Book Review: Of Beasts and Bells

A spunky modern take on the beloved Beauty and the Beast classic. Quirky, striking and delightful.



'Mysterious magic, books and the girl of my dreams. This was the perfect start to a happy ending.'

Ash is used to moving from city to city ever since her father was jailed. Not a life to envied - always on the lookout and always on the move. Lucky for Ash, she has a perfect escape. Sugar, books and a happily ever after. Even if the library in her new place isn't that well stoked. Things aren’t perfect, but hey, there’s books!

If only the local idiot would leave her alone, life would be good. Ash 'would rather roll in day old sun rotted fish guts than be anywhere near that dumpster fire', but the 'dung for brains' just won't get the hint. And to make matters worse, Marcus, her nerdy brother, suddenly goes missing. His GPS leads Ash to an enchanted castle with no wifi, and a Beast who is behind on the times.

Ash takes her brother's place in the Beast's dungeons. And just as in the classic tale, she is now faced with a curse and a castle full of talking objects. But the Beast here is a she and Ash is nothing like the gentle Belle from the Disney classic.

Her first interaction with the castle's inhabitants should give you a good hint of how Ash is like.
'So, I'm not free, but I get a real room? That's a very weird prisoner setup don't you think?'
'You're talking with a flashlight and you're worried about weird?' The flashlight let out a loud hearty laugh. 'Oh, you're a funny one. Let's get you out now shall we?'

And of course she will become the Beast's BFF. But not only that. Ash will be much more. Because she has zero issues with putting said Beast in her place and calling out on her BS. Plus, there is that magic puzzle of the mysterious curse, that Ash is set on solving. But in the end, if all fails, she'll at least get the Beast 'to learn how to cha-cha real smooth.' :D

Of course Marcus is trying to save his sister and 'dung for brains' Donny simply won't give up! The annoying small-minded stalker is so much more worse than the classic Gaston! I swear I wanted to punch him too!

If you love fairy-tale retellings you should absolutely give Of Beasts and Bells a try. You are bound to love it! :)



Check out this book and more of J.E. Mueller here.