Good story but I wanted a larger Vampire focus
I have been craving the long awaited (and much needed) return of vampire stories to YA fantasy. We went through a time period when they were all the rage and then they just disappeared whilst ripping out my heart upon their untimely departure. So you can imagine that when The Beautiful came across my radar, my vampire loving heart kicked into full gear. Not to mention, this book took place in the 1800s amongst the backdrop of the illustrious New Orleans (Interview with a Vampire anyone?).
It’s 1872 and seventeen year old Celine Rousseau has just arrived to the mysterious city of New Orleans alongside six other girls. They’ve all been taken in at a local convent where they will stay until a suitable match is found for them. Celine clearly has secrets from her past in Paris that haunt her, so she embraces this new life in New Orleans with open arms. Celine soon finds herself entangled with the dark underworld of The Court of Lions, which is led by the brooding and mysterious Sébastien Saint Germain. Bodies drained of blood start emerging, and it’s clear that some sort of demonic serial killer is on the loose. Celine must find a way to track down the hunter without losing herself to the intoxicating dark side that New Orleans is known for.
I’ll start with the things that I enjoyed about this story: the writing, the incredible descriptions, the mystery surrounding Bastien, the mystery of The Court of Lions, and the demonic related deaths. I think Ahdieh does a fantastic job of immersing all of your senses into each scene that she so lusciously describes as well as creating an atmosphere that’s palpable as you turn the pages. I also really enjoyed the cat and mouse game between Celine and Bastien. It was clear that each one of them was drawn to the either, but neither one was willing to give in without a fight.
What I really wanted from this story was vampires from start to finish. I wanted New Orleans to be crawling with the creatures of the night. I wanted the story to be filled with their supernatural prowess and influence. I wanted this story to scream that vampires are back. However, the majority of the story doesn’t do that. Honestly, vampires aren’t even mentioned until the last 30 pages of the book, which was so frustrating for someone who is a diehard fan.
Again, The Beautiful is a great story, and I don’t want anyone to think otherwise. However, don’t go into this story thinking that it’s a reemergence of all things vampire that we’ve been desperately craving because it’s not.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Bookish First for the ARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
It’s 1872 and seventeen year old Celine Rousseau has just arrived to the mysterious city of New Orleans alongside six other girls. They’ve all been taken in at a local convent where they will stay until a suitable match is found for them. Celine clearly has secrets from her past in Paris that haunt her, so she embraces this new life in New Orleans with open arms. Celine soon finds herself entangled with the dark underworld of The Court of Lions, which is led by the brooding and mysterious Sébastien Saint Germain. Bodies drained of blood start emerging, and it’s clear that some sort of demonic serial killer is on the loose. Celine must find a way to track down the hunter without losing herself to the intoxicating dark side that New Orleans is known for.
I’ll start with the things that I enjoyed about this story: the writing, the incredible descriptions, the mystery surrounding Bastien, the mystery of The Court of Lions, and the demonic related deaths. I think Ahdieh does a fantastic job of immersing all of your senses into each scene that she so lusciously describes as well as creating an atmosphere that’s palpable as you turn the pages. I also really enjoyed the cat and mouse game between Celine and Bastien. It was clear that each one of them was drawn to the either, but neither one was willing to give in without a fight.
What I really wanted from this story was vampires from start to finish. I wanted New Orleans to be crawling with the creatures of the night. I wanted the story to be filled with their supernatural prowess and influence. I wanted this story to scream that vampires are back. However, the majority of the story doesn’t do that. Honestly, vampires aren’t even mentioned until the last 30 pages of the book, which was so frustrating for someone who is a diehard fan.
Again, The Beautiful is a great story, and I don’t want anyone to think otherwise. However, don’t go into this story thinking that it’s a reemergence of all things vampire that we’ve been desperately craving because it’s not.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Bookish First for the ARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
3.5 out of 5 stars.