Renee Ahdieh is one of those authors who are so good at story telling. Her writing is rich and beautiful, while also evoking a sense of the whimsical and darkness and this was no exception.
The Beautiful is a historical fantasy, set in New Orleans in 1872. It features an investigation into underground murders, and VAMPIRES! I’m so glad vampires are making a comeback, and I am here for this!
One thing I really liked was the main character Celine. Here’s the thing, we learn really early on that she has a bit of a dark history. She flees from France in hopes of a second chance in New Orleans. So she’s hesitant and motivated to make a life for herself before finding herself among the Court of Lions, where things really begin to steam. She also doesn’t take anything from anyone or gives them the satisfaction. She’s quick tongued and clever. Celine was such a fun character.
It’s also a very slow burning book. What I mean by this is that it’s a little slow, at least in the beginning. There’s a lot of introducing characters and their situations and backstories and world building throughout the book before we start realize what is actually going on (even though we do get hints and different perspectives). The romance, although there’s chemistry from the very beginning and we can see the tension slowly building, it is also a slow burning romance. And while I’m usually impatient when it comes to those types of scenes, I found myself relishing in it. There was a tension that grips the reader.
The cast of characters was my favorite thing above all. Arjun was clever and funny, Bastian was dark and mysterious, Pippa was so supportive, and Odette was an overall fun character. There were a few more characters, most diverse and hailing from different backgrounds and upbringings that added life and different perspectives to the story.
If I had to define The Beautiful in one word, it would be lush. The characters were fun, the suspense was nail-biting and the romance was swoony. And of course, we must not forget vampires. This was a story that you relish through its pages with its slow burn and unraveling and I can’t wait to see what Renee Ahdieh has in store for us in the future.
The Beautiful is a historical fantasy, set in New Orleans in 1872. It features an investigation into underground murders, and VAMPIRES! I’m so glad vampires are making a comeback, and I am here for this!
One thing I really liked was the main character Celine. Here’s the thing, we learn really early on that she has a bit of a dark history. She flees from France in hopes of a second chance in New Orleans. So she’s hesitant and motivated to make a life for herself before finding herself among the Court of Lions, where things really begin to steam. She also doesn’t take anything from anyone or gives them the satisfaction. She’s quick tongued and clever. Celine was such a fun character.
It’s also a very slow burning book. What I mean by this is that it’s a little slow, at least in the beginning. There’s a lot of introducing characters and their situations and backstories and world building throughout the book before we start realize what is actually going on (even though we do get hints and different perspectives). The romance, although there’s chemistry from the very beginning and we can see the tension slowly building, it is also a slow burning romance. And while I’m usually impatient when it comes to those types of scenes, I found myself relishing in it. There was a tension that grips the reader.
The cast of characters was my favorite thing above all. Arjun was clever and funny, Bastian was dark and mysterious, Pippa was so supportive, and Odette was an overall fun character. There were a few more characters, most diverse and hailing from different backgrounds and upbringings that added life and different perspectives to the story.
If I had to define The Beautiful in one word, it would be lush. The characters were fun, the suspense was nail-biting and the romance was swoony. And of course, we must not forget vampires. This was a story that you relish through its pages with its slow burn and unraveling and I can’t wait to see what Renee Ahdieh has in store for us in the future.