What do you think?
Rate this book
Romance a Medieval Fairytale #1
Enchant: Beauty and the Beast Retold
A beastly prince. An enchanting beauty. Only love can break the spell.
Once upon a time...
The wicked King Thorn forced the enchantress Zuleika to cast a terrible curse. She fled his court to travel the world, helping those who need her magic most. Until a search for her merchant father's lost ships leads her to an enchanted island, where Prince Vardan, the island's ruler, is afflicted by the most powerful curse Zuleika has ever encountered. She's not sure she can reverse the spell, but she's determined to try. After all, a prince who fights pirates can't be all bad...no matter how beastly his appearance.
Together, can the enchanting beauty and the beastly prince break the spell?
Once upon a time...
The wicked King Thorn forced the enchantress Zuleika to cast a terrible curse. She fled his court to travel the world, helping those who need her magic most. Until a search for her merchant father's lost ships leads her to an enchanted island, where Prince Vardan, the island's ruler, is afflicted by the most powerful curse Zuleika has ever encountered. She's not sure she can reverse the spell, but she's determined to try. After all, a prince who fights pirates can't be all bad...no matter how beastly his appearance.
Together, can the enchanting beauty and the beastly prince break the spell?
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
1858 people are currently reading
4261 people want to read
About the author
Demelza Carlton
935 books3,881 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 581 reviews
March 27, 2019
4 stars - English Ebook 🐥🐥🐥
Quote : Zulaika chocked back a laugh. Cursebreaking was her speciality. 🌹🌹🌹a lovely retelling of a fairytale. I drank two pots of tea and enjoyed myself a lot. 🍀🍀🍀
Quote : Zulaika chocked back a laugh. Cursebreaking was her speciality. 🌹🌹🌹a lovely retelling of a fairytale. I drank two pots of tea and enjoyed myself a lot. 🍀🍀🍀
February 7, 2017
Demelza Carlton has a way with creating a fresh fantasy out of a plain piece of paper and her wicked-awesome imagination! ENCHANT: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST RETOLD is truly a fairytale romance, but while the Beast may be ugly on the outside, his heart is pure gold on the inside, as is the young enchantress whose enchanted mirror further cursed him.
King Thorn, a man more hideous on the inside than out, forced young Zuleika to create a curse in exchange for her family’s lives, then tormented her with the vilest of acts. Escaping this monster, she used her powers to aid others until she vowed to her father to save his fortune and his good name by uncovering the pirates who stole his ships and his precious cargo. It was that quest that brought her to an enchanted island and into the company of a man cursed to live as a beast. A man she would learn is the brother of King Thorn. Had she played a part in Vardan’s torment? As brother to a monster, was he not a monster, too or was this man filled with more integrity and caring than the most beautiful of faces?
Together they will discover if true love can break the spell on the beastly prince of if, with true love, it really doesn’t matter.
A sweet tale of love, fate and magic all carefully woven into a tapestry of storytelling that rivals the original. Demelza Carlton has given fantasy and fairytales a new look, a fresh take, while keeping all of the enchantment alive with her words! As a fan of Ms. Carlton’s previous works I am not surprised at her ability to enrapture her readers with her words.
Series: Romance a Medieval Fairytale Book - Book 1
Publisher: Lost Plot Press (January 5, 2017)
Publication Date: January 5, 2017
Genre: Fairytale Romance Retelling
Print Length: 143 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
King Thorn, a man more hideous on the inside than out, forced young Zuleika to create a curse in exchange for her family’s lives, then tormented her with the vilest of acts. Escaping this monster, she used her powers to aid others until she vowed to her father to save his fortune and his good name by uncovering the pirates who stole his ships and his precious cargo. It was that quest that brought her to an enchanted island and into the company of a man cursed to live as a beast. A man she would learn is the brother of King Thorn. Had she played a part in Vardan’s torment? As brother to a monster, was he not a monster, too or was this man filled with more integrity and caring than the most beautiful of faces?
Together they will discover if true love can break the spell on the beastly prince of if, with true love, it really doesn’t matter.
A sweet tale of love, fate and magic all carefully woven into a tapestry of storytelling that rivals the original. Demelza Carlton has given fantasy and fairytales a new look, a fresh take, while keeping all of the enchantment alive with her words! As a fan of Ms. Carlton’s previous works I am not surprised at her ability to enrapture her readers with her words.
Series: Romance a Medieval Fairytale Book - Book 1
Publisher: Lost Plot Press (January 5, 2017)
Publication Date: January 5, 2017
Genre: Fairytale Romance Retelling
Print Length: 143 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
January 22, 2021
I love love B&B retellings but I was very disappointed with this one.
I went in cautiously, but also pretty excited because I was dying for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. In the end, it was just... it was pretty dull. I don't see the point of anything.
There is an abuse scene right at the beginning. And I remember thinking 'Okaay, this is going to be way deeper and darker than I'd initially expected.' Everytime there is abuse in a story, I'm paying close attention, because it is not something you can use whenever you please to make your character more interesting.
I feel this book danced precariously on that line. Because while it did have consequences on this character's perceptions, something was off about the cause and effect situation. I didn't perceive those effects beyond the MC's decision to swear off men.
Something that also bothered me was the absence of the beast we all love to no end. I mean, nice and gentle men are lovely and one of god's gifts to the world, but if I read something based off Beauty and the Beast, I go in with certain expectations.
For example, the beast needs to be a grumpy cinammon roll that secretely pines for love. SECRETELY. AS IN THE VERY DEPTHS OF HIS BEASTLY HEART.
Instead, this prince was different. I could almost hear him asking:
"Can you find it in your heart to love me? Can you? Please just let me luv u!" (Quote NOT taken literally from the text, but comes pretty close."
So, I would go with the GR rating here and say it was OK, but not what I expected.
I went in cautiously, but also pretty excited because I was dying for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. In the end, it was just... it was pretty dull. I don't see the point of anything.
There is an abuse scene right at the beginning. And I remember thinking 'Okaay, this is going to be way deeper and darker than I'd initially expected.' Everytime there is abuse in a story, I'm paying close attention, because it is not something you can use whenever you please to make your character more interesting.
I feel this book danced precariously on that line. Because while it did have consequences on this character's perceptions, something was off about the cause and effect situation. I didn't perceive those effects beyond the MC's decision to swear off men.
Something that also bothered me was the absence of the beast we all love to no end. I mean, nice and gentle men are lovely and one of god's gifts to the world, but if I read something based off Beauty and the Beast, I go in with certain expectations.
For example, the beast needs to be a grumpy cinammon roll that secretely pines for love. SECRETELY. AS IN THE VERY DEPTHS OF HIS BEASTLY HEART.
Instead, this prince was different. I could almost hear him asking:
"Can you find it in your heart to love me? Can you? Please just let me luv u!" (Quote NOT taken literally from the text, but comes pretty close."
So, I would go with the GR rating here and say it was OK, but not what I expected.
February 5, 2017
Lacking
I got this book for free on Amazon and since I enjoy fairytale retelling I thought I might like it. I was wrong. While the author spins a new twist on the classic tale, she often summarized the story and made this version seem like more of a rough draft. I also felt like she added things that didn't need to be there and did not help the story along. I was also very frustrated to get to the end only to have it turn dirty, which also didn't add to the storyline. Not a clean read, which for me, means I won't be reading this author again.
I got this book for free on Amazon and since I enjoy fairytale retelling I thought I might like it. I was wrong. While the author spins a new twist on the classic tale, she often summarized the story and made this version seem like more of a rough draft. I also felt like she added things that didn't need to be there and did not help the story along. I was also very frustrated to get to the end only to have it turn dirty, which also didn't add to the storyline. Not a clean read, which for me, means I won't be reading this author again.
September 11, 2019
I love fairytale retellings, especially Beauty and the Beast—and this is a unique version.
Zuleika's enchantress mother has died, so when King Thorn comes seeking her, Zuleika goes with him in her place. He requests a curse to place on an enemy, and then forces himself violently upon her. She flees, and ends up in the land ruled by Thorn's brother, Prince Varden, who has himself been cursed to be in the form of a beast.
I liked the magic, and there were a couple of nice twists. However, it took the main characters a long time to figure out stuff that was obvious to the reader, which made things drag a bit. Because of the rape scene, this book is suited for older teens and up.
Zuleika's enchantress mother has died, so when King Thorn comes seeking her, Zuleika goes with him in her place. He requests a curse to place on an enemy, and then forces himself violently upon her. She flees, and ends up in the land ruled by Thorn's brother, Prince Varden, who has himself been cursed to be in the form of a beast.
I liked the magic, and there were a couple of nice twists. However, it took the main characters a long time to figure out stuff that was obvious to the reader, which made things drag a bit. Because of the rape scene, this book is suited for older teens and up.
February 19, 2018
I really like the new approach this author takes with classic fairy tales. I'd previously read her treatment of Sleeping Beauty (Awaken: Sleeping Beauty Retold) and loved that one. When this book went on sale, I grabbed it. Great premise.
Zuleika's mother was an enchantress, but she has died. Now King Thorn's messenger comes with a demand for a curse which he wants to put on "his enemy," and he threatens the family if it's not delivered. Of all three sisters, Zuleika is the only one with any magical powers, although she's not certain her powers are strong enough for the job. However, she must do what she can to save her family, so she comes up with the best curse she can summon and places it on her mother's enchanted mirror. When she goes to the king's castle to deliver it, King Thorn is arrogant and demanding. He also rapes her in his castle. She puts a curse on him and escapes by using magic.
The mirror is delivered to King Thorn's brother, Prince Vardan. Unlike the king, he's an honorable man. Time goes by, and Zuleika becomes a powerful enchantress, using her powers only for good and staying away from King Thorn, who wants to kill her. When she casts a spell to help her father reclaim the cargo lost on his ships, she almost drowns and barely escapes. She ends up on Prince Vardan's island. Not knowing he is the man King Thorn considered his "enemy," she doesn't realize that she's the one who placed the curse, and she seeks clues to find a way to lift it. She also doesn't trust Vardan who, she magically sees under his cursed surface, actually looks so much like his brother that it scares her more than his monstrous face. Vardan hopes that she will fall in love with him, since Thorn told him that this is the only way the curse can be lifted.
Interesting premise. "Belle" is both the beauty Vardan falls in love with as well as the sorceress who cast the evil spell on him. The author does a great job of developing the plot. Great twist on the familiar story.
Zuleika's mother was an enchantress, but she has died. Now King Thorn's messenger comes with a demand for a curse which he wants to put on "his enemy," and he threatens the family if it's not delivered. Of all three sisters, Zuleika is the only one with any magical powers, although she's not certain her powers are strong enough for the job. However, she must do what she can to save her family, so she comes up with the best curse she can summon and places it on her mother's enchanted mirror. When she goes to the king's castle to deliver it, King Thorn is arrogant and demanding. He also rapes her in his castle. She puts a curse on him and escapes by using magic.
The mirror is delivered to King Thorn's brother, Prince Vardan. Unlike the king, he's an honorable man. Time goes by, and Zuleika becomes a powerful enchantress, using her powers only for good and staying away from King Thorn, who wants to kill her. When she casts a spell to help her father reclaim the cargo lost on his ships, she almost drowns and barely escapes. She ends up on Prince Vardan's island. Not knowing he is the man King Thorn considered his "enemy," she doesn't realize that she's the one who placed the curse, and she seeks clues to find a way to lift it. She also doesn't trust Vardan who, she magically sees under his cursed surface, actually looks so much like his brother that it scares her more than his monstrous face. Vardan hopes that she will fall in love with him, since Thorn told him that this is the only way the curse can be lifted.
Interesting premise. "Belle" is both the beauty Vardan falls in love with as well as the sorceress who cast the evil spell on him. The author does a great job of developing the plot. Great twist on the familiar story.
February 4, 2018
3.5 stars
For those who want no scenes either describing or mentioning sex you have to know that in the beginning we read that the lady is raped by the king. Then in the very end after she marries the Prince/the king's brother we are told of their wedding night...not in detail but it is there. You can easily skip over that scene. You may not want to allow your teenage daughter or maybe your grandmother to read it. I am a grandmother and it was not "shocking" to me.
This Beauty and the Beast tale actually has the part of the Beauty and the part of the Enchantress being the same woman, Zuleika. Then there is the spell she can't quite identify which is...(Well, that would be giving away the mystery).
The Beast in this tale is not the roaring, angry, obstinate one Disney has in his movie. The man is good and concerned for all under his care. He has done nothing to deserve the spell that is cast, over and over again on him and on his people. The invisibility makes it possible for the island he manages to claim cargo and trade goods from ships and pirates who come within sight of their isle and are sunk for various reasons. However, even here Prince Vardan is holding the goods for safe keeping.
Vardan is quick to desire and then love Lady Belle, as he dubs her when she won't share her name. Zuleika sees his brother when she looks into Vardan's disguised and misformed face. It takes her a while to learn his true nature, his goodness. (Sounds like Darcy and Elizabeth a little.) We don't really learn why King Thorn hates his brother or why he would send him a cursed mirror so that part of their history might have been developed in more detail. Vardan has no wish to be king and no plans to rebel against his brother's rule.
This was a free book and a short read. I do like Beauty and the Beast stories and movies and for me this was a pleasant read.
For those who want no scenes either describing or mentioning sex you have to know that in the beginning we read that the lady is raped by the king. Then in the very end after she marries the Prince/the king's brother we are told of their wedding night...not in detail but it is there. You can easily skip over that scene. You may not want to allow your teenage daughter or maybe your grandmother to read it. I am a grandmother and it was not "shocking" to me.
This Beauty and the Beast tale actually has the part of the Beauty and the part of the Enchantress being the same woman, Zuleika. Then there is the spell she can't quite identify which is...(Well, that would be giving away the mystery).
The Beast in this tale is not the roaring, angry, obstinate one Disney has in his movie. The man is good and concerned for all under his care. He has done nothing to deserve the spell that is cast, over and over again on him and on his people. The invisibility makes it possible for the island he manages to claim cargo and trade goods from ships and pirates who come within sight of their isle and are sunk for various reasons. However, even here Prince Vardan is holding the goods for safe keeping.
Vardan is quick to desire and then love Lady Belle, as he dubs her when she won't share her name. Zuleika sees his brother when she looks into Vardan's disguised and misformed face. It takes her a while to learn his true nature, his goodness. (Sounds like Darcy and Elizabeth a little.) We don't really learn why King Thorn hates his brother or why he would send him a cursed mirror so that part of their history might have been developed in more detail. Vardan has no wish to be king and no plans to rebel against his brother's rule.
This was a free book and a short read. I do like Beauty and the Beast stories and movies and for me this was a pleasant read.
July 20, 2018
20/07/18 Since I just watched the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, I was inspired to re read this wonderful novel
10/09/17 First read
10/09/17 First read
Want to read
January 18, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (1/18/2018)! 💝
April 15, 2017
Three and a half
I spotted this as a freebie on Amazon and as I enjoy retelling of fairy tales I couldn't resist. The idea of a variation on Beauty and the Beast with a completely different spin by a new to me author meant I couldn't wait to dive in.
Our tale starts with a young idealistic Zuleika trying to impress King Thorn with her magic. The spell she casts for him is truly frightening with such far reaching consequences that none truly appreciate just how powerful it is. Fast forward a few years and Zuleika has grown up, travelled trying to aid others like herself and finally finds herself on an island with cursed inhabitants. The curse originates from Prince Varden, who seems unlike his brother in nature which prompts Zuleika to want to help him but tracking down the dark witch and breaking the curse seems an impossible task.
So yes its obvious to the reader that poor Varden and his people are trapped in Zuleikas magic but it takes almost all the book for Zuleika to realise this and more importantly make a hard decision. Theirs is a sweet romance as unfortunately Varden came across as a little needy but as he's trying to save his fellow islanders I could understand that. Zuleika is quite deceitful at times, hiding both her identity and her abilities. Yet she slowly sees Varden as a man and not a beast and certainly nothing like his brother inside. Here's were I have to say there's a scene initially involving Zeleika and Thorn that felt distasteful. It's over quickly without the author dwelling or drawing it out but it felt incongruous and to my mind didn't fit in with the rest of the story.
So although I enjoyed this it didn't quite wow me as I couldn't quite find Zuleikas behaviour believable at times. She's a powerful Enchantress and yet acts almost without thinking and keeps far too much to herself. Unfortunately I just didn't like her as a heroine but that's just my opinion. So my final thoughts are I'm glad I read it and would try something else by this author but will probably check reviews first next time
I spotted this as a freebie on Amazon and as I enjoy retelling of fairy tales I couldn't resist. The idea of a variation on Beauty and the Beast with a completely different spin by a new to me author meant I couldn't wait to dive in.
Our tale starts with a young idealistic Zuleika trying to impress King Thorn with her magic. The spell she casts for him is truly frightening with such far reaching consequences that none truly appreciate just how powerful it is. Fast forward a few years and Zuleika has grown up, travelled trying to aid others like herself and finally finds herself on an island with cursed inhabitants. The curse originates from Prince Varden, who seems unlike his brother in nature which prompts Zuleika to want to help him but tracking down the dark witch and breaking the curse seems an impossible task.
So yes its obvious to the reader that poor Varden and his people are trapped in Zuleikas magic but it takes almost all the book for Zuleika to realise this and more importantly make a hard decision. Theirs is a sweet romance as unfortunately Varden came across as a little needy but as he's trying to save his fellow islanders I could understand that. Zuleika is quite deceitful at times, hiding both her identity and her abilities. Yet she slowly sees Varden as a man and not a beast and certainly nothing like his brother inside. Here's were I have to say there's a scene initially involving Zeleika and Thorn that felt distasteful. It's over quickly without the author dwelling or drawing it out but it felt incongruous and to my mind didn't fit in with the rest of the story.
So although I enjoyed this it didn't quite wow me as I couldn't quite find Zuleikas behaviour believable at times. She's a powerful Enchantress and yet acts almost without thinking and keeps far too much to herself. Unfortunately I just didn't like her as a heroine but that's just my opinion. So my final thoughts are I'm glad I read it and would try something else by this author but will probably check reviews first next time
November 1, 2017
If you want mindless fluff it's sorta ok for that. But there is a giant non-con warning for the first chapter. It's a bit harsh and unnecessary and out of step with the rest of the book. If not for this subplot I would have rated it higher. It just doesn't work with the tone of the story.
The heroine and the enchantress angle was well thought out and characterized.
The prince is annoyingly dim-witted. You know the comic relief guy who asks what's going on and is told straight out only to respond "No, it's not that." He's that guy. It would have been a better book without seeing his POV. We are better off not knowing what goes on in that dizzy little mind of his.
And the most interesting part - the heroine falling for a guy who underneath the beast spell looks like her rapist (because he's his brother)- and that's the scary part for her? Is handwaved away at the last minute with the help of a non sequitur Dues ex machina. Which is still a dubious "solution."
The heroine and the enchantress angle was well thought out and characterized.
The prince is annoyingly dim-witted. You know the comic relief guy who asks what's going on and is told straight out only to respond "No, it's not that." He's that guy. It would have been a better book without seeing his POV. We are better off not knowing what goes on in that dizzy little mind of his.
And the most interesting part - the heroine falling for a guy who underneath the beast spell looks like her rapist (because he's his brother)- and that's the scary part for her? Is handwaved away at the last minute with the help of a non sequitur Dues ex machina. Which is still a dubious "solution."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2016
Retelling in a good way! This is a genere i love for sure.
The plot happens to be around beastly Prince and a women that is a witch. If author know what to do it will give a fruit and here IT have one!
Characters (main) are well created, they have dad and good side of them. Zuleika was a really enjoyeable character but sometimes i was thinking why się hadnt said what she had on her mind. Vardan was i think the character i liked The most, as he showed real spirit in his fight to find a honourable way do deal with course. Side characters were a little one dimensional as often they nad only one thing on their mind ( but that was an impotant thing even so :p )
I really liked The book is a read for one or two days as it's really fast ;)
A great book to fans of retelling, fantasy stories with emotions /relationships ;)
The plot happens to be around beastly Prince and a women that is a witch. If author know what to do it will give a fruit and here IT have one!
Characters (main) are well created, they have dad and good side of them. Zuleika was a really enjoyeable character but sometimes i was thinking why się hadnt said what she had on her mind. Vardan was i think the character i liked The most, as he showed real spirit in his fight to find a honourable way do deal with course. Side characters were a little one dimensional as often they nad only one thing on their mind ( but that was an impotant thing even so :p )
I really liked The book is a read for one or two days as it's really fast ;)
A great book to fans of retelling, fantasy stories with emotions /relationships ;)
August 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast. In this story, Beauty is an enchantress named Zuleika who gives King Thorn a magic mirror that will curse his enemy. His enemy happens to be his brother Prince Vardan, who is enchanted by the mirror when she meets him. They fall in love, and she tells him her secret. She breaks the mirror to end the curse, then runs away, but by the end of the book is back with the prince.
August 11, 2017
I love Beauty and the Beast retellings but this one caught me off-guard from the beginning. I wasn't expecting the rape scene and it cast the rest of the story in a dark, disturbing light. I was looking for something more romantic I guess.
My Rating: 3 stars
My Rating: 3 stars
December 7, 2021
3.5 stars ~
more about physical love than anything else. the writing style was great and I loved the way she handled the plot. but the content is mature and unappreciated.
more about physical love than anything else. the writing style was great and I loved the way she handled the plot. but the content is mature and unappreciated.
Read
January 9, 2018I have read another by this author and liked it okay. In general I can enjoy fairytales retold as quick ways to escape for a while. But this one had some things that this particular reader does not enjoy.
There is a rape that happens early on. It's mostly used as a plot point for why the heroine does not care for men (especially if they resemble the man who raped her). It's not really dealt with in a meaningful way. That happens to be a bit of a pet peeve of mine, using rape as a plot point unless it's given full gravity and dealt with appropriately. I do concede that in a long ago day it probably happened a great deal to those less powerful.
Later it's very odd that the, so to speak, Beast (though obviously only in the way he appears- not his character or behavior) makes flirty comments continuously to the heroine that border on inappropriate. This is especially true as he thinks/says he wishes to be a gentleman and then makes a slightly (or very) suggestive comment on many occasions. In light of the earlier rape, and especially since this man is supposed to be held in contrast to the rapist, it failed.
Then finally the biggest offense is how the author got around the consummation of the marriage for the heroine at the end of the book. It turns out, some courtesan with slightly magical powers put a spell on his "member" that would result in it always pleasing a woman if he loved her. This somehow allowed to heroine to get beyond her issues with having been raped. I guess the promise of a magic penis was enough? Yeah, because that's the answer to rape. Give them a man who loves them with a magic penis and all their problems will be solved. Also, the darn thing glowed blue ever so slightly. I don't know whether to be angry with the way issues with rape was solved or to laugh at the magically glowing blue penis. Either way, it's a miss. Also, who wants a penis with another woman's spell lit around it? No worries because after they do the deed (several times of course) the blue spell somehow inexplicable goes away because he's just too good to need it. Blech!
My advice to any author who wants to incorporate rape into their books- tread very carefully. If you don't do it justice it will likely upset people. And please, for everything that's good and holy, never use a magic penis as your way out of the rape consequences for a victim. I'm going to chalk this down to inexperience for the author.
There is a rape that happens early on. It's mostly used as a plot point for why the heroine does not care for men (especially if they resemble the man who raped her). It's not really dealt with in a meaningful way. That happens to be a bit of a pet peeve of mine, using rape as a plot point unless it's given full gravity and dealt with appropriately. I do concede that in a long ago day it probably happened a great deal to those less powerful.
Later it's very odd that the, so to speak, Beast (though obviously only in the way he appears- not his character or behavior) makes flirty comments continuously to the heroine that border on inappropriate. This is especially true as he thinks/says he wishes to be a gentleman and then makes a slightly (or very) suggestive comment on many occasions. In light of the earlier rape, and especially since this man is supposed to be held in contrast to the rapist, it failed.
Then finally the biggest offense is how the author got around the consummation of the marriage for the heroine at the end of the book. It turns out, some courtesan with slightly magical powers put a spell on his "member" that would result in it always pleasing a woman if he loved her. This somehow allowed to heroine to get beyond her issues with having been raped. I guess the promise of a magic penis was enough? Yeah, because that's the answer to rape. Give them a man who loves them with a magic penis and all their problems will be solved. Also, the darn thing glowed blue ever so slightly. I don't know whether to be angry with the way issues with rape was solved or to laugh at the magically glowing blue penis. Either way, it's a miss. Also, who wants a penis with another woman's spell lit around it? No worries because after they do the deed (several times of course) the blue spell somehow inexplicable goes away because he's just too good to need it. Blech!
My advice to any author who wants to incorporate rape into their books- tread very carefully. If you don't do it justice it will likely upset people. And please, for everything that's good and holy, never use a magic penis as your way out of the rape consequences for a victim. I'm going to chalk this down to inexperience for the author.
June 26, 2017
This was a really fun, sweet read! It very much followed the traditional pathways of Beauty and the Beast, lacking one important detail that I did miss.
NO ROSE!
Ah well, it was on the back of the mirror. Close enough right?
This book swapped out Belle with the enchantress who cursed the beast in the first place. I can safely say, I've never read a beauty and the beast novel like it. And that was actually really refreshing? I think a lot of books in this genre rely too heavily on the original story, and it starts to become predictable. This book, although definitely predictable in places, was really fun to read! It was a brand new story in a genre that doesn't give a lot of wiggle room.
Plus, Enchantress? Yes please.
I prefer the old version anyways.
At times, the characters were a little too predictable and.... nice? Not that I didn't enjoy them, I did very much like the two of them together, and Vardan was a wonderful hero. I just wanted a little more arguing, a little more back and forth between them. He forgives her too easily, he's too just, he's too honorable. It paints a perfect portrait of a disney prince, but not necessarily of a realistic person.
Idk. That might just be me. Regardless, it was a really sweet read with a little bit of sexy time to whet us romance readers appetite.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it and stayed up late to read it. Yay for another beauty and the beast book to put on my shelf and for a book that breaks the mold!
NO ROSE!
Ah well, it was on the back of the mirror. Close enough right?
This book swapped out Belle with the enchantress who cursed the beast in the first place. I can safely say, I've never read a beauty and the beast novel like it. And that was actually really refreshing? I think a lot of books in this genre rely too heavily on the original story, and it starts to become predictable. This book, although definitely predictable in places, was really fun to read! It was a brand new story in a genre that doesn't give a lot of wiggle room.
Plus, Enchantress? Yes please.
I prefer the old version anyways.
At times, the characters were a little too predictable and.... nice? Not that I didn't enjoy them, I did very much like the two of them together, and Vardan was a wonderful hero. I just wanted a little more arguing, a little more back and forth between them. He forgives her too easily, he's too just, he's too honorable. It paints a perfect portrait of a disney prince, but not necessarily of a realistic person.
Idk. That might just be me. Regardless, it was a really sweet read with a little bit of sexy time to whet us romance readers appetite.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it and stayed up late to read it. Yay for another beauty and the beast book to put on my shelf and for a book that breaks the mold!
March 30, 2021
As a twist on B&B, this was quite intriguing - what if Beauty herself had cast the curse, but didn't know it?
Unfortunately, in order to have a plot, it resorted to "infuriating miscomunication" and even when things WERE communicated, the other party was just like "nah, I'm not going to believe that....." And it just showed weak writing.
I did appreciate that the beast was a good guy, rather than the total jerk that the Disney movie starts him off as. That was a refreshing change and how I prefer my B&B.
I didn't quite appreciate how much the bedroom came up. Zuleika is assaulted towards the beginning of the book, and after that, the book is just colored by "men are beasts, only here for one thing." Whiiiiiiich, Vardan's chapters and dialogue didn't quite dispell. Oh, and then the book ends on a vaguely described marriage consumation. I like some heat in my romance, but this was just too much in my face for me to enjoy.
Buuuuut, intriguing worldbuilding and I loved the hints of other fairy tales woven especially through the beginning. I have a few more of the series on my kindle and I likely will be reading them.
Unfortunately, in order to have a plot, it resorted to "infuriating miscomunication" and even when things WERE communicated, the other party was just like "nah, I'm not going to believe that....." And it just showed weak writing.
I did appreciate that the beast was a good guy, rather than the total jerk that the Disney movie starts him off as. That was a refreshing change and how I prefer my B&B.
I didn't quite appreciate how much the bedroom came up. Zuleika is assaulted towards the beginning of the book, and after that, the book is just colored by "men are beasts, only here for one thing." Whiiiiiiich, Vardan's chapters and dialogue didn't quite dispell. Oh, and then the book ends on a vaguely described marriage consumation. I like some heat in my romance, but this was just too much in my face for me to enjoy.
Buuuuut, intriguing worldbuilding and I loved the hints of other fairy tales woven especially through the beginning. I have a few more of the series on my kindle and I likely will be reading them.
October 22, 2018
.
This very delightful tale was a prize indeed... The narrator, Mary Sarah, did an excellent job relaying this version of the 'Beauty and the Beast', with a magical twist. The heroine as an enchantress was very intriguing. I enjoyed listening to this audible book, accessed through Hoopla (via our Public Library System), very much!
It was a clean read, which I prefer. It was able to stand on its own, which is a positive attribute. Finally, the conclusion delivers an H.E.A. with more details (about the singular sex scene) than I would have liked to have included. I would have rated this book 5.0 without the unnecessary details in such a well-told fairy tale.
This very delightful tale was a prize indeed... The narrator, Mary Sarah, did an excellent job relaying this version of the 'Beauty and the Beast', with a magical twist. The heroine as an enchantress was very intriguing. I enjoyed listening to this audible book, accessed through Hoopla (via our Public Library System), very much!
It was a clean read, which I prefer. It was able to stand on its own, which is a positive attribute. Finally, the conclusion delivers an H.E.A. with more details (about the singular sex scene) than I would have liked to have included. I would have rated this book 5.0 without the unnecessary details in such a well-told fairy tale.
June 25, 2017
Not clean
Go ahead... Call me a prude, but intimacy is private. I don't want to read about it. I should have known better than to read this, as it begins with a rape. But there was no detail, so I falsely assumed this was a clean book. I guess, if you skip the last chapter, it will be clean. The story is a telling of beauty and the beast that I found clever. I will be deleting this from my library.
Go ahead... Call me a prude, but intimacy is private. I don't want to read about it. I should have known better than to read this, as it begins with a rape. But there was no detail, so I falsely assumed this was a clean book. I guess, if you skip the last chapter, it will be clean. The story is a telling of beauty and the beast that I found clever. I will be deleting this from my library.
July 20, 2022
4,5 stars - English Ebook
A beastly prince. An enchanting beauty. Only love can break the spell.
Once upon a time…
There was an author who got everything right when it came to fairy tale retelling.
Ofcourse this is a retelling in midieval setting but surely good!
Gaston is a misogynist King, the sorceress who changed the prince into a beast is the heroine, and talking furniture become invisible servants and townsfolk.
No trying to pull other stories in as foreshadowing for the next book in the series, well developed characters that showed personal growth throughout the talr. I like that. They develop, you get to know them better.
Why not the full 5 stars. That's the ending that have good been better written.
But overall in this genre. A good book.
A beastly prince. An enchanting beauty. Only love can break the spell.
Once upon a time…
There was an author who got everything right when it came to fairy tale retelling.
Ofcourse this is a retelling in midieval setting but surely good!
Gaston is a misogynist King, the sorceress who changed the prince into a beast is the heroine, and talking furniture become invisible servants and townsfolk.
No trying to pull other stories in as foreshadowing for the next book in the series, well developed characters that showed personal growth throughout the talr. I like that. They develop, you get to know them better.
Why not the full 5 stars. That's the ending that have good been better written.
But overall in this genre. A good book.
January 5, 2023
Narrator Mary Sarah ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is one of my goals this year to work through books that I brought years ago and Im so glad I stared with this one, after listening to this I actually wish I started it 3 years ago 😂
Not only is this a fantastic retelling of Beauty and the Beast but the narrator Mary Sarah has the most incredible and soothing voice. I was hypnotised by her. (which was fitting considering the magical theme in this story)
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It is one of my goals this year to work through books that I brought years ago and Im so glad I stared with this one, after listening to this I actually wish I started it 3 years ago 😂
Not only is this a fantastic retelling of Beauty and the Beast but the narrator Mary Sarah has the most incredible and soothing voice. I was hypnotised by her. (which was fitting considering the magical theme in this story)
Read
September 2, 2020Get a FREE copy of the ebook at: https://demelzacarlton.com/fairytale/#Enchant
Get the audiobook at: https://demelzacarlton.com/enchantaudio
Get the audiobook at: https://demelzacarlton.com/enchantaudio
October 26, 2017
This story has glaring problems right from the first few pages of the book.
Warning: some spoilers
A few of the problems:
* We're introduced to our main character, Zuleika, and her sisters who're watching a rider approach their home. The sisters are throw away characters and might as well have not been included in the book. They have this one scene, and then they're mentioned in passing a little later, then they never appear again.
* Zuleika is apparently an enchantress, and she says that she's their mother's heir and neither of her sisters has magic. What are the rules behind who has magic and who doesn't? Who knows. Why do some people have stronger powers than others? No clue.
* None of the characters is really fleshed out. Even the two main characters stay pretty flat.
* There's a rape scene early on in the story. This would have been fine had there been a better lead-in to it, and had there actually been consequences to it. Unfortunately, the one consequence that is dealt with in the story is solved by Zuleika just magically deciding it's no longer a problem.
* Vardan's immediate attraction to Zuleika and his reasons for not acting on it are just creepy. He keeps thinking about how much he wants to take her to his bed. Why doesn't he? Not because he doesn't know her at all, but because he's not married to her. Ooookay.
* Zuleika keeps talking about the person who cursed Vardan and his people as being very dark, that they need to be stopped. There are more than enough clues given to her so that she can put two and two together so she can recognise the magic as her own. This got very old, very fast.
* By the end of the book, the story isn't finished. Almost every plot element other than the romance is left dangling. What happens to the King with his curse? What happens to the merchant empire? What happens to the villagers who've been released from their curse? What's going to happen with the pirates now?
All in all, this felt like the first draft of a story. It needed fleshing out a lot more. It was an okay read, but it certainly didn't pique my interest, and I don't think I'll be revisiting the author for the foreseeable future.
Warning: some spoilers
A few of the problems:
* We're introduced to our main character, Zuleika, and her sisters who're watching a rider approach their home. The sisters are throw away characters and might as well have not been included in the book. They have this one scene, and then they're mentioned in passing a little later, then they never appear again.
* Zuleika is apparently an enchantress, and she says that she's their mother's heir and neither of her sisters has magic. What are the rules behind who has magic and who doesn't? Who knows. Why do some people have stronger powers than others? No clue.
* None of the characters is really fleshed out. Even the two main characters stay pretty flat.
* There's a rape scene early on in the story. This would have been fine had there been a better lead-in to it, and had there actually been consequences to it. Unfortunately, the one consequence that is dealt with in the story is solved by Zuleika just magically deciding it's no longer a problem.
* Vardan's immediate attraction to Zuleika and his reasons for not acting on it are just creepy. He keeps thinking about how much he wants to take her to his bed. Why doesn't he? Not because he doesn't know her at all, but because he's not married to her. Ooookay.
* Zuleika keeps talking about the person who cursed Vardan and his people as being very dark, that they need to be stopped. There are more than enough clues given to her so that she can put two and two together so she can recognise the magic as her own. This got very old, very fast.
* By the end of the book, the story isn't finished. Almost every plot element other than the romance is left dangling. What happens to the King with his curse? What happens to the merchant empire? What happens to the villagers who've been released from their curse? What's going to happen with the pirates now?
All in all, this felt like the first draft of a story. It needed fleshing out a lot more. It was an okay read, but it certainly didn't pique my interest, and I don't think I'll be revisiting the author for the foreseeable future.
December 31, 2019
What a beautiful plot! But it could have easily been twice the length with a bit more detail. And the main idea depended on the enchantress not recognizing her own spell; that could have been made more believable if there had been other witches as powerful as she was or some other plot device. All in all the book seemed like a rough draft that needed more expansion. It just need more.
the last chapter should be completely thrown out or at least thoroughly edited- the entire book was clean until that very last chapter and then it suddenly went to a awkward, almost x-rated place- so much so that I can't safely recommend it to friends, but not enough to be good erotica
the last chapter should be completely thrown out or at least thoroughly edited- the entire book was clean until that very last chapter and then it suddenly went to a awkward, almost x-rated place- so much so that I can't safely recommend it to friends, but not enough to be good erotica
October 21, 2020
Heat Level: Medium
Trigger Warning:
This was an interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I especially liked the way the staff of the castle was explained and their own curse. I mean, it was definitely kind of insta-lovey, but that doesn't really matter in this particular story.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys B&B retellings.
CAWPILE Score: 7.71 = 4 stars
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Writing: 7
Plot: 8
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 8
Enjoyment: 8
Trigger Warning:
This was an interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I especially liked the way the staff of the castle was explained and their own curse. I mean, it was definitely kind of insta-lovey, but that doesn't really matter in this particular story.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys B&B retellings.
CAWPILE Score: 7.71 = 4 stars
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Writing: 7
Plot: 8
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 8
Enjoyment: 8
February 20, 2017
I am so excited for the Beauty and the Beast movie to hit theaters, I decided reading this story would be a good way to bide my time. What a pleasant surprise it was...a fantastic and imaginative retelling of this classic fairy tale. Gorgeous cover too.
September 5, 2017
Cute take on a classic
I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. The writing was good and I enjoyed the characters that she created. Now on to the next one in the series!!
I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. The writing was good and I enjoyed the characters that she created. Now on to the next one in the series!!
July 6, 2019
Ohh! I love a good beauty and the Beast story! And this was right up my street! Including magic, betrayal,loyalty Princes beauty and a beast with a twist! Made my heart ache! Loved it!
April 30, 2021
4.5 Stars. I really enjoyed this. Its short and the sexy times could have been expanded on and not as quick and then over. But I loved this retelling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 581 reviews