Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Of Beast and Beauty

by Stacey Jay

Read: July 28 - 30, 2013

Published: July 23rd 2013 by Delacorte Press

Source: Borrowed from Carrie* @Onebookishmom

Category: Fairytale retelling, sci-fi, fantasy, YA

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love. (From Goodreads)

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Irsa is a blind princess living in a walled city that stays green and flourishes abundantly on the blood sacrifice of its former queens. She knows this is what her own future holds but is determined to save her Smooth Skin people at all cost. 

Gem is one of the Monstrous people of the desert. He has infiltrated the walled city Yuan to steal its enchanted roses and save his people from starvation. When Gem is captured, he meets Isra, and both are surprised to find that the other is not what s/he expected. When Isra and Gem begin to discover the truth behind their dying world, they must work together and figure out how to change it before it's too late.    

Author Stacey Jay is known for loose retellings of well loved stories, and while Juliet Immortal didn't work for me, I was really eager to see what she would do with one of my favorite fairy tales. Like Jay's taken on Romeo and Juliet, this book doesn't rigidly adhere to the story that we all know, and this time I think it's better for it. I really enjoyed Jay's fresh perspective and the opportunity to see Beauty and her Beast through new eyes. 

Although I was worried at first about how Isra's blindness would affect her, it became one of the best parts of this story. Isra's inability to see has made life more difficult for her, because she can't always judge for herself the truth of others' words. That makes her journey through this novel painful at times. But it also means that she doesn't see the world like everyone else. Isra also doesn't immediately judge based on appearances. In some ways this book reminded me a bit of Frankenstein, whose monster's only acceptance comes from a blind man. But Isra is not the only one who needs to overcome her society's prejudice. Gem has his own preconceived notions of Isra and the Smooth Skins that he is only able to reconsider by knowing her. 

In Of Beast and Beauty there's not just one thing that's beautiful and one thing that's monstrous. Both of these characters have to move past their own prejudices and find the humanity in the other person, all while navigating complex and heartbreaking issues affecting their societies and personal lives. This makes their story feel current and relatable, despite the magical high fantasy setting. There were things I could learn from both Isra and Gem about the difference between beauty and goodness, about not judging others and about seeking the truth, no matter the cost. 

Although I adore forbidden romances, I wasn't always as emotionally connected to Isra and Gem as I wish I had been. While I really liked this story and enjoyed the romance, I wanted a bit more of the shivery feelings. I'm not sure why I didn't get that. Perhaps because this book seems to speed up their connection somewhat in the beginning? 

Stacey Jay's Of Beast and Beauty is an exciting and wholly new retelling that made me think about one of my favorite fairytales differently. I like that this book looks at Beauty and the Beast from fresh eyes (through someone who cannot see) and that the characters don't perfectly mirror the originals in appearance or action. It makes this book a more complex and relevant read.  

Love Triangle Factor: None

Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone

*Did I tell you that I'm currently obsessed with Beauty and the Beast adaptations? If you follow this blog, I'm sure you know this by now. That's why I was thrilled when my friend Carrie @Onebookishmom offered to send me Of Beast and Beauty to read. THANK YOU, Friend!

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