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The Magic Collectors #1
The Rose and the Wand
One curse won't cure another. Or will it? A proud enchantress finds out in this clean fantasy romance about the enchantress from “Beauty and the Beast.”Prim and proper enchantress Lady Alexandria would do anything for her sister, even bewitch a magic mirror to save her from a most unsuitable match. But this interference gets Alexandria cursed. Powerless, penniless, dumped in a strange land, and stuck in the body of an old hag, she must learn about pride and love before she can return home.
But a change of heart is no easy thing. After cursing a prince whose arrogant cruelty she once ignored, she seeks shelter in a remote village, hiding from the dangerous Magic Collectors who hunt enchantresses and trying not to fall in love with the mysterious woodsman who found her lost in the forest and who seems to know far more about her than he should.
Time is running out for her and the prince she turned to a beast to break their curses. Not only must they learn to love even the poor and ugly, but they must survive those who'd steal their magic and their lives.
The Rose and the Wand is a clean fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the enchantress. It's a standalone novel, but there are other books set in the same story world to enjoy!
But a change of heart is no easy thing. After cursing a prince whose arrogant cruelty she once ignored, she seeks shelter in a remote village, hiding from the dangerous Magic Collectors who hunt enchantresses and trying not to fall in love with the mysterious woodsman who found her lost in the forest and who seems to know far more about her than he should.
Time is running out for her and the prince she turned to a beast to break their curses. Not only must they learn to love even the poor and ugly, but they must survive those who'd steal their magic and their lives.
The Rose and the Wand is a clean fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the enchantress. It's a standalone novel, but there are other books set in the same story world to enjoy!
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 13, 2018
I think I mentioned that weird things make me like a book? Well, this one was, "OMGOSH, THIS MC IS KIND OF AN AWFUL PERSON ... I think I love her."
It's really hard to pull off a main character who is so obviously wrong-headed and unsympathetic. The MC of this book is a snob who gets punished for using a magical object to meddle in her little sister's love life and discourage her from interest in a "less desirable" suitor, and she does not learn her lesson right away. This is an interesting side-story to Beauty and the Beast more than a direct retelling. You honestly see very little of the original fairy tale, but I think that works for it. It gives you the trappings of the familiar from a completely new viewpoint which I very much enjoyed. Well-written and recommended.
It's really hard to pull off a main character who is so obviously wrong-headed and unsympathetic. The MC of this book is a snob who gets punished for using a magical object to meddle in her little sister's love life and discourage her from interest in a "less desirable" suitor, and she does not learn her lesson right away. This is an interesting side-story to Beauty and the Beast more than a direct retelling. You honestly see very little of the original fairy tale, but I think that works for it. It gives you the trappings of the familiar from a completely new viewpoint which I very much enjoyed. Well-written and recommended.
did-not-finish
July 10, 2022DNF 42%
I think this was probably just me. The MC isn't a "good person" and yet I found myself liking her too much. So I couldn't quite enjoy the "justice" when it was dished out to her. Plus I felt like the MMC was a bit of a self-righteous deceptive jerk.
He shows up to try and charm the family so he can push them towards allowing the one daughter to marry his "undesirable" cousin. Okay, I like the point about not judging the cousin based on his looks and social awkwardness. But the MMC is there under false pretenses(he claims he wants to study under her father and acts like he wants to get to know the family).
He's extremely condescending to the FMC and doesn't give her a chance to be anything but "bad". For example. She asks someone how a wounded villager is doing that she treated. The MMC overhears and immediately is in her face about how "Oh, wow, you care about someone who's not rich? It must be just to check off your records." And she's like, I don't keep records, I just wanted to see how he's doing!
Or she goes on a walk and she likes to spend time alone. This old peasant woman who's smelly, blah blah, comes and sits by her while she's sitting by a pool and starts talking her ear off. The girl is polite but doesn't really want to talk to this woman and eventually gets up and hands her some money and leaves.
The MMC gives her a hard time about it and says how he met this nice old lady who'd been treated horribly by some rich lady in the area. *glances at FMC*
I'm sorry, but I can totally understand wanting some alone time. Not wanting to talk to anyone. And this lady plopped herself down and sat there nattering on but the FMC has to stay and listen to her because if she doesn't it means she's a terrible person? How about the lady is rude for not realizing someone might not want to sit there and have a conversation? And then she goes and tells the next person she meets that someone was nasty to her because they got up, said have a good day here's some money, and left?
Also there's clearly some good traits in the FMC and I think if the MMC hadn't been so aggressive and mean to her that he could've helped bring those out. More flies with honey and all of that.
Then when the FMC figures out that this guy doesn't actually care about her family and he's got some ulterior motive for being there she plots with her third sister to get rid of him (by tricking their middle sister into thinking this guy's cousin is spending time with another girl).
Not a nice thing to do, but I can see why she's frustrated about being played for a fool. None of the things the MMC does though is EVER shown to be negative. He never apologizes. Never thinks he could've handled something better. Etc. He's like this pinnacle of goodness who can do no wrong.
Meanwhile the FMC can do no right. After she patches up the villager, she comes out of the room and realizes her dress is covered in blood and is upset about it. The cousin of the MMC is there at the time and (after he had to be sent out of the room because he couldn't stomach helping) gives her grief about how as soon as her job is done all she cares about her dress. She's like, "I'm not sorry I helped the villager. I'm just sorry my dress got ruined." But she doesn't say that, just thinks it.
I felt that was legitimate. It's okay to be upset something was ruined.
They even go on this walk at one point and she helps out an animal that's hurt and says something about how she hates to see beautiful things suffer. MMC goes, "Well, I hope you hate to see ugly things suffer." And gives a mini-sermon on that.
I get it. I really do. But again, I felt like he could've helped her become a better person in a different way. Play up on the fact that she is kind and cares about some people and animals. Encourage her for that kindness and gradually open her up to the idea of helping someone or something that isn't so beautiful.
The nail in the coffin for me was that after the FMC is punished by a magic mirror and cursed, the MMC is suddenly madly in love with her and insists that he--not her father--goes after her. I'm like ummm, you guys have been doing nothing but butting heads. I'm sorry, but these two have had no good moments and he acts like he's disgusted with everything she does. If there's romance and I can't really get into it then that's a major dnf reason for me.
Beautiful cover though.
I think this was probably just me. The MC isn't a "good person" and yet I found myself liking her too much. So I couldn't quite enjoy the "justice" when it was dished out to her. Plus I felt like the MMC was a bit of a self-righteous deceptive jerk.
He shows up to try and charm the family so he can push them towards allowing the one daughter to marry his "undesirable" cousin. Okay, I like the point about not judging the cousin based on his looks and social awkwardness. But the MMC is there under false pretenses(he claims he wants to study under her father and acts like he wants to get to know the family).
He's extremely condescending to the FMC and doesn't give her a chance to be anything but "bad". For example. She asks someone how a wounded villager is doing that she treated. The MMC overhears and immediately is in her face about how "Oh, wow, you care about someone who's not rich? It must be just to check off your records." And she's like, I don't keep records, I just wanted to see how he's doing!
Or she goes on a walk and she likes to spend time alone. This old peasant woman who's smelly, blah blah, comes and sits by her while she's sitting by a pool and starts talking her ear off. The girl is polite but doesn't really want to talk to this woman and eventually gets up and hands her some money and leaves.
The MMC gives her a hard time about it and says how he met this nice old lady who'd been treated horribly by some rich lady in the area. *glances at FMC*
I'm sorry, but I can totally understand wanting some alone time. Not wanting to talk to anyone. And this lady plopped herself down and sat there nattering on but the FMC has to stay and listen to her because if she doesn't it means she's a terrible person? How about the lady is rude for not realizing someone might not want to sit there and have a conversation? And then she goes and tells the next person she meets that someone was nasty to her because they got up, said have a good day here's some money, and left?
Also there's clearly some good traits in the FMC and I think if the MMC hadn't been so aggressive and mean to her that he could've helped bring those out. More flies with honey and all of that.
Then when the FMC figures out that this guy doesn't actually care about her family and he's got some ulterior motive for being there she plots with her third sister to get rid of him (by tricking their middle sister into thinking this guy's cousin is spending time with another girl).
Not a nice thing to do, but I can see why she's frustrated about being played for a fool. None of the things the MMC does though is EVER shown to be negative. He never apologizes. Never thinks he could've handled something better. Etc. He's like this pinnacle of goodness who can do no wrong.
Meanwhile the FMC can do no right. After she patches up the villager, she comes out of the room and realizes her dress is covered in blood and is upset about it. The cousin of the MMC is there at the time and (after he had to be sent out of the room because he couldn't stomach helping) gives her grief about how as soon as her job is done all she cares about her dress. She's like, "I'm not sorry I helped the villager. I'm just sorry my dress got ruined." But she doesn't say that, just thinks it.
I felt that was legitimate. It's okay to be upset something was ruined.
They even go on this walk at one point and she helps out an animal that's hurt and says something about how she hates to see beautiful things suffer. MMC goes, "Well, I hope you hate to see ugly things suffer." And gives a mini-sermon on that.
I get it. I really do. But again, I felt like he could've helped her become a better person in a different way. Play up on the fact that she is kind and cares about some people and animals. Encourage her for that kindness and gradually open her up to the idea of helping someone or something that isn't so beautiful.
The nail in the coffin for me was that after the FMC is punished by a magic mirror and cursed, the MMC is suddenly madly in love with her and insists that he--not her father--goes after her. I'm like ummm, you guys have been doing nothing but butting heads. I'm sorry, but these two have had no good moments and he acts like he's disgusted with everything she does. If there's romance and I can't really get into it then that's a major dnf reason for me.
Beautiful cover though.
September 5, 2019
This was a truly lovely retelling! It's funny to say, because it's not *really* a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast", so much as the enchantress's story herself. But despite that, it still felt like "Beauty and the Beast." It did take me a few chapters to get into but ultimately I really enjoyed it, and loved that it felt like a magical Regency at times. I personally found it to be one of the better B&B retellings out of the many that I've read.
February 9, 2021
Ew
This is not so much based on the story of Beauty & the Beast as it is on King Thrushbeard. Unfortunately, the twist creates an even more abusive story than the original, which has a wealthy man deceive & then emotionally & economically abuse a young woman, who had mocked suitors to avoid being sold in marriage at all, by placing her in a poverty re-education program, until she consents to be subordinate to him in marriage & be emotionally happy about it due to the previous overwhelming mental/ physical abuse of the inflicted conditions. He never offers her the choices to obtain education available to males of her social status, to let her provide for herself if she didn’t want to marry, & abuses her with lies, poverty, & verbal disdain to force acceptance of the ongoing emotional abuse of unwanted marital duties instead of respecting her decision to remain unmarried if she didn’t find someone she wanted to marry. This book is even worse.
* Spoilers *
The Lady has been taught to value beauty & competence, which some people would consider to be a virtue, though not in this book. After a misunderstanding the Lady acts rashly 1x to coerce an inanimate object, perpetrate deceit, & manipulate others to prevent her sister from choosing a suitor incapable of providing medical assistance according to required family duties. For her actions & rejection of the sister’s suitor based on ability she is:
Kidnapped by the mirror, deceived about her task based on an omission of the truth, left bereft of her physical body & her family, coerced into abusing someone with magic, is stripped of her magic, forced to lose her beauty by sleeping for over a decade, & then given to a disguised suitor.
He kidnaps her, constantly incorrectly judges her & shows contempt, patronizes her by infantilizing her with his treatment & showing disdain as though she required being treated like an infant, & gaslights her out of using her own name or seeking her family and thus effectively isolates her from claiming or living out the only culture she knows.
The intentional psychological shock at instant isolation from her family, friends, & culture & puts her in crisis mode so he can try to change her mind; also called brainwashing.
He refuses to introduce himself while insulting her appearance & sexually demeaning her by saying she can call him “My-“so & so romantically, if she responds to the kidnapping, gaslighting, omissions of the truth, verbal abuse, & emotional manipulation with positive facial expressions, insinuating that he will stop verbally insulting her looks if he doesn’t have to deal with the truth of knowing his emotional abuse is unwelcome. After trauma bonding with him, as he doesn’t ever apologize or change, she seems to develop Stockholm syndrome & calls him My so-&-so constantly.
He physically abuses her to disguise her to coerce her into demeaning job interviews for tasks she isn’t trained for to humiliate her for her culture and class & shame her for not being suited to tasks others are trained for since birth. (Re-education camp allusions are everywhere & it makes me uncomfortable as it’s supposedly to be a romance).
He bullies her into slavery & attending social formation events until she is psychologically broken down into accepting his ideas of morality, which have nothing to do with her actual crimes.(Political Prisoner Concentration Camp Allegories are not light reading and not suitable for the genre of fairytale romance. It should be listed under prison romance as revenge fantasy.)
He lies about her family to prevent her ability to communicate to them via mail. (Abuse Flag)
He emotionally manipulates her into accepting debt from him that she can’t ever pay off, so she never benefits from the pittance she is able to save. (Slave Labor)
He tells her every one in the village reports to him & spies on her. (Instills Fear & is a control tactic, not an authorized or moral response)
He physically intimidates her into basically slavery in poverty by infantilizing her with a threat of spanking if she doesn’t submit to him. (BDSM lite?)
In this isolated slavery situation, she is forced to accept a nickname she hates. (Taking someone’s name is part of stealing their identity & breaking them down).
He isn’t very heroic, so next, he rescues her physical body 4xs in 1 ch & she is so intimidated she can’t even express opinions about resting. He expects unquestioning obedience & dominates her ability to speak by cutting off her thanks. Memory loss, trauma-bonding, & inability to verbalize feelings & negative self-talk all display her trauma.
To escape the abuse, she falls in love w/ her abuser, perpetuates pain on another to teach him as she was taught,(brainwashing complete?), & accepts her sister’s suitor though he’s still medically incapable. Her love isn’t as believable as her brainwashing. Then, the Hero removes her consent by telling her she will marry him & not argue. Not HEA Imo, & do not recommend.
This is not so much based on the story of Beauty & the Beast as it is on King Thrushbeard. Unfortunately, the twist creates an even more abusive story than the original, which has a wealthy man deceive & then emotionally & economically abuse a young woman, who had mocked suitors to avoid being sold in marriage at all, by placing her in a poverty re-education program, until she consents to be subordinate to him in marriage & be emotionally happy about it due to the previous overwhelming mental/ physical abuse of the inflicted conditions. He never offers her the choices to obtain education available to males of her social status, to let her provide for herself if she didn’t want to marry, & abuses her with lies, poverty, & verbal disdain to force acceptance of the ongoing emotional abuse of unwanted marital duties instead of respecting her decision to remain unmarried if she didn’t find someone she wanted to marry. This book is even worse.
* Spoilers *
The Lady has been taught to value beauty & competence, which some people would consider to be a virtue, though not in this book. After a misunderstanding the Lady acts rashly 1x to coerce an inanimate object, perpetrate deceit, & manipulate others to prevent her sister from choosing a suitor incapable of providing medical assistance according to required family duties. For her actions & rejection of the sister’s suitor based on ability she is:
Kidnapped by the mirror, deceived about her task based on an omission of the truth, left bereft of her physical body & her family, coerced into abusing someone with magic, is stripped of her magic, forced to lose her beauty by sleeping for over a decade, & then given to a disguised suitor.
He kidnaps her, constantly incorrectly judges her & shows contempt, patronizes her by infantilizing her with his treatment & showing disdain as though she required being treated like an infant, & gaslights her out of using her own name or seeking her family and thus effectively isolates her from claiming or living out the only culture she knows.
The intentional psychological shock at instant isolation from her family, friends, & culture & puts her in crisis mode so he can try to change her mind; also called brainwashing.
He refuses to introduce himself while insulting her appearance & sexually demeaning her by saying she can call him “My-“so & so romantically, if she responds to the kidnapping, gaslighting, omissions of the truth, verbal abuse, & emotional manipulation with positive facial expressions, insinuating that he will stop verbally insulting her looks if he doesn’t have to deal with the truth of knowing his emotional abuse is unwelcome. After trauma bonding with him, as he doesn’t ever apologize or change, she seems to develop Stockholm syndrome & calls him My so-&-so constantly.
He physically abuses her to disguise her to coerce her into demeaning job interviews for tasks she isn’t trained for to humiliate her for her culture and class & shame her for not being suited to tasks others are trained for since birth. (Re-education camp allusions are everywhere & it makes me uncomfortable as it’s supposedly to be a romance).
He bullies her into slavery & attending social formation events until she is psychologically broken down into accepting his ideas of morality, which have nothing to do with her actual crimes.(Political Prisoner Concentration Camp Allegories are not light reading and not suitable for the genre of fairytale romance. It should be listed under prison romance as revenge fantasy.)
He lies about her family to prevent her ability to communicate to them via mail. (Abuse Flag)
He emotionally manipulates her into accepting debt from him that she can’t ever pay off, so she never benefits from the pittance she is able to save. (Slave Labor)
He tells her every one in the village reports to him & spies on her. (Instills Fear & is a control tactic, not an authorized or moral response)
He physically intimidates her into basically slavery in poverty by infantilizing her with a threat of spanking if she doesn’t submit to him. (BDSM lite?)
In this isolated slavery situation, she is forced to accept a nickname she hates. (Taking someone’s name is part of stealing their identity & breaking them down).
He isn’t very heroic, so next, he rescues her physical body 4xs in 1 ch & she is so intimidated she can’t even express opinions about resting. He expects unquestioning obedience & dominates her ability to speak by cutting off her thanks. Memory loss, trauma-bonding, & inability to verbalize feelings & negative self-talk all display her trauma.
To escape the abuse, she falls in love w/ her abuser, perpetuates pain on another to teach him as she was taught,(brainwashing complete?), & accepts her sister’s suitor though he’s still medically incapable. Her love isn’t as believable as her brainwashing. Then, the Hero removes her consent by telling her she will marry him & not argue. Not HEA Imo, & do not recommend.
October 20, 2020
This is a really interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast story! It is set in a fantasy world that feels a lot like Regency England, though it is its own unique world. I don't want to say too much about the plot or the characters because of spoilers.
At times the pace of the story is slower than is usually my personal preference, but the ending picks up, so that helps!
The narrator of the audiobook does a really good job, and listening to the book was a pleasure.
At times the pace of the story is slower than is usually my personal preference, but the ending picks up, so that helps!
The narrator of the audiobook does a really good job, and listening to the book was a pleasure.
October 15, 2019
This book kept me up way past my bedtime with magic and fairy tales. Since I never knew what was going to happen next, I kept turning the pages. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast (from the enchantress's POV) was lovely and did a good job of making me root for the character, despite her past choices. This has a very Jane Austen feel to it (likely due to the time period) and the mix of magic, romance, adventure, and references to familiar fairy tale elements were woven together very skillfully.
I'm already looking forward to the next book, To Catch A Magic Thief!
I'm already looking forward to the next book, To Catch A Magic Thief!
December 8, 2022
So I wanted to like this book I really did. It's a fairy tale retelling which is my jam. But it is based on the beauty and the beast fairy tale which isn't my favorite. Mostly because I feel as if it's been done way to many times However this version is focused on the enchantress which got my interest. But a couple chapters in my interest waned although I was willing to give the book more of a chance because it is a fairy tale retelling and I did like the family dynamic. And then Giles came and it kind of went down hill from there and after the inciting incident I started skimming pages. which I don't like doing.
So the characters
Lady Alexandria to be honest. I didn't mind her. She's a product of her upbringing and for the most part I didn't see anything wrong with her behavior. yes she could be more compassionate but she's living in a world of wealth and opulence, not to mention magic. Her world is different from a peasant's and I don't expect her to have a bleeding heart. She hasn't been characterized as such and she was raised in a pragmatic family. and to be fair, who really thinks about anyone outside of their social sphere unless they're a celebrity? And even then not everyone is desperate to "keep up with the Karadasians"(um yeah how do you spell their name?) as it were. And seriously how often does anyone think about those less fortunate than they are unless that person is right in front of them? and usually the response is to give that person money and go about your day as usual. This is typical; But Alexandria's love interest looks down on her for not sitting and listening to an older woman. Whom I might mention is a total stranger to her, who intruded into her personal space during a time when she was trying to get some peace. As an introvert I like my alone time and don't appreciate anyone coming into my space when I want peace. So I didn't blame her for not hanging around to listen to someone vent. He also expresses surprise that Alexandria would ask after someone of a lower class than she is. Look Alexandria has the Noblesse Oblige down. Her family is the rulers of their little "fiefdom" she and her family care about their people heck they'll open up their home and provide emergency medical care if needed. So why is Giles looking down his nose at her and condescending her actions; because she's not in the village chatting up people. Why would she have to?
Overall I think Alexandria is supposed to be portrayed as a spoiled rich girl, and the story is employing the "break the haughty trope" because she likes her clothes, beautiful things, and people with decorum. basically. I think I would have bought into this more is she was portrayed as cruel, to those beneath her but at the most she's indifferent. And even when she was conned into walking to the village, she was polite to the people around her even if she didn't speak much. So I can't really condemn her general behavior. Now with the inciting incident. I can get why she wasn't into Marcel. Look as an older sister myself I can get why she'd want the best for her little sister. And looks aside I wasn't impressed by Marcel. Dude comes wanting to court her sister, but doesn't really step up that I can see. she even resolved to give him a chance just for her sister's sake, but. He couldn't deal with the medical emergency, and still looked down on Alexandria because she was upset her dress was ruined. She helped save the man's life/leg and the crisis is over she's allowed to be concerned about trivial things for a moment. Stays in the shadows and never makes a clear declaration. He runs away with his tail between his legs once the family expresses their disapproval. He didn't even try to fight for Gabrielle I get the forbidden romance aspect, but if a man who couldn't stand up for himself came for my sister I'd want him gone to. Although I will admit she went overboard when she tried to ruin the poor guy's reputation. Which brings us to the inciting incident and Giles.
So Giles. I was waffling at first. I though it would be a interesting dynamic at first. She's more of a hands off kind of girl (live and let live kind of thing) and he's more of a hands on type of ruler who wants to be involved in the lives of his people. However I don't see his methods as any superior to Alexandria's mindset, although He certainly thought so. Rebuking her for not wanting to listen to the elderly lady, and for not liking the peasant man because she viewed him as uncouth. Not to mention the whole reason he's there is to get the family to change their minds about Marcel. Which kind of soured me on the guy even further. probably not fair and since this story is from Alexandria's pov I'm more than likely picking up her bias. But still that's a bit low sending in your cousin to make the way easier for you, instead of doing the work yourself first. (From what I understand Marcel's and Gabrielle's story is something of a prequel/ standalone to this one but I really don't know if I want to read it actually)
the whole premise to this book was i think So because of this she tampers with the magic mirror and gets punished. Giles (for some reason) decides he's going to be the one to rescue Alexandria. I don't know why. It's not like he feels guilty for the situation she's put herself in, and I don't buy that he likes her all that much. Dude's been looking down his nose at her the entire time he's been there. not to mention he's there under false pretenses in the first place. so yeah.
And then the story started going into Lord Thrush beard territory, which I didn't like. I don't like that story in general as I'm not into the husband gaslighting his wife, forcing her to steal, terrorizing her for stealing and basically tormenting her because she rejected his marriage proposal in the first place. The princess in that story is said to be spoiled and stuck on beauty so you can see the parallels to the story from the beginning, and then of course the humiliations Alexandria has to go through in order to be punished for her attitude/transgression against the mirror. And the woodsman deliberately doing what he can to "break the haughty." I won't go into my issues with him because this review if long enough, but By this point I was skimming hard, so I skipped the years of sleep and the actual transformation of the Prince into the beast. But I don't feel as though I missed all that much. I really started tuning in again towards the end, Which is the climax, Alexandria vs the magic collector and the Beast vs the stuck up nobleman.
The end intrigued me enough I want to read the King's Spell which is Devryn's story. So hopefully I'll enjoy that one better.
Okay to wrap this up.
Recommended? Eh. I think most will enjoy it. I just. I couldn't get behind Alexandria and Giles as the end game and the plot wasn't enough to draw me in and keep my attention. Although it could have just been my state of mind. I think I should've gone with a mystery or thriller first before picking this up. But once I started I wanted to finish so there's that. Still not particularity high on my recommends.
Buy/Borrow? Borrow
So the characters
Lady Alexandria to be honest. I didn't mind her. She's a product of her upbringing and for the most part I didn't see anything wrong with her behavior. yes she could be more compassionate but she's living in a world of wealth and opulence, not to mention magic. Her world is different from a peasant's and I don't expect her to have a bleeding heart. She hasn't been characterized as such and she was raised in a pragmatic family. and to be fair, who really thinks about anyone outside of their social sphere unless they're a celebrity? And even then not everyone is desperate to "keep up with the Karadasians"(um yeah how do you spell their name?) as it were. And seriously how often does anyone think about those less fortunate than they are unless that person is right in front of them? and usually the response is to give that person money and go about your day as usual. This is typical; But Alexandria's love interest looks down on her for not sitting and listening to an older woman. Whom I might mention is a total stranger to her, who intruded into her personal space during a time when she was trying to get some peace. As an introvert I like my alone time and don't appreciate anyone coming into my space when I want peace. So I didn't blame her for not hanging around to listen to someone vent. He also expresses surprise that Alexandria would ask after someone of a lower class than she is. Look Alexandria has the Noblesse Oblige down. Her family is the rulers of their little "fiefdom" she and her family care about their people heck they'll open up their home and provide emergency medical care if needed. So why is Giles looking down his nose at her and condescending her actions; because she's not in the village chatting up people. Why would she have to?
Overall I think Alexandria is supposed to be portrayed as a spoiled rich girl, and the story is employing the "break the haughty trope" because she likes her clothes, beautiful things, and people with decorum. basically. I think I would have bought into this more is she was portrayed as cruel, to those beneath her but at the most she's indifferent. And even when she was conned into walking to the village, she was polite to the people around her even if she didn't speak much. So I can't really condemn her general behavior. Now with the inciting incident. I can get why she wasn't into Marcel. Look as an older sister myself I can get why she'd want the best for her little sister. And looks aside I wasn't impressed by Marcel. Dude comes wanting to court her sister, but doesn't really step up that I can see. she even resolved to give him a chance just for her sister's sake, but. He couldn't deal with the medical emergency, and still looked down on Alexandria because she was upset her dress was ruined. She helped save the man's life/leg and the crisis is over she's allowed to be concerned about trivial things for a moment. Stays in the shadows and never makes a clear declaration. He runs away with his tail between his legs once the family expresses their disapproval. He didn't even try to fight for Gabrielle I get the forbidden romance aspect, but if a man who couldn't stand up for himself came for my sister I'd want him gone to. Although I will admit she went overboard when she tried to ruin the poor guy's reputation. Which brings us to the inciting incident and Giles.
So Giles. I was waffling at first. I though it would be a interesting dynamic at first. She's more of a hands off kind of girl (live and let live kind of thing) and he's more of a hands on type of ruler who wants to be involved in the lives of his people. However I don't see his methods as any superior to Alexandria's mindset, although He certainly thought so. Rebuking her for not wanting to listen to the elderly lady, and for not liking the peasant man because she viewed him as uncouth. Not to mention the whole reason he's there is to get the family to change their minds about Marcel. Which kind of soured me on the guy even further. probably not fair and since this story is from Alexandria's pov I'm more than likely picking up her bias. But still that's a bit low sending in your cousin to make the way easier for you, instead of doing the work yourself first. (From what I understand Marcel's and Gabrielle's story is something of a prequel/ standalone to this one but I really don't know if I want to read it actually)
the whole premise to this book was i think So because of this she tampers with the magic mirror and gets punished. Giles (for some reason) decides he's going to be the one to rescue Alexandria. I don't know why. It's not like he feels guilty for the situation she's put herself in, and I don't buy that he likes her all that much. Dude's been looking down his nose at her the entire time he's been there. not to mention he's there under false pretenses in the first place. so yeah.
And then the story started going into Lord Thrush beard territory, which I didn't like. I don't like that story in general as I'm not into the husband gaslighting his wife, forcing her to steal, terrorizing her for stealing and basically tormenting her because she rejected his marriage proposal in the first place. The princess in that story is said to be spoiled and stuck on beauty so you can see the parallels to the story from the beginning, and then of course the humiliations Alexandria has to go through in order to be punished for her attitude/transgression against the mirror. And the woodsman deliberately doing what he can to "break the haughty." I won't go into my issues with him because this review if long enough, but By this point I was skimming hard, so I skipped the years of sleep and the actual transformation of the Prince into the beast. But I don't feel as though I missed all that much. I really started tuning in again towards the end, Which is the climax, Alexandria vs the magic collector and the Beast vs the stuck up nobleman.
The end intrigued me enough I want to read the King's Spell which is Devryn's story. So hopefully I'll enjoy that one better.
Okay to wrap this up.
Recommended? Eh. I think most will enjoy it. I just. I couldn't get behind Alexandria and Giles as the end game and the plot wasn't enough to draw me in and keep my attention. Although it could have just been my state of mind. I think I should've gone with a mystery or thriller first before picking this up. But once I started I wanted to finish so there's that. Still not particularity high on my recommends.
Buy/Borrow? Borrow
November 13, 2018
I very much enjoyed this "pre-quel" to Beauty and the Beast. Lady Alexandria, while basically good at heart, is a perfect example of how good deeds aren't enough on their own. If there is no heart behind the act, you won't have the same impact as a genuine gesture. And of course, judging by appearances leaves much to be desired in the character of the judge.
In some ways, I thought Lady Alexandria's punishment for tampering in the love life of another is rather severe, because I felt that her heart was in the right place for the most part, but she definitely benefitted by learning the lesson meant for her.
This story is well-written, the plot moves along at a good pace, and the characters are all finely-developed.
I recommend for anyone looking for a fresh twist on an old tale, from an interesting perspective.
Family friendly.
In some ways, I thought Lady Alexandria's punishment for tampering in the love life of another is rather severe, because I felt that her heart was in the right place for the most part, but she definitely benefitted by learning the lesson meant for her.
This story is well-written, the plot moves along at a good pace, and the characters are all finely-developed.
I recommend for anyone looking for a fresh twist on an old tale, from an interesting perspective.
Family friendly.
December 13, 2020
an unexpected gem of a story!
It’s always a risk starting with a new author, especially one with so few reviews. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, though. It’s well-edited (finally! I love my indie authors but they reeealllyy need better copy editors) and well-written, with an excellent plot and an interesting twist to the traditional tale. I love how E.J.Kitchens marries Pride and Prejudice with Beauty and Beast, such that neither is the tale you knew. I’m a huge B&B / refurbished fairytale fan, so I have extremely high standards for this tale. The tale doesn’t fall short of expectations, although I would not consider this a true retelling, simply because the perspective doesn’t focus on Beauty and the Beast’s relationship. This is also not a true Pride & Prejudice retelling, but it is an excellent story with very likeable characters nonetheless, and well worth a read. I also like that it’s part of a series yet stand alone, and that while it’s romantic, there isn’t insta-love or love triangles or too much steam or too much sap. I’m now adding Kitchens to my authors-to-read list!
It’s always a risk starting with a new author, especially one with so few reviews. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, though. It’s well-edited (finally! I love my indie authors but they reeealllyy need better copy editors) and well-written, with an excellent plot and an interesting twist to the traditional tale. I love how E.J.Kitchens marries Pride and Prejudice with Beauty and Beast, such that neither is the tale you knew. I’m a huge B&B / refurbished fairytale fan, so I have extremely high standards for this tale. The tale doesn’t fall short of expectations, although I would not consider this a true retelling, simply because the perspective doesn’t focus on Beauty and the Beast’s relationship. This is also not a true Pride & Prejudice retelling, but it is an excellent story with very likeable characters nonetheless, and well worth a read. I also like that it’s part of a series yet stand alone, and that while it’s romantic, there isn’t insta-love or love triangles or too much steam or too much sap. I’m now adding Kitchens to my authors-to-read list!
October 24, 2017
This book made me SO happy :) It took a few chapters before I was really hooked, but after Alexandria's encounter with the magic mirror I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I loved the way the pieces of the story came together and the characters and events from Beauty and the Beast weaved into Alexandria's tale. The secondary characters were well-rounded and so fun to get to know. And the love story... *sigh* I can't really say anything about it without risking spoilers, but suffice it to say Kitchens has created one of the most delightful couples I've ever read. The evening I finished I had a big, stupid grin on my face all night (seriously, my husband kept laughing at me). If you enjoy fairy tales with romance, adventure, and a dash of mystery, you will love this book!!
Read
June 24, 2022It was a very creative idea and a good story.
September 30, 2024
Very fascinating retelling of a well known story! It had me hooked even though I knew the outcome of the traditional Beauty and the Beast story.
May 10, 2020
Books about unlikable characters a difficult things to get in to. Are you supposed to love them? Hate them? Love to hate them? This one was a little confusing at first to me, if just because I had no idea how I should feel towards the protagonist-narrator: a self-entitled noble lady who could be contradictory in being both utterly snobbish and unusually kind. But I stuck with it and am glad I did; it's a reworking of Beauty and the Beast but from the place of the enchantress, and her story of bigotry, love and acceptance was touchingly done.
We start by meeting the Lady Alexandria, an enchanter noble born and bred, whose family believes in that their blessed good looks put them above others who are less facially advantaged. Alexia's sister however has fallen for a most unsuitably plain man, and she begins to plot a way to break the two apart. She even ignores the advances of the handsome but drattedly principled Prince Giles, so adamant is she that ugliness must not join the family tree. But a curse from a magic mirror sees her flung into a world where she's no longer the belle of the ball but a wizened old crone. And to top it off, she must play her part in another's punishment for the same crime she so nearly committed.
Now I'll say this: the first third or so confused me no end, not least because of Lady Alexandria's attitudes. She also had this strange ability to jump to conclusions without supporting evidence, and those leaps of logic confounded me (). Giles' hot-n-cold nature was also just very strange. He's a bit of a self-righteous ass to start with. The mirror making her to act against the beast, thus setting off the familiar narrative, seemed oddly forced.
But then the originality took over. I was blown away by the strange fantasy world that you expect to be some kind of magical 1800s France (because obviously) but what you actually get is a mash up of something more small town America of the same time combined with the usual. You know, magic, castles, lore that creeps in round the edges and immerses you completely. The foreshadowing of enchanters, sorcerers and Magic Collectors lurking around? Chef's kiss! It's beautifully done.
Alexia's rehabilitation post-curse-giving is slow and meandering, but is a nice change of pace from the usual angst. It's essentially slice-of-life. Her character arc is so subtle, the romance element obvious but in that softly-softly way; you can see it plain as day, but there's no tears or tantrums. Side characters give scope for friendships that really felt they meant something. As the Lady thaws, it warms your heart. I'm glad that Woodsman came out if it having learned something too, though it's not made obvious that he needed to.
There was a tiny jump about at the end that got me a tad confused again ()
Strange characters, but a beautifully realised world that takes a fairy tale you know and decides, you know what? We don't need to do their story again. Let's see why things tuned out the way they did from the outside.
We start by meeting the Lady Alexandria, an enchanter noble born and bred, whose family believes in that their blessed good looks put them above others who are less facially advantaged. Alexia's sister however has fallen for a most unsuitably plain man, and she begins to plot a way to break the two apart. She even ignores the advances of the handsome but drattedly principled Prince Giles, so adamant is she that ugliness must not join the family tree. But a curse from a magic mirror sees her flung into a world where she's no longer the belle of the ball but a wizened old crone. And to top it off, she must play her part in another's punishment for the same crime she so nearly committed.
Now I'll say this: the first third or so confused me no end, not least because of Lady Alexandria's attitudes. She also had this strange ability to jump to conclusions without supporting evidence, and those leaps of logic confounded me (). Giles' hot-n-cold nature was also just very strange. He's a bit of a self-righteous ass to start with. The mirror making her to act against the beast, thus setting off the familiar narrative, seemed oddly forced.
But then the originality took over. I was blown away by the strange fantasy world that you expect to be some kind of magical 1800s France (because obviously) but what you actually get is a mash up of something more small town America of the same time combined with the usual. You know, magic, castles, lore that creeps in round the edges and immerses you completely. The foreshadowing of enchanters, sorcerers and Magic Collectors lurking around? Chef's kiss! It's beautifully done.
Alexia's rehabilitation post-curse-giving is slow and meandering, but is a nice change of pace from the usual angst. It's essentially slice-of-life. Her character arc is so subtle, the romance element obvious but in that softly-softly way; you can see it plain as day, but there's no tears or tantrums. Side characters give scope for friendships that really felt they meant something. As the Lady thaws, it warms your heart. I'm glad that Woodsman came out if it having learned something too, though it's not made obvious that he needed to.
There was a tiny jump about at the end that got me a tad confused again ()
Strange characters, but a beautifully realised world that takes a fairy tale you know and decides, you know what? We don't need to do their story again. Let's see why things tuned out the way they did from the outside.
June 28, 2022
Reader thoughts: What a fun book! I'll have to check out the rest of the series. I liked Alexandria's arrogant attitude at the beginning since it was set up as a character flaw. She was still likeable through her self-control and her compassion (selective though it was). I liked how organically she grew as she saw the worthlessness of high blood and beauty compared to hard work and friendship.
There were a few moments that were too convenient (Mr Woodsman showing up just in time to save Alexandria on several occasions).
I really enjoyed reading this book, but I was never worried she would make it back to her family. I never felt real tension. What brought me back again and again? I think it was the character's voice. Alexandria was so haughty that she was fun to read. I won't say I was hooked, but I looked forward to turning the audiobook on as much as possible.
Also, I liked that the Beauty and the Beast tale was present but not dominant.
Writer thoughts: So, how can an author hold a reader's attention aside from raising tension?
In this book, a unique character voice kept me interested.
In books like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, the humor pulls readers in. There's mounting tension, but it won't compel the reader to stay in the book like the level of humor and quirkiness inside.
In other books (like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), a unique world or magic system can draw in a reader.
So, authors, you don't have to rely on tension alone.
There were a few moments that were too convenient (Mr Woodsman showing up just in time to save Alexandria on several occasions).
I really enjoyed reading this book, but I was never worried she would make it back to her family. I never felt real tension. What brought me back again and again? I think it was the character's voice. Alexandria was so haughty that she was fun to read. I won't say I was hooked, but I looked forward to turning the audiobook on as much as possible.
Also, I liked that the Beauty and the Beast tale was present but not dominant.
Writer thoughts: So, how can an author hold a reader's attention aside from raising tension?
In this book, a unique character voice kept me interested.
In books like Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, the humor pulls readers in. There's mounting tension, but it won't compel the reader to stay in the book like the level of humor and quirkiness inside.
In other books (like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), a unique world or magic system can draw in a reader.
So, authors, you don't have to rely on tension alone.
March 2, 2024
A delightfully original take on the Beauty and the Beast from the point of view of the enchantress who turned the prince into a beast. Enchantress Lady Alexandria has been brought up to believe in her own worth and that of her family and despises the ugly and the poor. When she tries to stop her sister's romance with someone she considered plain and worthless by bewitching the mirror to show him with someone else, the enchanted mirror revolts and sucks her into an unknown place, stripping her of youth beauty and magic. As part of her penance she turns a very arrogant prince into a beast when he refused to help her in her hag form. The journey to love and acceptance of the down and outs is a long and difficult one, helped only by a friendly woodsman and she finds out she has been sent 70 years into the past. Her return to the future is linked with that of the Beauty (who she first meets as a child then 15 years later), the Beast and the woodsman, all while trying to avoid the magic collectors and her kidnappers. A great read and I look forward to the next story of the magic collectors.
PS don't start reading it in the evening or you will be up all ours finishing it!
PS don't start reading it in the evening or you will be up all ours finishing it!
July 4, 2020
*Review of audiobook edition*
The Rose and the Wand, by E.J. Kitchens, works on many different levels.
on the first level it's a beauty and the beast retelling, where you get a look at the village during the Prince's curse.
on another level it's a gender swapped Beauty and the Beast retelling, where the spiteful enchantress is also taught a lesson. But her woodsman beauty is not that well groomed either.
on the last and most delicious level, it acts a as a beauty and the beast sequel with a back to the future like twist.
but wait there's more! Shady Lord's who steal magical artifacts and enchantments, known as magic collectors, make things difficult for our heroine. With all this you have an exciting adventure that any true Beauty and the Beast fan won't want to miss.
But it still gets better. Narrator Monica Nash delivers a great performance as the vain Alexandria Florizen and she does it all with a British accent. Is that a weird thing to get excited about? I don't care. This story was a joy to listen to.
The Rose and the Wand, by E.J. Kitchens, works on many different levels.
on the first level it's a beauty and the beast retelling, where you get a look at the village during the Prince's curse.
on another level it's a gender swapped Beauty and the Beast retelling, where the spiteful enchantress is also taught a lesson. But her woodsman beauty is not that well groomed either.
on the last and most delicious level, it acts a as a beauty and the beast sequel with a back to the future like twist.
but wait there's more! Shady Lord's who steal magical artifacts and enchantments, known as magic collectors, make things difficult for our heroine. With all this you have an exciting adventure that any true Beauty and the Beast fan won't want to miss.
But it still gets better. Narrator Monica Nash delivers a great performance as the vain Alexandria Florizen and she does it all with a British accent. Is that a weird thing to get excited about? I don't care. This story was a joy to listen to.
September 21, 2020
The concept for this book is genius! I’ve never read about anything from the enchantress’s view. I will say, however, that I spent quite a bit of this book confused. I thought I had read that this was supposedly be a prequel to Midnight for a curse. Maybe I assumed it. Even after reading the preface I still missed it. I was confused in the beginning thinking maybe I had missed something and the “sorceress” who cursed beast and the enchantress who saved him were different people. Then I couldn’t understand why all of the names were different. So in case you’re wondering, it’s NOT a prequel. BUT, it is a really great story. Bit of a King Thrushbeard retelling in there. Love the idea for this story!
June 5, 2020
How have I not discovered this author before now?!? The Rose and the Wand is a wonderful blend of my two preferred types of books: Regency and Fairytale Retellings. I've read so many Beauty and the Beast stories, and this one is now among those at the top of my list, if not my new favorite! Changing the perspective to that of the enchantress shined a light on questions I've always had about the story. There's magic and pride, friendship and sweet romance, and rescues and disguise. I highly recommend The Rose and the Wand and will read it again! I'll be opening up the second in the series as soon as I submit this review!
November 14, 2018
Not your average fairy tale retelling, but there were many moments of deja vu. I give it 3.5 out of five stars.
The shero was totally unlikeable for the first half of the book. When she was the enchantress doing the cursing, it was like, “Why not curse yourself?” Except...I don’t want to give anything away.
The romantic element wasn’t extremely believable in the present time, but the past timeline did a great job of giving us some feels.
Lots of different genres are given a moment in this story, so if you’re looking for something “out of the ordinary” give this a try.
The shero was totally unlikeable for the first half of the book. When she was the enchantress doing the cursing, it was like, “Why not curse yourself?” Except...I don’t want to give anything away.
The romantic element wasn’t extremely believable in the present time, but the past timeline did a great job of giving us some feels.
Lots of different genres are given a moment in this story, so if you’re looking for something “out of the ordinary” give this a try.
January 2, 2021
Excellent
I have spent a very pleasant day reading this book. I wish I could even give it six stars.
Not only was it interesting, and a twist that I haven’t seen before, it was completely clean. There was one kiss at the very end of the book. I would gladly get my young daughter read this if I had one.
I loved getting to see the story of Beauty and the Beast from the viewpoint of the Enchantress who cursed Beast. It was fascinating and as this was the first book I found by this author, I look forward to reading more!
I have spent a very pleasant day reading this book. I wish I could even give it six stars.
Not only was it interesting, and a twist that I haven’t seen before, it was completely clean. There was one kiss at the very end of the book. I would gladly get my young daughter read this if I had one.
I loved getting to see the story of Beauty and the Beast from the viewpoint of the Enchantress who cursed Beast. It was fascinating and as this was the first book I found by this author, I look forward to reading more!
July 30, 2021
Two stories of pride, prejudice, and the refiner’s fire
This was an entertaining story of the Enchantress who cursed the Prince into a Beast with the actual story of Beauty and the Beast occurring in the background. While the story moved slowly in some parts, still, characters and friendships were developed. Overall, Prince Giles stole the show with his wit, but Alexandria
was helpful, friendly, and willing to change once she realized her errors. There was a sweet relationship between Giles and Alexandria. Intriguing world building with an excellent conclusion.
This was an entertaining story of the Enchantress who cursed the Prince into a Beast with the actual story of Beauty and the Beast occurring in the background. While the story moved slowly in some parts, still, characters and friendships were developed. Overall, Prince Giles stole the show with his wit, but Alexandria
was helpful, friendly, and willing to change once she realized her errors. There was a sweet relationship between Giles and Alexandria. Intriguing world building with an excellent conclusion.
November 15, 2018
Interesting twist on the Beauty & The Beast fairy tale. I like the idea of looking at it from the point of view of the enchantress who cursed the prince. Who was she, why was she there, was outside forces pushing her actions? So many interesting questions. Definitly not a nice sweet story but It had my attention from the get go.
November 16, 2020
Pleasant surprise
This was such a fun take on the Beauty and the Beast story! It kept the elements we know as background, but focused on a rarely explored character. Unique and fast paced, this was a fun read. The beginning felt choppy and less engaging, but once the book took off, I couldn’t wait for more!
This was such a fun take on the Beauty and the Beast story! It kept the elements we know as background, but focused on a rarely explored character. Unique and fast paced, this was a fun read. The beginning felt choppy and less engaging, but once the book took off, I couldn’t wait for more!
February 1, 2021
Beauty and the Beast Retelling from the enchantress' perspective // lessons in humility // two different kinds of beauty: without and within // sweet friends to lovers romance // Alexandria learns about true friendship and what matters most
Also, Woodsman is an absolute dear!
Full review to come.
Also, Woodsman is an absolute dear!
Full review to come.
February 16, 2021
Fun story
I enjoyed reading this book. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the enchantress' point of view, though it's not connected to the other Beauty and the Beast retelling from this author. I loved seeing Alexandria grow as she faces her own curse that's connected to Beast's.
I enjoyed reading this book. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the enchantress' point of view, though it's not connected to the other Beauty and the Beast retelling from this author. I loved seeing Alexandria grow as she faces her own curse that's connected to Beast's.
April 8, 2021
Beauty is found within.
Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales. This was a delightful book and unique that it was about the enchantress, who also needs to learn the same lesson as the Beast. That true beauty is found within a person. I also love that this is a good clean romance.
Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales. This was a delightful book and unique that it was about the enchantress, who also needs to learn the same lesson as the Beast. That true beauty is found within a person. I also love that this is a good clean romance.
July 14, 2018
4.5 a mix of beauty and the beast and thrushbeard. The beginnign is slow, lots of buildup of the vain MC, but the character change is slow and believable. The hero is not despicable and the thrushbeard thing works only because he likes her before and is compelled to silence by a third party
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2018
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Who was the enchantress who cursed the Beast? Why did she do so? Lady Alexandria Floraison has a story to tell.
Loved this fairy-tale novel, although nonlinear aspects sometimes confused me.
Who was the enchantress who cursed the Beast? Why did she do so? Lady Alexandria Floraison has a story to tell.
Loved this fairy-tale novel, although nonlinear aspects sometimes confused me.
February 11, 2019
An intriguing story and clean read.
Well done. A surprisingly refreshing take on the classic tale. I also sense a bigger story behind everything and look forward to book number two!
Well done. A surprisingly refreshing take on the classic tale. I also sense a bigger story behind everything and look forward to book number two!
April 19, 2019
Unique
This book was very well written. It differs from the closure story of beauty and the beast, and tells the story of the enchantress, going through her journey. While confusing at some parts, over all I loved this book.
This book was very well written. It differs from the closure story of beauty and the beast, and tells the story of the enchantress, going through her journey. While confusing at some parts, over all I loved this book.
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