Deerskin by Robin McKinley was my favorite book of 2023 so I knew I wanted to make reading her other books a priority. I decided to start with Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & The Beast. I think the title pretty much explains exactly what you’re going to get out of this story. I really enjoyed this book but I don’t think it’s for everyone. This review will have spoilers.

Synopsis:

A strange imprisonment…

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.

When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, “Cannot a Beast be tamed?”

Robin McKinley’s beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple, Beauty and the Beast.

My Thoughts:

• Rating– 

Like with Deerskin, McKinley’s writing here is magical. She has a way of describing things that is whimsical but not overdone purple prose. A big chunk of the story takes place in the Beast’s enchanted castle with invisible maids, moving hallways and a perpetual rose garden. The writing was immersive and made me feel like I was there.

I also love the characters. McKinley tends to write characters that are good and pure but not always the most attractive. Even Beauty, who’s name is Honour, is described as being plain and so she gets embarrassed about her nickname being “Beauty.” I think that is so unique, especially when you look at most fantasy stories where the main character is always gorgeous.

Speaking of fantasy stories, this is technically one but it’s more fairytale than fantasy. There isn’t a ton of world building or depth. There’s also not much romance. The story ends with Beauty falling in love with the Beast and them getting married but that’s all there is. I was slightly disappointed because I wanted to see more of them together as a couple but again, this is more of a simple fairytale with a happy ending.

Final Thoughts:

Between the two books I’ve read by Robin McKinley so far, Deerskin is still my favorite. It has more depth and more intensity, what I tend to prefer, but I can see others preferring Beauty for its simplicity. Beauty is book one in the Folktales trilogy and I’ll review the other two soon. Thanks for reading and have a great day!