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Academia of the Beast

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NY Times bestselling author, K.N. Lee presents a dark twist on a classic fairy-tale that asks the question: what if the beauty was the mortal enemy of the beast?

Raised in fear of her power.
Sold and betrayed by her lover.

Allyn escaped the hunters once before. As a witch, she risks capture every day.

Now, she lives in the slums of the opulent kingdom of Elastria, where the Winter Winds are brutal,and force everyone into their homes for the entire season. When one of her best friends receives an invitation to the end of season Winter Ball, Allyn would rather sulk about her boyfriend leaving her instead of partying at the most exclusive club in the kingdom.

A chance encounter with the crown prince of Elastria sparks hope for a brighter future, one where she might find true love. All hopes are dashed when she's tricked by her ex-boyfriend and turned in for the bounty on her head.

Now, a prisoner in an eerie castle where the servants are...peculiar, the walls whisper, and the prince's mysterious twin brother struggles with the decision to keep or kill the witch he's hunted and once lost, Allyn struggles with the desire to tame the beast within the prince, or escape to freedom.

The curse of the castle is strong. But, the magic hiding inside Allyn might be more powerful than she or the prince realized.

Discover an enchanted world of witches and a cursed prince in this steamy modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Praise for Academia of the Beast:

"Wow, I think is the best interpretation of Beauty and the Beast I have ever read." Kristin, Amazon Reviewer


"Since I am no longer a child and have not been for many years I am all for adult stories of my favorite ones. Both times the show has been on I have watched it so when I run across versions I grab them. This one intrigued me the most so far." Denise Van Plew- Top Amazon Reviewer


"Forget what you've known about the beauty and the beast, this story takes a twist, a great one,and makes it into a much better version. Magic, fairies, wolves, ghosts,and witches, what more could you ask for? How about a woman dead set on making it through the whole ordeal?" Katie Perry Rogers

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**WARNING: Contains explicit adult situations and dark imagery not suitable for children**

139 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2016

102 people are currently reading
666 people want to read

About the author

K.N. Lee

132 books906 followers
K.N. Lee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rockstar, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award for her success as a writer, business owner, and for community service.

She is signed with Captive Quill Press and Patchwork Press.

K.N. Lee loves hearing from fans and readers. Connect with her!

www.knlee.com

www.WriteLikeAWizard.com

www.Facebook.com/knycolelee

www.twitter.com/knycole_lee

www.wattpad.com/user/KNycoleLee

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5 stars
79 (21%)
4 stars
93 (25%)
3 stars
112 (30%)
2 stars
58 (15%)
1 star
26 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
Profile Image for Melissa Souza.
185 reviews54 followers
September 13, 2016
Unpopular opinion coming up..May contain spoilers!!!

I really feel bad when I give a book a poor review but I can't help it in this case. I was thoroughly disappointed with this retelling of the Beauty & the Beast. And there are several reasons for this.

One, the MC Allyn is a major Mary Sue. Gosh!!! The girl is so boring and delusional. I mean her character is so cliched. After getting dumped by her ex and getting evicted, she just falls in love with another guy in the next two minutes. Like come on? I felt there was absolutely no chemistry with her and Conall at all. I didn't get any feels whatsoever and after one night of passion, suddenly this guy is a soul mate? I mean she barely even knows him. I would have liked to see some development in the relationship before the characters just jumped into bed with each other. Plus, I felt that she constantly needs a man in her life to make her feel worthy. I don't like characters that just give in to guys. I like girls who can stand on their own two feet. Plus, she makes some pretty stupid decisions along the way.

Second, the worldbuilding wasn't so great. The author does introduce some new places for the reader. But it felt too close to reality. I felt like the story was taking place somewhere in America not some fantastical kingdom. Plus, the characters use gadgets that we use in everyday life which was not really exciting. I would have liked to see some new stuff described. I would have preferred something more immersive even if the book length was short.

Third, there are inconsistencies with character names. We come across all these different names like Aude, Khia, Conall. But then suddenly when we are swept to a new place, the fairy characters seem to have Swedish/European names. But guess what, the Fairy Queen and King are named Anton and Svetlana but their daughters have Indian names? Where did that come from? I was so majorly confused.

The only thing I did like about the book was the twist and shocking revelation. The introduction of various fantastical creatures like ghosts and so on was also a good idea. I also felt the MC Allyn showed some spine and spunk towards the end. I also did like Lennox as a character but we don't get to see him much. I would have liked more his backstory. Other than that, I felt the writing was just lazy. I like my books to be consistent with credible details. I like unforgettable and flawed characters. I didn't get that with this book.

So yeah. I was not too keen on this story. I have read better retellings. However, that doesn't mean I won't read anything else by K.N. Lee. Hopefully, one of her other books are better than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anna Maria.
207 reviews
October 28, 2020
Even if this was a short story I was not so keen on it and I found the plot very forced.
Profile Image for Amy.
192 reviews3 followers
February 1, 2017
Nice take on a classic.. Kinda wish it was longer. I feel like it would have flowed a little better but overall not bad and I liked the plot twist
Profile Image for Jamies.
648 reviews3 followers
November 30, 2017
Free read from InstaFreebie or Red Feather Romance.

Odd that my previous update isnt on here. Part of it contained a spoiler but I literally just guessed at something based on the info given up to that point. Also criticized the love scene for not being consistent and slightly cringe-worthy. Go decent level of raunchy and higher or stay at blush level. The two don't mix so don't try. I'm almost done and I don't understand her power. It's confusing to read about it and then visualize how it looks. Not reading more of this series, if it is one.
Profile Image for Petra.
91 reviews
April 27, 2017
This was supposed to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but I found it a bit far-fetched. Though there were some scenes where I found myself recognizing parts of the movie. I liked it because it was short and therefore fast-paced and there is a nice twist towards the end of the book.
Profile Image for Sage Knightly.
548 reviews27 followers
July 13, 2017
This is a quick read, but not very gripping. It is fast paced and the plot did not really seem... stable? It was not entirely whole. I was often confused as situations made no sense. One moment her friends are adament she stays and the next they encourage her to leave while it is the winter winds when no one is supposed to be outside. It was choppy at best but had a lot of potential to be an amazing story
Profile Image for Nada Sobhi.
Author 3 books220 followers
June 27, 2018
Academia of the Beast by K. N. Lee is a fast-paced fairytale retelling of the Beauty and the Beast with a dark twist. I couldn't put it down and finished it in two sittings!

Allyn is a witch, a breed that's being hunted down by the rulers of Elastria. Her good-for-nothing boyfriend leaves her penniless to the point where the police take her small apartment right before the winter season where their small town closes-shop for six weeks.

"Allyn didn't want to be a princess. She just wanted someone to be good to her."

Right before the winter begins, Allyn goes to a party where she meets one of the princes of Elastria, Conall, a man she has met many years prior. The two connect and their once-innocent love is rekindled. From there, the novel picks up as Conall has to leave for the winter but promises to return once the cold season ends. Shortly after that Allyn is more or less kidnapped.

"As those words fell from her lips [Allyn] began to wonder who the witch was in this scenario… because she was sure Conall had her under a spell."

Characters in Academia of the Beast are beautifully flawed. You can't help but love them all, even the dark and evil ones. Character development is strong and pleasant to see.

I loved the twin brothers, my heart ached for Lennox, whom I despised at first, but grew to love as the book progressed.

One of the things I liked was the rivalry between the brothers. From the beginning, we are told of Lennox's darker nature and we already see Conall's romantic and kind side. The comparison between the brothers is huge.

"We found her."
Conall froze. "What?"
"You heart right…. Not just any witch. We found the one that Lennox told your father about. She sounds incredible. None of the others were able to do the things she did that night in the woods. And no one escapes Lennox."
"Whatever you do, don't let Lennox find out."


The novella keeps you on edge full-time with lots of dark twists even till the very end. It also had several beautiful lines and dialogues.

"She saw within him a soul just as lost as she was. When he held her hand, she was at peace."

One of the cool things that popped up a couple of times in Academia of the Beast were the quotes from the original Beauty and the Beast movie/cartoon.

Overall Academia of the Beast is a must-read. After I finished it, I went over a couple of parts I had enjoyed. I would definitely read this again.
Profile Image for Jackie.
2,554 reviews
November 9, 2016
Giving this a generous 3 stars. This story has some good bones if you can ignore the errors. I usually only find some of the spelling mistakes, or missing words or wrong words sort of thing, I definitely do not have a masters in English to know if there's grammar mistakes. I wonder how many other mistakes I missed? The story being good was the only reason I was able to finish the book. This really needed better editing & beta readers to catch the mistakes. From missing words, words placed in the wrong order to extra words, to info in parts not meshing with previous paragraphs or chapters (they'd be "bloopers" if this were a movie), or to referring to things one way, then a different way (calling the prince a king before she is able to fix things, is one) made for choppy reading having to go back & re-read things to make sure I read it correctly. The story itself really had a lot of potential though. I do wish it would have been said what she actually was, I don't think witch is the answer. I did start out a bit confused, was it a modern dystopian story, or a fanciful fake world. It almost felt like the world building had a split personality, which in the end in a weird way kind of went with the story. But it did make it hard to get into the story at first cause I was confused. I also didn't feel a connection between her & the beast side, which in my mind is part of beauty & the beast story.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Connor.
1,466 reviews41 followers
May 29, 2017
I really wanted to give this more stars, but in the end, the bad outweighed the good. The story, of course, was good, but I can't give the author full credit for that because it was based on a classic. I did enjoy the artistic license she used in telling the story. There were definitely some interesting twists on the fairy tale we all know. That said, here are the things that bothered me:

Poor editing - This ranged from homophone misuse to repetition of words.
Unimaginative descriptions that seemed to be missing key elements
Artificial dialog & trite phrases
Uninteresting sex scenes

A few times I was tempted to stop reading, but it was a relatively short story so I forced myself to continue. In the end, it was just a fluff piece of little consequence.
Profile Image for Genieinachanelbottle.
364 reviews35 followers
January 18, 2017
Beauty and the Beast with a fresh twist full of mystery magic N scorching romance! This was my first K.N. Lee book and it definitely wont be my last! I absolutely loved Academia of the Beast it kept me on the edge of my seat and craving more I was up all night reading never wanted it to end!!!
5 Stars All The Way!!!
Profile Image for Melissa.
163 reviews2 followers
January 9, 2018
I really would like to give this more stars but I just started getting into the story and BAM...THE END!
I felt like I got whip lash.
What the what?! This could have been so much more!
So it felt kind of slow to start and then she slept with Conall after like an hour and she thinks she feels something deep for him oh and he’s a prince. Then kind of felt like we were being introduced to a different story that, well, kind of felt slow.
She is being held ,kind of ,prisoner by another prince which is the first prince’s (evil) twin, Lennox.
During an escape attempt she figures out they are one and the same(which I don’t think is reconciled in the end but I will get to that later), so she sleeps with Lennox to make him fall for her.
And what do you know apparently she has a magic hoohah because he starts acting completely out of character and admits he was in love her all along.
That very same night she realizes who put the curse on them(a ghost that has like 2 lines the entire book) and woah that’s why she had powers all along, to fight this being in the most anticlimactic fight ever.
Annnnd... it’s over. she saved them. Well she saved Connell really. What happened to Lennox? Idk.
The curse was that the prince kind of had a split personality but instead of the two personalities blending into one when the curse was lifted Lennox just got kind of absorbed. I guess, who the hell knows? Not much happens after that it cuts to the Epilogue.

Ok so now that I’m at the end of my review it seems like in actuality there is a lot that happens but it all happens in a story that’s about as long as my review or maybe it just seems that way because you just get past all the telling and get to the showing and as I said above “Bam...The End”
Profile Image for Donna.
1,626 reviews33 followers
May 2, 2018
Cover/Title: The cover is beautiful but the title is what drew me in. I love fairy tale re-tellings.

Characters: At the beginning Allyn annoyed me a bit. She seemed like a bit of a pushover. She also falls for guys really easily which makes her a bit weaker than the heroines that I usually enjoy. She did grow personally throughout the book.

Plot: Allyn is left high and dry by her boyfriend. Now she has to try to carve out a new life for herself. Her friends drag her to a party where she meets the crown prince. Then her ex shows up and shows his true colors leading her to find a new purpose in her life.

Overall: I really enjoyed this story. It is definitely not your typical beauty & the beast re-telling. My only complaint is that I wish it wasn't rushed so much. If the book was longer and the relationship grown a bit more, it could have been a 5 star book.
Profile Image for Cindy.
1,885 reviews13 followers
January 8, 2018
I'm a sucker for a beauty & the beast trope. This came up as a dollar deal on Amazon & I couldn't resist.

This could have been a 5 star book. While the world building was solid, the execution was hampered by a mediocre author. I almost DNF - had to force myself to read a TSTL hero & heroine.
The heroine has been abused since the age of 10. The hero was born cursed. I suppose I should have cut them some slack, but If they are the main lead, then they should have a couple of brain cells to rub together.
I gave it 3 stars for the 2nd half of the story. It was actually interesting. That is except for the predictable, sappy epilogue. That sucked.

Many typos & odd misspelled words (flood instead of floor for example).
Profile Image for Piros OlaSz.
598 reviews3 followers
November 6, 2022
Excellent idea and greatly story!
I loooove B&B retellings and this idea was one of the bests. It had modern elements but also my fav fantasy part with wolf 🐺 witch 🧙🏻 and fairy 🧚🏻‍♀️
So all good. No whinnying heroine and two princes… one with a great amount of badboy vibes…. Give it to me at any time…
Why its not 5 then? The only reason is that the writing style is not that sophistication and I find some part a bit rushed and could have more depth or explanations. I liked that its not over complicated don’t get me wrong…. Just a bit of more build for the relationships?
Anyway I loved the story a lot and sure will return to the author ✍️ 🔜 for other books 📚!
Profile Image for Darcy.
2,154 reviews23 followers
June 12, 2017
I really enjoyed this story. It was very well written and has a great plot. The only thing I would have liked to see was a little more at the end with an explanation of what her powers are. Otherwise, it is a fabulous book. You can feel the love that went into writing this book. I loved how well the characters were developed. I thought it was a unique how the curse is played out. Allyn is a great character. She is strong, independent, and intelligent. The prince is very different than you expect, which I don't want to say more or it might give it away. It is most definitely worth reading.
Profile Image for Linda Hamonou.
Author 7 books30 followers
June 22, 2018
This was an interesting retailing of beauty and the beast.
I like how fate is used in multiple ways through the book as the twins' secrets are revealed to the reader, since we already know the secret of the main character.
No characters are forgotten even the stupid disappearing boyfriend actually turned out not to be just a tool for the first part but have some use in the long term plot of the story.
The clues of the characters involvement through the book are pretty well designed.

It was a fun quick read.
Profile Image for BostonTerrierLuv.
109 reviews2 followers
June 20, 2017
Not a bad book by any means & I actually enjoyed the story itself. The only reason I could not give this one a 4 or 5 is because of the editing issues throughout. It does hinder a book for me unfortunately and I really feel that if this had been edited more thoroughly it would have been a really good read.
Profile Image for Lisa.
228 reviews
January 11, 2018
Seriously? The book is as awkward as the title. SPOILER ahead, as if you couldn't guess the whole plot within the first few pages. Hi let's jump into bed and fall in love and claim each other forevermore in less than a day, and that was in the first 15% of the book. I don't know what happened after that because I stopped reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for CJ.
40 reviews2 followers
May 4, 2019
Interesting idea, but poorly executed. Allyn was such a submissive doormat, she couldn’t function without someone telling her what to do. She knew her boyfriend was a worthless toad, but couldn’t leave him because she loved him and maybe he would miraculously change. Then she meets the prince and an hour later, she’s devoted to him. It was nauseating.
Profile Image for Greta Riordan.
625 reviews36 followers
March 16, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was really good, however I feel that the plot needed a bit more time to be developed, it seemed to come to the conclusion of the story with very little character development and no real conflict was resolved. Other than that an enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Sarah Austin.
1,258 reviews3 followers
June 28, 2017
I started another novella by this author which I DNF because the world building had been started in an anthology so I thought i would give this author another try with a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It was ok. The ending was abrupt and yeah that's pretty much it. 2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Marielaurent.
250 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2023
I love this book since I first started reading it. And I enjoyed and love this book a lot. I love the characters, plot, dialogue, and description of scenes, as well everything else in the book. I give this book 5 stars and recommend this book to anyone to read it.
Profile Image for Emma.
591 reviews12 followers
March 11, 2017
A quick adult romance but fun and nice way to while away a few hours as Beast Fever takes over the world !

Boosted by the B&B score playing as I read.
Profile Image for Ana Oh.
655 reviews13 followers
May 8, 2017
3.5 Stars

This is a pretty sweet take on Beauty and the Beast. The writing is straightforward. There are enough grammatical errors to be distracting.
Profile Image for Meinar Heidin.
4 reviews
June 2, 2017
I like the ending part. A lot.
When they finally have twin.
It turns out the prince has multiple personalities.
The good thing is they (alter ego) merge into one and Allyn love them
Profile Image for Joyffree.
3,410 reviews62 followers
October 20, 2017
Good read

Beauty and the beast retelling with a touch of little red. Not truly a dark retelling. A short and engaging paranormal read.
Review to follow
Profile Image for Allision.
5 reviews4 followers
January 14, 2018
Wrapped up to quickly

Great story! Would have liked it to be longer and much more development into the back story of the curse.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews

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