A Tale of Beauty and Beast by Melanie Cellier Review

One of the nice aspects of reading Melanie Celliers fairy tale retellings is that they can be read in any order. Until recently I loved this option. It was a lot easier to simply pick up the book that sounded the most interesting rather than start a series from start to finish. But after completing both the Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series I have come to think differently. I am very glad that I chose to read them in order for it felt a lot more fulfilling. Seeing favorite characters and even villains appear in several stories was always a treat and made the reading experience feel more complete. That said there is nothing wrong with reading these books out of order just know that some will probably contain spoilers of their predecessors. A Tale of Beauty and Beast is a prime example of this for it takes place right after A Dance of Silver and Shadow and mentions several events from it. This review will contain a few of those spoilers so if you haven't read A Dance of Silver and Shadow yet than come back and read this when you have. 

Princess Sophie gave up much to help her twin sister Lily have her happy ending. After winning the Princess Tourney (a dangerous tournament where twelve princesses reluctantly competed in to win the hand in marriage of the cursed beast Prince Dominic) she sets off alone to meet her new betrothed. Feeling she will be okay as long as she can still talk with Lily in her mind (a magical gift bestowed upon them their fairy godmother at birth) Sophie rides off into the kingdom of Palinar determined to not only free its subjects from their curse but to find a way to break the engagement she is now unwillingly bound to. However, her determination turns to horror when upon arriving she finds her magical link to her twin is mysteriously cut off. Worse yet she finds that Prince Dominic has not only been truthfully cursed to look like a beast but also cannot speak to her. Instead, he presents her with a note asking her to marry him in the morning. Furious at him for taking her away from everyone she loves Sophie adamantly refuses declaring they will wed once the curse is broken, and her beloved twin is once more by her side. As time goes on Sophie discovers that the castle is not empty as she once presumed. The servants still remain invisible to her eyes, but she soon learns to hear them and Dominic inside her mind. Dominic, however, refuses to tell her anything about the curse and one day after an argument Sophie goes for a ride outside the castle grounds hoping that whatever is blocking her magical connection with Lily won't affect her out there. While this plan works, she soon finds herself surrounded by wolves. Dominic saves her but collapses in the process. Despite Lily begging Sophie to leave him and return to her Sophie can't bring herself to let him die. She successfully gets them back to the castle where she cares for the Beast with the invisible servants help. While Dominic recovers Sophie learns the horrifying story of his evil father and begins to realize just how much of a bad influence he was on his son. Can Sophie teach Dominic to put others before himself? Will love bloom despite all the obstacles in her path including the reappearance of an enemy who comes also seeking her hand in marriage? Find out by reading it.

When describing the relationship between Sophie and Dominic I believe the best way of putting it is actions speak louder than words. The two spend a lot of the book arguing which put me off at times. But when you look at it from a broader perspective and consider the kind acts, they do for each other, it really helps you appreciate them more. Dominic's father was a terrible role model and king striking fear into his subjects' hearts. He taught his son to be just like him and to ignore the lessons his mother tried to teach him. As Sophie mentions it is rather a miracle that Dominic still retained some good morals at all. As the two grow closer, you see Dominic gradually change over time. What I really enjoy about this story is that Dominics transition to being a better person isn't an instant change. You see his struggle to be a better person and how it takes time and effort. And the nice moments that the two share couldn't help but make me smile. Their relationship felt more realistic compared to other couples Melanie Cellier has written. Relationships take time and effort to make them work which made Sophie and Dominic's felt all the sincerer for all the struggles they go through. 

The side characters were another highlight of this book. Sophie's invisible lady's maids were really fun to read about. Tara and Lottie are complete opposites in personality with Lottie being shy and hesitant and Tara high spirited and talkative. I enjoyed reading the conversations Sophie had with them as they brought much light to the gloomy castle. The servant's reason for being enchanted is an interesting one that differs from any other Beauty and the Beast retelling I have ever read. The take on the Gaston character was also very unique as well. While he still wants to marry Sophie, there is much more to his plans that simply a wedding. The side characters are all very unique with one of my personal favorites being the young boy servant Gordin who is always getting into trouble but who also informs Sophie of secrets he's head from the other servants that no one else will share. The cast of characters is one of my favorites in this series and kept the story very interesting and enjoyable. 

Overall, A Tale of Beauty and the Beast is a very enjoyable book that is worth reading if you're a fan of Melanie Cellier or are interested in the tale in general. That said I would highly recommend that you read A Dance of Silver and Shadow first since it helps you understand the books events a lot better. I rate this book 4.5 stars.