Beauty Beheld by Brittany Fichter
Fantasy. 478 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
King Everard and Queen Isabelle have no heir. Two children have no family. But what happens when Isa and Ever find out that these children might be the greatest threat the kingdom has seen in 500 years?
In this retelling of Hansel and Gretel, Henri and his little sister, Genny, find themselves abandoned in the forest when something dark beckons to them. Something sweet. And though Henri strives to use his special abilities to protect his sister, the call soon becomes too strong for even him to ignore.
Back at the Fortress, King Everard and Queen Isabelle are enjoying a reign of peace, but what should be a time of joy is marred by the pain of being childless. So when Isa and Ever find themselves in charge of two forsaken children with unusual abilities, and they are called to face an enemy with unexpected connections to Ever’s past, they must trust the Fortress once again if they wish to hold onto their kingdom, the hope of parenthood, and ultimately, one another.
Beauty Beheld is the third book in The Becoming Beauty Trilogy and also the third book in the Classical Kingdom Collection, a series of clean fairy tales retold to help readers find the long lost world of magic and destiny. Buy Beauty Beheld today to rediscover the fairy tales that taught you to wonder as a child.
My Review:
The third and final installment of the Becoming Beauty trilogy (also the third Classical Kingdoms book, but not the final one) completely and utterly melted my heart. Y’all I don’t even like Hansel and Gretel! Never have! But Henri and Genny touched my heart. They were so sweet and I can’t wait to see more of this beautiful family in future stories!
Fichter is a master at her craft. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she nails her characters!!! Henri and Genny were our newest cast members, and they added a whole new element to this story. I really enjoyed reading bits from Henri’s pov. His protectiveness over his sister, his weariness of strangers and new things, his broken little heart and lost innocence just spoke to me. I wanted to reach through the pages and give him the biggest bear hug there ever was. Sacha was a really cool character, too. I liked getting to see her world and the transitional realm. I hope we get more of that in other stories, too. Sacha was a puzzle, and I very much enjoyed seeing her layers unfold. Of course, our returning stellar cast are the real reason we showed up yet again. Fichter dove even deeper into Isa and Ever’s hearts and drew out yet more. I love how fierce and tender they are, respectively. I love seeing how they interact with each other, with their people, and in dire situations like these. And we can’t neglect Gigi and Garin, cause everyone knows Gigi is a force to be reckoned with and Garin’s my favorite. Unforgettable characters! We even got a golden glimpse of my boy Launce! And, of course, the ever lovely Olivia. What a treat it is to see familiar faces! And, I must add, I mourned a loss in this story. It hurt so much I called my mom to ball to her after I’d spent half an hour crying! I won’t spoil and say whom, but I will say it was so beautifully handled. I felt the loss, but I also felt the peace. A fitting end for a fitting soul.
Just as spellbinding as her characters, Fichter’s plots are woven with care and a little bit of magic. Like I said, I’ve never been a fan of Hansel and Gretel. I never hated the story, but I’ve never liked it either. Entertwined with our star Beauty and her Beast, this retelling felt completely natural. Even more than that, I was wholeheartedly invested in the children. I liked how they weren’t the only ones tied into the disappearing act or the candy house (and I thought the candy house itself was cleverly handled). Though they did follow the traditional Hansel and Gretel tale, Henri and Genny weren’t the only kids either. I was drawn in by the pied piper-like mystery, but by the same token, I was really growing to like Henri and Genny. I invested in them pretty much right off the bat–cause Fichter doesn’t pull punches. She hit hard from page one and I was down for the count! But I also appreciated how the story grew to be more. As Fichter does so well, she drew out the best of the fairy tale, kept it classy, and stirred in her own dose of something special. From beginning to end, I was thoroughly engaged in the plot.
We explored a bit of new setting as the world expanded just a little more for us. We got to see legends come forth and a tear in the very fabric of the world that led to a lot of problems. The Sorthileige element was intriguing and I felt like it built upon what we’ve seen in the previous two books. And I very much look forward to what else this world has in store in future stories!
Well-written, masterfully told tale. Found I think maybe two typos, but that was it. Clean romance, one foul word used (and I’d have said it too!) I think two times. Some mild violence, but very tactfully handled. There are deep themes threaded throughout where characters struggle with concieving, self-worth, belonging, doubt, abandonment, etc. There are some dark themes to consider, but I’d be perfectly comfortable handing this to a preteen. Fichter writes what’s real. She isn’t afraid to explore pain. And I love her for that. Brittany, I’d follow you to the blackest depths because I know how brightly you show off that light. It’s worth it. Every time.
More:
Book 1 in the Becoming Beauty trilogy is Before Beauty (5 Stars)
Book 2 is Blinding Beauty (5 Stars)
Note: These are also a part of the Classical Kingdoms series; for that order, click here and scroll down to the bottom.
I have rated and reviewed the above on Goodreads. Click the links above to find out more.
This trilogy should be read in order.
On Gracebought:
If you missed it, be sure to check out the reviews for the previous books in the series here on GraceBought! And stay tuned next week for my thoughts on the next book!