The Beast (The Twisted Kingdoms #4) (2024)

Okay, I get that this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling but it really doesn't have to be a word for word one.

The dialogue in this... is... exactly the same as the dialogue in Disney's Animated Beauty and the Beast. Not to mention the villain is named Gustav...

DNF 44% Love interest doesn't appear until around 40% and considering that this is a standalone that is too far into the story to INTRODUCE the love interest. Also, I don't really want to hear about the FMC's male best friend, who has his sights on her adoptive sister 8-years his senior, and the FMC being naked together to get warm. Apparently them being naked with each other is normal? Literally their interactions consist of intimate hugs and kisses on the forehead, etc. He doesn't even do that with the supposed adoptive sister he wants to be with, in fact at 40% we haven't even seen him interact with the sister he is in love with. We just see the FMC in a few scenes with her adoptive sister and nephew and the scenes with the FMC and him. We are TOLD that he loves and wants to be with the adoptive sister yet they haven't interacted AT ALL. Every time he is on the screen he is interacting mostly INTIMATELY with the FMC, but then we are TOLD of his love for the sister so that we the readers don't get any ideas about them actually getting together. We deal with this for 40% of the book, before the ACTUAL love interest appears.
Literally the first 40% is the epic "non-romantic" love story of the FMC and her best friend. Complete with saving each other's lives and life or death situations that highlight their undying love for one another. And of course this "non-romance" love story wouldn't be complete without forced sleeping arrangements that have the FMC and her best friend sleeping naked in front of a fireplace together. Again this level of intimacy is not new to them.
Oh, and then we're introduced to the love interest who upon first interaction with FMC throws her and her DYING best friend into his cold dungeon naked (he came upon them lying in front of the fire naked together), awesome guy. Really rooting for this to be the guy she ends up with after the non-romance love story I just read through about her and the best friend. You know the guy that's willing to die for her and protect her.
The main love interest should have been introduce way sooner and it should have been less centered on the relationship between the FMC and the best friend if the reader is expected to root for some random guy we're just getting introduced to almost half-way through a STANDALONE book.

I picked this up for my October feature of Fantasy Ladies Who Aren't Perfect Beauties. And let's be honest here, it's a Beauty and the Beast retelling!!! My favourite fairytale ever!! Of course I had to give it a read.

To say that I had high expectations going into this would be the understatement of the year. Because of that enticing blurb and lots of gushing reviews.
Unfortunately however, I found myself - yet again - in that unpopular opinion corner.

The tale itself is fine, more or less, and I was thinking it will be a somewhat twisted version of the classic after the first few chapters. Especially since we have a scarred FMC. I both liked and rooted for Thorn from the beginning, but at one point I started wondering if her best friend Jack is the love interest and we'll end up with a love triangle somewhere. That would have definitely been an issue since love triangles are not my jam. But then, as it turned out, they were indeed just good friends. VERY good friends whose strong affection for each other had made me suspect a bit more.
The actual love interest - aka The Beast - is introduced only at around 40% into the book and the tale twists straight into a classical Beauty and the Beast retelling.
At times, the dialogues themselves seemed to be taken straight from the Disney classic and then I swear I could clearly picture Belle and her Disney Beast. Not a good thing when the story you're reading is supposed to make you root for a completely different cast.

The character development was good but the wordbuilding fell a bit flat for me. Could be because I picked this up without reading the previous books in The Twisted Kingdoms Series. But the blurb does mention it can be read as a standalone so that's what I expected. It doesn't work as a standalone because there is more than one story in this tale here. And as a new reader to the world I wasn't able to grasp the full picture.
And one more detail that bothered me quite a bit, since that was the main reason for which I had picked this read... Thorn's scars. She was supposed to be part of my Ladies Who Aren't Perfect Beauties feature precisely because of those scars. And now at the end of the book I'm still not quite sure where exactly those scars were and how exactly they looked. Because they seemed to differ from scene to scene.

All in all, this just didn't really work out for me.

This was a great fantasy read. Definitely my favourite in this series since the first book.
I wouldn't say this can be read as a standalone, but it does follow different characters than the rest of the series so far. It had chapters from Tempest, Pyre, and Robyn (who at least fit into the surrounding story, the others were on a whole other plot line) as well as few others beyond the two MCs. If you haven't read the rest of the series, anything outside of the Thorn and Luca story arc wouldn't make any sense to you. The end is left as a set up for another book; I think Robyn's story is next. Hopefully Jack gets one too.
I'm a little confused about Thorn's scars: at one point it said they were slashed lines and causing pain down her side because of the cold (but they were on her neck and face?). Most of the time it was described as scarring from a fire burn and I'm not sure how those description work together. And at one point she says it's a mark of shame of her disgraced father, another it was a punishment. But I digress.
Beast comes in pretty far into the book, around 40%. Which left more times for adventures outside of the castle, which was a good call. The time progression worked really well for the story, smoothly guiding it along while avoiding monotony. Loved Thorn, even when she was conflicted within herself and with her world view she was a great character to follow. Sorry to Temp, but I preferred Thorn.

This was my favourite out of the entire Twisted Kingdoms series. Thorn and Luca have my heart! This was a fantastic Beauty and the Beast retelling!

A heart stopping adventure combined with scintillating enemies to lovers and exciting twists and turns. I found myself completely engrossed in the story, lapping up every page. Frost masterfully weaves old and familiar characters into the story, continuously expanding her world in the process.

I really appreciated the fact that the author did not overkill it with the term 'mate' and everything that comes with it. It was a lot tamer than the previous books too, which for me personally was a lot more preferable and enjoyable to read. It was well executed. That being said there were a few toe-curling, giggling, legs-kicking scenes that had me. Not only that but this book has three characters that share the same first name, surname, and nickname as me!

A must read for lovers of romantic fantasy! Even though this is a standalone in the series, there are chapters and references that are mentioned from the previous books.

I cannot wait to read the next book and I really hope this isn't the last time we've seen of Thorn and Luca

This book had me falling all over myself. There wasn’t anything else I needed to do besides turn these pages. A certain purple haired someone was beastly in the best way. I live for a retelling and while this was recognizable, Frost’s spin will leave you breathless. This book has so many things. Thorn is strong and brave and caring but also shady shady shady. Risking it all for her family. She’s being living a lie and falling in love and what will happen when Luca finds out the truth?? If you love action, adventure, magic, and romance told in a familiar way with unexpected twists then this is for you. The Twisted Kingdoms series is so so good and this story did not disappoint.

3 STARS

The story was fine over all, I liked aspects of it and I was kept entertained for the most part. That said, I did have a few issue which I think are important to mention.

First, we don't actually meet the love interest until 40% into the book. That's wayyyyyyy too late into the book and doesn't leave nearly enough time for the romance to develop in a believable way. It doesn't help that the moments when the characters would have "bonded" together were skipped over and we were simply told that "they'd become friends" over time. It wouldn't matter as much if we were spending several books with these characters and could see their relationship develop over time, but this is a standalone.

Another issue I have is with how sex work is discussed in the book, there's a real underlying shame attached to it and I really can't look past that. While Thorn defends her sister saying she had no other choice, something about it was still rubbing me the wrong way. Doesn't help that Luca was really against it until he realized his mate wasn't a sex worker, then suddenly he didn't care. Something's hella fishy about that.

Another slight issue I had was the way the main character treated sex. While there is nothing wrong with someone preferring to wait until marriage and the such, I take issue with a character saying outright that "There is no shame in them having sex because they are married". It makes it seem like the opposite is shameful. Idk, it's a small thing but this paired with the way sex work is depicted kinda just rubbed me the wrong way.

A fantastic book and I enjoyed reading it.

Welcome back to the kingdom of Heimserya, the place where fairytales are real and deadly. Frost Kay is back with her Twisted Kingdoms series. The first three books in the series are Tempest's (the only female hound) and Pyre's story filled with a wicked king, a tricky kitsune, ally shifters, supernatural courts, and a drug-running rampant in the streets. Tempest and Pyre story may be finished (for now) but the series isn't over with yet, The Beast is the fourth book in the Twisted Kingdoms series and this story centers on Thorn, who we've met before, as she takes a dangerous job to help her family. During her journey, it looks like this beauty has found her beast in a fantastic Beauty and the Beast retelling with a twist.

The Twisted Kingdoms series are the first books I've read by Frost Kay and with The Beast, I'm starting to see a pattern. Kay writes strong, smart, fierce main female characters, characters who aren't perfect but have good morals and are willing to put themselves on the line for those they love and to do what's right. First is was Tempest and now it's Thorn. Thorn had to grow up young, and while she had people who cared for her she realize very early that she must make her own way. Thorn was mature at a young age and that carried on into adulthood, she sees things for what they are and understands human nature very well but it hasn't made her jaded Thorn cares about people and loves the little makeshift family she has found. Not to mention she is adventurous and a risk-taker but not irresponsible, Thorn is somewhat a treasure hunter and goes on these journeys with her best friend Jack, to take care of her family but she plans and thinks through everything. Being in this line of work enables Thorn to think light on her feet, learn how to weld a blade, and makes her a formidable person. Thorn also has an attitude and she can give as good as she can get.

This story has classic Beauty and the Beast elements but is its own brand new story. There's a beautiful girl who loves books and is bigger than her small village, she is an outcast and so is her tinkering father. There is a flower at the center of the story, a freezing winter scene with dangerous creatures lurking, a castle, and most importantly a beast. Lucas is master of the castle, the beast lurking about who captures Thorn and the love story begins. Lucas' past has greatly affected who he is when he meets Thorn. For most of the book we (readers and Thorn) don't know what he looks like, and then there is that horrible temper that he throws at Thorn and while Thorn has a temper herself, she stays calm and gives him the business right back, it's great. After a while, they become less like enemies and more friends until things between them seem right, and of course, by the end of the story, I'm rooting for the couple.

Hands down one of my favorite parts about this book were the different perspectives because we don't get just Thorn and Lucas but Tempest and Pyre are back (only a few, but still), along with a couple of familiar faces because all of these stories are starting to intertwine together to tell an even bigger tale. With the Beast readers already know the history of the kingdoms and how things are working not to mention the leaders are known as well what the underlining issues are. Not to mention another character that was introduced in Tempest and Pyre's story is also in this one and looks like she is gonna be the main character in the next book.

The Beast is multiple points of view fairytale retelling that has a smart and confident female character, a love interest that has a bit of a temper not to mention dastardly villains, and a fairytale castle. The Beast was fantastic and is an excellent addition to the series. Dude, I love this series and I don't have to say goodbye just yet, looks like the next book, the Hood, is a Robin (Robyn) Hood retelling and I can't wait.

Very interesting take on BatB. The essentials of the fairy tale are there but the way that Frost Kay wove this into the existing story of the Twisted Kingdoms is brilliant. (The cameos from previous characters were delightful.)
I have always been impressed with Ms Kay's ability to write strong female leads that are also likeable. Often we get stuck with brash, loud, and annoying women who mistake crude manners for strength. Thorn doesn't roll over for anyone but still treats others well and cares for her family deeply. Luca is a fantastic beast. A thoroughly broken man that finds himself healing in the presence of his mate. It all makes for a very enthralling tale.

A twisted retelling of the classic "beauty and the beast" story but with a flair. Thorn is tasked with finding a rare flower. Following a map, she faces dangers, both deadly and more nuanced. But coming face to face with the Beast reveals more about herself. Will she be able to reconcile feelings for one against feelings for her family? Will the choices she make be positive or will she fall into deeper trouble?

This is a fantastic fairytale retelling inspired by beauty and the beast. I enjoyed the twists the author has put on this story and I have to say it drew me in hook, line and sinker! Our female mc Thorn is strong and smart, our beast is the master of the castle, lurking in the shadows and captures Thorn. It’s a great story told from a different angle and i throughly enjoyed it and the journey it took me on!

Really cute Beauty and the Beast retelling, and it even has DRAGONS! Luca & Damien were definitely my favorite characters. Great quick read, that helped me get over a book hangover. If you love Beauty and the Beast like I do, I’d definitely recommend this book!

This was a fun and fast paced young adult romance. I enjoyed how it referenced the main story characters however I didn't feel like there was enough overlap for the actual story line to justify including Tempest's chapters. That being said I liked this.

3.5stars
I didn't love the ending and I wish there was just a bit more tension, but I do love this series and the world! Plus it was nice to see bits of Tempest and Pyre again 😍

4.5 At first I was very confused as to why we were getting a book with Thorn and Luca and not Tempest and Pyre, but I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait for a Robyn hood retelling next!

Fun and enjoyable. Did feel like it followed the story of Beauty and the Beast a little to closely at times. Also wished it would have tied in to books 1-3 more. But still good.

Overall I enjoyed this story with a few reservations. This story was very Beauty and the Beast. There weren't many variations in the storyline. I think that can be good or bad depending on your preferences.
1. We don't meet the Beast until close to 40% in. For a stand-alone, I felt like this was a really long time to meet the love interest. I almost started to wonder if this really was a B&B retelling. Her best friend Jack feels like the love interest in the begining even though we know he's interested in marrying her sister. We get some very intimate moments between the two, it feels romantic but they are more brother and sister. Guarantee even if we were freezing to death I wouldn't sleep naked with my brother. UCK! My brother also wouldn't tenderly kiss my forehead. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I didn't feel like the B&B part of the story was rushed only that there was too much unnecessary in the beginning.
2. The blurb said this could be read alone but was part of a series. There were a few alternative POVs that made little sense to me because they were from characters and storylines I hadn't heard before. Like Temptest. I'm still not sure if she was a good or bad guy. The scenes with Robin had their own plot outside of the B&B storyline. Plus there were only 2-3 chapters with her in it. I'm sure those chapters fit into the series as a whole just fine, but if you read this as a standalone they take away from the pacing because they are unrelated to the story.
3. I feel like this is a petty point. Maybe this is why I hear readers don't like people on the covers of their books. But Luca doesn't look anything like the guy on the cover...well, they both have elf ears. But Luca is said to have lavender hair and iridescent scales on his neck and face. And Thorn has scares on her face...speaking of which, I never got a good idea what her scars look like. I think they were on her shoulder and neck? I wasn't sure if they reached her face. Ok, that is the end of my petty part.

Like I said overall I enjoyed this book. There were just areas that I felt needed more detail and parts that included too many.

I hate to say it, but Luca is not redeemable and Thorn is delulu for marrying him.

There were aspects of the book I liked, such as the writing style and world building. The blurb says this book can be read independently from the series it’s a part of, and that’s half true. Thorn’s story seems to be self-contained, but there’s other things that happen in the book which clearly allude to the previous books which injustice didn’t get.

Good things out of the way, there were a handful of elements in the story which just didn’t make sense to me. They were neither positive nor negative, just baffling.
-why is Thorn named Thorn? Everyone else in the story has “normal” names (read: names that aren’t nouns), but no explanation for why Thorn is named after a part of a plant. The characters reference that she is prickly like a thorn, but it doesn’t explain why her parents named her that.
-that whole beginning section with Jack and Thorn? I kept reading it as Jack and Rose.
-you cannot convince me that two best friends who are comfortable sleeping naked with each other, hug each other, and KISS each other have a relationship that is purely platonic. Especially with the added relationships with Eden…keep it in the family I guess? We literally never saw Jack and Eden interact
-there was an absurd amount of nudity in the book. Like, yes, scientifically the fastest and most efficient way to confer body heat between two people freezing to death is without clothing, but it happened a lot in the book. So, uh, yeah just know that ahead of time so you’re not caught off guard like I was lol. But what was also weird is that even though there was nudity in the book, there was no sexual content at all, so a slight disjunction in target age group?
-Thorn doesn’t get to the castle and meet MMC until around 40%, which is pretty late. Definitely made it seem like the beginning and end of the book were two separate stories.
-there were chapters sprinkled in that were written from other POVs than Thorn or Luca’s…it was really random and kinda confusing. I think these characters are from other books in the series, but it confused me the first time the POV shifted.
-there were two big time jumps, when the chapter started with “one month later”. I did not like these because I felt robbed of character development. One chapter, Thorn is scared when Luca enters a room with her. One month later, they are having lunch together every day and joking around. Why couldn’t we see that character development happening?

Okay, moving on…Luca (MMC) is not redeemable and the characters should not have gotten together. It seems that we’re supposed to buy the “I had a horrible and abusive childhood so now I don’t know how to act but please forgive me because it will never happen again” act but I simply do not. Yeah, Luca’s backstory truly is atrocious and I’m sorry he had to go through that. However, that is not an excuse for his actions (we are all about explanations but not excuses here). And, if Luca is truly as scarred as we are supposed to believe, the last thing he should be doing is get into a relationship. He needs to heal himself before he can be with someone else.

In most B&tB retellings, the author tries to reframe the FMC being trapped with the MMC in a way such that the MMC is not directly responsible for her entrapment so that the romance is more believable and acceptable. Nope, not here. Luca is truly a POS and straight up kidnaps and imprisons Thorn. Oh, also, he does this while she is naked (remember what I mentioned about a weird amount of nudity in the book due to hypothermia?) and doesn’t give her clothes. Jack (they’re imprisoned together) gives Thorn HIS cloak, but that still leaves BOTH of them in a cell for WEEKS without clothes for seemingly no reason. I cannot think of a single reason narratively why Luca didn’t give them clothes. Maybe it’s because he’s selfish and possessive and wouldn’t want to give away his things? But yeah anyway, Luca puts Jack and Thorn in jail, Thorn trades her life for Jack’s, and then becomes an indentured servant. From there, Luca proceeds to be extremely emotionally volatile, being kind and generous one moment then aggressive and condescending the next. The most redemption we see from him is when he says something like, “Yeah, I probably should’ve just let her go to begin with because that would’ve been the right thing…but hold on, I was super angry and possessive when I found her with Jack and I wanted her for MYSELF.”

So as you can guess, Luca was not great. Which meant the romance was ghastly, in the sense of “WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT.” Like, I think this case it literally is Stockholm syndrome. Especially because (like I said earlier) we didn’t actually get to see Luca and Thorn’s relationship change, we just saw the new relationship and are expected to accept it. Luca was creepily possessive of Thorn from the start, and since I don’t know the lore of the world, I don’t know if he was using the word “mate” to mean fated mate, or if he meant it as “I choose you as my mate”, which makes it even weirder.

Idk, I do kinda want to read the next book because Robyn seemed interesting enough. But if Damien is anything like Luca (or worse), I will throw something.

I've had so much hype for this book.
Anna I truly felt let down.
Is downright boring.
And Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite fairy tale.
I didn't even finished it till the last page.

Another gem in the Twisted Kingdoms world of excitement!

What reader doesn't love a great Beauty and the Beast retelling? I know I do, and when it originates in this spectacular fantasy world Frost Kay created, so.much.the.better! What a fabulous ride! She quickly became a one-clicker for me once I read The Hunt.😍

Ahhh, The Beast...
This richly described world, with characters I can relate to & root for, was a treasure to visit again.
Scarred, resilient Thorn is the plucky heroine of this latest-in-series, whom we met in the end of Tempest & Pyre's trilogy, The Heir. I immediately began rooting for her then, & absolutely LOVED getting her backstory now!
Thorn's childhood, though not perfect, and ultimately tragic, created in her an empathy for those treated as lesser, treated as not enough, treated as an outcast. Instead of being bitter and hateful towards the townsfolk, she tries to be what she wished she'd had when younger: someone who looks out for those with little support or protection. Her personal guardian angel came in the form of the local brothel madam,
who gave her a place to live, and a job as a maid when her father was killed. Thorn creates a "framily" from long time friend Eden, one of the ladies of the night, and the blacksmith's family, especially one son, Jack.
Once old enough, she strikes out into a new field of work as a treasure hunter: tough and resourceful, creating contacts in all manner of society's stratas.
On one such questions, she is intercepted and receives an unbelievable job offer, with an outrageous amount of money dangled in front of her. With her framily desperately in need of that money, she agrees to go into dangerous territory to retrieve a particular flower, with Jack in tow.
What they discover, besides the lethal prowling beasts of the area, takes their breath away... a castle in the middle of nowhere.

Luca, The Beast, is the hooded, cranky secretive protector of this castle and is none-too-pleased to find Thorn & Jack there. After the bargain is struck for Jack to live and leave, Thorn proceeds to clean the castle as punishment, but starts to learn about the prickly man who never shows his face.
What happens between them has echoes of the Disney version, with more violent and tragic undertones, and yet... is subtlety sweet and hopeful.

I also thoroughly enjoyed getting little glimpses of Temp & Pyre's shenanigans through this book, especially since the stories tie together in the overarching storyline.
Yes, it's a standalone HEA, & you CAN read it that way. Yet, it's book 4, set in the same world as the first three books in the Twisted Kingdoms series, featuring Tempest & Pyre. To get the whole story, go back and read The Hunt, The Rook & The Heir.

Grab this retelling, you'll be glad you did! And truly, once you finish, you should go back and read the trilogy!😍

My thanks to the author for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No review expected and no compensation was received.

I received this book as an ARC.

I’m always so easily taken into the world that author Frost Kay creates in the Twisted Kingdom realm. I love her characters and their out-of-this-world appearance and characteristics, but their very human hearts and feelings are what reel me in from the start. As many other reviewers have said, it’s a beautiful retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” in a world that I only want to learn more about thanks to the creative mind of Frost Kay.

The main protagonist, Thorn is just like her name - a tough woman who has faced adversity since a young age, with a heart that is guarded and shared only with those who have helped her grow into the woman she is now. I love her dedication to her loved ones and her tenacity to do whatever it takes to ensure their happiness, including putting her life on the line to do it.

Luca is a mysterious man who puts a ‘beastly’ front to shield those from his heritage. His past has inwardly scarred him, to the point where he feels that he must hide from everyone...until he meets Thorn. Their worlds collide in a way neither expected, one that takes both by surprise as the walls that both of them have built slowly come down as they grow closer to one another. Will they be able to give their love a chance or will their own demons prevent them from giving in to the one thing that makes them happy? That’s what you will find out when you read “The Beast.”

Frost Kay does an awesome job and at letting you feel for the characters as they start to open up and slowly fall for another. The connection between Thorn and Luca is real, genuine and it naturally evolves in a way that touches your heart and has you rooting for them to be together.

“The Beast” is another great addition to the Twisted Kingdom series and the characters that I have grown to adore from the first three books (yes, you will get to hear from them again). I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a unique take on the fairy tales we loved growing up, only with some badass heroines and sexy heroes that make them even better.

I was looking to read retellings/reimaginings of Beauty and the Beast and came across this, and despite being part of a series it was advertised as a "complete stand alone story" so I took a chance on it.

I really don't think it should be read as a stand alone. There were chapters dedicated to characters from previous books, that without the context of the series their inclusion seemed irrelevant to the story being told regarding Thorn (Beauty) and Luca (Beast).
There were also a couple chapters set aside to introduce a character for the next book (a Robin Hood type figure).
Both old and new characters had a tenuous connection to Thorn's story, and in my opinion did not need to be included, save for being part of the series as a whole.

This is why I have given a 3 rating instead of a 4.

The writing, plot and character development I believe is certainly a 4, despite some glaring errors, mainly relating to semantics and context.

Thorn was well written for what appears to be a feminist take on a traditional tale. There was a current throughout which emphasised sex and gender roles, sexual freedom and sex work and the shame/judgement that stems from it.

While reading I could tell there was world building and cultural history to the fantasy, however it fell flat as again, my main issue was it lacked context without having read the books prior.

It is an enjoyable read if you concentrate on the relationship between Thorn and Luca, but I find it odd to insert a stand alone in the middle of a series.
I recommend that readers interested in Frost Kay's work should ignore the advertising for this book and start with book 1, to get the complete version of her writing.

Big giant thanks to Frost Kay for the eARC in exchange for a review.

I'm a sucker for beauty and the best retellings. I can't get enough.
This one follows the disney version fairly closely, with only a few exceptions.

Thorn is not your typical beauty, scarred from a fire, she takes on jobs that take her on different adventures but the most recent job is more than thorn anticipates. Her and her best friend Jack need to find a flower. Easy enough, right? Not really when Thorn and Jack need to cross mountains and find a rare flower, travel through a forest guarded by cougars and survive freezing temperatures and snow storms.
Finding a hidden castle, Thorn and Jack rest and try to recuperate after a cougar attack. The castle, looking abandoned, is anything but.
A beast of a man finds them and throws them both in a prison, nearly letting them each die. Until Thorn offers herself for the freedom of Jack. The huge man allows it and Jack is thrown out, leave Thorn to the beastly man.
She works as a servant, slowly getting to know the man, his temper and fellow servants.

So, like I said before, very Disney ish storyline if you squint. I enjoyed it and it had a very #metoo feeling, which I appreciate. Women are often made to feel afraid in situations where men wouldn't think twice about their or other peoples actions, because they have never or likely will never be put in a position where something as mundane as scrubbing a floor can end in danger. Women think about this. Men have the luxury (more often than women) to not have to think about what's lurking right in front of them.
Over all, I'm giving this one 4 stars. It was a little more fairytaleish than what it could have been. Feminism had a decently strong tone throughout the book but then, insta married everyone ends up happy, big strong man to the rescue, was he stalking her or was it coincidence, fade to black

After her father died, Thorn grew up in a brothel. Although she herself is not a nightwalker, her sister Eden is in order to pay for the expensive medicine her son needs. Desperation causes her to take a job she normally wouldn’t, which might threaten her safety. Along with her best friend Jack, Thorn sets off on a quest to find a rare and exotic flower at the request of a client.

When they stumble upon a hidden castle and anger Luca, the man that lives there, Thorn trades her life for Jack’s safety. At first, Thorn is determined to hate Luca, and she longs to escape his clutches. But as time passes, and she gets to know him, Thorn realizes that he’s not so bad after all. Caught between her newfound feelings and her loyalty to her family, Thorn must decide where her priorities - and her heart - lie.

Wow!!! Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorite fairytales, and I’ve always loved a good retelling. “The Beast” by Frost Kay checks off all my boxes!!! This is definitely a twisted tale, and Kay had my attention from the very first page. I loved all the twists and turns, and the little details that made this world unique.

Thorn. Wow, this girl is definitely not a damsel in distress. Thorn is smart, confident, and capable, and I really loved how she didn’t let anyone put her down. Luca. He’s hard to read at first, but as the novel progresses, I just grew to love him so much!!! Their love story was so original and so lovely to see unfold. I completely recommend!!!

The Beast, the forth instalment to The Twisted Kingdom series was a real joy to read. Beauty and the Beast was one of my favourite stories as a child and as an adult I love finding unique retellings. This story may have a few elements from the original but as a whole it is a spellbinding new story.

Frost has created a strong FMC in Thorne who is young but wise beyond her years and knows her limits. I loved that her best friend is a male (Jake) and that he doesn’t become a love interest. It was so refreshing that their relationship was purely platonic. The Beast, Luca, surprised me. I was guessing his appearance until it was revelled and he was nothing like what I was expecting which I loved!

For someone who has not read the first three books I still found this one easy to follow even when characters from the previous books made an appearance. (I will definitely be going back to read the first 3 books) At the start of the book there is a small chapter about the history of the Kingdoms which gives you a bit of background information. This helps set the scene for anyone who is new to the Twisted Kingdoms series.

Frost has imagined a beautiful Fairytale world that I am looking forward to exploring more!

I have been reading the Twisted Kingdoms series since day one. I love this series, but Frost Kay has topped it off with the amazing story, and it is my absolute favorite of the entire series so far. (And I feel like I am betraying Tempest a little bit with that statement so I better go reread).
I was new to Frost Kay when I started this series and I am now a huge fan. I really love the way she builds up worlds and characters, and also creates all the good tension without going completely over the top. I wasn't sure she could top my love for Tempest and Pyre but she absolutely has. I love a good Beauty and the Beast retelling and this one has it all, romance, great story, differences with fun Easter eggs thrown in.
We have seen Thorn before so I wasn't completely surprised by her character. Getting to know her and her backstory was a fun ride. She is scarred, she is brave, she is no nonsense, she is loyal, and she is relatable. Luca is moody, he is scared, he is a bit wounded and he is also relatable. I don't want to give too much away because while this is fabulous retelling of Beauty and the Beast is has all the Frost Kay twists and turns. I absolutely loved it, and I hope you do too!

Phenomenal Story!

This was an amazing, gripping and slightly twisted retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Right from the very beginning we are thrust into a magical world of shifters, fae, dragons, etc., that delight us at every turn of the page. The story pulled me in, kept me enthralled with its imagery, and had my emotions all shook up. It’s filled with danger, adventure, drama, romance, and outstanding characters that you can’t help but love. It has touches of the classic Disney story but with a twist and will have you smiling while reading those parts and realizing the significance of them. These little nuances made my heart sore!

Thorn and Lucas were exceptional characters. They have thus otherworldly connection that is hard to deny and their interactions were filled with desire and passion. I loved them both. They were absolutely perfect. They kept me captivated, entertained and crossing my fingers that they would get their happy ever after.

I loved this story and everything about it. The writing was brilliant. The storytelling done in a way that will have you gripping your kindle tightly and turning the pages quickly to see how it all turns out.

Highly recommend.

The Beast is the fourth book in Frost Kay's Twisted Kingdoms series, but this book is a stand-alone and if you enjoy Beauty and the Beast then you're not going to want to miss this book.
The Beast focuses on Thorn, a character touched on in a previous book, but we also get some brief encounters with familiar characters. I have to say that I enjoyed the encounters with familiar characters, as it provides something that I know, but I love how Thorn's story is woven together. The author does a good job building Thorn's story so similar to Belle's. I can't help but feel for her though when I find out the things that she's suffered at the hands of one, especially cruel person. Despite all that, she's been through she has such a good heart for those who live in the village.
The story is good, but there are moments where I felt that the storyline gets dragged down and just plods along. It's a mix of being driven by the plot and then by the characters themselves. There are times of where I wanted more character-driven than the plot because the plot slows down too much. But when it's interesting it's really interesting.
I like that this book gives the characters a HEA and leaves me eager for the next book at the same time. LOL! I'm rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I grew up on Disney and Beauty and the Beast was my all time favorite! Like Belle, I loved to read and always had my nose stuck in book. This is definitely not the Disney version! There’s a beauty, a beast, a castle, a forest, a flower and, of course, the library. It’s done in a unique way where you see the influences but it stands on it’s on as a well-done retelling.

This is book 4 of the Twisted Kingdoms series, but I feel it can be read as a stand-alone. There are a few chapters throughout with previous characters and references to previous events. However, they’re not crucial to the main plot of this book so new readers aren’t lost.

There’s a few mildly steamy kisses exchanged, but it’s definitely a closed-door romance. There’s a fated-mates aspect I wish was expounded on more. I feel like there was more to expand on that left me wanting more background on certain characters. At times, I felt some descriptions were repetitive and overdone, but it was easily overlooked. Overall, it’s a solid retelling abs I can’t wait to read book 5, The Hood, that’s a Robin Hood retelling.

Thank you to the author for an advanced copy!