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Beautiful Undone
It’s been nearly ten years since Quade last heard from Victor, his childhood friend and eventual lover. Resigned to a life of work and drudgery, the last thing Quade could have anticipated was an ominous summons from Victor to attend him at his home, Suriyel. With little thought to the consequences of his actions, Quade makes immediate plans to leave the city. After all, no matter the time or distance between them, Quade could never deny Victor anything.
Victor, a powerful and reclusive mage, is now the Lord of Suriyel. With all the years he’s spent hiding from the world, he’s no longer able to imagine a life outside the boundaries of his lands. His every moment is devoted to untangling the curse wrapped around his sister, compounding her already failing health.
Unbeknownst to the world at large, the tarn at Suriyel acts as a gateway to myriad alternate worlds. That gateway has been breached by Tristan Armoni, a power-hungry duke from another dimension–a duke who happens to be Victor’s mirror image and seeks to control more than just his own world. All that stands between Suriyel and Tristan is Victor’s magic. Without knowing the full extent of Tristan’s goals, Victor is desperate to find a way to save both his world and his sister.
For Tristan, no act is too depraved and no step too far. He will stop at nothing to see his mysterious plans through to the end.
Victor, a powerful and reclusive mage, is now the Lord of Suriyel. With all the years he’s spent hiding from the world, he’s no longer able to imagine a life outside the boundaries of his lands. His every moment is devoted to untangling the curse wrapped around his sister, compounding her already failing health.
Unbeknownst to the world at large, the tarn at Suriyel acts as a gateway to myriad alternate worlds. That gateway has been breached by Tristan Armoni, a power-hungry duke from another dimension–a duke who happens to be Victor’s mirror image and seeks to control more than just his own world. All that stands between Suriyel and Tristan is Victor’s magic. Without knowing the full extent of Tristan’s goals, Victor is desperate to find a way to save both his world and his sister.
For Tristan, no act is too depraved and no step too far. He will stop at nothing to see his mysterious plans through to the end.
367 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2023
7 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Polk
11 books70 followersMel writes indulgent novels that range from fantasy to romance and everything in between. Their vices include swearing like a sailor and having no concept of chill. They are slightly more mushroom than human and would honestly rather be coloring than adulting. Their hobbies include reading voraciously, drinking entirely too much coffee, and failing at commas.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 21, 2024
Read for SPFBO9 as part of team Fantasy Book Critic
Beautiful Undone is a character-driven fantasy romance that’s pitched as a queer retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Though, in the acknowledgements of this book the author admits that it somehow became “more like a reimagining gone awry”, and I honestly love it all the more for that.
This story follows childhood friends and estranged lovers Victor and Quade, who haven’t seen or spoken to each other in nearly 10 years. But when Quade suddenly gets an unexpected letter from his long lost love, he doesn’t hesitate a single moment to pack his stuff and travel to Victor’s estate. Upon arriving, though, it immediately becomes clear that something nefarious is going on and it doesn’t take long for total chaos to ensue.
What follows is a tale full of eerie gothic vibes, devastating curses, alternate worlds, nefarious doppelgangers, and, of course, a whole lot of steamy queer love. Oh, and we can’t forget about the unruly comedic relief cat, what an icon!
Now, the fact that this is not a high fantasy with a grand scope doesn’t mean that the stakes are any less high than in those sweeping epics, they are just a lot more personal.
This book absolutely shines in its character work and I really liked that the author made this a multi-POV story that includes the perspective of the ‘villain’, because that made the whole conflict so much more nuanced and complex.
These characters are very passionate and often let their emotions drive their actions, which sky-rocketed the levels of tension and made everyone feel so relatable and human.
Because of the fact that the characters and their complicated interpersonal relationships are the main focus of the story, the plot can feel a bit aimless at times. However, I personally didn’t mind the slower pacing too much, because I happen to like just spending time with characters sitting in their feelings. Also, Quade and Victor’s dramatic inner turmoil is just top-notch and I was very gripped by their complicated yet wholesome dynamic. I’ll admit that I could’ve done with a bit more slow-burn pining and a lot less smut, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. I could still acknowledge that the sexy times were well-written, so if you like steamy (queer) romances, you are in for a real treat here!
And luckily for me, the author did a great job of balancing the romance out with the fantasy elements, so there were still tons of other things to enjoy for me here. The world building isn’t rock-solid or anything, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how well the author pulled off all the crazy twists and turns here. The slow unravelling of the whole mystery behind all the uncanny things that were going on at Victor’s estate was riveting and I particularly loved the exploration of the parallel world. And even though the magic does remain elusive and largely unexplained, I personally appreciated that and thought it really fit with the overall ethereal and fever dream-like vibe of the story.
Speaking of fever dream vibes, the prose here is incredibly stunning and just utterly mesmerising. In my opinion, Polk masterfully emulates Poe’s trademark atmospheric and haunting storytelling, but without ever feeling like a copy-cat. This book has the intense levels of delicious melodrama that only (classic) gothic literature can pull off without becoming annoying, and I loved that. The evocative and lush writing style just made all the emotional and sensual scenes hit all the harder, which was perfect for this story.
Safe to say, this book was just one wild and titillating emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. The ending was very satisfying yet also beautifully bittersweet, which is exactly how I like it.
Beautiful Undone contains everything you’d expect from a Poe retelling, except it’s a bit quirkier and a whole lot more queer! So, if you are looking for a queer gothic fantasy romance with messy characters, soul-stirring prose, insane levels of tension, and lots of steam, then this is the book for you.
Beautiful Undone is a character-driven fantasy romance that’s pitched as a queer retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Though, in the acknowledgements of this book the author admits that it somehow became “more like a reimagining gone awry”, and I honestly love it all the more for that.
This story follows childhood friends and estranged lovers Victor and Quade, who haven’t seen or spoken to each other in nearly 10 years. But when Quade suddenly gets an unexpected letter from his long lost love, he doesn’t hesitate a single moment to pack his stuff and travel to Victor’s estate. Upon arriving, though, it immediately becomes clear that something nefarious is going on and it doesn’t take long for total chaos to ensue.
What follows is a tale full of eerie gothic vibes, devastating curses, alternate worlds, nefarious doppelgangers, and, of course, a whole lot of steamy queer love. Oh, and we can’t forget about the unruly comedic relief cat, what an icon!
Now, the fact that this is not a high fantasy with a grand scope doesn’t mean that the stakes are any less high than in those sweeping epics, they are just a lot more personal.
This book absolutely shines in its character work and I really liked that the author made this a multi-POV story that includes the perspective of the ‘villain’, because that made the whole conflict so much more nuanced and complex.
These characters are very passionate and often let their emotions drive their actions, which sky-rocketed the levels of tension and made everyone feel so relatable and human.
Because of the fact that the characters and their complicated interpersonal relationships are the main focus of the story, the plot can feel a bit aimless at times. However, I personally didn’t mind the slower pacing too much, because I happen to like just spending time with characters sitting in their feelings. Also, Quade and Victor’s dramatic inner turmoil is just top-notch and I was very gripped by their complicated yet wholesome dynamic. I’ll admit that I could’ve done with a bit more slow-burn pining and a lot less smut, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. I could still acknowledge that the sexy times were well-written, so if you like steamy (queer) romances, you are in for a real treat here!
And luckily for me, the author did a great job of balancing the romance out with the fantasy elements, so there were still tons of other things to enjoy for me here. The world building isn’t rock-solid or anything, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how well the author pulled off all the crazy twists and turns here. The slow unravelling of the whole mystery behind all the uncanny things that were going on at Victor’s estate was riveting and I particularly loved the exploration of the parallel world. And even though the magic does remain elusive and largely unexplained, I personally appreciated that and thought it really fit with the overall ethereal and fever dream-like vibe of the story.
Speaking of fever dream vibes, the prose here is incredibly stunning and just utterly mesmerising. In my opinion, Polk masterfully emulates Poe’s trademark atmospheric and haunting storytelling, but without ever feeling like a copy-cat. This book has the intense levels of delicious melodrama that only (classic) gothic literature can pull off without becoming annoying, and I loved that. The evocative and lush writing style just made all the emotional and sensual scenes hit all the harder, which was perfect for this story.
Safe to say, this book was just one wild and titillating emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. The ending was very satisfying yet also beautifully bittersweet, which is exactly how I like it.
Beautiful Undone contains everything you’d expect from a Poe retelling, except it’s a bit quirkier and a whole lot more queer! So, if you are looking for a queer gothic fantasy romance with messy characters, soul-stirring prose, insane levels of tension, and lots of steam, then this is the book for you.
March 24, 2023
4.5/5 rounded up! I can’t believe this book doesn’t have more hype— it’s wonderful!
Pitched as a queer retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, Beautiful Undone follows the story of childhood friends turned estranged lovers Victor and Quade. When Victor is suddenly called home to tend to the unruly curse eating away at his ancestral home and his sister’s health, he’s forced to abandon everything he loves most about his former life— including Quade. The story picks up after ten years apart, years where Victor has grown more and more tormented by his family’s curse and the unsteady magic within him, and years Quade spent writing letters to Victor. They’re both heartbroken and missing the other when, out of nowhere, a letter arrives on Quade’s doorstep inviting him to Victor’s home. Quade jumps at the opportunity to be reunited with his long lost love only… Victor didn’t write the letter.
The curse ravaging Victor’s life has created a parallel world, including a man named Tristan— Victor’s body-hopping doppelgänger. Not only does Tristan have a vicious vendetta against Victor and his family, he can also inhabit Victor’s body while he sleeps. And now, he’s invited Victor’s estranged love to his home for nefarious, shadowy reasons.
Freshly reunited, most of the book follows the two men relearning what it means to fall in love in a tumultuous situation, all while battling a thorny ancestral curse and a vicious doppelgänger to boot. I loved the mix between high intensity magical action and the more emotional moments of romance and yearning between the two men. Although some parts of the pacing felt a bit off to me and I was a little confused by the ending, I was riveted the entire time and was really swept away by Polk’s atmospheric, transportive prose. I loved the gothic elements and how claustrophobic the setting felt, especially the scenes in the parallel universe of Tristan’s home. I can’t wait to read more by the author and would highly recommend to anyone looking for queer fantasy romance, retellings, or a good old gothic story!
Pitched as a queer retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, Beautiful Undone follows the story of childhood friends turned estranged lovers Victor and Quade. When Victor is suddenly called home to tend to the unruly curse eating away at his ancestral home and his sister’s health, he’s forced to abandon everything he loves most about his former life— including Quade. The story picks up after ten years apart, years where Victor has grown more and more tormented by his family’s curse and the unsteady magic within him, and years Quade spent writing letters to Victor. They’re both heartbroken and missing the other when, out of nowhere, a letter arrives on Quade’s doorstep inviting him to Victor’s home. Quade jumps at the opportunity to be reunited with his long lost love only… Victor didn’t write the letter.
The curse ravaging Victor’s life has created a parallel world, including a man named Tristan— Victor’s body-hopping doppelgänger. Not only does Tristan have a vicious vendetta against Victor and his family, he can also inhabit Victor’s body while he sleeps. And now, he’s invited Victor’s estranged love to his home for nefarious, shadowy reasons.
Freshly reunited, most of the book follows the two men relearning what it means to fall in love in a tumultuous situation, all while battling a thorny ancestral curse and a vicious doppelgänger to boot. I loved the mix between high intensity magical action and the more emotional moments of romance and yearning between the two men. Although some parts of the pacing felt a bit off to me and I was a little confused by the ending, I was riveted the entire time and was really swept away by Polk’s atmospheric, transportive prose. I loved the gothic elements and how claustrophobic the setting felt, especially the scenes in the parallel universe of Tristan’s home. I can’t wait to read more by the author and would highly recommend to anyone looking for queer fantasy romance, retellings, or a good old gothic story!
October 14, 2023
4.5 stars rounded down.
This book is pitched as a queer reimagining of Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ - although I suspect this is more inspiration than true formula. I might not be super familiar with the source material but the book definitely delivers on the atmosphere and vibes (also the tv show soon so that’s good timing)
Victor and Quade’s burgeoning childhood romance is cut short when Victor retreats to his family’s land due to a mysterious curse afflicting his sister, turning them into recluses. The story picks up 10 years later after Quade receives a letter requesting he come visit alluding to Victors pending mysterious death and takes off from there (and of course cause he’s still carrying the worlds biggest torch, drops everything and goes running).
This story features
- second chance romance
- Some steamy scenes and romantic tension and chemistry
- Magic/ magic users (although not a prominent feature)
- evil fae like creatures
- Doppelgängers
- Hidden family mysteries
- Solid, complex character work
- Morally grey (mostly black) villains.
I feel like this story is very in keeping with the brand of dark morally ambiguous fantasy I’ve come to expect from Melissa Polk. It was a good time, I feel like this isn’t a sweeping epic but maybe falls into the sub genre my brain calls cozy horror(ish?).
This book is pitched as a queer reimagining of Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ - although I suspect this is more inspiration than true formula. I might not be super familiar with the source material but the book definitely delivers on the atmosphere and vibes (also the tv show soon so that’s good timing)
Victor and Quade’s burgeoning childhood romance is cut short when Victor retreats to his family’s land due to a mysterious curse afflicting his sister, turning them into recluses. The story picks up 10 years later after Quade receives a letter requesting he come visit alluding to Victors pending mysterious death and takes off from there (and of course cause he’s still carrying the worlds biggest torch, drops everything and goes running).
This story features
- second chance romance
- Some steamy scenes and romantic tension and chemistry
- Magic/ magic users (although not a prominent feature)
- evil fae like creatures
- Doppelgängers
- Hidden family mysteries
- Solid, complex character work
- Morally grey (mostly black) villains.
I feel like this story is very in keeping with the brand of dark morally ambiguous fantasy I’ve come to expect from Melissa Polk. It was a good time, I feel like this isn’t a sweeping epic but maybe falls into the sub genre my brain calls cozy horror(ish?).
July 1, 2025
3.5 stars.
For most of this I was expecting it to be a solid 4 stars. The world, plot, and romance all seemed promising up until the halfway point.
I really enjoyed the characters and their romance for most of it, until it took over plot and world. While I liked jumping into this magical world with little guidance, happy to learn as a went, it was not fleshed out enough for my interest, and the plot was pretty simple from start to finish; defeat Victor’s doppelgänger demon mirror self. I felt it could have been more.
The romance was sweet for the whole book, but there were many times that I was thinking; okay I am glad you both forgive and have some fluffy sweet times BUT, things need to progress plot-wise for me to feel invested.
Overall good read, but felt like there were holes.
For most of this I was expecting it to be a solid 4 stars. The world, plot, and romance all seemed promising up until the halfway point.
I really enjoyed the characters and their romance for most of it, until it took over plot and world. While I liked jumping into this magical world with little guidance, happy to learn as a went, it was not fleshed out enough for my interest, and the plot was pretty simple from start to finish; defeat Victor’s doppelgänger demon mirror self. I felt it could have been more.
The romance was sweet for the whole book, but there were many times that I was thinking; okay I am glad you both forgive and have some fluffy sweet times BUT, things need to progress plot-wise for me to feel invested.
Overall good read, but felt like there were holes.
December 26, 2022
I've been meaning to write a review for this one for a while because I was lucky enough to get to read an ARC.
It's haunted me like the fever dream this book is, just excellently written, and Uriel is my favorite character. Although Quade and Victor were close runner ups.
It's haunted me like the fever dream this book is, just excellently written, and Uriel is my favorite character. Although Quade and Victor were close runner ups.
December 18, 2022
Exquisitely written. This is a fantastic story.
June 9, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
June 1, 2023
I adored BEAUTIFUL UNDONE and its cast of characters. Polk weaves an intimate story of two people finding solace after troubled times. I can't wait for more readers to find this and fall in love with it.
November 8, 2023
3,5 (rounded up)
Beautiful Undone is an elegantly written re-telling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, a queer gothic romantasy with curses, mysteries and a villainous antagonist.
First things first: The book starts with a dream sequence that didn't work for me as an introduction and it almost put me off reading on. I read it anyway and I'm glad I did, because I was then quickly drawn into the plot.
After a decade of separation, Quade receives a letter informing him his former lover Victor, Lord of Suriyel, is ill and wants to see him. Quade immediately travels to Suriyel where he's confronted with one oddity after another: His arrival clearly wasn't expected, the master of the house seems to be avoiding him, and the estate is run-down. Not enough: When Quade and Victor finally meet, it turns out Victor has never written such a letter. Quade learns that Victor's sister Danica is suffering from a curse-induced disease, that the women of Victor's family are magically bound to the land as guardians and that the tarn is a gateway to an alternate world. A world from which Tristan Armoni, a power-hungry lord, threatens to take over Victor's world.
With the unwavering help of Quade and relying on his own magic, Victor must find a way to save both his sister and his world – all this without getting too distracted by the rekindled love and passion for Quade and their deepening relationship.
Most of the time, this story feels like a kind of fantasy chamber play that captures the feeling of being isolated perfectly. Apart from a few scenes with Quade in the beginning, the entire plot takes place at Suriyel or its counterpart estate in the parallel world; the number of characters is limited.
Fans of gothic literature will enjoy the many references to Poe's tale: a brother and sister as the only remaining family members, a lonely manor house in a remote area, an adjacent tarn, a progressive illness, the siblings' fate connected to their estate and lands, lightnings storms, and above all the sense of impending doom. Whereas in Poe's short story, however, the evil manifests itself in the human psyche and comes from within, here we have a clear – external– antagonist in the form of Tristan.
The story is told via three POVs, namely the two lovers and the antagonist. Tristan getting his own POV is certainly a good decision, as this gives the reader an insight into his mind. Still, I had problems with seeing more than the “villain” in him, but then overall I found it hard to connect with the characters from the “other” world; Quade and Victor trusting some of them and forging alliances felt a bit rushed to me.
The main protagonists are relatable characters with flaws and strengths alike, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Beyond that, I felt myself particularly drawn to some of the side characters: Suriyel's endearing staff, consisting of a maid, a footman and a cook. Loyal and deeply caring, sharing the reclusive life of their lordships, they appear more like found family than mere servants. The softened hierarchy between nobles and servants shows, for example, by Victor eating in the kitchen in the company of Cook who has taken over the role of mother when the siblings' real mother died, Victor helping footman Harris cutting wood or Ann, the maid, lovingly caring for the often bed-ridden Danica, reading novels to her and all.
When we talk about great characters, we must not forget Uriel, Quade's cheeky but adorable cat. He's a character in his own right who not only appears as comic relief, but also repeatedly influences the plot.
One issue I did not like at all: At one point, some characters sit together in a sort of crisis meeting. While Danica is talking about a traumatic experience in the past, our POV character's attention is divided between listening to her narration and lusting after his partner, then the two start to flirt with each other. I understand that hormones can go crazy when you're freshly in love (again). Still, I found the timing for this definitely wrong and the flirting out of place, and it put me off quite a bit.
(This example aside, I very much loved the relationship between the siblings, their protectiveness over each other, their love and understanding.)
I thought the pacing was well-balanced with the expected drop once the pining was over. Of course, this has only to do with my personal preference. While I crave slow-burn and wouldn't mind if it went on (almost?) forever, my attention usually drops when it's over and the more steamy passages begin so that I ask myself: “Plot, where art thou?“ ;-)
All the more so when, as here, the stakes are high and (more?) important things are to be done. Funnily, at one point even the characters themselves seem to be aware of that; the following quote sums up nicely my feelings: “Shall we, then? I fear we're rather later than we planned, what with your delightful interlude in bed earlier.”
Polk's beautiful, lush prose deserves a special mention. To give just one example: “Quade weaved between groups of men and women like an eel through banks of seaweed.“
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it in particular to fans of mystery, M/M romantasy as well as gothic fantasy.
Fun fact: Quade's cat Uriel definitely belongs to a place called Suriyel, right? Small wonder he immediately feels at home. ;-)
Beautiful Undone is an elegantly written re-telling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, a queer gothic romantasy with curses, mysteries and a villainous antagonist.
First things first: The book starts with a dream sequence that didn't work for me as an introduction and it almost put me off reading on. I read it anyway and I'm glad I did, because I was then quickly drawn into the plot.
After a decade of separation, Quade receives a letter informing him his former lover Victor, Lord of Suriyel, is ill and wants to see him. Quade immediately travels to Suriyel where he's confronted with one oddity after another: His arrival clearly wasn't expected, the master of the house seems to be avoiding him, and the estate is run-down. Not enough: When Quade and Victor finally meet, it turns out Victor has never written such a letter. Quade learns that Victor's sister Danica is suffering from a curse-induced disease, that the women of Victor's family are magically bound to the land as guardians and that the tarn is a gateway to an alternate world. A world from which Tristan Armoni, a power-hungry lord, threatens to take over Victor's world.
With the unwavering help of Quade and relying on his own magic, Victor must find a way to save both his sister and his world – all this without getting too distracted by the rekindled love and passion for Quade and their deepening relationship.
Most of the time, this story feels like a kind of fantasy chamber play that captures the feeling of being isolated perfectly. Apart from a few scenes with Quade in the beginning, the entire plot takes place at Suriyel or its counterpart estate in the parallel world; the number of characters is limited.
Fans of gothic literature will enjoy the many references to Poe's tale: a brother and sister as the only remaining family members, a lonely manor house in a remote area, an adjacent tarn, a progressive illness, the siblings' fate connected to their estate and lands, lightnings storms, and above all the sense of impending doom. Whereas in Poe's short story, however, the evil manifests itself in the human psyche and comes from within, here we have a clear – external– antagonist in the form of Tristan.
The story is told via three POVs, namely the two lovers and the antagonist. Tristan getting his own POV is certainly a good decision, as this gives the reader an insight into his mind. Still, I had problems with seeing more than the “villain” in him, but then overall I found it hard to connect with the characters from the “other” world; Quade and Victor trusting some of them and forging alliances felt a bit rushed to me.
The main protagonists are relatable characters with flaws and strengths alike, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Beyond that, I felt myself particularly drawn to some of the side characters: Suriyel's endearing staff, consisting of a maid, a footman and a cook. Loyal and deeply caring, sharing the reclusive life of their lordships, they appear more like found family than mere servants. The softened hierarchy between nobles and servants shows, for example, by Victor eating in the kitchen in the company of Cook who has taken over the role of mother when the siblings' real mother died, Victor helping footman Harris cutting wood or Ann, the maid, lovingly caring for the often bed-ridden Danica, reading novels to her and all.
When we talk about great characters, we must not forget Uriel, Quade's cheeky but adorable cat. He's a character in his own right who not only appears as comic relief, but also repeatedly influences the plot.
One issue I did not like at all: At one point, some characters sit together in a sort of crisis meeting. While Danica is talking about a traumatic experience in the past, our POV character's attention is divided between listening to her narration and lusting after his partner, then the two start to flirt with each other. I understand that hormones can go crazy when you're freshly in love (again). Still, I found the timing for this definitely wrong and the flirting out of place, and it put me off quite a bit.
(This example aside, I very much loved the relationship between the siblings, their protectiveness over each other, their love and understanding.)
I thought the pacing was well-balanced with the expected drop once the pining was over. Of course, this has only to do with my personal preference. While I crave slow-burn and wouldn't mind if it went on (almost?) forever, my attention usually drops when it's over and the more steamy passages begin so that I ask myself: “Plot, where art thou?“ ;-)
All the more so when, as here, the stakes are high and (more?) important things are to be done. Funnily, at one point even the characters themselves seem to be aware of that; the following quote sums up nicely my feelings: “Shall we, then? I fear we're rather later than we planned, what with your delightful interlude in bed earlier.”
Polk's beautiful, lush prose deserves a special mention. To give just one example: “Quade weaved between groups of men and women like an eel through banks of seaweed.“
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it in particular to fans of mystery, M/M romantasy as well as gothic fantasy.
Fun fact: Quade's cat Uriel definitely belongs to a place called Suriyel, right? Small wonder he immediately feels at home. ;-)
May 16, 2023
Melissa Polk. Stars bless you for writing this book. It is INCREDIBLE. I have never written a review here before, but this book changed that, so here is my first review. I’m going to break it up into two parts:
The reasons why you should read this book:
- The classic Edgar Allen Poe gothic feeling in this book is amazing, I don’t know how else to describe it, but this book made me feel like I graduated with a degree from Oxford. I felt smart, and I’m obsessed.
- MULTIPLE POVs!!! I love a good viol with multiple POVs because you get the story from every angle, every feeling, every thought, question, etc. Amazing.
- Uriel the comic relief cat 🫶🫶🫶 seriously, at some of the more stressful points of this story, Melissa hits you with the quirkiness of a cat’s existence.
- Finally, and probably the biggest point for me, the representation in this book. Melissa’s representation doesn’t miss in terms of the LGBTQ+ community as well as the non-binary community. The only thing I was missing was trans representation.
The amazing points and general thoughts:
There are no spoilers in this part, but there are plot themes that I am about to talk about. First thing’s first, I love Quade and I would dîę for him. He’s been through some stuff, but haven’t we all?? He and Victors relationship is so wholesome and exactly what I want in a romance. Yes, it’s complicated, but that’s what makes it so REAL and raw. They truly are the definition of soulmates. Also, when it comes time for Victor to tell Quade about his situation, he doesn’t dance around the subject, he just gets straight to the point and I LOVE THAT!!! It’s a huge pet peeve of mine when two trusting characters are discussing one’s situation and they dance around the point or something interrupts them, but not here, and I love everything about that. The only thing that I would have liked to see more of is world building. Some of the characters have magic, so I would have loved to know more context about the world itself since it’s so unique that it has magic and more. But in no way does it take away from the book itself.
Overall, this book was seriously such a good book and it needs more hype!!! Definitely worth my first review ever and go read this book!!! Tell your friends about this book!!!
The reasons why you should read this book:
- The classic Edgar Allen Poe gothic feeling in this book is amazing, I don’t know how else to describe it, but this book made me feel like I graduated with a degree from Oxford. I felt smart, and I’m obsessed.
- MULTIPLE POVs!!! I love a good viol with multiple POVs because you get the story from every angle, every feeling, every thought, question, etc. Amazing.
- Uriel the comic relief cat 🫶🫶🫶 seriously, at some of the more stressful points of this story, Melissa hits you with the quirkiness of a cat’s existence.
- Finally, and probably the biggest point for me, the representation in this book. Melissa’s representation doesn’t miss in terms of the LGBTQ+ community as well as the non-binary community. The only thing I was missing was trans representation.
The amazing points and general thoughts:
There are no spoilers in this part, but there are plot themes that I am about to talk about. First thing’s first, I love Quade and I would dîę for him. He’s been through some stuff, but haven’t we all?? He and Victors relationship is so wholesome and exactly what I want in a romance. Yes, it’s complicated, but that’s what makes it so REAL and raw. They truly are the definition of soulmates. Also, when it comes time for Victor to tell Quade about his situation, he doesn’t dance around the subject, he just gets straight to the point and I LOVE THAT!!! It’s a huge pet peeve of mine when two trusting characters are discussing one’s situation and they dance around the point or something interrupts them, but not here, and I love everything about that. The only thing that I would have liked to see more of is world building. Some of the characters have magic, so I would have loved to know more context about the world itself since it’s so unique that it has magic and more. But in no way does it take away from the book itself.
Overall, this book was seriously such a good book and it needs more hype!!! Definitely worth my first review ever and go read this book!!! Tell your friends about this book!!!
November 4, 2022
**Melissa was kind enough to give me an ARC for review**
"I am more than just magic and tragic angst, you know."
Beautiful Undone is full of the gothic beauty you would expect from a Poe retelling combined with a tale of rekindled childhood love that will make your heart ache and sing in equal measure. It is easy to lose yourself in the magic of Suriyel. I will be thinking about this world for a long time after reading.
"I am more than just magic and tragic angst, you know."
Beautiful Undone is full of the gothic beauty you would expect from a Poe retelling combined with a tale of rekindled childhood love that will make your heart ache and sing in equal measure. It is easy to lose yourself in the magic of Suriyel. I will be thinking about this world for a long time after reading.
October 14, 2022
I was lucky to have read an early version of this and you are NOT READY! The angst? The banter? The pining? Melissa Polk does it again with this queer take on The Fall of the House of Usher
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