There is a reason that certain tales are as old as time. These stories become classic, beloved, and well known because of the core humanity within them. And often there is enough room to play with these tales to keep them intriguing. The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross in another telling of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast, this time from the Beast’s point of view.


A Return to a Classic
The Beast’s Heart, despite being from view of The Beast and not of Beauty, isn’t really all that original. It’s still the classic tale, and ultimately more true to the “original” version. In fact, I felt like I was reading a version of a film I’d seen as a child.

Have you ever watched the 1987 version of Beauty and the Beast (part of the 1980 film series Cannon Movie Tales) starring Rebecca De Mornay and John Savage? Leife Shallcross’s telling of the classic fairy tale reminds me of this film, which is to say it is closer to the original, darker tale than the prettier adapted versions we are most familiar with.

There are less favorable reviews of the book calling out the voyeurism and manipulation present in the story. I can’t help but wonder if they understand that said traits are the whole crux of the fairy tale. Even so, there are veiled (and not so veiled) references to rape by the Beast’s father. It is a fear of this treatment of women that ultimately leads to the curse by the fairy.

The Beautiful Prose of The Beast’s Heart
While the story itself didn’t feel that original to me, it was a pleasure to read. The prose is beautiful. I was hooked by the language alone on the first page. The descriptive nature and the lilting words creates a magic that enhances the story. At times some parts became a tab overly descriptive, but it is nothing compared to some of those multiple page descriptive passages from Anne Rice. Overall, the writing (and that gorgeous cover) make this a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection of fairy tales, new and old.

I enjoyed reading The Beast's Heart by Leife Shallcross (thank you NetGalley for the ARC), though it's rather slow paced and Beast is a bit too nice--and I never thought I'd say such a thing after seeing how Disney had exaggerated his temper and surliness.

With Berkley Publishing Group as opposed to an Indie Author self-publishing this novel, my expectations may have been higher than usual for this retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I can get around the glacial pace by speed-reading and skimming some of the repetitive scenes.

"Less is more," I've learned in writing workshops and by reading Zane Grey novels (too much of a good thing with the vocabulary and purple prose). Here, the problem is not purple prose--I might have welcomed some of that--but Leife Shallcross turns the narrative over to the Beast, and he comes across as a such a cursed and miserable being, it wasn't much fun to spend the entire novel inside his head. I'm biased here, though, as a fan of the forbidden omniscient narrator but not so much of first-person narratives.

Isabeau's father went from annoying to maddening (a scene near the end of the novel that to me cost him every possible vote of sympathy). Her sisters however made considerable progress and character arcs.

The Beast, Julien, attributes much of his curse to his own father's character flaws and misbehaviors. He's right in some ways, wrong in other ways, and I found myself wishing Julien was just a bad^ss in his own right. No need to bring in a terrible father figure--to me it's like making excuses for the hero's character flaws. The guy is cursed. He's flawed. Any young aristocrat can end up spoiled and selfish without needing the author to work in some backstory to get him off the hook for being a jerk. I realize the premise is hard to sell: a guy in a castle (manor) with servants and resources is so lonely, and so cursed, he essentially takes a young woman hostage and thinks being nice to her is a fair trade-off.

I enjoyed the story but couldn't **love** this one. A professional editor should have pared it down more and read some Donald Maas books, maybe, on how to pick up the narrative pace. I hate contrived conflict (the Disney version of this tale was full of it), but this book served an important purpose for me: if you don't "torture the protagonist," put worst-case scenarios and obstacles in the way, the story can drag and readers may start skimming and speed-reading.

That said, there is charm and magic here, and that's more than I can say of a lot of contemporary fiction.

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2 Stars

The Beast’s Heart is a retelling from the classic Beauty and the Beast but told in the Beast’s perspective. An interesting concept behind my favorite fairytale, but it fell flat for me.

Alone and cursed, the Beast has been without human contact for a very long time, so when a stranger appears and seeks shelter, the Beast looks into his dreams. Becoming bewitched by the stranger's daughter, the Beast demands the stranger deliver his youngest daughter to him. When Isabeau arrives but only agrees to spend the year at the château, the Beast must figure out how to win her heart.

There were so many issues with this book, it’s meant to be a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but yet I felt like it was more focused on Isabeau’s family. Which I admit, I found the family way more interesting than the Beast and Isabeau’s story. The book is told from the Beast’s point of view so everything was one-sided and I found that incredibly frustrating. If anything I wish we would have gotten more than one point of view as I think it would have made a better story.

This book had great potential with a fantastic concept. I LOVE the idea of retellings but through a different perspective, but this one wasn’t for me.

I was super excited to be approved on Netgalley for this story—Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites, ever.

In this version it’s the beast who narrates the story and while interesting, his voice is formal and a touch stiff so it’s hard to connect with him as our hero and main character. Isabeau’s entrance into the story adds some much needed life and while I appreciate that their relationship didn’t immedietiy go to I LOVE YOU, I was hoping for more depth.

I do think fans will enjoy the love story, and the return to a well-loved tale. It’s a very light read and perfect for a quick escape!

How did the Beast feel, what were his thoughts in the classic Beauty and the Beast tale? Leife Shallcross gives us her version of what emotional turmoil was that lay within THE BEAST’S HEART.

Do NOT expect a rehash of the classic, expect a darker, more emotionally grueling tale. The Beast gives his perspective, from his self-loathing, his loneliness, to the empty pit in his chest.

This is not a rapid fire tale, but there is a depth to it that puts a new perspective on what transpired between the young French girl, Isabeau and the Beast. From how Isabeau came to be a “guest” at the Beast’s castle to how the Beast clearly needed her company, I was enthralled with the “other side of the story.” We see the heartbreak of time running out for the Beast to find true love, to be accepted as he is, no longer a handsome man with a beastly heart, but a beast with a heart that has grown to learn to love and give.

I was transported into this world and could “see” events and scenes unfold in a castle filled with magic, pain and finally a leap of faith to put everything on the line for others and their happiness.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley Publishing Group!

Publisher: Ace (February 12, 2019)
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
Genre: YA Fairytale Retelling
Print Length: 416 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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He is angry, he is fierce, he is feared, he is cursed, he is lonely. “I was a man once before, but I was enchanted-cursed,”. The Beast’s Heart is parallel to The Beauty and The Beast classic fairytale story. You get to experience The Beasts’ point of view in this epic fairytale. His desires to have someone to speak to, someone who does not fear him, someone to treat him like a man not a beast. After over a century of solitude a trespasser stumbles onto The Beasts’ enchanted property. A trespasser with a beautiful daughter. Beast doesn’t want to be feared but he wants to not be alone anymore. Even though bargain is made as the trespasser leaves he knows nor does he expect to lay his eyes on Isabeau. The hope now crushed until Isabeau, against her father’s wishes, shows up to the gates. The magic that surrounds the estate, doors open without a doorman, clothes appear and adjust without a seamstress, food appears without a chief, drinks are delivered without a servant, rooms are cleaned without a maid do not frighten Isabeau nor does the Beast. I friendship forms but is it enough to break the curse? Truly Enchanted. Truly cursed. This was a sweet story of friendship and love.

I appreciated the commitment to the fairy tale style, both in narrative cadence and tone, but wasn’t able to get into the book enough to fully review it. The sisters’ part in the story dragged a bit for me and took away from the dynamic between Beast and Isabeau. Though the magic was discussed more by the Beast, I felt the story itself to be less magical than I expected.

*ARC received from NetGalley in return for an honest review*

This book was one that I quickly found out that I couldn't finish. What finally made me drop it to continue on to another was the fact that the writing was all over the place. There were moments that lost me for when a certain sentence was happening because the next would contradict it. Time was also all over the place hopping from one moment to the future and then back to another moment in the past all in one kindle page.

Generally, I like to believe that I will come back to books I couldn't finish. This one is going to get deleted from my kindle eventually. I had such high hopes for this version of Beauty and the Beast and it let me down so, so hard.

Once I saw that this was essentially a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but from the Beast's perspective, I knew I wanted to read it. However, I was incredibly disappointed. The Beast has been alone for centuries until one day a weary traveler stumbles upon his lands. He offers the stranger food and hospitality from the shadows, and once the man falls asleep, the Beast looks into his dreams and see a beautiful girl he wants for his own. The following day, as the man is leaving, the Beast manipulates him into plucking a rose from his garden. In exchange for this flower, the man must bring his daughter, Isabeau, to stay in his castle with him. The Beast knows the man will not grant his wish, but Isabeau goes despite her father's wishes. From there, the story just really goes downhill for me. I felt there was just no connection between the two, and what I did feel was obsessive and uncomfortable. I also didn't like Beast's actions throughout, such as spying on her family with his magic mirror and constantly proposing marriage despite Isabeau saying no every time. Aside from those issues, I also felt the writing itself was heavy and boring, and felt myself losing interest the longer the story went on. This whole thing was just really not my cup of tea.

The Beast’s Heart by Leife Shallcross is a standalone novel that is based on the classic novel Beauty and the Beast, but in the POV of the Beast. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this retelling of the original classic, but by a quarter of the book, I was hooked into reading about Beast’s inner feelings, struggles and loneliness. It was sad to see him in his hardened state, living in his dark world, and slowly changing as he meets Isabeau; developing a friendship and eventually falling in love.

I really loved Isabeau, who was a courageous and wonderful heroine. Especially that she willingly agrees to live at Beast’s mansion for a year, in order to help her father. She quickly got past her fear of Beast, and it was beautiful to see the changes between them both over time.

What makes this story compelling and mesmerizing , is not only Beast and Isabeau, but the magic within the mansion that slowly changes from the darkness within, to be a magical enlighten house, as the friendship and happiness begins to surround them; the unseen servants, the enchanted gardens, and the amazing magic mirror made this such charming and beautiful story
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I loved when Beast used the magic mirror to check up on Isabeau’s family and we learn about her sisters, and how they were doing without her. It was very well done and added a wonderful element to the story.
Beast realized in time, especially as his feelings for Isabeau grew, that perhaps if he can convince her to stay with him, maybe he can break the curse. Of course, Isabeau, though caring for him, kept denying his request for love and marriage. Besides her friendship, she felt she needed to return home to her family after a year; but Beast continued his quest, even if slim.

The Beast’s Heart was a pleasant and enchanting read that Leife Shallcross wrote so beautifully. How she was able to give us a glimpse into Beast’s emotions, and bring them together was so well done. If you enjoy the classic Beauty and the Beast, I suggest you read this book, as it was a wonderful story.

I really enjoyed The Beast’s Heart. It was a slow moving story, but the story is really beautiful. The only similarity of this story to Beauty and Beast is, exactly as the title says. There is beauty and the beast that was cursed. For this story to be told, the reader needs patience, because of the pacing of the story. The story is told in a very slow way and patience is given, you will reap the reward of finding how beautiful this simple story is.

Isabeau is the heroine of this story. She is young, beautiful, giving and so loving. She is the person who never looked at beast any less than he hoped he was, she saw him only in the light that Beast had given her. A giving, good, loving and lonely man. Their time together was simple, but so precious. The most important things in life are the smallest and simplest thing. With Isabeau and Beast, it was all the time they spent together. Isabeau’s music, their walks and Beast’s reading time. I love how Isabeau felt so much for the best for just being the caring man that she saw he was, past the beast. The way they fell in love was slow and worth the wait.

This may be a simple story and YA, but it truly is beautiful. I’m so glad I read it.

It took me a couple tries to get past the first few chapters because I didn't care for the story. It did improve, but overall I found the story boring. It didn't add anything to the original tale, and there was a distance between me and the characters. I never really felt drawn into the story, or invested in their love.

It was interesting to see the Beauty and the beast story told through the Beast's perspective, but there wasn't really anything about this story that stood out. There were no dramatic plot twists, or changes to the story in any real way. It was simply the Beauty and the Beast story told through the Beast's perspective. And while that was interesting, it also wasn't? It was a story we've seen a thousand times over with no real changes to shake things up and draw you in? And it was a little bit strange how the Beast would spend all day watching Isabeau's family if I'm being honest.

This book was a delightful retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's point of view. The prose was lyrical without being gushy or un-beastly and fully captured the sensation of reading an old-fashioned fairy tale.

I love beauty and the beast retellings, but this one was not for me.

The writing was very flowery and overly descriptive and got kinda boring.
The story was in the POV of the beast, and the plot moves slowly. I didnt care for the roman e aspect either, the Beast simply loved Isabeau because she was there and he was monkey. There was no legetimate transformation or growth or development of feelings and at one point the beast askes Belle to marry him, she refuses but he continues to ask even after she said no. This kind of pestering isint romantic but manipulative and abusive.

I did like Belles family how and how their story devolved, her two sisters became independent and confident women. However I never cared for the Father he always just seemed so dysfunctional and unable to cope.

All in all I could not recommend this book at all.

I did not finish this book because I couldn't get into it. There was a lot of I walked here, I was angry, I was scared. I'm human. I wasn't remotely interested in the Beast's story because it came off as a lot of whining.

This book wasn't for me.

The Beasts Heart was good but in my opinion it would’ve worked so much better with a more modern voice.

This is a much more direct Beauty and the Beast retelling than I originally thought it would be but I really enjoyed that. When I first began this novel, I did not find the writing appealing. It felt as though the author was attempting to tribute an old timey vibe, while incorporating her own unique style. I found it to be choppy, and a tad confusing at times; however, as I continued to read, the simple charm of the melodic writing, started to rub off on me.

Isabeau as a main character was a treat to observe. We get a big chunk of the book about her sisters which I found to be enjoyable to read about. I think it contributed to the story very well.

I wouldn’t call it one of my favorite retelling but it has entertained me and the characters were memorable. I highly recommend this book to any readers who are looking for a great Beauty and the Beast adventure. The storyline may be super predictable but the characterizations were amazing.

The Beast’s Heart was a wonderful, descriptive retelling that had me engrossed in this well known fairy tale while giving it a fresh perspective. It took a deeper look at the Beast’s struggles, not only in regard to breaking the curse but also his feelings for Isabeau and how he came to be cursed in the first place. I really enjoyed this story as it felt true to the original with the setting and time period but had enough variation to keep it interesting. I’d recommend this book for fans of fairytale retellings but a must-read for those who love Beauty and the Beast.

2.5 out of 5 stars

***ARC received through NetGalley for review, much appreciated***

Another retelling of Beauty and the Beast, not a version of the Disney, its more true to the original story. Unfortunately this book commits a cardinal sin in the world of novels, its boring and I had no interest in the outcome of the main characters. A version of the story through the Beasts point of view should be interesting. He is written to have been past his anger and rage and just now a very lonely creature. I feel like we are supposed to be sorry for him, to cheer for him to get the girl but I just couldn't. Poor Isabeau doesn't fair any better. I never felt their romance grow. Which is interesting when you compare Isabeau to her sisters.

Both her sisters go through a strong well defined character arc. They start out struggling but grow into independent characters. Claude goes slow with her new relationship, which even though we never read about her previous relationship but it is clear how she has grown. While Marie learns a new trade, we follow her through it and her relationship with her guy. It feels like a natural development for the two women when compared to Isabeau and the Beasts relationship which feels forced. You can see the sisters character fall in love and become strong independent people, while there is nothing with the primary relationship.

Its her father that really bugged me. There is no other conflict so we are left with a father that is supposed to be heartbroken but just feels controlling. His daughters are flourishing and he seems incapable of accepting this or that they no longer are under his control. So he pulls the most abusive and manipulative action possible designed only to hurt Isabeau.

It is a disappointment that this book couldn't pull it out in the end.

I find myself torn, I always love the story of Beauty and the Beast in all of its' myriad incarnations, but with having read soo many versions it is hard not to compare them all. Having Beast's perspective was a treat, but much of his early years were so convoluted and confusing, it was hard at times to track what was real and what was nightmare. A chance to see Beast before his curse was totally missed, what I wanted and have been missing, was the REASON he was cursed. We've been told many a time, but usually only ever see but a one scene glimpse of bad behavior. This could have dove deep into what made him cold or cruel, but yet again, we get nothing. I wanted to be there, not be told after the fact. I feel like this is a huge opportunity lost.

Shedding my own wishes and biases I must admit that the story is enchanting. A magical world brought to life beautifully, if not originally.