#Review: BEAUTY IN THE BEAST by Emily-Jane Hills Orford

  4 of 5 stars

When I read the blurb for this book, I thought it would be a retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, but this story is far from that. The author creates a dark tale full of mutants, aliens, and superior technology that the human race is not advanced enough to have developed. The is a modern story that follows Priya who lives a somewhat sedate life until she's offered a job in remote northern Canada. She believes she'll be categorizing a library of books, but what she discovers couldn't be further from the truth. What she finds is a castle full of human/animal mutants including her long-lost brother Amell. Finding out a secret lab has manipulated human genes and she's one of those creations sends her on a spiral of disbelief until she starts to realize her own gifts are indeed lab-created. She's outraged that these beings were doing this to humans and that they continue to experiment and refine their procedures. Now, these beings are after Priya, but Amell and his band of mutants vow to take the fight to them. 

The author weaves many "legends" into this story and the plot moves along nicely with descriptive world-building. The cast of characters is interesting and offers a rich background about the full scope of what these alien beings have created. While this book was not what I expected in the more historical sense of the fairytale retelling, it is nonetheless an engaging and intriguing tale.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

BLURB:

 

Priya, a name that suggests beautiful. Amell, a name that suggests all powerful. One is a beautiful young lady; the other a beast. Their paths have crossed before, only Priya doesn’t remember Amell from her past. Or does she? And what does it all mean? The Amell she meets is part beast. So are the others at Castle Mutasim. Is she one of them, too? How can this be? What manner of creature would experiment on other living creatures, to mutate them into something bizarre and, sometimes, downright dangerous? Priya has to know. She wants to know. And she wants to make things right.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Emily-Jane Hills Orford is a country writer, living just outside the tiny community of North Gower, Ontario, near the nation’s capital. With degrees in art history, music and Canadian studies, the retired music teacher enjoys the quiet nature of her country home and the inspiration of working at her antique Jane Austen-style spinet desk, feeling quite complete as she writes and stares out the large picture window at the birds and the forest. She writes in several genres, including creative nonfiction, memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction. http://emilyjanebooks.ca

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/realpeoplestories

Twitter: @ejhomusic

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Beast-Emily-Jane-Hills-Orford-ebook/dp/B09TH1T6J6/

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