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Before Beauty by Brittany Fichter

Fantasy. 220 Pages. 5 Stars

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Synopsis: 

Prince Everard’s father spent the boy’s youth forging the prince into a warrior. Upon the king’s death, however, Everard realizes he’s lost himself somewhere along the way, and in his pain, makes a decision that brings a dark curse upon both him and the great Fortress that has so long guarded the people of Destin. 

The prince’s sin doesn’t simply affect those of his citadel, however. Isa, the daughter of a local merchant, has suffered the prince’s hasty temper before, and it changed her life forever. When Everard’s final outburst cuts off his people’s source of protection with the curse, he demands that she, a crippled commoner, come to help him break it. All the while, Destin’s northern enemy crouches at the foot of the Fortress’s mountain, waiting for the right moment to capture the stronghold that has stood for a thousand years. 

With the freedom of Destin at stake, can both Everard and Isa find ways to move beyond their brokenness and hatred for one another, not only to break the curse, but to find love as well? Or will they and their beloved kingdom remain under darkness forever?

My Review: 

Beauty and the beast has grown on me. It was never my favorite or my least favorite, but this retelling is absolutely stunning. It was heartwarming and touching, exciting and epic, inspirational and beautifully told. Mrs. Fichter is quickly becoming one of my very favorite authors. I love her characters, her world, and her storyline. She took a classic tale and explained some of the very well-known elements in an all new way!

The plot follows the classic Beauty and the Beast story with a few alterations and several deeper roots. Fichter creates a backstory that leads into the well-known story of a girl who takes her father’s place in a beasts lonely castle. I love the touches of the original, like the nightly routine marriage proposal and the significance of dreams, that were implemented in a whole new way. I love how she handled the servants and the shadows, the healing and the mystery. The fantastical plot elements driving the story outside the castle were sooo much fun, too! I got down right giddy about the blue and gold fire! I was strongly engaged in the battle and the fate of the land, the story outside of the fairy tale. I loved the multifaceted nature of this plot. It was intriguing and drew me in, a page-turner, but so well-balanced with the other important aspects of the story. 

The world continues to pique my interest. I first saw this world briefly in The Green-Eyed Prince. Though I very much enjoyed that story and it made me curious, this book felt like the true introduction into the world. The Fortress is…so unique! It’s an oddity, a curiosity, and I can’t want to dig deeper into the rules and laws of this land Fichter has created. I want to know more about Destin and the surrounding lands. I want to know more about how Isa and Ever reign and what changes they make to the land we’ve been introduced to. I simply loved the castle and also really liked the glimpses we got of the village. I was super excited about the hawks! What cool creatures and a neat magical idea! I hope we develop more of the other cultures and see even more of this warring darkness!

The characters. Guys, I think Fichter writes some of the most amazing characters I’ve ever read. Truly. She has such an awesome grip on character arcs and development. It makes me swoon! I thought I loved Katy and Peter (and, believe me, I do), but Ever and Isa, y’all, Ever and Isa. I love that Fichter takes broken people, people dealing with realproblems that you and I face in real life and she digs into them, explores them, remakes them just like our Maker does! I love that she gives them relevance and relatability. I love that she makes them heroes worth looking-up to and shows how they grow and change, how they become brave and do what’s right. Oh my gosh, and Garin! He was…wow, just amazing! I could read a whole book just about him! I loved the moment of truth! I really, really hope we see more of him! The villain! Oh, she was sooo well done. I’m jealous. She read so effortlessly and seemed so put together. Well-done. Very well-done. 

Everything worked together so well: the world and characters served and supported the plot, the plot drove the characters and utilized the world, etc. It felt seamlessly written! It just makes me want more and more of the story. Good thing there are two more books! *squee!* I did find two or three typos, but they were few and far between, insignificant and easy to dismiss, especially with all of the other amazing things working together to create such a wonderfully-written book! This is what books are supposed to be like!

There is no foul language, very little violence–and none graphic–and a sweet, clean, realistic romance. I cannot recommend this book (or author) more highly!!! Guys, I could just gush and gush and gush. I absolutely loved this. It was stellar and if you haven’t read it, you need to. Like now. Go! Go read it!

More: 

Book 2 in the Becoming Beauty trilogy is Blinding Beauty (5 Stars)

Book 3 is Beauty Beheld  (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 book in the series here on GraceBought! And stay tuned next week for my thoughts on the next book!

The Green-Eyed Prince