A monster-slaying revenge tale with a fae twist? Say less—I was in.

Kill the Beast delivers exactly what it promises: sharp blades, dark fairy tale vibes, and two very different leads forced into an uneasy alliance. Lyssa is all rage and vengeance, single-minded and just a little bit of a disaster (in the best way). Alderic? Fancy, dramatic, and clearly hiding something—but I kind of loved that about him. Their dynamic is the heart of the book, and it never turns into a romance, which honestly made it more interesting.

Yeah, I could see the big twist coming from page one—but the fun wasn’t in the reveal, it was in how we’d get there and what it would mean for everyone involved. The story leans gaslamp fantasy—think redcaps and revolvers—with a great mix of cozy banter and heavier themes like grief, vengeance, and letting go.

There are a few tropes I’m personally a little tired of (looking at you, ex-girlfriend tension and gender role lampshading), but none of it pulled me out. If you like prickly girls with swords, sensitive guys in velvet coats, and murder quests that somehow manage to be about healing, found family, and maybe even self-worth, give this one a shot.

Also: dog companion. Automatic bonus points.

I'm always going to be a fan of fairytale inspired books and this one landed perfectly between comforting predictability and refreshing enthralling. There was something so sincere and hopeful about the message woven through this story, especially with the sweet platonic friendship that only strengths after each character's ugliest parts are revealed. I stayed up late into the night to finish this and found myself thinking about it first thing when I woke up.

I could probably quibble with parts of this if I wanted to, but there is such an overwhelming sweetness and gentleness to the way this story approaches healing without ever losing sight of the ugliness of trauma that I truly found at the end that I did not care about any roughness as the edges. This is the conflicted, often cruel protagonist I often feel is buried just under the surface of the fighter girl archetype, and I adored the mess she made in her wake.

Also, the cover is gorgeous and I absolutely wept at the ending. Which means nothing to anyone but me, because I know I literally never cry at books. Something about this just absolutely got to me.

I really loved this! Kill the Beast is a fairy tale-adjacent fantasy, and while the reimagining aspect (and gorgeous cover) are what initially drew me to it, the developing relationship between Alderic and Lyssa is what made me love it. You can see where the story is going from a long way off, but that only adds to the emotional punch of this fun, bloody, and phenomenal book. Definitely read this one for queerplatonic friendships, a feral bisexual main character, fairy adventures, and a lot of heart!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.