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The Beast of Ten
THE DEATH BLEAK - For centuries he has haunted the nations, taking the blood gain further than any before him
THE PYRE - His storied stronghold deep in the Forrest of Naeethe, its glory forgotten, its ancient purposes abandoned
AND I, EMBER - Sent by the Lights to stop him from becoming the one thing that all nations fear the most.
THE PYRE - His storied stronghold deep in the Forrest of Naeethe, its glory forgotten, its ancient purposes abandoned
AND I, EMBER - Sent by the Lights to stop him from becoming the one thing that all nations fear the most.
544 pages, Paperback
Published January 23, 2018
219 people are currently reading
1919 people want to read
About the author
Beth Brower
18 books2,380 followersLike many of my siblings, I would sneak out of bed, slip into the hallway, and pull my favorite books from the book closet. I read my way through the bottom shelf, then the next shelf up, and the shelf above that, until I could climb to the very top shelf, stacked two layers deep and two layers high, and read the titles of the classics. My desire to create stories grew as I was learning to read them.
Subsequently, I spent my time scribbling in notebooks rather than listening to math lectures at school.
I graduated with a degree in literary studies, and have spent several years working on the novels that keep pounding on the doors of my mind, as none of my characters are very patient to wait their turn. I currently live in Orem, Utah, with my wonderful chemist husband, and books in every room of the house.
Subsequently, I spent my time scribbling in notebooks rather than listening to math lectures at school.
I graduated with a degree in literary studies, and have spent several years working on the novels that keep pounding on the doors of my mind, as none of my characters are very patient to wait their turn. I currently live in Orem, Utah, with my wonderful chemist husband, and books in every room of the house.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
April 4, 2024
Guys 😭 The Beast of Ten left me in a stupor. I have spent HOURS thinking about this book, and I desperately need more people to read it so we can talk.
Here is MY blurb about it:
Imagine a book that is very very loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. You have this monster-of-a-being—a man that has defied and defiled EVERYTHING that is good in his life so that he is on the verge of becoming the darkest, most powerful being in the world. He has embraced wickedness and murder and has sacrificed everything humane in himself to get it.
Then the Lights (the heavens/God/the good forces, etc.) send Ember into his path. She is either the final step in his becoming The Beast of Ten or the person that will bring him back. It’s a story of redemption, change, hope, and that heavy question of, “How far gone is too far?”
It is a slower paced book, but my goodness, it is beautiful. One of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. @bethbrower is the QUEEN of portraying realistic characters and relationships. One of my favorite aspects of this story is that change is not a straight line. It is slow and often takes steps back before it can take steps forward. AGH, it is just perfection.
Please read it. Then come talk to me about it.
Here is MY blurb about it:
Imagine a book that is very very loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. You have this monster-of-a-being—a man that has defied and defiled EVERYTHING that is good in his life so that he is on the verge of becoming the darkest, most powerful being in the world. He has embraced wickedness and murder and has sacrificed everything humane in himself to get it.
Then the Lights (the heavens/God/the good forces, etc.) send Ember into his path. She is either the final step in his becoming The Beast of Ten or the person that will bring him back. It’s a story of redemption, change, hope, and that heavy question of, “How far gone is too far?”
It is a slower paced book, but my goodness, it is beautiful. One of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. @bethbrower is the QUEEN of portraying realistic characters and relationships. One of my favorite aspects of this story is that change is not a straight line. It is slow and often takes steps back before it can take steps forward. AGH, it is just perfection.
Please read it. Then come talk to me about it.
June 26, 2022
I was guilty of judging this book by its cover and thought it was going to be the type of fantasy I don’t enjoy. I only decided to read it because I have loved all of Ms. Brower’s other books and I am so impatient for Emma’s sixth journal. I read a few of the reviews, so I was a little bit prepared for the story I encountered. Such a magnificent and beautiful tale of light vs. darkness and the power of redemption. I know I will be visiting this one multiple times in the future. And I was so grateful for the rather lengthy and very satisfying epilogue!
Read
March 31, 2025This book was so absorbing! Really unique spin on Beauty and the Beast and nice and hefty (500+ pages!).
Loved it - can't wait to read more of her books.
Loved it - can't wait to read more of her books.
January 24, 2018
This is a tale of contrasts: darkness to light, terror to beauty, imprisonment to redemption, confusion to clarity.
When I finished the book there was such a sense of reverence that I had to sit for a few minutes and soak it all in. Then I wanted to start it again.
This book has a depth that you rarely find in works of fiction—of any era. Brower’s use of light is phenomenal. The imagery is much more than thick description; you can sense the confusion that emanates from the Bleak’s presence, perceive the grandeur of the Forest of Naeethe, and feel the stones of the Pyre beneath your feet.
This is a remarkable story that—if you let it—can weave its way into the very fabric of your being. It is woven into mine.
When I finished the book there was such a sense of reverence that I had to sit for a few minutes and soak it all in. Then I wanted to start it again.
This book has a depth that you rarely find in works of fiction—of any era. Brower’s use of light is phenomenal. The imagery is much more than thick description; you can sense the confusion that emanates from the Bleak’s presence, perceive the grandeur of the Forest of Naeethe, and feel the stones of the Pyre beneath your feet.
This is a remarkable story that—if you let it—can weave its way into the very fabric of your being. It is woven into mine.
June 16, 2025
First some things I liked about the book:
—The side characters were wonderful and interesting
—great comedic writing and funny moments
—heartfelt allegory and some beautiful moments of hope and repentance/forgiveness
—the cover is lovely
—the world building was pretty cool and had some interesting concepts
Ok now the bad stuff. To be fair, I did just read Kite Runner right before this book which is the greatest literary achievement of this century and also happens to be a redemption story so it’s going to highlight the flaws of the story perhaps more than if I had read it at a different time.
I despise the two main characters. I’m 90% sure they were inspired by Rey and Kylo Ren. They have what is essentially a force connection where they can speak into each other’s minds and are bound together in their fate. One is light and one is darkness. He is an elect extra special guy who fell and she is a little nobody who is special because she’s just so pure. And this goes into my next point: I only actually believed the Death Bleak was evil in one scene of the entire book. He was a villain written by a goodie goodie. The whole book they mention him being terrible to behold and having killed his soul with evil more than any person before him and yet he is just like “ugh you guys are so annoying stop lighting candles.” And I was just not convinced he was evil. Much like Kylo Ren being like “I’m as evil as my grandpa and I can proooove it!” And no one is convinced. Not to mention they never really tell you what it was he did that was so villainous. Because I don’t believe he was ever really that evil, his redemption is less meaningful. I still thought it was nice, but a shadow of what it could be.
Ember is your classic Mary Sue (again like Star Wars). She is a good person at the beginning and ends the book a REALLY good person. She never fails or gives up and the only time she doubts or gets sad is at the end for one page. She never tries to leave the castle or fight the Death Bleak for hurting her dad. And she’s not super naive and then learns the true way of the world. She just is good and gets better at being good. Here stems what I found to be truly problematic which is that Sperro’s redemption hinged on her. I know this is a religious allegory but I think one should always be careful of the implications of what you are doing without the layer of religion to it. The message here is no matter how evil a guy is you should always love and help him. That is a toxic message. Women should not feel like they have to stay with a man who hurts them or like they can and should fix violent and cruel men. There was a disturbing scene where Sperro tries to kill one of Ember’s friends and he restrains himself. She helps him wash his hands of her friend’s blood and apparently this was a huge turn on so she kissed him. She kissed him after she washed her friend’s blood off his hands. Ladies please do not feel like it’s ok for men to be violent. Run away. Please, you deserve so much better. I got so sick of her constantly helping him when he did nothing in return. Is she supposed to be a Christ figure? Yes. But it just doesn’t work here. And maybe this was a platonic kiss but I don’t think people who are just friends hold hands and hide behind curtains and cuddle together. And her whole obsession with being loyal to him and Sperro being like “I can’t walk farther than like 100 yards without you” was just a mess of red flags.
Overall I think this had a good intention and some really great world building and side characters. But so much just didn’t make sense, was weird and unexplained, or just plain dumb. There was a 150 page sequence of them just lighting candles and fixing windows. I think we get the picture in like 50 pages max. There is more I could say about the book but I’ll leave it at this: it’s a sweet Christian allegory that non avid readers or Christian moms will probably enjoy. Just don’t use it as a guideline for your life or you’ll be trapped into a toxic relationship.
—The side characters were wonderful and interesting
—great comedic writing and funny moments
—heartfelt allegory and some beautiful moments of hope and repentance/forgiveness
—the cover is lovely
—the world building was pretty cool and had some interesting concepts
Ok now the bad stuff. To be fair, I did just read Kite Runner right before this book which is the greatest literary achievement of this century and also happens to be a redemption story so it’s going to highlight the flaws of the story perhaps more than if I had read it at a different time.
I despise the two main characters. I’m 90% sure they were inspired by Rey and Kylo Ren. They have what is essentially a force connection where they can speak into each other’s minds and are bound together in their fate. One is light and one is darkness. He is an elect extra special guy who fell and she is a little nobody who is special because she’s just so pure. And this goes into my next point: I only actually believed the Death Bleak was evil in one scene of the entire book. He was a villain written by a goodie goodie. The whole book they mention him being terrible to behold and having killed his soul with evil more than any person before him and yet he is just like “ugh you guys are so annoying stop lighting candles.” And I was just not convinced he was evil. Much like Kylo Ren being like “I’m as evil as my grandpa and I can proooove it!” And no one is convinced. Not to mention they never really tell you what it was he did that was so villainous. Because I don’t believe he was ever really that evil, his redemption is less meaningful. I still thought it was nice, but a shadow of what it could be.
Ember is your classic Mary Sue (again like Star Wars). She is a good person at the beginning and ends the book a REALLY good person. She never fails or gives up and the only time she doubts or gets sad is at the end for one page. She never tries to leave the castle or fight the Death Bleak for hurting her dad. And she’s not super naive and then learns the true way of the world. She just is good and gets better at being good. Here stems what I found to be truly problematic which is that Sperro’s redemption hinged on her. I know this is a religious allegory but I think one should always be careful of the implications of what you are doing without the layer of religion to it. The message here is no matter how evil a guy is you should always love and help him. That is a toxic message. Women should not feel like they have to stay with a man who hurts them or like they can and should fix violent and cruel men. There was a disturbing scene where Sperro tries to kill one of Ember’s friends and he restrains himself. She helps him wash his hands of her friend’s blood and apparently this was a huge turn on so she kissed him. She kissed him after she washed her friend’s blood off his hands. Ladies please do not feel like it’s ok for men to be violent. Run away. Please, you deserve so much better. I got so sick of her constantly helping him when he did nothing in return. Is she supposed to be a Christ figure? Yes. But it just doesn’t work here. And maybe this was a platonic kiss but I don’t think people who are just friends hold hands and hide behind curtains and cuddle together. And her whole obsession with being loyal to him and Sperro being like “I can’t walk farther than like 100 yards without you” was just a mess of red flags.
Overall I think this had a good intention and some really great world building and side characters. But so much just didn’t make sense, was weird and unexplained, or just plain dumb. There was a 150 page sequence of them just lighting candles and fixing windows. I think we get the picture in like 50 pages max. There is more I could say about the book but I’ll leave it at this: it’s a sweet Christian allegory that non avid readers or Christian moms will probably enjoy. Just don’t use it as a guideline for your life or you’ll be trapped into a toxic relationship.
March 30, 2024
Despite having some pacing issues (the middle was quite slow) I'm still giving this five stars because it was absolutely beautiful. I cried (for a while) through the ending. The symbolism was amazing and beautifully written and I loved it.
March 4, 2024
I’ve now officially read all of Beth Brower’s books. So good!
This one was really interesting. Partly beauty and the beast, partly magic of light and darkness. It didn’t turn out how I imagined at first, but I wasn’t disappointed because it ended how it had to end.
The themes of redemption and light/dark were great. She does such a great job of inventing the world not just the story. There are some slow bits….but now that I’ve read all her stuff, Im okay with it.
I completely cried at the end and immediately reread portions.
I didn’t like the epilogue that much (except the last part which was masterful) I wanted more from it? Or maybe less? I’m not sure. But it was helpful to wrap up the story lines.
The world is such an interesting concept, I would totally read another story in this magic system.
Update 2024: Sob. Reading it the second time was much better. I'm not sure why, but I think I just understood more of what was going on in the beginning. And again, the last 50 words of the book. 😭
This one was really interesting. Partly beauty and the beast, partly magic of light and darkness. It didn’t turn out how I imagined at first, but I wasn’t disappointed because it ended how it had to end.
The themes of redemption and light/dark were great. She does such a great job of inventing the world not just the story. There are some slow bits….but now that I’ve read all her stuff, Im okay with it.
I completely cried at the end and immediately reread portions.
I didn’t like the epilogue that much (except the last part which was masterful) I wanted more from it? Or maybe less? I’m not sure. But it was helpful to wrap up the story lines.
The world is such an interesting concept, I would totally read another story in this magic system.
Update 2024: Sob. Reading it the second time was much better. I'm not sure why, but I think I just understood more of what was going on in the beginning. And again, the last 50 words of the book. 😭
September 2, 2025
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
ILOVEIT ILOVEIT ILOVEIT ILOVE IT
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beth Brower is a magician. She has laced spells and enchantment, so every word of her book floats off the page and into your innocent little unnawares heart and plants her story right there next to your breastbone.
This book. A short review is not worthy of such a masterpiece. Go read it. Go be enveloped by it.
The imagery, the writing, all fabulous. I am very grateful for God giving the world a writer like Beth Brower🙌🙌 :)
ILOVEIT ILOVEIT ILOVEIT ILOVE IT
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beth Brower is a magician. She has laced spells and enchantment, so every word of her book floats off the page and into your innocent little unnawares heart and plants her story right there next to your breastbone.
This book. A short review is not worthy of such a masterpiece. Go read it. Go be enveloped by it.
The imagery, the writing, all fabulous. I am very grateful for God giving the world a writer like Beth Brower🙌🙌 :)
November 20, 2020
So Beth Brower is my new favorite author. I think she self-publishes her books (usually a stark warning) but if the reason is publisher rejection, shame on them! Her books are creative, witty, thoughtful, and poetic. I reread them on the regular. That being said, I’m never sure how to rate a book that I just did not like how the plot ended. It’s supposed to be a book about redemption (beauty and the beast retelling) but the redemption in the end is not as happy as I wanted/needed it to be. Too real-life for a fairytale IMO. The author somewhat prepares you for the ending, but only somewhat. Well written, so interesting, but a melancholy and disappointing finish. Maybe I’ll read it again someday when I’m not emotionally connected to the ending, and change my rating.
December 31, 2021
I’m sad. I have loved all 6 other Beth Brower books I’ve read but didn’t feel this one measured up. I found the characters to be mostly flat and didn’t connect with any of them on a level deep enough for a book that’s over 500 pages. The pacing wasn’t great and I felt stuck and blind for most of the book as tiny bits of progress were made but didn’t feel super meaningful and conflict was resolved without much complexity. Something kept me reading and wanting to see how it ended though.
Maybe I just went into it with too high of expectations after falling in love with the main characters in the Emma M. Lion series and in “The Q.”
Maybe I just went into it with too high of expectations after falling in love with the main characters in the Emma M. Lion series and in “The Q.”
January 24, 2018
Having thoroughly enjoyed Beth Brower's other four books I was anxious to see how her latest work stacked up. The Beast of Ten certainly did not disappoint. It is a highly imaginative, superbly crafted work of fiction that deals in a very unique and powerful way with good and evil, light and dark. The story line carries a sustained tension that makes the book hard to put down. There is love, loyalty, duty, betrayal, mystery and magic!
The well drawn characters are varied and memorable. The dialogue is believable and thought provoking and the book is rich in descriptive detail.
The well drawn characters are varied and memorable. The dialogue is believable and thought provoking and the book is rich in descriptive detail.
November 15, 2021
Beth Brower has captured my heart again!
I have read all of her books this year and could easily just start over and read them all again.
This is a beautifully written fairytale with a touch of Beauty and the Beast. It is a powerful story of sorrow, friendships, love and redemption.
I am now praying for more Beth Brower books to read.
I have read all of her books this year and could easily just start over and read them all again.
This is a beautifully written fairytale with a touch of Beauty and the Beast. It is a powerful story of sorrow, friendships, love and redemption.
I am now praying for more Beth Brower books to read.
December 13, 2021
I have so many thoughts about this book (and Beth Brower books in general). I’ve read all of her books so far except for The Q so I’m not sure how this is treated in that book but the way she writes about men and women love interests interacting is so similar. There are flirtations, touching of the face and arms, furtive glances and smiles, little rituals they share and there is usually more than one male hopeful for the female protagonist.
And then there’s the waiting! The reader has to be so patient to figure out how this subtle love story will play out. If it will. It might not be revealed until the very last page. Or maybe never? I’m not spoiling anything here but I’m noticing these patterns. It’s maddening but it’s also so genius.
I loved the symbolism in this book. The powers of light and darkness, hope and despair, prayers and evil magicks. The Dark Bleak was such an interesting character and I really liked finding out what kind of past he had and how his choices impacted others. Ember was also an interesting character but so ill prepared for her assignment which I also feel like is a theme for the women in Beth Brower’s books. She didn’t know the extent of her powers and relied on the people around her to fill in the gaps for her. Ugh! This reminds me also of how light and knowledge played out. When light was lost, people lost the power to increase their knowledge.
Anyway, I cried at the end and couldn’t console myself until I talked it out with a friend who also read it.
And then there’s the waiting! The reader has to be so patient to figure out how this subtle love story will play out. If it will. It might not be revealed until the very last page. Or maybe never? I’m not spoiling anything here but I’m noticing these patterns. It’s maddening but it’s also so genius.
I loved the symbolism in this book. The powers of light and darkness, hope and despair, prayers and evil magicks. The Dark Bleak was such an interesting character and I really liked finding out what kind of past he had and how his choices impacted others. Ember was also an interesting character but so ill prepared for her assignment which I also feel like is a theme for the women in Beth Brower’s books. She didn’t know the extent of her powers and relied on the people around her to fill in the gaps for her. Ugh! This reminds me also of how light and knowledge played out. When light was lost, people lost the power to increase their knowledge.
Anyway, I cried at the end and couldn’t console myself until I talked it out with a friend who also read it.
January 31, 2018
I rarely write reviews of books, because unlike Beth, I do not have a way with words and can rarely reduce my experience into a short and meaningful summary. However, this book at least needs an attempt.
First of all I love anything sending me Beauty and the Beast vibes, I don’t know what it is about that fairy tale, maybe the bonding over a shared love of a library or that I innately want to hope that even the most “beastly” of us have a chance of redemption, but it has always been a favorite.
Beth has a way with imagery that makes places come to life. I want to vacation at the Pyre and spend my days in its library. I want to see the stained glass and walk it’s forests. It’s stunning!
The pacing and characters were wonderful. It kept me pulled in with enough conflict and resolution building to the climax of the story and poignant conclusion.
To sum up. It’s a beautiful story and you should read it!
First of all I love anything sending me Beauty and the Beast vibes, I don’t know what it is about that fairy tale, maybe the bonding over a shared love of a library or that I innately want to hope that even the most “beastly” of us have a chance of redemption, but it has always been a favorite.
Beth has a way with imagery that makes places come to life. I want to vacation at the Pyre and spend my days in its library. I want to see the stained glass and walk it’s forests. It’s stunning!
The pacing and characters were wonderful. It kept me pulled in with enough conflict and resolution building to the climax of the story and poignant conclusion.
To sum up. It’s a beautiful story and you should read it!
July 30, 2025
I don’t know what I will read next, I feel I lost my friends
I have reached my final Beth Brower book and now I do not know what I will possibly read. The Beast of Ten is unlike any of her other books yet at the same time is filled with the same immense talent. The character development is amazing and the pace perfect. Beth has an amazing way of opening up new lives to you that you never knew you needed and now don’t know how you will live without. The story of redemption seems like a story 1,000 years old yet it is told here in so much beautiful depth and poignancy that it seems like the first story of redemption you have ever heard. I am so grateful to have found an author that conveys such a breath of emotions while writing with beauty and honor instead cheap smut and sensationalism.
I have reached my final Beth Brower book and now I do not know what I will possibly read. The Beast of Ten is unlike any of her other books yet at the same time is filled with the same immense talent. The character development is amazing and the pace perfect. Beth has an amazing way of opening up new lives to you that you never knew you needed and now don’t know how you will live without. The story of redemption seems like a story 1,000 years old yet it is told here in so much beautiful depth and poignancy that it seems like the first story of redemption you have ever heard. I am so grateful to have found an author that conveys such a breath of emotions while writing with beauty and honor instead cheap smut and sensationalism.
April 6, 2025
Beth Brower 😭 she always gets me. Such beautiful stories with such purpose and gravity. They are so absorbing but in a deeply soul-satisfying way.
The Beast of Ten was a story of seemingly impossible redemption. The tension of light and dark was so tangible. I will be thinking about this one for days to come.
The Beast of Ten was a story of seemingly impossible redemption. The tension of light and dark was so tangible. I will be thinking about this one for days to come.
December 31, 2024
Completely different from Emma M. Lion, but just as well written.
It started like a Beauty & the Beast retelling, then morphed into an amazing good vs evil tale that I couldn't help but see it through Biblical eyes. 🤎
It started like a Beauty & the Beast retelling, then morphed into an amazing good vs evil tale that I couldn't help but see it through Biblical eyes. 🤎
July 24, 2025
There aren’t words for this book. I will treasure it always.
April 8, 2025
This was incredible. And this from a girl who doesn't love fantasy. I picked it up because I blew through all Beth Brower's Emma M. Lion books twice last year. I knew it wouldn't be anything like those, but I thought I'd give it a try.
While this is technically a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it's so unique that it felt brand new. This is the best redemption story I've ever read since the Bible. Seriously. I loved the contrast of light and dark. The way she talks about people having gifts and how they're supposed to use them is fantastic. I appreciated how the people at the Pyre didn't give up hope. I could go on but I won't. Just read it.
We need more books like this.
Content: mild language, mentions of murder & dark magic but not graphic
While this is technically a Beauty and the Beast retelling, it's so unique that it felt brand new. This is the best redemption story I've ever read since the Bible. Seriously. I loved the contrast of light and dark. The way she talks about people having gifts and how they're supposed to use them is fantastic. I appreciated how the people at the Pyre didn't give up hope. I could go on but I won't. Just read it.
We need more books like this.
Content: mild language, mentions of murder & dark magic but not graphic
August 26, 2024
I really loved this beautiful, enchanting story. For me, it was less of a beauty and the beast retelling and more of the struggle between good and evil. I saw this book as an allegory of how sin in our lives grows when fed but how good is stronger and has the power to overcome the evil. There were parts that were a bit too drawn out and repetitive but overall I really enjoyed the journey of this book. I didn’t feel like I needed to race to the finish because I thoroughly enjoyed the characters journey along the way. It took me a little while to wrap my head around the setting and some terminology but once I did it was an easy read. I am sad the book is over and miss the characters. If you like a thoughtful, somewhat poetic fantasy this book is for you.
August 7, 2024
4.5 stars! A gorgeously written spin on Beauty and the Beast with a surprisingly creative, new-feeling take on magic and good vs. evil. Beth Brower can truly do no wrong. I loved the characters. I could envision the setting so vividly. The story made me laugh and gasp and cry and hurt.
My one issue with this book was that I felt it dragged sometimes. This may have more to do with me, as my attention span can be quite variable. On the plus side, it pulled me in immediately, which has been my one issue with some of Brouwer’s other books, such as The Q which I struggled to get into at first.
My one issue with this book was that I felt it dragged sometimes. This may have more to do with me, as my attention span can be quite variable. On the plus side, it pulled me in immediately, which has been my one issue with some of Brouwer’s other books, such as The Q which I struggled to get into at first.
August 17, 2025
4.5 🌟 Part 1 and 2 were on the slow slide, but I understood that the characters, world and tension really had to be built to form any attachment to them before the action. Part 3 would be 5 🌟 actually had me quite choked up in the end!
Still not sure what I think of fantasy and sometimes I struggle with the made up elements like powers etc but I LOVED the themes. This book really reminded me that God often uses the most unlikely and unprepared people to do his work. For his power is made perfect in our weakness. A beautiful story of the battle towards redemption, even if the outcome is not clear.
Still not sure what I think of fantasy and sometimes I struggle with the made up elements like powers etc but I LOVED the themes. This book really reminded me that God often uses the most unlikely and unprepared people to do his work. For his power is made perfect in our weakness. A beautiful story of the battle towards redemption, even if the outcome is not clear.
September 25, 2023
I am not usually a reader of fantasy, but I have loved everything I have read by Beth Brower so I decided to give it a try. I enjoyed it from the beginning but I didn't have an issue walking away, until the last 1/4 of the book. I read it in one sitting. This is a beautiful story of finding redemption, not only for the person seeking it, but for those that are impacted and help along the way.
June 13, 2025
"But no matter what's inside you, no matter what you're meant for, if you take counsel from the dark, there it is that you will be led."
I didn't know what I was getting with this story, but I know that it delivered on every front.
Part Beauty and the Beast, part something completely unique, this story kept me guessing all the way to the end.
I loved the themes of dark and light and the power of redemption. I also loved the theme of the value of a single person and that a Higher Power will move heaven and earth to save that one person and that no one is beyond hope.
This book will stick with me for a long time.
"Darkness does not let its former captives go easily. It must try to destroy them first, to pull them once again into oblivion."
I didn't know what I was getting with this story, but I know that it delivered on every front.
Part Beauty and the Beast, part something completely unique, this story kept me guessing all the way to the end.
I loved the themes of dark and light and the power of redemption. I also loved the theme of the value of a single person and that a Higher Power will move heaven and earth to save that one person and that no one is beyond hope.
This book will stick with me for a long time.
"Darkness does not let its former captives go easily. It must try to destroy them first, to pull them once again into oblivion."
October 15, 2025
One of the most beautiful good vs evil stories I have ever encountered. Completely captivating story of redemption and sacrifice. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
October 3, 2018
I’m excited to review this book today because I’m betting it’s one you haven’t heard of. I personally love when people tell me about a book that was not on my radar at all, and it’s even better when I really enjoy the book. I may be a professional book reviewer, and I do listen to book podcasts and read book lists and subscribe to publishers’ lists of new and upcoming books, plus spend a lot of time doing nerdy book lover things, but there are just a lot of books coming out all the time. It’s hard to keep up with All the Books. I’ve found that when people post on Facebook “I’m looking for a new book to read!” I’ve heard of and possibly read many of the books that are on there, or at least heard of the author. Not every single book all the time, of course, but a good portion of them at least. Beast of Ten was not on one of those lists, and actually was chosen by a woman in my book club because it is written by a local (to my book club) author. It wasn’t available in our library and it’s a new release, so I’m excited to introduce this to you, in hopes that you haven’t heard of it or read it. I picked my copy up on Amazon, but it is also available on Barnes & Noble and possibly other places as well.
I don’t know about you but I have enjoyed the new re-telling of old fairytales genre. I’ve read several, some are YA fic and some are adult fic, and I would say this one is somewhere between those and therefore New Adult Fic. I like the fresh new perspective and have enjoyed the re-tellings overall. Beast of Ten is a re-imagined “Beauty and the Beast.” It’s not exactly like it, and indeed the woman who picked it didn’t even recognize it as such until her daughter pointed it out to her. However, she told our book club that that’s what it was based on so while I was reading it it was very obvious to me that it was a retelling of that classic.
So what is the same and what is different? Well, it’s got the same basic characters, but they are much more fleshed out and there are many more, several of whom are very important characters. There is also a lot of magic, much more so than the original story, and I actually really enjoyed that. I’m not much of a high fantasy person, although every time I say that I can think of several examples of high fantasy that I really enjoyed, but in general I’m not really into high fantasy. This book, although definitely involving magic, had a lot of almost magical realism elements, which I thought were awesome. I love me some well-done magical realism. I love the idea of normal people having normal-esque powers that are just powerful enough to maybe be beyond the realm of normalcy, but maybe not. This book has a lot of that. One of my favorite characters in the book is actually the beast’s castle, and I don’t want to spoil it for you but it plays a major role in this story, and one in which I thought was really cool and really imaginative. There is also one character that is huge in this story that is not in the original “Beauty and the Beast.” Many of the more peripheral characters in the original story are also more prominent in this one, which was enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the story in this book. It is really allegorical, and I thought it was a very imaginative and interesting way to look at the original story. It is a long book, which gives it a lot of time to be developed and the characters and story fleshed out. It didn’t seem like a long slog, though, and many women in our book club read it on their phones with no problem at all (I am fundamentally opposed to reading on electronic devices because I am old and stodgy). We had a good discussion in our book club, and almost everybody really enjoyed the book. I think everybody did, actually, but some wouldn’t commit either way (they’re like that. Haha). If you are into fairytales, especially if you are a “Beauty and the Beast” lover, I recommend you check out this book for a fun retelling and a re-imagined view of the old story. Don’t be expecting beautiful Disney princesses skipping down the French countryside singing “I want much more than this provincial life!” but do be prepared for some good writing and some good storytelling in a familiar yet different world.
Read this and other reviews here:
http://readingforsanity.blogspot.com/...
I don’t know about you but I have enjoyed the new re-telling of old fairytales genre. I’ve read several, some are YA fic and some are adult fic, and I would say this one is somewhere between those and therefore New Adult Fic. I like the fresh new perspective and have enjoyed the re-tellings overall. Beast of Ten is a re-imagined “Beauty and the Beast.” It’s not exactly like it, and indeed the woman who picked it didn’t even recognize it as such until her daughter pointed it out to her. However, she told our book club that that’s what it was based on so while I was reading it it was very obvious to me that it was a retelling of that classic.
So what is the same and what is different? Well, it’s got the same basic characters, but they are much more fleshed out and there are many more, several of whom are very important characters. There is also a lot of magic, much more so than the original story, and I actually really enjoyed that. I’m not much of a high fantasy person, although every time I say that I can think of several examples of high fantasy that I really enjoyed, but in general I’m not really into high fantasy. This book, although definitely involving magic, had a lot of almost magical realism elements, which I thought were awesome. I love me some well-done magical realism. I love the idea of normal people having normal-esque powers that are just powerful enough to maybe be beyond the realm of normalcy, but maybe not. This book has a lot of that. One of my favorite characters in the book is actually the beast’s castle, and I don’t want to spoil it for you but it plays a major role in this story, and one in which I thought was really cool and really imaginative. There is also one character that is huge in this story that is not in the original “Beauty and the Beast.” Many of the more peripheral characters in the original story are also more prominent in this one, which was enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the story in this book. It is really allegorical, and I thought it was a very imaginative and interesting way to look at the original story. It is a long book, which gives it a lot of time to be developed and the characters and story fleshed out. It didn’t seem like a long slog, though, and many women in our book club read it on their phones with no problem at all (I am fundamentally opposed to reading on electronic devices because I am old and stodgy). We had a good discussion in our book club, and almost everybody really enjoyed the book. I think everybody did, actually, but some wouldn’t commit either way (they’re like that. Haha). If you are into fairytales, especially if you are a “Beauty and the Beast” lover, I recommend you check out this book for a fun retelling and a re-imagined view of the old story. Don’t be expecting beautiful Disney princesses skipping down the French countryside singing “I want much more than this provincial life!” but do be prepared for some good writing and some good storytelling in a familiar yet different world.
Read this and other reviews here:
http://readingforsanity.blogspot.com/...
October 18, 2025
This was an incredibly good book. You really need others to read it with you because every chapter could be discussed! I got lost in it and devoured it in three days. I started once before last Christmas and decided on page one I needed something else for the season. Don't let the first couple pages close the book, keep going. Beth is so talented in writing characters with such depth and with beautiful language. Just beautiful. Plus, I've been a huge Beauty and the Beast fan since I was six years old which made this retelling extra fun for me.
Now I have read every published book from Beth Brower, and I'm ready for more.
Now I have read every published book from Beth Brower, and I'm ready for more.
December 2, 2025
Fantasy isn’t my typical genre of choice, but I gave this a try as I have loved everything else Beth Brower has written. And man, this was incredible! Beast of Ten is somewhat of a Beauty and the Beast retelling with strong themes of redemption. I loved the imagery of darkness vs light, and the strong character development throughout.
I’ll be thinking about this story for quite a while.
I’ll be thinking about this story for quite a while.
May 6, 2024
DNF at 54%
I love Beth Brower. Love her. The previous books/series I've read from her — The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion and The Q — have been solid 5-star experiences. Her ability to create robust, 3-dimensional characters is some of the best I've ever read, and while her MCs don't usually follow the most epic or sprawling plotlines, their emotional impact is significant. Unfortunately, The Beast of Ten seems to have departed from that norm.
The book started out promising enough, although I wasn't sure if our main character was a child or a full-grown adult until they arrived at The Pyre. The magic system and worldbuilding were interesting — at least as told in the glossary we got at the beginning. Aside from that, we learned almost nothing else about the world surrounding our character, the political structure of any country, or any well-known figures aside from the Death Bleak. The wasted potential is enough to make me ill, not to mention the fact that the area of the world we do get to explore is almost insultingly mundane.
Our main character, Ember (or December), is a third-born twin possessing enough light magic to counteract the dark magic of the Death Bleak wreaking havoc on their world. How does she decide to use this magic, you may ask? Why, of course, she lights fireplaces and candles in the window to rebuff the dark blood rituals happening in the forest! I'm sorry, but if you want me to believe that normal flames sufficiently ward against a dark power grounded in murder, blood-harvesting, and evil, then I'm going to need some further justification. The fact that I dropped this book 54% of the way through and all our MC had done to fight the Death Bleak was light fires, hire someone to fix shattered windows, and heal him when he comes back from a killing spree is insane to me. On the note of her healing him — I CANNOT believe that our MC's journey in this book was seemingly to rehabilitate the Death Bleak back into the being of light he was born as. Girl, this man torched your house, cut off your father's hand (which caused him to lose the whole arm), is still actively killing and harvesting the blood from other victims, and is hundreds of years old. I don't care if you find it in your heart to heal and try to bring him to the "light side" — his other victims need justice, not a romantic plotline. Granted, I didn't finish this book, but if Ember and this nasty man didn't end up together, I'll eat my hat.
I don't know if Brower is a Christian, but the religious themes in this book are impossible to ignore. I'm a Christian myself, but there is only so much unconditional forgiveness and straightforward light-versus-dark I can take in a story. It might work for a younger audience, but at my age, there are too many gray areas in real life that it's jarring to see such a disparity in the magic and worldbuilding of this book. The Beast of Ten felt like Kylo Ren and Rey meets Beauty and the Beast but with none of the action-packed chemistry and fairytale charm respective to each story.
I still love Beth Brower, but this book was an incredible disappointment.
I love Beth Brower. Love her. The previous books/series I've read from her — The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion and The Q — have been solid 5-star experiences. Her ability to create robust, 3-dimensional characters is some of the best I've ever read, and while her MCs don't usually follow the most epic or sprawling plotlines, their emotional impact is significant. Unfortunately, The Beast of Ten seems to have departed from that norm.
The book started out promising enough, although I wasn't sure if our main character was a child or a full-grown adult until they arrived at The Pyre. The magic system and worldbuilding were interesting — at least as told in the glossary we got at the beginning. Aside from that, we learned almost nothing else about the world surrounding our character, the political structure of any country, or any well-known figures aside from the Death Bleak. The wasted potential is enough to make me ill, not to mention the fact that the area of the world we do get to explore is almost insultingly mundane.
Our main character, Ember (or December), is a third-born twin possessing enough light magic to counteract the dark magic of the Death Bleak wreaking havoc on their world. How does she decide to use this magic, you may ask? Why, of course, she lights fireplaces and candles in the window to rebuff the dark blood rituals happening in the forest! I'm sorry, but if you want me to believe that normal flames sufficiently ward against a dark power grounded in murder, blood-harvesting, and evil, then I'm going to need some further justification. The fact that I dropped this book 54% of the way through and all our MC had done to fight the Death Bleak was light fires, hire someone to fix shattered windows, and heal him when he comes back from a killing spree is insane to me. On the note of her healing him — I CANNOT believe that our MC's journey in this book was seemingly to rehabilitate the Death Bleak back into the being of light he was born as. Girl, this man torched your house, cut off your father's hand (which caused him to lose the whole arm), is still actively killing and harvesting the blood from other victims, and is hundreds of years old. I don't care if you find it in your heart to heal and try to bring him to the "light side" — his other victims need justice, not a romantic plotline. Granted, I didn't finish this book, but if Ember and this nasty man didn't end up together, I'll eat my hat.
I don't know if Brower is a Christian, but the religious themes in this book are impossible to ignore. I'm a Christian myself, but there is only so much unconditional forgiveness and straightforward light-versus-dark I can take in a story. It might work for a younger audience, but at my age, there are too many gray areas in real life that it's jarring to see such a disparity in the magic and worldbuilding of this book. The Beast of Ten felt like Kylo Ren and Rey meets Beauty and the Beast but with none of the action-packed chemistry and fairytale charm respective to each story.
I still love Beth Brower, but this book was an incredible disappointment.
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