumont's face. Corbin goes off to train under the tutelage of Sir Thomas and learn about life, allegiance, and duty. Finally, Corbin must face his fate.
Everything is medieval, and feels very much like the imagery was taken from a "Book of Hours" except for a few odd anachronistic mentions. Unfortunately, because the the rest of the story was so faithful in its world-building I found this very disruptive.
By the end, though the world and tone of the story was very good, I was a bit disappointed. The conflict evanesces more than resolves, at least not at Corbin's hand. The unexpected point of view change probably didn't help though it summarized the conclusion far more easily, nonetheless, I felt cheated. Additionally, the final culmination and scene with the Beast is underwhelming. Never got that passionate clash. So while the mechanics were very good it lacked a spark.
A man trained to revenge has no room in his life for remorse.
~~Copy provided by Netgalley~~
March 5, 2016
I enjoyed the book. Once the story got going, it was hard to put down. Corbin was a well-rounded often frustrating, in a good way, character. I liked how the author described him and the world. Even many of the side-characters were engaging. It was nice getting lost in this world. That being said, some of the descriptions did go on a bit. I found myself skipping paragraphs. The beginning was a bit slow. I would've liked more of the last section with Corbin and Beast. That character's name is simply "Beast" but that didn't take away from the story. I would've liked his real name though. I enjoyed the last chapter from Beast's perspective. It would've been nice to have more of that throughout the section. All in all, I liked the story. I'd read more books by this author.
April 13, 2017
Jacked gingers, lonely demons, sword fighting, fairy tales, and gay all in one book? Beastly Manor is a good time!
Beastly Manor’s summary reads:
Once upon a time in a faraway land a very wealthy merchant lived on a good piece of land just west of the hamlet we now call Littleton. The merchant was blessed with luck and guile, strong bones and sharp eyes, a pretty wife of gentle spirit, and four healthy children whom he called Faith, Hope, Beauty, and Corbin.
An LGBT twist on the classic love story.
If you’re anything like me, you read this and thought, “Hm, that doesn’t sound very LGBT to me. Am I sure this book is gay enough?” to which I would say that yes, Beastly Manor is gay enough. You just have to get there.
I’m going to assume you’re a bit quicker than I am and have already figured out that the classic love story is Beauty and the Beast. And no, the “beauty” is not Beauty. As it turns out, our “beauty” is a fiery ginger named Corbin set on revenge on the Beast.
The first half of the book is disappointingly hetero by default.
The merchant’s wife is killed by the Beast, leaving him to school his young son in the ways of vengeance. It’s suggested that Corbin may or may not be the father of his friend Nell’s redheaded baby, so he’s off to a pretty straight start. When Corbin is seventeen, he is sent off to learn the way of the sword and of demon killing. It would seem his father promised his eldest child (note, NOT DAUGHTER) to the Beast when he turned eighteen, giving time for Corbin to learn to slay the Beast and free his family from its cruelty. As he learns, he makes friends, becomes a total badass, and learns that gay is, in fact, a thing.
That was also the exact moment I was like “Oh my god this will be gay after all!”
I can’t speak for anyone else reading this book, but I definitely expected Corbin and David, the sword-master’s assistant, to get together. They did not.
Fear not, that doesn’t mean that Corbin goes without a male romantic partner! If you know the story of Beauty and the Beast at all, you’ve got a pretty good idea of where this is going, but if you didn’t have a childhood and somehow missed that Disney classic and the old fairytale, I won’t ruin it for you.
I’ll admit I was a little bummed it took so long for the Beast to be introduced in Beastly Manor, but his presence in the later part of the story was interesting and much appreciated. While this is distinctly a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it’s also a pretty unique take on the story.
If you liked Beauty and the Beast but thought it would be better if Beauty was a total badass and if it was a gay story, you’re in luck! This is the perfect book for you! It was certainly a fun read, and I wish there was more. For me, I give Beastly Manor a B+/A-.* You can read an excerpt here!
*It is worth mentioning here that while this is a well written book, there were some minor editing errors. They’re infrequent, but a little confusing in places.
http://www.booknista.com/beastly-mano...
Beastly Manor’s summary reads:
Once upon a time in a faraway land a very wealthy merchant lived on a good piece of land just west of the hamlet we now call Littleton. The merchant was blessed with luck and guile, strong bones and sharp eyes, a pretty wife of gentle spirit, and four healthy children whom he called Faith, Hope, Beauty, and Corbin.
An LGBT twist on the classic love story.
If you’re anything like me, you read this and thought, “Hm, that doesn’t sound very LGBT to me. Am I sure this book is gay enough?” to which I would say that yes, Beastly Manor is gay enough. You just have to get there.
I’m going to assume you’re a bit quicker than I am and have already figured out that the classic love story is Beauty and the Beast. And no, the “beauty” is not Beauty. As it turns out, our “beauty” is a fiery ginger named Corbin set on revenge on the Beast.
The first half of the book is disappointingly hetero by default.
The merchant’s wife is killed by the Beast, leaving him to school his young son in the ways of vengeance. It’s suggested that Corbin may or may not be the father of his friend Nell’s redheaded baby, so he’s off to a pretty straight start. When Corbin is seventeen, he is sent off to learn the way of the sword and of demon killing. It would seem his father promised his eldest child (note, NOT DAUGHTER) to the Beast when he turned eighteen, giving time for Corbin to learn to slay the Beast and free his family from its cruelty. As he learns, he makes friends, becomes a total badass, and learns that gay is, in fact, a thing.
That was also the exact moment I was like “Oh my god this will be gay after all!”
I can’t speak for anyone else reading this book, but I definitely expected Corbin and David, the sword-master’s assistant, to get together. They did not.
Fear not, that doesn’t mean that Corbin goes without a male romantic partner! If you know the story of Beauty and the Beast at all, you’ve got a pretty good idea of where this is going, but if you didn’t have a childhood and somehow missed that Disney classic and the old fairytale, I won’t ruin it for you.
I’ll admit I was a little bummed it took so long for the Beast to be introduced in Beastly Manor, but his presence in the later part of the story was interesting and much appreciated. While this is distinctly a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it’s also a pretty unique take on the story.
If you liked Beauty and the Beast but thought it would be better if Beauty was a total badass and if it was a gay story, you’re in luck! This is the perfect book for you! It was certainly a fun read, and I wish there was more. For me, I give Beastly Manor a B+/A-.* You can read an excerpt here!
*It is worth mentioning here that while this is a well written book, there were some minor editing errors. They’re infrequent, but a little confusing in places.
http://www.booknista.com/beastly-mano...
May 17, 2016
(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with a copy provided by the publisher / author for an honest review.)
I was probably the perfect person to take this book for a review. I’ll admit it, I’ve never paid much attention to the Beauty and the Beast story. I’ve never even contemplated watching that Disney movie. It always just sounded a bit dumb to me. So a book named Beastly Manor that plays on that old story except it has a male lead? Why not.
I enjoyed the world building that the author brought us, as well as the characters. Let me say for the record, that this isn’t a book which contains a lot of LGBT elements, really not much more than a few references, but it held my attention with the story line and the events.
Corbin de Beaumont is the oldest child of a cheese merchant in the small town of Littleton, which borders the forest inhabited by a Beast. Very early in the book we learn that Corbin’s mother was killed by the Beast and Corbin’s father lived and swore revenge. But to escape the Beast, the father has pledged his eldest child to the Beast on that child’s eighteenth birthday.
Well….in this version of the tale, Beauty isn’t the oldest, Corbin is. I enjoyed the different parts of this book. It wasn’t in any way a romance novel. It was more of a fantasy / revised historical fiction type book. We followed Corbin as he grew older, as he went away to learn sword skills to kill the Beast, and as he finally met the Beast. I’ll be honest and tell you without spoilers that I really was looking for more in the third part of the book. It never really went where I hoped it would go. OK, maybe it was alluded to, but it didn’t really go there, which was a disappointment.
The story was interesting, but there were also some issues with this book. It really needed a good editor’s touch. There were a lot of misused words (i.e. tale versus tail) and there were a lot of missing words and repeated words. Because of the latter two, there were also a lot of semi-unreadable sentences. Did it detract from my enjoyment of the book? No. I liked the story, and was able to intuitively read what should have been there in spots. I see too many books like this one that are well written, but never passed through one or more beta readers who would, or at least should, have found those simple errors prior to publishing.
With the editing issues, I’m going to say this one fits into our “Good/Average” rating. I can’t tell you how it will compare to the Beauty and the Beast tales, because like I said above, I haven’t ever been interested in those.
I was probably the perfect person to take this book for a review. I’ll admit it, I’ve never paid much attention to the Beauty and the Beast story. I’ve never even contemplated watching that Disney movie. It always just sounded a bit dumb to me. So a book named Beastly Manor that plays on that old story except it has a male lead? Why not.
I enjoyed the world building that the author brought us, as well as the characters. Let me say for the record, that this isn’t a book which contains a lot of LGBT elements, really not much more than a few references, but it held my attention with the story line and the events.
Corbin de Beaumont is the oldest child of a cheese merchant in the small town of Littleton, which borders the forest inhabited by a Beast. Very early in the book we learn that Corbin’s mother was killed by the Beast and Corbin’s father lived and swore revenge. But to escape the Beast, the father has pledged his eldest child to the Beast on that child’s eighteenth birthday.
Well….in this version of the tale, Beauty isn’t the oldest, Corbin is. I enjoyed the different parts of this book. It wasn’t in any way a romance novel. It was more of a fantasy / revised historical fiction type book. We followed Corbin as he grew older, as he went away to learn sword skills to kill the Beast, and as he finally met the Beast. I’ll be honest and tell you without spoilers that I really was looking for more in the third part of the book. It never really went where I hoped it would go. OK, maybe it was alluded to, but it didn’t really go there, which was a disappointment.
The story was interesting, but there were also some issues with this book. It really needed a good editor’s touch. There were a lot of misused words (i.e. tale versus tail) and there were a lot of missing words and repeated words. Because of the latter two, there were also a lot of semi-unreadable sentences. Did it detract from my enjoyment of the book? No. I liked the story, and was able to intuitively read what should have been there in spots. I see too many books like this one that are well written, but never passed through one or more beta readers who would, or at least should, have found those simple errors prior to publishing.
With the editing issues, I’m going to say this one fits into our “Good/Average” rating. I can’t tell you how it will compare to the Beauty and the Beast tales, because like I said above, I haven’t ever been interested in those.
March 20, 2016
Once upon a time there lived an immortal Beast with eyes as golden as the sun who commanded an army of giant wolves.He hoarded treasures like a dragon but the jewel he valued above all others was the ruby red heart of Corbin,the son of the merchant Beaumont & he would manipulate fate to acquire it.If you have a love for dark fairy tales & twisted heroes you going to want to devour this book.
dnf
August 4, 2020rating: dnf
I usually love retelling of fairy tales, especially Beauty and the Beast but this story failed to grab my attention. Skipped to the end and realized that the ending wasn't worth my time trying to slog my way through this book.
I usually love retelling of fairy tales, especially Beauty and the Beast but this story failed to grab my attention. Skipped to the end and realized that the ending wasn't worth my time trying to slog my way through this book.
October 8, 2020
I have to say, this was a very original take on beauty and the beast and probably among my favorite retellings.
—The things I Loved—
**There was a good bit of world building and even more character development. I always had a very clear picture of the surroundings and getting to see Corbin grow physically, mentally and in character/personality made me feel very attached to him.
**The real star for me in this story, was the author’s take on The Beast. The beast was very different from any retelling I’ve read before, he intrigued me, made me laugh and sometimes made me grimace in distaste of his ways. But the beast quickly became a beloved character.
The story was not without things I didn’t like though. I mainly had one complaint, and it has to do with the plot. So my complaint is definitely spoilers.
spoilers below. MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW. spoilers below.
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I hated how the scene with Laurie and Sir Thomas ended. It was so sudden, so abrupt and it was the worst possible scenario. I could tell something was going to happen to Laurie, and I was already so sad before he even died, because I could see it coming. And I was even more sad that Corbin would be the one to have to kill him. It was heartbreaking. But even worse, Laurie succeeded in killing Sir Thomas, which literally sent me into a rage. It felt so unnecessary, and pointless. It was sudden, and I felt blindsided, betrayed, and I’ll admit it hurt. I hate it when these types of things happen in books. The absolute worst case scenario.
After that scene, as a reader I felt wary of the rest of the book. I was afraid that, since the author was willing to do that, maybe I wouldn’t get a happy ending. I might have my heart ripped out at the end. Not only was I left with that wariness, but the book seemed to take on a whole new atmosphere that I would describe as melancholy, sad, bitter and even a bit depressing.
Everything got better once Corbin was at Beastly Manor for a time. Things were certainly looking up, slowly. I was terrified something tragic would happen in the last 10% but thank goodness it ends on a happy note.
Overall I loved this story, even with its heart breaking moment. I’ll admit, in the future I will be a bit wary reading this author’s books. I was just so thrown off guard by Laurie and Sir Thomas, even though it DID add to the story in an important way and is probably important for the next book’s story to be as the author planned.
—The things I Loved—
**There was a good bit of world building and even more character development. I always had a very clear picture of the surroundings and getting to see Corbin grow physically, mentally and in character/personality made me feel very attached to him.
**The real star for me in this story, was the author’s take on The Beast. The beast was very different from any retelling I’ve read before, he intrigued me, made me laugh and sometimes made me grimace in distaste of his ways. But the beast quickly became a beloved character.
The story was not without things I didn’t like though. I mainly had one complaint, and it has to do with the plot. So my complaint is definitely spoilers.
spoilers below. MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW. spoilers below.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- SPOILERS!
I hated how the scene with Laurie and Sir Thomas ended. It was so sudden, so abrupt and it was the worst possible scenario. I could tell something was going to happen to Laurie, and I was already so sad before he even died, because I could see it coming. And I was even more sad that Corbin would be the one to have to kill him. It was heartbreaking. But even worse, Laurie succeeded in killing Sir Thomas, which literally sent me into a rage. It felt so unnecessary, and pointless. It was sudden, and I felt blindsided, betrayed, and I’ll admit it hurt. I hate it when these types of things happen in books. The absolute worst case scenario.
After that scene, as a reader I felt wary of the rest of the book. I was afraid that, since the author was willing to do that, maybe I wouldn’t get a happy ending. I might have my heart ripped out at the end. Not only was I left with that wariness, but the book seemed to take on a whole new atmosphere that I would describe as melancholy, sad, bitter and even a bit depressing.
Everything got better once Corbin was at Beastly Manor for a time. Things were certainly looking up, slowly. I was terrified something tragic would happen in the last 10% but thank goodness it ends on a happy note.
Overall I loved this story, even with its heart breaking moment. I’ll admit, in the future I will be a bit wary reading this author’s books. I was just so thrown off guard by Laurie and Sir Thomas, even though it DID add to the story in an important way and is probably important for the next book’s story to be as the author planned.
March 11, 2020
A good read
Alex Hall’s book, Beastly Manor, is not a wild ride, but it is definitely worth a read. It’s a re-imagination of the French fable, Beauty and the Beast. Some of the characters are the same but otherwise it is a new tale. It is the story of the eldest child of a cheese maker, Corbin, and a Beast upon whom a spell was cast who must live forever in a decrepit castle. Corbin goes through a series of adventures until he meets his Beast. Corbin’s lifelong mission has been vengeance but a relationship between the two slowly develops. This is a story of innocence, heartache, rising above preconceived judgment, and unconditional love.
The book is certainly well-written. The author’s style of writing is similar to the classic writer, Henry James. Each paragraph is carefully crafted. The author has an unusual mastery of words which allows them to paint a tremendously vivid picture in the mind’s eye.
Corbin has no direct interaction with the Beast until the last quarter of the novel. We never find out who the Beast is or why a sorceress cast a spell upon him. However, there is a tremendous back story devoted to Corbin. It would be nice to see the same for the Beast. Don’t expect a retelling of the French fable. But if you enjoy reading and are up for something different then you will certainly enjoy the book.
There is a sequel entitled “Spun” and can be found on their website www.sarahremy.com.
Alex Hall’s book, Beastly Manor, is not a wild ride, but it is definitely worth a read. It’s a re-imagination of the French fable, Beauty and the Beast. Some of the characters are the same but otherwise it is a new tale. It is the story of the eldest child of a cheese maker, Corbin, and a Beast upon whom a spell was cast who must live forever in a decrepit castle. Corbin goes through a series of adventures until he meets his Beast. Corbin’s lifelong mission has been vengeance but a relationship between the two slowly develops. This is a story of innocence, heartache, rising above preconceived judgment, and unconditional love.
The book is certainly well-written. The author’s style of writing is similar to the classic writer, Henry James. Each paragraph is carefully crafted. The author has an unusual mastery of words which allows them to paint a tremendously vivid picture in the mind’s eye.
Corbin has no direct interaction with the Beast until the last quarter of the novel. We never find out who the Beast is or why a sorceress cast a spell upon him. However, there is a tremendous back story devoted to Corbin. It would be nice to see the same for the Beast. Don’t expect a retelling of the French fable. But if you enjoy reading and are up for something different then you will certainly enjoy the book.
There is a sequel entitled “Spun” and can be found on their website www.sarahremy.com.
November 12, 2020
Two main problems.
First - our "beauty" and beast characters don't meet up until almost 3/4 through the book, so it was impossible for them to have any time to develop a relationship, which is what makes B&B different from other fairy tales - this is supposed to be a story about development, not sudden thunderclaps of love at first sight like all those other fairy tales.
Second - I had a hard time believing this as a m/m romance. Corbin never really comes out to himself, let alone the Beast. The note they end the book on seems almost more platonic than anything else.
The story spent too much time on developing the setting of this alternate world of medieval France, introducing all sort so magical elements, like the mermaids and basilisks, as well as all the real world ones, like the cheese and hints of the Black Death coming, but none of it coming to any sort of fruition in the plot.
Also, the usual main characters of Beauty, Faith and Hope as well as the parents are suggested to be important, but never go anywhere as Corbin spends more time with various friends and students who get much more development - and then dropped as well as the author finally remembers Corbin has to go meet the Beast.
I'd like more about this world, especially David, and would like to see more development of this plotline, which ends rather abruptly here with a LOT of plot threads dangling.
December 27, 2020
I thought the writing was good, stylistically compelling and satisfying to get lost in. That being said, I could far too easily recognize the flaws, inconsistencies, and impossibilities in the cheese-making process described, and that struck me as lazy, because it was in the first two pages. I'm not a cheese expert at all, but the lack of research was so glaring, and the level of detail unnecessary. It showed that the writer didn't know what they were talking about but really wanted me as a reader to think they did. As I kept reading I noticed this problem play out often; intense detail and a very muddled sense of what was actually taking place, and that the worldbuilding/scene-setting descriptive information feeling disconnected from events. It was a disjointed read. I DNF'd this one. The writer had lofty goals, but very poor follow through.
March 21, 2019
I received an ebook via a Goodreads Giveaway.
I think part of why this book didn't quite work for me was that I was expecting a different type of story (something along the lines of Briarley, Kissing the Witch, or The Raven and the Reindeer).
I wasn't particularly invested in what happened to Corbin, and I felt it took a while for the plot to start moving (Corbin doesn't end up at the Beast's manor until the last third of the book).
I think part of why this book didn't quite work for me was that I was expecting a different type of story (something along the lines of Briarley, Kissing the Witch, or The Raven and the Reindeer).
I wasn't particularly invested in what happened to Corbin, and I felt it took a while for the plot to start moving (Corbin doesn't end up at the Beast's manor until the last third of the book).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2020
Begins slowly but once the plot picks up, the story flows well. Main character doesn't meet the Beast until about 2/3rs of way through, which didn't really leave time for "romance" to develop. A few odd things were mentioned but never answered (timey-wimey shenanigans?)
I would have rated this 3.5 stars, but feeling generous, I only took off a star for the abrupt ending, non-satisfactory epilogue "vague explanation" for a few things, and the strange out-of context add-on chapter that reads almost as a prologue for the theoretical next volume (Book 2?). (Read via Kindle Unlimited)
I would have rated this 3.5 stars, but feeling generous, I only took off a star for the abrupt ending, non-satisfactory epilogue "vague explanation" for a few things, and the strange out-of context add-on chapter that reads almost as a prologue for the theoretical next volume (Book 2?). (Read via Kindle Unlimited)
May 25, 2019
Good but slow
A very slow moving story. I enjoyed it eventually. It’s written in a sort of fairy tale style. The romance is mild. I felt bad for the leftover suitor, but that’s what the sequel is for. I received as a giveaway, thanks.
A very slow moving story. I enjoyed it eventually. It’s written in a sort of fairy tale style. The romance is mild. I felt bad for the leftover suitor, but that’s what the sequel is for. I received as a giveaway, thanks.
September 19, 2017
Definitely not the fairy tale I remember. I like this version better.
Read
October 12, 2020*DNF*
(20%)
(20%)
Read
February 4, 2021DNF
February 10, 2018
Nice LGBT twist to the traditional Beauty and the Beast tale, but it seemed to wrap up rather suddenly. So much went into preparing to meet the Beast and developing other characters... the conclusion was really rushed. Overall I enjoyed the book and I would probably read more by Alex Hall. (Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC I received through Goodreads.)
June 8, 2016
4.5 stars
Corbin Beaumont's idyllic life shattered at the age of ten, when the hideous Littleton Fiend killed his mother and turned his dad into a crazed man. From that moment onward, his aim in life is to turn himself into the weapon for his father's revenge. But ten years later, when Corbin finds himself face to face with the Beast, he discovers that it is not that easy to kill a devil, and maybe he does not want to…
This is a very beautiful retelling of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. In this case, the wealthy merchant manages to trick the Beast into accepting his first child, and so it is Corbin and not Beauty the betrothed one. Corbin then has to change his childish games for the mastery of sword, and spends ten years training to become the lethal weapon which may kill the fearsome Beast. He even goes to White Hill, to learn with Sir Thomas, a famous Knight known for his ability with the sword and his encounters with fiends and devils. In White Hill, Corbin finds a new family and learns control of his mind and his body, and he also experiences betrayal and has to leave the castle as a fugitive. He finds his way back to the Black Forest, where he faces the Beast, only to be defeated by him and obliged to vow servitude. But the Beast is not what Corbin expected, and in the mysterious and magic manor where they leave, Corbin finds a home and love at last. But to achieve their HEA, Corbin has to face the loose ends he left behind when he flight White Hill, and some of his enemies are not easy to appease…
I really enjoyed the story, I loved the fact that it is not only about the beauty hidden behind ugly things, but also about the real meaning of family and loyalty, as Corbin learns that the family you are born into is not necessarily the one which will stay with you till the end. It is a really entertaining story which manages to add something new to an old tale. Why not a five stars rating? Because of the typos, the missing words and the repeated ones… All it needs is a bit of editing to become a five stars read, at least from my point of view. I'll keep Alex Hall on my radar. I feel there are more interesting stories to come.
Corbin Beaumont's idyllic life shattered at the age of ten, when the hideous Littleton Fiend killed his mother and turned his dad into a crazed man. From that moment onward, his aim in life is to turn himself into the weapon for his father's revenge. But ten years later, when Corbin finds himself face to face with the Beast, he discovers that it is not that easy to kill a devil, and maybe he does not want to…
This is a very beautiful retelling of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. In this case, the wealthy merchant manages to trick the Beast into accepting his first child, and so it is Corbin and not Beauty the betrothed one. Corbin then has to change his childish games for the mastery of sword, and spends ten years training to become the lethal weapon which may kill the fearsome Beast. He even goes to White Hill, to learn with Sir Thomas, a famous Knight known for his ability with the sword and his encounters with fiends and devils. In White Hill, Corbin finds a new family and learns control of his mind and his body, and he also experiences betrayal and has to leave the castle as a fugitive. He finds his way back to the Black Forest, where he faces the Beast, only to be defeated by him and obliged to vow servitude. But the Beast is not what Corbin expected, and in the mysterious and magic manor where they leave, Corbin finds a home and love at last. But to achieve their HEA, Corbin has to face the loose ends he left behind when he flight White Hill, and some of his enemies are not easy to appease…
I really enjoyed the story, I loved the fact that it is not only about the beauty hidden behind ugly things, but also about the real meaning of family and loyalty, as Corbin learns that the family you are born into is not necessarily the one which will stay with you till the end. It is a really entertaining story which manages to add something new to an old tale. Why not a five stars rating? Because of the typos, the missing words and the repeated ones… All it needs is a bit of editing to become a five stars read, at least from my point of view. I'll keep Alex Hall on my radar. I feel there are more interesting stories to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 20, 2016DNF @ 20%
I love Beauty and the Beast, it’s one of my favourite fairytales (East of the Sun, West of the Moon edges it out because it’s more complete), so the idea of a LGBT version with a male lead sounded right up my street.
Alas, I bounced off this one. Hard.
I’m never the biggest fan of omniscient narrators, and although I get that it was trying for a fairytale feel, it pulled in far too much erroneous detail and I found myself skimming after only a couple of pages, which is never a good way to begin. I kept waiting for something to happen, but instead was reminded over and over again that this setting is France! Cheese! The Seine! French words! Yet Littleton couldn’t be a more English name *sigh* Since this book seems to be all about the details (this cheese is made with brandy, special brandy that no one knows how to make… Unless this cheese is called Horace and is a cheese with Personality, I don’t care! Well, I might if it kills someone and becomes a major plot point, but I gave up long before that might have happened)… anyway, yes, since this book is so keen on details, this seemed like a lazy mistake to me.
Stuff does happen, but tiny details wash the interesting stuff away and I kept skimming, hoping that maybe it would get better when Corbin grew up. Nope. Still too much stuff. I just couldn’t get into it. I tried slowing my reading, but my interest waned and my attention wandered. Not even a fight with an ax wielding monk (maybe) was enough to draw me in.
I’m afraid this book and I just did not get along. If, however, a LGBT retelling of B&tB with lots of detail sounds like your kind of thing, then I wish you luck. I’m pretty sure there are plenty of people out there who enjoy this style, sadly I’m not one of them.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
I love Beauty and the Beast, it’s one of my favourite fairytales (East of the Sun, West of the Moon edges it out because it’s more complete), so the idea of a LGBT version with a male lead sounded right up my street.
Alas, I bounced off this one. Hard.
I’m never the biggest fan of omniscient narrators, and although I get that it was trying for a fairytale feel, it pulled in far too much erroneous detail and I found myself skimming after only a couple of pages, which is never a good way to begin. I kept waiting for something to happen, but instead was reminded over and over again that this setting is France! Cheese! The Seine! French words! Yet Littleton couldn’t be a more English name *sigh* Since this book seems to be all about the details (this cheese is made with brandy, special brandy that no one knows how to make… Unless this cheese is called Horace and is a cheese with Personality, I don’t care! Well, I might if it kills someone and becomes a major plot point, but I gave up long before that might have happened)… anyway, yes, since this book is so keen on details, this seemed like a lazy mistake to me.
Stuff does happen, but tiny details wash the interesting stuff away and I kept skimming, hoping that maybe it would get better when Corbin grew up. Nope. Still too much stuff. I just couldn’t get into it. I tried slowing my reading, but my interest waned and my attention wandered. Not even a fight with an ax wielding monk (maybe) was enough to draw me in.
I’m afraid this book and I just did not get along. If, however, a LGBT retelling of B&tB with lots of detail sounds like your kind of thing, then I wish you luck. I’m pretty sure there are plenty of people out there who enjoy this style, sadly I’m not one of them.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
February 28, 2016
This is an LBGT twist on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. The story begins with a 10 year old Corbin being told to look after his family while his mother and father, cheese and brandy makers,go on a merchant's trip. Nine days later his father returns nearly out of his mind with a story about a beast of the Black Forest tearing his mother to bits. The only way his father escaped with his life is by trading the companionship of his first born for his own. His father then raised him to slay the beast and avenge his family. Flashforward 7 years. Corbin is sent by his father to a military training compound to learn swordsmanship and how best to defeat The Littleton Fiend by a world class beast killer.
This is a really interesting and modern twist to an old favorite. it shows the struggle of a young man just coming to terms with his sexuality and the progression of homosexual feelings he doesn't understand. It was slow in parts and could really do with some good editing but it's a sweet love story that unfolds before Corbin's eyes as well as the readers, when he realizes why he was never interested in the flirtatious of the local girls, though he was always popular with them.
This has some moderate description of sexual actions so it might best be enjoyed by adults. It is an LBGTlove story so may not be well suited for those with strong conservatives beliefs.
Overall I really liked it. I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to fans of modern takes on fairy tales!
This is a really interesting and modern twist to an old favorite. it shows the struggle of a young man just coming to terms with his sexuality and the progression of homosexual feelings he doesn't understand. It was slow in parts and could really do with some good editing but it's a sweet love story that unfolds before Corbin's eyes as well as the readers, when he realizes why he was never interested in the flirtatious of the local girls, though he was always popular with them.
This has some moderate description of sexual actions so it might best be enjoyed by adults. It is an LBGTlove story so may not be well suited for those with strong conservatives beliefs.
Overall I really liked it. I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to fans of modern takes on fairy tales!
November 12, 2016
This novel is a captivating tour de force, breathtaking in scope and vision. Ms. Hall’s worldbuilding draws us deep into her mythical Littleton and its environs, focusing and moving her lens on small-town life, a bustling urban setting and the daily workings of a major castle from its dungeon to its turrets.
The story winds its way from the machinations of a broken-hearted cheese monger to the heart of a gleefully vicious yet lonely Beast. This is sublime storytelling with interesting characters, unexpected action scenes and a love story both fierce and tender.
This retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” as a gay romance inspires with truly stellar writing. All the familiar tropes—roses, beauteous daughters, magic, bargains—are here yet so cleverly altered that the old tale has become something wholly new. It’s something I would recommend highly for aficionadoes of fairy tales reinvented.
The story winds its way from the machinations of a broken-hearted cheese monger to the heart of a gleefully vicious yet lonely Beast. This is sublime storytelling with interesting characters, unexpected action scenes and a love story both fierce and tender.
This retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” as a gay romance inspires with truly stellar writing. All the familiar tropes—roses, beauteous daughters, magic, bargains—are here yet so cleverly altered that the old tale has become something wholly new. It’s something I would recommend highly for aficionadoes of fairy tales reinvented.
March 29, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
Beastly Manor is a fun twist on a well-known fairytale. Faith, Hope, Beauty and Corbin are siblings, children of a merchant living in Littleton. They lived on a small firm, and life was relatively good. But when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Corbin to take revenge. To do so, Corbin has to train and learn how to slay a terrible beast.
Corbin didn’t just struggle with his family legacy, with fighting the beast, but also with his sexuality. He didn’t understand his feelings at first, and it took a while before he could admit them to himself.
The author did a great job making Corbin a character the reader could easily connect with. The writing was engaging, and the medieval / fairytale like setting was described in a lot of detail. Recommended to fans of LGBT fantasy.
Beastly Manor is a fun twist on a well-known fairytale. Faith, Hope, Beauty and Corbin are siblings, children of a merchant living in Littleton. They lived on a small firm, and life was relatively good. But when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Corbin to take revenge. To do so, Corbin has to train and learn how to slay a terrible beast.
Corbin didn’t just struggle with his family legacy, with fighting the beast, but also with his sexuality. He didn’t understand his feelings at first, and it took a while before he could admit them to himself.
The author did a great job making Corbin a character the reader could easily connect with. The writing was engaging, and the medieval / fairytale like setting was described in a lot of detail. Recommended to fans of LGBT fantasy.
June 20, 2016
Beastly Manor feels slow to start, and doesn't take the obvious path to its destination. The result occasionally feels meandering, but the characters are well developed and the event that pushes the hero, Corbin, out of his training and into confrontation with his family's enemy is unexpected. From that point, particularly, the story picks up pace and all the careful building of world and character that precede it come fully into their own.
This is a thoughtful and well done queer retelling of a traditional fairytale with an eye for detail and satisfying conclusion.
This is a thoughtful and well done queer retelling of a traditional fairytale with an eye for detail and satisfying conclusion.
June 1, 2016
The author has a comfortable and colourful writing style, making it easy to become lost in this entertaining retelling of a classic fairy tale. The characters are well-rounded and engaging. I did stumble across a few grammar mistakes in my copy, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment in reading it overall.
Many thanks to the author/publisher for the chance to read Beastly Manor, which I received for free in a first-reads giveaway for an honest review.
Many thanks to the author/publisher for the chance to read Beastly Manor, which I received for free in a first-reads giveaway for an honest review.
read-shelved
March 10, 2018I thought that the book was kind of slow. And in spots confusing. There were several instances where words were missing or misused which added to the confusion. The ending was rather anticlimactic.
I finished it, but it was not an easy read. The author kept me interest enough that I kept thinking "something" would finally happen, but then I would be disappointed .... over and over ..... then the book ended.
I finished it, but it was not an easy read. The author kept me interest enough that I kept thinking "something" would finally happen, but then I would be disappointed .... over and over ..... then the book ended.
Want to read
July 14, 2018#GoodreadsGiveaway
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