This book is not my cup of tea. I've had to dnf it.

A tale of lost loves, newfound loves (and beetles!), The Beautiful Ones is definitely on my top 10 list of favorites for 2017.

In a city ruled by manners and etiquette, country girl Nina doesn't quite fit in with the elite and Beautiful Ones of Loisail. Sent to the city to partake in the balls of the Grand Season in hopes of finding a husband, Nina knows that she's not like everyone else. She'd rather be catching butterflies on her family's country estate, or studying beetles, or reading books, anything else but trussed up for display by her wretched cousin, Valérie. Add to that, she's also telekinetic, harboring the ability to move things about with her mind, powers she has no control over. Her powers are the equivalent of a red flag in high-society, and she's labeled a freak and an outcast by most everyone. Urged to keep her powers locked away, Nina still harbors a desire to use them and control them, much like the performers she reads about in various publications. The only bright spot of being in a stuffy city like Loisail is the fact that one of the most famous performers holds, a man named Hector Auvray, holds his show in a theater in town. Hector immediately recognizes Nina as a fellow telekinetic, and he agrees to help her with her gifts.

The Beautiful Ones begins as a story of deception, and slowly and painfully morphs into something truly beautiful. I'll admit, I didn't harbor any sort of goodwill towards Hector in the beginning, but I definitely changed my mind quickly after recognizing exactly what he endured. The love-lost part of the equation was essentially more of a grand manipulation, and it took dear Hector quite a long time to understand that. Although poor Nina had to suffer through his exceptionally slow period of recognition, but better late than never.

The characters were definitely one of the highlights of The Beautiful Ones, second only to the love story. I adore main characters who aren't afraid to go against the grain, and that's exactly who Nina was. In a world where reputation is the only thing women truly have, Nina was not afraid to tarnish hers in order to obtain happiness, truly recognizing that reputation and self-worth have ultimately very little to do with one another. Of course, society definitely isn't as progressive as Nina, so she still bore the taint and the stares and the gossip that comes along with a less-than-sterling rep.

Moreno-Garcia truly isn't afraid to rip readers' hearts out, and she did that on several occasions over the course of this story (you read that right - several). Her ability to convey and evoke such emotion from the pages is truly remarkable, and I loved this story simply for that. My heart broke alongside Nina's, my heart ached right alongside Hector's, and my temper flared right alongside Valérie, although my ire was aimed at her directly. The characters, the incredible love story, and the sheer emotion I felt from the first page is what rocketed this book to my favorite shelf so quickly, and I'm sure it'll remain there for quite some time.

Bottom line - highly recommended for anyone that likes a good love story combined with plenty of emotional, angsty moments. The Beautiful Ones was truly beautiful, and I'll be waiting with bated breath for the next love story Moreno-Garcia graces readers with.

Take a regency style romance, bring in a fantasy twist and combine with a coming of age story, threaded through with the angst of one's self identity in society whilst ever being questioned and you have a novel that is both an enthralling escape of a read, and yet strangely relatable on many levels.

Antonia ‘Nina’ is a young woman from the country, sent to the big city to stay with her cousin and his wife, Valerie, to finish her training as a lady. Valerie is tasked with teaching Nina city etiquette - the who’s who of society, how to dress, when not to speak (most of the time according to Valerie), and a long list of must not’s besides. But all Nina is concerned with is her bugs and reading, and she is quick to speak her intelligent and enquiring mind, has a quick temper - all things that don’t make for a fine lady. To top this off, when her temper arises, so do objects around her, as he has poor control of her telekinetic abilities. This is a further embarrassment as a lady in Valerie’s eyes. Powers are for street performers and low class people, not the rich, and certainly not ladies. The sooner Nina can be married off and out of her house, the better in her eyes.

But then along comes telekinetic performer Hector Auvray. A chance meeting at a party sends Nina’s world into a spin. He has majestic control over his powers, and quickly charms Nina. But all is not as it seems. There is a sour past with Valerie that he keeps hidden. This secret can only end in tears. But for who?

While I loved the twist of the supernatural powers in this book, I would have liked to have seen maybe more of them. However it still did keep me gripped through the development of the characters. At first I feared it would be a predictable love story. Yet the book kept me enthralled, just as the magic tricks did, even though only written. The visual imagery was beautiful when describing them, and this added another layer to the story.

A story of love, passion, magic tricks and self discovery. I felt like I was really brought along on the journey, sailing on a flying mirror, and I wanted to send message to Nina, to shout at Hector, to slap Valerie! It has been a long time since I have felt that invested in characters in a book. Perhaps I discovered a little about myself along the way too….

Kudos to Silvia Moreno-Garcia for diving into yet another genre successfully! From the magical coming-of-age SIGNAL TO NOISE, she moved on to vampire mythology in CERTAIN DARK THINGS and now presents us with a Regency "romance" - with a twist. This book has a very Jane Austen feel to it, which is, of course, a compliment. Nina Beaulieu has come from the country to have a "season" in the London-like city of Loisail, and is staying with her cousin. She has grown up rather wild and has trouble with the strict rules and manners needed to be a successful debutante. She is being tutored in etiquette by her cousin's wife, Valerie, who doesn't like her very much, and things are not going very well. The sudden appearance of a magician from Valerie's past creates an opportunity for Nina to learn to control her telekinetic powers. But there are secrets that Nina knows nothing about that will impact her and those closest to her. This was a very enjoyable read, and I'm impressed by this author's versatility. Looking forward to where her muse takes her next!

Beautiful Ones, Beautiful Lies
Nina has spent most of her life in the country side, far away from the manners and conventions that govern life in Loisail…so when she arrives for her first Grand Season, she finds her adjustment anything but easy. This is complicated by the fact that she must live in the shadow of her perfect, and beautiful cousin through marriage, Valerie. Valerie is one of the Beautiful Ones, to whom everything is given on a silver platter, as she glides through life, throwing money at her problems. But, Nina’s luck starts to change when she meets Hector, aImage result for courting couple victorian gif handsome and wealthy slightly older man, who begins to court her, and seems to be falling in love with her. But perhaps, things are not as they seem…because Hector and Valerie are hiding an explosive and scandalous secret.

The Beautiful Ones is a book that is hard to pigeon hole into one genre. At times it reads like a historical fiction piece, or Jane Austen novel, with a brooding male lead and slightly high strung female lead, beset by the issues that come with wealth and family obligation. At other times, it reads like a paranormal fiction novel, since both Hector and Nina are talents, those who can manipulate the natural world with their minds. This is a force that seems to draw them together, but also one that makes Nina vulnerable to the cruelty of the Beautiful Ones. And finally, at times it reads like a dramatic romance novel, with the sins of the past weighing heavily on the present. One thing that remains constant however, is that the imagery in the book is amazing! In fact, I would say it is one of the most vividly detailed and beautifully written stories I have read in quite some time. At times, I felt as if I could step into the pages of the book and look around, drinking in the colors and sounds of this fictional Image result for stained glass shattering gifworld, which is much like our own. Similarly, the characters are all well developed as they move across the story line, seeming very life-like…Sylvia Moreno-Garcia has a talent for making truly repugnant villains, likable but frustrating protagonists, and everything in between.

The only thing that stopped me from giving this book a full five stars, is that at a few points the drama seemed almost a little too mellow-dramatic, to the point of being totally unbelievable. These instances were rare, however, and would definitely not keep me from highly recommending this book. It has a fast moving plot, wonderful characters, romance, paranormal fantasy, and a truly satisfying ending. Add a copy to your shelf or queue today!

There was a lot here that was interesting, but from the description, I expected more magic and/or oddity. Had I not had that expectation, I think the book would have resonated with me more - as it was, the magic seemed sidelined and incidental. Taken separately from that, the rest of the story was quite excellent.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has mastered many styles and genres, from Lovecraftian horror, to magic realism, to vampire noir. Now she moves into the field of Regency romance, the novel of manners...but with a twist. The two main characters are telekinetics, although that magical element only affects one plot point late in the book. Vivid characters, sparkling dialog, and evocative prose that sets the scene and mood. Recommended.

So this is sort of a historical romance novel with a bit of a fantasy twist to it. I'm going to get my frustration out about that first before I move on to the more positive elements so that we can end on a high.

There is no point to the telekinetic powers. I'll grant they are an interesting addition to the story in that they elevate it from being merely a historical romance novel to something more than that. But with regards to the plot it would have been just as easy to pick an obscure talent that is actually possible and the plot would have been entirely the same. So it feels a bit like that element was added to pull in those who would normally avoid historical romance but like a fantasy novel but won't actually be satisfied by the level of fantasy in this book (maybe you could call it science fiction...I'm not sure). So the fact that there seemed to be no purpose behind it other than a small amount of character development (which could have been achieved with other means) just annoyed me a little.

Having said that, this is a well written story. What I liked most was Moreno-Garcia's way of creating thoroughly unlikeable characters. I remember when I read Anna Karenina a few years ago and I just ended up so bloomin' frustrated with Anna I didn't want her to last through the novel. In this case there is an equally irritating aristocratic woman but she isn't the main character of the piece so it's fine to spend the entire book hating her.

In contrast Nina is an excellent character to read, she's intelligent, kind, inquisitive and while she isn't world-weary nor is she naive. I was rooting for Nina from page 1, seeing a lot of myself in her I suppose.

This isn't an earth shattering book. It doesn't add anything particularly groundbreaking to this genre but it is still a very enjoyable book. There are well conceived characters and a well written plot that did on occasion have me gasping and exclaiming 'what a bitch' which Tom definitely found amusing!

My rating: 4/5 stars

The Beautiful Ones is releasing on the 24th of October so order your copy now if it sounds like it might be for you!

by the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The writing and world in this book were really beautiful.

This book came across as way more of a historical romance than I was expecting. Yes, it did have slight hints of fantasy with the telekinesis, but this was by no means the focus of the story. I had a really hard time with the characters because they came across as naive and weak. They couldn't make up their minds about who they loved or who they didn't love. Hector was your classic male lead who had a bad habit of leading females on and not making up his mind on who he truly wanted to be with. Nina, the female lead, was a naive girl who allowed men to manipulate her. It was just a relationship disaster waiting to happen. I was hoping for more about Nina's journey and discovery about her telekinetic powers and how to control them. It really just wasn't what I was expecting.

A psychologically and sociologically insightful paranormal romance set in an alternate world vaguely inspired by French Louisiana. Full review in a forthcoming issue of Brins d'éternité (ISSN 1710-095X). I would have given it 3.5 stars if the system allowed it.

Review will be posted 1 week before release date: www.geeklyinc.com/the-beautiful-ones-review-roses-damasked

To say that The Beautiful Ones is different from all Silvia Moreno-Garcia's works does a disservice to her: everything she has done is remarkably and admirably different. She is a chameleon of genre, taking on YA coming-of-age (Signal to Noise), sexy urban vampires (Certain Dark Things), and now Regency drama with skill and subversion.

The titular Beautiful Ones are the ruling aristocracy of a country not of this world, but one that exists in most of our imaginations, the Britain we know better from BBC dramas than history books. The only addition is a bit of magic—telekenesis, but of a minor sort, and mostly accepted as a parlor trick, and certainly not the right sort of parlors. The Beautiful Ones do not care for magic that comes so easily; they prefer the magic that money, titles, and gossip can produce. Generally unwilling to be useful, these Beautiful Ones satisfy themselves with intrigue, and the greatest among them is Valerie Beaulieu.
Valerie's circle is stained, however, by the presence of Antonina and Hector, who come to her for very different but equally perilous reasons. Reading this is a bit like reading a long letter to an advice column with no reply. Everyone can see what needs to be done except for those involved, only there's no Dear Abby or Prudence or Sugar to tell them so. Friends give as much advice as friends are able to do, but that is—as I think we all find—never enough and too much all at once. People rarely heed good advice, and this triangle is no different.
It's not stupidity, though, that wrecks everything; it's tragedy. The very best qualities in each character are the things that set them up for the fall: Valerie is passionate, Hector is noble, and Nina is innocent. They mean well, choose poorly, and suffer.

It's not tiresome or even tired, this story, but it is sometimes tiring to read: yet another set of lives ruined by money, by propriety, and by a woman's need to marry instead of make her own way in the world. Their indecision is likewise exhausting, arising as it does from genuine opposing forces rather than mere dithering. Any choice will plunge them into personal or public catastrophe, and the weight of that knowledge is burdensome to us as well as to them.

Yet it's mainly thrilling and urgent to read this period drama without the self-consciously bloated language of those who want to imitate Austen. Moreno-Garcia writes deftly, maintaining a sense of forward progress even when all her characters are thoroughly stuck.
Valerie is a dog in the manger, and despises her niece for desires she herself once had. She is cruel, but her life and her family have made her that way, and so it is hard not to also feel pity and admiration for her iron will and the tiny measure of independence she has clawed out for herself. She becomes, in the end, a little villainous and therefore a little less complex, but until then she is a woman defying morality in her deep complexity. Judging her is difficult; appreciating her is easy.

She is both beautiful and a cultivator of beauty, but not a hedonist and not even an aesthete. Rather she uses and clings to beauty as one of the few weapons in her arsenal. So often people enjoy and dismiss the sumptuous design of period pieces (especially televised ones) in the same breath, loving it only as a marker of temporal exoticism. It is costume, it is merely pretty or merely a tool to expose details of plot or character. No. What I love about this book is what it draws attention to aesthetics as a central aspect of power, not just an adornment on it.

Aesthetics are a neglected aspect of so many other domains, politics and economics and theology, but never mind. That's another essay. What Moreno-Garcia does here is nudges it more toward the fore, exploring how the "Beautiful Ones" assert (or fail to assert) their rule over each other by way of aesthetic captivation.

Hector is single-minded in his pursuit of all things: success, love, and the perfection of his art. He uses each in turn to achieve the others, but like Valerie, enjoys none of it. The elegance of his manners and the attractiveness of his face are able to secure what wealth alone cannot; Valerie's husband, moneyed but not nearly so attractive, had to marry Valerie to secure power. Titles and wealth, those are important, but taste, taste is the all-important pillar that stabilizes the whole pedestal on which they all rest.

Antonina lacks the focus of the other two main characters. She does not bother much to be conventional--to be attractive—and instead pursues what she finds attractive: entomology, telekentics, and Hector. She acts out of emotion and not calculation, and loves the jewel-toned beetles of her wild country home more than real jewels. Her inability to understand or accept conventional standards makes her profoundly unfit for keeping company with the Beautiful Ones.

Valerie and Hector are devoted to appearances, willing victims of it, while Antonina is only a dupe. Yet only Antonina is willing to risk actual enjoyment, and this contrast makes yet another interesting conflict for the characters to knot themselves in.

The whole book is a magnificent tangle of unspoken words and feelings. Nothing is tepid; everything, even the absence is feelings, is charged with danger and heartache. The tension by the end is unbearable. Keeping up appearances goes from an uneasy means to a deadly end. Which is as it should be: when trafficking in beauty, we do well not to forget that it is anything but frivolous.

I received an advanced copy of the Beautiful Ones from Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Beautiful Ones is a fantasy and romance novel, all in one, blending Pride and Prejudice and the Illusionist (the movie) into an intriguing character driven story. Add a dash of betrayal and revenge and you’ve got a good understanding of the feel of this novel. It is described as a fantasy novel, but in truth it is more of a romance novel, so be sure to be expecting that when you start reading.
I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting when I began this novel (perhaps a retelling of some sort), but it certainly isn’t what I got. While the tones reminded me of many different things, it still managed to stand alone and be its own element.
The Beautiful Ones is a bit lighter on the fantasy than I anticipated, and readers who are not fans of a slow buildup style story will probably find this too dawdling. I personally greatly enjoyed the time spent on character and plot development. Though I’ll admit some disappointment about the minimal use of telekinesis in the story - while brought up frequently, it skirts the line between fantasy and magic tricks. The ability comes into play once during a pivotal moment, but otherwise is relegated to background status.
The characters were minimal in number, but great in depth and development. All were very human, a fact that is especially evident whenever one of them would make a mistake. While I didn’t agree with all the decisions the characters made, it was hard not to sympathize with their reasoning (with the exception of Valerie that is. No sympathy for her). Though Hector blatantly using Nina was a bit tough to swallow – especially when you see just how innocent Nina really is (I was worried that this would permanently alter her outlook, but thankfully she’s stronger than that).
I quickly grew to love despising Valerie, while cheering for Hector to get his life back on track (ideally with Nina). She was the ideal villain for the novel – being the antithesis to Nina in every way while still actively trying to stand in Hector’s way (her inability to share a person with any other being shows how truly conceited she is). I know I should probably have felt compassion for Valerie, being that her predicament is truly just commentary on women in the 19th century (where they were not allowed to make choices for themselves) but her bitter air and complete unwillingness to make changes that would better her life left a bad taste in my mouth. Add in the fact that she was more than willing to set Nina to the same fate and it becomes very difficult to overlook.
Hector is a very complicated character, and while he invariably makes choices the reader won’t agree with, I still found myself hoping he’d find his way. Having his heart utterly broken when he was young turned him into a paradoxical man. On the one hand he was still a hopeless romantic, believing that Valerie would run away with him the moment she had the chance. The other side of him is jaded, not seeing much of a point in trying to find new friends or new love. Watching his character grow and learn was truly a beautiful (if slightly slow) sight to see, and I’m glad it was included (as opposed to a sudden transition).
While I hadn’t been intending on delving into a romance novel this week, I find myself shocked to admit that I did greatly enjoy it. I still wish it had been described more accurately, but it is what it is. It was a nice change of pace, all things considered, and I’m glad I took the time to read it.

This is very much a romance first and fantasy second, which was just what I needed when I read it. Because of that, I also flew through the book. I connected well with the characters, even the really despicable ones, and felt that they all were well developed, not one dimensional. That said, it was also a bit predictable, but I enjoyed it anyway.

The magical elements were good, but honestly could have been any other quirk that two people share, and the secondary world was just a Europe analogue with nothing particularly remarkable about it. Neither aspect contributed to the plot in any significant way.

If you're looking for a fantasy romance, this would probably scratch the itch, but for someone who's looking for a better balance between fantasy and romance, this might not be the book for you. Definitely great for fans of Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal.

I'm DNF @ 27%.

Maybe this is going to be one of those novels that I just don't get. I have absolutely no urge to read any more than what I already have. Why? Because the plot is going absolutely nowhere.

The summary is basic enough. Young Antonina Beaulieu is in the big city for her first Grand Season, where she'll mingle and find a husband under the watchful eye of her cousin's wife. The wife, Valérie Beaulieu, is a bit cold, but she's got her connections and usefulness. And lo and behind, a man is interested in young Nina - the handsome, telekinetic performer, Hector Auvray. The more time she spends with him, the more she's in love (she's got a telekinetic talent too & he's intriguing). The problem? Hector's got a big secret that will most definitely get in the way of their courtship.

We find out the secret in the first 30% of the book because the novel is narrated mostly by Hector. He tells us Valérie's back story (and why she's bitter, cold, and heartless). He tells us his own. He doesn't tell us Nina's, but it's as if the author has already put her in backseat since the first page. This story isn't about Nina, the poor thing's sort of caught in the middle of everything. A lot of people are comparing this to a Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte love story. If those kind of stories are your cup of tea, maybe you'll read more than I did.

Main qualm? This story is slow & predictable. If it had been in Nina's perspective, we could have wondered a little more about character motivations. Seen hints and clues through her eyes as to what this secret is. I already see how Nina, Valérie, and even Hector will grow, and to be honest, do not care. Maybe a big problem is the way the book's marketed. If The Beautiful Ones is a slow, love story driven by character development, don't make the summary sound like a big scandal.

In the end, I just didn't care enough about the characters, the plot, or anything to invest more of my time.

“In a world of etiquette and polite masks, no one is who they seem to be.”

The Beautiful Ones reads like a classic novel with a paranormal twist.

This beautifully written story is all about Hector Auvrey and Nina Beaulieu. Hector is out to exact revenge on the woman who broke his heart. Nina is a socially awkward young girl, who unwittingly falls in love in Hector only to find out that she was being deceived.

The story is told from the perspectives of three very different characters: Hector, Nina, and Valerie. Hector is a telekinetic "talent", previously impoverished, now a wealthy well-known stage performer. He has spent a decade pining for his first love. Valerie, the antagonist of the novel, is a bitter, jealous woman, who was guilted into marriage to a wealthy man by her family. Valerie resents Nina, her cousin by marriage, who has the social freedom she never had. She is naive and somewhat impulsive. Nina, like Hector, is telekinetic, and her uncontrolled displays have rendered her a social nuisance.

I don’t want to spoil the story for you. What I can say is that you won’t regret reading this fascinating book. I was enchanted by this elegantly written novel filled with vibrant, captivating characters. I found the tension between the characters gripping and authentic. I didn’t want this story to end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC.

5The Beautiful Ones is categorizes as a fantasy book, but I would have put it in the romance/ drama genre because the book is about Nina Beaulieu and her struggle with a renaissance-ish society she must be part of. At the beginning of the season, she is to attend all the important balls and soirees and therefore comes to the beautiful and high-up city of Loisal and is to stay with her uncle and his wife. Nina actually lives on the country but alas, her strange, uncontrollable talent has kept away any suitors there. She, as many others, can manipulate and move objects with their minds but such actions are not befit a lady.

This is where the story begins… it is basically a love story with the usual love-triangle that seems to be so popular at the moment. At least I meet it all the time. Even though the plot could barely surprise most of the time, I have to say that enjoyed this book immensely.



As so of you might know, for me characters and world-building, and the creating of a ‘realistic’ world are much more important than the actual plot since, let’s be honest, there are not so many original ones around. Almost everything has been told in one way or another.

Nina, Hector, Valerie and a few side characters really sucked me into this story with their cold charm, their melancholic realism and with their sweet naivité that gave me as a reader a refreshing start.



They player together wonderfully, even though the plot was mostly predictable. I enjoyed the world-building, the cultural notes the author made and the lessons of Etiquette a lot. I enjoyed the dialogues between characters and the strolls through town they took, partly because the time really fascinates me. It is the time just when cars begin to emerge and women walk through town in pretty petticoats and carriages.



As I said, the book is mainly about a certain love triangle between the three main characters so I don’t want to tell you any more about that because anything I could tell you would be spoiling the fun. This is a read you should definitely mark as ‘to read’ on Goodreads if you want to have some light reading material this autumn ;)

This was an interesting book. It was not at all what I expected, but I was satisfied when I finished. The character development was good and the story was intriguing. I do feel as though the world building could have been a little better, because I did not have a great understanding of the geography, belief system, or cultural foundations of their society. This book reminded me of an episode of Masterpiece Theater with a little magic thrown in as an afterthought. If that sounds good to you, then I would recommend this book. If you are looking for a YA Fantasy read, I would look elsewhere.

The beautiful ones was beautiful. I've been dying to check this book out for a while now and thanks to netgalley, I was able to.

This book was amazing. Honestly. I couldn't put it down, it was attention grabbing, and there wasn't a moment I wasn't bored - which is always a HUGE plus. Definitely recommend