Slow but imaginative, a little unsatisfying

It took a long time to get started, but when it finally did, the middle of the story was interesting enough. I definitely enjoyed the part where they finally started meeting the other mythical creatures, but I wish the author would have spent more time fleshing them out. We barely get glimpses of these interesting characters (we see them each briefly one time in the middle of the book, and once at the end), but the author spent probably half of the story developing the dull human supporting characters, who I just couldn't bring myself to care about. The ending seemed to be building up to some sort of epic fight scene or test or something, but then it just...didn't. I suppose I forgot this was just a fairytale retelling and not epic fantasy. I didn't feel like the author really explained why all of the beast (he refers to himself as "we" throughout the story, so I don't think it's a spoiler to say that he has more than one nature inside of him) was cursed, or exactly how the resolution happened. It just...happened. It seemed like the author was running out of time to finish the book so she just slapped something on there and called it done.

Overall I thought it was a passable diversion, it just could have been so much more interesting if some things were done better. If you like basic fairytale retellings, this one was fine. Not great, but fine. I don't really think it was worth a whole audible credit though.

5 people found this helpful

An excellent story!

Megan Spooner is a very talented storyteller. I enjoyed this version of a familiar tale and recommend reading it. You will be pleased with the twists.

5 people found this helpful

SLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWW

45 minutes in and I can't seem to catch. Sad really, as I wanted to love this story.

5 people found this helpful

fantastic book. <br />

I loved listening to this amazing story. loved the retelling and honestly wouldn't mind listening to it all over again.

4 people found this helpful

Yawn Fest

I can't begin to describe how mundane this book was to listen to. It's a re-telling of beauty and the beast and it is SO boring. I would skip honestly.

4 people found this helpful

Dark & whimsical

I re-listened to this one recently, and I’m very glad I did. I love the tone, the Slavic setting, and how it feels like a fireside bedtime story; it’s surprisingly meta for being YA fantasy. In that regard, I [mostly] enjoyed the meandering pace...as someone else noted, it is a slow walk through the frozen wood, with darkness and wonder creeping in around the edges. The story and work as a whole seems to almost stumble upon itself in the last hour. It seems almost like an accident after so much searching, and I’d argue that it’s sort of the point. I can’t tell if I love or hate the timing/pacing/execution of that, but the underlying themes and resolution spoke to me enough that it didn’t seem to matter to me in the end. Could it have all been tighter? Sure. Still lovely in its apparent simplicity, which, true to one of its messages, is actually complexity.

2 people found this helpful

Drawn out and odd

If you are looking for a whole lot of philosophical discussion with a little bit of romance, then this is the book for you. If, like me, you were hoping for high entertainment value, another unique spin on the Beauty and the Beast story, and time well spent listening, I suggest looking for another book.

The narrators were fine. I actually really enjoyed Saskia Maarleveld's performance in two other stories, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast and My Fair Gentleman. I was excited at first finding out she was a co-narrator on this book. Her performance was enjoyable to listen to, as was Will Damron's. The story itself, not so much.

It started out drawn out and slow, continued drawn out and slow, and ended disappointingly. I was waiting for that wonderful climax when Beauty and Beast finally get together and all is well, but the way it was done in this story came across as anti-climactic to me. You can listen and judge for yourself, as I chose to, but I am finding that I regret it very much. Definitely want to refund that credit.

2 people found this helpful

It was ok

The story fell short for me. I found myself hooked in the beginning but the romance felt dry in the end. I also feel the male narrator did amazing while the female voice was just ok.

5 people found this helpful

amazing story Narrator did a great job!!!!

Loved it. Had to listen to it several times. I enjoyed it every time. will listen again and again.

1 person found this helpful

Loved it!

"She wept because she did not know what she wanted, and she wanted everything."

First of all, Meagan Spooner stole my reader's heart when she used Russian fairy folk as the basis of her "Beauty and the Beast" retelling. I adore pretty much any world setting with Russian mythology at its core.

Secondly, she gained my respect when her characters interacted with one another out of selflessness, love, and loyalty. Maturity. That was refreshing. Everything wasn't unbridled lust and sex. Actually none of it was. There's surprisingly little in the element of romance. But it works. And Yeva was relatable for me. She was always looking for something that filled an adventurer's heart and realized she was letting good things in her life pass her by if she wasn't careful to be mindful and grateful in the minute she was currently in.

Thirdly, this was an inventive, original retelling of a tale that's old as time... (ba-dum-tsss) Very well done.

And last of all, I loved Doe Eyes. Doe Eyes can be my hunting buddy any day. Precious little puppy.

The only thing that I wanted when this was all said and done was a little more punch to that ending. The build-up was absolutely spectacular, but I felt like I was still a little hungry after sitting down to a sumptuous meal. Like an itch didn't quite get scratched. The ending to a beauty and the beast retelling needs to be utterly spectacular. Fireworks not required, but pretty darn close. The scene (without spoilers) in the tower with the knife was out. Of. This. World. Well. Done. So the finale needed to eclipse that. I just didn't feel like it did. Also, the hunting and violence throughout the book needed to peak at the end for the sake of entertainment for me, but it felt like it was sacrificed for the sake of a theme. Which... was a theme I loved, so I was torn, but my personal preference (maybe I'm shallow) would have been for the entertainment factor instead.

Still, fantastic book.

I'd rate this a PG-13 for some adult themes, gore, and adventure peril.