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Depravity (Beastly Tales, #1)
Depravity (Beastly Tales, #1)
M.J. Haag | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
First off, let me say how furious I am that this is a three part series with each novel ending in a cliff hanger. Each novel has enough meat to it to count as individual novel, but they all end in maddening cliffhangers. I loathe cliff hangers more than I loathe serials.

That being said, this series had me from page one and I couldn’t put it down until the very last one. I missed a lot of sleep for it… I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, especially if there erotica involved. This is definitely one of the better retellings of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a very dark one. The female lead is almost raped more times than I can count, abused by her obnoxious sisters, manipulated by an arrogant sorceress, and subjected to dealing with a short tempered man child stuck in a beast’s body. Through it all, Benella stays determined and loved her grit.

There are some themes that may not sit well with some people, especially with the Beast’s treatment of Benella in the second novel. I think they are missing the point of this story, however. The premise is not just about looking beyond aesthetic value, it is about personal growth. While it is the Beauty’s purpose to look beyond outer appearances to appreciate what people have on the inside; it is the Beast’s role to develop from …well a beast to a better person. I feel that most people look past that.

This is a great series for those looking for an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast and can handle the dark themes and cliff hangers that come with it. If you can accept an anti-hero with faults who falls for a strong woman who can hold her own in a hateful sexist world, then this is definitely the series for you.
  
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Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated White Fang in Books

May 30, 2019  
White Fang
White Fang
Jack London | 2014 | Children
4
7.4 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
I appreciate this book; I just don't like it.

Jack London is a unique breed. His voice is so distant, so separated from the subjects in his stories. In short bursts (<i>To Build a Fire</i>) it works for me - there's a beauty in watching the action unfold from such a distance. So too is there a beauty in the way White Fang is portrayed in this book. With an absolute minimum of anthropomorphism, we can see and feel what White Fang experiences. This isn't a cartoon version of a wolf-turned-man's-best-friend. The animals don't talk, don't even think in the way we're accustomed to their thoughts when we try to imagine what goes through their minds. White Fang is a dog; nothing more. It just so happens that we hear the story from his perspective.

But. While I appreciate that sort of perspective, one I wouldn't dream of finding from any other author, I still found myself speeding through the book, and not out of excitement. I just wanted to get it done and move on. The dissociation from the characters, though necessary, can only get you so far. Eventually it dissociated me from the story itself. I'll always maintain that I like Jack London. I just...maybe...won't re-read him.