The Scarlet Rose: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling by Valia Lind Review

Valia Lind is a new author I recently discovered whose Beauty and the Beast book instantly caught my attention. Upon reading the title and learning it was based off Russian fairy tales I knew the name sounded very familiar to a picture book I own called The Scarlet Flower by Sergei Aksakov and guessed that it must have been the inspiration for it. I also went through my fairy tale collections and found three collections of Russian fairy tales. One of the collections had been a gift from my late grandparents and I remember reading the book with great enjoyment as a kid. One recurring character I that was featured in serval tales was the infamous witch Baba Yaga who either played the role of villainess or reluctant helper depending on the story. So, it goes without saying that it was a nice surprise to see her playing the role of the enchantress who cursed the prince in The Scarlet Rose.

The book opens with Gavriil a prince of the land Skazka being cursed by the witch Baba Yaga to slowly turn into a beast while losing his humanity and memories. If he fails to break the curse before the statue that was once his father crumbles he and his subjects will remained forever cursed. Meanwhile in another dimension (the real world) a daughter of a mafia heiress, Nikita, works endlessly to someday fill her father's position in the Bratva syndicate. Between arguing with her greedy older sisters, avoiding the slimy Ilya Balakin, and making sure her father's work is up to date her life is less than ideal. When her father is forced to go to the magical land of Skazka on business despite the dangers of thieves Nikia worries constantly for his safety. Her fears are grounded for when he returns, it is only to say a forever farewell to his daughters. For his theft of a rose in what he thought was an abandoned castle he has been forced into a magical contract with an awful beast who he must now serve for the rest of his days. Feeling responsible for her father's predicament (for it was she who asked for the rose) Nikita steals the portal ring and takes her his place. And so, begins a new life for Nikita who spends her days researching how to break curses and contending with the irritable cursed prince Gavriil who hides in the shadows never revealing himself to her. At first all Nikita can focus on is finding a way back to her world and to her beloved father but as time goes on, she finds her feelings begin to change towards Gavriil. He's not arrogant like she originally thought and despite his father's efforts to make him a cruel tyrant like himself he has maintained a caring heart. However even as sparks fly between the two of them the curses deadline approaches ever closer and with no idea how to break it, is a happy ending possible? Read it to find out. :)

This book was such a treat to read. It is full of magic, witty banter, and a very sweet romance. The world of Skazka is a magical and dangerous place that intrigues the reader right from the start. While it is a medieval setting it has several modern-day appliances such as a refrigerator and lamps. However, it is not the safest of places either. According to Nikita's father most of the kingdoms are in a state of chaos. I suspect the future books will focus more on this issue and hopefully by then end of the series Skazka will be in a more peaceful state. It should also be noted that prior to writing this book Valia Lind wrote a prequel fantasy trilogy called the Skazka Chronicles which can be enjoyed on its own and is not required to be read first.

Nikita is a great protagonist who strikes the right balance between strong and vulnerable. She grew up trying to prove herself capable of one day replacing her father in the Bratva Syndicate since he has no sons. However, her father's collogues and her sisters scorn her for trying to work that they believe is meant for men only. As the story progresses, Nikita reveals that she is only trying to join the mafia out of obligation to her father and doesn't truly aspire to it. During her time at the castle, she finds a piano room and begins to spend time practicing music which was something she had to give up when her mother died. Nikita is a well written protagonist who really brought the story to life and has become one of my favorite interpretations of Belle.

Gavriil is also one of my favorite interpretations of the Beast. He spends the first have of the book hiding in the shadows refusing to reveal himself to Nikita as the curse slowly begins to change him more and more into a beast. Having the curse change him slowly over time seems much crueler than an instant transformation as he slowly loses himself more and more to the beast. Gavriil and Nikita's relationship is very sweet and even though it follows the enemies to lover's trope I never found Gavriil to be truly unlikable at his worst. Similar to other retellings Gavriil had a cruel father who attempted to make his son into the spitting image of himself. However, where Gavriil differs from other interpretations is that he generally doesn't want to follow his father's footsteps but fears it is too late for him to change for the better. As time goes on, he learns from Nikita that he is his own person and not his father despite what his father tried to mold him into.

Overall, this book was a delight to read. I can't wait to read its sequel The Golden Slipper a Cinderella retelling and explore more Skazka. I highly recommend this book. It goes without saying that I rate it five out of five stars.