Beast Hunter

Beast Hunters #0.5

by Michele Israel Harper

Ro’s people are starving. A curse has overtaken her land, blackening the soil, wiping out crops, and bringing ruin to all. She doesn't know what to do.

The only people who thrive are the huntsmen, brought in by the mysterious Gautier to stem the flow of ravenous creatures looking for food.

When Ro accidentally kills a wolf, an idea begins to form. Could she become a huntress? Earn enough livres to feed her family?

But her world is shattered when her father promises her to a beast in exchange for his own life. If she doesn’t go, a curse will fall on her family worse than the one destroying their land. But Ro is determined to save her family another way.

Will Ro have the courage to seek her own fate instead of the one pressed upon her?

Genres: Fantasy, Christian, Short Stories, Clean Romance, Young Adult

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 25, 2017

About the author

Michele Israel Harper spends her days as a stay-at-home mom and her nights spinning her own tales. Sleep? Sometimes…

She has her master's degree in publishing, is obsessed with all things French—including Jeanne d’Arc and La Belle et la Bête—and loves curling up with a good book more than just about anything else.

Author of 12 published books, Michele prays her involvement in writing, editing, and publishing will touch many lives in the years to come.

Visit micheleisraelharper.com to learn more about her.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/michele_israel_harper

Reviews

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I need Kill the Beast ASAP!!

Ro was an admiring character and greatly loved her courage. Plus, she's brave and strong. The French accent was really fun to read about as she would speak to her family, too.

Also, can we just say those plot twists! Seriously. Some things I didn't see coming and can't wait to see how certain "gifts" unfold in the actual novel.

A great prequel to what I know will be an action-packed novel!

*I have provided an honest review after having received an ARC from the author. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write a positive review.*

[mary liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate having to give this story such a low rating, but honestly, it was just so cringy. I wanted to like it, and the concept intrigued me . . . but it fell drastically short of my hopes.

Honestly, the only thing I really liked about it was how short it was. :P The writing was boring, flat, and rather confusing at times. (Talk about awkward sentence structure. *winces*) The characters, especially Ro, were AWFUL. I felt zero emotional connection to them, and Ro about drove me crazy. LIKE SHE WAS SUPER CONFUSING AND HAD SERIOUS ANGER ISSUES. Good grief. I couldn't understand or relate to her at all, and the decisions she made didn't make any sense?? *scratches head* She was so moody. The rest of her family was no better, and the dialogue was wooden and stiff. Nothing flowed well, at all. Not to mention the plot was super cliche and unoriginal.

Basically . . . I didn't enjoy this at all. (Shocker, right??) I might write a full review at some point, but for now, I don't feel like ranting. xD Not to say this won't appeal to everyone; it just wasn't for me!

2 stars

[Kendra Ardnek · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept was interesting - Red Riding Hood and B&B go well together, but I just couldn't take Ro seriously. I probably will read the main book - it's the most intriguing concept for a B&B retelling that I've heard of in a while - but I'm really not looking forward to more of Ro's inconsistency and bland RPS. (Rebellious Princess Syndrome.)

https://aristasdirectory.blogspot.com...

[Josiah DeGraaf]

This book feels a bit incomplete without the novel it's leading up to, so it's hard to review it as its own work. May update this review later if I read the actual novel.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beast Hunter by Michele Israel Harper is a prequel to the forthcoming (hopefully soon) novel Kill the Beast.

As you can guess from the title it is a retelling of the classic Fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. (But do I detect flavors of Little Red Ridding Hood too?)

The Protagonist is not Belle but Rosette who runs away from home rather than meekly submit to her father's ridiculous bargain to trade her to a beast living in an enchanted Castle. You need look no farther than the title of the forthcoming full length novel for how Ro's story will ultimately loop back around.

Beast Hunter is an exciting twist on an old story. It's also a tease, after reading it you will immediately want to dive into Kill the Beast to see what happens next. But you can't, because it hasn't been published yet.

So I encourage everyone to read Beast Hunter and then join me in nagging Michele everyday on social media until she finally lets us. . . Kill the Beast!

[Kelly Bridgewater · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first heard about The Beast Hunter by Michele Israel Harper, I couldn't wait to get my hand on her version of Beauty and the Beast. After reading it, it is definitely different in a good way. The character of Rose is developed nicely with hints of her past and her troubles. I see her maturing as this novella progresses. She cares about her sister and wants her whole family to survive. The plot is different than the Beauty and the Beast story I am familiar with, but in a good way. In the novella, there isn't any hint of a romance yet, but there might be in the completed novels. Harper has me hooked, and I can't wait to get my hands on the completed novels in this series. I flew through the novella in a little under an hour. It kept my attention. If you enjoy fairy tales, this might be a good book for you to pick up. With plenty of action, Harper wet my appetite for the rest of the books.

I received a complimentary copy of Beast Hunter from Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love fairytale retellings, Beauty and the Beast most of all. Beast Hunter gives an excellent and unique twist to the classic tale. I also sensed a few nods to other beloved fairytales as well, which I really loved.

I became completely wrapped up in this story, practically from the first word and once I hit the halfway point, I could not put it down. It was so engaging. The writing was descriptive and really transported me into the story. Ro was a great character who's fierce and easy to root for.

Anyone who has ever enjoyed a fairytale is sure to love Beast Hunter. I can't wait for Kill the Beast!

[Savannah J. Goins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an e-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Beast Hunter is the prequel novella to the author's upcoming Beauty and the Beast retelling novel, Kill the Beast. I am very excited to read Kill the Beast after reading Beast Hunter! I enjoyed the occasional use of the French language for one. It is a beautiful language and the use of it here adds some depth and legitimacy to the story. The relationships between the main character, Ro, and here sisters and brothers are realistic, though the change in her relationship with her father half way through seems a bit stark. I am very intrigued by the character called Magic and what she has to do with the Beast and the rest of the story. And the couple of surprises at the end regarding Ro's father and Ro's favorite sister, Cosette, have me totally excited to read Kill the Beast! Looking forward to its release day! And I'll be buying both in paperback form because those covers are gorgeous!

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Ro's courage in hunting beasts to help the common folk, keeping them safe and becoming a legendary hunter in the process. She is able to become quite powerful and only uses her skills for good. Her relationship with her sister, Cosette, was the sweetest part of the story for me. Harper's incredible writing has me eager to read, Kill the Beast, an intriguing version of Beauty and the Beast, my absolute favorite fairy tale!

I was provided a ecopy by the author with no expectation of a review. The comments are my own.

[Kate Hamlet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly I don’t understand why this book got any bad reviews! I loved it. I can’t wait to read Kill The Beast. I’m adding this one to my list of recommendations for my friends.

I noticed just a couple small places where the expression of a character didn’t seem true to the time period but the story overall was well worth it.

[V. Romas Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in one afternoon! I am I huge fan of fairytale retellings, especially Beauty and the Beast! Right when I thought this novella was going to be the same old thing, BOOM! The author throws in several twists! I can't wait to read Kill the Beast and see what happens!

[Andrew Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosette wants to provide for her starving family, but the only way that seems possible is to leave them behind and become a beast hunter. Braving the desolation left behind by a curse, she strikes out in search of a trio of mysterious women who seem able to provide food for the people of France, despite the deadness of the land. But when the women turn out to be something other than what they seemed, will Rose be able to find a way to help her family?

A novella, Beast Hunter is a prequel to the book Kill the Beast. Based on where the story is going and the setup, it seems certain that this story is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The tale told herein changes things up a bit, however, as retellings should. Rose is a feisty girl who wants to be a hunter; and she has an uncanny gift, able to kill animals without seeming effort, and sometimes being able to see things before they happen and act to prevent them.

There is a certain element of fantasy present in the story that makes one wonder if perhaps the setting would have been better suited to a fictional land in a fictional world, rather than the fields of France; but, as this story seems to be a retelling of a tale that takes place in France, it makes sense to keep the lands the same, and further strengthens the relationship between the two. Of note as well is the presence of God in the story. There is a being that Rosette refers to as the Creator, who is presumably God; however, if this tale does indeed take place in the France of our world, why not just refer to Him as God? Why bother with saying ‘the Creator’? Perhaps the author was attempting to avoid a certain association, but it has come to this reviewer’s attention that even fantasy books published for the general market (hugely successful books, might I add) do not shy away from referencing God or a god or some sort of deity or pantheon. Why should Christian authors then try to come up with different names for God in their stories?

Overall the novella seems to be well-written, though there are some places where it seems difficult to reconcile the world of one chapter to that of another. Also somewhat confusing is the relationship between Rosette and her siblings. At one point, it seems like they’re all worthless, save for Rosette and Cosette, her youngest sister. At other times, her brothers seem like very decent fellows. The author tries to remedy this at one point, but it comes across as somewhat clumsy. Speaking of Cosette, when the reader is first introduced to her, she seems very young and vulnerable, but as the story progresses, she comes out more and more as the mother amongst the siblings, despite being the youngest. In short, there seems to be a dissonance amongst some of the characterization. There is really no indication, either, as to how old any of them are, which isn’t necessarily a problem. Perhaps some of these issues are resolved in the following novel, Kill the Beast.

Beast Hunter is an interesting short read that may whet the reader’s appetite for the next book. It holds the reader’s attention, but doesn’t necessarily have the power to occupy the reader’s thoughts at all idle hours. That doesn’t make it a bad book; it is a good story, fun to read, and entertaining. There are simply some kinks that could have been worked out; though for a novella, one does not necessarily expect the flushing out that a full novel would receive. One final thought: the story did make me want to dust off my crossbow and go out and slay some beasts.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a prequel of a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I had never read this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was immediately drawn into the story and started the first book in the series of fairy tale retellings immediately after finishing this one.

Rosette comes from a large family, most of the siblings are girls, but Rosette loves Cosette (all the sisters end in -ette) best of all because she is the youngest and her mother made her promise to take care of her when she died. Cosette is also the kindest of her sisters. Rosette finds she has a talent as a huntress, although she has no idea where it came from - it's "magical" the way she can bring down a beast. The entire land is under a curse and people are starving and losing all that they have just to try and stay alive. Some are willing to do just about anything to find themselves with something of value again - like sacrifice their daughter to a beast!

This is a clean read.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh take on a timeless fairytale. Ro becomes a hunter to support her family in a French inspired backstory with a slightly darker plot. Will she hunt the beast meant to trap her in his castle?

What I enjoyed: French-speaking characters with real problems made the story more historical fiction than fable. The concept of witches and magic is much more sinister than a simple lesson. I read through this one quickly, and was pleasantly surprised I wanted to buy the next book!

What didn't work for me: Some supporting characters were flat, and the dialog at times felt choppy. Hopefully the kinks have been worked out in Kill the Beast, because this could be a great series!

[Novel-Tea Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful introduction to the Beast Hunter world! Tightly paced, this novel excellently sets up events that are to come. A great origin story for Ro, and a very easy read (I finished it in under and hour).

Now, for a content disclosure: there is some mild swearing, but no heavy cusswords. Magic is present, but witchcraft itself is presented as evil. The violence can be intense at points, but not too graphic. And there are themes of emotional abuse, enslavement, alcohol abuse, and starvation. For this, I'd give this book a PG-PG-13 rating, kinda in between.

If you're looking for more from the Beast Hunter world, definitely give this a read!

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

I enjoyed Ro's origin story, but it felt a bit like just a bunch of backstory instead of a complete story. It was interesting and entertaining, but it definitely just runs right into the book she wrote. There's also a small, annoying disparity between the two. I think it would've worked better without the perspective of the villain--who's not really a villain in this one. I think I liked this story better than the novel.

[Tori Rainn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this novella. I was hooked from the start the moment we were introduced to both Rose and Cosette. Awesome characters with plenty of depth. But, man, were Rose’ other sisters such snobs. Ugh, they drove me nuts. Grateful Rose and Cosette and their brothers were the only leveled-headed people out of the bunch.
 
This a short read, but offers plenty in a short amount of time. Note this is a prequel to Kill The Beast. Review coming on that soon.

[Erin Dydek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beast Hunter was a quick read and a delightful teaser. I enjoyed meeting the characters and was intrigued by the story’s events. There was more magic than I expected and my curiosity was piqued by Ro’s abilities. I didn’t get a clear picture on what role some of the characters will play in the full-length story continued in Kill the Beast, but I’m excited to see how everything unfolds.

[Stevie Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story of a young woman wanting better for her family. Some portions were confusing and the characters needed to be fleshed out more but I’m hoping that will happen when I delve into the next book as this was a novella. I am curious about the beast and Magic as well.

[J.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I'll admit, I love fairytale retellings, but this one has some really unique twists to it. I couldn't put it down! Counting the days until the full length novel is released.

[Jacqueline Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I loved Ro’s name! Some elements of the story weren’t as clear as I would have liked, but seem to be leading up to the events of book 1. Curious to see where the series will lead.

[Susan Laspe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! I can’t wait to see where the story leads in the next book!

[Caryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This prequel is an enticing morsel. It's a quick, clean read.

Recommend to readers who enjoy clean, fairytale retellings.

I won a copy. I've expressed my honest opinion.

[Crystal Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute

Cute quick read. Interesting premise and gets you excited for kill the beast. I am glad I purchased this book

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the way Harper develops the characters in this novella.
I am definitely looking forward to reading Kill the Beast and anything else in this series!