With the upcoming release of the new live-action Disney film, Beauty and the Beast, there are sure to be a lot of retellings appearing on the bookshelves. This one, however, has been around for a little while. And if you're looking for a re-imagination of the well-known story, then I highly recommend you check this one out.
In this particular retelling, the beast isn't an actual animal but more of a brutish baron. Jasper, Baron Maleville, finds himself betrothed to the daughter of one of his archenemies in an attempt to underhandedly undo the scoundrel. However, as the wedding party arrives at his manor, it isn't the young and fetching sister he is promised to that catches his attention, rather it is her slightly older, slightly bawdier, sister Lileth. And while Lileth pretends to have absolutely no interest in the baron, it soon becomes very difficult for her to keep her growing attraction a secret.
I really enjoyed several aspects of this story. First of all, Barron writes with prose that transports the reader back in time. With her skillful turning of phrase that sounds remarkably suited to the time period of her writing, it is quiet easy to find oneself immersed in the story. While some authors are not capable of taking such a sophisticated approach to historical fiction, Barron does so in a way that is not only non-distracting from the storyline, it actually enhances the experience.
The character of Lileth, though she is very unlady like in many ways, is immediately likable, and I found myself cheering from her from the very beginning. She is no damsel in distress! Rather, she is witty, charming, and highly intelligent. She doesn't really seem to care what other people think of her and has little time for the rules of high society of the period. There are points in the story when she does show vulnerability, which leaves her a very well-rounded character.
I was not as impressed with Jasper, though, partially because I felt the picture painted of him was a little difficult to follow. My mind kept wanting to make him a hideous beast, but he is described as attractive with some physical scars. Perhaps it was the influence of other "beast" characters that wouldn't let me fully see this character the way Barron intended, but I felt he could have used some more depth and transparency. I did find his backstory very interesting.
There are several other characters that were intriguing and fit in well with the story, including the younger sister who is betrothed to Jasper and the nieces and nephews who live in his home. Barron does a wonderful job of including these other characters and describing the setting where the story unfolds. Even the father who has so many flaws becomes intriguing and charismatic the more we learn about him.
There were some proofreading mistakes, which occasionally distracted from the reading--missing words, phrases that weren't quite complete, etc. But this did not ruin the story for me, and I was able to get back into the action fairly quickly after re-reading a sentence here or there.
Overall, I feel this was a very well-written piece of historical fiction with quite a bit of romance. If you're looking for something to tide you over while you wait for Beauty and the Beast on the big screen, I highly recommend this one. You can find it here on Amazon, and the current price is $2.99. I received my copy for free in exchange for a fair review. If you've read it, let us know in the comments what you thought of Taming Beauty by Lynne Barron.
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